A Levite and His Concubine

19 In those days Israel had no king.

Now a Levite who lived in a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim^(A) took a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.^{(B) 2} But she was unfaithful to him. She left him and went back to her parents’ home in Bethlehem, Judah. After she had been there four months, ³ her husband went to her to persuade her to return. He had with him his servant and two donkeys. She took him into her parents’ home, and when her father saw him, he gladly welcomed him. ⁴ His father-in-law, the woman’s father, prevailed on him to stay; so he remained with him three days, eating and drinking,^(C) and sleeping there.

⁵ On the fourth day they got up early and he prepared to leave, but the woman’s father said to his son-in-law, “Refresh yourself^(D) with something to eat; then you can go.” ⁶ So the two of them sat down to eat and drink together. Afterward the woman’s father said, “Please stay tonight and enjoy yourself.^(E)” ⁷ And when the man got up to go, his father-in-law persuaded him, so he stayed there that night. ⁸ On the morning of the fifth day, when he rose to go, the woman’s father said, “Refresh yourself. Wait till afternoon!” So the two of them ate together.

⁹ Then when the man, with his concubine and his servant, got up to leave, his father-in-law, the woman’s father, said, “Now look, it’s almost evening. Spend the night here; the day is nearly over. Stay and enjoy yourself. Early tomorrow morning you can get up and be on your way home.” ¹⁰ But, unwilling to stay another night, the man left and went toward Jebus^(F) (that is, Jerusalem), with his two saddled donkeys and his concubine.

¹¹ When they were near Jebus and the day was almost gone, the servant said to his master, “Come, let’s stop at this city of the Jebusites^(G) and spend the night.”

¹² His master replied, “No. We won’t go into any city whose people are not Israelites. We will go on to Gibeah.” ¹³ He added, “Come, let’s try to reach Gibeah or Ramah^(H) and spend the night in one of those places.” ¹⁴ So they went on, and the sun set as they neared Gibeah in Benjamin.^{(I) 15} There they stopped to spend the night.^(J) They went and sat in the city square,^(K) but no one took them in for the night.

¹⁶ That evening^(L) an old man from the hill country of Ephraim,^(M) who was living in Gibeah (the inhabitants of the place were Benjamites), came in from his work in the fields. ¹⁷ When he looked and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man asked, “Where are you going? Where did you come from?”^(N)

¹⁸ He answered, “We are on our way from Bethlehem in Judah to a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim where I live. I have been to Bethlehem in Judah and now I am going to the house of the Lord.^[a](O) No one has taken me in for the night. ¹⁹ We have both straw and fodder^(P) for our donkeys^(Q) and bread and wine^(R) for ourselves your servants—me, the woman and the young man with us. We don’t need anything.”

²⁰ “You are welcome at my house,” the old man said. “Let me supply whatever you need. Only don’t spend the night in the square.” ²¹ So he took him into his house and fed his donkeys. After they had washed their feet, they had something to eat and drink.^(S)

²² While they were enjoying themselves,^(T) some of the wicked men^(U) of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him.^(V)”

²³ The owner of the house went outside^(W) and said to them, “No, my friends, don’t be so vile. Since this man is my guest, don’t do this outrageous thing.^{(X) 24} Look, here is my virgin daughter,^(Y) and his concubine. I will bring them out to you now, and you can use them and do to them whatever you wish. But as for this man, don’t do such an outrageous thing.”

²⁵ But the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her^(Z) and abused her^(AA) throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go. ²⁶ At daybreak the woman went back to the house where her master was staying, fell down at the door and lay there until daylight.

²⁷ When her master got up in the morning and opened the door of the house and stepped out to continue on his way, there lay his concubine, fallen in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold. ²⁸ He said to her, “Get up; let’s go.” But there was no answer. Then the man put her on his donkey and set out for home.

²⁹ When he reached home, he took a knife^(AB) and cut up his concubine, limb by limb, into twelve parts and sent them into all the areas of Israel.^{(AC) 30} Everyone who saw it was saying to one another, “Such a thing has never been seen or done, not since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt.^(AD) Just imagine! We must do something! So speak up!^(AE)”

Tola

10 After the time of Abimelek,^(A) a man of Issachar^(B) named Tola son of Puah,^(C) the son of Dodo, rose to save^(D) Israel. He lived in Shamir,^(E) in the hill country of Ephraim. ² He led^[a] Israel twenty-three years; then he died, and was buried in Shamir.

Jair

³ He was followed by Jair^(F) of Gilead, who led Israel twenty-two years. ⁴ He had thirty sons, who rode thirty donkeys.^(G) They controlled thirty towns in Gilead, which to this day are called Havvoth Jair.^{[b](H) 5} When Jair^(I) died, he was buried in Kamon.

Jephthah

⁶ Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord.^(J) They served the Baals and the Ashtoreths,^(K) and the gods of Aram,^(L) the gods of Sidon,^(M) the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites^(N) and the gods of the Philistines.^(O) And because the Israelites forsook the Lord^(P) and no longer served him, ⁷ he became angry^(Q) with them. He sold them^(R) into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites, ⁸ who that year shattered and crushed them. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites on the east side of the Jordan in Gilead,^(S) the land of the Amorites. ⁹ The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah,^(T) Benjamin and Ephraim;^(U) Israel was in great distress. ¹⁰ Then the Israelites cried^(V) out to the Lord, “We have sinned^(W) against you, forsaking our God and serving the Baals.”^(X)

¹¹ The Lord replied, “When the Egyptians,^(Y) the Amorites,^(Z) the Ammonites,^(AA) the Philistines,^{(AB) 12} the Sidonians, the Amalekites^(AC) and the Maonites^[c](AD) oppressed you^(AE) and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands? ¹³ But you have forsaken^(AF) me and served other gods,^(AG) so I will no longer save you. ¹⁴ Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save^(AH) you when you are in trouble!^(AI)”

¹⁵ But the Israelites said to the Lord, “We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best,^(AJ) but please rescue us now.” ¹⁶ Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the Lord.^(AK) And he could bear Israel’s misery^(AL) no longer.^(AM)

¹⁷ When the Ammonites were called to arms and camped in Gilead, the Israelites assembled and camped at Mizpah.^{(AN) 18} The leaders of the people of Gilead said to each other, “Whoever will take the lead in attacking the Ammonites will be head^(AO) over all who live in Gilead.”

²⁹ because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy^(A)

8 When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. ² A man with leprosy^[a](B) came and knelt before him^(C) and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

³ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. ⁴ Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone.^(D) But go, show yourself to the priest^(E) and offer the gift Moses commanded,^(F) as a testimony to them.”

The Faith of the Centurion^(G)

⁵ When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. ⁶ “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed,^(H) suffering terribly.”

⁷ Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”

⁸ The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.^{(I) 9} For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

¹⁰ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.^{(J) 11} I say to you that many will come from the east and the west,^(K) and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.^{(L) 12} But the subjects of the kingdom^(M) will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”^(N)

¹³ Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.”^(O) And his servant was healed at that moment.

False Religion Worthless

7 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ² “Stand^(A) at the gate of the Lord’s house and there proclaim this message:

“‘Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the Lord. ³ This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways^(B) and your actions, and I will let you live^(C) in this place. ⁴ Do not trust^(D) in deceptive^(E) words and say, “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord!” ⁵ If you really change^(F) your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly,^{(G) 6} if you do not oppress^(H) the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood^(I) in this place, and if you do not follow other gods^(J) to your own harm, ⁷ then I will let you live in this place, in the land^(K) I gave your ancestors^(L) for ever and ever. ⁸ But look, you are trusting^(M) in deceptive^(N) words that are worthless.

⁹ “‘Will you steal^(O) and murder,^(P) commit adultery^(Q) and perjury,^[a](R) burn incense to Baal^(S) and follow other gods^(T) you have not known, ¹⁰ and then come and stand^(U) before me in this house,^(V) which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe”—safe to do all these detestable things?^{(W) 11} Has this house,^(X) which bears my Name, become a den of robbers^(Y) to you? But I have been watching!^(Z) declares the Lord.

¹² “‘Go now to the place in Shiloh^(AA) where I first made a dwelling^(AB) for my Name,^(AC) and see what I did^(AD) to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel. ¹³ While you were doing all these things, declares the Lord, I spoke^(AE) to you again and again,^(AF) but you did not listen;^(AG) I called^(AH) you, but you did not answer.^{(AI) 14} Therefore, what I did to Shiloh^(AJ) I will now do to the house that bears my Name,^(AK) the temple^(AL) you trust in, the place I gave to you and your ancestors. ¹⁵ I will thrust you from my presence,^(AM) just as I did all your fellow Israelites, the people of Ephraim.’^(AN)

¹⁶ “So do not pray for this people nor offer any plea^(AO) or petition for them; do not plead with me, for I will not listen^(AP) to you. ¹⁷ Do you not see what they are doing in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? ¹⁸ The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough and make cakes to offer to the Queen of Heaven.^(AQ) They pour out drink offerings^(AR) to other gods to arouse^(AS) my anger. ¹⁹ But am I the one they are provoking?^(AT) declares the Lord. Are they not rather harming themselves, to their own shame?^(AU)

²⁰ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign^(AV) Lord says: My anger^(AW) and my wrath will be poured^(AX) out on this place—on man and beast, on the trees of the field and on the crops of your land—and it will burn and not be quenched.^(AY)

²¹ “‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go ahead, add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices^(AZ) and eat^(BA) the meat yourselves! ²² For when I brought your ancestors out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands^(BB) about burnt offerings and sacrifices,^{(BC) 23} but I gave them this command:^(BD) Obey^(BE) me, and I will be your God and you will be my people.^(BF) Walk in obedience to all^(BG) I command you, that it may go well^(BH) with you. ²⁴ But they did not listen^(BI) or pay attention;^(BJ) instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts.^(BK) They went backward^(BL) and not forward. ²⁵ From the time your ancestors left Egypt until now, day after day, again and again^(BM) I sent you my servants^(BN) the prophets.^{(BO) 26} But they did not listen to me or pay attention.^(BP) They were stiff-necked^(BQ) and did more evil than their ancestors.’^(BR)

²⁷ “When you tell^(BS) them all this, they will not listen^(BT) to you; when you call to them, they will not answer.^{(BU) 28} Therefore say to them, ‘This is the nation that has not obeyed the Lord its God or responded to correction.^(BV) Truth^(BW) has perished; it has vanished from their lips.

²⁹ “‘Cut off^(BX) your hair and throw it away; take up a lament^(BY) on the barren heights, for the Lord has rejected and abandoned^(BZ) this generation that is under his wrath.

The Valley of Slaughter

³⁰ “‘The people of Judah have done evil^(CA) in my eyes, declares the Lord. They have set up their detestable idols^(CB) in the house that bears my Name and have defiled^(CC) it. ³¹ They have built the high places of Topheth^(CD) in the Valley of Ben Hinnom^(CE) to burn their sons and daughters^(CF) in the fire—something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind.^{(CG) 32} So beware, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when people will no longer call it Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter,^(CH) for they will bury^(CI) the dead in Topheth until there is no more room. ³³ Then the carcasses^(CJ) of this people will become food^(CK) for the birds and the wild animals, and there will be no one to frighten them away.^{(CL) 34} I will bring an end to the sounds^(CM) of joy and gladness and to the voices of bride and bridegroom^(CN) in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem,^(CO) for the land will become desolate.^(CP)

Sayings of Agur

30 The sayings^(A) of Agur son of Jakeh—an inspired utterance.