M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Chapter 20
The Israelites’ Attack Plan. 1 All of the Israelites from Dan to Beer-sheba and from Gilead gathered together as one in an assembly before the Lord at Mizpah. 2 The leaders of all of the people of the tribes of Israel took their place in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand soldiers armed with swords.
3 Now the Benjaminites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah. The Israelites said, “Tell us how this evil thing happened.” 4 The Levite, the husband of the woman who had been killed, answered, “I and my concubine came into Gibeah of Benjamin to spend the night. 5 The men of Gibeah rose up and surrounded me and the house during the night. They intended to kill me, and they raped my concubine until she died. 6 I took my concubine and cut her up into pieces, sending them to each region in the inheritance of Israel, for they had committed this lewd and disgraceful act in Israel. 7 Now, all of you Israelites, discuss it among yourselves and give your counsel here.”
8 All of the people rose up as if they were one man and they said, “None of us will go home! No! None of us will return home! 9 This is what we are going to do to Gibeah. We will choose who will attack it by lot. 10 We will take ten from every hundred in all of the tribes of Israel, and one hundred out of one thousand, and one thousand out of every ten thousand. We will also take provisions for the people. When they arrive at Gibeah in Benjamin, they will then pay for all the disgraceful things that they have done in Israel.”
11 All of the men of Israel gathered together, united as if they were one man, and they went up against the city. 12 The tribes of Israel sent men all throughout the tribe of Benjamin saying, “What is this wicked thing that has been committed among you? 13 Deliver up those sons of Belial, those men of Gibeah, so that we may put them to death and purge the evil from Israel.”[a]
But the Benjaminites would not listen to what Israel had said. 14 The Benjaminites gathered together from out of the cities and they went to Gibeah to fight against the Israelites. 15 There were twenty-six thousand Benjaminites from the cities armed with swords, in addition to the seven hundred chosen men from Gibeah. 16 There were seven hundred chosen men among them who were left-handed. Each of them could sling a stone at a hair and never miss.
17 There were four hundred thousand men from Israel armed with swords (not counting the Benjaminites), each of them fighting men. 18 The Israelites went up to Bethel and sought counsel from God. They said, “Who among us should be the first to go up in battle against the Benjaminites?” The Lord answered, “Judah should go up first.”[b]
19 The next morning the Israelites rose up and camped outside of Gibeah.
20 War with the Benjaminites. The Israelites went out to fight against Benjamin. The Israelites lined themselves up to fight at Gibeah. 21 The Benjaminites came out of Gibeah and that day they cut twenty-two thousand Israelites down to the ground. 22 But the Israelites encouraged one another and once again took the same positions for battle that they had taken the first day. 23 The Israelites went up and wept before the Lord until that evening, asking counsel of the Lord and saying, “Should we go up again to fight against the Benjaminites, our brothers?” The Lord answered, “Go up to fight them.”
24 So the Israelites approached the Benjaminites the second day. 25 When the Benjaminites came out of Gibeah to fight them the second day, they cut another eighteen thousand Israelites down to the ground, all of them armed with swords. 26 So all of the Israelites, all of the people, went up to Bethel and wept and sat there before the Lord, fasting that entire day until evening. They sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 27 The Israelites asked counsel of the Lord (for in those days the Ark of the Covenant of God was kept there. 28 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, ministered before it in those days.) They said, “Shall we once again go out to do battle against the Benjaminites, our brothers, or shall we stop fighting?” The Lord answered, “Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hands.” 29 [c]Israel set an ambush around Gibeah. 30 The Israelites went up against the Benjaminites on the third day lined up in front of Gibeah as they had been the other times. 31 The Benjaminites came out against those people, and they were drawn away from the city. They began to strike and kill the people as they had before, so that thirty Israelites fell in the highways, one leading up to Bethel, and the other to Gibeah, and also in the fields.
32 While the Benjaminites were saying to themselves, “We are striking them down like the other times,” the Israelites were saying, “Let us run away and draw them away from the city and onto the highways.” 33 All of the Israelites rose up from their positions and they lined up at Baal-tamar. In the meantime, those who were lying in ambush on the western side of Gibeah charged forward. 34 Ten thousand of the chosen men from out of all of Israel attacked Gibeah. The fighting was so heavy that they did not realize that disaster was near. 35 The Lord defeated Benjamin before Israel. The Israelites cut down twenty-five thousand, one hundred Benjaminites that day, all of them armed with swords.
36 The Benjaminites then saw that they were defeated. The Israelites had given way before the Benjaminites, because they trusted in the ambush that they had set near Gibeah. 37 The men who had been in ambush made a sudden rush toward Gibeah. The men in ambush marched in and put the entire city to the sword. 38 The Israelites had arranged with those who were in ambush that they should raise up flame and a great cloud of smoke from out of the city. 39 The Israelites would then turn around in the battle.
The Benjaminites had begun to overcome and kill the Israelites, about thirty of them, and they were saying to themselves, “Surely we are striking them down before us as we did in the first battle.” 40 When the flames and the column of smoke began to rise up out of the city, the Benjaminites looked back and saw flames rising up into the heavens from the city. 41 The Israelites turned on them, and the Benjaminites were terrified, for they realized that they faced disaster. 42 They fled from before the Israelites, running toward the desert, but the fighting overtook them. Those who were in the city came out and cut them down there. 43 They surrounded the Benjaminites, chased them, and easily overran them near Gibeah, in the direction of the sunrise. 44 Eighteen thousand men from Benjamin fell, all of them brave warriors. 45 As they turned and fled toward the desert up to the rock of Rimmon, they cut down five thousand men along the highways. They kept after them all the way to Gidom, and killed another two thousand of them. 46 On that day, twenty-five thousand men of Benjamin fell, all of them armed with swords and all of them brave warriors.
47 But six hundred men had fled into the wilderness, to the rock of Rimmon, and they stayed at the rock of Rimmon for four months. 48 The Israelites went back to the Benjaminites, putting all of the men from their cities and their beasts and anything else they found to the sword. They also burned down all of their cities.
Chapter 24
Paul’s Second Trial—before Felix.[a] 1 Five days later, the high priest Ananias came down with some of the elders and an advocate named Tertullus, and they presented charges against Paul to the governor. 2 Then Paul was summoned, and Tertullus began the prosecution.
He said, “Because of you we have enjoyed an unbroken period of peace, and reforms have been made in this nation as a result of your caring concern. 3 We acknowledge this everywhere and in every way with the utmost gratitude, most noble Felix.
4 “But in order not to detain you needlessly, I beg you to be kind enough to listen to a brief statement. 5 We have found this man to be a troublemaker. He is a fomenter of dissension among Jews all over the world and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. 6 When he even tried to profane the temple, we placed him under arrest. [ 7 We would have judged him according to our own Law, but the commander Lysias came and forcibly removed him out of our hands, ordering his accusers to appear before you.][b] 8 If you examine him yourself, you will be able to ascertain the validity of all the charges we bring against him.” 9 The Jews supported the charge, asserting that these things were true.
10 Then the governor motioned to Paul to speak, and he replied, “I know that you have administered justice to this nation for many years, and therefore I feel confident in presenting my defense. 11 As you can verify for yourself, no more than twelve days have elapsed since I went up to worship in Jerusalem. 12 They did not find me disputing with anyone in the temple or stirring up a crowd either in the synagogues or throughout the city. 13 Nor can they offer you any proof concerning their charges against me.
14 “But this much I will admit to you: it is as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect, that I worship the God of my ancestors, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law or is written in the Prophets. 15 I hold the same hope in God as they do that there will be a resurrection of the righteous and the wicked alike. 16 Accordingly, I strive at all times to have a clear conscience before God and man.
17 “After several years, I came to bring charitable gifts to my people and to offer sacrifices. 18 They found me in the temple after I had completed the rite of purification. There was no crowd with me, nor was I involved in any disturbance.
“However, some Jews from the province of Asia were there, 19 and they are the ones who should have appeared before you to give such evidence if they had any charge against me. 20 At the very least, those who are present here should state what crime they discovered when I was brought before the Sanhedrin, 21 unless it has to do with this one declaration I made when I stood up among them, ‘I am on trial on account of the resurrection of the dead.’ ”
22 In the Procurator’s Hall.[c] Then Felix, who was well informed about the Way, adjourned the hearing with the comment, “When Lysias the commander comes down, I shall issue a ruling on this case.” 23 He also ordered the centurion to keep Paul in custody, but allow him some freedom, and not to prevent any of his friends from caring for his needs.
24 Several days later, Felix came with his wife Drusilla,[d] who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. 25 But as Paul discussed justice, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became frightened and exclaimed, “Go away for the present. When I have an opportunity, I will send for you.” 26 At the same time, he hoped that Paul would offer him a bribe. Therefore he used to send for him quite often and converse with him.
27 After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus,[e] and since he wanted to ingratiate himself with the Jews, Felix left Paul in custody.
The Fall of Jerusalem
Chapter 34
Zedekiah Condemned. 1 While Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and his entire army and all the kingdoms of the earth under his dominion and all the people in the empire he ruled were waging war against Jerusalem and all its towns, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 Go forth to Zedekiah, the king of Judah, and say to him: Thus says the Lord: I intend to hand over this city to the king of Babylon, and he will order that it be burned to the ground. 3 And you yourself will not escape his clutches, for there is no doubt that you will be captured and delivered into his hands. With your own eyes you will see the king of Babylon, and he will speak with you face to face. Then you will go to Babylon.
4 But even so, listen to the promise of the Lord to you, Zedekiah, king of Judah. This is what the Lord promises in your regard: You will not die by the sword. 5 Rather, you will die a peaceful death. And just as the people burned spices in honor of your ancestors, the kings who preceded you, so they will mourn your passing and burn spices for you, as they lament, “Alas, O king.” I myself have made this promise, says the Lord.
6 The prophet Jeremiah revealed all these things to Zedekiah, the king of Judah, in Jerusalem 7 while the army of the king of Babylon was attacking Jerusalem and the remaining cities of Judah that were left, Lachish and Azekah,[a] for these were the only fortified cities of Judah that were still standing.
The Broken Promise. 8 This word came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to issue a proclamation of freedom for their slaves. 9 Everyone who had Hebrew slaves, whether male or female, was to grant them freedom, and no one would be allowed to keep a fellow Jew in the state of slavery.
10 All of the officials and the people who entered into this agreement, swearing that they would set free their male and female slaves so that they would not again be enslaved, obeyed and granted them their freedom. 11 Afterward, however, they changed their minds and once again forced back into slavery those to whom they had granted their freedom.
12 Then this word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 13 Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I made a covenant with your fathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery, saying, 14 “Every seventh year each one of you must set free any Hebrew who has sold himself to you as a slave and has served you for six years.”
Your fathers, however, did not listen to me or obey me. 15 Recently you repented and did what is right in my sight by proclaiming that freedom was to be given to your brethren and even making a covenant with me in the house that bears my name. 16 Now, however, you have renounced that agreement and profaned my name when each of you took back the male and female slaves to whom you had granted freedom and forced them once again to be your slaves.
17 Therefore, thus says the Lord: Inasmuch as you have not obeyed me and refused to grant deliverance to your neighbors and kinsmen, now I will proclaim deliverance for you—deliverance to the sword, to plague, and to famine. I will make you an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth. 18 As for those who have violated my covenant and refused to observe the terms of the covenant to which they agreed in my presence, I will treat them like the calf which they cut in two and then passed between its pieces.[b] 19 The leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land who walked between the pieces of the calf 20 will be handed over to their enemies who seek their lives. Their corpses will become food for the birds of the air and the animals of the earth.
21 As for Zedekiah, the king of Judah, and his officials, I will hand them over to their enemies who seek their lives and to the army of the king of Babylon which has withdrawn from you. 22 I will issue the command, says the Lord, and I will bring them back to this city. They will attack it and capture it and burn it to the ground. And I will turn the towns of Judah into a desolate wasteland where no one dwells.
Psalm 5[a]
Morning Prayer for Divine Help
1 For the director.[b] With flutes. A psalm of David.
2 Listen to my words, O Lord;
pay heed to my sighs.
3 Hear my cry for help,
my King and my God;
for to you I pray.
4 O Lord, at daybreak[c] you hear my voice;
at daybreak I bring my petition before you
and await your reply.
5 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil cannot remain in your presence.
6 The arrogant shrink before your gaze;
you hate all who do evil.
7 You destroy all who tell lies;
the Lord detests the violent and the deceitful.
8 But I will enter your house
because of your great kindness,[d]
and I will bow down in your holy temple,
filled with awe of you.
9 Lead me in your ways of righteousness, O Lord,
for I am surrounded by enemies;
make your path straight before me.[e]
10 For there is nothing trustworthy in their mouth;[f]
their heart devises treacherous schemes.
Their throat is a wide open grave;
with their tongue they utter flattery.
11 Punish them, O God;
may their intrigues result in their downfall.
Cast them out because of their many transgressions,
for they have rebelled against you.[g]
12 But may all who take refuge in you rejoice;
may they shout for joy forever.
Grant them your protection
so that those who love your name[h] may rejoice in you.
13 Truly, you bless the righteous, O Lord;
you surround them with your goodwill as with a shield.
Psalm 6[i]
Evening Prayer for God’s Mercy
1 For the director.[j] With stringed instruments. “Upon the eighth.” A psalm of David.
2 O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
or punish me in your wrath.
3 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am tottering;
help me, O Lord, for my body is in agony.[k]
4 My soul[l] is also filled with anguish.
But you, O Lord—how long?
5 Turn, O Lord, and deliver my soul;
save me because of your kindness.[m]
6 For among the dead who remembers you?
In the netherworld who sings your praises?[n]
7 I am exhausted from my sighing;
every night I flood my bed with my tears,
and I soak my couch with my weeping.
8 My eyes grow dim because of my grief;
they are worn out[o] because of all my foes.
9 Depart from me, all you evildoers,[p]
for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
10 The Lord has listened to my pleas;
the Lord has accepted my prayer.
11 All my enemies will be shamed and terrified;
they will flee in utter confusion.[q]
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