【Holy Bible】Message Judges

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Judges

Introduction

Sex and violence, rape and massacre, brutality and deceit do not seem to be congenial materials for use in developing a story of salvation. Given the Bible's subject matter—God and salvation, living well and loving deeply—we quite naturally expect to find in its pages leaders for us who are good, noble, honorable men and women showing us the way. So it is always something of a shock to enter the pages of the Book of Judges and find ourselves immersed in nearly unrelieved mayhem.

It might not gravel our sensibilities so much if these flawed and reprobate leaders were held up as negative moral examples, with lurid, hellfire descriptions of the punishing consequences of living such bad lives. But the story is not told quite that way. There is a kind of matter-of-fact indifference in the tone of the narration, almost as if God is saying, "Well, if this is all you're going to give me to work with, I'll use these men and women, just as they are, and get on with working out the story of salvation." These people are even given a measure of dignity as they find their place in the story; they are most certainly not employed for the sake of vilification or lampoon.

God, it turns out, does not require good people in order to do good work. He can and does work with us in whatever moral and spiritual condition he finds us. God, we are learning, does some of his best work using the most unlikely people. If God found a way to significantly include these leaders ("judges") in what we know is on its way to becoming a glorious conclusion, he can certainly use us along with our sometimes impossible friends and neighbors.

Twice in Judges (17:6 and 21:25) there is the telling refrain: "At that time there was no king in Israel. People did whatever they felt like doing." But we readers know that there was a king in Israel: God was king. And so, while the lack of an earthly king accounts for the moral and political anarchy, the presence of the sovereign God, however obscurely realized, means that the reality of the kingdom is never in doubt.

(MSG)

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Chapter 1

1 A time came after the death of Joshua when the People of Israel asked God, "Who will take the lead in going up against the Canaanites to fight them?" 2 And God said, "Judah will go. I've given the land to him." 3 The men of Judah said to those of their brother Simeon, "Go up with us to our territory and we'll fight the Canaanites. Then we'll go with you to your territory." And Simeon went with them. 4 So Judah went up. God gave them the Canaanites and the Perizzites. They defeated them at Bezek—ten military units! 5 They caught up with My-Master-Bezek there and fought him. They smashed the Canaanites and the Perizzites. 6 My-Master-Bezek ran, but they gave chase and caught him. They cut off his thumbs and big toes. 7 My-Master-Bezek said, "Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to crawl under my table, scavenging. Now God has done to me what I did to them." They brought him to Jerusalem and he died there.
8 The people of Judah attacked and captured Jerusalem, subduing the city by sword and then sending it up in flames. 9 After that they had gone down to fight the Canaanites who were living in the hill country, the Negev, and the foothills. 10 Judah had gone on to the Canaanites who lived in Hebron (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba) and brought Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai to their knees. 11 From there they had marched against the population of Debir (Debir used to be called Kiriath Sepher). 12 Caleb had said, "Whoever attacks Kiriath Sepher and takes it, I'll give my daughter Acsah to him as his wife." 13 Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's brother, took it, so Caleb gave him his daughter Acsah as his wife.
14 When she arrived she got him to ask for farm land from her father. As she dismounted from her donkey Caleb asked her, "What would you like?" 15 She said, "Give me a marriage gift. You've given me desert land; Now give me pools of water!" And he gave her the upper and the lower pools.
16 The people of Hobab the Kenite, Moses' relative, went up with the people of Judah from the City of Palms to the wilderness of Judah at the descent of Arad. They settled down there with the Amalekites. 17 The people of Judah went with their kin the Simeonites and struck the Canaanites who lived in Zephath. They carried out the holy curse and named the city Curse-town. 18 But Judah didn't manage to capture Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron with their territories. 19 God was certainly with Judah in that they took over the hill country. But they couldn't oust the people on the plain because they had iron chariots. 20 They gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had directed. Caleb drove out the three sons of Anak. 21 But the people of Benjamin couldn't get rid of the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. Benjaminites and Jebusites live side by side in Jerusalem to this day.
22 The house of Joseph went up to attack Bethel. God was with them. 23 Joseph sent out spies to look the place over. Bethel used to be known as Luz. 24 The spies saw a man leaving the city and said to him, "Show us a way into the city and we'll treat you well." 25 The man showed them a way in. They killed everyone in the city but the man and his family. 26 The man went to Hittite country and built a city. He named it Luz; that's its name to this day. 27 But Manasseh never managed to drive out Beth Shan, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, and Megiddo with their territories. The Canaanites dug in their heels and wouldn't budge. 28 When Israel became stronger they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they never got rid of them. 29 Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer. The Canaanites stuck it out and lived there with them. 30 Nor did Zebulun drive out the Canaanites in Kitron or Nahalol. They kept living there, but they were put to forced labor. 31 Nor did Asher drive out the people of Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Aczib, Helbah, Aphek, and Rehob. 32 Asher went ahead and settled down with the Canaanites since they could not get rid of them. 33 Naphtali fared no better. They couldn't drive out the people of Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath so they just moved in and lived with them. They did, though, put them to forced labor. 34 The Amorites pushed the people of Dan up into the hills and wouldn't let them down on the plains. 35 The Amorites stubbornly continued to live in Mount Heres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim. But when the house of Joseph got the upper hand, they were put to forced labor. 36 The Amorite border extended from Scorpions' Pass and Sela upward.

Judges 1:1-36 (MSG)

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Chapter 2

1 Godangel went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, "I brought you out of Egypt; I led you to the land that I promised to your fathers; and I said, I'll never break my covenant with you—never! 2 And you're never to make a covenant with the people who live in this land. Tear down their altars! But you haven't obeyed me! What's this that you're doing? 3 "So now I'm telling you that I won't drive them out before you. They'll trip you up and their gods will become a trap." 4 When God's angel had spoken these words to all the People of Israel, they cried out—oh! how they wept! 5 They named the place Bokim (Weepers). And there they sacrificed to God.
6  After Joshua had dismissed them, the People of Israel went off to claim their allotted territories and take possession of the land. 7 The people worshiped God throughout the lifetime of Joshua and the time of the leaders who survived him, leaders who had been in on all of God's great work that he had done for Israel. 8 Then Joshua son of Nun, the servant ofGod, died. He was 110 years old. 9 They buried him in his allotted inheritance at Timnath Heres in the hills of Ephraim north of Mount Gaash. 10 Eventually that entire generation died and was buried. Then another generation grew up that didn't know anything of God or the work he had done for Israel.
11 The People of Israel did evil in God's sight: 12 they served Baal-gods; they deserted God, the God of their parents who had led them out of Egypt; they took up with other gods, gods of the peoples around them. They actually worshiped them! And oh, how they angered God 13 as they worshiped god Baal and goddess Astarte! 14 God's anger was hot against Israel: He handed them off to plunderers who stripped them; he sold them cheap to enemies on all sides. They were helpless before their enemies. 15 Every time they walked out the door God was with them—but for evil, just as God had said, just as he had sworn he would do. They were in a bad way. 16 But then God raised up judges who saved them from their plunderers. 17 But they wouldn't listen to their judges; they prostituted themselves to other gods—worshiped them! They lost no time leaving the road walked by their parents, the road of obedience to God's commands. They refused to have anything to do with it. 18 When God was setting up judges for them, he would be right there with the judge: He would save them from their enemies' oppression as long as the judge was alive, for God was moved to compassion when he heard their groaning because of those who afflicted and beat them. 19 But when the judge died, the people went right back to their old ways—but even worse than their parents!—running after other gods, serving and worshiping them. Stubborn as mules, they didn't drop a single evil practice. 20 And God's anger blazed against Israel. He said, "Because these people have thrown out my covenant that I commanded their parents and haven't listened to me, 21 I'm not driving out one more person from the nations that Joshua left behind when he died. 22 I'll use them to test Israel and see whether they stay on God's road and walk down it as their parents did." 23 That's why God let those nations remain. He didn't drive them out or let Joshua get rid of them.

Judges 2:1-23 (MSG)

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Chapter 3

1 These are the nations that God left there, using them to test the Israelites who had no experience in the Canaanite wars. 2 He did it to train the descendants of Israel, the ones who had no battle experience, in the art of war. 3 He left the five Philistine tyrants, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living on Mount Lebanon from Mount Baal Hermon to Hamath's Pass. 4 They were there to test Israel and see whether they would obey God's commands that were given to their parents through Moses. 5 But the People of Israel made themselves at home among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 6 They married their daughters and gave their own daughters to their sons in marriage. And they worshiped their gods.

Othniel

7 The People of Israel did evil in God's sight. They forgot their God and worshiped the Baal gods and Asherah goddesses. 8 God's hot anger blazed against Israel. He sold them off to Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim. The People of Israel were in servitude to Cushan-Rishathaim for eight years. 9 The People of Israel cried out to God and God raised up a savior who rescued them: Caleb's nephew Othniel, son of his younger brother Kenaz.The Spirit of God came on him and he rallied Israel. He went out to war and God gave him Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim. Othniel made short work of him. 10  11 The land was quiet for forty years. Then Othniel son of Kenaz died.

Ehud

12 But the People of Israel went back to doing evil in God's sight. So God made Eglon king of Moab a power against Israel because they did evil in God's sight. 13 He recruited the Ammonites and Amalekites and went out and struck Israel. They took the City of Palms. 14 The People of Israel were in servitude to Eglon fourteen years. 15 The People of Israel cried out to God and God raised up for them a savior, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjaminite. He was left-handed. The People of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon king of Moab. 16 Ehud made himself a short two-edged sword and strapped it on his right thigh under his clothes. 17 He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Eglon was grossly fat. 18 After Ehud finished presenting the tribute, he went a little way with the men who had carried it. 19 But when he got as far as the stone images near Gilgal, he went back and said, "I have a private message for you, O king." The king told his servants, "Leave." They all left. 20 Ehud approached him—the king was now quite alone in his cool rooftop room—and said, "I have a word of God for you." Eglon stood up from his throne. 21 Ehud reached with his left hand and took his sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king's big belly. 22 Not only the blade but the hilt went in. The fat closed in over it so he couldn't pull it out. 23 Ehud slipped out by way of the porch and shut and locked the doors of the rooftop room behind him. 24 Then he was gone. When the servants came, they saw with surprise that the doors to the rooftop room were locked. They said, "He's probably relieving himself in the restroom." 25 They waited. And then they worried—no one was coming out of those locked doors. Finally, they got a key and unlocked them. There was their master, fallen on the floor, dead! 26 While they were standing around wondering what to do, Ehud was long gone. He got past the stone images and escaped to Seirah. 27 When he got there, he sounded the trumpet on Mount Ephraim. The People of Israel came down from the hills and joined him. He took his place at their head. 28 He said, "Follow me, for God has given your enemies—yes, Moab!—to you." They went down after him and secured the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites. They let no one cross over. 29 At that time, they struck down about ten companies of Moabites, all of them well-fed and robust. Not one escaped. 30 That day Moab was subdued under the hand of Israel. The land was quiet for eighty years.

Shamgar

31 Shamgar son of Anath came after Ehud. Using a cattle prod, he killed six hundred Philistines single-handed. He too saved Israel.

Judges 3:1-31 (MSG)

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Chapter 4

Deborah

1 The People of Israel kept right on doing evil in God's sight. With Ehud dead, 2 God sold them off to Jabin king of Canaan who ruled from Hazor. Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim, was the commander of his army. 3 The People of Israel cried out to God because he had cruelly oppressed them with his nine hundred iron chariots for twenty years. 4 Deborah was a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth. She was judge over Israel at that time. 5 She held court under Deborah's Palm between Ramah and Bethel in the hills of Ephraim. The People of Israel went to her in matters of justice. 6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, "It has become clear that God, the God of Israel, commands you: Go to Mount Tabor and prepare for battle. Take ten companies of soldiers from Naphtali and Zebulun. 7 I'll take care of getting Sisera, the leader of Jabin's army, to the Kishon River with all his chariots and troops. And I'll make sure you win the battle." 8 Barak said, "If you go with me, I'll go. But if you don't go with me, I won't go." 9 She said, "Of course I'll go with you. But understand that with an attitude like that, there'll be no glory in it for you. God will use a woman's hand to take care of Sisera." Deborah got ready and went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali together at Kedesh. Ten companies of men followed him. And Deborah was with him. 11 It happened that Heber the Kenite had parted company with the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses' in-law. He was now living at Zaanannim Oak near Kedesh. 12 They told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor. 13 Sisera immediately called up all his chariots to the Kishon River—nine hundred iron chariots!—along with all his troops who were with him at Harosheth Haggoyim. 14 Deborah said to Barak, "Charge! This very day God has given you victory over Sisera. Isn't God marching before you?" Barak charged down the slopes of Mount Tabor, his ten companies following him. 15 God routed Sisera—all those chariots, all those troops!—before Barak. Sisera jumped out of his chariot and ran. 16 Barak chased the chariots and troops all the way to Harosheth Haggoyim. Sisera's entire fighting force was killed—not one man left. 17 Meanwhile Sisera, running for his life, headed for the tent of Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite. Jabin king of Hazor and Heber the Kenite were on good terms with one another. 18 Jael stepped out to meet Sisera and said, "Come in, sir. Stay here with me. Don't be afraid." So he went with her into her tent. She covered him with a blanket. 19 He said to her, "Please, a little water. I'm thirsty." She opened a bottle of milk, gave him a drink, and then covered him up again. 20 He then said, "Stand at the tent flap. If anyone comes by and asks you, 'Is there anyone here?' tell him, 'No, not a soul.' " 21 Then while he was fast asleep from exhaustion, Jael wife of Heber took a tent peg and hammer, tiptoed toward him, and drove the tent peg through his temple and all the way into the ground. He convulsed and died. 22 Barak arrived in pursuit of Sisera. Jael went out to greet him. She said, "Come, I'll show you the man you're looking for." He went with her and there he was—Sisera, stretched out, dead, with a tent peg through his neck. 23 On that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan before the People of Israel. 24 The People of Israel pressed harder and harder on Jabin king of Canaan until there was nothing left of him.

Judges 4:1-24 (MSG)

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Chapter 5
1 That day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:
2 When they let down their hair in Israel, they let it blow wild in the wind. The people volunteered with abandon, bless God!
3 Hear O kings! Listen O princes! To God, yes to God, I'll sing, Make music to God, to the God of Israel.
4 God, when you left Seir, marched across the fields of Edom, Earth quaked, yes, the skies poured rain, oh, the clouds made rivers. 5 Mountains leapt before God, the Sinai God, before God, the God of Israel.
6 In the time of Shamgar son of Anath, and in the time of Jael, Public roads were abandoned, travelers went by backroads. 7 Warriors became fat and sloppy, no fight left in them. Then you, Deborah, rose up; you got up, a mother in Israel. 8 God chose new leaders, who then fought at the gates. And not a shield or spear to be seen among the forty companies of Israel. 9 Lift your hearts high, O Israel, with abandon, volunteering yourselves with the people—bless God!
10 You who ride on prize donkeys comfortably mounted on blankets And you who walk down the roads, ponder, attend! 11 Gather at the town well and listen to them sing, Chanting the tale of God's victories, his victories accomplished in Israel.
Then the people of God went down to the city gates.
12 Wake up, wake up, Deborah! Wake up, wake up, sing a song! On your feet, Barak! Take your prisoners, son of Abinoam!
13 Then the remnant went down to greet the brave ones. The people of God joined the mighty ones. 14 The captains from Ephraim came to the valley, behind you, Benjamin, with your troops. Captains marched down from Makir, from Zebulun high-ranking leaders came down. 15 Issachar's princes rallied to Deborah, Issachar stood fast with Barak, backing him up on the field of battle. But in Reuben's divisions there was much second-guessing. 16 Why all those campfire discussions? Diverted and distracted, Reuben's divisions couldn't make up their minds. 17 Gilead played it safe across the Jordan, and Dan, why did he go off sailing? Asher kept his distance on the seacoast, safe and secure in his harbors. 18 But Zebulun risked life and limb, defied death, as did Naphtali on the battle heights.
19 The kings came, they fought, the kings of Canaan fought. At Taanach they fought, at Megiddo's brook, but they took no silver, no plunder. 20 The stars in the sky joined the fight, from their courses they fought against Sisera. 21 The torrent Kishon swept them away, the torrent attacked them, the torrent Kishon. Oh, you'll stomp on the necks of the strong! 22 Then the hoofs of the horses pounded, charging, stampeding stallions. 23 "Curse Meroz," says God's angel. "Curse, double curse, its people, Because they didn't come when God needed them, didn't rally to God's side with valiant fighters."
24 Most blessed of all women is Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of homemaking women. 25 He asked for water, she brought milk; In a handsome bowl, she offered cream. 26 She grabbed a tent peg in her left hand, with her right hand she seized a hammer. She hammered Sisera, she smashed his head, she drove a hole through his head. 27 He slumped at her feet. He fell. He sprawled. He slumped at her feet. He fell. Slumped. Fallen. Dead.
W 28 Sisera's mother waited at the window, a weary, anxious watch. "What's keeping his chariot? What delays his chariot's rumble?" 29 The wisest of her ladies-in-waiting answers with calm, reassuring words, 30 "Don't you think they're busy at plunder, dividing up the loot? A girl, maybe two girls, for each man, And for Sisera a bright silk shirt, a prize, fancy silk shirt! And a colorful scarf—make it two scarves— to grace the neck of the plunderer."
31 Thus may all God's enemies perish, while his lovers be like the unclouded sun.
The land was quiet for forty years. Judges 5:1-31 (MSG)

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Chapter 6
Gideon
1 Yet again the People of Israel went back to doing evil in God's sight. God put them under the domination of Midian for seven years. 2 Midian overpowered Israel. Because of Midian, the People of Israel made for themselves hideouts in the mountains—caves and forts. 3 When Israel planted its crops, Midian and Amalek, the easterners, would invade them, 4 camp in their fields, and destroy their crops all the way down to Gaza. They left nothing for them to live on, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey. 5 Bringing their cattle and tents, they came in and took over, like an invasion of locusts. And their camels—past counting! They marched in and devastated the country. 6 The People of Israel, reduced to grinding poverty by Midian, cried out to God for help. 7 One time when the People of Israel had cried out to God because of Midian, 8 God sent them a prophet with this message: "God, the God of Israel, says,
I delivered you from Egypt, I freed you from a life of slavery; 9 I rescued you from Egypt's brutality and then from every oppressor; I pushed them out of your way and gave you their land.
10 "And I said to you, 'I am God, your God. Don't for a minute be afraid of the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living.' But you didn't listen to me." 11 One day the angel of God came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, whose son Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress, out of sight of the Midianites. 12 The angel of God appeared to him and said, "God is with you, O mighty warrior!" 13 Gideon replied, "With me, my master? If God is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all the miracle-wonders our parents and grandparents told us about, telling us, 'Didn't God deliver us from Egypt?' The fact is, God has nothing to do with us—he has turned us over to Midian." 14 But God faced him directly: "Go in this strength that is yours. Save Israel from Midian. Haven't I just sent you?" 15 Gideon said to him, "Me, my master? How and with what could I ever save Israel? Look at me. My clan's the weakest in Manasseh and I'm the runt of the litter." 16 God said to him, "I'll be with you. Believe me, you'll defeat Midian as one man." 17 Gideon said, "If you're serious about this, do me a favor: Give me a sign to back up what you're telling me. 18 Don't leave until I come back and bring you my gift." He said, "I'll wait till you get back." 19 Gideon went and prepared a young goat and a huge amount of unraised bread (he used over half a bushel of flour!). He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot and took them back under the shade of the oak tree for a sacred meal. 20 The angel of God said to him, "Take the meat and unraised bread, place them on that rock, and pour the broth on them." Gideon did it. 21 The angel of God stretched out the tip of the stick he was holding and touched the meat and the bread. Fire broke out of the rock and burned up the meat and bread while the angel of God slipped away out of sight. 22 And Gideon knew it was the angel of God! Gideon said, "Oh no! Master, God! I have seen the angel of God face to face!" 23 But God reassured him, "Easy now. Don't panic. You won't die." 24 Then Gideon built an altar there to God and named it "God's Peace." It's still called that at Ophrah of Abiezer. 25 That night this happened. God said to him, "Take your father's best seven-year-old bull, the prime one. Tear down your father's Baal altar and chop down the Asherah fertility pole beside it. 26 Then build an altar to God, your God, on the top of this hill. Take the prime bull and present it as a Whole-Burnt-Offering, using firewood from the Asherah pole that you cut down." 27 Gideon selected ten men from his servants and did exactly what God had told him. But because of his family and the people in the neighborhood, he was afraid to do it openly, so he did it that night. 28 Early in the morning, the people in town were shocked to find Baal's altar torn down, the Asherah pole beside it chopped down, and the prime bull burning away on the altar that had been built. 29 They kept asking, "Who did this?" Questions and more questions, and then the answer: "Gideon son of Joash did it." 30 The men of the town demanded of Joash: "Bring out your son! He must die! Why, he tore down the Baal altar and chopped down the Asherah tree!" 31 But Joash stood up to the crowd pressing in on him, "Are you going to fight Baal's battles for him? Are you going to save him? Anyone who takes Baal's side will be dead by morning. If Baal is a god in fact, let him fight his own battles and defend his own altar." 32 They nicknamed Gideon that day Jerub-Baal because after he had torn down the Baal altar, he had said, "Let Baal fight his own battles."
33 All the Midianites and Amalekites (the easterners) got together, crossed the river, and made camp in the Valley of Jezreel. 34 God's Spirit came over Gideon. He blew his ram's horn trumpet and the Abiezrites came out, ready to follow him. 35 He dispatched messengers all through Manasseh, calling them to the battle; also to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali. They all came. 36 Gideon said to God, "If this is right, if you are using me to save Israel as you've said, 37 then look: I'm placing a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If dew is on the fleece only, but the floor is dry, then I know that you will use me to save Israel, as you said." 38 That's what happened. When he got up early the next morning, he wrung out the fleece—enough dew to fill a bowl with water! 39 Then Gideon said to God, "Don't be impatient with me, but let me say one more thing. I want to try another time with the fleece. But this time let the fleece stay dry, while the dew drenches the ground." 40 God made it happen that very night. Only the fleece was dry while the ground was wet with dew.
Judges 6:1-40 (MSG)

latebird

Chapter 7

1 Jerub-Baal (Gideon) got up early the next morning, all his troops right there with him. They set up camp at Harod's Spring. The camp of Midian was in the plain, north of them near the Hill of Moreh. 2 God said to Gideon, "You have too large an army with you. I can't turn Midian over to them like this—they'll take all the credit, saying, 'I did it all myself,' and forget about me. 3 Make a public announcement: 'Anyone afraid, anyone who has any qualms at all, may leave Mount Gilead now and go home.' " Twenty-two companies headed for home. Ten companies were left. 4 God said to Gideon: "There are still too many. Take them down to the stream and I'll make a final cut. When I say, 'This one goes with you,' he'll go. When I say, 'This one doesn't go,' he won't go." 5 So Gideon took the troops down to the stream. God said to Gideon: "Everyone who laps with his tongue, the way a dog laps, set on one side. And everyone who kneels to drink, drinking with his face to the water, set to the other side." 6 Three hundred lapped with their tongues from their cupped hands. All the rest knelt to drink. 7 God said to Gideon: "I'll use the three hundred men who lapped at the stream to save you and give Midian into your hands. All the rest may go home." 8 After Gideon took all their provisions and trumpets, he sent all the Israelites home. He took up his position with the three hundred. The camp of Midian stretched out below him in the valley. 9 That night, God told Gideon: "Get up and go down to the camp. I've given it to you. 10 If you have any doubts about going down, go down with Purah your armor bearer; 11 when you hear what they're saying, you'll be bold and confident." He and his armor bearer Purah went down near the place where sentries were posted. 12 Midian and Amalek, all the easterners, were spread out on the plain like a swarm of locusts. And their camels! Past counting, like grains of sand on the seashore! 13 Gideon arrived just in time to hear a man tell his friend a dream. He said, "I had this dream: A loaf of barley bread tumbled into the Midianite camp. It came to the tent and hit it so hard it collapsed. The tent fell!" 14 His friend said, "This has to be the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite! God has turned Midian—the whole camp!—over to him." 15 When Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he went to his knees before God in prayer. Then he went back to the Israelite camp and said, "Get up and get going! God has just given us the Midianite army!" 16 He divided the three hundred men into three companies. He gave each man a trumpet and an empty jar, with a torch in the jar. 17 He said, "Watch me and do what I do. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly what I do. 18 When I and those with me blow the trumpets, you also, all around the camp, blow your trumpets and shout, 'For God and for Gideon!' " 19 Gideon and his hundred men got to the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after the sentries had been posted. They blew the trumpets, at the same time smashing the jars they carried. 20 All three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands, ready to blow, and shouted, "A sword for God and for Gideon!" 21 They were stationed all around the camp, each man at his post. The whole Midianite camp jumped to its feet. They yelled and fled. 22 When the three hundred blew the trumpets, God aimed each Midianite's sword against his companion, all over the camp. They ran for their lives—to Beth Shittah, toward Zererah, to the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. 23 Israelites rallied from Naphtali, from Asher, and from all over Manasseh. They had Midian on the run. 24 Gideon then sent messengers through all the hill country of Ephraim, urging them, "Come down against Midian! Capture the fords of the Jordan at Beth Barah." 25 So all the men of Ephraim rallied and captured the fords of the Jordan at Beth Barah. They also captured the two Midianite commanders Oreb (Raven) and Zeeb (Wolf). They killed Oreb at Raven Rock; Zeeb they killed at Wolf Winepress. And they pressed the pursuit of Midian. They brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon across the Jordan.

Judges 7:1-25 (MSG)

latebird

Chapter 8

1 Then the Ephraimites said to Gideon, "Why did you leave us out of this, not calling us when you went to fight Midian?" They were indignant and let him know it. 2 But Gideon replied, "What have I done compared to you? Why, even the gleanings of Ephraim are superior to the vintage of Abiezer. 3 God gave you Midian's commanders, Oreb and Zeeb. What have I done compared with you?" When they heard this, they calmed down and cooled off.
4 Gideon and his three hundred arrived at the Jordan and crossed over. They were bone-tired but still pressing the pursuit. 5 He asked the men of Succoth, "Please, give me some loaves of bread for my troops I have with me. They're worn out, and I'm hot on the trail of Zebah and Zalmunna, the Midianite kings." 6 But the leaders in Succoth said, "You're on a wild goose chase; why should we help you on a fool's errand?" 7 Gideon said, "If you say so. But when God gives me Zebah and Zalmunna, I'll give you a thrashing, whip your bare flesh with desert thorns and thistles!" 8 He went from there to Peniel and made the same request. The men of Peniel, like the men of Succoth, also refused. 9 Gideon told them, "When I return safe and sound, I'll demolish this tower." 10 Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with an army of about fifteen companies, all that was left of the fighting force of the easterners—they had lost 120 companies of soldiers. 11 Gideon went up the caravan trail east of Nobah and Jogbehah, found and attacked the undefended camp. 12 Zebah and Zalmunna fled, but he chased and captured the two kings of Midian. The whole camp had panicked. 13 Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle by way of the Heres Pass. 14 He captured a young man from Succoth and asked some questions. The young man wrote down the names of the officials and leaders of Succoth, seventy-seven men. 15 Then Gideon went to the men of Succoth and said, "Here are the wild geese, Zebah and Zalmunna, you said I'd never catch. You wouldn't give so much as a scrap of bread to my worn-out men; you taunted us, saying that we were on a fool's errand." 16 Then he took the seventy-seven leaders of Succoth and thrashed them with desert thorns and thistles. 17 And he demolished the tower of Peniel and killed the men of the city. 18 He then addressed Zebah and Zalmunna: "Tell me about the men you killed at Tabor." "They were men much like you," they said, "each one like a king's son." 19 Gideon said, "They were my brothers, my mother's sons. As God lives, if you had let them live, I would let you live." 20 Then he spoke to Jether, his firstborn: "Get up and kill them." But he couldn't do it, couldn't draw his sword. He was afraid—he was still just a boy. 21 Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Do it yourself—if you're man enough!" And Gideon did it. He stepped up and killed Zebah and Zalmunna. Then he took the crescents that hung on the necks of their camels.
22 The Israelites said, "Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson. You have saved us from Midian's tyranny." 23 Gideon said, "I most certainly will not rule over you, nor will my son. God will reign over you." 24 Then Gideon said, "But I do have one request. Give me, each of you, an earring that you took as plunder." Ishmaelites wore gold earrings, and the men all had their pockets full of them. 25 They said, "Of course. They're yours!" They spread out a blanket and each man threw his plundered earrings on it. 26 The gold earrings that Gideon had asked for weighed about forty-three pounds—and that didn't include the crescents and pendants, the purple robes worn by the Midianite kings, and the ornaments hung around the necks of their camels. 27 Gideon made the gold into a sacred ephod and put it on display in his hometown, Ophrah. All Israel prostituted itself there. Gideon and his family, too, were seduced by it. 28 Midian's tyranny was broken by the Israelites; nothing more was heard from them. The land was quiet for forty years in Gideon's time.
29 Jerub-Baal son of Joash went home and lived in his house. 30 Gideon had seventy sons. He fathered them all—he had a lot of wives! 31 His concubine, the one at Shechem, also bore him a son. He named him Abimelech. 32 Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age. He was buried in the tomb of his father Joash at Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Abimelech

33 Gideon was hardly cool in the tomb when the People of Israel had gotten off track and were prostituting themselves to Baal—they made Baal-of-the-Covenant their god. 34 The People of Israel forgot all about God, their God, who had saved them from all their enemies who had hemmed them in. 35 And they didn't keep faith with the family of Jerub-Baal (Gideon), honoring all the good he had done for Israel.

Judges 8:1-35 (MSG)

latebird

Chapter 9
1 Abimelech son of Jerub-Baal went to Shechem to his uncles and all his mother's relatives and said to them, 2 "Ask all the leading men of Shechem, 'What do you think is best, that seventy men rule you—all those sons of Jerub-Baal—or that one man rule? You'll remember that I am your own flesh and blood.' " 3 His mother's relatives reported the proposal to the leaders of Shechem. They were inclined to take Abimelech. "Because," they said, "he is, after all, one of us." 4 They gave him seventy silver pieces from the shrine of Baal-of-the-Covenant. With the money he hired some reckless riff-raff soldiers and they followed along after him. 5 He went to his father's house in Ophrah and killed his half brothers, the sons of Jerub-Baal—seventy men! And on one stone! The youngest, Jotham son of Jerub-Baal, managed to hide, the only survivor. 6 Then all the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo gathered at the Oak by the Standing Stone at Shechem and crowned Abimelech king. 7 When this was all told to Jotham, he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim, raised his voice, and shouted:
Listen to me, leaders of Shechem. And let God listen to you! 8 The trees set out one day to anoint a king for themselves. They said to Olive Tree, "Rule over us." 9 But Olive Tree told them, "Am I no longer good for making oil That gives glory to gods and men, and to be demoted to waving over trees?"
10 The trees then said to Fig Tree, "You come and rule over us." 11 But Fig Tree said to them, "Am I no longer good for making sweets, My mouthwatering sweet fruits, and to be demoted to waving over trees?"
12 The trees then said to Vine, "You come and rule over us." 13 But Vine said to them, "Am I no longer good for making wine, Wine that cheers gods and men, and to be demoted to waving over trees?"
14 All the trees then said to Tumbleweed, "You come and reign over us." 15 But Tumbleweed said to the trees: "If you're serious about making me your king, Come and find shelter in my shade. But if not, let fire shoot from Tumbleweed and burn down the cedars of Lebanon!"
16 "Now listen: Do you think you did a right and honorable thing when you made Abimelech king? Do you think you treated Jerub-Baal and his family well, did for him what he deserved? 17 My father fought for you, risked his own life, and rescued you from Midian's tyranny, 18 and you have, just now, betrayed him. You massacred his sons—seventy men on a single stone! You made Abimelech, the son by his maidservant, king over Shechem's leaders because he's your relative. 19 If you think that this is an honest day's work, this way you have treated Jerub-Baal today, then enjoy Abimelech and let him enjoy you. 20 But if not, let fire break from Abimelech and burn up the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo. And let fire break from the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo and burn up Abimelech." 21 And Jotham fled. He ran for his life. He went to Beer and settled down there, because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech.
22 Abimelech ruled over Israel for three years. 23 Then God brought bad blood between Abimelech and Shechem's leaders, who now worked treacherously behind his back. 24 Violence boomeranged: The murderous violence that killed the seventy brothers, the sons of Jerub-Baal, was now loose among Abimelech and Shechem's leaders, who had supported the violence. 25 To undermine Abimelech, Shechem's leaders put men in ambush on the mountain passes who robbed travelers on those roads. And Abimelech was told. 26 At that time Gaal son of Ebed arrived with his relatives and moved into Shechem. The leaders of Shechem trusted him. 27 One day they went out into the fields, gathered grapes in the vineyards, and trod them in the winepress. Then they held a celebration in their god's temple, a feast, eating and drinking. And then they started putting down Abimelech. 28 Gaal son of Ebed said, "Who is this Abimelech? And who are we Shechemites to take orders from him? Isn't he the son of Jerub-Baal, and isn't this his henchman Zebul? We belong to the race of Hamor and bear the noble name of Shechem. Why should we be toadies of Abimelech? 29 If I were in charge of this people, the first thing I'd do is get rid of Abimelech! I'd say, 'Show me your stuff, Abimelech—let's see who's boss here!' " 30 Zebul, governor of the city, heard what Gaal son of Ebed was saying and got angry. 31 Secretly he sent messengers to Abimelech with the message, "Gaal son of Ebed and his relatives have come to Shechem and are stirring up trouble against you. 32 Here's what you do: Tonight bring your troops and wait in ambush in the field. 33 In the morning, as soon as the sun breaks, get moving and charge the city. Gaal and his troops will come out to you, and you'll know what to do next." 34 Abimelech and his troops, four companies of them, went up that night and waited in ambush approaching Shechem. 35 Gaal son of Ebed had gotten up and was standing in the city gate. Abimelech and his troops left their cover. 36 When Gaal saw them he said to Zebul, "Look at that, people coming down from the tops of the mountains!" Zebul said, "That's nothing but mountain shadows; they just look like men." Gaal kept chattering away. 37 Then he said again, "Look at the troops coming down off Tabbur-erez (the Navel of the World)—and one company coming straight from the Oracle Oak." 38 Zebul said, "Where is that big mouth of yours now? You who said, 'And who is Abimelech that we should take orders from him?' Well, there he is with the troops you ridiculed. Here's your chance. Fight away!" 39 Gaal went out, backed by the leaders of Shechem, and did battle with Abimelech. 40 Abimelech chased him, and Gaal turned tail and ran. Many fell wounded, right up to the city gate. 41 Abimelech set up his field headquarters at Arumah while Zebul kept Gaal and his relatives out of Shechem.
42 The next day the people went out to the fields. This was reported to Abimelech. 43 He took his troops, divided them into three companies, and placed them in ambush in the fields. When he saw that the people were well out in the open, he sprang up and attacked them. 44 Abimelech and the company with him charged ahead and took control of the entrance to the city gate; the other two companies chased down those who were in the open fields and killed them. 45 Abimelech fought at the city all that day. He captured the city and massacred everyone in it. He leveled the city to the ground, then sowed it with salt. 46 When the leaders connected with Shechem's Tower heard this, they went into the fortified God-of-the-Covenant temple. 47 This was reported to Abimelech that the Shechem's Tower bunch were gathered together. 48 He and his troops climbed Mount Zalmon (Dark Mountain). Abimelech took his ax and chopped a bundle of firewood, picked it up, and put it on his shoulder. He said to his troops, "Do what you've seen me do, and quickly." 49 So each of his men cut his own bundle. They followed Abimelech, piled their bundles against the Tower fortifications, and set the whole structure on fire. Everyone in Shechem's Tower died, about a thousand men and women. 50 Abimelech went on to Thebez. He camped at Thebez and captured it. 51 The Tower-of-Strength stood in the middle of the city; all the men and women of the city along with the city's leaders had fled there and locked themselves in. They were up on the tower roof. 52 Abimelech got as far as the tower and assaulted it. He came up to the tower door to set it on fire. 53 Just then some woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and crushed his skull. 54 He called urgently to his young armor-bearer and said, "Draw your sword and kill me so they can't say of me, 'A woman killed him.' " His armor bearer drove in his sword, and Abimelech died. 55 When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they went home.
56 God avenged the evil Abimelech had done to his father, murdering his seventy brothers. 57 And God brought down on the heads of the men of Shechem all the evil that they had done, the curse of Jotham son of Jerub-Baal. Judges 9:1-57 (MSG)