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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
March 21 - Straight Thru the Bible
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Judges 20:12-21:25
Chapter 20
12 Then the tribes of Israel sent men through the entire (F1)tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What is this wickedness that has taken place among you?13 "Now then, turn over the men, the (F1)(C1)worthless men who are in Gibeah, so that we may put them to death and (C2)remove this wickedness from Israel." But the sons of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the sons of Israel.14 Instead, the sons of Benjamin gathered from the cities to Gibeah, to go out to battle against the sons of Israel.15 From the cities on that day the (C1)sons of Benjamin were (F1)counted, twenty-six thousand men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah who were (F1)counted, seven hundred choice men.16 Out of all these people seven hundred (C1)choice men were left-handed; each one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.
17 Then the men of Israel besides Benjamin were (F1)counted, four hundred thousand men who drew the sword; all of these were men of war.
Civil War, Benjamin Defeated
18 Now the sons of Israel set out, went up to Bethel, and (C1)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."
19 So the sons of Israel got up in the morning and camped against Gibeah.20 The men of Israel went to battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel lined up for battle against them at Gibeah.21 Then the sons of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and (F1)(C1)struck to the ground on that day twenty-two thousand men of Israel.22 But the people, the men of Israel, showed themselves courageous and lined up for battle again in the place where they had lined themselves up on the first day.23 And (C1)the sons of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until evening, and (C2)inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall we again advance for battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin?" And the LORD said, "Go up against him."
24 So the sons of Israel (F1)came against the sons of Benjamin on the second day.25 And Benjamin went out against them from Gibeah the second day and struck to the ground again eighteen thousand men of the sons of Israel; all of these drew the sword.26 Then (C1)all the sons of Israel and all the people went up and came to Bethel, and they wept and remained there before the LORD, and fasted that day until evening. And they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.27 And the sons of Israel (C1)inquired of the LORD (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,28 and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, Aaron's son, stood before it to minister in those days), saying, "Shall I yet again go out to battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin, or shall I stop?" And the LORD said, "Go up, (C1)for tomorrow I will hand them over to you."
29 (C1)So Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah.30 And the sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day and lined up against Gibeah as at other times.31 (C1)When the sons of Benjamin went out against the people, they were lured away from the city, and they began to strike and kill some of the people as at other times, on the roads (one of which goes up to Bethel, and the other to Gibeah), and in the field, about thirty men of Israel.32 And the sons of Benjamin said, "They are defeated before us, like the first time." But the sons of Israel said, "Let's flee, so that we may draw them away from the city to the roads."33 Then all the men of Israel rose from their place and lined up at Baal-tamar; (C1)and the men of Israel in ambush charged from their place, from Maareh-geba.34 When ten thousand choice men from all Israel came against Gibeah, the battle became (F1)fierce; (C1)but (F2)Benjamin did not know that disaster was (F3)close to them.35 And the LORD struck Benjamin before Israel, so that the sons of Israel destroyed 25,100 men of Benjamin that (F1)day, all who drew the sword.
36 So the sons of Benjamin saw that they were (F1)defeated. (C1)When the men of Israel gave (F2)ground to Benjamin because they relied on the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah,37 (C1)the men in ambush hurried and rushed against Gibeah; the men in ambush also deployed and struck all the city with the edge of the sword.38 Now the agreed sign between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was (C1)that they would make a great cloud of smoke rise from the city.39 Then the men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to strike and kill about thirty men of Israel, (C1)for they said, "Undoubtedly they are (F1)defeated before us, as in the first battle."40 But when the cloud began to rise from the city in a column of smoke, Benjamin looked (C1)behind them; and behold, the entire city was going up in smoke to heaven.41 Then the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were terrified; for they saw that (C1)disaster was (F1)close to them.42 Therefore, they turned their backs before the men of Israel to flee in the (C1)direction of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them while those who attacked from the cities were annihilating them in the midst of them.43 (C1)They surrounded Benjamin, pursued them without rest, and trampled them down opposite Gibeah toward the (F1)east.44 So eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell; all of these were valiant men.45 (F1)The rest turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of (C1)Rimmon, but they (F2)caught five thousand of them on the roads and overtook them (F3)at Gidom, and (F4)killed two thousand of them.46 So all those of Benjamin who fell that day were twenty-five thousand men who drew the sword; all of these were valiant men.47 But six hundred men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon; and they remained at the rock of Rimmon for four months.48 The men of Israel then turned back against the sons of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, both the entire city with the cattle and all that they found; they also set on fire all the cities which they found.
Chapter 21
Mourning a Lost Tribe
1 Now the men of Israel (C1)had sworn in Mizpah, saying, "None of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin (F1)in marriage."2 (C1)So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, and raised their voices and wept (F1)profusely.3 And they said, "Why, LORD, God of Israel, has this happened in Israel, that one tribe is missing today from Israel?"4 And it came about the next day that the people got up early and built (C1)an altar there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
5 Then the sons of Israel said, "Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who did not go up to the LORD in the assembly?" For (F1)they had taken a solemn oath concerning anyone (C1)who did not go up to the LORD at Mizpah, saying, "He shall certainly be put to death."6 And the sons of Israel were sorry for their brother Benjamin, and said, "Today one tribe is cut off from Israel!7 "What are we to do for wives for those who are left, since we have (C1)sworn by the LORD not to give them any of our daughters as wives?"
Provision for Their Survival
8 And they said, "What one is there of the tribes of Israel that did not go up to the LORD at Mizpah?" And behold, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly.9 For when the people were (F1)counted, behold, not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead was there.10 And the congregation sent twelve thousand (F1)of the valiant warriors there, and commanded them, saying, "Go and (C1)strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, along with the women and the children.11 "And this is the thing that you shall do: you (C1)shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman who has (F1)slept with a male."12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins who had not known a man by (F1)sleeping with him; and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
13 Then the whole congregation sent word and spoke to the sons of Benjamin who were (C1)at the rock of Rimmon, and (C2)proclaimed peace to them.14 And the tribe of Benjamin returned at that time, and they gave them the women whom they had allowed to live from the women of Jabesh-gilead; but they (F1)were not enough for them.15 And the people were sorry for Benjamin, because the LORD had created a gap in the tribes of Israel.
16 Then the elders of the congregation said, "What are we to do for wives for those who are left, since the women have been eliminated from Benjamin?"17 And they said, "There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe will not be wiped out from Israel.18 "But we cannot give them wives from our daughters." For the sons of Israel (C1)had sworn, saying, "Cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin!"
19 So they said, "Behold, there is a feast of the LORD from year to year in (C1)Shiloh, which is on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south side of Lebonah."20 And they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, "Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,21 and watch; and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to (F1)(C1)take part in the dances, then you shall come out of the vineyards, and each of you shall seize his wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.22 "And when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, we shall say to them, '(F1)Give them to us voluntarily, because we did not take for each man of Benjamin (F2)a wife in battle, (F3)(C1)nor did you give them to them, (F4)otherwise you would now be guilty.'"23 The sons of Benjamin did so, and took wives according to their number from those who danced, whom they seized. And they went and returned to their inheritance, and (C1)rebuilt the cities and lived in them.24 And the sons of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and family, and each one departed from there to his inheritance.
25 (C1)In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
Ruth 1:1-2:13
Chapter 1
Naomi Widowed
1 Now it came about in the days (C1)when the judges (F1)governed, that there was (C2)a famine in the land. And a man (C3)of Bethlehem in Judah went to reside in the land of Moab (F2)with his wife and his two sons.2 The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi; and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. So they (C1)entered the land of Moab and remained there.3 Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left with her two sons.4 And they took for themselves Moabite women as wives; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other, Ruth. And they lived there about ten years.5 Then (F1)both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.
6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the land of Moab, because she had heard in the land of Moab that the LORD had (C1)visited His people by (C2)giving them food.7 So she departed from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go, return each of you to (F1)your mother's house. (C1)May the LORD deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me.9 "May the LORD grant that you may find a place of rest, each one in the house of her husband." Then she kissed them, and they raised their voices and wept.10 However, they said to her, "No, but we will return with you to your people."11 But Naomi said, "Return, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb, that (C1)they may be your husbands?12 "Return, my daughters! Go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said I have hope, if I were even to have a husband tonight and also give birth to sons,13 would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters; for it is much more bitter for me than for you, because (C1)the hand of the LORD has come out against me."
Ruth's Loyalty
14 And they raised their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.15 Then she said, "Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her (C1)gods; return after your sister-in-law."16 But Ruth said, "Do not plead with me to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you sleep, I will sleep. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.17 "Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May (C1)the LORD do so to me, and worse, if anything but death separates (F1)me from you."18 When (C1)she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her about it.
19 So they both went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they had come to Bethlehem, (C1)all the city was stirred because of them, and (F1)the women said, "Is this Naomi?"20 But she said to them, "Do not call me (F1)Naomi; call me (F2)Mara, for (F3)(C1)the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.21 "I went away full, but (C1)the LORD has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me and (F1)the Almighty has afflicted me?"
22 So Naomi returned, and with her Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, who returned from the land of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at (C1)the beginning of barley harvest.
Chapter 2
Ruth Gleans in Boaz's Field
1 Now Naomi had (F1)a relative of her husband, a (F2)man of great wealth, of the family of (C1)Elimelech, whose name was Boaz.2 And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, "Please let me go to the field and (C1)glean among the ears of grain following one in whose eyes I may find favor." And she said to her, "Go, my daughter."3 So she left and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and (F1)she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.4 Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, "(C1)May the LORD be with you." And they said to him, "May the LORD bless you."5 Then Boaz said to his servant who was (F1)in charge of the reapers, "Whose young woman is this?"6 And the servant (F1)in charge of the reapers replied, "She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the land of Moab.7 "And she said, 'Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.' So she came and has remained from the morning until now; she has been sitting in the house for a little while."
8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, "(F1)Listen carefully, my daughter. Do not go to glean in another field; furthermore, do not go on from this one, but join my young women here.9 "Keep your eyes on the field which they reap, and go after them. Indeed, I have ordered the servants not to touch you. When you are thirsty, go to the (F1)water jars and drink from what the servants draw."10 Then she (C1)fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?"11 Boaz replied to her, "All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know.12 "(C1)May the LORD reward your (F1)work, and may your wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, (C2)under whose wings you have come to take refuge."13 Then she said, "I have found favor in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and indeed have spoken (F1)kindly to your servant, though I am not like one of your female servants."<
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