Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, May 22nd, 2025
the Fifth Week after Easter
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Bible Reading Plan

Daily Bible Reading

May 4 - Bible-in-a-Year
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Jump to: Judges 2-3Job 34Acts 16:1-15

Judges 2-3

Chapter 2

Israel Rebuked

1 Now (C1)the angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to (C2)Bochim. And he said, "(C3)I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land which I have sworn to your fathers; and I said, '(C4)I will never break My covenant with you,2 and as for you, (C1)you shall not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land; (C2)you shall tear down their altars.' But you have not (F1)obeyed Me; what is this thing that you have done?3 "Therefore I also said, '(C1)I will not drive them out from you; but they will (F1)become (C2)like thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.'"4 Now when the angel of the LORD spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people raised their voices and wept.5 So they named that place (F1)Bochim; and there they sacrificed to the LORD.

Joshua Dies

6 (C1)When Joshua had dismissed the people, the sons of Israel went, each one to his inheritance, to take possession of the land.7 The people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who (F1)survived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of the LORD which He had done for Israel.8 Then Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110.9 And they buried him in the territory of (C1)his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.10 All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and another generation rose up after them who (C1)did not know the LORD, nor even the work which He had done for Israel.

Israel Serves the Baals

11 Then the sons of Israel did (C1)evil in the sight of the LORD and (F1)served the (C2)Baals,12 and (C1)they abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they followed other gods from the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them; so they provoked the LORD to anger.13 They abandoned the LORD and (C1)served Baal and the Ashtaroth.14 (C1)Then the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He handed them over to plunderers, and they plundered them; and (C2)He sold them into the hands of their enemies around them, so that they could no longer stand (F1)against their enemies.15 Wherever they went, the hand of the LORD was against them for (F1)evil, as the LORD had spoken and (C1)just as the LORD had sworn to them, so that they were severely distressed.

16 (C1)Then the LORD raised up judges (F1)who saved them from the hands of those who plundered them.17 Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they (F1)committed infidelity with other gods and bowed down to them. They turned aside quickly from the way (C1)in which their fathers had walked in obeying the commandments of the LORD; they did not do the same as their fathers.18 And when the LORD raised up judges for them, (C1)the LORD was with the judge and saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the LORD was (C2)moved to pity by their groaning because of those who tormented and oppressed them.19 But it came about, when the judge died, that they would turn back and act more corruptly than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them and bow down to them; they did not abandon their practices or their obstinate ways.20 (C1)So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He said, "Because this nation has violated My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not listened to My voice,21 (C1)I in turn will no longer drive out from them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died,22 in order to (C1)test Israel by them, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk in it as their fathers (F1)did, or not."23 So the LORD allowed those nations to remain, not driving them out quickly; and He did not hand them over to Joshua.

Chapter 3

Idolatry Leads to Servitude

1 (C1)Now these are the nations that the LORD left, to test Israel by them (that is, all the Israelites who had not (F1)experienced any of the wars of Canaan;2 only in order that the generations of the sons of Israel might (F1)be taught war, (F2)those who had not (F3)experienced it previously).3 These nations are: the five governors of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians, and (C1)the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as (F1)Lebo-hamath.4 They were left to (C1)test Israel by them, to find out if they would (F1)obey the commandments of the LORD, which He had commanded their fathers (F2)through Moses.5 (C1)The sons of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites;6 and (C1)they took their daughters for themselves as wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

7 So the sons of Israel did (C1)what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and they (C2)forgot the LORD their God and (C3)served the Baals and the (F1)Asheroth.8 Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, so that He sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim, king of (F1)Mesopotamia; and the sons of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim for eight years.

The First Judge Frees Israel

9 But the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD, and the LORD raised up a deliverer for the sons of Israel to set them free, (C1)Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.10 And (C1)the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel. When he went to war, the LORD handed over to him Cushan-rishathaim king of (F1)Mesopotamia, so that (F2)he prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim.11 Then the land was at rest for forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

12 Now the sons of Israel again (C1)did evil in the sight of the LORD. So (C2)the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.13 And he gathered to himself the sons of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and (F1)defeated Israel, and they took possession of (C1)the city of the palm trees.14 And the sons of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab for eighteen years.

Ehud Kills Eglon

15 But when the sons of Israel (C1)cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. And the sons of Israel sent tribute by (F1)him to Eglon the king of Moab.16 Now Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length, and he strapped it on his right thigh under his cloak.17 Then he presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man.18 And it came about, when he had finished presenting the tribute, that Ehud sent away the people who had carried the tribute.19 But he himself turned back from the idols which were at Gilgal, and said, "I have a secret message for you, O king." And the king said, "Silence!" And all who were attending him left him.20 Then Ehud came to him while he was sitting in his cool roof chamber alone. And Ehud said, "I have a message from God for you." And he got up from his seat.21 Then Ehud reached out with his left hand and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly.22 The hilt of the sword also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade because he did not pull the sword out of his belly; and (F1)the refuse came out.23 Then Ehud went out into the (F1)vestibule, and shut the doors of the roof chamber behind him, and locked them.

24 When he had left, (F1)the king's servants came and looked, and behold, the doors of the roof chamber were locked; and they said, "(C1)Undoubtedly he is (F2)relieving himself in the cool room."25 So they waited (F1)until it would have been shameful to wait longer; but behold, he did not open the doors of the roof chamber. So they took the key and opened them, and behold, their master had fallen to the (F2)floor dead.

26 Now Ehud escaped while they were hesitating, and he passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah.27 And (F1)when he arrived, (C1)he blew the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was (F2)leading them.28 Then he said to them, "Pursue them, for the LORD has handed your enemies the Moabites over to you." So they went down after him and took control of (C1)the crossing places of the Jordan opposite Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross.29 They struck and killed about ten thousand Moabites at that time, all robust and valiant men; and no one escaped.30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land was at rest for eighty years.

Shamgar Saves Israel

31 Now after him came (C1)Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck and killed six hundred Philistines with an (F1)oxgoad; and he also saved Israel.

Job 34

Chapter 34

Elihu Vindicates God's Justice

1 Then Elihu continued and said,

2 "Hear my words, you wise men,
And listen to me, you who understand.

3 "For (C1)the ear tests words
As the palate tastes food.

4 "Let us choose for ourselves what is right;
Let us understand among ourselves what is good.

5 "For Job has said, '(C1)I am righteous,
But (C2)God has taken away my right;

6 (F1)Should I lie about my right?
My (F2)(C1)wound is incurable, though I am without wrongdoing.'

7 "What man is like Job,
Who (C1)drinks up derision like water,

8 Who goes (C1)in company with the workers of injustice,
And walks with wicked people?

9 "For he has said, '(C1)It is of no use to a man
When he becomes friends with God.'

10 "Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding.
Far be it from God to (C1)do evil,
And from the Almighty to do wrong.

11 "For He repays a person for (C1)his work,
And lets things happen in correspondence to a man's (F1)behavior.

12 "(C1)God certainly will not act wickedly,
And the Almighty will not pervert justice.

13 "Who (C1)gave Him authority over the earth?
And who (C2)has placed the whole world on Him?

14 "If He were to (F1)determine to do so,
If He were to (C1)gather His (F2)spirit and His breath to Himself,

15 (F1)(C1)Humanity would perish together,
And mankind would (C2)return to dust.

16 "But if you have understanding, hear this;
Listen to the sound of my words.

17 "Shall (C1)one who hates justice rule?
And (C2)will you condemn the righteous mighty One,

18 Who says to a king, 'You worthless one,'
To nobles, 'You wicked one';

19 Who shows no (C1)partiality to the prominent,
Nor regards the rich as above the poor,
Since they are all the (C2)work of His hands?

20 "In a moment they die, and (C1)at midnight
People are shaken and pass away,
And (C2)the powerful are taken away without a hand.

21 "For (C1)His eyes are upon the ways of a person,
And He sees all his steps.

22 "There is (C1)no darkness or deep shadow
Where the workers of injustice can hide themselves.

23 "For He does not (C1)need to consider a person further,
That he should go before God in judgment.

24 "He breaks in pieces the (C1)mighty without investigation,
And sets others in their place.

25 "Therefore He (C1)knows their deeds,
And (C2)He overthrows them in the night,
And they are crushed.

26 "He (C1)strikes them like the wicked
(F1)In a public place,

27 Because they (C1)turned aside from following Him,
And (C2)had no regard for any of His ways,

28 So that they caused (C1)the cry of the poor to come to Him,
And that He would (C2)hear the cry of the afflicted—

29 When He keeps quiet, who can condemn?
And when He hides His face, who then can look at Him,
That is, regarding both nation and a person?—

30 "So that (C1)godless people would not rule,
Nor be snares for the people.

31 "For has anyone said to God,
'I have endured punishment;
I will not offend anymore;

32 Teach me what I do not see;
If I have (C1)done wrong,
I will not do it again'?

33 "Shall God (C1)repay on your terms, because you have rejected His?
For you must choose, and not I;
Therefore declare what you know.

34 "Men of understanding will say to me,
And a wise man who hears me,

35 'Job (C1)speaks without knowledge,
And his words are without wisdom.

36 'Oh that Job were tested (F1)to the limit,
Because (F2)he answers (C1)like sinners.

37 'For he adds (C1)rebellion to his sin;
He (C2)claps his hands among us,
And multiplies his words against God.'"

Acts 16:1-15

Chapter 16

The Macedonian Vision

1 Now Paul also came to (C1)Derbe and to (C1)Lystra. And a disciple was there, named (C2)Timothy, the son of a (C3)Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek,2 and he was well spoken of by (C1)the brothers and sisters who were in (C2)Lystra and (C3)Iconium.3 Paul wanted this man to leave with him; and he (C1)took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.4 Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering (C1)the ordinances for them to follow which had been determined by (C2)the apostles and (C3)elders in Jerusalem.5 So (C1)the churches were being strengthened (F1)in the faith, and were (C2)increasing in number daily.

6 They passed through the (F1)(C1)Phrygian and (C2)Galatian region, after being forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in (F2)(C3)Asia;7 and after they came to (C1)Mysia, they were trying to go into (C2)Bithynia, and the (C3)Spirit of Jesus did not allow them;8 and passing by (C1)Mysia, they went down to (C2)Troas.9 (C1)And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of (C2)Macedonia was standing and pleading with him, and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."10 When he had seen (C1)the vision, (C2)we immediately sought to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to (C3)preach the gospel to them.

11 So after setting sail from (C1)Troas, we ran (C2)a straight course to Samothrace, and on the following day to Neapolis;12 and from there to (C1)Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of (C2)Macedonia, (C3)a Roman colony; and we were spending some days in this city.13 And on (C1)the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were thinking that there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled.

First Convert in Europe

14 A woman named Lydia was listening; she was a seller of purple fabrics from the city of (C1)Thyatira, and (C2)a worshiper of God. (F1)The Lord (C3)opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.15 Now when she and (C1)her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay." And she prevailed upon us.<

 
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