M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
20 1-2 Then the entire nation of Israel sent their leaders and 450,000 troops to assemble with one mind before the Lord at Mizpah. They came from as far away as Dan and Beersheba, and everywhere between, and from across the Jordan in the land of Gilead. 3 (Word of the mobilization of the Israeli forces at Mizpah soon reached the land of Benjamin.) The chiefs of Israel now called for the murdered woman’s husband and asked him just what had happened.
4 “We arrived one evening at Gibeah, a village in Benjamin,” he began. 5 “That night the men of Gibeah surrounded the house, planning to kill me, and they raped my wife until she was dead. 6 So I cut her body into twelve pieces and sent the pieces throughout the land of Israel, for these men have committed a terrible crime. 7 Now then, sons of Israel, express your mind and give me your counsel!”
8-10 And as one man they replied, “Not one of us will return home until we have punished the village of Gibeah. A tenth of the army will be selected by lot as a supply line to bring us food, and the rest of us will destroy Gibeah for this horrible deed.”
11 So the whole nation united in this task.
12 Then messengers were sent to the tribe of Benjamin, asking, “Did you know about the terrible thing that was done among you? 13 Give up these evil men from the city of Gibeah so that we can execute them and purge Israel of her evil.” But the people of Benjamin wouldn’t listen. 14-15 Instead, 26,000 of them arrived in Gibeah to join the 700 local men in their defense against the rest of Israel. 16 (Among all these there were 700 men who were left-handed sharpshooters. They could hit a target within a hair’s breadth, never missing!) 17 The army of Israel, not counting the men of Benjamin, numbered 400,000 men.
18 Before the battle the Israeli army went to Bethel first to ask counsel from God. “Which tribe shall lead us against the people of Benjamin?” they asked.
And the Lord replied, “Judah shall go first.”
19-20 So the entire army left early the next morning to go to Gibeah, to attack the men of Benjamin. 21 But the men defending the village stormed out and killed 22,000 Israelis that day. 22-24 Then the Israeli army wept before the Lord until evening and asked him, “Shall we fight further against our brother Benjamin?”
And the Lord said, “Yes.” So the men of Israel took courage and went out again the next day to fight at the same place. 25 And that day they lost another 18,000 men, all experienced swordsmen.
26 Then the entire army went up to Bethel and wept before the Lord and fasted until evening, offering burnt sacrifices and peace offerings. 27-28 (The Ark of God was in Bethel in those days. Phinehas, the son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron, was the priest.)
The men of Israel asked the Lord, “Shall we go out again and fight against our brother Benjamin, or shall we stop?”
And the Lord said, “Go, for tomorrow I will see to it that you defeat the men of Benjamin.”
29 So the Israeli army set an ambush all around the village, 30 and went out again on the third day and set themselves in their usual battle formation. 31 When the army of Benjamin came out of the town to attack, the Israeli forces retreated and Benjamin was drawn away from the town as they chased after Israel. And as they had done previously, Benjamin began to kill the men of Israel along the roadway running between Bethel and Gibeah, so that about thirty of them died.
32 Then the army of Benjamin shouted, “We’re defeating them again!” But the armies of Israel had agreed in advance to run away so that the army of Benjamin would chase them and be drawn away from the town. 33 But when the main army of Israel reached Baal-tamar, it turned and attacked, and the 10,000 men in ambush west of Geba jumped up from where they were 34 and advanced against the rear of the army of Benjamin, who still didn’t realize the impending disaster. 35-39 So the Lord helped Israel defeat Benjamin, and the Israeli army killed 25,100 men of Benjamin that day, leaving but a tiny remnant of their forces.
Summary of the Battle: The army of Israel retreated from the men of Benjamin in order to give the ambush more room for maneuvering. When the men of Benjamin had killed about thirty of the Israelis, they were confident of a massive slaughter just as on the previous days. But then the men in ambush rushed into the village and slaughtered everyone in it, and set it on fire. The great cloud of smoke pouring into the sky was the signal for the Israeli army to turn around and attack the army of Benjamin, 40-41 who now looked behind them and were terrified to discover that their city was on fire, and that they were in serious trouble. 42 So they ran toward the wilderness, but the Israelis chased after them, and the men who had set the ambush came out and joined the slaughter from the rear. 43 They encircled the army of Benjamin east of Gibeah, and killed most of them there. 44 Eighteen thousand of the Benjamin troops died in that day’s battle. 45 The rest of the army fled into the wilderness toward the rock of Rimmon, but 5,000 were killed along the way, and 2,000 more near Gidom.
46-47 So the tribe of Benjamin lost 25,000 brave warriors that day, leaving only 600 men who escaped to the rock of Rimmon, where they lived for four months. 48 Then the Israeli army returned and slaughtered the entire population of the tribe of Benjamin—men, women, children, and cattle—and burned down every city and village in the entire land.
24 Five days later Ananias the High Priest arrived with some of the Jewish leaders[a] and the lawyer Tertullus, to make their accusations against Paul. 2 When Tertullus was called forward, he laid charges against Paul in the following address to the governor:
“Your Excellency, you have given quietness and peace to us Jews and have greatly reduced the discrimination against us. 3 And for this we are very, very grateful to you. 4 But lest I bore you, kindly give me your attention for only a moment as I briefly outline our case against this man. 5 For we have found him to be a troublemaker, a man who is constantly inciting the Jews throughout the entire world to riots and rebellions against the Roman government. He is a ringleader of the sect known as the Nazarenes. 6 Moreover, he was trying to defile the Temple when we arrested him.
“We would have given him what he justly deserves, 7 but Lysias, the commander of the garrison, came and took him violently away from us, 8 demanding that he be tried by Roman law. You can find out the truth of our accusations by examining him yourself.”
9 Then all the other Jews chimed in, declaring that everything Tertullus said was true.
10 Now it was Paul’s turn. The governor motioned for him to rise and speak.
Paul began: “I know, sir, that you have been a judge of Jewish affairs for many years, and this gives me confidence as I make my defense. 11 You can quickly discover that it was no more than twelve days ago that I arrived in Jerusalem to worship at the Temple, 12 and you will discover that I have never incited a riot in any synagogue or on the streets of any city; 13 and these men certainly cannot prove the things they accuse me of doing.
14 “But one thing I do confess, that I believe in the way of salvation, which they refer to as a sect; I follow that system of serving the God of our ancestors; I firmly believe in the Jewish law and everything written in the books of prophecy; 15 and I believe, just as these men do, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and ungodly. 16 Because of this, I try with all my strength to always maintain a clear conscience before God and man.
17 “After several years away, I returned to Jerusalem with money to aid the Jews and to offer a sacrifice to God. 18 My accusers saw me in the Temple as I was presenting my thank offering.[b] I had shaved my head as their laws required, and there was no crowd around me, and no rioting! But some Jews from Turkey were there 19 (who ought to be here if they have anything against me)— 20 but look! Ask these men right here what wrongdoing their Council found in me, 21 except that I said one thing I shouldn’t[c] when I shouted out, ‘I am here before the Council to defend myself for believing that the dead will rise again!’”
22 Felix, who knew Christians didn’t go around starting riots,[d] told the Jews to wait for the arrival of Lysias, the garrison commander, and then he would decide the case. 23 He ordered Paul to prison but instructed the guards to treat him gently and not to forbid any of his friends from visiting him or bringing him gifts to make his stay more comfortable.
24 A few days later Felix came with Drusilla, his legal wife,[e] a Jewess. Sending for Paul, they listened as he told them about faith in Christ Jesus. 25 And as he reasoned with them about righteousness and self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was terrified.
“Go away for now,” he replied, “and when I have a more convenient time, I’ll call for you again.”
26 He also hoped that Paul would bribe him, so he sent for him from time to time and talked with him. 27 Two years went by in this way; then Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And because Felix wanted to gain favor with the Jews, he left Paul in chains.
34 This is the message that came to Jeremiah from the Lord when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and all his armies from all the kingdoms he ruled, came and fought against Jerusalem and the cities of Judah:
2 Go tell Zedekiah, king of Judah, that the Lord says this: I will give this city to the king of Babylon and he shall burn it. 3 You shall not escape; you shall be captured and taken before the king of Babylon; he shall pronounce sentence against you and you shall be exiled to Babylon. 4 But listen to this, O Zedekiah, king of Judah: God says you won’t be killed in war and carnage 5 but that you will die quietly among your people, and they will burn incense in your memory, just as they did for your fathers. They will weep for you and say, “Alas, our king is dead!” This I have decreed, says the Lord.
6 So Jeremiah delivered the message to King Zedekiah. 7 At this time the Babylonian army was besieging Jerusalem, Lachish, and Azekah—the only walled cities of Judah still standing.
8 This is the message that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah of Judah had freed all the slaves in Jerusalem— 9 (for King Zedekiah had ordered everyone to free his Hebrew slaves, both men and women. He had said that no Jew should be the master of another Jew for all were brothers. 10 The princes and all the people had obeyed the king’s command and freed their slaves, but the action was only temporary. 11 They changed their minds and made their servants slaves again.[a] 12 That is why the Lord gave the following message to Jerusalem.)
13 The Lord, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your fathers long ago when I brought them from their slavery in Egypt. 14 I told them that every Hebrew slave must be freed after serving six years. But this was not done. 15 Recently you began doing what was right, as I commanded you, and freed your slaves. You had solemnly promised me in my Temple that you would do it. 16 But now you refuse and have defiled my name by shrugging off your oath and have made them slaves again.
17 Therefore, says the Lord, because you will not listen to me and release them, I will release you to the power of death by war and famine and disease. And I will scatter you over all the world as exiles. 18-19 Because you have refused the terms of our contract, I will cut you apart just as you cut apart the calf when you walked between its halves to solemnize your vows. Yes, I will butcher you, whether you are princes, court officials, priests, or people—for you have broken your oath. 20 I will give you to your enemies, and they shall kill you. I will feed your dead bodies to the vultures and wild animals. 21 And I will surrender Zedekiah, king of Judah, and his officials to the army of the king of Babylon, though he has departed from the city for a little while. 22 I will summon the Babylonian armies back again, and they will fight against it and capture this city and burn it. And I will see to it that the cities of Judah are completely destroyed and left desolate without a living soul.
5 1-2 O Lord, hear me praying; listen to my plea, O God my King, for I will never pray to anyone but you. 3 Each morning I will look to you in heaven and lay my requests before you, praying earnestly.
4 I know you get no pleasure from wickedness and cannot tolerate the slightest sin. 5 Therefore, proud sinners will not survive your searching gaze, for how you hate their evil deeds. 6 You will destroy them for their lies; how you abhor all murder and deception.
7 But as for me, I will come into your Temple protected by your mercy and your love; I will worship you with deepest awe.
8 Lord, lead me as you promised me you would; otherwise my enemies will conquer me. Tell me clearly what to do, which way to turn. 9 For they cannot speak one truthful word. Their hearts are filled to the brim with wickedness. Their suggestions are full of the stench of sin and death. Their tongues are filled with flatteries to gain their wicked ends. 10 O God, hold them responsible. Catch them in their own traps; let them fall beneath the weight of their own transgressions, for they rebel against you.
11 But make everyone rejoice who puts his trust in you. Keep them shouting for joy because you are defending them. Fill all who love you with your happiness. 12 For you bless the godly man, O Lord; you protect him with your shield of love.
6 No, Lord! Don’t punish me in the heat of your anger. 2 Pity me, O Lord, for I am weak. Heal me, for my body is sick, 3 and I am upset and disturbed. My mind is filled with apprehension and with gloom. Oh, restore me soon.
4 Come, O Lord, and make me well. In your kindness save me. 5 For if I die, I cannot give you glory by praising you before my friends.[a] 6 I am worn out with pain; every night my pillow is wet with tears. 7 My eyes are growing old and dim with grief because of all my enemies.
8 Go, leave me now, you men of evil deeds, for the Lord has heard my weeping 9 and my pleading. He will answer all my prayers. 10 All my enemies shall be suddenly dishonored, terror-stricken, and disgraced. God will turn them back in shame.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.