the Week of Proper 21 / Ordinary 26
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Daily Bible Reading
May 16 - Bible-in-a-Year
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Judges 20
Chapter 20
War against Benjamin
1 All the Israelites from Dan to Beer-sheba(a) and from the land of Gilead came out, and the community assembled as one body before the Lord at Mizpah.(b) 2 The leaders(c) of all the people and of all the tribes of Israel presented themselves in the assembly of God's people: 400,000 armed foot soldiers. 3 The Benjaminites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah.
The Israelites asked, "Tell us, how did this outrage occur?"
4 The Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, answered: "I went to Gibeah in Benjamin with my concubine to spend the night. 5 Citizens of Gibeah ganged up on me and surrounded the house at night. They intended to kill me, but they raped my concubine, and she died. 6 Then I took my concubine and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout Israel's territory, because they committed a horrible shame(d) in Israel. 7 Look, all of you are Israelites. Give your judgment and verdict here and now."
8 Then all the people stood united and said, "None of us will go to his tent or return to his house. 9 Now this is what we will do to Gibeah: we will go against it by lot. 10 We will take 10 men out of every 100 from all the tribes of Israel, and 100 out of every 1,000, and 1,000 out of every 10,000 to get provisions for the people when they go to Gibeah in Benjamin to punish them for all the horror they did in Israel."
11 So all the men of Israel gathered united against the city. 12 Then the tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What is this outrage that has occurred among you? 13 Hand over the perverted men in Gibeah so we can put them to death and eradicate evil from Israel." But the Benjaminites would not obey their fellow Israelites. 14 Instead, the Benjaminites gathered together from their cities to Gibeah to go out and fight against the Israelites. 15 On that day the Benjaminites rallied 26,000 armed men(e) from their cities, besides 700 choice men rallied by the inhabitants of Gibeah. 16 There were 700 choice men who were left-handed among all these people; all could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.
17 The Israelites, apart from Benjamin, rallied 400,000 armed men, every one an experienced warrior. 18 They set out, went to Bethel, and inquired of God.(f) The Israelites asked, "Who is to go first to fight for us against the Benjaminites?"
And the Lord answered, "Judah will be first."
19 In the morning, the Israelites set out and camped near Gibeah. 20 The men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin and took their battle positions against Gibeah. 21 The Benjaminites came out of Gibeah and slaughtered 22,000 men of Israel on the field that day. 22 But the Israelite army rallied and again took their battle positions in the same place where they positioned themselves on the first day. 23 They went up, wept(g) before the Lord until evening, and inquired of Him: "Should we again fight against our brothers the Benjaminites?"
And the Lord answered: "Fight against them."
24 On the second day the Israelites advanced against the Benjaminites. 25 That same day the Benjaminites came out from Gibeah to meet them and slaughtered an additional 18,000 Israelites on the field; all were armed men.
26 The whole Israelite army went to Bethel where they wept and sat before the Lord .(h) They fasted that day until evening and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the Lord . 27 Then the Israelites inquired of the Lord . In those days, the ark of the covenant(i) of God was there, 28 and Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, was serving before it. The Israelites asked: "Should we again fight against our brothers the Benjaminites or should we stop?"
The Lord answered: "Fight, because I will hand them over to you tomorrow."(j) 29 So Israel set up an ambush(k) around Gibeah. 30 On the third day the Israelites fought against the Benjaminites and took their battle positions against Gibeah as before. 31 Then the Benjaminites came out against the people and were drawn away from the city.(l) They began to attack the people as before, killing about 30 men of Israel on the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah through the open country. 32 The Benjaminites said, "We are defeating them as before."
But the Israelites said, "Let's flee and draw them away from the city to the highways." 33 So all the men of Israel got up from their places and took their battle positions at Baal-tamar, while the Israelites in ambush charged out of their places west of[a] Geba.(m) 34 Then 10,000 choice men from all Israel made a frontal assault against Gibeah, and the battle was fierce, but the Benjaminites did not know that disaster was about to strike them. 35 The Lord defeated Benjamin in the presence of Israel, and on that day the Israelites slaughtered 25,100 men of Benjamin; all were armed men. 36 Then the Benjaminites realized they had been defeated.
The men of Israel had retreated before Benjamin, because they were confident in the ambush they had set against Gibeah. 37 The men in ambush had rushed quickly against Gibeah; they advanced and put the whole city to the sword. 38 The men of Israel had a prearranged signal with the men in ambush: when they sent up a great cloud of smoke from the city, 39 the men of Israel would return to the battle. When Benjamin had begun to strike them down, killing about 30 men of Israel, they said, "They're defeated before us, just as they were in the first battle."(n) 40 But when the column of smoke began to go up from the city, Benjamin looked behind them, and the whole city was going up in smoke.[b] 41 Then the men of Israel returned, and the men of Benjamin were terrified when they realized that disaster had struck them. 42 They retreated before the men of Israel toward the wilderness,(o) but the battle overtook them, and those who came out of the cities[c] slaughtered those between them. 43 They surrounded the Benjaminites, pursued them, and easily overtook them near Gibeah toward the east. 44 There were 18,000 men who died from Benjamin; all were warriors. 45 Then Benjamin turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon,(p) and Israel killed 5,000 men on the highways. They overtook them at Gidom and struck 2,000 more dead.
46 All the Benjaminites who died that day were 25,000 armed men; all were warriors. 47 But 600 men escaped into the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon and stayed there four months. 48 The men of Israel turned back against the other Benjaminites and killed them with their swords—the entire city, the animals, and everything that remained. They also burned down all the cities that remained.
Psalms 45
Chapter 45
Psalm 45
A Royal Wedding Song
For the choir director: according to "The Lilies."[a] A Maskil of the sons of Korah. A love song.
1 My heart is moved by a noble theme
as I recite my verses to the king;
my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.(a)
2 You are the most handsome of men;
grace flows from your lips.(b)
Therefore God has blessed you forever.(c)
3 Mighty warrior, strap your sword at your side.
In your majesty and splendor(d)—
4 in your splendor ride triumphantly
in the cause of truth, humility, and justice.
May your right hand show your awe-inspiring acts.(e)
5 Your arrows pierce the hearts of the king's enemies;
the peoples fall under you.(f)
6 Your throne,(g) God, is[b] forever and ever;
the scepter of Your[c] kingdom is a scepter of justice.(h)
7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness;(i)
therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy
more than your companions.
8 Myrrh, aloes, and cassia perfume all your garments;
from ivory palaces harps bring you joy.(j)
9 Kings' daughters are among your honored women;(k)
the queen, adorned with gold from Ophir,
stands at your right hand.(l)
10 Listen, daughter, pay attention and consider:
forget your people and your father's house,(m)
11 and the king will desire your beauty.
Bow down to him, for he is your lord.(n)
12 The daughter of Tyre, the wealthy people,
will seek your favor with gifts.(o)
13 In her chamber, the royal daughter is all glorious,
her clothing embroidered with gold.(p)
14 In colorful garments she is led to the king;
after her, the virgins, her companions, are brought to you.(q)
15 They are led in with gladness and rejoicing;
they enter the king's palace.(r)
16 Your sons will succeed your ancestors;
you will make them princes throughout the land.(s)
17 I will cause your name to be remembered for all generations;
therefore the peoples will praise you forever and ever.(t)
Acts 23:23-24:9
Chapter 23
23 He summoned two of his centurions and said, "Get 200 soldiers ready with 70 cavalry and 200 spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight.[d](p) 24 Also provide mounts so they can put Paul on them and bring him safely to Felix the governor."
25 He wrote a letter of this kind:
26 Claudius Lysias,
To the most excellent governor Felix:
Greetings.(q)
27 When this man had been seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, I arrived with my troops and rescued him because I learned that he is a Roman citizen.(r) 28 Wanting to know the charge they were accusing him of, I brought him down before their Sanhedrin. 29 I found out that the accusations were about disputed matters in their law,(s) and that there was no charge that merited death or chains.(t) 30 When I was informed that there was a plot against the man,[e](u) I sent him to you right away. I also ordered his accusers(v) to state their case against him in your presence.[f]
31 Therefore, the soldiers took Paul during the night and brought him to Antipatris as they were ordered. 32 The next day, they returned to the barracks, allowing the cavalry to go on with him. 33 When these men entered Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him.(w) 34 After he[g] read it, he asked what province he was from. So when he learned he was from Cilicia,(x) 35 he said, "I will give you a hearing whenever your accusers get here too." And he ordered that he be kept under guard in Herod's palace.(y)
Chapter 24
The Accusation against Paul
1 After five days Ananias the high priest came down with some elders and a lawyer[a] named Tertullus. These men presented their case against Paul to the governor.(a) 2 When he was called in, Tertullus began to accuse him and said: "Since we enjoy great peace because of you, and reforms are taking place for the benefit of this nation by your foresight, 3 we acknowledge this in every way and everywhere, most excellent(b) Felix, with utmost gratitude. 4 However, so that I will not burden you any further, I beg you in your graciousness to give us a brief hearing. 5 For we have found this man to be a plague,(c) an agitator(d) among all the Jews throughout the Roman world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes! 6 He even tried to desecrate the temple, so we apprehended him [and wanted to judge him according to our law. 7 But Lysias the commander came and took him from our hands with great force, 8 commanding his accusers to come to you.][b] By examining him yourself you will be able to discern all these things we are accusing him of." 9 The Jews also joined in the attack, alleging that these things were so.
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