The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Saturday April 28, 2018 (NIV)

¹⁸ He asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?”

They answered, “They were like you. Each one looked like a king’s son.”

¹⁹ Gideon replied, “They were my brothers, my mother’s sons. I solemnly swear, as the Lord lives, if you had let them live, I would not have to kill you now.” ²⁰ Then he told Jether, his firstborn son, “Get up and kill them!” But Jether didn’t draw his sword. He was afraid because he was only a young man.

²¹ Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Get up and do it yourself! It’s a man’s job!” So Gideon got up and killed them. Then he took the half-moon ornaments that were on their camels’ necks.

Gideon Makes a Gold Idol

²² The men of Israel said to Gideon, “You, then your son, and then your grandson, must rule us. You rescued us from Midian.”

²³ Gideon replied, “I will not rule you nor will my son. The Lord will rule you.” ²⁴ Then Gideon said to them, “Do me a favor. Each of you give me the earrings from your loot.” (Their enemies, the Ishmaelites, wore gold earrings.)

²⁵ The men of Israel answered, “Yes, we’ll give them to you.” So they spread out a coat. Each man took the earrings from his loot and dropped them on it. ²⁶ The gold earrings Gideon had asked for weighed 40 pounds. This did not include the half-moon ornaments, the earrings, the purple clothes worn by the kings of Midian, and the chains from their camels’ necks. ²⁷ Then Gideon used the gold to make an idol^[a] and placed it in his hometown, Ophrah. All Israel chased after it there as though it were a prostitute. It became a trap for Gideon and his family.

²⁸ The power of Midian was crushed by the people of Israel, and Midian never again became a threat. So the land had peace for 40 years during Gideon’s life.

²⁹ Jerubbaal, son of Joash, went home to live. ³⁰ Gideon had 70 sons because he had many wives. ³¹ His concubine^[b] at Shechem also gave birth to a son. That son was named Abimelech.

³² Gideon, son of Joash, died at a very old age. He was buried in the tomb of his father Joash at Ophrah, the city belonging to Abiezer’s family.

³³ As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel chased after other gods—the Baals—as though they were prostitutes. They made Baal Berith their god. ³⁴ The Israelites did not remember the Lord their God, who had rescued them from all the enemies around them. ³⁵ And they were not kind to the family of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) despite all the good he had done for Israel.

Abimelech Kills His Brothers

9 Abimelech, son of Jerubbaal [Gideon], went to Shechem to see the uncles on his mother’s side of the family. He spoke to them and his mother’s whole family. ² He said, “Please ask all citizens of Shechem, ‘What seems best to you? Do you really want all of Jerubbaal’s 70 sons to rule you or just one man? Remember, I’m your own flesh and blood.’”

³ His uncles repeated everything he said to all citizens of Shechem. They were persuaded to follow Abimelech because he was their relative. ⁴ So they gave him 70 pieces of silver from the temple of Baal Berith. With the silver, Abimelech hired worthless and reckless men to follow him. ⁵ Then he went to his father’s home in Ophrah. There he executed his 70 brothers, Jerubbaal’s sons. But Jotham, Jerubbaal’s youngest son, survived because he hid. ⁶ All the citizens from Shechem and Beth Millo united. They went to the oak tree that was still standing in Shechem and proclaimed Abimelech king.

Jotham’s Story

⁷ When Jotham was told about this, he went to a high spot on Mount Gerizim. He shouted to them, “Listen to me, you citizens of Shechem, so that God might listen to you.

¹⁶ “If you acted with sincerity and integrity when you made Abimelech king, be happy. If you treated Jerubbaal and his family well, if you treated him as he deserved, be happy. ¹⁷ My father fought for you. He risked his life and rescued you from Midian. ¹⁸ But today you have attacked my father’s family. You have executed his 70 sons. You have made Abimelech, who is the son of my father’s slave girl, king over the citizens of Shechem just because he’s your brother. ¹⁹ So if you are now acting with sincerity and integrity toward Jerubbaal and his family, then be happy with Abimelech and let Abimelech be happy with you. ²⁰ But if that’s not the case, let fire come out of Abimelech and burn up citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo. Also let fire come out of citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo and burn up Abimelech.”

²¹ Then Jotham ran away quickly. He went to Beerah and lived there to avoid his brother Abimelech.

Jesus Dies on the Cross^(A)

⁴⁴ Around noon darkness came over the entire land and lasted until three in the afternoon. ⁴⁵ The sun had stopped shining. The curtain in the temple was split in two.

⁴⁶ Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit.” After he said this, he died.

⁴⁷ When an army officer saw what had happened, he praised God and said, “Certainly, this man was innocent!” ⁴⁸ Crowds had gathered to see the sight. But when all of them saw what had happened, they cried and returned to the city. ⁴⁹ All his friends, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance and watched everything.

Jesus Is Placed in a Tomb^(B)

⁵⁰ There was a good man who had God’s approval. His name was Joseph. He was a member of the Jewish council, ⁵¹ but he had not agreed with what they had done. He was from the Jewish city of Arimathea, and he was waiting for God’s kingdom.

⁵² He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁵³ After he took it down from the cross, he wrapped it in linen. Then he laid the body in a tomb cut in rock, a tomb in which no one had ever been buried. ⁵⁴ It was Friday, and the day of rest—a holy day, was just beginning.

⁵⁵ The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed closely behind Joseph. They observed the tomb and how his body was laid in it. ⁵⁶ Then they went back to the city and prepared spices and perfumes. But on the day of rest—a holy day, they rested according to the commandment.

Jesus Comes Back to Life^(C)

24 Very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb. They were carrying the spices that they had prepared. ² They found that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb. ³ When they went in, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ While they were puzzled about this, two men in clothes that were as bright as lightning suddenly stood beside them. ⁵ The women were terrified and bowed to the ground.

The men asked the women, “Why are you looking among the dead for the living one? ⁶ He’s not here. He has been brought back to life! Remember what he told you while he was still in Galilee. ⁷ He said, ‘The Son of Man must be handed over to sinful people, be crucified, and come back to life on the third day.’” ⁸ Then the women remembered what Jesus had told them.

⁹ The women left the tomb and went back to the city. They told everything to the eleven apostles and all the others. ¹⁰ The women were Mary from Magdala, Joanna, and Mary (the mother of James). There were also other women with them. They told the apostles everything.

¹¹ The apostles thought that the women’s story didn’t make any sense, and they didn’t believe them.

¹² But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. He bent down to look inside and saw only the strips of linen. Then he went away, wondering what had happened.

Psalm 99

Psalm 100

A psalm of thanksgiving.