⁴ But his father and mother did not know that it was ^(A)of the Lord—that He was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. For at that time ^(B)the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

²⁰ For ^(A)it was of the Lord ^[a]to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that He might utterly destroy them, and that they might receive no mercy, but that He might destroy them, ^(B)as the Lord had commanded Moses.

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.

⁷ His going to Joram ^(A)was God’s occasion for Ahaziah’s ^[a]downfall; for when he arrived, ^(B)he went out with ^[b]Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, ^(C)whom the Lord had anointed to ^[c]cut off the house of Ahab.

¹⁵ So the king did not listen to the people; ^(A)for the turn of events was from God, that the Lord might fulfill His ^(B)word, which He had spoken by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

³³ And while he was still talking with them, there was the messenger, coming down to him; and then the king said, “Surely this calamity is from the Lord; ^(A)why should I wait for the Lord any longer?”

¹⁵ So the king did not listen to the people; for ^(A)the turn of events was from the Lord, that He might fulfill His word, which the Lord had ^(B)spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

²⁰ But Amaziah would not heed, for ^(A)it came from God, that He might give them into the hand of their enemies, because they ^(B)sought the gods of Edom.