Judges 12, Acts 16, Jeremiah 25, Mark 11

Judges 12,

1 The men of Ephraim called out their forces, crossed over to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, "Why did you go to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you? We're going to burn down your house over your head."
 
2 Jephthah answered, "I and my people were engaged in a great struggle with the Ammonites, and although I called, you didn't save me out of their hands.
 
3 When I saw that you wouldn't help, I took my life in my hands and crossed over to fight the Ammonites, and the LORD gave me the victory over them. Now why have you come up today to fight me?"
 
4 Jephthah then called together the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. The Gileadites struck them down because the Ephraimites had said, "You Gileadites are renegades from Ephraim and Manasseh."
 
5 The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim, and whenever a survivor of Ephraim said, "Let me cross over," the men of Gilead asked him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he replied, "No,"
 
6 they said, "All right, say 'Shibboleth.' " He said, "Sibboleth," because he could not pronounce the word correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two thousand Ephraimites were killed at that time.
 
7 Jephthah led Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died, and was buried in a town in Gilead.
 
8 After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem led Israel.
 
9 He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. He gave his daughters away in marriage to those outside his clan, and for his sons he brought in thirty young women as wives from outside his clan. Ibzan led Israel seven years.
 
10 Then Ibzan died, and was buried in Bethlehem.
 
11 After him, Elon the Zebulunite led Israel ten years.
 
12 Then Elon died, and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.
 
13 After him, Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon, led Israel.
 
14 He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys. He led Israel eight years.
 
15 Then Abdon son of Hillel died, and was buried at Pirathon in Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.

Acts 16,

1 He came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek.
 
2 The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him.
 
3 Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
 
4 As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey.
 
5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.
 
6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia.
 
7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.
 
8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.
 
9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."
 
10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
 
11 From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day on to Neapolis.
 
12 From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.
 
13 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there.
 
14 One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message.
 
15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. "If you consider me a believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us.
 
16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling.
 
17 This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved."
 
18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her.
 
19 When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities.
 
20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, "These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar
 
21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice."
 
22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten.
 
23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.
 
24 Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
 
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
 
26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose.
 
27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.
 
28 But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!"
 
29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.
 
30 He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
 
31 They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved-you and your household."
 
32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.
 
33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized.
 
34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God-he and his whole family.
 
35 When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: "Release those men."
 
36 The jailer told Paul, "The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace."
 
37 But Paul said to the officers: "They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out."
 
38 The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed.
 
39 They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city.
 
40 After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia's house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them. Then they left.

Jeremiah 25,

1 The word came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
 
2 So Jeremiah the prophet said to all the people of Judah and to all those living in Jerusalem:
 
3 For twenty-three years-from the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah until this very day-the word of the LORD has come to me and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened.
 
4 And though the LORD has sent all his servants the prophets to you again and again, you have not listened or paid any attention.
 
5 They said, "Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways and your evil practices, and you can stay in the land the LORD gave to you and your fathers for ever and ever.
 
6 Do not follow other gods to serve and worship them; do not provoke me to anger with what your hands have made. Then I will not harm you."
 
7 "But you did not listen to me," declares the LORD, "and you have provoked me with what your hands have made, and you have brought harm to yourselves."
 
8 Therefore the LORD Almighty says this: "Because you have not listened to my words,
 
9 I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon," declares the LORD, "and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy them and make them an object of horror and scorn, and an everlasting ruin.
 
10 I will banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, the sound of millstones and the light of the lamp.
 
11 This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
 
12 "But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt," declares the LORD, "and will make it desolate forever.
 
13 I will bring upon that land all the things I have spoken against it, all that are written in this book and prophesied by Jeremiah against all the nations.
 
14 They themselves will be enslaved by many nations and great kings; I will repay them according to their deeds and the work of their hands."
 
15 This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: "Take from my hand this cup filled with the wine of my wrath and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it.
 
16 When they drink it, they will stagger and go mad because of the sword I will send among them."
 
17 So I took the cup from the LORD's hand and made all the nations to whom he sent me drink it:
 
18 Jerusalem and the towns of Judah, its kings and officials, to make them a ruin and an object of horror and scorn and cursing, as they are today;
 
19 Pharaoh king of Egypt, his attendants, his officials and all his people,
 
20 and all the foreign people there; all the kings of Uz; all the kings of the Philistines (those of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the people left at Ashdod
 
21 Edom, Moab and Ammon;
 
22 all the kings of Tyre and Sidon; the kings of the coastlands across the sea;
 
23 Dedan, Tema, Buz and all who are in distant places;
 
24 all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the foreign people who live in the desert;
 
25 all the kings of Zimri, Elam and Media;
 
26 and all the kings of the north, near and far, one after the other-all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. And after all of them, the king of Sheshach will drink it too.
 
27 "Then tell them, 'This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Drink, get drunk and vomit, and fall to rise no more because of the sword I will send among you.'
 
28 But if they refuse to take the cup from your hand and drink, tell them, 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: You must drink it!
 
29 See, I am beginning to bring disaster on the city that bears my Name, and will you indeed go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am calling down a sword upon all who live on the earth, declares the LORD Almighty.'
 
30 "Now prophesy all these words against them and say to them: " 'The LORD will roar from on high; he will thunder from his holy dwelling and roar mightily against his land. He will shout like those who tread the grapes, shout against all who live on the earth.
 
31 The tumult will resound to the ends of the earth, for the LORD will bring charges against the nations; he will bring judgment on all mankind and put the wicked to the sword,' " declares the LORD.
 
32 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Look! Disaster is spreading from nation to nation; a mighty storm is rising from the ends of the earth."
 
33 At that time those slain by the LORD will be everywhere-from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned or gathered up or buried, but will be like refuse lying on the ground.
 
34 Weep and wail, you shepherds; roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock. For your time to be slaughtered has come; you will fall and be shattered like fine pottery.
 
35 The shepherds will have nowhere to flee, the leaders of the flock no place to escape.
 
36 Hear the cry of the shepherds, the wailing of the leaders of the flock, for the LORD is destroying their pasture.
 
37 The peaceful meadows will be laid waste because of the fierce anger of the LORD.
 
38 Like a lion he will leave his lair, and their land will become desolate because of the sword of the oppressor and because of the LORD's fierce anger.

Mark 11

1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples,
 
2 saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.
 
3 If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.' "
 
4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it,
 
5 some people standing there asked, "What are you doing, untying that colt?"
 
6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go.
 
7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it.
 
8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields.
 
9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
 
10 "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!" "Hosanna in the highest!"
 
11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
 
12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry.
 
13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.
 
14 Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it.
 
15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves,
 
16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.
 
17 And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: " 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.' "
 
18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
 
19 When evening came, they went out of the city.
 
20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots.
 
21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!"
 
22 "Have faith in God," Jesus answered.
 
23 "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.
 
24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
 
25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."
 
26 NONE
 
27 They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him.
 
28 "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you authority to do this?"
 
29 Jesus replied, "I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
 
30 John's baptism-was it from heaven, or from men? Tell me!"
 
31 They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?'
 
32 But if we say, 'From men'...." (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.)
 
33 So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Jesus said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things."