Judges 21

• 1. The Israelites had vowed at Mizpah never to give their daughters in marriage to a man from the tribe of Benjamin.
• 2. And the people went to Bethel and sat in the presence of God until evening, raising their voices and weeping bitterly.
• 3. "O LORD, God of Israel," they cried out, "why has this happened? Now one of our tribes is missing!"
• 4. Early the next morning the people built an altar and presented their burnt offerings and peace offerings on it.
• 5. Then they said, "Was any tribe of Israel not represented when we held our council in the presence of the LORD at Mizpah?" At that time they had taken a solemn oath in the LORD's presence, vowing that anyone who refused to come must die.
• 6. The Israelites felt deep sadness for Benjamin and said, "Today we have lost one of the tribes from our family; it is nearly wiped out.
• 7. How can we find wives for the few who remain, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them our daughters in marriage?"
• 8. So they asked, "Was anyone absent when we presented ourselves to the LORD at Mizpah?" And they discovered that no one from Jabesh-gilead had attended.
• 9. For after they counted all the people, no one from Jabesh-gilead was present.
• 10. So they sent twelve thousand warriors to Jabesh-gilead with orders to kill everyone there, including women and children.
• 11. "This is what you are to do," they said. "Completely destroy all the males and every woman who is not a virgin."
• 12. Among the residents of Jabesh-gilead they found four hundred young virgins who had never slept with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.
• 13. The Israelite assembly sent a peace delegation to the little remnant of Benjamin who were living at the rock of Rimmon.
• 14. Then the men of Benjamin returned to their homes, and the four hundred women of Jabesh-gilead who were spared were given to them as wives. But there were not enough women for all of them.
• 15. The people felt sorry for Benjamin because the LORD had left this gap in the tribes of Israel.
• 16. So the Israelite leaders asked, "How can we find wives for the few who remain, since all the women of the tribe of Benjamin are dead?
• 17. There must be heirs for the survivors so that an entire tribe of Israel will not be lost forever.
• 18. But we cannot give them our own daughters in marriage because we have sworn with a solemn oath that anyone who does this will fall under God's curse."
• 19. Then they thought of the annual festival of the LORD held in Shiloh, between Lebonah and Bethel, along the east side of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem.
• 20. They told the men of Benjamin who still needed wives, "Go and hide in the vineyards.
• 21. When the women of Shiloh come out for their dances, rush out from the vineyards, and each of you can take one of them home to be your wife!
• 22. And when their fathers and brothers come to us in protest, we will tell them, `Please be understanding. Let them have your daughters, for we didn't find enough wives for them when we destroyed Jabesh-gilead. And you are not guilty of breaking the vow since you did not give your daughters in marriage to them.'"
• 23. So the men of Benjamin did as they were told. They kidnapped the women who took part in the celebration and carried them off to the land of their own inheritance. Then they rebuilt their towns and lived in them.
• 24. So the assembly of Israel departed by tribes and families, and they returned to their own homes.
• 25. In those days Israel had no king, so the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.

Acts 25

• 1. Three days after Festus arrived in Caesarea to take over his new responsibilities, he left for Jerusalem,
• 2. where the leading priests and other Jewish leaders met with him and made their accusations against Paul.
• 3. They asked Festus as a favor to transfer Paul to Jerusalem. (Their plan was to waylay and kill him.)
• 4. But Festus replied that Paul was at Caesarea and he himself would be returning there soon.
• 5. So he said, "Those of you in authority can return with me. If Paul has done anything wrong, you can make your accusations."
• 6. Eight or ten days later he returned to Caesarea, and on the following day Paul's trial began.
• 7. On Paul's arrival in court, the Jewish leaders from Jerusalem gathered around and made many serious accusations they couldn't prove.
• 8. Paul denied the charges. "I am not guilty," he said. "I have committed no crime against the Jewish laws or the Temple or the Roman government."
• 9. Then Festus, wanting to please the Jews, asked him, "Are you willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there?"
• 10. But Paul replied, "No! This is the official Roman court, so I ought to be tried right here. You know very well I am not guilty.
• 11. If I have done something worthy of death, I don't refuse to die. But if I am innocent, neither you nor anyone else has a right to turn me over to these men to kill me. I appeal to Caesar!"
• 12. Festus conferred with his advisers and then replied, "Very well! You have appealed to Caesar, and to Caesar you shall go!"
• 13. A few days later King Agrippa arrived with his sister, Bernice, to pay their respects to Festus.
• 14. During their stay of several days, Festus discussed Paul's case with the king. "There is a prisoner here," he told him, "whose case was left for me by Felix.
• 15. When I was in Jerusalem, the leading priests and other Jewish leaders pressed charges against him and asked me to sentence him.
• 16. Of course, I quickly pointed out to them that Roman law does not convict people without a trial. They are given an opportunity to defend themselves face to face with their accusers.
• 17. "When they came here for the trial, I called the case the very next day and ordered Paul brought in.
• 18. But the accusations made against him weren't at all what I expected.
• 19. It was something about their religion and about someone called Jesus who died, but whom Paul insists is alive.
• 20. I was perplexed as to how to conduct an investigation of this kind, and I asked him whether he would be willing to stand trial on these charges in Jerusalem.
• 21. But Paul appealed to the emperor. So I ordered him back to jail until I could arrange to send him to Caesar."
• 22. "I'd like to hear the man myself," Agrippa said. And Festus replied, "You shall--tomorrow!"
• 23. So the next day Agrippa and Bernice arrived at the auditorium with great pomp, accompanied by military officers and prominent men of the city. Festus ordered that Paul be brought in.
• 24. Then Festus said, "King Agrippa and all present, this is the man whose death is demanded both by the local Jews and by those in Jerusalem.
• 25. But in my opinion he has done nothing worthy of death. However, he appealed his case to the emperor, and I decided to send him.
• 26. But what shall I write the emperor? For there is no real charge against him. So I have brought him before all of you, and especially you, King Agrippa, so that after we examine him, I might have something to write.
• 27. For it doesn't seem reasonable to send a prisoner to the emperor without specifying the charges against him!"

Jeremiah 35

• 1. This is the message the LORD gave Jeremiah when Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah:
• 2. "Go to the settlement where the families of the Recabites live, and invite them to the LORD's Temple. Take them into one of the inner rooms, and offer them some wine."
• 3. So I went to see Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah and grandson of Habazziniah and all his brothers and sons--representing all the Recabite families.
• 4. I took them to the Temple, and we went into the room assigned to the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, a man of God. This room was located next to the one used by the palace officials, directly above the room of Maaseiah son of Shallum, the Temple gatekeeper.
• 5. I set cups and jugs of wine before them and invited them to have a drink,
• 6. but they refused. "No," they said. "We don't drink wine, because Jehonadab son of Recab, our ancestor, gave us this command: `You and your descendants must never drink wine.
• 7. And do not build houses or plant crops or vineyards, but always live in tents. If you follow these commands, you will live long, good lives in the land.'
• 8. So we have obeyed him in all these things. We have never had a drink of wine since then, nor have our wives, our sons, or our daughters.
• 9. We haven't built houses or owned vineyards or farms or planted crops.
• 10. We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed all the commands of Jehonadab, our ancestor.
• 11. But when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon arrived in this country, we were afraid of the Babylonian and Aramean armies. So we decided to move to Jerusalem. That is why we are here."
• 12. Then the LORD gave this message to Jeremiah:
• 13. "The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go and say to the people in Judah and Jerusalem, `Come and learn a lesson about how to obey me.
• 14. The Recabites do not drink wine because their ancestor Jehonadab told them not to. But I have spoken to you again and again, and you refuse to listen or obey.
• 15. I have sent you prophet after prophet to tell you to turn from your wicked ways and to stop worshiping other gods, so that you might live in peace here in the land I gave to you and your ancestors. But you would not listen to me or obey.
• 16. The families of Recab have obeyed their ancestor completely, but you have refused to listen to me.'
• 17. "Therefore, the LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Because you refuse to listen or answer when I call, I will send upon Judah and Jerusalem all the disasters I have threatened."
• 18. Then Jeremiah turned to the Recabites and said, "This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You have obeyed your ancestor Jehonadab in every respect, following all his instructions.
• 19. Because of this, Jehonadab son of Recab will always have descendants who serve me. I, the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, have spoken!"

New Living Translation: 219 of 365 days.