Quotes About Community

Why did you sit among the sheepfolds to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision.

Her wisest ladies answer; indeed she keeps telling herself,

“Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I save Israel? Indeed, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my fatherís house.”

“Who did this?” they said to one another. And after they had investigated thoroughly, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.”

Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has torn down Baalís altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.”

So the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, who blew the ramís horn and rallied the Abiezrites behind him.

Now, therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people: ëWhoever is fearful and trembling may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.í” So twenty-two thousand of them turned back, but ten thousand remained.

From there he went up to Penuel and asked the same from them, but the men of Penuel gave the same response as the men of Succoth.

There he captured a young man of Succoth and interrogated him. The young man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven leaders and elders of Succoth.

Then he took the elders of the city, and using the thorns and briers of the wilderness, he disciplined the men of Succoth.

But Gideon replied, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The LORD shall rule over you.”

“We will give them gladly,” they replied. So they spread out a garment, and each man threw an earring from his plunder onto it.

Gideon had seventy sons of his own, since he had many wives.

They did not show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) for all the good things he had done for Israel.

Now Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to his motherís brothers at Shechem and said to them and to all the clan of his mother,

“Please ask all the leaders of Shechem, ëIs it better for you that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you, or just one man?í Remember that I am your own flesh and blood.”

And when his motherís brothers spoke all these words about him in the presence of all the leaders of Shechem, their hearts were inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.”

When this was reported to Jotham, he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim, raised his voice, and cried out: “Listen to me, O leaders of Shechem, and may God listen to you.

One day the trees set out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, ëReign over us.í

Then the trees said to the fig tree, ëCome and reign over us.í

But the fig tree replied, ëShould I stop giving my sweetness and my good fruit, to hold sway over the trees?í

Then the trees said to the grapevine, ëCome and reign over us.í

if you have acted faithfully and honestly toward Jerubbaal and his house this day, then may you rejoice in Abimelech, and he in you.

Meanwhile, Gaal son of Ebed came with his brothers and crossed into Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem put their confidence in him.