Judges 1; Judges 2; Judges 3; Luke 4:1-30

1 Joshua died. After that, the people of Israel spoke to the Lord. They asked him, "Who will go up first and fight for us against the people of Canaan?"

2 The LORD answered, "The tribe of Judah will go. I have handed the land over to them."

3 Then the men of Judah spoke to their fellow Israelites, the men of Simeon. They said, "Come up with us. Come into the territory Joshua gave us. Help us fight against the people of Canaan. Then we'll go with you into your territory." So the men of Simeon went with them.

4 When the men of Judah attacked, the LORD helped them. He handed the Canaanites and Perizzites over to them. They struck down 10,000 men at Bezek.

5 Judah found Adoni-Bezek there. They fought against him. They struck down the Canaanites and Perizzites.

6 But Adoni-Bezek ran away. Judah chased him and caught him. Then they cut off his thumbs and big toes.

7 Adoni-Bezek said, "I cut off the thumbs and big toes of 70 kings. I made them pick up scraps under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them." The men of Judah brought Adoni-Bezek to Jerusalem. That's where he died.

8 The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem and took it. They set the city on fire. They killed its people with their swords.

9 After that, the men of Judah went down to fight against the people of Canaan who were living in the central hill country. They also fought against those who were living in the Negev Desert and the western hills.

10 Then the men of Judah marched out against the Canaanites who were living in Hebron. The men of Judah won the battle over Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai. Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba.

11 From Hebron they marched out against the people who were living in Debir. It used to be called Kiriath Sepher.

12 Caleb said, "I will give my daughter Acsah to be married. I'll give her to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher."

13 Othniel captured it. So Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to him to be his wife. Othniel was the son of Kenaz. He was Caleb's younger brother.

14 One day Acsah came to Othniel. She begged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb spoke to her. He said, "What can I do for you?"

15 She replied, "Do me a special favor. You have given me some land in the Negev Desert. Give me springs of water also." So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.

16 Moses' father-in-law was a Kenite. His family went up from Jericho. They went up with the people of Judah to the Desert of Judah. They went there to live among its people. Those people were living in the Negev Desert near Arad. Jericho was also known as The City of Palm Trees.

17 The men of Judah went with their fellow Israelites, the men of Simeon. They attacked the people of Canaan who were living in Zephath. They set the city apart to the LORD in a special way to be destroyed. That's why the city was called Hormah.

18 The men of Judah took Gaza, Ashkelon and Ekron. They also took the territory that was around each of those cities.

19 The LORD was with the men of Judah. They took over the central hill country. But they weren't able to drive the people out of the flatlands. That's because those people used chariots that had some iron parts.

20 Moses had promised to give Hebron to Caleb. So Hebron was given to Caleb. He drove the three sons of Anak out of it.

21 But the people of Benjamin failed to drive out the Jebusites who were living in Jerusalem. So they live there with the people of Benjamin to this very day.

22 The men of Joseph attacked Bethel. The LORD was with them.

23 They sent men to Bethel to check it out. It used to be called Luz.

24 Those who were sent saw a man coming out of the city. They said to him, "Show us how to get into the city. If you do, we'll see that you are treated well."

25 So he showed them how to get in. The men of Joseph killed the people in the city with their swords. But they spared the man from Bethel. They also spared his whole family.

26 Then he went to the land of the Hittites. He built a city there. He called it Luz. That's still its name to this very day.

27 But the tribe of Manasseh didn't drive out the people of Beth Shan. They didn't drive out the people of Taanach, Dor, Ibleam and Megiddo. And they didn't drive out the people of the settlements that are around those cities either. That's because the people of Canaan had made up their minds to continue living in that land.

28 Later, Israel became stronger. Then they forced the people of Canaan to work hard for them. But Israel never drove them out completely.

29 The tribe of Ephraim didn't drive out the Canaanites who were living in Gezer. So they continued to live there among them.

30 The tribe of Zebulun didn't drive out the Canaanites who were living in Kitron and Nahalol. So they remained among them. But Zebulun forced the Canaanites to work hard for them.

31 The tribe of Asher didn't drive out the people who were living in Acco and Sidon. They didn't drive out the people of Ahlab, Aczib, Helbah, Aphek and Rehob.

32 So the people of Asher lived among the Canaanites who were in the land.

33 The tribe of Naphtali didn't drive out the people who were living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath. So the people of Naphtali lived among the Canaanites who were in the land. The people of Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath were forced to work hard for them.

34 The Amorites made the people of Dan stay in the central hill country. They didn't let them come down into the flatlands.

35 The Amorites made up their minds to stay in Mount Heres. They also stayed in Aijalon and Shaalbim. But the power of the tribes of Joseph grew. Then the Amorites were forced to work hard for them.

36 The border of the Amorites started at Scorpion Pass. It went to Sela and even past it.

1 The angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bokim. There he spoke to the people of Israel. "I brought you up out of Egypt," he said. "I led you into this land. It is the land I promised with an oath to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I said, 'I will never break the covenant I made with you.

2 So you must not make a covenant with the people of this land. Instead, you must tear down their altars.' "But you have disobeyed me. Why did you do it?

3 I have something to tell you. I will not drive those people out to make room for you. They will be like thorns in your sides. Their gods will be a trap to you."

4 The angel of the LORD spoke those things to all of the people of Israel. Then the people began to sob out loud.

5 So that place was called Bokim. The people offered sacrifices to the LORD there.

6 Joshua sent the people of Israel away. Then they went to take over the land. All of them went to their own shares of land.

7 The people served the LORD as long as Joshua lived. They also served him as long as the elders lived. Those were the elders who lived longer than Joshua did. They had seen all of the great things the LORD had done for Israel.

8 Joshua, the servant of the Lord, died. He was the son of Nun. He was 110 years old when he died.

9 His people buried his body on his own property at Timnath Heres. It's north of Mount Gaash in the hill country of Ephraim.

10 All of the people of Joshua's time joined the members of their families who had already died. Then those who were born after them grew up. They didn't know the Lord. They didn't know what he had done for Israel.

11 The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They served the gods that were named after Baal.

12 They deserted the Lord, the God of their people. He had brought them out of Egypt. But now the people of Israel followed other gods and worshiped them. They served the gods of the nations that were around them. They made the LORD angry

13 because they deserted him. They served Baal. They also served the goddesses that were named after Ashtoreth.

14 The LORD became angry with Israel. So he handed them over to robbers. The robbers stole everything from them. He gave them over to their enemies who were all around them. Israel wasn't able to fight against them anymore and win.

15 When Israel went out to fight, the LORD's power was against them. He let their enemies win the battle over them. The LORD had warned them with an oath that it would happen. And now they were suffering terribly.

16 Then the LORD gave them leaders. The leaders saved them from the power of those robbers.

17 But the people wouldn't listen to their leaders. They weren't faithful to the Lord. They joined themselves to other gods and worshiped them. They didn't obey the LORD's commands as their people before them had done. They quickly turned away from the path their people had taken.

18 When the LORD gave them a leader, he was with that leader. He saved the people from the power of their enemies. He did it as long as the leader lived. He was very sorry for the people. They groaned because of what their enemies did to them. The enemies beat them down. They treated them badly.

19 But when the leader died, the people returned to their evil ways. The things they did were even more sinful than the things their people before them had done. They followed other gods. They served them. They worshiped them. They refused to give up their evil practices. They wouldn't change their stubborn ways.

20 So the LORD's anger burned against the people of Israel. He said, "This nation has broken my covenant. I made it with their people of long ago. But this nation has not listened to me.

21 Joshua left some nations in the land when he died. I will not drive those nations out to make room for you anymore.

22 I will use them to put Israel to the test. I will see whether Israel will live the way I want them to. I will see whether they will follow my path, just as their people did long ago."

23 The LORD had let those nations remain in the land. He didn't drive them out right away. He didn't hand them over to Joshua.

1 The LORD left some nations in the land. He left them there in order to put the people of Israel to the test. He did it for all those who hadn't lived through any of the wars in Canaan.

2 He wanted to teach the men in Israel who had never been in battle before. He wanted them to learn how to fight.

3 So he left the five rulers of the Philistines. He left the people of Canaan and the people of Sidon. He left the Hivites who were living in the Lebanon mountains. They lived in the area that was between Mount Baal Hermon and Lebo Hamath.

4 The LORD left those nations where they were in order to put Israel to the test. He wanted to see whether they would obey his commands. He had given those commands through Moses to their people of long ago.

5 So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.

6 They got married to the daughters of those people. They gave their own daughters to the sons of those people. And they served the gods of those people.

7 The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the LORD their God. They served the gods that were named after Baal. They also served the goddesses that were named after Asherah.

8 So the LORD's anger burned against Israel. He gave them over to the power of Cushan-Rishathaim. He was the king of Aram Naharaim. For eight years Israel was under his rule.

9 They cried out to the Lord. Then he gave them a man to save them. His name was Othniel, the son of Kenaz. He was Caleb's younger brother.

10 The Spirit of the LORD came on Othniel. So he became Israel's leader. He went to war. The LORD handed Cushan-Rishathaim, the king of Aram, over to him. Othniel overpowered him.

11 So the land was at peace for 40 years. Then Othniel, the son of Kenaz, died.

12 Once again the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. Because they did that, the LORD gave Eglon power over Israel. Eglon was the king of Moab.

13 He got the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him. All of them came and attacked Israel. They took over Jericho. Jericho was also known as The City of Palm Trees.

14 For 18 years the people of Israel were under the rule of Eglon, the king of Moab.

15 Again the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. Then he gave them a man to save them. His name was Ehud, the son of Gera. Ehud was left-handed. He was from the tribe of Benjamin. The people of Israel sent Ehud to Eglon, the king of Moab. They sent him to give the king what he required them to bring him.

16 Ehud had made a sword that had two edges. It was about a foot and a half long. He tied it to his right leg under his clothes.

17 Eglon, the king of Moab, was a very fat man. Ehud gave him the gift he had brought.

18 After that, he sent away those who had carried it.

19 At the place where some statues of gods stood near Gilgal, Ehud turned back. He said, "King Eglon, I have a secret message for you." The king said, "I want everyone to be quiet." And all of his attendants left him.

20 Then Ehud approached him. King Eglon was sitting alone in the upstairs room of his summer palace. Ehud said, "I have a message from God for you." So the king got up from his seat.

21 Then Ehud reached out his left hand. He pulled out the sword that was tied to his right leg. He stuck it into the king's stomach.

22 Even the handle sank in after the blade. The blade came right out the king's back. Ehud didn't pull the sword out. And the fat closed over it.

23 Ehud went out to the porch. He shut the doors of the upstairs room behind him. Then he locked them.

24 After he had gone, the servants came. They found the doors of the upstairs room locked. They said, "Eglon must be going to the toilet in the inside room of the house."

25 They waited for a long time. They waited so long they became worried. But the king still didn't open the doors of the room. So they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their king. He had fallen to the floor. He was dead.

26 While Eglon's servants had been waiting, Ehud had gotten away. He passed by the statues of gods and escaped to Seirah.

27 There in the hill country of Ephraim he blew a trumpet. Then he led the people of Israel down from the hills.

28 "Follow me," Ehud ordered. "The LORD has handed your enemy Moab over to you." So they followed him down. They took over the only places where people could go across the Jordan River to get to Moab. They didn't let anyone go across.

29 At that time they struck down about 10,000 men of Moab. All of those men were strong and powerful. But not even one escaped.

30 That day Moab was brought under the rule of Israel. So the land was at peace for 80 years.

31 After Ehud, Shamgar became the next leader. He was the son of Anath. He struck down 600 Philistines with a large, pointed stick that was used to drive oxen. He saved Israel too.

1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. The Spirit led him into the desert.

2 There the devil tempted him for 40 days. Jesus ate nothing during that time. At the end of the 40 days, he was hungry.

3 The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."

4 Jesus answered, "It is written, 'Man doesn't live only on bread.' "(Deuteronomy 8:3)

5 Then the devil led Jesus up to a high place. In an instant, he showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world.

6 He said to him, "I will give you all their authority and glory. It has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to.

7 So if you worship me, it will all be yours."

8 Jesus answered, "It is written, 'Worship the Lord your God. He is the only one you should serve.' "(Deuteronomy 6:13)

9 Then the devil led Jesus to Jerusalem. He had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here.

10 It is written, " 'The Lord will command his angels to take good care of you.

11 They will lift you up in their hands. Then you won't trip over a stone.' " (Psalm 91:11,12)

12 Jesus answered, "Scripture says, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' "(Deuteronomy 6:16)

13 When the devil finished all this tempting, he left Jesus until a better time.

14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Holy Spirit. News about him spread through the whole countryside.

15 He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.

16 Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. On the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue as he usually did. And he stood up to read.

17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. He unrolled it and found the right place. There it is written,

18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me. He has anointed me to tell the good news to poor people. He has sent me to announce freedom for prisoners. He has sent me so that the blind will see again. He wants me to free those who are beaten down.

19 And he has sent me to announce the year when he will set his people free." (Isaiah 61:1,2)

20 Then Jesus rolled up the scroll. He gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were staring at him.

21 He began by saying to them, "Today this passage of Scripture is coming true as you listen."

22 Everyone said good things about him. They were amazed at the gracious words they heard from his lips. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked.

23 Jesus said, "Here is a saying you will certainly apply to me. 'Doctor, heal yourself! Do the things here in your hometown that we heard you did in Capernaum.' "

24 "What I'm about to tell you is true," he continued. "A prophet is not accepted in his hometown.

25 I tell you for sure that there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah. And there had been no rain for three and a half years. There wasn't enough food to eat anywhere in the land.

26 But Elijah was not sent to any of those widows. Instead, he was sent to a widow in Zarephath near Sidon.

27 And there were many in Israel who had skin diseases in the days of Elisha the prophet. But not one of them was healed except Naaman the Syrian."

28 All the people in the synagogue were very angry when they heard that.

29 They got up and ran Jesus out of town. They took him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They planned to throw him down the cliff.

30 But Jesus walked right through the crowd and went on his way.