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Shechem and Abimelech Fall
22 Now Abimelech ruled over Israel three years. 23 (A)Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem (B)dealt treacherously with Abimelech, 24 (C)so that the violence [a]done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and (D)their blood might be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers. 25 The men of Shechem set [b]men in ambush against him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who might pass by them along the road; and it was told to Abimelech.
26 Now Gaal the son of Ebed came with his [c]relatives, and crossed over into Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their trust in him. 27 They went out into the field and gathered the grapes of their vineyards and trod them, and held a [d]festival; and they went into the house of (E)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 Zebul not his [e]lieutenant? Serve the men of (F)Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him? 29 [f](G)Would, therefore, that this people were under my authority! Then I would remove Abimelech.” And 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 burned. 31 He sent messengers to Abimelech [g]deceitfully, saying, “Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his [h]relatives have come to Shechem; and behold, they are [i]stirring up the city against you. 32 Now therefore, arise by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field. 33 In the morning, as soon as the sun is up, you shall rise early and rush upon the city; and behold, when he and the people who are with him come out against you, you shall (H)do to them [j]whatever you can.”
34 So Abimelech and all the people who were with him arose by night and lay in wait against Shechem in four [k]companies. 35 Now Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood in the entrance of the city gate; and Abimelech and the people who were with him arose from the ambush. 36 When Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, “[l]Look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains.” But Zebul said to him, “You are seeing the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.” 37 Gaal spoke again and said, “Behold, people are coming down from (I)the [m]highest part of the land, and one [n]company comes by the way of [o]the diviners’ [p]oak.” 38 Then Zebul said to him, “Where is your [q]boasting now with which you said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Is this not the people whom you despised? Go out now and fight with them!” 39 So Gaal went out before the leaders of Shechem and fought with Abimelech. 40 Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him; and many fell wounded up to the entrance of the gate. 41 Then Abimelech remained at Arumah, but Zebul drove out Gaal and his [r]relatives so that they could not remain in Shechem.
42 Now it came about the next day, that the people went out to the field, and it was told to Abimelech. 43 So he took [s]his people and divided them into three [t]companies, and lay in wait in the field; when he looked and [u]saw the people coming out from the city, he arose against them and [v]slew them. 44 Then Abimelech and the [w]company who was with him dashed forward and stood in the entrance of the city gate; the other two [x]companies then dashed against all who were in the field and [y]slew them. 45 Abimelech fought against the city all that day, and he captured the city and killed the people who were in it; then he (J)razed the city and sowed it with salt.
46 When all the leaders of the tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered the inner chamber of the [z]temple of (K)El-berith. 47 It was told Abimelech that all the leaders of the tower of Shechem were gathered together. 48 So Abimelech went up to Mount (L)Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him; and Abimelech took [aa]an axe in his hand and cut down a branch from the trees, and lifted it and laid it on his shoulder. Then he said to the people who were with him, “What you have seen me do, hurry and do [ab]likewise.” 49 All the people also cut down each one his branch and followed Abimelech, and put them on the inner chamber and set the inner chamber on fire over those inside, so that all the men of the tower of Shechem also died, about a thousand men and women.
50 Then Abimelech went to Thebez, and he camped against Thebez and captured it. 51 But there was a strong tower in the center of the city, and all the men and women with all the leaders of the city fled there and shut themselves in; and they went up on the roof of the tower. 52 So Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it, and approached the entrance of the tower to burn it with fire. 53 But (M)a certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head, crushing his skull. 54 Then (N)he called quickly to the young man, his armor bearer, and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, so that it will not be said of me, ‘A woman slew him.’” So [ac]the young man pierced him through, and he died. 55 When the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, each departed to his [ad]home. 56 Thus (O)God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father in killing his seventy brothers. 57 Also God returned all the wickedness of the men of Shechem on their heads, and the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal came [ae]upon them.
Oppression of Philistines and Ammonites
10 Now after Abimelech died, Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, (P)arose to save Israel; and he lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. 2 He judged Israel twenty-three years. Then he died and was buried in Shamir.
3 After him, Jair the Gileadite arose and judged Israel twenty-two years. 4 He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys, and they had thirty cities [af]in the land of Gilead (Q)that are called [ag]Havvoth-jair to this day. 5 And Jair died and was buried in Kamon.
6 Then the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, (R)served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, (S)the gods of the sons of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; thus (T)they forsook the Lord and did not serve Him. 7 The anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He (U)sold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the sons of Ammon. 8 They [ah]afflicted and crushed the sons of Israel [ai]that year; for eighteen years they afflicted all the sons of Israel who were beyond the Jordan [aj]in Gilead in the land of the Amorites. 9 The sons of Ammon crossed the Jordan to fight also against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was greatly distressed.
10 Then the (V)sons of Israel cried out to the Lord, saying, “We have sinned against You, for indeed, we have forsaken our God and served the Baals.” 11 The Lord said to the sons of Israel, “Did I not deliver you (W)from the Egyptians, (X)the Amorites, (Y)the sons of Ammon, and the Philistines? 12 Also when the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites (Z)oppressed you, you cried out to Me, and I delivered you from their hands. 13 Yet (AA)you have forsaken Me and served other gods; therefore I will no longer deliver you. 14 (AB)Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your distress.” 15 The sons of Israel said to the Lord, “We have sinned, (AC)do to us whatever seems good to You; only please deliver us this day.” 16 (AD)So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord; and [ak](AE)He could bear the misery of Israel no longer.
17 Then the sons of Ammon were summoned and they camped in Gilead. And the sons of Israel gathered together and camped in (AF)Mizpah. 18 The people, the leaders of Gilead, said to one another, “Who is the man who will begin to fight against the sons of Ammon? He shall become head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”
The Road to Emmaus
13 And behold, (A)two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was [a]about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them. 16 But (B)their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. 17 And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You [b]the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?” 19 And He said to them, “What things?” And they said to Him, “The things about (C)Jesus the Nazarene, who was a (D)prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, 20 and how the chief priests and our (E)rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him. 21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to (F)redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. 22 But also some women among us amazed us. (G)When they were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.” 25 And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that (H)the prophets have spoken! 26 (I)Was it not necessary for the [c]Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 Then beginning [d]with (J)Moses and [e]with all the (K)prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.
28 And they approached the village where they were going, and (L)He acted as though He were going farther. 29 But they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day [f]is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them. 30 When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and (M)blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. 31 Then their (N)eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from [g]their sight. 32 They said to one another, “[h]Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He (O)was [i]explaining the Scriptures to us?” 33 And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and (P)found gathered together the eleven and (Q)those who were with them, 34 saying, “(R)The Lord has really risen and (S)has appeared to Simon.” 35 They began to relate [j]their experiences on the road and how (T)He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.
Other Appearances
36 While they were telling these things, (U)He Himself stood in their midst and *said to them, “Peace be to you.” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing (V)a spirit. 38 And He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your [k]hearts? 39 (W)See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; (X)touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. 41 While they still [l](Y)could not believe it because of their joy and amazement, He said to them, “(Z)Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish; 43 and He took it and (AA)ate it before them.
44 Now He said to them, “(AB)These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the (AC)Law of Moses and the Prophets and (AD)the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then He (AE)opened their [m]minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and He said to them, “(AF)Thus it is written, that the [n]Christ would suffer and (AG)rise again from the dead the third day, 47 and that (AH)repentance [o]for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed [p]in His name to (AI)all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are (AJ)witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, (AK)I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but (AL)you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
The Ascension
50 And He led them out as far as (AM)Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. 51 While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple [q]praising God.
All Men Exhorted to Praise God.
A Psalm for [a]Thanksgiving.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.