Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today our passages are Judges 2:10–3:31; Luke 22:14-34; Psalm 92:1–93:5; and Proverbs 14:1-2. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.
Judges 2:10-3:31 (Contemporary English Version)
10After a while the people of Joshua's generation died, and the next generation did not know the LORD or any of the things he had done for Israel.
11-13The LORD had brought their ancestors out of Egypt, and they had worshiped him. But now the Israelites stopped worshiping the LORD and worshiped the idols of Baal and Astarte, as well as the idols of other gods from nearby nations.
The LORD was so angry
14-15at the Israelites that he let other nations raid Israel and steal their crops and other possessions. Enemies were everywhere, and the LORD always let them defeat Israel in battle. The LORD had warned Israel he would do this, and now the Israelites were miserable.
11-13The LORD had brought their ancestors out of Egypt, and they had worshiped him. But now the Israelites stopped worshiping the LORD and worshiped the idols of Baal and Astarte, as well as the idols of other gods from nearby nations.
The LORD was so angry
14-15at the Israelites that he let other nations raid Israel and steal their crops and other possessions. Enemies were everywhere, and the LORD always let them defeat Israel in battle. The LORD had warned Israel he would do this, and now the Israelites were miserable.
The LORD Chooses Leaders for Israel
16From time to time, the LORD would choose special leaders known as judges. a<="" value="[a]" >[] These judges would lead the Israelites into battle and defeat the enemies that made raids on them. 17In years gone by, the Israelites had been faithful to the LORD, but now they were quick to be unfaithful and to refuse even to listen to these judges. The Israelites would disobey the LORD, and instead of worshiping him, they would worship other gods.
18When enemies made life miserable for the Israelites, the LORD would feel sorry for them. He would choose a judge and help that judge rescue Israel from its enemies. The LORD would be kind to Israel as long as that judge lived.
19But afterwards, the Israelites would become even more sinful than their ancestors had been. The Israelites were stubborn--they simply would not stop worshiping other gods or following the teachings of other religions.
18When enemies made life miserable for the Israelites, the LORD would feel sorry for them. He would choose a judge and help that judge rescue Israel from its enemies. The LORD would be kind to Israel as long as that judge lived.
19But afterwards, the Israelites would become even more sinful than their ancestors had been. The Israelites were stubborn--they simply would not stop worshiping other gods or following the teachings of other religions.
The LORD Lets Enemies Test Israel
20The LORD was angry with Israel and said: The Israelites have broken the agreement I made with their ancestors. They won't obey me,
21so I'll stop helping them defeat their enemies. Israel still had a lot of enemies when Joshua died,
22and I'm going to let those enemies stay. I'll use them to test Israel, because then I can find out if Israel will worship and obey me as their ancestors did.
23That's why the LORD had not let Joshua get rid of all those enemy nations right away.
21so I'll stop helping them defeat their enemies. Israel still had a lot of enemies when Joshua died,
22and I'm going to let those enemies stay. I'll use them to test Israel, because then I can find out if Israel will worship and obey me as their ancestors did.
23That's why the LORD had not let Joshua get rid of all those enemy nations right away.
Judges 3
1-2And the LORD had another reason for letting these enemies stay. The Israelites needed to learn how to fight in war, just as their ancestors had done. Each new generation would have to learn by fighting 3the Philistines and their five rulers, as well as the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites that lived in the Lebanon Mountains from Mount Baal-Hermon to Hamath Pass. [b<="">]
4Moses had told the Israelites what the LORD had commanded them to do, and now the LORD was using these nations to find out if Israel would obey.
5-6But they refused. And it was because of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites who lived all around them. Some of the Israelites married the people of these nations, and that's how they started worshiping foreign gods.
4Moses had told the Israelites what the LORD had commanded them to do, and now the LORD was using these nations to find out if Israel would obey.
5-6But they refused. And it was because of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites who lived all around them. Some of the Israelites married the people of these nations, and that's how they started worshiping foreign gods.
Othniel
7The Israelites sinned against the LORD by forgetting him and worshiping idols of Baal and Astarte. 8This made the LORD angry, so he let Israel be defeated by King Cushan Rishathaim of northern Syria, [c<="">] who ruled Israel eight years and made everyone pay taxes.
9The Israelites begged the LORD for help, and he chose Othniel to rescue them. Othniel was the son of Caleb's younger brother Kenaz. [d<="">]
10The Spirit of the LORD took control of Othniel, and he led Israel in a war against Cushan Rishathaim. The LORD gave Othniel victory,
11and Israel was at peace until Othniel died about forty years later.
9The Israelites begged the LORD for help, and he chose Othniel to rescue them. Othniel was the son of Caleb's younger brother Kenaz. [d<="">]
10The Spirit of the LORD took control of Othniel, and he led Israel in a war against Cushan Rishathaim. The LORD gave Othniel victory,
11and Israel was at peace until Othniel died about forty years later.
Ehud
12Once more the Israelites started disobeying the LORD. So he let them be defeated by King Eglon of Moab, 13who had joined forces with the Ammonites and the Amalekites to attack Israel. Eglon and his army captured Jericho. [e<="">]
14Then he ruled Israel for eighteen years and forced the Israelites to pay heavy taxes.
15-16The Israelites begged the LORD for help, and the LORD chose Ehud [f<="">] from the Benjamin tribe to rescue them. They put Ehud in charge of taking the taxes to King Eglon, but before Ehud went, he made a double-edged dagger. Ehud was left-handed, so he strapped the dagger to his right thigh, where it would be hidden under his robes.
17-18Ehud and some other Israelites took the taxes to Eglon, who was a very fat man. As soon as they gave the taxes to Eglon, Ehud said it was time to go home.
19-20Ehud went with the other Israelites as far as the statues [g<="">] at Gilgal. [h<="">] Then he turned back and went upstairs to the cool room [i<="">] where Eglon had his throne. Ehud said, " Your Majesty, I need to talk with you in private." Eglon replied, " Don't say anything yet!" His officials left the room, and Eglon stood up as Ehud came closer.
" Yes," Ehud said, " I have a message for you from God!"
21Ehud pulled out the dagger with his left hand and shoved it so far into Eglon's stomach
22-23that even the handle was buried in his fat. Ehud left the dagger there. Then after closing and locking the doors to the room, he climbed through a window onto the porch [j<="">]
24and left. When the king's officials came back and saw that the doors were locked, they said, " The king is probably inside relieving himself."
25They stood there waiting until they felt foolish, but Eglon never opened the doors. Finally, they unlocked the doors and found King Eglon lying dead on the floor.
26But by that time, Ehud had already escaped past the statues. [k<="">] Ehud went to the town of Seirah
27-28in the hill country of Ephraim and started blowing a signal on a trumpet. The Israelites came together, and he shouted, " Follow me! The LORD will help us defeat the Moabites."
The Israelites followed Ehud down to the Jordan valley, and they captured the places where people cross the river on the way to Moab. They would not let anyone go across,
29and before the fighting was over, they killed about ten thousand Moabite warriors--not one escaped alive.
30Moab was so badly defeated that it was a long time before they were strong enough to attack Israel again. And Israel was at peace for eighty years.
14Then he ruled Israel for eighteen years and forced the Israelites to pay heavy taxes.
15-16The Israelites begged the LORD for help, and the LORD chose Ehud [f<="">] from the Benjamin tribe to rescue them. They put Ehud in charge of taking the taxes to King Eglon, but before Ehud went, he made a double-edged dagger. Ehud was left-handed, so he strapped the dagger to his right thigh, where it would be hidden under his robes.
17-18Ehud and some other Israelites took the taxes to Eglon, who was a very fat man. As soon as they gave the taxes to Eglon, Ehud said it was time to go home.
19-20Ehud went with the other Israelites as far as the statues [g<="">] at Gilgal. [h<="">] Then he turned back and went upstairs to the cool room [i<="">] where Eglon had his throne. Ehud said, " Your Majesty, I need to talk with you in private." Eglon replied, " Don't say anything yet!" His officials left the room, and Eglon stood up as Ehud came closer.
" Yes," Ehud said, " I have a message for you from God!"
21Ehud pulled out the dagger with his left hand and shoved it so far into Eglon's stomach
22-23that even the handle was buried in his fat. Ehud left the dagger there. Then after closing and locking the doors to the room, he climbed through a window onto the porch [j<="">]
24and left. When the king's officials came back and saw that the doors were locked, they said, " The king is probably inside relieving himself."
25They stood there waiting until they felt foolish, but Eglon never opened the doors. Finally, they unlocked the doors and found King Eglon lying dead on the floor.
26But by that time, Ehud had already escaped past the statues. [k<="">] Ehud went to the town of Seirah
27-28in the hill country of Ephraim and started blowing a signal on a trumpet. The Israelites came together, and he shouted, " Follow me! The LORD will help us defeat the Moabites."
The Israelites followed Ehud down to the Jordan valley, and they captured the places where people cross the river on the way to Moab. They would not let anyone go across,
29and before the fighting was over, they killed about ten thousand Moabite warriors--not one escaped alive.
30Moab was so badly defeated that it was a long time before they were strong enough to attack Israel again. And Israel was at peace for eighty years.
Shamgar
31Shamgar the son of Anath was the next to rescue Israel. In one battle, he used a sharp wooden pole [l<="">] to kill six hundred Philistines. Footnotes:- Judges 2:16 special leaders known as judges: The Hebrew text has " judges." In addition to leading Israelites in battle, these special leaders also decided legal cases and sometimes performed religious duties.
- Judges 3:3 Hamath Pass: Or " Lebo-Hamath."
- Judges 3:8 northern Syria: The Hebrew text has " Aram-Naharaim," probably referring to the land around the city of Haran (see Genesis 24.10; 25.20; 28.2,6; 31.18,20; 33.18; 35.23-26; 46.8-15; 48.7).
- Judges 3:9 Othniel was the son of. . . Kenaz: See the note at 1.13.
- Judges 3:13 Jericho: See the note at 1.16.
- Judges 3:15 Ehud: Hebrew " Ehud the son of Gera."
- Judges 3:19 statues: Or " stone idols" or " stone monuments."
- Judges 3:19 Gilgal: About a mile and a half from Jericho, where Eglon probably was (see verse 13).
- Judges 3:19 upstairs. . . cool room: Houses usually had flat roofs, and sometimes a room was built on one corner of the roof where it could best catch the breeze and be kept cooler than the rest of the house.
- Judges 3:22 he climbed. . . porch: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- Judges 3:26 statues: See the note at 3.19,20.
- Judges 3:31 sharp wooden pole: The Hebrew text has " cattle-prod," a pole with a sharpened tip or metal point at one end.
Footnotes:
- Judges 2:16 special leaders known as judges: The Hebrew text has " judges." In addition to leading Israelites in battle, these special leaders also decided legal cases and sometimes performed religious duties.
- Judges 3:3 Hamath Pass: Or " Lebo-Hamath."
- Judges 3:8 northern Syria: The Hebrew text has " Aram-Naharaim," probably referring to the land around the city of Haran (see Genesis 24.10; 25.20; 28.2,6; 31.18,20; 33.18; 35.23-26; 46.8-15; 48.7).
- Judges 3:9 Othniel was the son of. . . Kenaz: See the note at 1.13.
- Judges 3:13 Jericho: See the note at 1.16.
- Judges 3:15 Ehud: Hebrew " Ehud the son of Gera."
- Judges 3:19 statues: Or " stone idols" or " stone monuments."
- Judges 3:19 Gilgal: About a mile and a half from Jericho, where Eglon probably was (see verse 13).
- Judges 3:19 upstairs. . . cool room: Houses usually had flat roofs, and sometimes a room was built on one corner of the roof where it could best catch the breeze and be kept cooler than the rest of the house.
- Judges 3:22 he climbed. . . porch: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- Judges 3:26 statues: See the note at 3.19,20.
- Judges 3:31 sharp wooden pole: The Hebrew text has " cattle-prod," a pole with a sharpened tip or metal point at one end.
Luke 22:14-34 (Contemporary English Version)
The Lord's Supper
(Matthew 26.26-30; Mark 14.22-26; 1 Corinthians 11.23-25)
14When the time came for Jesus and the apostles to eat, 15he said to them, "I have very much wanted to eat this Passover meal with you before I suffer. 16I tell you that I will not eat another Passover meal until it is finally eaten in God's kingdom." 17Jesus took a cup of wine in his hands and gave thanks to God. Then he told the apostles, "Take this wine and share it with each other. 18I tell you that I will not drink any more wine until God's kingdom comes."
19Jesus took some bread in his hands and gave thanks for it. He broke the bread and handed it to his apostles. Then he said, "This is my body, which is given for you. Eat this as a way of remembering me!"
20After the meal he took another cup of wine in his hands. Then he said, "This is my blood. It is poured out for you, and with it God makes his new agreement. 21The one who will betray me is here at the table with me! 22The Son of Man will die in the way that has been decided for him, but it will be terrible for the one who betrays him!"
23Then the apostles started arguing about who would ever do such a thing.
19Jesus took some bread in his hands and gave thanks for it. He broke the bread and handed it to his apostles. Then he said, "This is my body, which is given for you. Eat this as a way of remembering me!"
20After the meal he took another cup of wine in his hands. Then he said, "This is my blood. It is poured out for you, and with it God makes his new agreement. 21The one who will betray me is here at the table with me! 22The Son of Man will die in the way that has been decided for him, but it will be terrible for the one who betrays him!"
23Then the apostles started arguing about who would ever do such a thing.
An Argument about Greatness
24The apostles got into an argument about which one of them was the greatest. 25So Jesus told them: Foreign kings order their people around, and powerful rulers call themselves everyone's friends. a<="" value="[a]" >[] 26But don't be like them. The most important one of you should be like the least important, and your leader should be like a servant. 27Who do people think is the greatest, a person who is served or one who serves? Isn't it the one who is served? But I have been with you as a servant. 28You have stayed with me in all my troubles. 29So I will give you the right to rule as kings, just as my Father has given me the right to rule as a king. 30You will eat and drink with me in my kingdom, and you will each sit on a throne to judge the twelve tribes of Israel.
Jesus' Disciples Will Be Tested
(Matthew 26.31-35; Mark 14.27-31; John 13.36-38)
31Jesus said, "Simon, listen to me! Satan has demanded the right to test each one of you, as a farmer does when he separates wheat from the husks. [b<="">] 32But Simon, I have prayed that your faith will be strong. And when you have come back to me, help the others." 33Peter said, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to jail and even to die with you." 34Jesus replied, "Peter, I tell you that before a rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will say three times that you don't know me."
Footnotes:- Luke 22:25 everyone's friends: This translates a Greek word that rulers sometimes used as a title for themselves or for special friends.
- Luke 22:31 separates wheat from the husks: See the note at 3.17.
Footnotes:
- Luke 22:25 everyone's friends: This translates a Greek word that rulers sometimes used as a title for themselves or for special friends.
- Luke 22:31 separates wheat from the husks: See the note at 3.17.
Psalm 92-93:5 (Contemporary English Version)
Psalm 92
(A psalm and a song for the Sabbath.)
Sing Praises to the LORD
1It is wonderful to be grateful and to sing your praises,
LORD Most High!
2It is wonderful each morning
to tell about your love
and at night to announce
how faithful you are.
3I enjoy praising your name
to the music of harps,
4because everything you do
makes me happy,
and I sing joyful songs.
5You do great things, LORD.
Your thoughts are too deep
6for an ignorant fool
to know or understand.
7Though the wicked sprout
and spread like grass,
they will be pulled up
by their roots.
8But you will rule
over all of us forever,
9and your hateful enemies
will be scattered
and then destroyed.
10You have given me
the strength of a wild ox,
and you have chosen me
to be your very own.
11My eyes have seen,
and my ears have heard
the doom and destruction
of my terrible enemies.
12Good people will prosper
like palm trees,
and they will grow strong
like the cedars of Lebanon.
13They will take root
in your house, LORD God,
and they will do well.
14They will be like trees
that stay healthy and fruitful,
even when they are old.
15And they will say about you,
"The LORD always does right!
God is our mighty rock." a<="" value="[a]" >[]
LORD Most High!
2It is wonderful each morning
to tell about your love
and at night to announce
how faithful you are.
3I enjoy praising your name
to the music of harps,
4because everything you do
makes me happy,
and I sing joyful songs.
5You do great things, LORD.
Your thoughts are too deep
6for an ignorant fool
to know or understand.
7Though the wicked sprout
and spread like grass,
they will be pulled up
by their roots.
8But you will rule
over all of us forever,
9and your hateful enemies
will be scattered
and then destroyed.
10You have given me
the strength of a wild ox,
and you have chosen me
to be your very own.
11My eyes have seen,
and my ears have heard
the doom and destruction
of my terrible enemies.
12Good people will prosper
like palm trees,
and they will grow strong
like the cedars of Lebanon.
13They will take root
in your house, LORD God,
and they will do well.
14They will be like trees
that stay healthy and fruitful,
even when they are old.
15And they will say about you,
"The LORD always does right!
God is our mighty rock." a<="" value="[a]" >[]
Psalm 93
The LORD Is King
1Our LORD, you are King! Majesty and power
are your royal robes.
You put the world in place,
and it will never be moved.
2You have always ruled,
and you are eternal.
3The ocean is roaring, LORD!
The sea is pounding hard.
4Its mighty waves are majestic,
but you are more majestic,
and you rule over all.
5Your decisions are firm,
and your temple will always
be beautiful and holy.
Footnotes:- Psalm 92:15 mighty rock: See the note at 18.2.
are your royal robes.
You put the world in place,
and it will never be moved.
2You have always ruled,
and you are eternal.
3The ocean is roaring, LORD!
The sea is pounding hard.
4Its mighty waves are majestic,
but you are more majestic,
and you rule over all.
5Your decisions are firm,
and your temple will always
be beautiful and holy.
Footnotes:
- Psalm 92:15 mighty rock: See the note at 18.2.
Proverbs 14:1-2 (Contemporary English Version)
Proverbs 14
Wisdom Makes Good Sense
1A woman's family is held together
by her wisdom,
but it can be destroyed
by her foolishness.
2By living right, you show
that you respect the LORD;
by being deceitful, you show
that you despise him.
by her wisdom,
but it can be destroyed
by her foolishness.
2By living right, you show
that you respect the LORD;
by being deceitful, you show
that you despise him.
Thought for the Day
“You were rescued from the useless way of life that you learned from your ancestors. But you know that you were not rescued by such things as silver or gold that don't last forever. You were rescued by the precious blood of Christ, that spotless and innocent lamb.” (1 Peter 1:18-19 - Contemporary English Version) Without our permission or help, we were rescued from an empty and useless way of living. You see, by the blood of Christ, we have the opportunity to experience a life that's full and meaningful.
Quote for the Day
English writer of fiction and children's books, Elizabeth Goudge wrote, "Faith given back to us after a night of doubt is a stronger thing, and far more valuable to us than faith that has never been tested."
A Joke for Today
A middle-aged guy is out to dinner with his wife to celebrate her fortieth birthday. He says, "So what would you like, Julie? A Jaguar? A sable coat? A diamond necklace?"
She says, "Bernie, I want a divorce."
"My goodness," he says, "I wasn't planning on spending that much."
A Prayer Request
As Christians, we can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Below is the need that we're laying before God today.
That companies and unions would flourish with new creativity and practice honorable work ethics.
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