Hello, ad welcome
back to HIS WORDS ARE LIFE.
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I'm Kelly Mowrer, and we've been
reading the story of Gideon.
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When we were last together,
we read about Gideon's death and
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how his son who remained
decided to choose Abimelech
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to reign over them. One
of his sons was Abimelech.
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Whereupon Abimelech
killed all the rest of the sons,
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except for the
youngest, who escaped.
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The youngest
being named, Jotham.
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And we were reading a
speech that Jotham was making,
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a parable that he was telling,
saying if you are happy,
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saying this to the
people, if you are happy,
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that Abimelech is reigning over
you and believe he has dealt
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fairly with you, in killing
all the rest of Gideon's sons,
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except for myself;
then enjoy his rule.
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And we're going to pick up now
in Jotham's parable, or rather
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his speech; but
before we do let's pray.
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Dear Lord, thank you for this
time apart to read your word.
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Please remove from our mind, the
distractions of anything that
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would stand between us
and the hearing of your voice
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to each one of us
through this story.
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Please send the Holy Spirit to
bring to our hearts and our mind
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the lessons you want us to
learn. We love you so much,
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and thank you
for loving us. Amen.
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We're picking up Jotham's
speech and we're in the book of
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Judges, chapter 9 and verse 20.
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But if not, let fire come
out from Abimelech, and devour
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the men of Shechem, and
from the house of Millo,
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and let fire come out from
the men of Shechem, and from the
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house of Millo,
and devour Abimelech.
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And Jotham ran away,
and fled, and went to Beer,
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and dwelt there for fear
of Abimelech his brother.
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When Abimelech had
reigned three years over Israel,
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then God sent an evil
spirit between Abimelech
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and the men of Shechem;
and the men of Shechem dealt
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treacherously with Abimelech:
that the cruelty done to the
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threescore and ten sons
of Jerubbaal might come,
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and their blood be laid
upon Abimelech their brother,
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which slew them; and upon the
men of Shechem, which aided him
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in the killing of his
brethren. And the men of Shechem
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set liers in wait for him
in the top of the mountains,
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and they robbed all that
came along that way by them:
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and it was told Abimelech.
And Gaal the son of Ebed came
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with his brethren, and went
over to Shechem: and the men
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of Shechem put their confidence
in him. And they went out into
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the fields, and gathered their
vineyards, and trode the grapes,
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and made merry, and went
into the house of their god,
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and did eat and
drink, and cursed Abimelech.
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And Gaal the son of Ebed said,
Who is Abimelech, and who is
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Shechem, that we should
serve him? is not he the son
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of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his
officer? serve the men of Hamor
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the father of Shechem:
for why should we serve him?
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And would to God this
people were under my hand!
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Then would I remove Abimelech.
And he said to Abimelech,
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Increase thine
army, and come out.
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And when Zebul the ruler of
the city heard the words of Gaal
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the son of Ebed, his anger was
kindled. And he sent messengers
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unto Abimelech privily, saying,
Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed
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and his brethren be
come to Shechem; and, behold
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they fortify the city against
thee. Now therefore up by night,
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thou and the people that
is with thee, and lie in wait
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in the field; and it shall be,
that in the morning, as soon as
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the sun is up, thou shalt rise
early, and set upon the city:
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and, behold, when he and the
people that is with him come out
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against thee, then
mayest thou do to them
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as thou shalt find
occasion. And Abimelech rose up,
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and all the people that were
with him, by night, and they
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laid wait against Shechem
in four companies. And Gaal
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the son of Ebed went
out, and stood in the entering
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of the gate of the city:
and Abimelech rose up, and
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the people that were
with him, from lying in wait.
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And when Gaal saw the people,
he said to Zebul, Behold,
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there come people down
from the top of the mountains.
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And Zebul said unto
him, Thou seest the shadow
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of the mountain as if they
were men. And Gaal spake again,
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and said, See there come people
down by the middle of the land,
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and another company come
along by the plain of Meonenim.
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Then said Zebul unto
him, Where is now thy mouth,
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wherewith thou
saidst, Who is Abimelech,
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that we should serve him? is not
this the people that thou hast
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despised? go out, I pray
now, and fight with them.
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And Gaal went out before
the men of Shechem, and fought
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with Abimelech. And Abimelech
chased him, and he fled
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before him, and many
were overthrown and wounded,
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even unto the
entering of the gate.
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And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah:
and Zebul thrust out Gaal
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and his brethren, that they
should not dwell in Shechem.
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And it came to pass on
the morrow, that the people
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went out into the
field; and they told Abimelech.
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And he took the people,
and divided them into three
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companies, and laid wait in the
field, and looked, and behold,
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the people were come
forth out of the city;
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and he rose up
against them, and smote them.
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And Abimelech, and the
company that was with him,
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rushed forward and stood in the
entering of the gate of the city
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and the two other companies ran
upon all the people that were
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in the fields, and slew them.
And Abimelech fought against
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the city all that day;
and he took the city, and slew
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the people that was
therein, and beat down the city,
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and sowed it with salt. And
when all the men of the tower of
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Shechem heard that, they entered
into an hold of the house
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of the god Berith. And it was
told Abimelech, that all the men
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of the tower of
Shechem were gathered together.
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And Abimelech gat
him up to mount Zalmmon,
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he and all the
people that were with him;
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and Abimelech took an ax in
his hand, and cut down a bough
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from the trees, and took
it, and laid it on his shoulder,
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and said unto the
people that were with him,
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What ye have seen me do, make
haste, and do as I have done.
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And all the people likewise
cut down every man his bough,
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and followed Abimelech,
and put them to the hold,
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and set the hold on fire
upon them; so that all the men
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of the tower of Shechem died
also about 1,000 men and women.
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Then went Abimelech to Thebez,
and encamped against Thebez
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and took it. But there was a
strong tower within the city,
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and thither fled all the men and
women, and all they of the city,
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and shut it to them, and gat
them up to the top of the tower.
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And Abimelech came unto the
tower, and fought against it,
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and went hard unto the door of
the tower to burn it with fire.
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And a certain woman
cast a piece of a millstone
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upon Abimelech's head,
and all to brake his skull.
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Then he called hastily unto
the young man his armour bearer,
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and said unto him,
Draw thy sword, and slay me,
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that men say not of me, A woman
slew him. And his young man
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thrust him through, and he died.
And when the men of Israel saw
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that Abimelech was
dead, they departed every man
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unto his place. Thus
God rendered the wickedness
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of Abimelech, which he did
unto his father, in slaying
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his 70 brethren: And all
the evil of the men of Shechem
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did God render upon their heads:
and upon them came the curse
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of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
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We're continuing to
read in the book of Judges,
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chapter 10, and this
is the King James Version.
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And after Abimelech there arose
to defend Israel, Tola the son
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of Puah the son of Dodo, a
man of Issachar, and he dwelt in
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Shamir in mount Ephraim.
And he judged Israel 23 years,
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and died, and
was buried in Shamir.
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And after him arose Jair, a
Gileadite, and judged Israel
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twenty and two years.
And he had thirty sons
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that rode on 30 ass colts,
and they had thirty cities,
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which are called
Havothjair unto this day,
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which are in the land of Gilead.
And Jair died, and was buried
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in Camon. And the children
of Israel did evil again
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in the sight of the Lord, and
served Baalim, and Ashtaroth,
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and the gods of
Syria, and the gods of Zidon,
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and the gods of
Moab, and the gods of
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children of
Ammon, and the gods of
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the Philistines, and forsook
the Lord, and served not him.
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And the anger of the Lord was
hot against Israel, and he sold
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them into the hands of the
Philistines and into the hands
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of the children of
Ammon. And that year they vexed
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and oppressed the Children
of Israel: eighteen years,
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all the children of Israel that
were on the other side Jordan
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in the land of the
Amorites, which is in Gilead.
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Moreover the children of Ammon
passed over Jordan to fight also
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against Judah, and against
Benjamin, and against the house
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of Ephraim; so that
Israel was sore distressed.
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And the children of Israel
cried unto the Lord, saying,
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We have sinned against thee,
both because we have forsaken
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our God and also served Baalim.
And the Lord said unto the
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children of Israel, Did not I
deliver you from the Egyptians,
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and from the Amorites, from the
children of Ammon, and from the
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Philistines? The Zidonians
also, and the Amalekites,
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and the Maonites, did oppress
you; and ye cried to me, and I
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delivered you out of their
hand. Yet ye have forsaken me,
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and served other gods: wherefore
I will deliver you no more.
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Go and cry unto the
gods which ye have chosen;
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let them deliver you in
the time of your tribulation.
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And the children of Israel said
unto the Lord, We have sinned:
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do thou unto us whatsosever
seemeth good unto thee;
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deliver us only, we
pray thee, this day.
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And they put away the
strange gods from among them,
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and served the Lord: and his
soul was grieved for the misery
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of Israel. Then the children
of Ammon were gathered together,
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and encamped in Gilead. And
the children of Israel assembled
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themselves together,
and encamped in Mizpeh.
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And the people and princes
of Gilead said one to another,
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What man is he that will begin
to fight against the children
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of Ammon? he shall be head over
all the inhabitants of Gilead.
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Continuing in the
book of Judges, chapter 11
00:11:11.22\00:11:15.01
this is the King James Version.
Now Jephthah the Gileadite
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was a might man of valour,
and he was the son of an harlot:
00:11:21.99\00:11:25.85
and Gilead begat Jephthah.
And Gilead's wife bare him sons;
00:11:25.88\00:11:31.53
and his wife's sons grew up,
and they thrust out Jephthah,
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and said unto him, Thou shalt
not inherit in our father's
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house; for thou art
the son of a strange woman.
00:11:37.99\00:11:40.16
Then Jephthah fled from his
brethren, and dwelt in the land
00:11:40.19\00:11:44.62
of Tob: and there were
gathered vain men to Jephthah,
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and went out with him. And it
came to pass in process of time
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that the children of
Ammon made war against Israel,
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And it was so that when
the children of Ammon made war
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against Israel, the elders
of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah
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out of the land of Tob:
And they said unto Jephthah,
00:12:04.15\00:12:07.63
Come and be our captain, that
we may fight with the children
00:12:07.66\00:12:10.61
of Ammon. And Jephthah
said unto the elders of Gilead,
00:12:10.64\00:12:15.21
did not ye hate me, and expel
me out of my father's house?
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and why are ye come unto me
now when ye are in distress?
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And the elders of
Gilead said unto Jephthah,
00:12:23.51\00:12:26.90
Therefore we turn again to thee
now, that thou mayest go with us
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and fight against the children
of Ammon, and be our head
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over all the inhabitants
of Gilead. And Jephthah said
00:12:33.59\00:12:38.17
unto the elders of Gilead, If
ye bring me home again to fight
00:12:38.20\00:12:41.93
against the children of
Ammon, and the Lord deliver them
00:12:41.96\00:12:44.91
before me, shall I be your
head? And the elders of Gilead
00:12:44.94\00:12:49.97
said unto Jephthah, The
Lord be witness between us,
00:12:50.00\00:12:53.01
if we do not so according
to thy words. Then Jephthah
00:12:53.04\00:12:57.10
went with the elders of Gilead,
and the people made him head
00:12:57.13\00:12:59.97
and captain over them: and
Jephthah uttered all his words
00:13:00.00\00:13:04.04
before the Lord in Mizpeh.
And Jephthah sent messengers
00:13:04.07\00:13:08.34
unto the king of the
children of Ammon, saying,
00:13:08.37\00:13:10.33
What hast thou to do with me,
that thou art come against me
00:13:10.36\00:13:13.32
to fight in my land? And the
king of the children of Ammon
00:13:13.35\00:13:17.06
answered unto the messengers
of Jephthah, Because Israel
00:13:17.09\00:13:20.64
took away my land,
when they came out of Egypt,
00:13:20.67\00:13:22.76
from Arnon even unto
Jabbok, and unto Jordan:
00:13:22.79\00:13:25.97
now therefore restore
those lands again peaceably.
00:13:26.00\00:13:30.46
And Jephthath sent messengers
again unto the king of the
00:13:30.49\00:13:34.25
children of Ammon: And said
unto him, Thus saith Jephthah,
00:13:34.28\00:13:37.44
Israel took not away the
land of Moab, nor the land
00:13:37.47\00:13:40.67
of the children of Ammon: But
when Israel came up from Egypt,
00:13:40.70\00:13:43.87
and walked through the
wilderness unto the Red Sea,
00:13:43.90\00:13:46.51
and came to Kadesh; Then Israel
sent messengers unto the king
00:13:46.54\00:13:50.41
of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray
thee, pass through thy land:
00:13:50.44\00:13:54.07
But the king of Edom
would not hearken thereto.
00:13:54.10\00:13:56.68
And in like manner they
sent unto the king of Moab:
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but he would not consent:
and Israel abode in Kadesh.
00:14:00.29\00:14:04.61
Then they went along through
the wilderness, and compassed
00:14:04.64\00:14:07.87
the land of Edom, and the land
of Moab, and came by the east
00:14:07.90\00:14:10.91
side of the land of Moab,
and pitched on the other side
00:14:10.94\00:14:13.72
of Arnon, but came not
within the border of Moab:
00:14:13.75\00:14:16.50
For Arnon was the border of
Moab. And Israel sent messengers
00:14:16.53\00:14:21.48
unto Sihon king of the
Amorites, the king of Heshbon;
00:14:21.51\00:14:24.42
and Israel said unto him,
Let us pass, we pray thee,
00:14:24.45\00:14:27.69
through thy land into my place.
00:14:27.72\00:14:29.81
Please join me again next time
as we read this story together.
00:14:29.84\00:14:33.59
Goodbye.
00:14:33.62\00:14:42.11