Judges 16, Acts 20, Jeremiah 29, Mark 15

Judges 16,

1 One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her.
 
2 The people of Gaza were told, "Samson is here!" So they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the city gate. They made no move during the night, saying, "At dawn we'll kill him."
 
3 But Samson lay there only until the middle of the night. Then he got up and took hold of the doors of the city gate, together with the two posts, and tore them loose, bar and all. He lifted them to his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron.
 
4 Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah.
 
5 The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, "See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver."
 
6 So Delilah said to Samson, "Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued."
 
7 Samson answered her, "If anyone ties me with seven fresh thongs that have not been dried, I'll become as weak as any other man."
 
8 Then the rulers of the Philistines brought her seven fresh thongs that had not been dried, and she tied him with them.
 
9 With men hidden in the room, she called to him, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" But he snapped the thongs as easily as a piece of string snaps when it comes close to a flame. So the secret of his strength was not discovered.
 
10 Then Delilah said to Samson, "You have made a fool of me; you lied to me. Come now, tell me how you can be tied."
 
11 He said, "If anyone ties me securely with new ropes that have never been used, I'll become as weak as any other man."
 
12 So Delilah took new ropes and tied him with them. Then, with men hidden in the room, she called to him, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" But he snapped the ropes off his arms as if they were threads.
 
13 Delilah then said to Samson, "Until now, you have been making a fool of me and lying to me. Tell me how you can be tied." He replied, "If you weave the seven braids of my head into the fabric on the loom and tighten it with the pin, I'll become as weak as any other man." So while he was sleeping, Delilah took the seven braids of his head, wove them into the fabric
 
14 and tightened it with the pin. Again she called to him, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" He awoke from his sleep and pulled up the pin and the loom, with the fabric.
 
15 Then she said to him, "How can you say, 'I love you,' when you won't confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven't told me the secret of your great strength."
 
16 With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was tired to death.
 
17 So he told her everything. "No razor has ever been used on my head," he said, "because I have been a Nazirite set apart to God since birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man."
 
18 When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, "Come back once more; he has told me everything." So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands.
 
19 Having put him to sleep on her lap, she called a man to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him.
 
20 Then she called, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" He awoke from his sleep and thought, "I'll go out as before and shake myself free." But he did not know that the LORD had left him.
 
21 Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding in the prison.
 
22 But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.
 
23 Now the rulers of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to celebrate, saying, "Our god has delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hands."
 
24 When the people saw him, they praised their god, saying, "Our god has delivered our enemy into our hands, the one who laid waste our land and multiplied our slain."
 
25 While they were in high spirits, they shouted, "Bring out Samson to entertain us." So they called Samson out of the prison, and he performed for them. When they stood him among the pillars,
 
26 Samson said to the servant who held his hand, "Put me where I can feel the pillars that support the temple, so that I may lean against them."
 
27 Now the temple was crowded with men and women; all the rulers of the Philistines were there, and on the roof were about three thousand men and women watching Samson perform.
 
28 Then Samson prayed to the LORD, "O Sovereign LORD, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes."
 
29 Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other,
 
30 Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines!" Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.
 
31 Then his brothers and his father's whole family went down to get him. They brought him back and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had led Israel twenty years.

Acts 20,

1 When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said good-by and set out for Macedonia.
 
2 He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece,
 
3 where he stayed three months. Because the Jews made a plot against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia.
 
4 He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.
 
5 These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas.
 
6 But we sailed from Philippi after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.
 
7 On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.
 
8 There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting.
 
9 Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead.
 
10 Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "He's alive!"
 
11 Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left.
 
12 The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.
 
13 We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot.
 
14 When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene.
 
15 The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Kios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus.
 
16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.
 
17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.
 
18 When they arrived, he said to them: "You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia.
 
19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews.
 
20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.
 
21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
 
22 "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.
 
23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.
 
24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.
 
25 "Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again.
 
26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men.
 
27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.
 
28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
 
29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.
 
30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.
 
31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
 
32 "Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
 
33 I have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing.
 
34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.
 
35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' "
 
36 When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.
 
37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him.
 
38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

Jeremiah 29,

1 This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.
 
2 (This was after King Jehoiachin and the queen mother, the court officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen and the artisans had gone into exile from Jerusalem.)
 
3 He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said:
 
4 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:
 
5 "Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.
 
6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease.
 
7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper."
 
8 Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have.
 
9 They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them," declares the LORD.
 
10 This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place.
 
11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
 
12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
 
13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
 
14 I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."
 
15 You may say, "The LORD has raised up prophets for us in Babylon,"
 
16 but this is what the LORD says about the king who sits on David's throne and all the people who remain in this city, your countrymen who did not go with you into exile-
 
17 yes, this is what the LORD Almighty says: "I will send the sword, famine and plague against them and I will make them like poor figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten.
 
18 I will pursue them with the sword, famine and plague and will make them abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth and an object of cursing and horror, of scorn and reproach, among all the nations where I drive them.
 
19 For they have not listened to my words," declares the LORD, "words that I sent to them again and again by my servants the prophets. And you exiles have not listened either," declares the LORD.
 
20 Therefore, hear the word of the LORD, all you exiles whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.
 
21 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying lies to you in my name: "I will hand them over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will put them to death before your very eyes.
 
22 Because of them, all the exiles from Judah who are in Babylon will use this curse: 'The LORD treat you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burned in the fire.'
 
23 For they have done outrageous things in Israel; they have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives and in my name have spoken lies, which I did not tell them to do. I know it and am a witness to it," declares the LORD.
 
24 Tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite,
 
25 "This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You sent letters in your own name to all the people in Jerusalem, to Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the other priests. You said to Zephaniah,
 
26 'The LORD has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada to be in charge of the house of the LORD; you should put any madman who acts like a prophet into the stocks and neck-irons.
 
27 So why have you not reprimanded Jeremiah from Anathoth, who poses as a prophet among you?
 
28 He has sent this message to us in Babylon: It will be a long time. Therefore build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.' "
 
29 Zephaniah the priest, however, read the letter to Jeremiah the prophet.
 
30 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:
 
31 "Send this message to all the exiles: 'This is what the LORD says about Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, even though I did not send him, and has led you to believe a lie,
 
32 this is what the LORD says: I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the good things I will do for my people, declares the LORD, because he has preached rebellion against me.' "

Mark 15

1 Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, reached a decision. They bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.
 
2 "Are you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate. "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied.
 
3 The chief priests accused him of many things.
 
4 So again Pilate asked him, "Aren't you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of."
 
5 But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.
 
6 Now it was the custom at the Feast to release a prisoner whom the people requested.
 
7 A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising.
 
8 The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.
 
9 "Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate,
 
10 knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him.
 
11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.
 
12 "What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?" Pilate asked them.
 
13 "Crucify him!" they shouted.
 
14 "Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!"
 
15 Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
 
16 The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers.
 
17 They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him.
 
18 And they began to call out to him, "Hail, king of the Jews!"
 
19 Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him.
 
20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
 
21 A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.
 
22 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull).
 
23 Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.
 
24 And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.
 
25 It was the third hour when they crucified him.
 
26 The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS.
 
27 They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left.
 
28 NONE
 
29 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days,
 
30 come down from the cross and save yourself!"
 
31 In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself!
 
32 Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe." Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
 
33 At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.
 
34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"-which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
 
35 When some of those standing near heard this, they said, "Listen, he's calling Elijah."
 
36 One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down," he said.
 
37 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
 
38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
 
39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!"
 
40 Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.
 
41 In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.
 
42 It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached,
 
43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body.
 
44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died.
 
45 When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph.
 
46 So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.
 
47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.