Judges 5

• 1. On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:
• 2. "When Israel's leaders take charge, and the people gladly follow--bless the LORD!
• 3. "Listen, you kings! Pay attention, you mighty rulers! For I will sing to the LORD. I will lift up my song to the LORD, the God of Israel.
• 4. "LORD, when you set out from Seir and marched across the fields of Edom, the earth trembled and the cloudy skies poured down rain.
• 5. The mountains quaked at the coming of the LORD. Even Mount Sinai shook in the presence of the LORD, the God of Israel.
• 6. "In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, and in the days of Jael, people avoided the main roads, and travelers stayed on crooked side paths.
• 7. There were few people left in the villages of Israel--until Deborah arose as a mother for Israel.
• 8. When Israel chose new gods, war erupted at the city gates. Yet not a shield or spear could be seen among forty thousand warriors in Israel!
• 9. My heart goes out to Israel's leaders, and to those who gladly followed. Bless the LORD!
• 10. "You who ride on fine donkeys and sit on fancy saddle blankets, listen! And you who must walk along the road, listen!
• 11. Listen to the village musicians gathered at the watering holes. They recount the righteous victories of the LORD, and the victories of his villagers in Israel. Then the people of the LORD marched down to the city gates.
• 12. "Wake up, Deborah, wake up! Wake up, wake up, and sing a song! Arise, Barak! Lead your captives away, son of Abinoam!
• 13. "Down from Tabor marched the remnant against the mighty. The people of the LORD marched down against mighty warriors.
• 14. They came down from Ephraim--a land that once belonged to the Amalekites, and Benjamin also followed you. From Makir the commanders marched down; from Zebulun came those who carry the rod of authority.
• 15. The princes of Issachar were with Deborah and Barak. They followed Barak, rushing into the valley. But in the tribe of Reuben there was great indecision.
• 16. Why did you sit at home among the sheepfolds--to hear the shepherds whistle for their flocks? In the tribe of Reuben there was great indecision.
• 17. Gilead remained east of the Jordan. And Dan, why did he stay home? Asher sat unmoved at the seashore, remaining in his harbors.
• 18. But Zebulun risked his life, as did Naphtali, on the battlefield.
• 19. "The kings of Canaan fought at Taanach near Megiddo's springs, but they carried off no treasures of battle.
• 20. The stars fought from heaven. The stars in their orbits fought against Sisera.
• 21. The Kishon River swept them away--that ancient river, the Kishon. March on, my soul, with courage!
• 22. Then the horses' hooves hammered the ground, the galloping, galloping of Sisera's mighty steeds.
• 23. `Let the people of Meroz be cursed,' said the angel of the LORD. `Let them be utterly cursed because they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty warriors.'
• 24. "Most blessed is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. May she be blessed above all women who live in tents.
• 25. Sisera asked for water, and Jael gave him milk. In a bowl fit for kings, she brought him yogurt.
• 26. Then with her left hand she reached for a tent peg, and with her right hand she reached for the workman's hammer. She hit Sisera, crushing his head. She pounded the tent peg through his head, piercing his temples.
• 27. He sank, he fell, he lay dead at her feet.
• 28. "From the window Sisera's mother looked out. Through the window she watched for his return, saying, `Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why don't we hear the sound of chariot wheels?'
• 29. A reply comes from her wise women, and she repeats these words to herself:
• 30. `They are dividing the captured goods they found--a woman or two for every man. There are gorgeous robes for Sisera, and colorful, beautifully embroidered robes for me.'
• 31. "LORD, may all your enemies die as Sisera did! But may those who love you rise like the sun at full strength!" Then there was peace in the land for forty years.

Acts 9

• 1. Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath. He was eager to destroy the Lord's followers, so he went to the high priest.
• 2. He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them--both men and women--back to Jerusalem in chains.
• 3. As he was nearing Damascus on this mission, a brilliant light from heaven suddenly beamed down upon him!
• 4. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?"
• 5. "Who are you, sir?" Saul asked. And the voice replied, "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting!
• 6. Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you are to do."
• 7. The men with Saul stood speechless with surprise, for they heard the sound of someone's voice, but they saw no one!
• 8. As Saul picked himself up off the ground, he found that he was blind.
• 9. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. He remained there blind for three days. And all that time he went without food and water.
• 10. Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, "Ananias!Yes, Lord!" he replied.
• 11. The Lord said, "Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you arrive, ask for Saul of Tarsus. He is praying to me right now.
• 12. I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying his hands on him so that he can see again."
• 13. "But Lord," exclaimed Ananias, "I've heard about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem!
• 14. And we hear that he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest every believer in Damascus."
• 15. But the Lord said, "Go and do what I say. For Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel.
• 16. And I will show him how much he must suffer for me."
• 17. So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you may get your sight back and be filled with the Holy Spirit."
• 18. Instantly something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized.
• 19. Afterward he ate some food and was strengthened. Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days.
• 20. And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is indeed the Son of God!"
• 21. All who heard him were amazed. "Isn't this the same man who persecuted Jesus' followers with such devastation in Jerusalem?" they asked. "And we understand that he came here to arrest them and take them in chains to the leading priests."
• 22. Saul's preaching became more and more powerful, and the Jews in Damascus couldn't refute his proofs that Jesus was indeed the Messiah.
• 23. After a while the Jewish leaders decided to kill him.
• 24. But Saul was told about their plot, and that they were watching for him day and night at the city gate so they could murder him.
• 25. So during the night, some of the other believers let him down in a large basket through an opening in the city wall.
• 26. When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They thought he was only pretending to be a believer!
• 27. Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus. Barnabas also told them what the Lord had said to Saul and how he boldly preached in the name of Jesus in Damascus.
• 28. Then the apostles accepted Saul, and after that he was constantly with them in Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord.
• 29. He debated with some Greek-speaking Jews, but they plotted to murder him.
• 30. When the believers heard about it, however, they took him to Caesarea and sent him on to his hometown of Tarsus.
• 31. The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it grew in strength and numbers. The believers were walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
• 32. Peter traveled from place to place to visit the believers, and in his travels he came to the Lord's people in the town of Lydda.
• 33. There he met a man named Aeneas, who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years.
• 34. Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up and make your bed!" And he was healed instantly.
• 35. Then the whole population of Lydda and Sharon turned to the Lord when they saw Aeneas walking around.
• 36. There was a believer in Joppa named Tabitha (which in Greek is Dorcas ). She was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor.
• 37. About this time she became ill and died. Her friends prepared her for burial and laid her in an upstairs room.
• 38. But they had heard that Peter was nearby at Lydda, so they sent two men to beg him, "Please come as soon as possible!"
• 39. So Peter returned with them; and as soon as he arrived, they took him to the upstairs room. The room was filled with widows who were weeping and showing him the coats and other garments Dorcas had made for them.
• 40. But Peter asked them all to leave the room; then he knelt and prayed. Turning to the body he said, "Get up, Tabitha." And she opened her eyes! When she saw Peter, she sat up!
• 41. He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then he called in the widows and all the believers, and he showed them that she was alive.
• 42. The news raced through the whole town, and many believed in the Lord.
• 43. And Peter stayed a long time in Joppa, living with Simon, a leatherworker.

Jeremiah 18

• 1. The LORD gave another message to Jeremiah. He said,
• 2. "Go down to the shop where clay pots and jars are made. I will speak to you while you are there."
• 3. So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel.
• 4. But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so the potter squashed the jar into a lump of clay and started again.
• 5. Then the LORD gave me this message:
• 6. "O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand.
• 7. If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed,
• 8. but then that nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned.
• 9. And if I announce that I will build up and plant a certain nation or kingdom, making it strong and great,
• 10. but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey me, I will not bless that nation as I had said I would.
• 11. "Therefore, Jeremiah, go and warn all Judah and Jerusalem. Say to them, `This is what the LORD says: I am planning disaster against you instead of good. So turn from your evil ways, each of you, and do what is right.'"
• 12. But they replied, "Don't waste your breath. We will continue to live as we want to, following our own evil desires."
• 13. Then the LORD said, "Has anyone ever heard of such a thing, even among the pagan nations? My virgin Israel has done something too terrible to understand!
• 14. Does the snow ever melt high up in the mountains of Lebanon? Do the cold, flowing streams from the crags of Mount Hermon ever run dry?
• 15. These can be counted on, but not my people! For they have deserted me and turned to worthless idols. They have stumbled off the ancient highways of good, and they walk the muddy paths of sin.
• 16. Therefore, their land will become desolate, a monument to their stupidity. All who pass by will be astonished and shake their heads in amazement at its utter desolation.
• 17. I will scatter my people before their enemies as the east wind scatters dust. And in all their trouble I will turn my back on them and refuse to notice their distress."
• 18. Then the people said, "Come on, let's find a way to stop Jeremiah. We have our own priests and wise men and prophets. We don't need him to teach the law and give us advice and prophecies. Let's spread rumors about him and ignore what he says."
• 19. LORD, help me! Listen to what they are planning to do to me!
• 20. Should they repay evil for good? They have set a trap to kill me, though I pleaded for them and tried to protect them from your anger.
• 21. So let their children starve! Let the sword pour out their blood! Let their wives become widows without any children! Let their old men die in a plague, and let their young men be killed in battle!
• 22. Let screaming be heard from their homes as warriors come suddenly upon them. For they have dug a pit for me, and they have hidden traps along my path.
• 23. LORD, you know all about their murderous plots against me. Don't forgive their crimes and blot out their sins. Let them die before you. Deal with them in your anger.

New Living Translation: 203 of 365 days.