Day 126 of 365

Judg 8:1–35

1 The men of Ephraim said to him, "Why have you done such a thing to us, not calling us when you went to fight with Midian?" And they argued with him fiercely.

2 He said to them, "What have I now done in comparison with you? Isn't the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?

3 God has delivered into your hand the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and what was I able to do in comparison with you?" Then their anger subsided toward him, when he had said that.

4 Gideon came to the Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men who were with him, exhausted, yet pursuing.

5 He said to the men of Succoth, "Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me; for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian. "

6 The princes of Succoth said, "Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?"

7 Gideon said, "Therefore when the Lord has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers."

8 He went up there to Penuel, and spoke to them in like manner; and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered.

9 He spoke also to 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 armies with them, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of all the army of the children of the east; for there fell one hundred twenty thousand men who drew sword.

11 And Gideon went up by the way of those who lived in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and struck the army, when the army was unsuspecting.

12 Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued after them, and he took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and routed the entire army.

13 Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle from the ascent of Heres.

14 He caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him: and he described for him the princes of Succoth, and its elders, seventy-seven men.

15 He came to the men of Succoth, and said, "Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, concerning whom you taunted me, saying, "Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are weary?"

16 He took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he disciplined the men of Succoth.

17 He broke down the tower of Penuel, and killed the men of the city.

18 Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor?" They answered, "As you are, so were they; each one resembled the son of a king."

19 He said, "They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lord lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not kill you."

20 He said to Jether his firstborn, "Get up, and kill them." But the youth did not draw his sword; for he feared, because he was yet a youth.

21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Rise up yourself, and kill us, for a man is judged by his strength." Gideon arose, and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent ornaments that were on their camels' necks.

22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us, both you, and your son, and your son's son also; for you have saved us out of the hand of Midian."

23 Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you."

24 Gideon said to them, "I would make a request of you, that you would give me every man the earrings from his plunder." (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)

25 They answered, "We will willingly give them." They spread a garment, and every one of them threw an earring from his plunder.

26 The weight of the golden earrings that he requested was one thousand and seven hundred pieces of gold, besides the crescents, and the pendants, and the purple clothing that was on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were about their camels' necks.

27 Gideon made an ephod of it, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel prostituted themselves after it there; and it became a snare to Gideon, and to his house.

28 So Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, and did not become a threat again. The land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.

29 Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house.

30 Gideon had seventy sons conceived from his body; for he had many wives.

31 His concubine who was in Shechem, she also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.

32 Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

33 It happened, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and played the prostitute after the Baals, and made Baal Berith their god.

34 The children of Israel did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies on every side;

35 neither did they show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shown to Israel.

Luke 24:1–17

1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared.

2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb.

3 They entered in, and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

4 It happened, while they were greatly perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling clothing.

5 Becoming terrified, they bowed their faces down to the earth. They said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?

6 He is not here, but is risen. Remember what he told you when he was still in Galilee,

7 saying that the Son of Man must be delivered up into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again?"

8 They remembered his words,

9 returned from the tomb, and told all these things to the Eleven, and to all the rest.

10 Now they were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of Jacob. The other women with them told these things to the apostles.

11 These words seemed to them to be nonsense, and they did not believe them.

12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. Stooping and looking in, he saw the strips of linen by themselves, and he departed to his home, wondering what had happened.

13 Behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was sixty stadia from Jerusalem.

14 They talked with each other about all of these things which had happened.

15 It happened, while they talked and questioned together, that Jesus himself came near, and went with them.

16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.

17 He said to them, "What are you talking about as you walk?" They stood still, looking sad.

Prov 28:21–28

21 To show partiality is not good; yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.

22 A stingy man hurries after riches, and doesn't know that poverty waits for him.

23 One who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than one who flatters with the tongue.

24 Whoever robs his father or his mother, and says, "It's not wrong." He is a partner with a destroyer.

25 One who is greedy stirs up strife; but one who trusts in the Lord will prosper.

26 One who trusts in himself is a fool; but one who walks in wisdom is kept safe.

27 One who gives to the poor has no lack; but one who closes his eyes will have many curses.

28 When the wicked rise, men hide themselves; but when they perish, the righteous thrive.