The Daily Audio Bible
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Gideon and the Three Hundred Men
7 Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him got up early and set up their tents beside the well of Harod. The tents of Midian were north of them, by the hill of Moreh in the valley.
2 The Lord said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands. Israel might say with pride, ‘Our own power has saved us.’ 3 So say to all the people, ‘Whoever is afraid and shaking with fear may leave Mount Gilead and return home.’” So 22,000 people returned. But 10,000 stayed.
4 Then the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many people. Bring them down to the water. I will test them for you there. Whoever I say is to go with you will go. But whoever I say is not to go with you will not go.” 5 So Gideon brought the people down to the water. The Lord said to Gideon, “Divide every man who drinks the water as dogs drink with their tongues from every man who gets down on his knees to drink.” 6 There were 300 men who drank from their hand, putting their hand to their mouth. But all the rest of the people got down on their knees to drink water. 7 The Lord said to Gideon, “I will save you with the 300 men who drank from their hands. I will give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others return, every man to his home.” 8 So the 300 men took the people’s food and their horns. Gideon sent all the other men of Israel to their tents. He kept only the 300 men. And the tents of Midian were below him in the valley.
9 That same night the Lord said to Gideon, “Get up. Go down and fight against them at their tents. For I have given them into your hands. 10 But if you are afraid to go down, go with your servant Purah down to their tents. 11 You will hear what they say. Then your hands will become strong enough to go down and fight against them.” So he went with his servant Purah down to the side of the tents where soldiers were keeping watch. 12 The Midianites and Amalekites and all the people of the east were lying in the valley. They were like locusts, there were so many. Their camels were too many to number. They were like sand beside the sea, there were so many. 13 When Gideon came, a man was telling a dream to his friend. The man said, “I had a dream. A loaf of barley bread was rolling toward the tents of Midian. It came to the tent and hit it so it fell down. It turned it up-side-down so the tent fell apart.” 14 His friend answered and said, “This is nothing else but the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel. God has given Midian and all the army into his hand.”
15 When Gideon heard the story of the dream and what it meant, he bowed down and worshiped God. Then he returned to the tents of Israel and said, “Get up! For the Lord has given the army of Midian into your hands.” 16 He divided the 300 men into three groups. He gave horns and empty pots with fire sticks inside to each of them. 17 And he said to them, “Watch me, and do what I do. When I come to the side of their tents, do as I do. 18 I and all those with me will blow the horns. Then you blow the horns all around the tents, and say, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’”
19 So Gideon and the 100 men who were with him came to the side of the tents. It was late in the night. Different soldiers had just come to keep watch. Then the men blew the horns and broke the pots that were in their hands. 20 All three groups blew their horns and broke their pots. They held the sticks of fire in their left hands and horns to be blown in their right hands. And they called out, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21 Each man stood in his place around the tents. And all the Midianite army ran. They cried out and ran away. 22 When the 300 horns were blown, the Lord made every man fight the man next to him among the tents. And the army ran away as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah. They went as far as the land of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath. 23 The men of Israel were called out from Naphtali and Asher and all Manasseh, to go after Midian.
24 Gideon sent men through all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against Midian. Take the waters in front of them, as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan.” So all the men of Ephraim were gathered together. And they took the waters as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan. 25 They took the two leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb. And they killed Zeeb at the place of Zeeb where the grapes are crushed. They went after Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon from the other side of the Jordan.
Gideon Wins over the Midianites
8 Then the men of Ephraim said to Gideon, “What is this you have done to us? Why did you not call us when you went to fight against Midian?” They were angry when they argued with him. 2 But he said to them, “What have I done to compare with you? Are not the grapes that are left of Ephraim better than all the grapes gathered of Abiezer? 3 God has given the leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, into your hands. What was I able to do to compare with you?” They were no longer angry when he said that.
4 Then Gideon and the 300 men with him came to the Jordan and crossed it. They were tired but they kept going. 5 Gideon said to the men of Succoth, “I ask of you, give loaves of bread to the people who are following me. For they are tired and weak. I am going after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” 6 But the leaders of Succoth said, “Are Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hands, that we should give bread to your army?” 7 Gideon said, “The Lord will give Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand. Then I will beat your bodies with the thorns and thistles from the desert.” 8 From there he went up to Penuel and spoke to them in the same way. The men of Penuel gave him the same answer as the men of Succoth. 9 So he said to the men of Penuel, “When I return safe, I will tear down this tower.” 10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor. With them were their armies, about 15,000 men. These were all who were left of the whole army of the people of the east. For 120,000 men who fought with swords had been killed. 11 Gideon went up by the way of those who lived in tents east of Nobah and Jogbehah. And he fought against the army by surprise. 12 Zebah and Zalmunna ran away. Gideon went after them and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna. The whole army was afraid.
13 Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle by the way of Heres. 14 He caught a young man from Succoth and asked him questions. The young man wrote down for him the rulers and leaders of Succoth, seventy-seven men. 15 Then Gideon came to the men of Succoth and said, “See, here are Zebah and Zalmunna. You laughed at me about these men, saying, ‘Are Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your weak and tired men?’” 16 Then he took the leaders of the city and with thorns and thistles from the desert, he punished the men of Succoth. 17 Then he tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.
13 Pilate called the religious leaders and the leaders of the people and the people together. 14 He said to them, “You brought this Man to me as one that leads the people in the wrong way. I have asked Him about these things in front of you. I do not find Him guilty of the things you say against Him. 15 Herod found nothing wrong with Him because he sent Him back to us. There is no reason to have Him put to death. 16 I will punish Him and let Him go free.”
Jesus or Barabbas Is to Go Free (A)
17 *Every year at the time of the special supper, Pilate would let one person who was in prison go free. 18 They all cried out together with a loud voice, “Take this Man away! Let Barabbas go free.” 19 Barabbas had killed some people and had made trouble against the leaders of the country. He had been put in prison.
20 Pilate wanted to let Jesus go free so he talked to them again. 21 But they cried out, “Nail Him to a cross! Nail Him to a cross!” 22 Pilate said to them the third time, “Why, what bad thing has He done? I have found no reason to put Him to death. I will punish Him and let Him go free.”
23 But they kept on crying out with loud voices saying that He must be nailed to a cross. Their loud voices got what they wanted. 24 Then Pilate said that it should be done as they wanted. 25 Pilate let the man go free who had made trouble against the leaders of the country and who had killed people. He gave Jesus over to them to do with as they wanted.
Jesus on the Cross (B)
26 They led Jesus away. A man named Simon was coming in from the country of Cyrene and they made him carry the cross following behind Jesus.
27 Many people followed Jesus. There were women who cried and had sorrow for Him. 28 Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem do not cry for Me. Cry for yourselves and your children. 29 Listen! The days are coming when they will say, ‘Those who have never had children are happy. Those whose bodies have never given birth are happy. Those who have never fed babies are happy.’ 30 They will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us.’ They will say to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31 If they do these things to a green tree, what will they do when it is dry?”
32 Two other men were led away with Jesus to be put to death also. These men had done things making them guilty of death. 33 When they came to the place called Calvary, they nailed Jesus to a cross. The other two men were nailed to crosses also. One was on the right side of Jesus and the other was on His left side. 34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them. They do not know what they are doing.” And they divided His clothes by drawing names.
35 The people stood around looking on. The leaders were there with them making fun of Jesus. They said, “He saved others, let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the Chosen One of God!” 36 The soldiers made fun of Him also. They put sour wine before Him. 37 They said, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.” 38 These words were written in the Greek and Latin and Hebrew languages above His head: “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
The Two Robbers (C)
39 One of the men who was guilty of death who was on a cross beside Jesus spoke bad words to Him. He said, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” 40 But the other man on a cross spoke sharp words to the one who made fun of Jesus. He said, “Are you not afraid of God? You are also guilty and will be punished. 41 We are suffering and we should, because of the wrong we have done. But this Man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your holy nation.” 43 Jesus said to him, “For sure, I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
God’s Power over the Earth
97 The Lord rules. Let the earth be full of joy. Let the many islands be glad. 2 Clouds and darkness are all around Him. His throne is built upon what is right and fair. 3 Fire goes before Him and burns up those who hate Him on every side. 4 His lightning lights up the world. The earth sees, and shakes. 5 The mountains melt like a candle before the Lord, before the Lord of the whole earth. 6 The heavens tell about how right and good He is. And all the people see His shining-greatness.
7 Let all those who serve false gods be ashamed, those who talk about how great their gods are. Worship Him, all you gods! 8 Zion heard this and was glad. The people of Judah have been full of joy because of what You decide, O Lord. 9 For You are the Lord Most High over all the earth. You are honored above all gods.
10 Let those who love the Lord hate what is bad. For He keeps safe the souls of His faithful ones. He takes them away from the hand of the sinful. 11 Light is spread like seed for those who are right and good, and joy for the pure in heart. 12 Be glad in the Lord, you who are right and good. Give thanks to His holy name.
A Call to Praise the Lord
98 Sing a new song to the Lord. For He has done great things. His right hand and His holy arm have won the fight for Him. 2 The Lord has made His saving power known. He has shown to the nations how right and good He is. 3 He has shown His loving-kindness and how beautiful He is to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of our God.
4 Call out for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Sing out loud songs of joy and sing praises. 5 Sing praises to the Lord with harps, with harps and the voice of singing. 6 Call out for joy with the sound of horns before the King, the Lord.
7 Let the sea and all that is in it make a loud noise, and the world and all who live in it. 8 Let the rivers clap their hands. Let the mountains sing together for joy 9 before the Lord. For He is coming to say who is guilty or not on the earth. He will be right in what He decides about the world. And He will be fair to the people.
7 Go away from a foolish man, for you will not find words of much learning.
8 The wisdom of the wise man is to understand what to do, but lying is the foolish way of fools.
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.