Judges 9:18-57

18and you have risen up against my father’s house this day ^aand have killed his sons, seventy men on one stone, and have made ^bAbimelech, the son of his female servant, king over the leaders of Shechem, ^cbecause he is your relative— 19if you then have acted in good faith and integrity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then ^drejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you. 20But if not, ^elet fire come out from Abimelech and devour the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the leaders of Shechem and from Beth-millo and devour Abimelech.” 21And Jotham ran away and fled and went to ^fBeer and lived there, because of Abimelech his brother.

The Downfall of Abimelech

22Abimelech ruled over Israel three years. 23 ^gAnd God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem ^hdealt treacherously with Abimelech, 24 ⁱthat the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers. 25And the leaders of Shechem put men in ambush against him on the mountaintops, and they robbed all who passed by them along that way. And it was told to Abimelech.

26And Gaal the son of Ebed moved into Shechem with his relatives, and the leaders of Shechem put confidence in him. 27And they went out into the field and gathered the grapes from their vineyards and trod them and held a festival; and they went into ^jthe house of their god and ate and drank and reviled Abimelech. 28And Gaal the son of Ebed said, ^k“Who is Abimelech, and who are we of Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is not Zebul his officer? Serve the men of ^lHamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him? 29Would that this people were under my hand! Then I would remove Abimelech. I would say ▼

▼Septuagint; Hebrew and he said

to Abimelech, ‘Increase your army, and come out.’”

30When Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled. 31And he sent messengers to Abimelech secretly, ▼

▼Or at Tormah

saying, “Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his relatives have come to Shechem, and they are stirring up ▼

▼Hebrew besieging, or closing up

the city against you. 32Now therefore, go by night, you and the people who are with you, and set an ambush in the field. 33Then in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, rise early and rush upon the city. And when he and the people who are with him come out against you, you may do to them ^pas your hand finds to do.”

34So Abimelech and all the men who were with him rose up by night and set an ambush against Shechem in four companies. 35And Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city, and Abimelech and the people who were with him rose from the ambush. 36And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from ^qthe mountaintops!” And Zebul said to him, “You mistake ▼

▼Hebrew  You see

the shadow of the mountains for men.” 37Gaal spoke again and said, “Look, people are coming down from the center of the land, and one company is coming from the direction of the Diviners’ Oak.” 38Then Zebul said to him, “Where is your mouth now, you who said, ^s‘Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?’ Are not these the people whom you despised? Go out now and fight with them.” 39And Gaal went out at the head of the leaders of Shechem and fought with Abimelech. 40And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him. And many fell wounded, up to the entrance of the gate. 41And Abimelech lived at Arumah, and Zebul drove out Gaal and his relatives, so that they could not dwell at Shechem.

42On the following day, the people went out into the field, and Abimelech was told. 43He took his people and divided them into three companies and set an ambush in the fields. And he looked and saw the people coming out of the city. So he rose against them and killed them. 44Abimelech and the company that was with him ^trushed forward and stood at the entrance of the gate of the city, while the two companies rushed upon all who were in the field and killed them. 45And Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed the people who were in it, and ^uhe razed the city and ^vsowed it with salt.

46When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered ^wthe stronghold of the house of ^xEl-berith. 47Abimelech was told that all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem were gathered together. 48And Abimelech went up to Mount ^yZalmon, he and all the people who were with him. And Abimelech took an axe in his hand and cut down a bundle of brushwood and took it up and laid it on his shoulder. And he said to the men who were with him, “What you have seen me do, hurry and do as I have done.” 49So every one of the people cut down his bundle and following Abimelech put it against ^zthe stronghold, and they set the stronghold on fire over them, so that all the people of the Tower of Shechem also died, about 1,000 men and women.

50Then Abimelech went to Thebez and encamped against Thebez and captured it. 51But there was a strong tower within the city, and all the men and women and all the leaders of the city fled to it and shut themselves in, and they went up to the roof of the tower. 52And Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it and drew near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire. 53 ^aaAnd a certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull. 54 ^abThen he called quickly to the young man his armor-bearer and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” And his young man thrust him through, and he died. 55And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, everyone departed to his home. 56 ^acThus God returned the evil of Abimelech, which he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers. 57And God also made all the evil of the men of Shechem return on their heads, and upon them came ^adthe curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.

1 Samuel 18:17-18

David Marries Michal

17Then Saul said to David, “Here is ^aemy elder daughter Merab. ^afI will give her to you for a wife. Only be valiant for me ^agand fight the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “Let not my hand be against him, ^ahbut let the hand of the Philistines be against him.” 18And David said to Saul, ^ai“Who am I, and who are my relatives, my father’s clan in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?”

Esther 3:6-15

6But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone. So, as they had made known to him the people of Mordecai, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.

7In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, ^ajthey cast Pur (that is, they cast lots) before Haman day after day; and they cast it month after month till the twelfth month, which is ^akthe month of Adar. 8Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. ^alTheir laws are different from those of every other people, and they do not keep the king’s laws, so that it is not to the king’s profit to tolerate them. 9If it please the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay 10,000 talents ▼

▼A  talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms

of silver into the hands of those who have charge of the king’s business, that they may put it into the king’s treasuries.” 10 ^anSo the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman ^aothe Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, ^apthe enemy of the Jews. 11And the king said to Haman, “The money is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you.”

12 ^aqThen the king’s scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and an edict, according to all that Haman commanded, was written to the king’s ^arsatraps and to the governors over all the provinces and to the officials of all the peoples, ^asto every province in its own script and every people in its own language. It was written ^atin the name of King Ahasuerus ^auand sealed with the king’s signet ring. 13Letters were sent ^avby couriers to all the king’s provinces with instruction ^awto destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all Jews, young and old, women and children, ^axin one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, ^ayand to plunder their goods. 14 ^azA copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province by proclamation to all the peoples to be ready for that day. 15 ^baThe couriers went out hurriedly by order of the king, and the decree was issued in Susa the citadel. And the king and Haman sat down to drink, ^bbbut the city of Susa was thrown into confusion.

Isaiah 32:4-6

4The heart of the hasty will understand and know,
^bcand the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak distinctly.
5 ^bdThe fool will no more be called noble,
nor the scoundrel said to be honorable.
6For ^bethe fool speaks folly,
and his heart is busy with iniquity,
to practice ungodliness,
to utter error concerning the Lord,
^bfto leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied,
and to deprive the thirsty of drink.

Mark 14:63-65

63And the high priest ^bgtore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? 64You have heard ^bhhis blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they ^biall condemned him as ^bjdeserving death. 65 ^bkAnd some began ^blto spit on him and ^bmto cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him ^bnwith blows.