War against Benjamin

20 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: four hundred thousand armed foot soldiers. ³ The Benjaminites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah.

The Israelites asked, “Tell us, how did this evil act happen?”

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 came to attack 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 have committed a wicked outrage in^(D) 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 attack it. By lot ¹⁰ we will take ten men out of every hundred from all the tribes of Israel, and one hundred out of every thousand, and one thousand out of every ten thousand to get provisions for the troops when they go to Gibeah in Benjamin to punish them for all the outrage they committed in Israel.”

¹¹ So all the men of Israel^(E) gathered united against the city. ¹² Then the tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What is this evil act that has happened among you? ¹³ Hand over the wicked men^(F) in Gibeah so we can put them to death and purge evil^(G) from Israel.” But the Benjaminites would not listen to 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 mobilized twenty-six thousand armed men^(H) from their cities, besides seven hundred fit young men rallied by the inhabitants of Gibeah. ¹⁶ There were seven hundred fit young men who were left-handed among all these troops; all could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.

¹⁷ The Israelites, apart from Benjamin, mobilized four hundred thousand armed men, every one an experienced warrior. ¹⁸ They set out, went to Bethel, and inquired of God.^(I) 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 twenty-two thousand men of Israel on the field that day. ²² But the Israelite troops rallied and again took their battle positions in the same place where they positioned themselves on the first day. ²³ They went up, wept^(J) before the Lord until evening,^(K) and inquired of him, “Should we again attack 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 eighteen thousand Israelites on the field; all were armed.

²⁶ The whole Israelite army went to Bethel where they wept and sat before the Lord.^(L) 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^(M) of God was there, ²⁸ and Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron,^(N) 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.”^{(O) 29} So Israel set up an ambush^(P) 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 troops and were drawn away from the city.^(Q) They began to attack the troops as before, killing about thirty 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.^{(R) 34} Then ten thousand fit young 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. 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.^{(S) 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 thirty men of Israel, they said, “They’re defeated before us, just as they were in the first battle.”^{(T) 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,^(U) 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 eighteen thousand men who died from Benjamin; all were warriors. ⁴⁵ Then Benjamin turned and fled toward the wilderness to Rimmon Rock,^(V) and Israel killed five thousand men on the highways. They overtook them at Gidom and struck two thousand more dead.

⁴⁶ All the Benjaminites who died that day were twenty-five thousand armed men; all were warriors. ⁴⁷ But six hundred men escaped into the wilderness to Rimmon Rock 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 all the cities that remained.

The Accusation against Paul

24 Five days later Ananias^(A) the high priest came down with some elders and a lawyer named Tertullus. These men presented their case against Paul to the governor.^{(B) 2} When Paul was called in, Tertullus began to accuse him and said, “We enjoy great peace because of you, and reforms are taking place for the benefit of this nation because of your foresight. ³ We acknowledge this in every way and everywhere, most excellent^(C) Felix, with utmost gratitude. ⁴ But, so that I will not burden you any further, I request that you would be kind enough to give us a brief hearing. ⁵ For we have found this man to be a plague,^(D) an agitator^(E) among all the Jews throughout the Roman world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.^{(F) 6} He even tried to desecrate the temple, and so we apprehended him.^{[a] 8} By examining him yourself you will be able to discern the truth about these charges we are bringing against him.” ⁹ The Jews also joined in the attack, alleging that these things were true.

Paul’s Defense before Felix

¹⁰ When the governor motioned for him to speak, Paul replied, “Because I know you have been a judge of this nation for many years, I am glad to offer my defense in what concerns me.^{(G) 11} You can verify for yourself that it is no more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem.^{(H) 12} They didn’t find me arguing with anyone or causing a disturbance among the crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or anywhere in the city.^{(I) 13} Neither can they prove the charges they are now making against me. ¹⁴ But I admit this to you: I worship the God of my ancestors according to the Way,^(J) which they call a sect, believing everything that is in accordance with the law and written in the prophets.^{(K) 15} I have a hope in God, which these men themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection,^[b](L) both of the righteous and the unrighteous.^{(M) 16} I always strive to have a clear conscience^(N) toward God and men. ¹⁷ After many years, I came to bring charitable gifts and offerings to my people.^{(O) 18} While I was doing this, some Jews from Asia found me ritually purified in the temple, without a crowd and without any uproar.^{(P) 19} It is they who ought to be here before you to bring charges, if they have anything against me. ²⁰ Or let these men here state what wrongdoing they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin, ²¹ other than this one statement I shouted while standing among them, ‘Today I am on trial before you concerning the resurrection of the dead.’”

The Verdict Postponed

²² Since Felix was well informed about the Way,^(Q) he adjourned the hearing, saying, “When Lysias the commander comes down, I will decide your case.” ²³ He ordered that the centurion keep Paul under guard, though he could have some freedom, and that he should not prevent any of his friends from meeting^[c] his needs.^(R)

²⁴ Several days later, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and listened to him on the subject of faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁵ Now as he spoke about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come,^(S) Felix became afraid and replied, “Leave for now, but when I have an opportunity I’ll call for you.” ²⁶ At the same time he was also hoping that Paul would offer him money.^[d] So he sent for him quite often and conversed with him.

²⁷ After two years had passed, Porcius Festus^(T) succeeded Felix, and because Felix wanted to do the Jews a favor,^(U) he left Paul in prison.^(V)

Jeremiah’s Word to King Zedekiah

34 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon,^(A) his whole army, all the kingdoms of the lands under his control,^(B) and all other peoples were fighting against Jerusalem and all its surrounding cities: ² “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Go, speak to King Zedekiah of Judah, and tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon,^(C) and he will burn it. ³ As for you, you will not escape^(D) from him but are certain to be captured and handed over to him. You will meet the king of Babylon eye to eye and speak face to face;^[a](E) you will go to Babylon.

⁴ “‘Yet hear the Lord’s word, King Zedekiah of Judah. This is what the Lord says concerning you: You will not die by the sword; ⁵ you will die peacefully. There will be a burning ceremony for you just like the burning ceremonies for your ancestors, the kings of old who came before you.^(F) “Oh, master!” will be the lament for you, for I have spoken this word. This is the Lord’s declaration.’”

⁶ So the prophet Jeremiah related all these words to King Zedekiah of Judah in Jerusalem ⁷ while the king of Babylon’s army was attacking Jerusalem and all of Judah’s remaining cities—that is, Lachish and Azekah,^(G) for they were the only ones left of Judah’s fortified cities.

The People and Their Slaves

⁸ This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah made a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem to proclaim freedom^(H) to them. ⁹ As a result, each was to let his male and female Hebrew slaves go free, and no one was to enslave his fellow Judean.^{(I) 10} All the officials and people who entered into covenant to let their male and female slaves go free—in order not to enslave them any longer—obeyed and let them go free. ¹¹ Afterward, however, they changed their minds and took back their male and female slaves they had let go free and forced them to become slaves again.

¹² Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ¹³ “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant^(J) with your ancestors when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery, saying, ¹⁴ ‘At the end of seven years, each of you must let his fellow Hebrew who sold himself^[b] to you go. He may serve you six years, but then you must let him go free from your service.’^(K) But your ancestors did not obey me or pay any attention. ¹⁵ Today you repented and did what pleased me, each of you proclaiming freedom for his neighbor. You made a covenant before me^(L) at the house that bears my name.^{(M) 16} But you have changed your minds^(N) and profaned my name.^(O) Each has taken back his male and female slaves who had been set free to go wherever they wanted, and you have again forced them to be your slaves.

¹⁷ “Therefore, this is what the Lord says: You have not obeyed me by proclaiming freedom, each for his fellow Hebrew and for his neighbor.^(P) I hereby proclaim freedom for you^(Q)—this is the Lord’s declaration—to the sword, to plague, and to famine! I will make you a horror to all the earth’s kingdoms.^{(R) 18} As for those who disobeyed my covenant,^(S) not keeping the terms of the covenant they made before me, I will treat them like the calf they cut in two in order to pass between its pieces.^{(T) 19} The officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the pieces of the calf— ²⁰ all these I will hand over to their enemies, to those who intend to take their life. Their corpses will become food for the birds of the sky and for the wild animals of the land.^{(U) 21} I will hand King Zedekiah of Judah and his officials over to their enemies, to those who intend to take their lives, to the king of Babylon’s army that is withdrawing. ²² I am about to give the command—this is the Lord’s declaration—and I will bring them back to this city. They will fight against it, capture it, and burn it.^(V) I will make Judah’s cities a desolation, without inhabitant.”^(W)

Psalm 5

The Refuge of the Righteous

For the choir director: with the flutes. A psalm of David.

Psalm 6

A Prayer for Mercy

For the choir director: with stringed instruments, according to Sheminith.^(X) A psalm of David.