From: "FamilyNet"
Bible Reading for March 21
Judges 9
[1] And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's
brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his
mother's father, saying,
[2] Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is
better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore
and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also
that I am your bone and your flesh. [3] And his mother's brethren spake of him
in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts
inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother.
[4] And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of
Baal-berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed
him.
[5] And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the
sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone:
notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid
himself.
[6] And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo,
and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in
Shechem.
[7] And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount
Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto
me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you. [8] The trees went forth
on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign
thou over us. [9] But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my
fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over
the trees? [10] And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over
us. [11] But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and
my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees? [12] Then said the trees
unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us. [13] And the vine said unto them,
Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over
the trees? [14] Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign
over us. [15] And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me
king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire
come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon. [16] Now therefore,
if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and
if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him
according to the deserving of his hands; [17] (For my father fought for you,
and adventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian: [18]
And ye are risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his
sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the
son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your
brother;)
[19] If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his
house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:
[20] But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of
Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of
Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech. [21] And Jotham
ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech
his brother.
[22] When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel, [23] Then God sent an
evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem
dealt treacherously with Abimelech: [24] That the cruelty done to the
threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon
Abimelech their brother, which slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, which
aided him in the killing of his brethren. [25] And the men of Shechem set
liers in wait for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all that
came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech.
[26] And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren, and went over to
Shechem: and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him. [27] And they
went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode the grapes,
and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink,
and cursed Abimelech. [28] And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech,
and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal?
and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why
should we serve him?
[29] And would to God this people were under my hand! then would I remove
Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out. [30]
And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed,
his anger was kindled.
[31] And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily, saying, Behold, Gaal the
son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold, they fortify the
city against thee.
[32] Now therefore up by night, thou and the people that is with thee, and lie
in wait in the field:
[33] And it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou
shalt rise early, and set upon the city: and, behold, when he and the people
that is with him come out against thee, then mayest thou do to them as thou
shalt find occasion.
[34] And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night,
and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies. [35] And Gaal the son of
Ebed went out, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and
Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with him, from lying in wait.
[36] And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there come people
down from the top of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, Thou seest the
shadow of the mountains as if they were men. [37] And Gaal spake again and
said, See there come people down by the middle of the land, and another
company come along by the plain of Meonenim. [38] Then said Zebul unto him,
Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we
should serve him? is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out, I
pray now, and fight with them. [39] And Gaal went out before the men of
Shechem, and fought with Abimelech. [40] And Abimelech chased him, and he fled
before him, and many were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of
the gate. [41] And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul thrust out Gaal and
his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem. [42] And it came to pass
on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told
Abimelech.
[43] And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid
wait in the field, and looked, and, behold, the people were come forth out of
the city; and he rose up against them, and smote them. [44] And Abimelech, and
the company that was with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entering of
the gate of the city: and the two other companies ran upon all the people that
were in the fields, and slew them. [45] And Abimelech fought against the city
all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and
beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.
[46] And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they entered
into an hold of the house of the god Berith. [47] And it was told Abimelech,
that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.
[48] And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were
with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the
trees, and took it, and laid it on his shoulder, and said unto the people that
were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done.
[49] And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed
Abimelech, and put them to the hold, and set the hold on fire upon them; so
that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and
women.
[50] Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it.
[51] But there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled all the
men and women, and all they of the city, and shut it to them, and gat them up
to the top of the tower.
[52] And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard
unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire. [53] And a certain woman cast
a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head, and all to brake his skull.
[54] Then he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer, and said unto
him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him.
And his young man thrust him through, and he died. [55] And when the men of
Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place.
[56] Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his
father, in slaying his seventy brethren: [57] And all the evil of the men of
Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of
Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
Judges 10
[1] And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of Puah, the
son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim. [2]
And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in
Shamir.
[3] And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and two
years.
[4] And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty
cities, which are called Havoth-jair unto this day, which are in the land of
Gilead.
[5] And Jair died, and was buried in Camon. [6] And the children of Israel did
evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the
gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of
the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD,
and served not him. [7] And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and
he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the
children of Ammon. [8] And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of
Israel: eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side
Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. [9] Moreover the
children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against
Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed.
[10] And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, We have sinned
against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim.
[11] And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from
the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the
Philistines?
[12] The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress
you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand. [13] Yet ye
have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more.
[14] Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in
the time of your tribulation.
[15] And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, We have sinned: do thou
unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this
day.
[16] And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the LORD:
and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel. [17] Then the children of
Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. And the children of
Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpeh.
[18] And the people and princes of Gilead said one to another, What man is he
that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? he shall be head over
all the inhabitants of Gilead.
Judges 11
[1] Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son
of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah. [2] And Gilead's wife bare him sons;
and his wife's sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him,
Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house; for thou art the son of a
strange woman. [3] Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land
of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.
[4] And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of Ammon made
war against Israel.
[5] And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel,
the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob: [6] And
they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the
children of Ammon.
[7] And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel
me out of my father's house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in
distress?
[8] And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to
thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children of
Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. [9] And Jephthah
said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the
children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your head?
[10] And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The LORD be witness between
us, if we do not so according to thy words. [11] Then Jephthah went with the
elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them: and
Jephthah uttered all his words before the LORD in Mizpeh.
[12] And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon,
saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight
in my land?
[13] And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of
Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt,
from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan: now therefore restore those
lands again peaceably.
[14] And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon:
[15] And said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, Israel took not away the land of
Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon: [16] But when Israel came up from
Egypt, and walked through the wilderness unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh;
[17] Then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray
thee, pass through thy land: but the king of Edom would not hearken thereto.
And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab: but he would not consent:
and Israel abode in Kadesh. [18] Then they went along through the wilderness,
and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east
side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not
within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab. [19] And Israel
sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and
Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my
place.
[20] But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast: but Sihon
gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought against
Israel.
[21] And the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the
hand of Israel, and they smote them: so Israel possessed all the land of the
Amorites, the inhabitants of that country. [22] And they possessed all the
coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness
even unto Jordan. [23] So now the LORD God of Israel hath dispossessed the
Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it? [24]
Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So
whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before us, them will we
possess.
[25] And now art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of
Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them,
[26] While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns,
and in all the cities that be along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred
years? why therefore did ye not recover them within that time? [27] Wherefore
I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the
LORD the Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the
children of Ammon.
[28] Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of
Jephthah which he sent him.
[29] Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over
Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of
Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon. [30] And Jephthah vowed a
vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children
of Ammon into mine hands, [31] Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth
of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children
of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD's, and I will offer it up for a burnt
offering. [32] So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight
against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands. [33] And he smote
them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto
the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of
Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.
[34] And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter
came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only
child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter. [35] And it came to pass,
when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou
hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have
opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back.
[36] And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the
LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth;
forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of
the children of Ammon.
[37] And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone
two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my
virginity, I and my fellows.
[38] And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with
her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains. [39] And it
came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who
did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And
it was a custom in Israel, [40] That the daughters of Israel went yearly to
lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.
Judges 12
[1] And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward,
and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the
children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine
house upon thee with fire.
[2] And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the
children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye delivered me not out of their
hands.
[3] And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands, and
passed over against the children of Ammon, and the LORD delivered them into my
hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me?
[4] Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with
Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites
are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites.
[5] And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and
it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go
over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he
said, Nay;
[6] Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he
could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the
passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and
two thousand.
[7] And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite,
and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead. [8] And after him Ibzan of
Bethlehem judged Israel. [9] And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters,
whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons.
And he judged Israel seven years.
[10] Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Bethlehem. [11] And after him Elon, a
Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years.
[12] And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the country of
Zebulun.
[13] And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel. [14]
And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass
colts: and he judged Israel eight years. [15] And Abdon the son of Hillel the
Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the
mount of the Amalekites.
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