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Gideon’s 300 Men
7 Then (A)Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him rose early and camped beside [a]the spring of Harod; and the camp of Midian was on the north side of [b]them by the hill of (B)Moreh in the valley.
2 And Yahweh said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, (C)lest Israel honor themselves, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ 3 So now, [c]come, call out in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘(D)Whoever is afraid and trembling, let him return and depart from Mount Gilead.’” So 22,000 people returned, but 10,000 remained.
4 (E)Then Yahweh said to Gideon, “The people are still too many; bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. And it will be that he of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go with you; but everyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.” 5 So he brought the people down to the water. And Yahweh said to Gideon, “Everyone who laps the water with his tongue as a dog laps, you shall set him aside by himself, and so also everyone who kneels to drink.” 6 Now the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was 300 men; but all the rest of the people kneeled to drink water. 7 And Yahweh said to Gideon, “I will save you (F)with the 300 men who lapped and will give the Midianites into your hands; so let all the other people go, each man to his place.” 8 So [d]the 300 men took the people’s provisions and their trumpets into their hands. And [e]Gideon sent all the other men of Israel, each to his tent, but retained the 300 men; and the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.
9 Now it happened the same night that Yahweh said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, (G)for I have given it into your hands. 10 But if you are afraid to go down, then both you and Purah your young man, go down to the camp, 11 and you will hear what they say; and (H)afterward your hands will be strengthened, that you may go down against the camp.” So he went with Purah his young man down to the [f]outskirts of the armed men that were in the camp. 12 Now the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the sons of the east were lying in the valley (I)as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, (J)as numerous as the sand on the seashore. 13 Then Gideon came, and behold, a man was recounting a dream to his friend. And he said, “Behold, I [g]had a dream; [h]a loaf of barley bread was tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent and struck it so that it fell and turned it [i]upside down so that the tent lay flat.” 14 And his friend answered and said, “This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given Midian and all the camp (K)into his hand.”
15 Now it happened that when Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. Then he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for Yahweh has given the camp of Midian into your hands.” 16 And he divided the 300 men into three [j]companies, and he put trumpets and empty pitchers into the hands of all of them, with torches inside the pitchers. 17 Then he said to them, “Look at me and do likewise. And behold, I will come to the outskirts of the camp, and it will be that just as I do so you do likewise. 18 And I and all who are with me will blow the trumpet. Then you also shall blow the trumpets all around the camp and say, ‘For Yahweh and for Gideon.’”
Gideon Kills the Princes of Midian
19 So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just set up the watch; and they blew the trumpets and smashed the pitchers that were in their hands. 20 Then the three [k]companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, and they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing and called out, “A sword for Yahweh and for Gideon!” 21 And each stood in his place around the camp. Then (L)all of the camp ran, and they made a loud shout and fled. 22 So they blew 300 trumpets. And (M)Yahweh set the sword of one against another even throughout the whole camp. And the camp fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the edge of (N)Abel-meholah, by Tabbath. 23 And the men of Israel were summoned from (O)Naphtali and Asher and all Manasseh, and they pursued Midian.
24 Now Gideon had sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down to meet Midian and (P)capture the waters before them, as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan.” So all the men of Ephraim were summoned, and they captured the waters as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan. 25 Then they captured the two princes of Midian, (Q)Oreb and Zeeb, and they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and they killed Zeeb at the wine press of Zeeb. Then they pursued Midian and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon (R)from across the Jordan.
Gideon Pursues Zebah and Zalmunna
8 Then the men of Ephraim said to him, “(S)What is this thing you have done to us, not calling us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they strongly contended with him. 2 But he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer? 3 God has given the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, into your hands; and what was I able to do in comparison with you?” Then their [l]anger toward him subsided when he spoke this word.
4 Then Gideon and the 300 men who were with him came (T)to the Jordan and crossed over, weary yet pursuing. 5 And he said to the men of (U)Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who are following me, for they are weary, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” 6 But the princes of Succoth said, “[m](V)Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hands, that we should give bread to your army?” 7 And Gideon said, “Thus, (W)when Yahweh has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will [n]thrash your [o]bodies with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.” 8 So he went up from there to [p](X)Penuel and spoke similarly to them; and the men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth had answered. 9 So he spoke 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 camps with them, about 15,000 men, all who were left of the entire camp of the sons of the east; (Z)for the fallen were 120,000 men who drew the sword. 11 And Gideon went up by the way of those who dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah and struck the camp when the camp was [q]unsuspecting. 12 Then Zebah and Zalmunna fled. And he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and he threw the whole camp into utter fright.
13 Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle [r]by the ascent of Heres. 14 And he captured a youth from the men of Succoth and questioned him. So the youth wrote down for him the princes of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men. 15 Then he came to the men of Succoth and said, “Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you reproached me, saying, ‘[s](AA)Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are weary?’” 16 Then he took the elders of the city as well as thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he [t]taught the men of Succoth a lesson. 17 (AB)And he tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.
Pilate Grants the Crowd’s Request
13 And Pilate summoned the chief priests and the (A)rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one who [a](B)incites the people to rebellion, and behold, having examined Him before you, I (C)have found in this man no guilt of what you are accusing Him. 15 No, nor has (D)Herod, for he sent Him back to us; and behold, nothing deserving death has been done by Him. 16 Therefore I will (E)punish Him and release Him.” 17 [b][Now he was obliged to release to them at the feast one prisoner.]
18 But they cried out all together, saying, “(F)Away with this man, and release for us Barabbas!” 19 (He had been thrown into prison for an insurrection made in the city and for murder.) 20 But again Pilate addressed them, wanting to release Jesus, 21 but they kept on calling out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!” 22 And he said to them a third time, “Why, what evil has this man done? I have found in Him no guilt worthy of death; therefore I will (G)punish Him and release Him.” 23 But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices were prevailing. 24 And Pilate pronounced sentence that their demand be granted. 25 And he released the man they were asking for who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, but he delivered Jesus to their will.
Simon Carries the Cross
26 (H)And when they led Him away, they took hold of a man, Simon of (I)Cyrene, coming in from the country, and placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus.
27 And following Him was a large multitude of the people, and of women who were [c](J)mourning and lamenting Him. 28 But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, stop crying for Me, but cry for yourselves and for your children. 29 For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘(K)Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’ 30 Then they will begin to (L)say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31 For if they do these things [d]when the tree is green, what will happen [e]when it is dry?”
32 (M)Now two others also, who were criminals, were being led away to be put to death with Him.
The Crucifixion
33 (N)And when they came to the place called [f]The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. 34 [g]But Jesus was saying, “(O)Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” (P)And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves. 35 And the people stood by, looking on. And even the (Q)rulers were scoffing at Him, saying, “He saved others; (R)let Him save Himself if this is the [h]Christ of God, His Chosen One.” 36 And the soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, (S)offering Him sour wine, 37 and saying, “(T)If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!” 38 Now there was also an inscription above Him, “(U)THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
39 (V)And one of the criminals hanging there was blaspheming Him, saying, “Are You not the [i]Christ? (W)Save Yourself and us!” 40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving [j]what we deserve for what we have done; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come [k]in Your kingdom!” 43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in (X)Paradise.”
Remember His Holy Name
97 (A)Yahweh [a]reigns, let the (B)earth rejoice;
Let the many (C)coastlands be glad.
2 (D)Clouds and thick darkness are all around Him;
(E)Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
3 (F)Fire goes before Him
And (G)burns up His adversaries all around.
4 His (H)lightnings light up the world;
The earth sees and (I)trembles.
5 The mountains (J)melt like wax at the presence of Yahweh,
At the presence of the (K)Lord of all the earth.
6 The (L)heavens declare His righteousness,
And (M)all the peoples see His glory.
7 Let all those be ashamed who serve (N)graven images,
Who boast of (O)idols;
[b](P)Worship Him, all you [c]gods!
8 Zion [d]heard this and (Q)was glad,
And the daughters of Judah have rejoiced
Because of Your judgments, O Yahweh.
9 For You are Yahweh (R)Most High over all the earth;
You are exalted far (S)above all [e]gods.
10 (T)Hate evil, you who love Yahweh,
Who (U)keeps the souls of His holy ones;
He (V)delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
11 (W)Light is sown for the righteous
And (X)gladness for the upright in heart.
12 Be (Y)glad in Yahweh, you righteous ones,
And (Z)give thanks for the remembrance of [f]His holy name.
Sing to Yahweh a New Song
A Psalm.
98 Sing to Yahweh a (AA)new song,
For He has done (AB)wondrous deeds,
His (AC)right hand and His (AD)holy arm have [g]worked out His salvation.
2 (AE)Yahweh has made known His salvation;
He has (AF)revealed His righteousness in the eyes of the nations.
3 He has (AG)remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
(AH)All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
4 (AI)Make a loud shout to Yahweh, all the earth;
(AJ)Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises.
5 Sing praises to Yahweh with the (AK)lyre,
With the lyre and the (AL)sound of singing.
6 With (AM)trumpets and the sound of the horn
(AN)Make a loud shout before (AO)King Yahweh.
7 Let the (AP)sea roar, as well as its fullness,
The (AQ)world and those who dwell in it.
8 Let the (AR)rivers clap their hands,
Let the (AS)mountains sing together for joy
9 Before Yahweh, for He is coming to (AT)judge the earth;
He will judge the world with righteousness
And (AU)the peoples with [h]equity.
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