The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Wednesday April 24, 2024 (NIV)

¹⁰ That whole generation was also gathered to their ancestors. After them another generation rose up who did not know the Lord^(A) or the works he had done for Israel.

¹¹ The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord’s sight.^(B) They worshiped the Baals^{(C) 12} and abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed other gods from the surrounding peoples^(D) and bowed down to them. They angered the Lord,^{(E) 13} for they abandoned him and worshiped Baal and the Ashtoreths.^(F)

¹⁴ The Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and he handed them over to marauders who raided them. He sold^(G) them to the enemies around them, and they could no longer resist their enemies. ¹⁵ Whenever the Israelites went out, the Lord was against them^(H) and brought disaster on them, just as he had promised and sworn to them.^(I) So they suffered greatly.

¹⁶ The Lord raised up^(J) judges, who saved them from the power of their marauders, ¹⁷ but they did not listen to their judges. Instead, they prostituted^(K) themselves with other gods, bowing down to them. They quickly turned from the way^(L) of their ancestors, who had walked in obedience to the Lord’s commands. They did not do as their ancestors did. ¹⁸ Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for the Israelites, the Lord was with^(M) him and saved the people from the power of their enemies while the judge was still alive. The Lord was moved to pity whenever they groaned because of those who were oppressing and afflicting them. ¹⁹ Whenever the judge died, the Israelites would act even more corruptly^(N) than their ancestors, following other gods to serve them and bow in worship to them. They did not turn from their evil practices or their obstinate^(O) ways.

²⁰ The Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and he declared, “Because this nation has violated my covenant^(P) that I made with their ancestors^(Q) and disobeyed me, ²¹ I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left^(R) when he died.^{(S) 22} I did this to test Israel and to see whether or not they would keep the Lord’s way^(T) by walking in it, as their ancestors had.”^{(U) 23} The Lord left these nations and did not drive them out immediately. He did not hand them over to Joshua.

The Lord Tests Israel

3 These are the nations the Lord left in order to test all those in Israel who had experienced none of the wars in Canaan.^{(V) 2} This was to teach the future generations of the Israelites how to fight in battle, especially those who had not fought before. ³ These nations included the five rulers^(W) of the Philistines^(X) and all of the Canaanites, the Sidonians,^(Y) and the Hivites^(Z) who lived in the Lebanese mountains from Mount Baal-hermon as far as the entrance to Hamath.^{[a] 4} The Lord left them to test Israel, to determine if they would keep the Lord’s commands he had given their ancestors through Moses.^{(AA) 5} But they settled among the Canaanites, Hethites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. ⁶ The Israelites took their daughters as wives for themselves, gave their own daughters to their sons, and worshiped their gods.^(AB)

Othniel, the First Judge

⁷ The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord’s sight; they forgot the Lord their God^(AC) and worshiped the Baals and the Asherahs. ⁸ The Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and he sold them to King Cushan-rishathaim^[b] of Aram-naharaim,^[c](AD) and the Israelites served him eight years.

⁹ The Israelites cried out to the Lord.^(AE) So the Lord raised up Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s youngest brother,^(AF) as a deliverer^(AG) to save the Israelites. ¹⁰ The Spirit of the Lord came on him, and he judged Israel. Othniel went out to battle, and the Lord handed over King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram to him, so that Othniel overpowered him. ¹¹ Then the land had peace for^(AH) forty years, and Othniel son of Kenaz died.

Ehud

¹² The Israelites again did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. He gave King Eglon of Moab^(AI) power over Israel, because they had done what was evil in the Lord’s sight. ¹³ After Eglon convinced the Ammonites and the Amalekites to join forces with him, he attacked and defeated Israel and took possession of the City of Palms.^{[d](AJ) 14} The Israelites served King Eglon of Moab eighteen years.

¹⁵ Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he raised up Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed^(AK) Benjaminite,^[e] as a deliverer for them. The Israelites sent him with the tribute^(AL) for King Eglon of Moab.

¹⁶ Ehud made himself a double-edged sword eighteen inches long.^[f] He strapped it to his right thigh under his clothes ¹⁷ and brought the tribute to King Eglon of Moab, who was an extremely fat man. ¹⁸ When Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he dismissed the people who had carried it. ¹⁹ At the carved images near Gilgal he returned and said, “King Eglon, I have a secret message for you.” The king said, “Silence!” and all his attendants left him. ²⁰ Then Ehud approached him while he was sitting alone in his upstairs room where it was cool. Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you,” and the king stood up from his throne. ²¹ Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon’s belly. ²² Even the handle went in after the blade, and Eglon’s fat closed in over it, so that Ehud did not withdraw the sword from his belly. And the waste came out.^{[g] 23} Ehud escaped by way of the porch, closing and locking the doors of the upstairs room behind him.

²⁴ Ehud was gone when Eglon’s servants came in. They looked and found the doors of the upstairs room locked and thought he was relieving himself^[h] in the cool room. ²⁵ The servants waited until they became embarrassed and saw that he had still not opened the doors of the upstairs room. So they took the key and opened the doors—and there was their lord lying dead on the floor!

²⁶ Ehud escaped while the servants waited. He passed the Jordan near the carved images and reached Seirah. ²⁷ After he arrived, he sounded the ram’s horn throughout the hill country of Ephraim. The Israelites came down with him from the hill country, and he became their leader. ²⁸ He told them, “Follow me, because the Lord has handed over your enemies, the Moabites, to you.” So they followed him, captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross over.^{(AM) 29} At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all stout and able-bodied men. Not one of them escaped. ³⁰ Moab became subject to Israel that day, and the land had peace for eighty years.

Shamgar

³¹ After Ehud, Shamgar son of Anath became judge. He also delivered Israel, striking down six hundred Philistines with a cattle prod.

The First Lord’s Supper

¹⁴ When^(A) the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with him. ¹⁵ Then he said to them, “I have fervently desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. ¹⁶ For I tell you, I will not eat it again^[a] until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”^{(B) 17} Then he took a cup,^(C) and after giving thanks,^(D) he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. ¹⁸ For I tell you, from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

¹⁹ And he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “This is my body,^(E) which is given for you. Do this in remembrance ^(F) of me.”

²⁰ In the same way he also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant^(G) in my blood,^(H) which is poured out for you.^{[b] 21} But^(I) look, the hand of the one betraying me is at the table with me.^{(J) 22} For the Son of Man will go away as it has been determined,^(K) but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!”

²³ So they began to argue^(L) among themselves which of them it could be who was going to do it.

The Dispute over Greatness

²⁴ Then a dispute also arose among them about who should be considered the greatest.^{(M) 25} But he said to them,^(N) “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who have authority over them have themselves called^[c] ‘Benefactors.’ ²⁶ It is not to be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever is greatest among you should become like the youngest,^(O) and whoever leads, like the one serving. ²⁷ For who is greater, the one at the table or the one serving? Isn’t it the one at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.^{(P) 28} You are those who stood by me in my trials.^{(Q) 29} I bestow on you a kingdom,^(R) just as my Father bestowed one on me, ³⁰ so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom.^(S) And you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.^(T)

Peter’s Denial Predicted

³¹ “Simon, Simon,^[d] look out. Satan^(U) has asked to sift you^[e] like wheat.^{(V) 32} But I have prayed^(W) for you^[f] that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen^(X) your brothers.”

³³ “Lord,”^(Y) he told him, “I’m ready to go with you both to prison and to death.”

³⁴ “I tell you, Peter,” he said, “the rooster will not crow today until^[g] you deny three times that you know me.”

Psalm 92

God’s Love and Faithfulness

A psalm. A song for the Sabbath day.

Psalm 93

God’s Eternal Reign