The Daily Audio Bible
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18 He asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?”
“They were like you,” they said. “Each resembled the son of a king.”
19 So he said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother! As the Lord lives, if you had let them live, I would not kill you.” 20 Then he said to Jether, his firstborn, “Get up and kill them.” The youth did not draw his sword, for he was afraid because he was still a youth.
21 Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Get up and kill us yourself, for a man is judged by his strength.” So Gideon got up, killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.
Gideon’s Legacy
22 Then the Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us, you as well as your sons and your grandsons, for you delivered us from the power of Midian.”
23 But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you.” 24 Then he said to them, “Let me make a request of you: Everyone give me an earring from his plunder.” Now the enemy had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.
25 They said, “We agree to give them.” So they spread out a mantle, and everyone threw an earring from his plunder on it. 26 The weight of the gold earrings he requested was about 43 pounds[a] of gold, in addition to the crescent ornaments and ear pendants, the purple garments on the kings of Midian, and the chains on the necks of their camels. 27 Gideon made an ephod(A) from all this and put it in Ophrah, his hometown. Then all Israel prostituted themselves with it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household.
28 So Midian was subdued before the Israelites, and they were no longer a threat.[b] The land was peaceful 40 years during the days of Gideon. 29 Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) son of Joash went back to live at his house.
30 Gideon had 70 sons, his own offspring, since he had many wives. 31 His concubine who was in Shechem(B) also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech. 32 Then Gideon son of Joash died at a ripe old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33 When Gideon died, the Israelites turned and prostituted themselves with the Baals and made Baal-berith[c] their god. 34 The Israelites did not remember the Lord their God who had delivered them from the power of the enemies around them. 35 They did not show kindness(C) to the house of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) for all the good he had done for Israel.
Abimelech Becomes King
9 Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to his mother’s brothers at Shechem and spoke to them and to all his maternal grandfather’s clan, saying, 2 “Please speak in the presence of all the lords of Shechem, ‘Is it better for you that 70 men, all the sons of Jerubbaal,(D) rule over you or that one man rule over you?’ Remember that I am your own flesh and blood.”[d]
3 His mother’s relatives spoke all these words about him in the presence of all the lords of Shechem, and they were favorable to Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.” 4 So they gave him 70 pieces of silver from the temple of Baal-berith.[e] Abimelech hired worthless and reckless men with this money, and they followed him. 5 He went to his father’s house in Ophrah and killed his 70 brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal, on top of a large stone. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, survived, because he hid himself. 6 Then all the lords of Shechem and of Beth-millo gathered together and proceeded to make Abimelech king at the oak of the pillar in Shechem.
Jotham’s Parable
7 When they told Jotham, he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim,(E) raised his voice, and called to them:
Listen to me, lords of Shechem,
and may God listen to you:
8 The trees set out
to anoint a king over themselves.
They said to the olive tree, “Reign over us.”
9 But the olive tree said to them,
“Should I stop giving my oil
that honors both God and man,
and rule[f] over the trees?”
10 Then the trees said to the fig tree,
“Come and reign over us.”
11 But the fig tree said to them,
“Should I stop giving
my sweetness and my good fruit,
and rule[g] over trees?”
12 Later, the trees said to the grapevine,
“Come and reign over us.”
13 But the grapevine said to them,
“Should I stop giving my wine
that cheers both God and man,
and rule[h] over trees?”
14 Finally, all the trees said to the bramble,
“Come and reign over us.”
15 The bramble said to the trees,
“If you really are anointing me
as king over you,
come and find refuge in my shade.
But if not,
may fire come out from the bramble
and consume the cedars of Lebanon.”
16 “Now if you have acted faithfully(F) and honestly(G) in making Abimelech king, if you have done well by Jerubbaal and his family, and if you have rewarded him appropriately for what he did— 17 for my father fought for you, risked his life, and delivered you from the hand of Midian, 18 and now you have attacked my father’s house today, killed his 70 sons on top of a large stone, and made Abimelech, the son of his slave, king over the lords of Shechem ‘because he is your brother’— 19 if then you have acted faithfully and honestly with Jerubbaal and his house this day, rejoice in Abimelech and may he also rejoice in you. 20 But if not, may fire come from Abimelech and consume the lords of Shechem and Beth-millo, and may fire come from the lords of Shechem and Beth-millo and consume Abimelech.” 21 Then Jotham fled, escaping to Beer, and lived there because of his brother Abimelech.
The Death of Jesus
44 It(A) was now about noon,[a] and darkness came over the whole land[b] until three,[c] 45 because the sun’s light failed.[d] The curtain(B) of the sanctuary was split down the middle. 46 And Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I entrust My spirit.”(C)[e] Saying this, He breathed His last.
47 When the centurion saw what happened, he began to glorify(D) God, saying, “This man really was righteous!” 48 All the crowds that had gathered for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, went home, striking their chests.[f](E) 49 But(F) all who knew Him, including the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance,(G) watching these things.
The Burial of Jesus
50 There(H) was a good and righteous man named Joseph, a member of the Sanhedrin, 51 who had not agreed with their plan(I) and action. He was from Arimathea, a Judean town, and was looking forward to the kingdom of God.(J) 52 He approached Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. 53 Taking it down, he wrapped it in fine linen and placed it in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever been placed.[g](K) 54 It was preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.[h] 55 The women(L) who had come with Him from Galilee followed along and observed the tomb and how His body was placed. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes.(M) And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.(N)
Resurrection Morning
24 On(O) the first day of the week,(P) very early in the morning, they[i] came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 They went in but did not find the body(Q) of the Lord Jesus.(R) 4 While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men stood by them in dazzling(S) clothes. 5 So the women were terrified and bowed down to the ground.[j]
“Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” asked the men. 6 “He is not here, but He has been resurrected!(T) Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee,(U) 7 saying, ‘The Son of Man must be betrayed(V) into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and rise(W) on the third day’?” 8 And they remembered His words.
9 Returning from the tomb, they reported all these things to the Eleven(X) and to all the rest. 10 Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James,(Y) and the other women with them were telling the apostles(Z) these things. 11 But these words seemed like nonsense to them, and they did not believe(AA) the women. 12 Peter,(AB) however, got up and ran to the tomb. When he stooped to look in, he saw only the linen cloths.[k](AC) So he went home, amazed(AD) at what had happened.
Psalm 99
The King Is Holy
1 The Lord reigns! Let the peoples tremble.
He is enthroned above the cherubim.(A)
Let the earth quake.(B)
2 Yahweh is great in Zion;
He is exalted above all the peoples.(C)
3 Let them praise Your great
and awe-inspiring name.(D)
He is holy.(E)
4 The mighty King loves justice.
You have established fairness;
You have administered justice
and righteousness in Jacob.(F)
5 Exalt the Lord our God;
bow in worship at His footstool.(G)
He is holy.(H)
6 Moses and Aaron were among His priests;(I)
Samuel also was among those calling on His name.
They called to Yahweh and He answered them.(J)
7 He spoke to them in a pillar of cloud;(K)
they kept His decrees and the statutes He gave them.
8 Lord our God, You answered them.
You were a forgiving God to them,(L)
an avenger of their sinful actions.(M)
9 Exalt the Lord our God;
bow in worship at His holy mountain,
for the Lord our God is holy.(N)
9 Fools mock at making restitution,[a]
but there is goodwill among the upright.
10 The heart knows its own bitterness,
and no outsider shares in its joy.
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