Three days after they made the treaty with them, the Israelites found out they were from the local area and lived nearby. ¹ 

There has not been a day like it before or since. The Lord obeyed ¹  a man, for the Lord fought for Israel!

But don’t you delay! Chase your enemies and catch them! ¹  Don’t allow them to retreat to ²  their cities, for the Lord your God is handing them over to you.” ³ 

Then Joshua executed them ¹  and hung them on five trees. They were left hanging on the trees until evening.

My countrymen ¹  who accompanied ²  me frightened the people, ³  but I remained loyal to the Lord my God. ⁴ 

Now today you dare to turn back ¹  from following the Lord! You are rebelling today against the Lord; tomorrow he may break out in anger against ²  the entire community of Israel.

A long time ¹  passed after the Lord made Israel secure from all their enemies, ²  and Joshua was very old. ³ 

I sent Moses and Aaron, and I struck Egypt down when I intervened in their land. ¹  Then I brought you out.

When I brought your fathers out of Egypt, you arrived at the sea. The Egyptians chased your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea.

If ¹  you abandon the Lord and worship ²  foreign gods, he will turn against you; ³  he will bring disaster on you and destroy you, ⁴  though he once treated you well.” ⁵ 

After all this ¹  Joshua son of Nun, the Lord’s servant, died at the age of one hundred ten.

After Joshua died, the Israelites asked ¹  the Lord, “Who should lead the invasion against the Canaanites and launch the attack?” ² 

When a leader died, the next generation ¹  would again ²  act more wickedly than the previous one. ³  They would follow after other gods, worshiping them ⁴  and bowing down to them. They did not give up ⁵  their practices or their stubborn ways.

The handle went in after the blade, and the fat closed around the blade, for Ehud ¹  did not pull the sword out of his belly. ² 

After Ehud ¹  came ²  Shamgar son of Anath; he killed six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad and, like Ehud, ³  delivered Israel.

They came from Ephraim, who uprooted Amalek, ¹  they follow ²  after you, Benjamin, with your soldiers. From Makir leaders came down, from Zebulun came ³  the ones who march carrying ⁴  an officer’s staff.

He sent messengers throughout Manasseh and summoned them to follow him as well. ¹  He also sent messengers throughout Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet him.

and listen to what they are saying. Then you will be brave ¹  and attack the camp.” So he went down with Purah his servant to where the sentries were guarding the camp. ² 

When Zebah and Zalmunna ran away, Gideon ¹  chased them and captured the two Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna. He had surprised ²  their entire army.

Gideon used all this to make ¹  an ephod, ²  which he put in his hometown of Ophrah. All the Israelites ³  prostituted themselves to it by worshiping it ⁴  there. It became a snare to Gideon and his family.