And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times. And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath. And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel: eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters, whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years. And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the LORD delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me? Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites.
And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah her husband was not with her. And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and saluted him. And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour. And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the house of Micah. Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand. And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.