Jephthah’s Daughter, 2nd Edition

You know that moment when you realize you’re totally screwed? When you realize that, no matter what you do, it’s not going to go well for you? When my father left to lead the Israelites in battle against the Ammonites, I thought that he might die, but not the women he’d left at home. But […]

Jephthah’s Daughter

I was an only child. No brothers or sisters. All of my friends had lots of brothers and sisters. They would ask me, “Aren’t you lonely?” I would say, “No.” My best friend was my dad, Jephthah. He was my hero. When he was younger, he had been driven out of his family because he […]

Samuel

I was what you might call a “miracle baby.” My mom couldn’t have a baby. She was teased because other women had babies, but she had none. She prayed and prayed and prayed. Then priests teased her because she prayed so hard. But God heard her. And he gave her me. She named me Samuel, […]

Ishmael & Isaac

My name is Ishmael. It means, “God hears.” I have a little brother named Isaac. His name means, “he laughs.” We’re actually half-brothers. Our father is Abraham. Isaac’s mother is his wife, Sarah. And my mother is her servant, Hagar. Our moms fought all the time when we were little. They both wanted to be […]

Isaiah’s Leader

Someday I will be a ruler, And my reign will be totally peaceful. Long ago the LORD God showed his prophet Isaiah What his coming Kingdom would be like. I am a child of Adam and Eve, Like you. Long ago, our parents lived in peaceful paradise With the beasts of the field and the […]

Widow of Zarephath’s Son

My father died when I was very young. I don’t really remember him, but my mother talked about him often. She loved him very much. To honor him, she wanted me to grow big and strong so that I could carry on his name. She was a nervous woman, always calling after me – “Be […]

King Josiah

I was eight years old when I began to reign. My grandpa Manasseh began to reign when he was twelve. History remembers him as Judah’s most evil king. But long before he bought into the practices of our surrounding nations, worshiped the stars, practiced sorcery, defiled God’s temple, and sacrificed his sons in the fire, […]

Miriam

It was very strange watching my mother put my brother into the river. I was six years old then, and curious. My mom and dad never talked about it, but I knew that Hebrew babies were in trouble. We stopped celebrating when a baby was born. I wasn’t allowed to talk about my new brother […]

The Boy with the Loaves and Fish

It was the greatest day of my life. I was only six years old. Nobody took me seriously. I wanted to be just like my dad – to take care of my family. But whenever he would take me fishing, he would catch so many fish – and I wouldn’t catch any. My dad would […]