⁹ But when they cried out^(A) to the Lord, he raised up for them a deliverer,^(B) Othniel^(C) son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them.

³ Because he had nine hundred chariots fitted with iron^(A) and had cruelly oppressed^(B) the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the Lord for help.

The Agreement of the People

³⁸ “In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement,^(AC) putting it in writing,^(AD) and our leaders, our Levites and our priests are affixing their seals to it.”^[a]

²⁶ The Lord had seen how bitterly everyone in Israel, whether slave or free,^(A) was suffering;^[a](B) there was no one to help them.^{(C) 27} And since the Lord had not said he would blot out^(D) the name of Israel from under heaven, he saved^(E) them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash.

⁸ They said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying^(A) out to the Lord our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.” ⁹ Then Samuel^(B) took a suckling lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him.^(C)

¹⁰ While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered^(D) with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic^(E) that they were routed before the Israelites. ¹¹ The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Kar.

¹² Then Samuel took a stone^(F) and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer,^[a](G) saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

¹⁰ Then the Israelites cried^(A) out to the Lord, “We have sinned^(B) against you, forsaking our God and serving the Baals.”^(C)

¹¹ The Lord replied, “When the Egyptians,^(D) the Amorites,^(E) the Ammonites,^(F) the Philistines,^{(G) 12} the Sidonians, the Amalekites^(H) and the Maonites^[a](I) oppressed you^(J) and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands? ¹³ But you have forsaken^(K) me and served other gods,^(L) so I will no longer save you. ¹⁴ Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save^(M) you when you are in trouble!^(N)”

¹⁵ But the Israelites said to the Lord, “We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best,^(O) but please rescue us now.” ¹⁶ Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the Lord.^(P) And he could bear Israel’s misery^(Q) no longer.^(R)

⁶ Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out^(A) to the Lord for help.

⁷ When the Israelites cried out^(B) to the Lord because of Midian, ⁸ he sent them a prophet,^(C) who said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt,^(D) out of the land of slavery.^{(E) 9} I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians. And I delivered you from the hand of all your oppressors;^(F) I drove them out before you and gave you their land.^{(G) 10} I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; do not worship^(H) the gods of the Amorites,^(I) in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me.”

¹⁸ Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved^(A) them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relented^(B) because of their groaning^(C) under those who oppressed and afflicted^(D) them.