Judges 19, Acts 23, Jeremiah 33, Psalm 3, 4

Judges 19,

1 In those days Israel had no king. Now a Levite who lived in a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim took a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.
 
2 But she was unfaithful to him. She left him and went back to her father's house in Bethlehem, Judah. After she had been there four months,
 
3 her husband went to her to persuade her to return. He had with him his servant and two donkeys. She took him into her father's house, and when her father saw him, he gladly welcomed him.
 
4 His father-in-law, the girl's father, prevailed upon him to stay; so he remained with him three days, eating and drinking, and sleeping there.
 
5 On the fourth day they got up early and he prepared to leave, but the girl's father said to his son-in-law, "Refresh yourself with something to eat; then you can go."
 
6 So the two of them sat down to eat and drink together. Afterward the girl's father said, "Please stay tonight and enjoy yourself."
 
7 And when the man got up to go, his father-in-law persuaded him, so he stayed there that night.
 
8 On the morning of the fifth day, when he rose to go, the girl's father said, "Refresh yourself. Wait till afternoon!" So the two of them ate together.
 
9 Then when the man, with his concubine and his servant, got up to leave, his father-in-law, the girl's father, said, "Now look, it's almost evening. Spend the night here; the day is nearly over. Stay and enjoy yourself. Early tomorrow morning you can get up and be on your way home."
 
10 But, unwilling to stay another night, the man left and went toward Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), with his two saddled donkeys and his concubine.
 
11 When they were near Jebus and the day was almost gone, the servant said to his master, "Come, let's stop at this city of the Jebusites and spend the night."
 
12 His master replied, "No. We won't go into an alien city, whose people are not Israelites. We will go on to Gibeah."
 
13 He added, "Come, let's try to reach Gibeah or Ramah and spend the night in one of those places."
 
14 So they went on, and the sun set as they neared Gibeah in Benjamin.
 
15 There they stopped to spend the night. They went and sat in the city square, but no one took them into his home for the night.
 
16 That evening an old man from the hill country of Ephraim, who was living in Gibeah (the men of the place were Benjamites), came in from his work in the fields.
 
17 When he looked and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man asked, "Where are you going? Where did you come from?"
 
18 He answered, "We are on our way from Bethlehem in Judah to a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim where I live. I have been to Bethlehem in Judah and now I am going to the house of the LORD. No one has taken me into his house.
 
19 We have both straw and fodder for our donkeys and bread and wine for ourselves your servants-me, your maidservant, and the young man with us. We don't need anything."
 
20 "You are welcome at my house," the old man said. "Let me supply whatever you need. Only don't spend the night in the square."
 
21 So he took him into his house and fed his donkeys. After they had washed their feet, they had something to eat and drink.
 
22 While they were enjoying themselves, some of the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house, "Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him."
 
23 The owner of the house went outside and said to them, "No, my friends, don't be so vile. Since this man is my guest, don't do this disgraceful thing.
 
24 Look, here is my virgin daughter, and his concubine. I will bring them out to you now, and you can use them and do to them whatever you wish. But to this man, don't do such a disgraceful thing."
 
25 But the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go.
 
26 At daybreak the woman went back to the house where her master was staying, fell down at the door and lay there until daylight.
 
27 When her master got up in the morning and opened the door of the house and stepped out to continue on his way, there lay his concubine, fallen in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold.
 
28 He said to her, "Get up; let's go." But there was no answer. Then the man put her on his donkey and set out for home.
 
29 When he reached home, he took a knife and cut up his concubine, limb by limb, into twelve parts and sent them into all the areas of Israel.
 
30 Everyone who saw it said, "Such a thing has never been seen or done, not since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt. Think about it! Consider it! Tell us what to do!"
 

Acts 23,

1 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, "My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day."
 
2 At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.
 
3 Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!"
 
4 Those who were standing near Paul said, "You dare to insult God's high priest?"
 
5 Paul replied, "Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: 'Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.' "
 
6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, "My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead."
 
7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.
 
8 (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.)
 
9 There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. "We find nothing wrong with this man," they said. "What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?"
 
10 The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.
 
11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, "Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome."
 
12 The next morning the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
 
13 More than forty men were involved in this plot.
 
14 They went to the chief priests and elders and said, "We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.
 
15 Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here."
 
16 But when the son of Paul's sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul.
 
17 Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him."
 
18 So he took him to the commander. The centurion said, "Paul, the prisoner, sent for me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you."
 
19 The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, "What is it you want to tell me?"
 
20 He said: "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him.
 
21 Don't give in to them, because more than forty of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, waiting for your consent to their request."
 
22 The commander dismissed the young man and cautioned him, "Don't tell anyone that you have reported this to me."
 
23 Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them, "Get ready a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight.
 
24 Provide mounts for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix."
 
25 He wrote a letter as follows:
 
26 Claudius Lysias, To His Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings.
 
27 This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him, but I came with my troops and rescued him, for I had learned that he is a Roman citizen.
 
28 I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin.
 
29 I found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law, but there was no charge against him that deserved death or imprisonment.
 
30 When I was informed of a plot to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his accusers to present to you their case against him.
 
31 So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris.
 
32 The next day they let the cavalry go on with him, while they returned to the barracks.
 
33 When the cavalry arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him.
 
34 The governor read the letter and asked what province he was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia,
 
35 he said, "I will hear your case when your accusers get here." Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod's palace.
 

Jeremiah 33,

1 While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD came to him a second time:
 
2 "This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it-the LORD is his name:
 
3 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'
 
4 For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says about the houses in this city and the royal palaces of Judah that have been torn down to be used against the siege ramps and the sword
 
5 in the fight with the Babylonians: 'They will be filled with the dead bodies of the men I will slay in my anger and wrath. I will hide my face from this city because of all its wickedness.
 
6 " 'Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.
 
7 I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before.
 
8 I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me.
 
9 Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.'
 
10 "This is what the LORD says: 'You say about this place, "It is a desolate waste, without men or animals." Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither men nor animals, there will be heard once more
 
11 the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD, saying, "Give thanks to the LORD Almighty, for the LORD is good; his love endures forever." For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,' says the LORD.
 
12 "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'In this place, desolate and without men or animals-in all its towns there will again be pastures for shepherds to rest their flocks.
 
13 In the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah, flocks will again pass under the hand of the one who counts them,' says the LORD.
 
14 " 'The days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.
 
15 " 'In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David's line; he will do what is just and right in the land.
 
16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.'
 
17 For this is what the LORD says: 'David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel,
 
18 nor will the priests, who are Levites, ever fail to have a man to stand before me continually to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to present sacrifices.' "
 
19 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:
 
20 "This is what the LORD says: 'If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time,
 
21 then my covenant with David my servant-and my covenant with the Levites who are priests ministering before me-can be broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne.
 
22 I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless as the stars of the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.' "
 
23 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:
 
24 "Have you not noticed that these people are saying, 'The LORD has rejected the two kingdoms he chose'? So they despise my people and no longer regard them as a nation.
 
25 This is what the LORD says: 'If I have not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed laws of heaven and earth,
 
26 then I will reject the descendants of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.' "
 

Psalm 3, 4

1 O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!
 
2 Many are saying of me, "God will not deliver him." Selah
 
3 But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.
 
4 To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah
 
5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
 
6 I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.
 
7 Arise, O LORD! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.
 
8 From the LORD comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people. Selah
 

    
1 Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.
 
2 How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods? Selah
 
3 Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD will hear when I call to him.
 
4 In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Selah
 
5 Offer right sacrifices and trust in the LORD.
 
6 Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?" Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD.
 
7 You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.
 
8 I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.