From: "FamilyNet" 

Bible Reading for March 20

Judges 5
[1] Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying, [2]
Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly
offered themselves.
[3] Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the
LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel. [4] LORD, when thou
wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the
earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water.
[5] The mountains melted from before the LORD, even that Sinai from before
the LORD God of Israel.
[6] In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the
highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways. [7] The
inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I
Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel. [8] They chose new gods;
then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty
thousand in Israel? [9] My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that
offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD. [10]
Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by
the way.
[11] They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of
drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD,
even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel:
then shall the people of the LORD go down to the gates. [12] Awake, awake,
Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity
captive, thou son of Abinoam. [13] Then he made him that remaineth have
dominion over the nobles among the people: the LORD made me have dominion
over the mighty. [14] Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against
Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down
governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer. [15]
And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar, and also
Barak: he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben
there were great thoughts of heart. [16] Why abodest thou among the
sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of
Reuben there were great searchings of heart. [17] Gilead abode beyond
Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore,
and abode in his breaches. [18] Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that
jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field. [19]
The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by
the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money. [20] They fought from
heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.
[21] The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river
Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength. [22] Then were the
horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their
mighty ones.
[23] Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the
inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the
help of the LORD against the mighty. [24] Blessed above women shall Jael
the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the
tent. [25] He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter
in a lordly dish.
[26] She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen's
hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when
she had pierced and stricken through his temples. [27] At her feet he
bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed,
there he fell down dead. [28] The mother of Sisera looked out at a window,
and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? why
tarry the wheels of his chariots?
[29] Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself,
[30] Have they not sped? have they not divided the prey; to every man a
damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colours, a prey of divers colours
of needlework, of divers colours of needlework on both sides, meet for the
necks of them that take the spoil?
[31] So let all thine enemies perish, O LORD: but let them that love him be
as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty
years.

Judges 6
[1] And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the
LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. [2] And the hand
of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the
children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and
caves, and strong holds. [3] And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the
Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even
they came up against them;
[4] And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the
earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither
sheep, nor ox, nor ass.
[5] For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as
grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without
number: and they entered into the land to destroy it. [6] And Israel was
greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel
cried unto the LORD. [7] And it came to pass, when the children of Israel
cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites,
[8] That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said
unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt,
and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; [9] And I delivered you
out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed
you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land;
[10] And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the
Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice. [11] And
there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah,
that pertained unto Joash the Abi-ezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat
by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. [12] And the angel of the
LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou
mighty man of valour. [13] And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the
LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his
miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up
from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the
hands of the Midianites. [14] And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in
this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites:
have not I sent thee? [15] And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith
shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the
least in my father's house.
[16] And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt
smite the Midianites as one man.
[17] And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then
shew me a sign that thou talkest with me. [18] Depart not hence, I pray
thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before
thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.
[19] And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an
ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a
pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it. [20] And
the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes,
and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so. [21]
Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his
hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up
fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then
the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight. [22] And when Gideon
perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD!
for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.
[23] And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.
[24] Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it
Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites. [25]
And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy
father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and
throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove
that is by it:
[26] And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in
the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice
with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down. [27] Then Gideon took
ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it
was, because he feared his father's household, and the men of the city,
that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night. [28] And when the
men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was
cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second
bullock was offered upon the altar that was built. [29] And they said one
to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they inquired and asked,
they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing. [30] Then the men
of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he
hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove
that was by it.
[31] And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for
Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death
whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself,
because one hath cast down his altar.
[32] Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead
against him, because he hath thrown down his altar. [33] Then all the
Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered
together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel. [34] But the
Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abi-ezer
was gathered after him.
[35] And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered
after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto
Naphtali; and they came up to meet them. [36] And Gideon said unto God, If
thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,
[37] Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on
the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know
that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said. [38] And it was
so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and
wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.
[39] And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I
will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the
fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let
there be dew.
[40] And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and
there was dew on all the ground.

Judges 7
[1] Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him,
rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of
the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the
valley.
[2] And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too
many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt
themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. [3] Now
therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is
fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And
there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained
ten thousand.
[4] And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them
down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be,
that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go
with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee,
the same shall not go.
[5] So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto
Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog
lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down
upon his knees to drink.
[6] And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth,
were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon
their knees to drink water.
[7] And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped
will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all
the other people go every man unto his place. [8] So the people took
victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of
Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and
the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley. [9] And it came to pass
the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the
host; for I have delivered it into thine hand. [10] But if thou fear to go
down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host:
[11] And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be
strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his
servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host. [12] And
the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay
along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were
without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude. [13] And when
Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow,
and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread
tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it
fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along. [14] And his fellow
answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of
Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and
all the host. [15] And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the
dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned
into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into
your hand the host of Midian.
[16] And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put
a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the
pitchers.
[17] And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when
I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye
do. [18] When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow
ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of
the LORD, and of Gideon.
[19] So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the
outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but
newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers
that were in their hands.
[20] And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and
held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands
to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. [21]
And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the
host ran, and cried, and fled.
[22] And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man's
sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled
to Beth-shittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abel-meholah, unto
Tabbath. [23] And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of
Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the
Midianites. [24] And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim,
saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters
unto Beth-barah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves
together, and took the waters unto Beth-barah and Jordan. [25] And they
took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon
the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued
Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side
Jordan.

Judges 8
[1] And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus,
that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites?
And they did chide with him sharply.
[2] And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is
not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of
Abi-ezer? [3] God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian,
Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their
anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.
[4] And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred
men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them. [5] And he said unto the
men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that
follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna,
kings of Midian. [6] And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of
Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine
army? [7] And Gideon said, Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and
Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the
wilderness and with briers.
[8] And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the
men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him. [9] And
he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I
will break down this tower. [10] Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and
their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of
all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and
twenty thousand men that drew sword. [11] And Gideon went up by the way of
them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the
host: for the host was secure. [12] And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he
pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna,
and discomfited all the host. [13] And Gideon the son of Joash returned
from battle before the sun was up, [14] And caught a young man of the men
of Succoth, and inquired of him: and he described unto him the princes of
Succoth, and the elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen men.
[15] And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and
Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and
Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are
weary?
[16] And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and
briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth. [17] And he beat down
the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city. [18] Then said he unto
Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And
they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children
of a king.
[19] And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother: as the
LORD liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you. [20] And he
said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not
his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth. [21] Then Zebah and
Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man is, so is his
strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the
ornaments that were on their camels' necks. [22] Then the men of Israel
said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's
son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.
[23] And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my
son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you. [24] And Gideon said unto
them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the
earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were
Ishmaelites.) [25] And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they
spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey.
[26] And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand
and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and
purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that
were about their camels' necks.
[27] And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in
Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became
a snare unto Gideon, and to his house. [28] Thus was Midian subdued before
the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the
country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon.
[29] And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house. [30]
And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had
many wives.
[31] And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose
name he called Abimelech.
[32] And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in
the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites. [33] And
it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel
turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baal-berith their
god.
[34] And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had
delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side: [35]
Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon,
according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.


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