The Daily Audio Bible
Today's audio is from the CSB. Switch to the CSB to read along with the audio.
Gideon Reduces the Ranks
7 Jerub Baal (that is, Gideon) and his men[a] got up the next morning and camped near the spring of Harod.[b] The Midianites[c] were camped north of them near the hill of Moreh in the valley. 2 The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to hand Midian over to you.[d] Israel might brag,[e] ‘Our own strength has delivered us.’[f] 3 Now, announce to the men,[g] ‘Whoever is shaking with fear[h] may turn around and leave Mount Gilead.’”[i] 22,000 men[j] went home;[k] 10,000 remained. 4 The Lord spoke to Gideon again, “There are still too many men.[l] Bring them down to the water and I will thin the ranks some more.[m] When I say, ‘This one should go with you,’ pick him to go;[n] when I say,[o] ‘This one should not go with you,’ do not take him.”[p] 5 So he brought the men[q] down to the water. Then the Lord said to Gideon, “Separate those who lap the water as a dog laps from those who kneel to drink.”[r] 6 Only 300 men lapped with their hands to their mouths;[s] the rest of the men[t] kneeled to drink water. 7 The Lord said to Gideon, “With the 300 men who lapped I will deliver the whole army[u] and I will hand Midian over to you.[v] The rest of the men should go home.”[w] 8 The men[x] who were chosen[y] took supplies[z] and their trumpets. Gideon[aa] sent all the men of Israel back to their homes;[ab] he kept only 300 men. Now the Midianites[ac] were camped down below[ad] in the valley.
Gideon Reassured of Victory
9 That night the Lord said to Gideon,[ae] “Get up! Attack[af] the camp, for I am handing it over to you.[ag] 10 But if you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with Purah your servant 11 and listen to what they are saying. Then you will be brave[ah] and attack the camp.” So he went down with Purah his servant to where the sentries were guarding the camp.[ai] 12 Now the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east covered the valley like a swarm of locusts.[aj] Their camels could not be counted; they were as innumerable as the sand on the seashore. 13 When Gideon arrived, he heard a man telling another man about a dream he had.[ak] The man[al] said, “Look! I had a dream. I saw[am] a stale cake of barley bread rolling into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent so hard it knocked it over and turned it upside down. The tent just collapsed.”[an] 14 The other man said,[ao] “Without a doubt this symbolizes[ap] the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God is handing Midian and all the army over to him.”
Gideon Routs the Enemy
15 When Gideon heard the report of the dream and its interpretation, he praised God.[aq] Then he went back to the Israelite camp and said, “Get up, for the Lord is handing the Midianite army over to you!” 16 He divided the 300 men into three units.[ar] He gave them all trumpets and empty jars with torches inside them.[as] 17 He said to them, “Watch me and do as I do. Watch closely![at] I am going to the edge of the camp. Do as I do! 18 When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, you also blow your trumpets all around the camp. Then say, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’”
19 Gideon took 100 men to the edge of the camp[au] at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guards. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars they were carrying.[av] 20 All three units blew their trumpets and broke their jars. They held the torches in their left hand and the trumpets in their right.[aw] Then they yelled, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21 They stood in order[ax] all around the camp. The whole Midianite[ay] army ran away; they shouted as they scrambled away.[az] 22 When the 300 men blew their trumpets, the Lord caused the Midianites to attack one another with their swords[ba] throughout[bb] the camp. The army fled to Beth Shittah on the way to Zererah. They went[bc] to the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. 23 Israelites from Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh answered the call and chased the Midianites.[bd]
Gideon Appeases the Ephraimites
24 Now Gideon sent messengers throughout the Ephraimite hill country who announced, “Go down and head off the Midianites.[be] Take control of the fords of the streams[bf] all the way to Beth Barah and the Jordan River.”[bg] When all the Ephraimites had assembled,[bh] they took control of the fords[bi] all the way to Beth Barah and the Jordan River. 25 They captured the two Midianite generals, Oreb and Zeeb.[bj] They executed Oreb on the rock of Oreb and Zeeb[bk] in the winepress of Zeeb. They chased the Midianites[bl] and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was now on the other side of the Jordan River.[bm]
8 The Ephraimites said to him, “Why have you done such a thing to us? You did not summon us[bn] when you went to fight the Midianites!” They argued vehemently with him. 2 He said to them, “Now what have I accomplished compared to you? Even Ephraim’s leftover grapes[bo] are better quality than Abiezer’s harvest![bp] 3 It was to you that God handed over the Midianite generals, Oreb and Zeeb! What did I accomplish to rival that?”[bq] When he said this, they calmed down.[br]
Gideon Tracks Down the Midianite Kings
4 Now Gideon and his 300 men had crossed over the Jordan River, and even though they were exhausted, they were still chasing the Midianites.[bs] 5 He said to the men of Sukkoth, “Give[bt] some loaves of bread to the men[bu] who are following me,[bv] because they are exhausted. I am chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” 6 The officials of Sukkoth said, “You have not yet overpowered Zebah and Zalmunna. So why should we give[bw] bread to your army?”[bx] 7 Gideon said, “Since you will not help,[by] after the Lord hands Zebah and Zalmunna over to me, I will thresh[bz] your skin[ca] with[cb] desert thorns and briers.” 8 He went up from there to Penuel and made the same request.[cc] The men of Penuel responded the same way the men of Sukkoth had.[cd] 9 He also threatened[ce] the men of Penuel, warning,[cf] “When I return victoriously,[cg] I will tear down this tower.”
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their armies. There were about 15,000 survivors from the army of the eastern peoples; 120,000 sword-wielding soldiers had been killed.[ch] 11 Gideon went up the road of the nomads[ci] east of Nobah and Jogbehah and ambushed the surprised army.[cj] 12 When Zebah and Zalmunna ran away, Gideon[ck] chased them and captured the two Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna. He had surprised[cl] their entire army.
13 Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle by the pass[cm] of Heres. 14 He captured a young man from Sukkoth[cn] and interrogated him. The young man wrote down for him the names of Sukkoth’s officials and city leaders—seventy-seven men in all.[co] 15 He approached the men of Sukkoth and said, “Look what I have![cp] Zebah and Zalmunna! You insulted me, saying, ‘You have not yet overpowered Zebah and Zalmunna. So why should we give bread to your exhausted men?’”[cq] 16 He seized the leaders[cr] of the city, along with some desert thorns and briers; he then “threshed” the men of Sukkoth with them.[cs] 17 He also tore down the tower of Penuel and executed the city’s men.
Jesus Brought Before the Crowd
13 Then[a] Pilate called together the chief priests, the[b] leaders, and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading[c] the people. When I examined him before you, I[d] did not find this man guilty[e] of anything you accused him of doing. 15 Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, he has done nothing[f] deserving death.[g] 16 I will therefore have him flogged[h] and release him.”[i]
18 But they all shouted out together,[j] “Take this man[k] away! Release Barabbas for us!” 19 (This[l] was a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection[m] started in the city, and for murder.)[n] 20 Pilate addressed them once again because he wanted[o] to release Jesus. 21 But they kept on shouting,[p] “Crucify, crucify[q] him!” 22 A third time he said to them, “Why? What wrong has he done? I have found him guilty[r] of no crime deserving death.[s] I will therefore flog[t] him and release him.” 23 But they were insistent,[u] demanding with loud shouts that he be crucified. And their shouts prevailed. 24 So[v] Pilate[w] decided[x] that their demand should be granted. 25 He released the man they asked for, who had been thrown in prison for insurrection and murder. But he handed Jesus over[y] to their will.[z]
The Crucifixion
26 As[aa] they led him away, they seized Simon of Cyrene,[ab] who was coming in from the country.[ac] They placed the cross on his back and made him carry it behind Jesus.[ad] 27 A great number of the people followed him, among them women[ae] who were mourning[af] and wailing for him. 28 But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem,[ag] do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves[ah] and for your children. 29 For this is certain:[ai] The days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore children, and the breasts that never nursed!’[aj] 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains,[ak] ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’[al] 31 For if such things are done[am] when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”[an]
32 Two other criminals[ao] were also led away to be executed with him. 33 So[ap] when they came to the place that is called “The Skull,”[aq] they crucified[ar] him there, along with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 [But Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”][as] Then[at] they threw dice[au] to divide his clothes.[av] 35 The people also stood there watching, but the leaders ridiculed[aw] him, saying, “He saved others. Let him save[ax] himself if[ay] he is the Christ[az] of God, his chosen one!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine,[ba] 37 and saying, “If[bb] you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription[bc] over him, “This is the king of the Jews.”
39 One of the criminals who was hanging there railed at him, saying, “Aren’t[bd] you the Christ?[be] Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying,[bf] “Don’t[bg] you fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?[bh] 41 And we rightly so, for we are getting what we deserve for what we did, but this man has done nothing[bi] wrong.” 42 Then[bj] he said, “Jesus, remember me[bk] when you come in[bl] your kingdom.” 43 And Jesus[bm] said to him, “I tell you the truth,[bn] today[bo] you will be with me in paradise.”[bp]
Psalm 97[a]
97 The Lord reigns.
Let the earth be happy.
Let the many coastlands rejoice.
2 Dark clouds surround him;
equity and justice are the foundation of his throne.[b]
3 Fire goes before him;
on every side[c] it burns up his enemies.
4 His lightning bolts light up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of the whole earth.
6 The sky declares his justice,
and all the nations see his splendor.
7 All who worship idols are ashamed,
those who boast about worthless idols.
All the gods bow down before him.[d]
8 Zion hears and rejoices,
the towns[e] of Judah are happy,
because of your judgments, O Lord.
9 For you, O Lord, are the Most High[f] over the whole earth;
you are elevated high above all gods.
10 You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He protects[g] the lives of his faithful followers;
he delivers them from the power[h] of the wicked.
11 The godly bask in the light;
the morally upright experience joy.[i]
12 You godly ones, rejoice in the Lord.
Give thanks to his holy name.[j]
Psalm 98[k]
A psalm.
98 Sing to the Lord a new song,[l]
for he performs[m] amazing deeds.
His right hand and his mighty arm
accomplish deliverance.[n]
2 The Lord demonstrates his power to deliver;[o]
in the sight of the nations he reveals his justice.
3 He remains loyal and faithful to the family of Israel.[p]
All the ends of the earth see our God deliver us.[q]
4 Shout out praises to the Lord, all the earth.
Break out in a joyful shout and sing!
5 Sing to the Lord accompanied by a harp,
accompanied by a harp and the sound of music.
6 With trumpets and the blaring of the ram’s horn,
shout out praises before the king, the Lord.
7 Let the sea and everything in it shout,
along with the world and those who live in it.
8 Let the rivers clap their hands!
Let the mountains sing in unison
9 before the Lord.
For he comes to judge the earth.
He judges the world fairly,[r]
and the nations in a just manner.
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.