Judges 7

New International Version

Gideon Defeats the Midianites

7 Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal^(A) (that is, Gideon^(B)) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod.^(C) The camp of Midian^(D) was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh.^(E) ²The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength^(F) has saved me.’ ³Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.^(G)’” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.

⁴But the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many^(H) men. Take them down to the water, and I will thin them out for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”

⁵So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues as a dog laps from those who kneel down to drink.” ⁶Three hundred of them^(I) drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.

⁷The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands.^(J) Let all the others go home.”^(K) ⁸So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others.

Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley. ⁹During that night the Lord said to Gideon, “Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands.^(L) ¹⁰If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah ¹¹and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.” So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp. ¹²The Midianites, the Amalekites^(M) and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts.^(N) Their camels^(O) could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.^(P)

¹³Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. “I had a dream,” he was saying. “A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed.”

¹⁴His friend responded, “This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash,^(Q) the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.”

¹⁵When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down and worshiped.^(R) He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, “Get up! The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands.”^(S) ¹⁶Dividing the three hundred men^(T) into three companies,^(U) he placed trumpets^(V) and empty jars^(W) in the hands of all of them, with torches^(X) inside.

¹⁷“Watch me,” he told them. “Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. ¹⁸When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets,^(Y) then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’”

¹⁹Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars^(Z) that were in their hands. ²⁰The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches^(AA) in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, “A sword^(AB) for the Lord and for Gideon!” ²¹While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.^(AC)

²²When the three hundred trumpets sounded,^(AD) the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other^(AE) with their swords.^(AF) The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah^(AG) near Tabbath. ²³Israelites from Naphtali, Asher^(AH) and all Manasseh were called out,^(AI) and they pursued the Midianites.^(AJ) ²⁴Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan^(AK) ahead of them as far as Beth Barah.”

So all the men of Ephraim were called out and they seized the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth Barah. ²⁵They also captured two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb^(AL). They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb,^(AM) and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites^(AN) and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan.^(AO)

Lamentations 1

New International Version

1 ^[a]How deserted^(A) lies the city,
    once so full of people!^(B)
How like a widow^(C) is she,
    who once was great^(D) among the nations!
She who was queen among the provinces
    has now become a slave.^(E)

²Bitterly she weeps^(F) at night,
    tears are on her cheeks.
Among all her lovers^(G)
    there is no one to comfort her.
All her friends have betrayed^(H) her;
    they have become her enemies.^(I)

³After affliction and harsh labor,
    Judah has gone into exile.^(J)
She dwells among the nations;
    she finds no resting place.^(K)
All who pursue her have overtaken her^(L)
    in the midst of her distress.

⁴The roads to Zion mourn,^(M)
    for no one comes to her appointed festivals.
All her gateways are desolate,^(N)
    her priests groan,
her young women grieve,
    and she is in bitter anguish.^(O)

⁵Her foes have become her masters;
    her enemies are at ease.
The Lord has brought her grief^(P)
    because of her many sins.^(Q)
Her children have gone into exile,^(R)
    captive before the foe.^(S)

⁶All the splendor has departed
    from Daughter Zion.^(T)
Her princes are like deer
    that find no pasture;
in weakness they have fled^(U)
    before the pursuer.

⁷In the days of her affliction and wandering
    Jerusalem remembers all the treasures
    that were hers in days of old.
When her people fell into enemy hands,
    there was no one to help her.^(V)
Her enemies looked at her
    and laughed^(W) at her destruction.

⁸Jerusalem has sinned^(X) greatly
    and so has become unclean.^(Y)
All who honored her despise her,
    for they have all seen her naked;^(Z)
she herself groans^(AA)
    and turns away.

⁹Her filthiness clung to her skirts;
    she did not consider her future.^(AB)
Her fall^(AC) was astounding;
    there was none to comfort^(AD) her.
“Look, Lord, on my affliction,^(AE)
    for the enemy has triumphed.”

¹⁰The enemy laid hands
    on all her treasures;^(AF)
she saw pagan nations
    enter her sanctuary^(AG)—
those you had forbidden^(AH)
    to enter your assembly.

¹¹All her people groan^(AI)
    as they search for bread;^(AJ)
they barter their treasures for food
    to keep themselves alive.
“Look, Lord, and consider,
    for I am despised.”

¹²“Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?^(AK)
    Look around and see.
Is any suffering like my suffering^(AL)
    that was inflicted on me,
that the Lord brought on me
    in the day of his fierce anger?^(AM)

¹³“From on high he sent fire,
    sent it down into my bones.^(AN)
He spread a net^(AO) for my feet
    and turned me back.
He made me desolate,^(AP)
    faint^(AQ) all the day long.

¹⁴“My sins have been bound into a yoke^[b];^(AR)
    by his hands they were woven together.
They have been hung on my neck,
    and the Lord has sapped my strength.
He has given me into the hands^(AS)
    of those I cannot withstand.

¹⁵“The Lord has rejected
    all the warriors in my midst;^(AT)
he has summoned an army^(AU) against me
    to^[c] crush my young men.^(AV)
In his winepress^(AW) the Lord has trampled^(AX)
    Virgin Daughter^(AY) Judah.

¹⁶“This is why I weep
    and my eyes overflow with tears.^(AZ)
No one is near to comfort^(BA) me,
    no one to restore my spirit.
My children are destitute
    because the enemy has prevailed.”^(BB)

¹⁷Zion stretches out her hands,^(BC)
    but there is no one to comfort her.
The Lord has decreed for Jacob
    that his neighbors become his foes;^(BD)
Jerusalem has become
    an unclean^(BE) thing^(BF) among them.

¹⁸“The Lord is righteous,^(BG)
    yet I rebelled^(BH) against his command.
Listen, all you peoples;
    look on my suffering.^(BI)
My young men and young women
    have gone into exile.^(BJ)

¹⁹“I called to my allies^(BK)
    but they betrayed me.
My priests and my elders
    perished^(BL) in the city
while they searched for food
    to keep themselves alive.

²⁰“See, Lord, how distressed^(BM) I am!
    I am in torment^(BN) within,
and in my heart I am disturbed,^(BO)
    for I have been most rebellious.^(BP)
Outside, the sword bereaves;
    inside, there is only death.^(BQ)

²¹“People have heard my groaning,^(BR)
    but there is no one to comfort me.^(BS)
All my enemies have heard of my distress;
    they rejoice^(BT) at what you have done.
May you bring the day^(BU) you have announced
    so they may become like me.

²²“Let all their wickedness come before you;
    deal with them
as you have dealt with me
    because of all my sins.^(BV)
My groans^(BW) are many
    and my heart is faint.”

Footnotes

Lamentations 1:1 This chapter is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
Lamentations 1:14 Most Hebrew manuscripts; many Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint He kept watch over my sins
Lamentations 1:15 Or has set a time for me / when he will

Romans 13

New International Version

Submission to Governing Authorities

13 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities,^(A) for there is no authority except that which God has established.^(B) The authorities that exist have been established by God. ²Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted,^(C) and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. ³For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended.^(D) ⁴For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.^(E) ⁵Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.^(F)

⁶This is also why you pay taxes,^(G) for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. ⁷Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes;^(H) if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Love Fulfills the Law

⁸Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.^(I) ⁹The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,”^[a]^(J) and whatever other command there may be, are summed up^(K) in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”^[b]^(L) ¹⁰Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.^(M)

The Day Is Near

¹¹And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come^(N) for you to wake up from your slumber,^(O) because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. ¹²The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.^(P) So let us put aside the deeds of darkness^(Q) and put on the armor^(R) of light. ¹³Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness,^(S) not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.^(T) ¹⁴Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ,^(U) and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.^[c]^(V)

Footnotes

Romans 13:9 Exodus 20:13-15,17; Deut. 5:17-19,21
Romans 13:9 Lev. 19:18
Romans 13:14 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.