¹⁸ He answered, “We are on our way from Bethlehem in Judah to a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim where I live. I have been to Bethlehem in Judah and now I am going to the house of the Lord.^[a](A) No one has taken me in for the night.

³¹ They continued to use the idol Micah had made,^(A) all the time the house of God^(B) was in Shiloh.^(C)

⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.^(A)

⁷ This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.^(A)

³ Year after year^(A) this man went up from his town to worship^(B) and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh,^(C) where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli,^(D) were priests of the Lord.

¹⁸ The Israelites went up to Bethel^[a](A) and inquired of God.^(B) They said, “Who of us is to go up first^(C) to fight^(D) against the Benjamites?”

The Lord replied, “Judah^(E) shall go first.”

⁵ On the fourth day they got up early and he prepared to leave, but the woman’s father said to his son-in-law, “Refresh yourself^(A) with something to eat; then you can go.”

Division of the Rest of the Land

18 The whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh^(A) and set up the tent of meeting^(B) there. The country was brought under their control,