Judges 6

• 1. Again the Israelites did what was evil in the LORD's sight. So the LORD handed them over to the Midianites for seven years.
• 2. The Midianites were so cruel that the Israelites fled to the mountains, where they made hiding places for themselves in caves and dens.
• 3. Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, marauders from Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east would attack Israel,
• 4. camping in the land and destroying crops as far away as Gaza. They left the Israelites with nothing to eat, taking all the sheep, oxen, and donkeys.
• 5. These enemy hordes, coming with their cattle and tents as thick as locusts, arrived on droves of camels too numerous to count. And they stayed until the land was stripped bare.
• 6. So Israel was reduced to starvation by the Midianites. Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD for help.
• 7. When they cried out to the LORD because of Midian,
• 8. the LORD sent a prophet to the Israelites. He said, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of slavery in Egypt
• 9. and rescued you from the Egyptians and from all who oppressed you. I drove out your enemies and gave you their land.
• 10. I told you, `I am the LORD your God. You must not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you now live.' But you have not listened to me."
• 11. Then the angel of the LORD came and sat beneath the oak tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezer. Gideon son of Joash had been threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites.
• 12. The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said, "Mighty hero, the LORD is with you!"
• 13. "Sir," Gideon replied, "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn't they say, `The LORD brought us up out of Egypt'? But now the LORD has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites."
• 14. Then the LORD turned to him and said, "Go with the strength you have and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!"
• 15. "But Lord," Gideon replied, "how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!"
• 16. The LORD said to him, "I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man."
• 17. Gideon replied, "If you are truly going to help me, show me a sign to prove that it is really the LORD speaking to me.
• 18. Don't go away until I come back and bring my offering to you." The LORD answered, "I will stay here until you return."
• 19. Gideon hurried home. He cooked a young goat, and with half a bushel of flour he baked some bread without yeast. Then, carrying the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, he brought them out and presented them to the angel, who was under the oak tree.
• 20. The angel of God said to him, "Place the meat and the unleavened bread on this rock, and pour the broth over it." And Gideon did as he was told.
• 21. Then the angel of the LORD touched the meat and bread with the staff in his hand, and fire flamed up from the rock and consumed all he had brought. And the angel of the LORD disappeared.
• 22. When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he cried out, "Sovereign LORD, I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!"
• 23. "It is all right," the LORD replied. "Do not be afraid. You will not die."
• 24. And Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and named it "The LORD Is Peace." The altar remains in Ophrah in the land of the clan of Abiezer to this day.
• 25. That night the LORD said to Gideon, "Take the second best bull from your father's herd, the one that is seven years old. Pull down your father's altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole standing beside it.
• 26. Then build an altar to the LORD your God here on this hill, laying the stones carefully. Sacrifice the bull as a burnt offering on the altar, using as fuel the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down."
• 27. So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD had commanded. But he did it at night because he was afraid of the other members of his father's household and the people of the town. He knew what would happen if they found out who had done it.
• 28. Early the next morning, as the people of the town began to stir, someone discovered that the altar of Baal had been knocked down and that the Asherah pole beside it was gone. In their place a new altar had been built, and it had the remains of a sacrifice on it.
• 29. The people said to each other, "Who did this?" And after asking around and making a careful search, they learned that it was Gideon, the son of Joash.
• 30. "Bring out your son," they shouted to Joash. "He must die for destroying the altar of Baal and for cutting down the Asherah pole."
• 31. But Joash shouted to the mob, "Why are you defending Baal? Will you argue his case? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If Baal truly is a god, let him defend himself and destroy the one who knocked down his altar!"
• 32. From then on Gideon was called Jerubbaal, which means "Let Baal defend himself," because he knocked down Baal's altar.
• 33. Soon afterward the armies of Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east formed an alliance against Israel and crossed the Jordan, camping in the valley of Jezreel.
• 34. Then the Spirit of the LORD took possession of Gideon. He blew a ram's horn as a call to arms, and the men of the clan of Abiezer came to him.
• 35. He also sent messengers throughout Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, summoning their warriors, and all of them responded.
• 36. Then Gideon said to God, "If you are truly going to use me to rescue Israel as you promised,
• 37. prove it to me in this way. I will put some wool on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised."
• 38. And it happened just that way. When Gideon got up the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out a whole bowlful of water.
• 39. Then Gideon said to God, "Please don't be angry with me, but let me make one more request. This time let the fleece remain dry while the ground around it is wet with dew."
• 40. So that night God did as Gideon asked. The fleece was dry in the morning, but the ground was covered with dew.

Acts 10

• 1. In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius, who was a captain of the Italian Regiment.
• 2. He was a devout man who feared the God of Israel, as did his entire household. He gave generously to charity and was a man who regularly prayed to God.
• 3. One afternoon about three o'clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. "Cornelius!" the angel said.
• 4. Cornelius stared at him in terror. "What is it, sir?" he asked the angel. And the angel replied, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have not gone unnoticed by God!
• 5. Now send some men down to Joppa to find a man named Simon Peter.
• 6. He is staying with Simon, a leatherworker who lives near the shore. Ask him to come and visit you."
• 7. As soon as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier, one of his personal attendants.
• 8. He told them what had happened and sent them off to Joppa.
• 9. The next day as Cornelius's messengers were nearing the city, Peter went up to the flat roof to pray. It was about noon,
• 10. and he was hungry. But while lunch was being prepared, he fell into a trance.
• 11. He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners.
• 12. In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds.
• 13. Then a voice said to him, "Get up, Peter; kill and eat them."
• 14. "Never, Lord," Peter declared. "I have never in all my life eaten anything forbidden by our Jewish laws. "
• 15. The voice spoke again, "If God says something is acceptable, don't say it isn't."
• 16. The same vision was repeated three times. Then the sheet was pulled up again to heaven.
• 17. Peter was very perplexed. What could the vision mean? Just then the men sent by Cornelius found the house and stood outside at the gate.
• 18. They asked if this was the place where Simon Peter was staying.
• 19. Meanwhile, as Peter was puzzling over the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, "Three men have come looking for you.
• 20. Go down and go with them without hesitation. All is well, for I have sent them."
• 21. So Peter went down and said, "I'm the man you are looking for. Why have you come?"
• 22. They said, "We were sent by Cornelius, a Roman officer. He is a devout man who fears the God of Israel and is well respected by all the Jews. A holy angel instructed him to send for you so you can go to his house and give him a message."
• 23. So Peter invited the men to be his guests for the night. The next day he went with them, accompanied by some other believers from Joppa.
• 24. They arrived in Caesarea the following day. Cornelius was waiting for him and had called together his relatives and close friends to meet Peter.
• 25. As Peter entered his home, Cornelius fell to the floor before him in worship.
• 26. But Peter pulled him up and said, "Stand up! I'm a human being like you!"
• 27. So Cornelius got up, and they talked together and went inside where the others were assembled.
• 28. Peter told them, "You know it is against the Jewish laws for me to come into a Gentile home like this. But God has shown me that I should never think of anyone as impure.
• 29. So I came as soon as I was sent for. Now tell me why you sent for me."
• 30. Cornelius replied, "Four days ago I was praying in my house at three o'clock in the afternoon. Suddenly, a man in dazzling clothes was standing in front of me.
• 31. He told me, 'Cornelius, your prayers have been heard, and your gifts to the poor have been noticed by God!
• 32. Now send some men to Joppa and summon Simon Peter. He is staying in the home of Simon, a leatherworker who lives near the shore.'
• 33. So I sent for you at once, and it was good of you to come. Now here we are, waiting before God to hear the message the Lord has given you."
• 34. Then Peter replied, "I see very clearly that God doesn't show partiality.
• 35. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right.
• 36. I'm sure you have heard about the Good News for the people of Israel--that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
• 37. You know what happened all through Judea, beginning in Galilee after John the Baptist began preaching.
• 38. And no doubt you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the Devil, for God was with him.
• 39. "And we apostles are witnesses of all he did throughout Israel and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by crucifying him,
• 40. but God raised him to life three days later. Then God allowed him to appear,
• 41. not to the general public, but to us whom God had chosen beforehand to be his witnesses. We were those who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
• 42. And he ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is ordained of God to be the judge of all--the living and the dead.
• 43. He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name."
• 44. Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who had heard the message.
• 45. The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon the Gentiles, too.
• 46. And there could be no doubt about it, for they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter asked,
• 47. "Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?"
• 48. So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Afterward Cornelius asked him to stay with them for several days.

Jeremiah 19

• 1. The LORD said to me, "Go and buy a clay jar. Then ask some of the leaders of the people and of the priests to follow you.
• 2. Go out into the valley of the son of Hinnom by the entrance to the Potsherd Gate, and repeat to them the words that I give you.
• 3. Say to them, `Listen to this message from the LORD, you kings of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem! This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will bring such a terrible disaster on this place that the ears of those who hear about it will ring!
• 4. " `For Israel has forsaken me and turned this valley into a place of wickedness. The people burn incense to foreign gods--idols never before worshiped by this generation, by their ancestors, or by the kings of Judah. And they have filled this place with the blood of innocent children.
• 5. They have built pagan shrines to Baal, and there they burn their sons as sacrifices to Baal. I have never commanded such a horrible deed; it never even crossed my mind to command such a thing!
• 6. So beware, for the time is coming, says the LORD, when this place will no longer be called Topheth or the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter.
• 7. For I will upset the battle plans of Judah and Jerusalem and let invading armies slaughter them. The enemy will leave the dead bodies as food for the vultures and wild animals.
• 8. I will wipe Jerusalem from the face of the earth, making it a monument to their stupidity. All who pass by will be appalled and will gasp at the destruction they see there.
• 9. I will see to it that your enemies lay siege to the city until all the food is gone. Then those trapped inside will have to eat their own sons and daughters and friends. They will be driven to utter despair.'
• 10. "As these men watch, Jeremiah, smash the jar you brought with you.
• 11. Then say to them, `This is what the LORD Almighty says: As this jar lies shattered, so I will shatter the people of Judah and Jerusalem beyond all hope of repair. They will bury the bodies in Topheth until there is no more room.
• 12. This is what I will do to this place and its people, says the LORD. I will cause this city to become defiled like Topheth.
• 13. Yes, all the houses in Jerusalem, including the palace of Judah's kings, will become like Topheth--all the houses where you burned incense on the rooftops to your star gods, and where drink offerings were poured out to your idols.'"
• 14. Then Jeremiah returned from Topheth where he had delivered this message, and he stopped in front of the Temple of the LORD. He said to the people there,
• 15. "This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will bring disaster upon this city and its surrounding towns just as I promised, because you have stubbornly refused to listen to me."

New Living Translation: 204 of 365 days.