And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem.

When they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of Mount Gerizim…and cried, and said unto them "Listen to me, you men of Shechem, that God may listen to you. If you then have dealt truly and sincerely with Gideon and with his house this day, then rejoice…in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you: But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech." And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and lived there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.

When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel. Then God sent an evil spirit between him and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech: And he rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies. And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and killed the people that were in it…and sowed it with salt.

Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and camped against Thebez, and took it. And he came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire. And a certain woman dropped a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head, and…broke his skull.

And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place. Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in killing his seventy brothers: And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Gideon.

And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola…a man of Issachar; and he lived in Shamir in Mount Ephraim. And he judged Israel twenty-three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.

And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty-two years. And Jair died, and was buried in Camon.

And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baal, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and abandoned the LORD, and served not him.

And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon. And…they harassed and oppressed the children of Israel….

And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, "We have sinned against you, both because we have abandoned our God, and also served Baal."

And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, "Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines? The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and you cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand. Yet you have deserted me, and served other gods: therefore I will deliver you no more. "Go and cry unto the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your trouble."

And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, "We have sinned: do…unto us whatever seems good unto you; deliver us only, we pray you, this day." And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the LORD: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.

And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel. And it was so, that when they…made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob: Then he went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all his words before the LORD in Mizpeh.

So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands. And he struck them from Aroer, even till you come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

• And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.
• And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.
• And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel…ten years.
• And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel. And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died.

And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was childless…. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, "Behold now, you are barren…but you shall conceive, and bear a son.

"Now therefore beware, I pray you, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing: For, lo, you shall conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines."

And the woman bore a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him. And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.

REFERENCES

Judges 9:6-7, 19-23, 34, 45, 50, 52-53, 55-57; Judges 10:1-3, 5-8, 10-16; Judges 11:4-5, 11, 32-33; Judges 12:7-8, 11, 13, 15; Judges 13:1-5, 24; Judges 15:20.

CHAPTER 20