Judges 11; Judges 12; Luke 6:1-26

1 Jephthah was a mighty warrior. He was from the land of Gilead. His father's name was Gilead. Jephthah's mother was a prostitute.

2 Gilead's wife also had sons by him. When they had grown up, they drove Jephthah away. "You aren't going to get any share of our family's property," they said. "You are the son of another woman."

3 So Jephthah ran away from his brothers. He settled in the land of Tob. A group of men who weren't good for anything gathered around him there. And they followed him.

4 Some time later, the Ammonites went to war against Israel.

5 So the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob.

6 "Come with us," they said. "Be our commander. Then we can fight against the Ammonites."

7 Jephthah said to them, "Didn't you hate me? Didn't you drive me away from my father's house? Why are you coming to me only when you are in trouble?"

8 The elders of Gilead replied to him. "You are right," they said. "That's why we're turning to you now. Come with us and fight against the Ammonites. Then you will be our leader. You will rule over everyone who lives in Gilead."

9 Jephthah said, "Suppose you take me back to fight against the Ammonites. And suppose the LORD gives them over to me. Then will I really be your leader?"

10 The elders of Gilead replied, "The LORD is our witness. We'll certainly do as you say."

11 So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead. And the people made him their leader and commander. He went to Mizpah. There he repeated to the LORD everything he had said.

12 Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of Ammon. They asked, "What do you have against us? Why have you attacked our country?"

13 The king of Ammon answered Jephthah's messengers. He said, "Israel came up out of Egypt. At that time they took my land away. They took all of the land that was between the Arnon River and the Jabbok River. It reached all the way to the Jordan River. Now give it back. Then there will be peace."

14 Jephthah sent messengers back to the king of Ammon.

15 They said, "Here is what Jephthah says to you. Israel didn't take the land of Moab. They didn't take the land of Ammon.

16 When Israel came up out of Egypt, they went through the desert to the Red Sea. From there they went on to Kadesh.

17 "Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom. They said, 'Please let us go through your country.' But the king of Edom wouldn't listen to them. "They sent the same message to the king of Moab. But he refused too. So Israel stayed at Kadesh.

18 "Next, they traveled through the desert. They traveled along the borders of the lands of Edom and Moab. They passed along the east side of the country of Moab. They camped on the other side of the Arnon River. They didn't enter the territory of Moab. The Arnon River was Moab's border.

19 "Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon. He was the king of the Amorites. He ruled in Heshbon. They said to him, 'Let us pass through your country to our own land.'

20 "But Sihon didn't trust Israel to pass through his territory. Instead, he gathered all of his men together. They camped at Jahaz. And they fought against Israel.

21 "Then the Lord, the God of Israel, handed Sihon and all of his men over to Israel. Israel won the battle over them. Amorites were living in the country at that time. And Israel took over all of their land.

22 They captured all of the land that was between the Arnon River and the Jabbok River. It reached from the desert all the way to the Jordan River.

23 "The Lord, the God of Israel, has driven the Amorites out to make room for his people. So what right do you have to take it over?

24 You will take what your god Chemosh gives you, won't you? In the same way, we will take over what the LORD our God has given us.

25 Are you better than Balak, the son of Zippor? Balak was the king of Moab. Did he ever argue with Israel? Did he ever fight against them?

26 "For 300 years Israel has been living in Heshbon and Aroer. They have been living in the settlements that are around those cities. They have also been living in all of the towns that are along the Arnon River. Why didn't you take those places back during that time?

27 "I haven't done anything wrong to you. But you are doing something wrong to me. You have gone to war against me. The LORD is the Judge. So let him decide our case today. Let him settle matters between the people of Israel and the people of Ammon."

28 But the king of Ammon didn't pay any attention to the message Jephthah sent him.

29 Then the Spirit of the LORD came on Jephthah. He went across the territories of Gilead and Manasseh. He passed through Mizpah in the land of Gilead. From there he attacked the people of Ammon.

30 Jephthah made a promise to the Lord. He said, "Hand the Ammonites over to me.

31 If you do, here's what I'll do when I come back from winning the battle. Anything that comes out the door of my house to meet me will belong to you. I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering."

32 Then Jephthah went over to fight against the Ammonites. The LORD handed them over to him.

33 Jephthah destroyed 20 towns between Aroer and the area of Minnith. He destroyed them all the way to Abel Keramim. So Israel brought Ammon under their control.

34 Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah. And guess who came out to meet him. It was his daughter! She was dancing to the music of tambourines. She was his only child. He didn't have any other sons or daughters.

35 When Jephthah saw her, he was so upset that he tore his clothes. He cried out, "My daughter! You have filled me with trouble and sorrow. I've made a promise to the Lord. And I can't break it."

36 "My father," she replied, "you have given your word to the Lord. So do to me just what you promised to do. The Ammonites were your enemies. And the LORD has paid them back for what they did to you.

37 "But please do one thing for me," she continued. "Give me two months to wander around in the hills. Let me sob there with my friends. I want to do that because I'll never get married."

38 "You can go," he said. He let her go for two months. She and her friends went into the hills. They were filled with sadness because she would never get married.

39 After the two months were over, she returned to her father. He did to her just what he had promised to do. And she was a virgin. So that became a practice in Israel.

40 Each year the young women of Israel go away for four days. They do it in honor of the daughter of Jephthah. He was from the land of Gilead.

1 The men of Ephraim called out their troops. The troops went across the Jordan River to Zaphon. When they arrived, they said to Jephthah, "You went to fight against the Ammonites. Why didn't you ask us to go with you? We're going to burn down your house over your head."

2 Jephthah answered, "I and my people were taking part in a great struggle. We were at war with the Ammonites. I asked you for help. But you didn't come to save me from their power.

3 I saw that you wouldn't help. So I put my own life in danger. I went across the Jordan to fight against the Ammonites. The LORD helped me win the battle over them. So why have you come up today to fight against me?"

4 Then Jephthah called the men of Gilead together. They fought against Ephraim. The men of Gilead struck them down. The people of Ephraim had said, "You people of Gilead are nothing but deserters from Ephraim and Manasseh."

5 The men of Gilead captured the places where people go across the Jordan River to get to Ephraim. Some men of Ephraim weren't killed in the battle. When they arrived at the river, they would say, "Let us go across." Then the men of Gilead would ask each one, "Are you from Ephraim?" Suppose he replied, "No."

6 Then they would say, "All right. Say 'Shibboleth.' " If he said "Sibboleth," the way he said the word would give him away. He couldn't say it correctly. So they would grab hold of him. Then they would kill him at one of the places where people go across the Jordan. At that time, 42,000 men of Ephraim were killed.

7 Jephthah led Israel for six years. Then he died. His body was buried in a town in Gilead. Jephthah was from the land of Gilead.

8 After Jephthah, Ibzan from Bethlehem led Israel.

9 He had 30 sons and 30 daughters. He gave his daughters to be married to men who were outside his family group. He brought in 30 young women to be married to his sons. Those women also came from outside his family group. Ibzan led Israel for seven years.

10 Then he died. His body was buried in Bethlehem.

11 After Ibzan, Elon led Israel. He was from the tribe of Zebulun. Elon led Israel for ten years.

12 Then he died. His body was buried in Aijalon. It was in the land of Zebulun.

13 After Elon, Abdon led Israel. Abdon was the son of Hillel. Abdon was from Pirathon.

14 He had 40 sons and 30 grandsons. They rode on 70 donkeys. He led Israel for eight years.

15 Then he died. His body was buried at Pirathon in Ephraim. Pirathon was in the hill country of the Amalekites. Abdon was the son of Hillel.

1 One Sabbath day Jesus was walking through the grainfields. His disciples began to break off some heads of grain. They rubbed them in their hands and ate them.

2 Some of the Pharisees said, "It is against the Law to do this on the Sabbath. Why are you doing it?"

3 Jesus answered them, "Haven't you ever read about what David did? He and his men were hungry.

4 He entered the house of God and took the holy bread. He ate the bread that only priests were allowed to eat. David also gave some to his men."

5 Then Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath day."

6 On another Sabbath day, Jesus went into the synagogue and was teaching. A man whose right hand was weak and twisted was there.

7 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were trying to find fault with Jesus. So they watched him closely. They wanted to see if he would heal on the Sabbath.

8 But Jesus knew what they were thinking. He spoke to the man who had the weak and twisted hand. "Get up and stand in front of everyone," he said. So the man got up and stood there.

9 Then Jesus said to them, "What does the Law say we should do on the Sabbath day? Should we do good? Or should we do evil? Should we save life? Or should we destroy it?"

10 He looked around at all of them. Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He did, and his hand was as good as new.

11 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were very angry. They began to talk to each other about what they might do to Jesus.

12 On one of those days, Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray. He spent the night praying to God.

13 When morning came, he called for his disciples to come to him. He chose 12 of them and made them apostles.

14 Simon was one of them. Jesus gave him the name Peter. There were also Simon's brother Andrew, James, John, Philip and Bartholomew.

15 And there were Matthew, Thomas, and James, son of Alphaeus. There were also Simon who was called the Zealot

16 and Judas, son of James. Judas Iscariot was one of them too. He was the one who would later hand Jesus over to his enemies.

17 Jesus went down the mountain with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there. A large number of other people were there too. They came from all over Judea, including Jerusalem. They also came from the coast of Tyre and Sidon.

18 They had all come to hear Jesus and to be healed of their sicknesses. People who were troubled by evil spirits were made well.

19 Everyone tried to touch Jesus. Power was coming from him and healing them all.

20 Jesus looked at his disciples. He said to them, "Blessed are you who are needy. God's kingdom belongs to you.

21 Blessed are you who are hungry now. You will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are sad now. You will laugh.

22 Blessed are you when people hate you, when they have nothing to do with you and say bad things about you, and when they treat your name as something evil.

23 "Their people treated the prophets the same way long ago. When these things happen to you, be glad and jump for joy. You will receive many blessings in heaven.

24 "But how terrible it will be for you who are rich! You have already had your easy life.

25 How terrible for you who are well fed now! You will go hungry. How terrible for you who laugh now! You will cry and be sad.

26 How terrible for you when everyone says good things about you! Their people treated the false prophets the same way long ago.