Old/New Testament
Samson Goes to the City of Gaza
16 One day Samson went to Gaza and saw a prostitute there. He went in ·to spend the night with her [L to her; C a euphemism for sexual relations]. 2 When the people of Gaza heard, “Samson has come here!” they surrounded the place and ·waited for him [set an ambush; lay in wait] near the city gate all night. They whispered to each other, “·When dawn comes [At the morning light], we will kill Samson!”
3 But Samson only stayed with the prostitute until midnight. Then he got up and took hold of the doors and the two posts of the city gate and tore them loose, along with the bar. He put them on his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that faces the city of Hebron.
Samson and Delilah
4 After this, Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in the Valley of Sorek. 5 The Philistine ·rulers [lords] went to Delilah and said, “Find out what makes Samson so strong. ·Trick [Seduce; Entice] him into telling you how we can overpower him and tie him up and ·capture [subdue] him. If you do this, each one of us will give you ·twenty-eight pounds [L eleven hundred pieces] of silver.”
6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me why you are so strong. How can someone tie you up and ·capture [subdue] you?”
7 Samson answered, “Someone would have to tie me up with seven ·new [fresh] bowstrings that have not been dried. Then I would be as weak as any other man.”
8 The Philistine ·rulers [lords] brought Delilah seven ·new [fresh] bowstrings that had not been dried, and she tied Samson with them. 9 Some men were ·hiding [lying in wait] in ·another [an inner; or their] room. Delilah said to him, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” But Samson broke the bowstrings like pieces of burned ·string [flax]. So the Philistines did not find out the secret of Samson’s strength.
10 Then Delilah said to Samson, “You ·made a fool of [mocked; or deceived] me. You lied to me. Now tell me how someone can ·tie you up [subdue you].”
11 Samson said, “They would have to tie me with new ropes that have not been used before. Then I would become as weak as any other man.”
12 So Delilah took new ropes and tied Samson. Some men were hiding in ·another [an inner; or their] room. She called out to him, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” But he broke the ropes from his arms as easily as if they were threads.
13 Then Delilah said to Samson, “·Again [L Until now] you have ·made a fool of [mocked; or deceived] me. You lied to me. Tell me how someone can tie you up.”
He said, “Using the loom, weave the seven braids of my hair into the ·cloth [woven fabric; web], and tighten it with a pin. Then I will be as weak as any other man.”
While Samson slept, Delilah wove the seven braids of his hair into the ·cloth [woven fabric; web]. 14 Then she fastened it with a pin.
Again she said to him, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” Samson woke up and pulled out the pin and the loom with the ·cloth [woven fabric; web].
15 Then Delilah said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when ·you don’t even trust me [L your heart is not with me]? This is the third time you have ·made a fool of [mocked; or deceived] me. You haven’t told me the secret of your great strength.” 16 She ·kept bothering [nagged; pressed] Samson about his secret day after day until ·he felt he was going to die [L his soul was annoyed to death]!
17 So he told her ·everything [L all his heart]. He said, “·I have never had my hair cut [L A razor has never come upon my head], because I have been set apart to God as a Nazirite ·since I was born [L from my mother’s womb; 13:5, 7; Num. 6:1–12]. If someone shaved my head, I would lose my strength and be as weak as any other man.”
18 When Delilah saw that he had told her ·everything sincerely [L all his heart], she sent a message to the Philistine ·rulers [lords]. She said, “Come back one more time, because he has told me ·everything [L all that is in his heart].” So the Philistine rulers came back to Delilah and brought the silver ·with them [L in their hands]. 19 Delilah got Samson to sleep, lying in her lap. Then she called in a man to shave off the seven braids of Samson’s hair. In this way she began to ·make him weak [subdue him; make him vulnerable], and his strength left him.
20 Then she said, “Samson, the Philistines are here!”
He woke up and thought, “I’ll leave as I did before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him.
21 Then the Philistines captured Samson and ·tore [gouged] out his eyes. They took him down to Gaza, where they put bronze ·chains [shackles] on him and made him grind grain in the prison. 22 But his hair began to grow again after it was shaved off.
Samson Dies
23 The Philistine ·rulers [lords] gathered to celebrate and to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon. They said, “Our god has handed Samson our enemy ·over to us [into our hand].” 24 When the people saw him, they praised their god, saying,
“This man ·destroyed [laid waste; ravaged] our country.
He ·killed many of us [L multiplied our dead]!
But our god handed over
our enemy to us.”
25 ·While the people were enjoying the celebration [When they were in high spirits; L When their heart was good], they said, “Bring Samson out to ·perform for [entertain; amuse] us.” So they brought Samson from the prison, and he ·performed for [entertained; amused] them. They made him stand between the pillars. 26 Samson said to the ·servant [youth; young man] holding his hand, “Let me feel the pillars that hold up the ·temple [house] so I can lean against them.” 27 Now the ·temple [house] was full of men and women. All the Philistine ·rulers [lords] were there, and about three thousand men and women were on the roof watching Samson perform. 28 Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “·Lord God [Sovereign Lord], remember me. God, please give me strength one more time so I ·can pay these Philistines back [avenge the Philistines] for putting out my two eyes!” 29 Then Samson ·turned to [grasped] the two center pillars ·that supported the whole temple [L on which the house rested]. He braced himself between the two pillars, with his right hand on one and his left hand on the other. 30 Samson said, “Let me die with these Philistines!” Then he pushed ·as hard as he could [with all his strength], causing the temple to fall on the ·rulers [lords] and all the people in it. So Samson killed more of the Philistines when he died than ·when he was alive [during his lifetime].
31 Samson’s brothers and ·his whole family [L all the house of his father] went down to get his body. They brought him back and buried him in the tomb of Manoah, his father, between the cities of Zorah and Eshtaol. Samson had ·judged [led; 2:16] Israel for twenty years.
Micah’s Idols
17 There was a man named Micah who lived in the ·mountains [hill country] of Ephraim. 2 He said to his mother, “I heard you speak a curse [C uttered against the thief] about the ·twenty-eight pounds [L eleven hundred pieces] of silver that were taken from you. I have the silver with me; I took it.”
His mother said, “The Lord bless you, my son [C for confessing the crime]!”
3 Micah gave the ·twenty-eight pounds [L eleven hundred pieces] of silver to his mother. Then she said, “I will ·give [dedicate] this silver [L from my hand] to the Lord. ·I will have my son make [or For the benefit of my son I will make] ·an idol and a statue [a carved image and a cast-metal image; or a carved image overlaid with silver]. So I will give the silver back to you.”
4 When he gave the silver back to his mother, she took about ·five pounds [L two hundred pieces of silver] and gave it to a ·silversmith [or idol-maker; Acts 19:24]. With it he made an ·idol and a statue [or carved image overlaid with silver; C an abomination and violation of the law; Deut. 27:15], which stood in Micah’s house. 5 Micah had a ·special holy place [shrine], and he made a ·holy vest [ephod] and some ·household idols [L teraphim; Gen. 31:19]. Then Micah ·chose [ordained; installed; or paid; L filled the hand of] one of his sons to be his priest. 6 At that time Israel did not have a king, so everyone did what seemed right in their own eyes [C the common refrain through the rest of Judges, referring both to the lack of a human king and the rejection of God’s sovereignty; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25].
7 There was a young man who was a Levite [C the priestly tribe of Israel; Num. 1:47–53] from the city of Bethlehem in Judah who was ·from [or living among] the people of Judah. 8 He left Bethlehem to look for another place to live, and ·on his way [or to carry on his vocation] he came to Micah’s house in the ·mountains [hill country] of Ephraim. 9 Micah asked him, “Where are you from?”
He answered, “I’m a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah. I’m looking for a place to live.”
10 Micah said to him, “Live with me and be my father [C meaning an advisor or counselor; Gen. 45:8] and my priest. I will give you ·four ounces [L ten pieces] of silver each year and clothes and food.” So the Levite went in. 11 He agreed to live with Micah and became like one of Micah’s own sons. 12 Micah ·made him [installed/ordained him as; or paid him to be; L filled his hand to be] a priest, and he lived in Micah’s house. 13 Then Micah said, “Now I know the Lord will ·be good to [prosper] me, because I have a Levite as my priest.”
The Tribe of Dan Captures Laish
18 At that time Israel did not have a king [17:6]. And at that time the tribe of Dan was still ·looking for a land [L seeking an inheritance] where they could live, a land of their own. The Danites had not yet ·been given their own land [moved into their land; received their allotment] among the tribes of Israel. 2 So, from their family groups, they chose five ·soldiers [valiant men; L men, sons of strength] from the cities of Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out and explore the land. They were told, “Go, explore the land.”
They came to the ·mountains [hill country] of Ephraim, to Micah’s house, where they spent the night. 3 When they came near Micah’s house, they recognized the ·voice [or accent] of the young Levite [17:7]. So they stopped there and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing here? ·Why are you here [What is your business here]?”
4 He told them what Micah had done for him, saying, “He hired me. I am his priest.”
5 They said to him, “Please ask God if ·our journey [our mission; L the way we are going] will be successful.”
6 The priest said to them, “Go in peace. The Lord ·is pleased with [approves of; watches over] your journey.”
7 So the five men left. When they came to the city of Laish, they saw that the people there lived in safety, ·like [L according to the custom of] the people of Sidon. They ·thought they were safe [were quiet and secure/unsuspecting] and ·had plenty of everything [or no ruler was humiliating them]. They lived a long way from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone else.
8 When the five men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their ·relatives [brothers] asked them, “What did you find?”
9 They answered, “We have seen the land, and it is very good. ·We should attack [L Arise, let us go up against] them. ·Aren’t you going to do something [Are you just going to sit there]? Don’t ·wait [hesitate; or be lazy]! Let’s go and take that land! 10 When you go, you will see there is ·plenty of [a wide/spacious] land—·plenty of everything [lacking nothing]! The people are not expecting an attack. Surely God has handed that land over to us!”
11 So six hundred Danites left Zorah and Eshtaol ·ready for [armed with weapons of] war. 12 On their way they set up camp near the city of Kiriath Jearim in Judah. That is why the place west of Kiriath Jearim is named Mahaneh Dan [C “Camp of Dan”] to this day. 13 From there they traveled on to the ·mountains [hill country] of Ephraim. Then they came to Micah’s house.
14 The five men who had explored the land around Laish said to their ·relatives [L brothers], “Do you know in one of these houses there are a ·holy vest [ephod; Ex. 28:6–14], household gods [17:5], an ·idol, and a statue [or image overlaid with silver; 17:3]? ·You know [or Decide now] what to do.” 15 So they stopped at the Levite’s house, which was also Micah’s house, and ·greeted the Levite [or asked how he was doing]. 16 The six hundred ·Danites [L men who were of the sons/descendants of Dan] stood at the entrance gate, wearing their weapons of war. 17 The five spies went into the house and took the ·idol [carved image], the ·holy vest [ephod], the household idols, and the ·statue [cast-metal image]. The priest and the six hundred men armed ·for [L with weapons of] war stood by the entrance gate.
18 When the spies went into Micah’s house and took the [carved] image, the ·holy vest [ephod], the household idols, and the ·statue [cast-metal image], the priest asked them, “What are you doing?”
19 They answered, “Be quiet! ·Don’t say a word [L Put your hand over your mouth]. Come with us and be our father [C meaning an advisor or counselor; 17:10; Gen. 45:8] and priest. Is it better for you to be a priest for one man’s house or for a tribe and ·family group [clan] in Israel?” 20 This ·made the priest happy [L pleased the heart of the priest]. So he took the ·holy vest [ephod], the household idols [17:5], and the ·idol [carved image] and went with the ·Danites [people]. 21 They left Micah’s house, putting their little children, their animals, and everything they owned in front of them [C for protection in case of attack; Gen. 33:2–3].
22 When they had gone a little way from Micah’s house, the men who lived near Micah ·were called out [assembled] and caught up with them. 23 The men with Micah shouted at the ·Danites [L sons/descendants of Dan], who turned around and said to Micah, “What’s the matter with you? Why have you ·been called out to [assembled for a] fight?”
24 Micah answered, “You took my gods that I made and my priest. What do I have left? How can you ask me, ‘What’s the matter?’”
25 The ·Danites [L sons/descendants of Dan] answered, “·You should not argue with [or Don’t say another word to; L Don’t let your voice be heard among] us. Some of our ·angry [bitter] men might attack you, ·killing you [and you will lose your life] and your ·family [L household].” 26 Then the ·Danites [L sons/descendants of Dan] went on their way. Micah knew they were too strong for him, so he turned and went back home.
27 Then the Danites took what Micah had made and his priest and went on to Laish. They attacked those ·peaceful [quiet] and ·unsuspecting [secure] people and killed them with their swords and then burned the city. 28 There was no one to ·save [rescue; T deliver] the people of Laish. They lived too far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with anyone else. Laish was in a valley near Beth Rehob.
The people of Dan rebuilt the city and lived there. 29 They named the city Dan after their ancestor Dan, one of the sons of Israel; the city’s original name was Laish.
30 The ·people [L sons; descendants] of Dan set up the ·idol [carved image] in the city of Dan. Jonathan son of Gershom, Moses’ son, and his sons served as priests for the tribe of Dan until the ·land was captured [captivity of the land; time of the exile]. 31 The people of Dan set up the ·idols [carved images] Micah had made as long as the ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle; L House] of God was in Shiloh.
Jesus Heals a Soldier’s Servant(A)
7 When Jesus finished saying all these things to the people, he went to Capernaum [4:23]. 2 There was ·an army officer [L a centurion] who had a servant who was ·very important [of great value; precious] to him. The servant was so sick he was ·nearly dead [about to die]. 3 When the officer heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him to ask Jesus to come and heal his servant. 4 The men went to Jesus and ·begged [urged] him [L earnestly; strongly], saying, “This officer ·is worthy of [deserves] your help. 5 [L …for/because] He loves our ·people [nation], and he built us a synagogue.”
6 So Jesus went with the men. He was getting near the officer’s house when the ·officer [centurion] sent friends to say, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, because I ·am not worthy [do not deserve] to have you come into my house. 7 That is why I did not [L consider myself worthy/deserving to] come to you myself. But you only need to ·command it [L say a word], and my servant will be healed. 8 [L For; Because] I, too, am a man under the authority of others, and I have soldiers under my command. I tell one soldier, ‘Go,’ and he goes. I tell another soldier, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my ·servant [slave], ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd that was following him, he said, “I tell you, ·this is the greatest faith I have found anywhere [L I haven’t found such faith], ·even in Israel [or in all Israel].”
10 Those who had been sent to Jesus went back to the house where they found the servant in good health.
Jesus Brings a Man Back to Life
11 Soon afterwards Jesus went to a town called Nain [C a small village a few miles south of Nazareth], and his ·followers [disciples] and a large crowd traveled with him. 12 When he came near the town gate, ·he saw a funeral [L look/T behold, a dead man was being carried out]. A mother, who was a widow, had lost her only son. A large crowd from the town was with the mother while her son was being carried out. 13 When the Lord saw her, he felt ·very sorry [compassion] for her and said, “Don’t cry.” 14 He went up and touched the ·coffin [or bier; C the body was probably wrapped in cloths and lying on a wooden plank], and the people who were carrying it stopped. Jesus said, “Young man, I tell you, get up!” 15 And the ·son [L dead man] sat up and began to talk. Then Jesus gave him back to his mother.
16 All the people were ·amazed [seized with fear; filled with awe] and began ·praising [glorifying] God, saying, “A great prophet has ·come to [L appeared/arisen among] us! God has ·come to help [looked favorably on; visited; 1:68] his people.”
17 This ·news [account; word] about Jesus spread through all Judea and into all the ·places around there [surrounding region].
John Asks a Question(B)
18 John’s ·followers [disciples] told him about all these things. He called for two of his ·followers [disciples] 19 and sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the ·One who is to come [the Expected One; C the Messiah], or should we ·wait for [look for; expect] someone else?”
20 When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you with this question: ‘Are you the ·One who is to come [Expected One], or should we ·wait for [look for; expect] someone else?” 21 At that time, Jesus healed many people of their sicknesses, diseases, and ·evil [defiling; L unclean; 4:33] spirits, and he gave sight to many blind people. 22 Then Jesus answered John’s ·followers [disciples], “Go tell John what you saw and heard here. The blind can see, the ·crippled [lame] can walk, and ·people with skin diseases [T lepers; see 5:12] are ·healed [L cleansed]. The deaf can hear, the dead are raised to life, and the ·Good News [Gospel] is ·preached [announced; proclaimed] to the poor [C signs of God’s restoration of creation, predicted by the prophet Isaiah; Is. 29:18–19; 35:5–6; 61:1–2]. 23 Those who ·do not stumble in their faith [are not offended] because of me are blessed.”
Jesus Comments on John(C)
24 When John’s ·followers [L messengers] left, Jesus began talking to the ·people [crowds] about John: “What did you go out into the ·desert [wilderness] to see? A reed ·blown by [shaken by; swaying in] the wind [C something fragile and easily swept away]? 25 [L But] What did you go out to see? A man dressed in ·fine [expensive; L soft] clothes? No, people who have ·fine [glorious; splendid] clothes and much ·wealth [luxury] ·live [are] in ·kings’ palaces [royal courts]. 26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, and I tell you, ·John is [L one who is] more than a prophet. 27 This was written about him:
‘[L Look; T Behold] I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare ·the [your] way ·for [before; in front of] you
[Mal. 3:1].’
28 I tell you, John is greater than any other person ·ever born [L born to women], but even the least important person in the kingdom of God is greater than John [C because John was part of the old age of preparation, those in the new kingdom age have greater blessings and status].”
29 (When the people, including the tax collectors, heard this, they all agreed that God’s ·teaching was good [way was right/just], because they had been baptized by John. 30 But the Pharisees and experts on the law ·refused to accept [rejected] God’s ·plan [purpose] for themselves; they did not let John baptize them.)
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