When the people saw him, they praised their god, for they said, “Our god has handed our enemy over to us, Even the destroyer of our country, Who has killed many of us.”

Samson Is Avenged

Then Samson called to the Lord and said, “Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me just this time, O God, that I may at once take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes.”

Then they said to him, “Inquire of God, please, that we may know whether our way on which we are going will be successful.”

When you enter, you will come to an unsuspecting people with a spacious land; for God has handed it over to you, a place where there is no lack of anything that is on the earth.”

And he said, “You have taken my gods which I made, and the priest, and have gone away; what more do I have? So how can you say to me, ‘What is the matter with you?’”

So they set up for themselves Micah’s carved image which he had made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

And the leaders of all the people, all the tribes of Israel, took their stand in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand foot soldiers who drew the sword.

Civil War, Benjamin Defeated

Now the sons of Israel set out, went up to Bethel, and inquired of God and said, “Who shall go up first for us to battle against the sons of Benjamin?” Then the Lord said, “Judah shall go up first.”

And the sons of Israel inquired of the Lord (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,

So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, and raised their voices and wept profusely.

And they said, “Why, Lord, God of Israel, has this happened in Israel, that one tribe is missing today from Israel?”