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Gideon’s Three Hundred Men
7 Then Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) rose early, and all the army that was with him. They were camped beside the spring of Harod;[a] the camp of Midian was north of the hill of Moreh, in the valley. 2 And Yahweh said to Gideon, “The troops that are with you are too many for me to give Midian into their hands; Israel will boast, saying, ‘My hand has delivered me.’ 3 So then, please proclaim in the hearing[b] of the troops, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and depart from the Mount of Gilead.’” About twenty-two thousand troops returned, and ten thousand remained. 4 And Yahweh said to Gideon, “There are still too many troops; bring them down to the water, and I will sift through them[c] for you there. For whomever I say to you, ‘This one will go with you,’ he will go with you; and for all whom I say to you, ‘This one will not go with you,’ he will not go.” 5 So he brought down the troops to the water, and Yahweh said to Gideon, “You must separate everyone who laps up the water to drink with his tongue like a dog from those who kneel.”[d] 6 The number of those lapping up the water with their hand to their mouth was three hundred men; all the rest of the troops kneeled to drink the water. 7 And Yahweh said to Gideon, “I will deliver you with the three hundred men lapping up the water; I will give Midian into your hand, so let the other troops go, each to his own place. 8 So they took their provisions and their trumpets into their hand, and he sent all the men of Israel, each one, to his tent; but three hundred of the men he kept; the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.
9 And that night Yahweh said to him, “Get up; go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hand. 10 But if you are afraid, go down to the camp with Purah your servant, 11 and you will hear what they say; and afterward you will have courage,[e] and you will go down against the camp.” Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outpost of the armed men[f] that were in the camp. 12 Now the Midianites,[g] Amalekites,[h] and all the people of the east were lying in the valley, like a great multitude of locusts; their camels were without number, as numerous as the sand that is on the shore of the sea. 13 When Gideon came, a man was recounting a dream[i] to his friend, and he said, “Behold, I had a dream;[j] a round loaf of barley bread was tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came up to the tent, it struck it, and it fell and turned it upside down so that the tent fell.” 14 His friend answered him and said, “This cannot be anything except the sword of Gideon son of Jehoash, a man of Israel; God has given Midian and the entire camp into his hand.”
15 When Gideon heard the recounting of the dream[k] and its interpretation, he bowed down and returned to the camp of Israel; and he said, “Get up, for Yahweh has given the camp of Midian into your hand.” 16 He divided the three hundred men into three companies,[l] and he put trumpets and empty jars in everyone’s hand, with torches inside the jars. 17 And he said to them, “Watch me and do the same. When I come to the edge of the camp, do just as I do.[m] 18 When I and all who are with me blow on the trumpet, you must also blow on the trumpets and surround the camp, and you must say, ‘To Yahweh and to Gideon!’”
19 So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle night-watch, when they had just finished setting up the guards, and they blew on the trumpets and smashed the jars that were in their hands.[n] 20 When three companies[o] blew on the trumpets and broke the jars, they held in their left hand the torches and in their right hand the trumpets for blowing, and they cried, “A sword for Yahweh and for Gideon!” 21 And each stood in his place[p] all around the camp, and all the camp ran, and they cried out as they fled. 22 When they blew the three hundred trumpets, Yahweh set the sword of each one against his neighbor throughout the whole camp, and the camp[q] fled as far as Beth Shittah toward Zererah, up to Abel Meholah, the border by Tabbath. 23 And the men of Israel were called from Naphtali, from Asher, and from all of Manasseh, and they pursued after Midian.
24 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down to oppose[r] Midian, and capture from them the waters up to Beth Barah and the Jordan.” He called out all the men of Ephraim, and they captured the waters up to Beth Barah and the Jordan. 25 And they captured the two commanders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, and they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and they killed Zeeb at the wine press of Zeeb, while they chased Midian; and they brought the heads[s] of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon from beyond the Jordan.
Gideon Pursues Zebah and Zalmunna
8 The men of Ephraim said to him, “What is this thing you have done to us, not calling us when you went to fight against the Midianites?”[t] And they quarreled with him severely. 2 And he said to them, “What I have done now in comparison with you? Are not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer? 3 God has given into your hand the commanders of Midian, Oreb, and Zeeb. What have I been able to do in comparison with you?” And their anger[u] against him subsided when he said that.[v]
4 Then Gideon came to the Jordan, crossing it with the three hundred men who were with him, weary and pursuing. 5 He said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who are following me,[w] for they are weary, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” 6 The officials of Succoth said, “Is the hand[x] of Zebah and Zalmunna in your hand now, that we should give bread to your army?” 7 Gideon said, “Well then, when Yahweh gives Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will trample your flesh with the thorns and briers of the wilderness.” 8 He went from there to Penuel, and he spoke similarly to them; and the men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth answered. 9 And he said also to the men of Penuel, saying, “When I return safely,[y] I will tear down this tower.”
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand men remained from the entire army[z] of the people of the east; those that fell in battle were one hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen.[aa] 11 And Gideon went up the route of those who dwell in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and he attacked the army[ab] when it was off its guard.[ac] 12 And Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and he routed[ad] the entire army.[ae]
13 Then Gideon son of Jehoash returned from the battle by way of[af] the ascent of Heres.[ag] 14 He captured a young man from Succoth[ah] and questioned him. The young man listed[ai] for him the commanders of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men. 15 He came to the men of Succoth, and he said, “Here is Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Is the palm[aj] of Zebah and Zalmunna in your hand now, that we should give food to your weary men?’” 16 He took the elders of the city and the thorn bushes and briers of the wilderness, and he trampled[ak] the men of Succoth with them. 17 He broke down the tower of Penuel, and he killed the men of the city.
Pilate Releases Barabbas
13 So Pilate called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people 14 and[a] said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people, and behold, when I[b] examined him[c] before you, I found nothing in this man as basis for the accusation which you are making[d] against him. 15 But neither did Herod, because he sent him back to us. And behold, nothing deserving death has been done[e] by him. 16 Therefore I will punish him and[f] release him.”[g] [h] 18 But they all cried out in unison, saying, “Take this man away, and release for us Barabbas!” 19 (who had been thrown in prison because of a certain insurrection that had taken place in the city, and for murder). 20 And Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them[i][j] again, 21 but they kept crying out, saying, “Crucify! Crucify him!” 22 So he said to them a third time, “Why? What wrong has this man done? I found no basis for an accusation deserving death[k] in him. Therefore I will punish him and[l] release him.”[m] 23 But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he be crucified. And their cries prevailed. 24 And Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. 25 And he released the one who had been thrown into prison because of insurrection and murder, whom they were asking for, but Jesus he handed over to their will.
Jesus Is Crucified
26 And as they led him away, they seized Simon, a certain man of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and[n] placed the cross on him, to carry it[o] behind Jesus. 27 And a great crowd of the people were following him, and of women who were mourning and lamenting him. 28 But turning to them, Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children! 29 For behold, days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that did not give birth, and the breasts that did not nurse!’ 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ 31 For if they do these things when the wood is green,[p] what will happen when it is dry?”[q]
32 And two other criminals were also led away to be executed with him. 33 And when they came to the place that is called “The Skull,” there they crucified him, and the criminals, the one on his right and the other on his left. 34 [[But Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”]][r] And they cast lots to divide his clothes. 35 And the people stood there watching, but the rulers also ridiculed him,[s] saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if this man is the Christ[t] of God, the Chosen One!” 36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming up and[u] offering him sour wine 37 and saying, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 And there was also an inscription over him, “This is the king of the Jews.”
39 And one of the criminals who were hanged there reviled him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself—and us!” 40 But the other answered and[v] rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, because you are undergoing the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving what we deserve[w] for what we have done. But this man has done nothing wrong!” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom!” 43 And he said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Yahweh’s Glorious Reign
97 Yahweh is king! Let the earth rejoice;
let many coastlands be glad.
2 Cloud and thick darkness are surrounding him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him,
and devours his enemies round about.
4 His lightnings light the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax at the presence of Yahweh,
at the presence of the Lord of all the earth.
6 The heavens declare his righteousness,
and all the peoples see his glory.
7 Let all who serve an image be ashamed,
those who boast about idols.[a]
Worship him, all you gods.
8 Zion hears and is glad,
and the daughters of Judah rejoice
because of your judgments, O Yahweh.
9 For you, O Yahweh, are most high over all the earth.
You are highly[b] exalted above all gods.
10 You who love Yahweh, hate evil.
He protects the lives of his faithful;
he delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
11 Light is sown for the righteous,
and joy for the upright in heart.
12 Be glad in Yahweh, you righteous,
and give thanks to his holy name.[c]
Praise to Yahweh for His Salvation and Judgment
A psalm.[d]
98 Sing to[e] Yahweh a new song, for he has done wonders.
His right hand and his holy arm have secured his victory.
2 Yahweh has made known his salvation;[f]
to the eyes of the nations he has revealed his righteousness.
3 He has remembered his loyal love and his faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation[g] of our God.
4 Shout joyfully to Yahweh, all the earth.
Be cheerful[h] and sing for joy and sing praises.
5 Sing praises to Yahweh with lyre,
with lyre and melodious sound.
6 With trumpets and sound of horn,
shout joyfully before the king, Yahweh.
7 Let the sea with[i] its fullness roar,
the world and those who live in it.
8 Let the rivers clap their hands.
Let the hills sing joyfully together
9 before Yahweh, for he is coming
to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness
and the peoples with equity.
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