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The Downfall of Shechem and Abimelech
22 Abimelech ruled over Israel three years. 23 And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the lords of Shechem, and the lords of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, 24 so that the violence done to the seventy brothers of Abimelech would be avenged and their blood be placed on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the lords of Shechem, who helped[a] to kill his brothers. 25 And the lords of Shechem set for him ambushes on the top of the mountains, and they robbed all who passed by them along the road; and it was reported to Abimelech.
26 And Gaal son of Ebel and his relatives came, and they crossed over into Shechem, and the lords of Shechem gave him confidence.[b] 27 They went out into the field and harvested their vineyards and trod them, and they held a festival.[c] And they went into the temple[d] of their god, and they ate and drank and cursed Abimelech. 28 Then Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech, and who are we of Shechem that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerub-Baal, and is not Zebul his chief officer?[e] Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem. Why should we serve him?[f] 29 If only this people were in my command![g] Then I would remove Abimelech, and I would have said,[h] ‘Increase your army and come out!’”
30 When Zebul the commander of the city heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, he became angry,[i] 31 and he sent messengers to Abimelech in Tormah, saying, “Look, Gaal son of Ebed and his relatives are coming to Shechem, and they are stirring up the city against you. 32 So then, get up by night, you and the army that is with you, and lie in ambush in the field. 33 And in the morning at sunrise, get up and rush the city; and look, when he and the troops who are with him come out to you, you must act according to whatever opportunity offers itself.[j]
34 So Abimelech and all the army that was with him got up by night, and they lay in ambush against Shechem in four divisions.[k] 35 Gaal son of Ebed went out and stood at the entrance of the city gate, and Abimelech and the army that was with him got up from the ambush. 36 When Gaal saw the army, he said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from the top of the mountains!” And Zebul said to him, “The shadows of the mountains look like people to you.”[l] 37 And Gaal spoke again[m] and said, “Look, people are coming down from Tabbur-erez, and one division[n] is coming from the direction of Elon-meonenim.”[o] 38 And Zebul said to him, “Where then is your boast,[p] you who said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Is this not the army that you rejected? Please, go out now and fight against them.”[q] 39 So Gaal went out before the lords of Shechem and fought against Abimelech. 40 And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him; many fell slain up to the entrance of the gate. 41 So Abimelech resided at Arumah, and Zebul drove out Gaal and his relatives[r] from living in Shechem.
42 On the next day the people went out to the field; and it was reported to Abimelech, 43 so he took the army and divided them into three divisions,[s] and he laid an ambush in the field. And he saw the people were coming out from the city, and he arose against them and killed them. 44 Then Abimelech and the divisions[t] that were with him dashed out and stood at the entrance of the city gate, and the two divisions dashed out against all who were in the field, and they killed them. 45 Abimelech fought against the city all that day, and he captured the city and killed the people that were in it; then he broke down the city and sowed it with salt.
46 When all the lords of the tower of Shechem heard, they went to the vault[u] of the temple[v] of El-Berith. 47 It was told to Abimelech that all the lords of the tower of Shechem had gathered. 48 So Abimelech went up Mount Zalmon, he and all his army that were with him, and Abimelech took the ax[w] in his hand and cut down a bundle of brushwood, and he lifted it and put it on his shoulder. And he said to the army that was with him, “What you have seen me do, quickly do also.” 49 So the whole army cut down each one branch for himself and followed Abimelech, and they put them against the vault[x] and set the vault ablaze with fire on those inside, so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died, about a thousand men and women.
50 Then Abimelech went to Thebez, and he encamped against Thebez and captured it. 51 But there was a strong tower in the middle of the city, and all the men, women, and lords of the city fled there and shut themselves in; and they went up to the roof of the tower. 52 Abimelech came up to the tower and fought against it, and he came near the entrance of the tower to burn it with fire. 53 But a certain woman[y] threw an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head and cracked open his skull. 54 He called quickly to the young man carrying his weapons, and he said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, so that they will not say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” So the young man[z] stabbed him, and he died. 55 When the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, each one went to his home.[aa] 56 So God repaid[ab] the wickedness[ac] that Abimelech committed against his father by killing his seventy brothers. 57 And God also repaid all the wickedness[ad] of the men of Shechem on their heads, and the curse of Jotham son of Jerub-Baal fell on them.
The Philistines and Ammonites Afflict the Israelites
10 After Abimelech, Tola son of Puah son of Dod, a man of Issachar, rose up to deliver Israel; and he was living at Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. 2 And he judged Israel twenty-three years. And he died and was buried in Shamir. 3 After him Jair the Gileadite rose up, and he judged Israel twenty-two years. 4 And he had thirty sons who would ride on thirty donkeys, and they had thirty towns that are in the land of Gilead that they called Havvoth Jair until this day. 5 And Jair died and was buried in Kamon.
6 And again, the Israelites[ae] did evil in the eyes of Yahweh. They served the Baals, the Ashtaroth, the gods of Aram, Sidon, Moab, and the gods of the Ammonites[af] and Philistines; they abandoned Yahweh and did not serve him. 7 And the anger of Yahweh burned[ag] against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines and the Ammonites.[ah] 8 They crushed and oppressed the Israelites[ai] in that year; for eighteen years they crushed all the Israelites[aj] who were beyond the Jordan, in the land of the Amorites,[ak] which is in Gilead. 9 The Ammonites[al] crossed the Jordan to fight also against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim; and Israel was very distressed.
10 Then the Israelites[am] cried out to Yahweh, saying, “We have sinned against you; we have abandoned our God and served the Baals.” 11 And Yahweh said to the Israelites,[an] “Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians,[ao] the Amorites,[ap] from the Ammonites,[aq] and from the Philistines?[ar] 12 And when the Sidonians, the Amalekites,[as] and the Maonites[at] oppressed you, you cried out to me, and I delivered you from their hand. 13 Yet you have abandoned me and served other gods. Therefore I will no longer deliver you. 14 Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your trouble.” 15 And the Israelites[au] said to Yahweh, “We have sinned; do to us accordingly as you see fit;[av] only please deliver us this day.” 16 So they removed the foreign gods from their midst and served Yahweh; and he could no longer bear[aw] the misery of Israel.
17 And the Ammonites[ax] were summoned,[ay] and they camped in Gilead. And the Israelites[az] gathered and camped at Mizpah. 18 The people, the ones commanding Gilead, said to each other,[ba] “Who is the man that will begin to fight against the Ammonites?[bb] He will be as head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”
Jesus Encountered on the Road to Emmaus
13 And behold, on that same day, two of them were traveling to a village named[a] Emmaus that was sixty stadia[b] distant from Jerusalem, 14 and they were conversing with one another about all these things that had happened. 15 And it happened that while they were conversing, and discussing, Jesus himself also approached and[c] began to go along with[d] them, 16 but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What are these matters that you are discussing with one another as you[e] are walking along?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 And one of them, named[f] Cleopas, answered and[g] said to him, “Are you the only one living near Jerusalem and not knowing the things that have happened in it in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” So they said to him, “The things concerning Jesus the Nazarene, a man who was a prophet, powerful in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers handed him over to a sentence of death, and crucified him. 21 But we were hoping that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. But in addition to all these things, this is the third day since[h] these things took place. 22 But also some women from among us astonished us, who were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they[i] did not find his body, they came back saying they had seen even a vision of angels, who said that he was alive! 24 And some of those with us went out to the tomb and found it[j] like this, just as the women had also said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish and slow in heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things concerning himself in all the scriptures. 28 And they drew near to the village where they were going, and he acted as though he was going farther. 29 And they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is getting toward evening, and by this time the day is far spent.” And he went in to stay with them. 30 And it happened that when he reclined at the table with them, he took the bread and[k] gave thanks, and after[l] breaking it,[m] he gave it[n] to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he became invisible to them. 32 And they said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was speaking with us on the road, while he was explaining the scriptures to us?” 33 And they got up that same hour and[o] returned to Jerusalem and found the eleven and those with them assembled, 34 saying, “The Lord has really been raised, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 And they began describing[p] what happened[q] on the road, and how he was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.
Jesus Appears to His Disciples
36 And while[r] they were saying these things, he himself stood there among them.[s] 37 But they were startled and became terrified, and[t] thought they had seen a ghost. 38 And he said to them, “Why are you frightened? And for what reason do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Look at my hands and my feet, that I am I myself! Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see that I have.”[u] 40 And when he[v] had said this, he showed them his[w] hands and his[x] feet. 41 And while[y] they were still disbelieving because of joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Do you have anything to eat[z] here?” 42 So they gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it[aa] and[ab] ate it[ac] in front of them.
Jesus Commissions His Disciples
44 And he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I[ad] was still with you, that everything that is written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and would rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance and the forgiveness[ae] of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all the nations,[af] beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending out[ag] what was promised by my Father upon you, but you stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
The Ascension
50 And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands, he blessed them. 51 And it happened that while he was blessing them, he parted from them and was taken up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him and[ah] returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they were continually[ai] in the temple courts[aj] praising God.
Worship God with Joy
A psalm of thanksgiving.[a]
100 Shout in triumph to Yahweh, all the earth.
2 Serve[b] Yahweh with joy;
come into his presence with exultation.
3 Know that Yahweh, he is God;
he made us and we are his.[c]
We are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him; bless his name.
5 For Yahweh is good; his loyal love is forever,
and his faithfulness is from generation to generation.[d]
11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
but the tent of the upright will flourish.
12 There is a way that seems upright to[a] a man,
but its end is the way of death.
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