From: "FamilyNet"
Bible Reading for March 24
Judges 19
[1] And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that
there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took
to him a concubine out of Bethlehemjudah. [2] And his concubine played the
whore against him, and went away from him unto her father's house to
Bethlehemjudah, and was there four whole months. [3] And her husband arose,
and went after her, to speak friendly unto her, and to bring her again, having
his servant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him into her
father's house: and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet
him. [4] And his father in law, the damsel's father, retained him; and he
abode with him three days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged there. [5]
And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they arose early in the morning,
that he rose up to depart: and the damsel's father said unto his son in law,
Comfort thine heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward go your way.
[6] And they sat down, and did eat and drink both of them together: for the
damsel's father had said unto the man, Be content, I pray thee, and tarry all
night, and let thine heart be merry. [7] And when the man rose up to depart,
his father in law urged him: therefore he lodged there again.
[8] And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart: and the
damsel's father said, Comfort thine heart, I pray thee. And they tarried until
afternoon, and they did eat both of them. [9] And when the man rose up to
depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father in law, the
damsel's father, said unto him, Behold, now the day draweth toward evening, I
pray you tarry all night: behold, the day groweth to an end, lodge here, that
thine heart may be merry; and to morrow get you early on your way, that thou
mayest go home. [10] But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up
and departed, and came over against Jebus, which is Jerusalem; and there were
with him two asses saddled, his concubine also was with him. [11] And when
they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said unto his
master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn in into this city of the Jebusites,
and lodge in it.
[12] And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside hither into the city
of a stranger, that is not of the children of Israel; we will pass over to
Gibeah.
[13] And he said unto his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these
places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah. [14] And they passed on and
went their way; and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gibeah,
which belongeth to Benjamin. [15] And they turned aside thither, to go in and
to lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the
city: for there was no man that took them into his house to lodging. [16] And,
behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even, which
was also of mount Ephraim; and he sojourned in Gibeah: but the men of the
place were Benjamites.
[17] And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the street
of the city: and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?
[18] And he said unto him, We are passing from Bethlehemjudah toward the side
of mount Ephraim; from thence am I: and I went to Bethlehemjudah, but I am now
going to the house of the LORD; and there is no man that receiveth me to house.
[19] Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there is bread
and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man which is
with thy servants: there is no want of any thing. [20] And the old man said,
Peace be with thee; howsoever let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in
the street. [21] So he brought him into his house, and gave provender unto the
asses: and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink. [22] Now as they
were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of
Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the
master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into
thine house, that we may know him. [23] And the man, the master of the house,
went out unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly;
seeing that this man is come into mine house, do not this folly. [24] Behold,
here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now,
and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this
man do not so vile a thing. [25] But the men would not hearken to him: so the
man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her,
and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to
spring, they let her go. [26] Then came the woman in the dawning of the day,
and fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord was, till it was
light. [27] And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the
house, and went out to go his way: and, behold, the woman his concubine was
fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold.
[28] And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none answered. Then
the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up, and gat him unto his
place.
[29] And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on
his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces,
and sent her into all the coasts of Israel. [30] And it was so, that all that
saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the
children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day: consider of
it, take advice, and speak your minds.
Judges 20
[1] Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was
gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, with the land of
Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh.
[2] And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel,
presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred
thousand footmen that drew sword.
[3] (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone
up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was this
wickedness?
[4] And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and
said, I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to
lodge.
[5] And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about
upon me by night, and thought to have slain me: and my concubine have they
forced, that she is dead.
[6] And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout
all the country of the inheritance of Israel: for they have committed lewdness
and folly in Israel.
[7] Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel.
[8] And all the people arose as one man, saying, We will not any of us go to
his tent, neither will we any of us turn into his house. [9] But now this
shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up by lot against it;
[10] And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of
Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to
fetch victual for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of
Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel. [11] So
all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.
[12] And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin,
saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you? [13] Now therefore
deliver us the men, the children of Belial, which are in Gibeah, that we may
put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin
would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel:
[14] But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the
cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel. [15]
And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities
twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah,
which were numbered seven hundred chosen men. [16] Among all this people there
were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an
hair breadth, and not miss. [17] And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were
numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.
[18] And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and
asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle
against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up first.
[19] And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against
Gibeah.
[20] And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of
Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah. [21] And the
children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the
ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men. [22] And the
people the men of Israel encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in
array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.
[23] (And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until even,
and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against
the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him.)
[24] And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the
second day.
[25] And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and
destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand
men; all these drew the sword. [26] Then all the children of Israel, and all
the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there
before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings
and peace offerings before the LORD.
[27] And the children of Israel inquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the
covenant of God was there in those days, [28] And Phinehas, the son of
Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet
again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I
cease? And the LORD said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine
hand. [29] And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah. [30] And the
children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day,
and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times.
[31] And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn
away from the city; and they began to smite of the people, and kill, as at
other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the house of God, and
the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel. [32] And the
children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first.
But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto
the highways.
[33] And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves
in array at Baal-tamar: and the liers in wait of Israel came forth out of
their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah. [34] And there came against
Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore: but
they knew not that evil was near them. [35] And the LORD smote Benjamin before
Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty
and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword.
[36] So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men of
Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto the liers in
wait which they had set beside Gibeah. [37] And the liers in wait hasted, and
rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers in wait drew themselves along, and smote all
the city with the edge of the sword.
[38] Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers
in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up out of the
city.
[39] And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite
and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they said, Surely they
are smitten down before us, as in the first battle. [40] But when the flame
began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites
looked behind them, and, behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven.
[41] And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed:
for they saw that evil was come upon them. [42] Therefore they turned their
backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle
overtook them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the
midst of them. [43] Thus they inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased
them, and trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.
[44] And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of
valour.
[45] And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon:
and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard
after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them. [46] So that all
which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew
the sword; all these were men of valour. [47] But six hundred men turned and
fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four
months. [48] And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin,
and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city, as
the beast, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities
that they came to.
Judges 21
[1] Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of
us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife. [2] And the people came to the
house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their
voices, and wept sore; [3] And said, O LORD God of Israel, why is this come to
pass in Israel, that there should be to day one tribe lacking in Israel? [4]
And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there
an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. [5] And the
children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came
not up with the congregation unto the LORD? For they had made a great oath
concerning him that came not up to the LORD to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely
be put to death. [6] And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin
their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day. [7]
How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by the
LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives? [8] And they said,
What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpeh to the
LORD? And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the
assembly.
[9] For the people were numbered, and, behold, there were none of the
inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead there. [10] And the congregation sent thither
twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and
smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, with the
women and the children. [11] And this is the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall
utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man. [12] And
they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins,
that had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the
camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. [13] And the whole
congregation sent some to speak to the children of Benjamin that were in the
rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto them. [14] And Benjamin came again at
that time; and they gave them wives which they had saved alive of the women of
Jabesh-gilead: and yet so they sufficed them not.
[15] And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the LORD had made
a breach in the tribes of Israel. [16] Then the elders of the congregation
said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are
destroyed out of Benjamin? [17] And they said, There must be an inheritance
for them that be escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of
Israel. [18] Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters: for the
children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to
Benjamin. [19] Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh
yearly in a place which is on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of
the highway that goeth up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.
[20] Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in
wait in the vineyards;
[21] And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in
dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of
the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. [22] And it shall be,
when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain, that we will
say unto them, Be favourable unto them for our sakes: because we reserved not
to each man his wife in the war: for ye did not give unto them at this time,
that ye should be guilty. [23] And the children of Benjamin did so, and took
them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught:
and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities,
and dwelt in them. [24] And the children of Israel departed thence at that
time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence
every man to his inheritance.
[25] In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was
right in his own eyes.
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