Read The One Year Bible TLB Online
Authors: Tyndale
The One Year Bible TLB (95 page)
A truthful witness never lies; a false witness always lies.
6
A mocker never finds the wisdom he claims he is looking for, yet it comes easily to the man with common sense.
April 27Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon—his other name) and his army got an early start and went as far as the spring of Harod. The armies of Midian were camped north of them, down in the valley beside the hill of Moreh.
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The Lord then said to Gideon, “There are too many of you! I can’t let all of you fight the Midianites, for then the people of Israel will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength!
3
Send home any of your men who are timid and frightened.”
So twenty-two thousand of them left, and only ten thousand remained who were willing to fight.
4
But the Lord told Gideon, “There are still too many! Bring them down to the spring and I’ll show you which ones shall go with you and which ones shall not.”
5-6
So Gideon assembled them at the water. There the Lord told him, “Divide them into two groups decided by the way they drink. In Group 1 will be all the men who cup the water in their hands to get it to their mouths and lap it like dogs. In Group 2 will be those who kneel, with their mouths in the stream.”
Only three hundred of the men drank from their hands; all the others drank with their mouths to the stream.
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“I’ll conquer the Midianites with these three hundred!” the Lord told Gideon. “Send all the others home!”
8-9
So after Gideon had collected all the clay jars and trumpets they had among them, he sent them home, leaving only three hundred men with him.
During the night, with the Midianites camped in the valley just below, the Lord said to Gideon, “Get up! Take your troops and attack the Midianites, for I will cause you to defeat them!
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But if you are afraid, first go down to the camp alone—take along your servant Purah if you like—
11
and listen to what they are saying down there! You will be greatly encouraged and be eager to attack!”
So he took Purah and crept down through the darkness to the outposts of the enemy camp.
12-13
The vast armies of Midian, Amalek, and the other nations of the Mideast were crowded across the valley like locusts—yes, like the sand upon the seashore—and there were too many camels even to count! Gideon crept up to one of the tents just as a man inside had wakened from a nightmare and was telling his tent-mate about it.
“I had this strange dream,” he was saying, “and there was this huge loaf of barley bread that came tumbling down into our camp. It hit our tent and knocked it flat!”
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The other soldier replied, “Your dream can mean only one thing! Gideon, the son of Joash, the Israeli, is going to come and massacre all the allied forces of Midian!”
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When Gideon heard the dream and the interpretation, all he could do was just stand there worshiping God! Then he returned to his men and shouted, “Get up! For the Lord is going to use you to conquer all the vast armies of Midian!”
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He divided the three hundred men into three groups and gave each man a trumpet and a clay jar with a torch in it.
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Then he explained his plan. “When we arrive at the outer guardposts of the camp,” he told them, “do just as I do.
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As soon as I and the men in my group blow our trumpets, you blow yours on all sides of the camp and shout, ‘We fight for God and for Gideon!’”
19-20
It was just after midnight and the change of guards when Gideon and the hundred men with him crept to the outer edge of the camp of Midian.
Suddenly they blew their trumpets and broke their clay jars so that their torches blazed into the night. Then the other two hundred of his men did the same, blowing the trumpets in their right hands, and holding the flaming torches in their left hands, all shouting, “For the Lord and for Gideon!”
*
21
Then they just stood and watched as the whole vast enemy army began rushing around in a panic, shouting and running away.
22
For in the confusion the Lord caused the enemy troops to begin fighting and killing each other from one end of the camp to the other, and they fled into the night to places as far away as Beth-shittah near Zererah, and to the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.
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Then Gideon sent for the troops of Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh and told them to come and chase and destroy the fleeing army of Midian.
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Gideon also sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim summoning troops who seized the fords of the Jordan River at Beth-barah, thus preventing the Midianites from escaping by going across.
25
Oreb and Zeeb, the two generals of Midian, were captured. Oreb was killed at the rock now known by his name, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb, as it is now called; and the Israelis took the heads of Oreb and Zeeb across the Jordan to Gideon.
8:
1
But the tribal leaders of Ephraim were violently angry with Gideon.
“Why didn’t you send for us when you first went out to fight the Midianites?” they demanded.
2-3
But Gideon replied, “God let you capture Oreb and Zeeb, the generals of the army of Midian! What have I done in comparison with that? Your actions at the end of the battle were more important than ours at the beginning!”
*
So they calmed down.
4
Gideon now crossed the Jordan River with his three hundred men. They were very tired, but still chasing the enemy.
5
He asked the men of Succoth for food. “We are weary from chasing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian,” he said.
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But the leaders of Succoth replied, “You haven’t caught them yet!
*
If we feed you and you fail, they’ll return and destroy us.”
7
Then Gideon warned them, “When the Lord has delivered them to us, I will return and tear your flesh with the thorns and briars of the wilderness.”
8
Then he went up to Penuel and asked for food there, but got the same answer.
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And he said to them also, “When this is all over, I will return and break down this tower.”
10
By this time King Zebah and King Zalmunna with a remnant of fifteen thousand troops were in Karkor. That was all that was left of the allied armies of the east; for one hundred twenty thousand had already been killed.
11
Then Gideon circled around by the caravan route east of Nobah and Jogbehah, striking at the Midianite army in surprise raids.
12
The two kings fled, but Gideon chased and captured them, routing their entire force.
13
Later, Gideon returned by way of Heres Pass.
14
There he captured a young fellow from Succoth and demanded that he write down the names of all the seventy-seven political and religious leaders of the city.
15
He then returned to Succoth. “You taunted me that I would never catch King Zebah and King Zalmunna, and you refused to give us food when we were tired and hungry,” he said. “Well, here they are!”
16
Then he took the leaders of the city and scraped them to death
*
with wild thorns and briars.
17
He also went to Penuel and knocked down the city tower and killed the entire male population.
Then Pilate called together the chief priests and other Jewish leaders, along with the people,
14
and announced his verdict:
“You brought this man to me, accusing him of leading a revolt against the Roman government.
*
I have examined him thoroughly on this point and find him innocent.
15
Herod came to the same conclusion and sent him back to us—nothing this man has done calls for the death penalty.
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I will therefore have him scourged with leaded thongs and release him.”
17-18
*
But now a mighty roar rose from the crowd as with one voice they shouted. “Kill him, and release Barabbas to us!”
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(Barabbas was in prison for starting an insurrection in Jerusalem against the government, and for murder.)
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Pilate argued with them, for he wanted to release Jesus.
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But they shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
22
Once more, for the third time, he demanded, “Why? What crime has he committed? I have found no reason to sentence him to death. I will therefore scourge him and let him go.”
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But they shouted louder and louder for Jesus’ death, and their voices prevailed.
24
So Pilate sentenced Jesus to die as they demanded.
25
And he released Barabbas, the man in prison for insurrection and murder, at their request. But he delivered Jesus over to them to do with as they would.
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As the crowd led Jesus away to his death, Simon of Cyrene, who was just coming into Jerusalem from the country, was forced to follow, carrying Jesus’ cross.
27
Great crowds trailed along behind, and many grief-stricken women.
28
But Jesus turned and said to them,
“Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but for yourselves and for your children.
29
For the days are coming when the women who have no children will be counted fortunate indeed.
30
Mankind will beg the mountains to fall on them and crush them, and the hills to bury them.
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For if such things as this are done to me, the Living Tree, what will they do to you?”
*
32-33
Two others, criminals, were led out to be executed with him at a place called “The Skull.” There all three were crucified—Jesus on the center cross, and the two criminals on either side.
34
“Father, forgive these people,”
Jesus said,
“for they don’t know what they are doing.”
And the soldiers gambled for his clothing, throwing dice for each piece.
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The crowd watched. And the Jewish leaders laughed and scoffed. “He was so good at helping others,” they said, “let’s see him save himself if he is really God’s Chosen One, the Messiah.”
36
The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink—of sour wine.
37
And they called to him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself !”
38
A signboard was nailed to the cross above him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews.”
39
One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”
40-41
But the other criminal protested. “Don’t you even fear God when you are dying? We deserve to die for our evil deeds, but this man hasn’t done one thing wrong.”
42
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
43
And Jesus replied,
“Today you will be with me in Paradise. This is a solemn promise.”
Jehovah is King! Let all the earth rejoice! Tell the farthest islands to be glad.
2
Clouds and darkness surround him. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3
Fire goes forth before him and burns up all his foes.
4
His lightning flashes out across the world. The earth sees and trembles.
5
The mountains melt like wax before the Lord of all the earth.
6
The heavens declare his perfect righteousness; every nation sees his glory.
7
Let those who worship idols be disgraced—all who brag about their worthless gods—for every god must bow to him!
8-9
Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah have heard of your justice, Lord, and are glad that you reign in majesty over the entire earth and are far greater than these other gods.
10
The Lord loves those who hate evil; he protects the lives of his people and rescues them from the wicked.
11
Light is sown for the godly and joy for the good.
12
May all who are godly be happy in the Lord and crown him,
*
our holy God.
98:
1
Sing a new song to the Lord telling about his mighty deeds! For he has won a mighty victory by his power and holiness.
2-3
He has announced this victory and revealed it to every nation by fulfilling his promise to be kind to Israel. The whole earth has seen God’s salvation of his people.
4
That is why the earth breaks out in praise to God and sings for utter joy!
5
Sing your praise accompanied by music from the harp.
6
Let the cornets and trumpets shout! Make a joyful symphony before the Lord, the King!
7
Let the sea in all its vastness roar with praise! Let the earth and all those living on it shout, “Glory to the Lord.”
8-9
Let the waves clap their hands in glee and the hills sing out their songs of joy before the Lord, for he is coming to judge the world with perfect justice.