The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Sunday May 3, 2020 (NIV)

Judges 17-18

Micah’s Idols

17 There was a man named Micah, who lived in the hill country of Ephraim. One day he said to his mother, “I heard you place a curse on the person who stole 1,100 pieces[a] of silver from you. Well, I have the money. I was the one who took it.”

“The Lord bless you for admitting it,” his mother replied. He returned the money to her, and she said, “I now dedicate these silver coins to the Lord. In honor of my son, I will have an image carved and an idol cast.”

So when he returned the money to his mother, she took 200 silver coins and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into an image and an idol. And these were placed in Micah’s house. Micah set up a shrine for the idol, and he made a sacred ephod and some household idols. Then he installed one of his sons as his personal priest.

In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.

One day a young Levite, who had been living in Bethlehem in Judah, arrived in that area. He had left Bethlehem in search of another place to live, and as he traveled, he came to the hill country of Ephraim. He happened to stop at Micah’s house as he was traveling through. “Where are you from?” Micah asked him.

He replied, “I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I am looking for a place to live.”

10 “Stay here with me,” Micah said, “and you can be a father and priest to me. I will give you ten pieces of silver[b] a year, plus a change of clothes and your food.” 11 The Levite agreed to this, and the young man became like one of Micah’s sons.

12 So Micah installed the Levite as his personal priest, and he lived in Micah’s house. 13 “I know the Lord will bless me now,” Micah said, “because I have a Levite serving as my priest.”

Idolatry in the Tribe of Dan

18 Now in those days Israel had no king. And the tribe of Dan was trying to find a place where they could settle, for they had not yet moved into the land assigned to them when the land was divided among the tribes of Israel. So the men of Dan chose from their clans five capable warriors from the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol to scout out a land for them to settle in.

When these warriors arrived in the hill country of Ephraim, they came to Micah’s house and spent the night there. While at Micah’s house, they recognized the young Levite’s accent, so they went over and asked him, “Who brought you here, and what are you doing in this place? Why are you here?” He told them about his agreement with Micah and that he had been hired as Micah’s personal priest.

Then they said, “Ask God whether or not our journey will be successful.”

“Go in peace,” the priest replied. “For the Lord is watching over your journey.”

So the five men went on to the town of Laish, where they noticed the people living carefree lives, like the Sidonians; they were peaceful and secure.[c] The people were also wealthy because their land was very fertile. And they lived a great distance from Sidon and had no allies nearby.

When the men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their relatives asked them, “What did you find?”

The men replied, “Come on, let’s attack them! We have seen the land, and it is very good. What are you waiting for? Don’t hesitate to go and take possession of it. 10 When you get there, you will find the people living carefree lives. God has given us a spacious and fertile land, lacking in nothing!”

11 So 600 men from the tribe of Dan, armed with weapons of war, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol. 12 They camped at a place west of Kiriath-jearim in Judah, which is called Mahaneh-dan[d] to this day. 13 Then they went on from there into the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.

14 The five men who had scouted out the land around Laish explained to the others, “These buildings contain a sacred ephod, as well as some household idols, a carved image, and a cast idol. What do you think you should do?” 15 Then the five men turned off the road and went over to Micah’s house, where the young Levite lived, and greeted him kindly. 16 As the 600 armed warriors from the tribe of Dan stood at the entrance of the gate, 17 the five scouts entered the shrine and removed the carved image, the sacred ephod, the household idols, and the cast idol. Meanwhile, the priest was standing at the gate with the 600 armed warriors.

18 When the priest saw the men carrying all the sacred objects out of Micah’s shrine, he said, “What are you doing?”

19 “Be quiet and come with us,” they said. “Be a father and priest to all of us. Isn’t it better to be a priest for an entire tribe and clan of Israel than for the household of just one man?”

20 The young priest was quite happy to go with them, so he took along the sacred ephod, the household idols, and the carved image. 21 They turned and started on their way again, placing their children, livestock, and possessions in front of them.

22 When the people from the tribe of Dan were quite a distance from Micah’s house, the people who lived near Micah came chasing after them. 23 They were shouting as they caught up with them. The men of Dan turned around and said to Micah, “What’s the matter? Why have you called these men together and chased after us like this?”

24 “What do you mean, ‘What’s the matter?’” Micah replied. “You’ve taken away all the gods I have made, and my priest, and I have nothing left!”

25 The men of Dan said, “Watch what you say! There are some short-tempered men around here who might get angry and kill you and your family.” 26 So the men of Dan continued on their way. When Micah saw that there were too many of them for him to attack, he turned around and went home.

27 Then, with Micah’s idols and his priest, the men of Dan came to the town of Laish, whose people were peaceful and secure. They attacked with swords and burned the town to the ground. 28 There was no one to rescue the people, for they lived a great distance from Sidon and had no allies nearby. This happened in the valley near Beth-rehob.

Then the people of the tribe of Dan rebuilt the town and lived there. 29 They renamed the town Dan after their ancestor, Israel’s son, but it had originally been called Laish.

30 Then they set up the carved image, and they appointed Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Moses,[e] as their priest. This family continued as priests for the tribe of Dan until the Exile. 31 So Micah’s carved image was worshiped by the tribe of Dan as long as the Tabernacle of God remained at Shiloh.

Footnotes:

  1. 17:2 Hebrew 1,100 [shekels], about 28 pounds or 12.5 kilograms in weight.
  2. 17:10 Hebrew 10 [shekels] of silver, about 4 ounces or 114 grams in weight.
  3. 18:7 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  4. 18:12 Mahaneh-dan means “the camp of Dan.”
  5. 18:30 As in an ancient Hebrew tradition, some Greek manuscripts, and Latin Vulgate; Masoretic Text reads son of Manasseh.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


John 3:1-21

There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again,[a] you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”

Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.[b] Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.[c] So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You[d] must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”

“How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.

10 Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? 11 I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. 12 But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man[e] has come down from heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.[f]

16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave[g] his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

18 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. 19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. 20 All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. 21 But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.[h]

Footnotes:

  1. 3:3 Or born from above; also in 3:7.
  2. 3:5 Or and spirit. The Greek word for Spirit can also be translated wind; see 3:8.
  3. 3:6 Greek what is born of the Spirit is spirit.
  4. 3:7 The Greek word for you is plural; also in 3:12.
  5. 3:13 Some manuscripts add who lives in heaven. “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
  6. 3:15 Or everyone who believes will have eternal life in him.
  7. 3:16 Or For God loved the world so much that he gave.
  8. 3:21 Or can see God at work in what he is doing.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Psalm 104:1-24

Psalm 104

Let all that I am praise the Lord.

O Lord my God, how great you are!
You are robed with honor and majesty.
You are dressed in a robe of light.
You stretch out the starry curtain of the heavens;
you lay out the rafters of your home in the rain clouds.
You make the clouds your chariot;
you ride upon the wings of the wind.
The winds are your messengers;
flames of fire are your servants.[a]

You placed the world on its foundation
so it would never be moved.
You clothed the earth with floods of water,
water that covered even the mountains.
At your command, the water fled;
at the sound of your thunder, it hurried away.
Mountains rose and valleys sank
to the levels you decreed.
Then you set a firm boundary for the seas,
so they would never again cover the earth.

10 You make springs pour water into the ravines,
so streams gush down from the mountains.
11 They provide water for all the animals,
and the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 The birds nest beside the streams
and sing among the branches of the trees.
13 You send rain on the mountains from your heavenly home,
and you fill the earth with the fruit of your labor.
14 You cause grass to grow for the livestock
and plants for people to use.
You allow them to produce food from the earth—
15 wine to make them glad,
olive oil to soothe their skin,
and bread to give them strength.
16 The trees of the Lord are well cared for—
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
17 There the birds make their nests,
and the storks make their homes in the cypresses.
18 High in the mountains live the wild goats,
and the rocks form a refuge for the hyraxes.[b]

19 You made the moon to mark the seasons,
and the sun knows when to set.
20 You send the darkness, and it becomes night,
when all the forest animals prowl about.
21 Then the young lions roar for their prey,
stalking the food provided by God.
22 At dawn they slink back
into their dens to rest.
23 Then people go off to their work,
where they labor until evening.

24 O Lord, what a variety of things you have made!
In wisdom you have made them all.
The earth is full of your creatures.

Footnotes:

  1. 104:4 Greek version reads He sends his angels like the winds, / his servants like flames of fire. Compare Heb 1:7.
  2. 104:18 Or coneys, or rock badgers.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Proverbs 14:20-21

20 The poor are despised even by their neighbors,
while the rich have many “friends.”

21 It is a sin to belittle one’s neighbor;
blessed are those who help the poor.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


05/02/2020 DAB Transcript

Judges 15:1-16:31, John 2:1-25, Psalms 103:1-22, Proverbs 14:17-19

Today is the 2nd day of May welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it is a wonderful to be here with you today. How exciting is this? We’ve got a brand-new month here; we’re closing down another week together and what a journey we have been on the first four months of the year. The Bible has spoken much, much has happened in the world as is always happening and God has been faithful to guide and direct us through His word. So, we’re at the end of the week. We’ve been reading from the Common English Bible this week, which is what we’ll do today. And we began the story of the judge Samson yesterday. We’ll continue that story today. Judges chapters 15 and 16.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for another week in Your word, another week to enjoy the fellowship of each other around the Global Campfire, but another week to hear from You as You speak to us throughout the earth. And as we end this week, we consider what we read in the Psalms today. We were instructed to bless You over and over, to bless the Lord. And yes, we do bless You, but may we press into that because normally we’re asking You to bless us with something. And what could we do? What could we give You that would bless You? We’re continually asking for things that we need or that we want. And yet the only thing that we really honestly can offer You, because everything was created by You….so, we can give You all of our money, we can give You all of our stuff, but it’s all Yours and we are just stewards of it. The only thing that we can freely give You is our hearts, ourselves. And that often doesn’t seem like it would be a blessing if we’re honest. We know the darkness that is within us. We know our struggles and we try to tamp them down and hide them and keep them, but You’re saying to give it all to You and this would be a blessing. And so, we wonder then why we’ve been holding out if we don’t need to hide anything from You and it blesses You that we give ourselves to You completely, then we give ourselves to You completely. And Holy Spirit we ask You to show us the places that are like resistant to that idea. What…what are the places that we’re not trusting You? Because that’s what comes up here when we think about giving ourselves completely to You. And, so, we look at those things. We look at things that are holding us back and we invite Your Holy Spirit into them, that as we move through this weekend, one by one we can break those chains, one by one we can release so that we are giving ourselves completely and wholly to You. And may this be a blessing to You we ask it in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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And that’s it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hey DAB fam this message is for the young lady that spoke April 27th right after Brian’s final word, timestamp 29:39. You read to us a note, I believe you created titled “what listening to the DAB has taught me.” I just want to tell you that that was one of the most beautiful synoptic proclamations about the Bible’s essence I may have ever heard. So, thank you for sharing. Kind of feels like a mantra now. So…and also real quick I just want to keep the flame going in encouraging everyone to continue to support the DAB financially. Many have called in to encourage this in the past. We all know it’s a true gem and it’s been so for me personally for about 12 years now. So, no matter how small or large the gift, let’s continue to honor all the work Brian, the Hardin family and his team are doing for the community. Everyone has a name here. So, I’ll go by the name of God Shall Add and that’s about it. Take care everyone. Okay.

Good morning DAB family this is Amazed by Grace in Massachusetts and I just wanted to thank everyone who makes the Daily Audio Bible possible by sharing and throwing a log of the fire but especially, of course, to Brian and all of his team that work so hard to bring this to us each day. Thank…thank You, God for Your word is alive and that is real and that makes a difference in our life. Thank You for our sister who gave us such a wonderful summary of what God’s word is to us and how great His love is for us. And this morning I want to lift up Ethan to You Lord and pray for Your peace in Ethan’s heart, how many of us like his dad are anxious. Lord all the things that we trust in, that we looked in daily to supply our needs have been taken away, jobs Lord and friends and activities and we need to just trust Your mercy and Your grace. And Lord we’re not good at that. We want to see we want to feel. And, so, I pray for grace for Ethan’s Father, his mother. Lord, give them wisdom Lord give them discernment as they look to You. I pray for Ethan. Lord remind him that You are the great and holy and mighty God and You are with him. And I pray Lord that he will meditate on the fact that You are his Shepherd and You will supply. Lord bless those hurting so deeply as their sisters who’ve called in lately. And Lord give wisdom and discernment as people wait upon You for jobs for provision. Thank You, so much great and holy and mighty God. We can trust You. Help us Lord to keep our focus and our eyes on You. And I praise You in Jesus’ powerful name.

Hello DAB family my name is Terry from Oregon and I have a prayer request. My son’s friend had a sister who just died recently and now he himself is in the hospital on a ventilator and struggling for his life. These are the only two children this mama has, and I just pray for him to recover. And I ask for your prayers because I know how powerful the prayers of this community are. I just want to thank you and thank Brian for this app. It is amazing. I listen every day and I pray with all of you as I hear them each day. And I thank you ahead of time.

Hi, my amazing DAB fam this is Kingdom Seeker Daniel from Chicago. I am calling for two DAB superstars and those DAB superstars are none other than 10-year-old Ethan and 10 ½-year-old Sarai. You guys are what makes Daily Audio Bible and Chronological worth it all. I am so encouraged by you guys. Ethan, lift up your head buddy. God is with you, God is with your dad, He’s gonna see your dad and your entire family through this time. I pray that God’s strength would rest upon your dad and that he would feel the joy of the Lord surrounding him as his strength. And I pray that God would encourage your heart concerning missing out on your buddies and hanging out with your friends. But you hang in there. But in the meantime, be encouraged to know that God’s got an amazing plan for you, young man. I’m so encouraged, and you give me hope concerning my 11-year-old grandson. So, thank you buddy for your heart of compassion. And Sarai, 10 ½-year-old Saria, oh my darling you are a sweetheart in the Lord. You call to encourage Mr. Brian and Miss China and they deserve that encouragement but so do you my dear. Thank you for your tender heart in the Lord and I pray that the Lord will continue to give you and Ethan a hunger and thirst to know Him more. Remember Him continue to remember the Lord your Creator in the days of your youth. God bless the both of you. You are precious, precious individuals in the Lord. I love you so much and I’m praying for you.

Hi everyone, it’s Margo from Liberia. I’ve been meaning to call in and thank you to Candace for that reminder that it’s time for me to check in with you guys. I’m doing pretty well. I’m so grateful for your prayers. Last time I phoned in I was feeling unsettled and a little bit fearful and I’ve noticed a major improvement in my…just my general mood and trusting in God. I still have moments of fear but mostly I’m finding this is a…a great lesson for me in just totally trusting God and…and serving others through this time, although I am really feeling a bit over at all but I’m guessing a lot of us are. So, I’m still volunteering at the hospital, still seeing a lot of really heartbreaking situations but the Lord is walking with me so sweetly. There’s a lot of fear here in this country. Liberia as a whole has a really bad case of PTSD after they had the Ebola crisis, which was only five years ago. So, a pandemic coming along has…has really caused them a fair bit of panic. So, we are just doing our best to educate people and reassure people. I think we’ve done a good job of preparing at the hospital. We’ve got our tent up and running and we’ve converted a ward to a respiratory ward. So, we’re…we’re all just really doing our best in difficult circumstances. But I want to thank you for your prayers. Do keep praying for myself and my husband and…and all the missionaries here, that the Lord would keep us in good health and good spirits. Love you guys so much. Bye for now.

Hi this is Victoria Soldier just wanted to say happy anniversary to…to Ben and China. Happy anniversary. Happy happy happy happy happy anniversary. Lord bless them with many many more in the name of Jesus. Lord you have your way. Lord I wanted to talk to…wanted to also pray for the woman in distress. I wanted to also pray for the lady who was talking about us Christians not coming together and praying. Lord we need to learn how to be obedient. The Bible said obedient is better than sacrifice. Lord there’s so many great things about being obedient. If we just be obedient and do what __ say __the authority be done and let his will be done. God said He will supply all our needs. Lord I want to also pray for that precious little boy who called about his dad being sick. I wanted to pray for those who are in distress, those who are worried and those who…who need…need…need help Lord those who have strongholds. Lord You have Your way. Precious Father we praise You and we magnify You. We thank You Lord for Your marvelous work. We thank You Lord for having Your way. You heal in this coronavirus Lord. You let the…let the…all the went…if my people which I call by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek Your face and turn from their wicked ways then will You Lord forgive their sin, then will You forgive their…heal the land and forgive their sin. Lord we thank You Lord for Your miracle working power. We thank You for healing Your people. We thank You for strengthening Your people. We thank You for giving life and favor. Lord we thank You Lord. We thank You for letting those who are just starting out and letting them know that we just trust in them Lord that You trust in the Lord and praise Him and give Him the…

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Saturday May 2, 2020 (NIV)

Judges 15-16

Samson attacks the Philistines

15 Later on, at the time of the wheat harvest, Samson went to visit his wife, bringing along a young goat. He said, “Let me go into my wife’s bedroom.”

But her father wouldn’t allow him to go in. Her father said, “I was so sure that you had completely rejected her that I gave her in marriage to one of your companions. Don’t you think her younger sister is even better? Let her be your wife instead.”

Samson replied, “No one can blame me now for being ready to bring down trouble on the Philistines!”

Then Samson went and caught three hundred foxes. He took torches, turned the foxes tail to tail, and put a torch between each pair of tails. He lit the torches and released the foxes into the Philistines’ grain fields. So he burned the stacked grain, standing grain, vineyards, and olive orchards.

The Philistines inquired, “Who did this?”

So it was reported, “Samson the Timnite’s son-in-law did it, because his father-in-law gave his wife in marriage to one of his companions.” So the Philistines went up and burned her and her father to death.

Samson then responded to them, “If this is how you act, then I won’t stop until I get revenge on you!” He struck them hard, taking their legs right out from under them.[a] Then he traveled down and stayed in a cave in the rock at Etam.

The Philistines marched up, made camp in Judah, and released their forces on Lehi. 10 The people of Judah asked, “Why have you marched up against us?”

“We’ve marched up to take Samson prisoner,” they replied, “and to do to him just what he did to us.”

11 So three thousand people from Judah traveled down to the cave in the rock at Etam and said to Samson, “Don’t you realize that the Philistines rule over us? What have you done to us?”

But he told them, “I did to them just what they did to me.”

12 Then the people of Judah said to him, “We’ve come down to take you prisoner so we can turn you over to the Philistines.”

Samson responded to them, “Just promise that you won’t attack me yourselves.”

13 “We won’t,” they said to him. “We’ll only take you prisoner so we can turn you over to them. We won’t kill you.” Then they tied him up with two new ropes, and brought him up from the rock.

14 When Samson arrived at Lehi, the Philistines met him and came out shouting. The Lord’s spirit rushed over him, the ropes on his arms became like burned-up linen, and the ties melted right off his hands. 15 He found a donkey’s fresh jawbone, picked it up, and used it to attack one thousand men. 16 Samson said,

“With a donkey’s jawbone,
stacks on stacks!
With a donkey’s jawbone,
I’ve killed one thousand men.”

17 When he finished speaking, he tossed away the jawbone. So that place became known as Ramath-lehi.[b]

18 Now Samson was very thirsty, so he called out to the Lord, “You are the one who allowed this great victory to be accomplished by your servant’s hands. Am I now going to die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?” 19 So God split open the hollow rock in Lehi, and water flowed out of it. When Samson drank, his energy returned and he was recharged. Thus that place is still called by the name En-hakkore[c] in Lehi today.

20 Samson led Israel for twenty years during the time of the Philistines.

Samson and the prostitute

16 One day Samson traveled to Gaza. While there, he saw a prostitute and had sex with her. The word spread[d] among the people of Gaza, “Samson has come here!” So they circled around and waited in ambush for him all night at the city gate. They kept quiet all night long, thinking, We’ll kill him at the first light in the morning. But Samson slept only half the night. He got up in the middle of the night, grabbed the doors of the city gate and the two gateposts, and pulled them up with the bar still across them. He put them on his shoulders and carried them up to the top of the hill that is beside Hebron.

Samson and Delilah

Some time after this, in the Sorek Valley, Samson fell in love with a woman whose name was Delilah. The rulers of the Philistines confronted her and said to her, “Seduce him and find out what gives him such great strength and what we can do to overpower him, so that we can tie him up and make him weak. Then we’ll each pay you eleven hundred pieces of silver.”

So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me what gives you such great strength and how you can be tied up and made weak.”

Samson replied to her, “If someone ties me up with seven fresh bowstrings that aren’t dried out, I’ll become weak. I’ll be like any other person.” So the rulers of the Philistines brought her seven fresh bowstrings that weren’t dried out, and she tied him up with them.

While an ambush was waiting for her signal in an inner room, she called out to him, “Samson, the Philistines are on you!” And he snapped the bowstrings like a thread of fiber snaps when it touches a flame. So the secret of his strength remained unknown.

10 Then Delilah said to Samson, “You made a fool out of me and lied to me. Now please tell me how you can really be tied up!”

11 He replied to her, “If someone ties me up with new ropes that haven’t been used for work, I’ll become weak. I’ll be like any other person.”

12 So Delilah took new ropes and tied him up with them. Then she called out to him, “Samson, the Philistines are on you!” Once again, an ambush was waiting in an inner room. Yet he snapped them from his arms like thread.

13 And Delilah said to Samson, “Up to now, you’ve made a fool out of me and lied to me. Tell me how you can be tied up!”

He responded to her, “If you weave the seven braids of my hair into the fabric on a loom and pull it tight with a pin, then I’ll become weak. I’ll be like any other person.”[e]

14 So she got him to fall asleep, wove the seven braids of his hair into the fabric on a loom,[f] and pulled it tight with a pin. Then she called out to him, “Samson, the Philistines are on you!” He woke up from his sleep and pulled loose the pin, the loom, and the fabric.

15 Delilah said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when you won’t trust me? Three times now you’ve made a fool out of me and not told me what gives you such great strength!” 16 She nagged him with her words day after day and begged him until he became worn out to the point of death.

17 So he told her his whole secret. He said to her, “No razor has ever touched my head, because I’ve been a nazirite for God from the time I was born. If my head is shaved, my strength will leave me, and I’ll become weak. I’ll be like every other person.”

18 When Delilah realized that he had told her his whole secret, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, “Come one more time, for he has told me his whole secret.” The rulers of the Philistines came up to her and brought the silver with them.

19 She got him to fall asleep with his head on her lap. Then she called a man and had him shave off the seven braids of Samson’s hair. He began to weaken,[g] and his strength left him. 20 She called out, “Samson, the Philistines are on you!”

He woke up from his sleep and thought, I’ll escape just like the other times and shake myself free. But he didn’t realize that the Lord had left him. 21 So the Philistines captured him, put out his eyes, and took him down to Gaza. They bound him with bronze chains, and he worked the grinding mill in the prison.

22 But the hair on his head began to grow again right after it had been shaved.

Samson’s death

23 The rulers of the Philistines gathered together to make a great sacrifice to their god Dagon and to hold a celebration. They cheered, “Our god has handed us Samson our enemy!” 24 When the people saw him, they praised their god, for they said, “Our god has handed us our enemy, the very one who devastated our land and killed so many of our people.” 25 At the height of the celebration,[h] they said, “Call for Samson so he can perform for us!” So they called Samson from the prison, and he performed in front of them. Then they had him stand between the pillars.

26 Samson said to the young man who led him by the hand, “Put me where I can feel the pillars that hold up the temple, so I can lean on them.” 27 Now the temple was filled with men and women. All the rulers of the Philistines were there, and about three thousand more men and women were on the roof watching as Samson performed. 28 Then Samson called out to the Lord, “Lord God, please remember me! Make me strong just this once more, God, so I can have revenge on the Philistines, just one act of revenge for my two eyes.”[i] 29 Samson grabbed the two central pillars that held up the temple. He leaned against one with his right hand and the other with his left. 30 And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” He strained with all his might, and the temple collapsed on the rulers and all the people who were in it. So it turned out that he killed more people in his death than he did during his life.

31 His brothers and his father’s entire household traveled down, carried him back up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father Manoah. He had led Israel for twenty years.

Footnotes:

  1. Judges 15:8 Or struck them hip and thigh
  2. Judges 15:17 Or Jawbone Hill
  3. Judges 15:19 Or Caller’s Spring
  4. Judges 16:2 LXX; MT lacks spread.
  5. Judges 16:13 LXX; MT lacks and pull it… other person.
  6. Judges 16:14 LXX; MT lacks so she got him… on a loom.
  7. Judges 16:19 LXX; MT she began to torment him.
  8. Judges 16:25 Or When their hearts were glad
  9. Judges 16:28 or so I can have revenge on the Philistines for one of my two eyes
Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

John 2

Wedding at Cana

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They don’t have any wine.”

Jesus replied, “Woman, what does that have to do with me? My time hasn’t come yet.”

His mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Nearby were six stone water jars used for the Jewish cleansing ritual, each able to hold about twenty or thirty gallons.

Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water,” and they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some from them and take it to the headwaiter,” and they did. The headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine. He didn’t know where it came from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew.

The headwaiter called the groom 10 and said, “Everyone serves the good wine first. They bring out the second-rate wine only when the guests are drinking freely. You kept the good wine until now.” 11 This was the first miraculous sign that Jesus did in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.

12 After this, Jesus and his mother, his brothers, and his disciples went down to Capernaum and stayed there for a few days.

Jesus in Jerusalem at Passover

13 It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 He found in the temple those who were selling cattle, sheep, and doves, as well as those involved in exchanging currency sitting there. 15 He made a whip from ropes and chased them all out of the temple, including the cattle and the sheep. He scattered the coins and overturned the tables of those who exchanged currency. 16 He said to the dove sellers, “Get these things out of here! Don’t make my Father’s house a place of business.” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written, Passion for your house consumes me.[a]

18 Then the Jewish leaders asked him, “By what authority are you doing these things? What miraculous sign will you show us?”

19 Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple and in three days I’ll raise it up.”

20 The Jewish leaders replied, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and you will raise it up in three days?” 21 But the temple Jesus was talking about was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered what he had said, and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

23 While Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Passover Festival, many believed in his name because they saw the miraculous signs that he did. 24 But Jesus didn’t trust himself to them because he knew all people. 25 He didn’t need anyone to tell him about human nature, for he knew what human nature was.

Footnotes:

  1. John 2:17 Ps 69:9
Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Psalm 103

Psalm 103

Of David.

103 Let my whole being[a] bless the Lord!
Let everything inside me bless his holy name!
Let my whole being bless the Lord
and never forget all his good deeds:
how God forgives all your sins,
heals all your sickness,
saves your life from the pit,
crowns you with faithful love and compassion,
and satisfies you with plenty of good things
so that your youth is made fresh like an eagle’s.

The Lord works righteousness;
does justice for all who are oppressed.
God made his ways known to Moses;
made his deeds known to the Israelites.
The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
very patient, and full of faithful love.
God won’t always play the judge;
he won’t be angry forever.
10 He doesn’t deal with us according to our sin
or repay us according to our wrongdoing,
11 because as high as heaven is above the earth,
that’s how large God’s faithful love is for those who honor him.
12 As far as east is from west—
that’s how far God has removed our sin from us.
13 Like a parent feels compassion for their children—
that’s how the Lord feels compassion for those who honor him.
14 Because God knows how we’re made,
God remembers we’re just dust.

15 The days of a human life are like grass:
they bloom like a wildflower;
16 but when the wind blows through it, it’s gone;
even the ground where it stood doesn’t remember it.
17 But the Lord’s faithful love is from forever ago to forever from now
for those who honor him.
And God’s righteousness reaches to the grandchildren
18 of those who keep his covenant
and remember to keep his commands.
19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.

20 You divine messengers,
bless the Lord!
You who are mighty in power and keep his word,
who obey everything he says,
bless him!
21 All you heavenly forces,
bless the Lord!
All you who serve him and do his will,
bless him!
22 All God’s creatures,
bless the Lord!
Everywhere, throughout his kingdom,
let my whole being
bless the Lord!

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 103:1 Or soul; also in 103:2, 22
Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Proverbs 14:17-19

17 Short-tempered people make stupid mistakes,
and schemers are hated.
18 Stupidity is the lot of the naive,
but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19 Evil people will bow down before the good;
wicked people are at the gates of the righteous.

Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Friday May 1, 2020 (NIV)

Judges 13-14

Samson’s birth

13 The Israelites again did things that the Lord saw as evil, and he handed them over to the Philistines for forty years.

Now there was a certain man from Zorah, from the Danite clan, whose name was Manoah. His wife was unable to become pregnant and had not given birth to any children. The Lord’s messenger appeared to the woman and said to her, “Even though you’ve been unable to become pregnant and haven’t given birth, you are now pregnant and will give birth to a son! Now be careful not to drink wine or brandy or to eat anything that is ritually unclean, because you are pregnant and will give birth to a son. Don’t allow a razor to shave his head, because the boy is going to be a nazirite for God from birth. He’ll be the one who begins Israel’s rescue from the power of the Philistines.”

Then the woman went and told her husband, “A man of God came to me, and he looked like God’s messenger—very scary! I didn’t ask him where he was from, and he didn’t tell me his name. He said to me, ‘You are pregnant and will give birth to a son, so don’t drink wine or brandy or eat anything that is ritually unclean, because the boy is going to be a nazirite for God from birth until the day he dies.’”

Manoah asked the Lord, “Please, my Lord,” he said, “let the man of God whom you sent come back to us once more, so he can teach us how we should treat the boy who is to be born.”

God listened to Manoah, and God’s messenger came once more to the woman. She was sitting in the field, but her husband Manoah wasn’t with her. 10 So the woman hurriedly ran and informed her husband. She said to him, “The man who came to me the other day has just appeared to me.”

11 Manoah got up and followed his wife. He came to the man and said to him, “Are you the man who spoke to this woman?”

“I am,” he replied.

12 Manoah said, “Now when your words come true, what should be the rules for the boy and how he should act?”

13 The Lord’s messenger answered Manoah, “The woman should be careful to do everything that I told her. 14 She must not consume anything that comes from the grapevine, drink wine or brandy, or eat anything that is ritually unclean. She must be careful to do everything I have commanded her.”

15 Manoah said to the Lord’s messenger, “Please let us persuade you to stay so we can prepare a young goat for you.”

16 But the Lord’s messenger replied to Manoah, “If you persuaded me to stay, I wouldn’t eat your food. If you prepare an entirely burned offering, offer it to the Lord.” Indeed, Manoah didn’t know that he was the Lord’s messenger. 17 Manoah said to the Lord’s messenger, “What’s your name, so that we may honor you when your words come true?”

18 The Lord’s messenger responded to him, “Why do you ask my name? You couldn’t understand it.”

19 So Manoah took a young goat and a grain offering and offered them on a rock to the Lord. While Manoah and his wife were looking, an amazing thing happened: 20 as the flame from the altar went up toward the sky, the Lord’s messenger went up in the altar’s flame. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell facedown on the ground. 21 The Lord’s messenger didn’t reappear to Manoah or his wife, and Manoah then realized that it had been the Lord’s messenger. 22 Manoah said to his wife, “We are certainly going to die, because we’ve seen God!”

23 But his wife replied to him, “If the Lord wanted to kill us, he wouldn’t have accepted the entirely burned offering and grain offering from our hands. He wouldn’t have shown us all these things or told us all of this now.”

24 The woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The boy grew up, and the Lord blessed him. 25 The Lord’s spirit began to move him when he was in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Samson’s marriage to a Philistine woman

14 Samson traveled down to Timnah. While he was in Timnah, a Philistine woman caught his eye. He went back home and told his father and mother, “A Philistine woman in Timnah caught my eye; now get her for me as a wife!”

But his father and mother replied to him, “Is there no woman among your own relatives or among all our people that you have to go get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?”

Yet Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, because she’s the one I want!” His father and mother didn’t know that the Lord was behind this. He was looking for an opening with the Philistines, because they were ruling over Israel at that time.

Then Samson traveled down to Timnah with his father and mother. When he came to the vineyards in Timnah, suddenly a lone young lion came roaring to meet him. The Lord’s spirit rushed over him, and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as one might tear apart a young goat. But he didn’t tell his father or mother what he had done. Then he traveled down and talked with the woman; she was the one Samson wanted.

After a while, he came back again to marry her. He turned aside to look at the lion’s remains, and there was a swarm of bees with honey inside the lion’s skeleton. He scooped the honey into his hands, eating it as he continued along. When he got to his father and mother, he gave some to them, and they ate it too. But he didn’t tell them that he had scooped the honey from the lion’s skeleton.

10 His father traveled down to the woman, and Samson put on a feast there, as was the custom for young men. 11 When the townspeople saw him, they selected thirty companions to be with him. 12 Then Samson said to them, “Let me tell you a riddle. If you can figure it out and tell me the answer within the seven days of the feast, I’ll give you thirty linen robes and thirty sets of clothes. 13 But if you can’t tell me the answer, then it’s you who have to give me thirty linen robes and thirty sets of clothes.”

So they replied to him, “Tell your riddle; let’s hear it.”

14 He said to them,

“Out of the eater there came something to eat.
Out of the strong there came something sweet.”

For three days they couldn’t tell the answer to the riddle. 15 On the fourth[a] day they said to Samson’s wife, “Seduce your husband so he’ll tell us the answer to the riddle, or else we’ll set fire to you and your household. Were we invited here just to become poor?”

16 So Samson’s wife cried on his shoulder and said, “You hate me! You don’t love me! You told a riddle to my people but didn’t tell me the answer.”

He replied to her, “Look, I haven’t even told the answer to my father and mother. Why should I tell it to you?” 17 But she cried on his shoulder for the rest of the seven days of the feast. Finally, on the seventh day, he told her the answer, for she had nagged him. And she told her people the answer to the riddle. 18 So on the seventh day, before the sun set, the townspeople said to him,

“What’s sweeter than honey?
What’s stronger than a lion?”

He replied to them,

“If you hadn’t plowed with my heifer,
you wouldn’t have figured out my riddle!”

19 Then the Lord’s spirit rushed over him, and he went down to Ashkelon. He killed thirty of their men, stripped them of their gear, and gave the sets of clothes to the ones who had told the answer to the riddle. In anger, he went back up to his father’s household. 20 And Samson’s wife married one of those who had been his companions.

Footnotes:

  1. Judges 14:15 LXX, Syr; MT seventh
Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

John 1:29-51

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one about whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is really greater than me because he existed before me.’ 31 Even I didn’t recognize him, but I came baptizing with water so that he might be made known to Israel.” 32 John testified, “I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove, and it rested on him. 33 Even I didn’t recognize him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit coming down and resting is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and testified that this one is God’s Son.”

Jesus calls disciples

35 The next day John was standing again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus walking along he said, “Look! The Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard what he said, and they followed Jesus.

38 When Jesus turned and saw them following, he asked, “What are you looking for?”

They said, “Rabbi (which is translated Teacher), where are you staying?”

39 He replied, “Come and see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.

40 One of the two disciples who heard what John said and followed Jesus was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Christ[a] ). 42 He led him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

43 The next day Jesus wanted to go into Galilee, and he found Philip. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Philip was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter.

45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law and the Prophets: Jesus, Joseph’s son, from Nazareth.”

46 Nathanael responded, “Can anything from Nazareth be good?”

Philip said, “Come and see.”

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said about him, “Here is a genuine Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”

48 Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?”

Jesus answered, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”

49 Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are God’s Son. You are the king of Israel.”

50 Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these! 51 I assure you that you will see heaven open and God’s angels going up to heaven and down to earth on the Human One.”[b]

Footnotes:

  1. John 1:41 Or Anointed One
  2. John 1:51 Or Son of Man
Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Psalm 102

Psalm 102

A prayer of an oppressed person, when weak and pouring out grief to the Lord.

102 Lord, hear my prayer!
Let my cry reach you!
Don’t hide your face from me
in my time of trouble!
Listen to me!
Answer me quickly as I cry out!
Because my days disappear like smoke,
my bones are burned up as if in an oven;
my heart is smashed like dried-up grass.
I even forget to eat my food
because of my intense groans.
My bones are protruding from my skin.
I’m like some wild owl—
like some screech owl in the desert.
I lie awake all night.
I’m all alone like a bird on a roof.
All day long my enemies make fun of me;
those who mock me curse using my name!
I’ve been eating ashes instead of bread.
I’ve been mixing tears into my drinks
10 because of your anger and wrath,
because you picked me up and threw me away.
11 My days are like a shadow soon gone.
I’m dried up like dead grass.

12 But you, Lord, rule forever!
Your fame lasts from one generation to the next!
13 You will stand up—
you’ll have compassion on Zion
because it is time to have mercy on her—
the time set for that has now come!
14 Your servants cherish Zion’s stones;
they show mercy even to her dirt.
15 The nations will honor the Lord’s name;
all the earth’s rulers will honor your glory
16 because the Lord will rebuild Zion;
he will be seen there in his glory.
17 God will turn to the prayer of the impoverished;
he won’t despise their prayers.

18 Let this be written down for the next generation
so that people not yet created will praise the Lord:
19 The Lord looked down from his holy summit,
surveyed the earth from heaven,
20 to hear the prisoners’ groans,
to set free those condemned to death,
21 that the Lord’s name may be declared in Zion
and his praise declared in Jerusalem,
22 when all people are gathered together—
all kingdoms—to serve the Lord.

23 God broke my strength in midstride,
cutting my days short.
24 I said, “My God, don’t take me away in the prime of life—
your years go on from one generation to the next!
25 You laid the earth’s foundations long ago;
the skies are your handiwork.
26 These things will pass away, but you will last.
All of these things will wear out like clothing;
you change them like clothes, and they pass on.
27 But you are the one!
Your years never end!
28 Let your servants’ children live safe;
let your servants’ descendants live secure in your presence.”

Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Proverbs 14:15-16

15 The naive believe anything,
but the prudent give thought to their steps.
16 The wise are careful and avoid evil,
but fools become excited and overconfident.

Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

05/01/2020 DAB Transcript

Judges 13:1-14:20, John 1:29-51, Psalms 102:1-28, Proverbs 14:15-16

Today is the 1st day of May welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it is wonderful to be here with you today on the 121st day of the year and the 1st day of the 5th month of the year. Man, we’re still takin’ steps forward and they’ve let us this far and we’ll keep taking steps forward and they will lead us through this year and through the Bible. So, it is a joy to mark the 1st day of May with you. May the month of May bring us all light and hope and life and good news and the comfort of the Holy Spirit in and among us each. So, it’s a new month, it’s a new day, but we do pick up right where we left off yesterday, and that leads us back into the book of Judges. And today we’re going to begin to learn about the judge named Samson. We’re reading from the Common English Bible this week. Judges chapters 13 and 14.

Commentary:

Okay. Let’s review some of the things that we read in the 102nd chapter of Psalm today. “My days disappear like smoke. My bones are burned up as if in an oven. My heart is smashed like a dried-up grass. I even forget to eat my food. I lie awake all night. I’m all alone like a bird on a roof. I’ve been eating ashes instead of bread. I’ve been mixing tears into my drinks. My days are like a shadow soon gone. I’m dried up like dead grass.” Have you ever felt like that, right? Like, we’ve had lots of reasons to kind of feel like that in some ways over the last season that we’ve been…we’ve navigating. Basically, “I am alone, I am at the bottom, I don’t know where to turn, like all of the things that we face as human beings in certain seasons of our lives. And yet here they are in the Bible, right? And like, so…so often we’re like turning to the Bible for…for the answers, certainly, for the stories that we can find ourselves in, certainly. But sometimes the Bible gets really, really honest about our human experience and commiserates with us by just speaking the truth – “this is what it can feel like sometimes.” And sometimes just being able to name it, right? Sometimes just being able to say, “this is what I’m feeling.” Like we can feel guilty about it because we know we’re supposed be saying these opposite things that are…especially our religious culture tells us like, you know, we should…we should be saying the language of the overcomer. And those things are true, but what about being honest about where we actually are? The Bible is, why shouldn’t we be? And sometimes even hearing these words out of the Bible brings…even though they’re kind of like difficult words describing difficult times, they bring a certain amount of hope because it’s like, “I’m not the only one here. This was written thousands of years ago. This kind of thing has always been going on among human beings. We all feel this way at one time or another, like the lowest of the low.” So, there is some comfort in commiseration. The problem arises when we get stuck there, right? So, we just look for people to listen to our problems and we just listen to problems all the time and flip the channels and listen to the problems. And we get on social media and we listen to the problems. And we get on the phone and we listen to the problems. We get on text and we text our problems. Like, at some point commiseration becomes wallowing. And that’s the interesting thing here in this Psalm. Yes, brutal honesty is here for our commiseration, for our understanding, but that’s not all the Psalm says. So, like after all this outpouring then there are these words, “that this be written down for the next generation so that people not yet created will praise the Lord. The Lord looked down from his holy summit surveyed the earth from heaven to hear the prisoners groans, to set free those condemned to death.” That one move right there, that move from, “here is the honesty about how I am feeling. I’m going to say it. I’m going to name it.” And then that move outward, “let this be written down to the people who are not here yet. I will praise the Lord. The Lord looked down. He came for us.” That’s the move we need in our toolbox. We all know how to complain. And even if we’re not complaining we all know how to maybe say what we’re feeling. Even though most of the time we just keep it stuffed inside, we’re still thinking it, like it’s still happening. But so often that like leads us deeper into the darkness and then we get stuck there. The move in these times is to shift outward, to shift upward, to realize, “yeah this is happening and yeah this is terrible. This is difficult. This sucks, so I’m not gonna stay here.” But usually we do. But if we’ll make the move and shift to worship of God and knowing that He will never abandon us. How could He? He is within us. Why would he? He died for us. To understand that seasons come and seasons go in the constant that brings us through all of it, whether mountaintop or dark valley is our utter dependence on God, this is the place that we need to hang out and this is a really good word. This is a really good thing that the Bible is revealing to us as we begin this new month and continuing…and continue marching forward together in this world. So, let’s remember this. Let’s remember this move. Yes it’s okay to articulate, yes it’s okay to say what’s going on inside of us and be honest about it but after that, there is the move upward and outward, changing our outlook and changing our focus.

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, as we begin this month of May we invite You into that. We need to keep this before our eyes. There’s never a shortage of things to be down about and right now there’s plenty. But this isn’t all there is. You are more than enough. Help us to shift our focus upon You and outward to our brothers and sisters that we might be known by our love. Come Holy Spirit into this we pray. In the name of Jesus we ask. Amen.

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