The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree. He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Psalm 92:12
Judges 2-3
Judges 2
Israel Rebuked at Bochim
1 The angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim. He said, “I brought you out of Egypt and have brought you to the land which I swore to give your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you. 2 You shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land. You shall break down their altars.’ But you have not listened to my voice. Why have you done this? 3 Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out from before you, but they shall be a thorn in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.’ ”
4 When the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the Israelites, the people raised their voice and wept. 5 They named that place Bochim, and they sacrificed there to the Lord.
The Death of Joshua
6 Now when Joshua had sent the people away, the Israelites each went to his inheritance to possess the land. 7 The people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of the Lord that he had done for Israel. 8 Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being 110 years old. 9 They buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath Heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash. 10 After that entire generation was gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord, nor the work which he had done for Israel.
Israel’s Unfaithfulness
11 The Israelites did that which was evil in the Lord’s sight and served the Baals. 12 They abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt and followed other gods, the gods of surrounding nations, and bowed down to them, and they provoked the Lord to anger. 13 They abandoned the Lord and served Baal and Ashtaroth. 14 The Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies. 15 Wherever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for disaster, as the Lord had spoken, and as the Lord had sworn to them; and they were very distressed.
Judges Raised Up
16 The Lord raised up judges, who saved them from the hand of those who plundered them. 17 Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they prostituted themselves to other gods and bowed down to them. They quickly turned away from the way in which their fathers walked, the way of obedience to the Lord’s commandments, and they did not walk in the way of obedience.
18 When the Lord raised up judges for them, then the Lord was with the judge and saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of that judge, for it grieved the Lord because of their groaning because of those who oppressed them and troubled them. 19 But when the judge was dead, they turned back and dealt more corruptly than their ancestors in following other gods, serving and bowing down to them. They did not stop what they were doing or give up their stubborn ways.
20 The Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and he said, “Because this nation transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers and has not listened to my voice, 21 I also will no longer drive out any of the nations that Joshua left when he died from before them, 22 that by them I may test Israel, to see whether or not they will keep the way of the Lord to walk in it, as their fathers kept it.” 23 So the Lord left those nations, without driving them out hastily. He did not deliver them into Joshua’s hand.
Judges 3
Nations Left to Test Israel
1 Now these are the nations which the Lord left, in order to test Israel, for many had not experienced any of the wars of Canaan, 2 this was only so he could teach the generations who had not experienced battle, how to fight in battle: 3 the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to the entrance of Hamath. 4 They were left to test Israel by them, to know whether they would listen to the Lord’s commandments, which he commanded their fathers by Moses. 5 The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 6 They took their daughters to be their wives and gave their own daughters to their sons and served their gods.
Othniel
7 The Israelites did that which was evil in the Lord’s sight and forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and Asheroth. 8 Therefore the Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia, and the Israelites served Cushan Rishathaim eight years.
9 When the Israelites cried to the Lord, the Lord raised up a savior to the Israelites, who saved them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. 10 The spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to wage war, and the Lord delivered Cushan Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. His hand prevailed against Cushan Rishathaim. 11 The land had rest for 40 years, then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
Ehud Delivers the Israelites
12 The Israelites again did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done that which was evil in the Lord’s sight. 13 He gathered the Ammonites and Amalekites to himself; and he went and struck Israel, and they possessed the city of palm trees. 14 The Israelites served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
15 But when the Israelites cried to the Lord, the Lord raised up a savior for them: Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. The Israelites sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab. 16 Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a foot and a half in length, and he wore it under his clothing on his right thigh. 17 He offered the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. 18 When Ehud had finished offering the tribute, he sent away the people who carried the tribute. 19 But he himself turned back from the stone idols that were by Gilgal and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.”
The king said, “Silence!” All who stood by him left him.
20 Ehud came to him, and he was sitting by himself alone in the cool upper room. Ehud said, “I have a message from the Lord to you.” He arose out of his seat. 21 Ehud put out his left hand and took the sword from his right thigh and thrust it into Eglon’s body. 22 The handle also went in after the blade, and the fat closed on the blade, for he did not draw the sword out of his body, and it came out behind. 23 Then Ehud went out onto the porch and shut the doors of the upper room on him and locked them.
24 After he had gone, his servants came and saw that the doors of the upper room were locked. They said, “Surely he is relieving himself in the cool upper room.” 25 They waited until they were ashamed, and he did not open the doors of the upper room. Therefore they took the key and opened them, and their lord had fallen down dead on the floor.
26 Ehud escaped while they waited, passed beyond the stone idols, and escaped to Seirah. 27 When he arrived, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hill country, and he led them.
28 He said to them, “Follow me, for the Lord has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” They followed him and took the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites and did not allow any man to pass over. 29 They struck at that time about 10,000 Moabite men, every strong warrior. No man escaped.
30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. Then the land had rest 80 years.
Shamgar
31 After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck 600 men of the Philistines with an ox goad. He also saved Israel.
Luke 22:14-34
The Lord’s Supper Instituted
14 When the hour had come, Jesus sat down with the twelve apostles. 15 He said to them, “I have been eagerly desiring to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, 16 for I tell you, I will not eat of it again l until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.” 17 He received a cup, and when he had given thanks, he said, “Take this, and share it among yourselves, 18 for I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine, until the Kingdom of God comes.”
19 He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.” 20 Likewise, he took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. 21 But the hand of the one who betrays me is with me at the table. 22 The Son of Man will indeed go away, as it has been determined, but woe to that man through whom he is betrayed!”
Who is the Greatest
23 They began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing. 24 A dispute also arose among them, which of them was considered to be greatest. 25 He said to them, “The kings of the nations lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ 26 But not so with you. But one who is the greater among you, let him become as the younger, and one who is governing, as one who serves. 27 For who is greater, one who sits at the table, or one who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.
28 But you are the ones who have continued with me in my trials. 29 I appoint to you a kingdom, just as my Father has appointed to me, 30 that you may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom. You will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
31 The Lord said, “Simon, Simon, Satan asked to have all of you, that he might sift you as wheat, 32 but I prayed for you, that your faith would not fail. You, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
33 He said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death!”
34 He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you deny that you know me three times.”
Psalm 92-93
How Great Are Your Works
A Psalm. A song for the Sabbath day.
1 It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, Most High,
2 to proclaim your loving kindness in the morning,
and your faithfulness every night,
3 with the ten-stringed lute, with the harp,
and with the melody of the lyre.
4 For you, Lord, have made me glad through your work.
I will triumph in the works of your hands.
5 How great are your works, Lord!
Your thoughts are very deep.
6 A senseless man does not know this,
and nor does a fool understand,
7 that though the wicked spring up like the grass,
and all the evildoers flourish,
they will be destroyed forever.
8 But you, Lord, are on high forevermore.
9 For your enemies, Lord,
indeed, your enemies shall perish.
All the evildoers will be scattered.
10 But you have exalted my horn
like that of the wild ox.
I am anointed with fresh oil.
11 My eye has also seen my enemies.
My ears have heard of the wicked enemies
who rise up against me.
12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree.
He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 They are planted in the house the Lord.
They will flourish in the courts of our Lord.
14 They will still produce fruit in old age.
They will be full of sap and green,
15 to show that the Lord is upright.
He is my rock,
and there is no unrighteousness in him.
Psalm 93
The Lord Reigns
1 The Lord reigns!
He is clothed with majesty!
The Lord is armed with strength.
The world also is established.
It cannot be moved.
2 Your throne is established from long ago.
You are from everlasting.
3 The floods have lifted up, O Lord,
the floods have lifted up their voice.
The floods lift up their waves.
4 Above the voices of many waters,
the mighty breakers of the sea,
The Lord on high is mighty.
5 Your statutes stand firm.
Holiness adorns your house,
O Lord, forever more.
Proverbs 14:1-2
1 Every wise woman builds her house,
but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.
2 He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord,
but he who is perverse in his ways despises him.