^9 (A)Be strong and conduct yourselves like men, you Philistines, that you do not become servants of the Hebrews, ^(B)as they have been to you. ^[a]Conduct yourselves like men, and fight!”

Final Exhortations

^13 (A)Watch, ^(B)stand fast in the faith, be brave, ^(C)be strong.

The Birth of Samson^(A)

13 Again the children of Israel ^(B)did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them ^(C)into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.

The Whole Armor of God

¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ^11 (A)Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the ^[a]wiles of the devil.

^12 (A)Be of good courage, and let us ^(B)be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. And may ^(C)the Lord do what is good in His sight.”

A Prayer in Deep Distress

⁷ So the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel; and He ^(A)sold them into the hands of the ^(B)Philistines and into the hands of the people of ^(C)Ammon.

² Then people will take them ^(A)and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them for servants and maids in the land of the Lord; they will take them captive whose captives they were, ^(B)and rule over their oppressors.

^47 (A)“Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of heart, ^(B)for the abundance of everything, ⁴⁸ therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the Lord will send against you, in ^(C)hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He ^(D)will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you.