________ Records a lack of central leadership and general disorder in Israel.

• A. Ruth
• B. Judges
• C. Kings
• D. Samuel

Answer: (B)

The statement describes the period in Israel when there is no central ruler and the nation experiences widespread disorder. The book of Judges focuses on this exact situation, covering the time after Joshua’s death up to the establishment of the monarchy. Without a king, leadership is fragmented among tribal leaders and local judges, leading to cycles of turning away from God, oppression by neighboring peoples, cries for deliverance, and God raising up judges to save them. A recurring line that captures this state—there was no king in Israel, and everyone did what was right in his own eyes—highlights the central issue of centralized leadership and collective disorder.

This makes Judges the best fit for the description. Ruth is set during the period of the judges but centers on personal loyalty and providence rather than national leadership and chaos. Kings focuses on the era of a centralized monarchy, with its rulers and their reigns. Samuel covers the transition from judges to a monarchy, including the anointing of Saul and David, rather than a sustained period of disorder without a central authority.