Wednesday, 17 July

1.   Then Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem, to his mother’s brothers, and spoke with them and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying, 2.   "Please speak in the hearing of all the men of Shechem: ‘Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal reign over you, or that one reign over you?’ Remember that I am your own flesh and bone." 3.   And his mother’s brothers spoke all these words concerning him in the hearing of all the men of Shechem; and their heart was inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, "He is our brother." 4.   So they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal–Berith, with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless men; and they followed him. 5.   Then he went to his father’s house at Ophrah and killed his brothers, the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, because he hid himself. 6.   And all the men of Shechem gathered together, all of Beth Millo, and they went and made Abimelech king beside the terebinth tree at the pillar that was in Shechem. 7.   Now when they told Jotham, he went and stood on top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted his voice and cried out. And he said to them: "Listen to me, you men of Shechem, That God may listen to you! 8.   "The trees once went forth to anoint a king over them. And they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us!’ 9.   But the olive tree said to them, ‘Should I cease giving my oil, With which they honor God and men, And go to sway over trees?’ 10.   "Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and reign over us!’ 11.   But the fig tree said to them, ‘Should I cease my sweetness and my good fruit, And go to sway over trees?’ 12.   "Then the trees said to the vine, ‘You come and reign over us!’ 13.   But the vine said to them, ‘Should I cease my new wine, Which cheers both God and men, And go to sway over trees?’ 14.   "Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come and reign over us!’ 15.   And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you anoint me as king over you, Then come and take shelter in my shade; But if not, let fire come out of the bramble And devour the cedars of Lebanon!’ 16.   "Now therefore, if you have acted in truth and sincerity in making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done to him as he deserves–– 17.   "for my father fought for you, risked his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian; 18.   "but you have risen up against my father’s house this day, and killed his seventy sons on one stone, and made Abimelech, the son of his female servant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother–– 19.   "if then you have acted in truth and sincerity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you. 20.   "But if not, let fire come from Abimelech and devour the men of Shechem and Beth Millo; and let fire come from the men of Shechem and from Beth Millo and devour Abimelech!" 21.   And Jotham ran away and fled; and he went to Beer and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother. 22.   After Abimelech had reigned over Israel three years, 23.   God sent a spirit of ill will between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, 24.   that the crime done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might be settled and their blood be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who aided him in the killing of his brothers. 25.   And the men of Shechem set men in ambush against him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who passed by them along that way; and it was told Abimelech. 26.   Now Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brothers and went over to Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him. 27.   So they went out into the fields, and gathered grapes from their vineyards and trod them , and made merry. And they went into the house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech. 28.   Then Gaal the son of Ebed said, "Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is not Zebul his officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him? 29.   "If only this people were under my authority! Then I would remove Abimelech." So he said to Abimelech, "Increase your army and come out!" 30.   When Zebul, the ruler of the city, heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was aroused. 31.   And he sent messengers to Abimelech secretly, saying, "Take note! Gaal the son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem; and here they are, fortifying the city against you. 32.   "Now therefore, get up by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field. 33.   "And it shall be, as soon as the sun is up in the morning, that you shall rise early and rush upon the city; and when he and the people who are with him come out against you, you may then do to them as you find opportunity." 34.   So Abimelech and all the people who were with him rose by night, and lay in wait against Shechem in four companies. 35.   When Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood in the entrance to the city gate, Abimelech and the people who were with him rose from lying in wait. 36.   And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, "Look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains!" But Zebul said to him, "You see the shadows of the mountains as if they were men." 37.   So Gaal spoke again and said, "See, people are coming down from the center of the land, and another company is coming from the Diviners’ Terebinth Tree." 38.   Then Zebul said to him, "Where indeed is your mouth now, with which you said, ‘Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?’ Are not these the people whom you despised? Go out, if you will, and fight with them now." 39.   So Gaal went out, leading the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech. 40.   And Abimelech chased him, and he fled from him; and many fell wounded, to the very entrance of the gate. 41.   Then Abimelech dwelt at Arumah, and Zebul drove out Gaal and his brothers, so that they would not dwell in Shechem. 42.   And it came about on the next day that the people went out into the field, and they told Abimelech. 43.   So he took his people, divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the field. And he looked, and there were the people, coming out of the city; and he rose against them and attacked them. 44.   Then Abimelech and the company that was with him rushed forward and stood at the entrance of the gate of the city; and the other two companies rushed upon all who were in the fields and killed them. 45.   So Abimelech fought against the city all that day; he took the city and killed the people who were in it; and he demolished the city and sowed it with salt. 46.   Now when all the men of the tower of Shechem had heard that , they entered the stronghold of the temple of the god Berith. 47.   And it was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together. 48.   Then Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him. And Abimelech took an ax in his hand and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it and laid it on his shoulder; then he said to the people who were with him, "What you have seen me do, make haste and do as I have done ." 49.   So each of the people likewise cut down his own bough and followed Abimelech, put them against the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire above them, so that all the people of the tower of Shechem died, about a thousand men and women.

1.   "Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, You who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug. 2.   Look to Abraham your father, And to Sarah who bore you; For I called him alone, And blessed him and increased him." 3.   For the LORD will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness will be found in it, Thanksgiving and the voice of melody. 4.   "Listen to Me, My people; And give ear to Me, O My nation: For law will proceed from Me, And I will make My justice rest As a light of the peoples. 5.   My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, And My arms will judge the peoples; The coastlands will wait upon Me, And on My arm they will trust. 6.   Lift up your eyes to the heavens, And look on the earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish away like smoke, The earth will grow old like a garment, And those who dwell in it will die in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not be abolished. 7.   "Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, You people in whose heart is My law: Do not fear the reproach of men, Nor be afraid of their insults. 8.   For the moth will eat them up like a garment, And the worm will eat them like wool; But My righteousness will be forever, And My salvation from generation to generation." 9.   Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD! Awake as in the ancient days, In the generations of old. Are You not the arm that cut Rahab apart, And wounded the serpent? 10.   Are You not the One who dried up the sea, The waters of the great deep; That made the depths of the sea a road For the redeemed to cross over? 11.   So the ransomed of the LORD shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness; Sorrow and sighing shall flee away. 12.   "I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid Of a man who will die, And of the son of a man who will be made like grass? 13.   And you forget the LORD your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens And laid the foundations of the earth; You have feared continually every day Because of the fury of the oppressor, When he has prepared to destroy. And where is the fury of the oppressor? 14.   The captive exile hastens, that he may be loosed, That he should not die in the pit, And that his bread should not fail. 15.   But I am the LORD your God, Who divided the sea whose waves roared––The LORD of hosts is His name. 16.   And I have put My words in your mouth; I have covered you with the shadow of My hand, That I may plant the heavens, Lay the foundations of the earth, And say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’" 17.   Awake, awake! Stand up, O Jerusalem, You who have drunk at the hand of the LORD The cup of His fury; You have drunk the dregs of the cup of trembling, And drained it out. 18.   There is no one to guide her Among all the sons she has brought forth; Nor is there any who takes her by the hand Among all the sons she has brought up. 19.   These two things have come to you; Who will be sorry for you? ––Desolation and destruction, famine and sword––By whom will I comfort you? 20.   Your sons have fainted, They lie at the head of all the streets, Like an antelope in a net; They are full of the fury of the LORD, The rebuke of your God. 21.   Therefore please hear this, you afflicted, And drunk but not with wine. 22.   Thus says your Lord, The LORD and your God, Who pleads the cause of His people: "See, I have taken out of your hand The cup of trembling, The dregs of the cup of My fury; You shall no longer drink it. 23.   But I will put it into the hand of those who afflict you, Who have said to you, ‘Lie down, that we may walk over you.’ And you have laid your body like the ground, And as the street, for those who walk over."

1.   If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2.   Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3.   For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4.   When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. 5.   Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6.   Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7.   in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. 8.   But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9.   Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10.   and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11.   where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. 12.   Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13.   bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do . 14.   But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15.   And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16.   Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17.   And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. 18.   Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19.   Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. 20.   Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. 21.   Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. 22.   Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men–pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. 23.   And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24.   knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. 25.   But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.