52 Week Bible Reading Plan Bible-Reading.com > Bible Reading > The Plan What's New? (Aug 8, 2000) [ Today's Reading | Calendar | The Plan | FAQ | Wedding Readings ] Have you used the Bible Reading Calendar?

52 Week Bible Reading Plan

Judges 17

1

And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.

2

And he said to his mother, The eleven hundred silver-pieces that were taken from thee, and about which thou didst curse and speak of in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be my son of Jehovah!

3

And he restored the eleven hundred silver-pieces to his mother; and his mother said, I had dedicated the silver to Jehovah from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image; and now I will restore it to thee.

4

Now he restored the silver to his mother; and his mother took two hundred silver-pieces and gave them to the founder, and he made of them a graven image and a molten image; and they were in the house of Micah.

5

And the man Micah had a house of gods, and made an ephod and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.

6

In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.

7

And there was a young man out of Bethlehem-Judah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.

8

And the man departed from the city, from Bethlehem-Judah, to sojourn where he might find [a place]. And as he journeyed, he came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah.

9

And Micah said to him, Whence comest thou? And he said to him, I am a Levite of Bethlehem-Judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find [a place].

10

And Micah said to him, Dwell with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give thee yearly ten silver-pieces, and a suit of garments, and thy victuals. And the Levite went in.

11

And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was to him as one of his sons.

12

And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.

13

Then said Micah, Now I know that Jehovah will do me good, because I have the Levite for priest.

Judges 18

1

In those days there was no king in Israel, and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought for themselves an inheritance to dwell in; for to that day [their lot] had not fallen to them for inheritance among the tribes of Israel.

2

And the children of Dan sent of their family five men of their whole number, men of valour, from Zoreah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to examine it; and they said to them, Go, examine the land. And they came to the hill-country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there.

3

When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man, the Levite; and they turned in thither, and said to him, Who brought thee hither? and what doest thou in this [place]? and what hast thou here?

4

And he said to them, Thus and thus has Micah done to me; and he has hired me, and I am his priest.

5

And they said to him, Inquire, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way on which we go shall be prosperous.

6

And the priest said to them, Go in peace: before Jehovah is your way on which ye go.

7

And the five men departed, and came to Laish; and they saw the people that were therein, dwelling securely, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and no one was in the land who possessed authority, that might put [them] to shame in anything; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had nothing to do with [any] man.

8

-- And they came to their brethren at Zoreah and Eshtaol. And their brethren said to them, What [say] ye?

9

And they said, Arise, and let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good; and ye are still! Be not slothful to go, to enter to take possession of the land.

10

When ye go in, ye shall come to a people secure, and the land is spacious in every direction; for God has given it into your hands; [it is] a place where there is no want of anything that is on the earth.

11

And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zoreah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men girded with weapons of war.

12

And they went up and encamped in Kirjath-jearim, in Judah; therefore they call that place Mahaneh-Dan to this day: behold, it is behind Kirjath-jearim.

13

And they passed thence to mount Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah.

14

Then the five men that had gone to spy out the country of Laish spoke and said to their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? And now ye know what to do.

15

And they turned thither, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, the house of Micah, and inquired after his welfare.

16

And the six hundred men of the children of Dan, girded with their weapons of war, stood at the entrance of the gate.

17

And the five men that had gone to spy out the land went up, entered in thither, [and] took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men that were girded with weapons of war.

18

And these came into Micah's house, and took the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. And the priest said to them, What do ye?

19

And they said to him, Hold thy peace, lay thy hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for thee to be a priest for the house of one man, or to be priest for a tribe and a family in Israel?

20

Then the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.

21

And they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the baggage before them.

22

They were already far from the house of Micah, when the men that were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together, and overtook the children of Dan.

23

And they cried to the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said to Micah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company?

24

And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away; and what have I more? and what is this that ye say to me, What aileth thee?

25

And the children of Dan said to him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest men of exasperated spirit run upon you, and thou lose thy life and the lives of thy household.

26

And the children of Dan went their way; and Micah saw that they were too strong for him, and he turned and went back to his house.

27

And they took that which Micah had made, and the priest that he had had, and came upon Laish, upon a people quiet and secure; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burned the city with fire.

28

And there was no deliverer, for it was far from Zidon, and they had nothing to do with [any] man; and it [lay] in the valley that is by Beth-rehob. And they built the city and dwelt therein.

29

And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel; howbeit Laish was the name of the city at the first.

30

And the children of Dan set up the graven image; and Jehonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses; he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.

31

And they set up for themselves Micah's graven image, which he had made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

Judges 19

1

And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that a certain Levite, sojourning on the further side of mount Ephraim, took him a concubine out of Bethlehem-Judah.

2

And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him to her father's house to Bethlehem-Judah, and was there some time, -- four months.

3

And her husband rose up and went after her, to speak kindly to her, to bring her again; and his servant was with him, and a couple of asses. And she brought him into her father's house; and when the father of the damsel saw him he rejoiced to meet him.

4

And his father-in-law, the damsel's father, retained him, and he abode with him three days; and they ate and drank, and lodged there.

5

And it came to pass on the fourth day, that they arose early in the morning, and he rose up to depart; and the damsel's father said to his son-in-law, Refresh thy heart with a morsel of bread, and afterwards ye may go your way.

6

And they sat down, and ate and drank, both of them together. And the damsel's father said to the man, Be content, I pray thee, and pass the night, and let thy heart be glad.

7

And the man rose up to depart, but his father-in-law urged him, and he lodged there again.

8

And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart; but the damsel's father said, Refresh thy heart, I pray thee. And they lingered until the afternoon, and they did eat both of them.

9

And the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant; and his father-in-law, the damsel's father, said to him, Behold now, the day draws toward evening -- I pray you stay all night; behold, the day is declining, lodge here, and let thy heart be merry; and to-morrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go to thy tent.

10

But the man would not tarry the night; and he rose up and departed, and came opposite to Jebus, that is, Jerusalem; and there were with him two asses saddled, and his concubine was with him.

11

They were near Jebus, and the day was far spent; and the servant said to his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it.

12

But his master said to him, We will not turn aside into the city of a stranger, which is not of the children of Israel, but we will pass on to Gibeah.

13

And he said to his servant, Come and let us draw near to one of these places, and lodge in Gibeah, or in Ramah.

14

And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them [when they were] by Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin.

15

And they turned aside thither, to go in, to lodge in Gibeah. And he went in, and sat down in the open place of the city; and there was no one that received him into his house to pass the night.

16

And behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even; and the man was of mount Ephraim, and he sojourned in Gibeah; but the men of the place were Benjaminites.

17

And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfaring man in the open place of the city; and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?

18

And he said to him, We are travelling from Bethlehem-Judah towards the further side of mount Ephraim; from thence am I; and I went to Bethlehem-Judah, and I have to do with the house of Jehovah; and there is no man that receives me into his house.

19

And we have both straw and provender for our asses; and I have bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man with thy servants: there is no lack of anything.

20

Then the old man said, Peace be with thee; only let all thy wants lie on me; but lodge not in the street.

21

And he brought him into his house, and gave the asses provender; and they washed their feet, and ate and drank.

22

They were making their hearts merry, when behold, the men of the city, sons of Belial, surrounded the house, beating at the door; and they spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thy house, that we may know him.

23

And the man, the master of the house, went out to them, and said to them, No, my brethren, I pray you, do not wickedly; seeing that this man is come into my house, do not this villany.

24

Behold, my daughter, who is a virgin, and his concubine; let me bring them out, and humble ye them, and do to them as is good in your sight; but to this man do not so vile a thing.

25

But the men would not hearken to him; and the man took his concubine, and brought her forth to them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning; and let her go when the morning-dawn arose.

26

And the woman came at the dawning of the day, and fell down at the entrance of the man's house where her lord was, till it was light.

27

And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the door of the house, and went out to go his way, and behold, there lay the woman his concubine at the entrance of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold.

28

And he said to her, Up, and let us go; but no one answered. And he took her upon the ass; and the man rose up, and went to his place.

29

And when he was come into his house, he took the knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, according to her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the borders of Israel.

30

And it came to pass that every one that saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came out of Egypt to this day. Think it over, advise, and speak.

Judges 20

1

And all the children of Israel went forth, and the assembly gathered together as one man, from Dan to Beer-sheba, and the land of Gilead, unto Jehovah at Mizpah.

2

And the heads of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the congregation of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.

3

And the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpah. And the children of Israel said, Tell [us], how was this wickedness?

4

Then the Levite, the husband of the woman that was murdered, answered and said, I came to Gibeah that [belongs] to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.

5

And the citizens of Gibeah rose against me, and surrounded the house because of me, by night; they thought to slay me, and my concubine have they humbled so that she died.

6

Then I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout the country of the inheritance of Israel; for they have committed lewdness and villany in Israel.

7

Behold, all ye, children of Israel, deliberate and give here [your] counsel.

8

And all the people rose up as one man, saying, We will not any one go to his tent, neither will we any one turn into his house.

9

But now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah: [we go] by lot against it;

10

and we will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand, to fetch victuals for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the villany that they have wrought in Israel.

11

And all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.

12

And the tribes of Israel sent men to all the families of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that has been done among you?

13

And now give up the men, the sons of Belial, who are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But [the children of] Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel.

14

And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities of Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.

15

And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities, twenty-six thousand men that drew sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who were numbered seven hundred chosen men.

16

Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men left-handed; all these slang stones at a hair [breadth], and missed not.

17

And the men of Israel, besides Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.

18

And the children of Israel arose and went up to Bethel, and inquired of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And Jehovah said, Judah first.

19

And the children of Israel rose up in the morning and encamped against Gibeah.

20

And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah.

21

And the children of Benjamin went forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty-two thousand men.

22

And the people, the men of Israel, took courage, and set the battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.

23

And the children of Israel went up and wept before Jehovah until even, and inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And Jehovah said, Go up against him.

24

And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.

25

And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and again destroyed to the ground of the children of Israel eighteen thousand men: all these drew the sword.

26

Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up and came to Bethel, and wept, and abode there before Jehovah, and fasted that day until even, and offered up burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before Jehovah.

27

And the children of Israel inquired of Jehovah (and the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,

28

and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days), saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And Jehovah said, Go up; for to-morrow I will give them into thy hand.

29

And Israel set liers in wait against Gibeah, round about.

30

And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at the other times.

31

And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city, and began to smite of the people, slaying as at the former times, in the highways, of which one leads to Bethel and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel.

32

And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. And the children of Israel said, Let us flee, that we may draw them from the city to the highways.

33

And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baal-Tamar; and the ambush of Israel rushed forth out of their place, out of the meadows of Geba.

34

And there came from opposite Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was severe; but they knew not that disaster was coming upon them.

35

And Jehovah smote Benjamin before Israel; and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjaminites that day twenty-five thousand one hundred men: all these drew the sword.

36

And the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten. -- And the men of Israel gave place to Benjamin, because they trusted to the ambush that they had set against Gibeah.

37

And the ambush hasted, and fell upon Gibeah; and the ambush drew along, and smote the whole city with the edge of the sword.

38

Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the ambush, that they should make a thick column of smoke rise up out of the city.

39

And when the men of Israel turned back in the battle, Benjamin began to smite, slaying of the men of Israel about thirty men; for they said, Surely they are quite routed before us as in the first battle.

40

And when the burning began to rise up out of the city as a pillar of smoke, Benjamin looked behind, and behold, the whole city ascended [in smoke] to the heavens.

41

Then the men of Israel turned back, and the men of Benjamin were amazed, for they saw that disaster was come upon them.

42

And they turned before the men of Israel to the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and those who came out of the cities destroyed them in their midst.

43

They encompassed the Benjaminites, chased them, trode them down at the resting-place over against Gibeah toward the sun-rising.

44

And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men: all these, men of valour.

45

And they turned and fled towards the wilderness to the cliff of Rimmon, and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them to Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them.

46

So that all who fell that day of Benjamin were twenty-five thousand men that drew the sword: all these, men of valour.

47

And six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness to the cliff of Rimmon, and abode at the cliff of Rimmon four months.

48

And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of [every] city as the cattle, and all that was found; even all the cities that were found did they set on fire.

Judges 21

1

Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter to the Benjaminites as wife.

2

And the people came to Bethel, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices and wept bitterly,

3

and said, Jehovah, God of Israel, why is it come to pass in Israel, that there should be this day one tribe lacking in Israel?

4

And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered up burnt-offerings and peace-offerings.

5

And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the congregation to Jehovah? For they had [made] a great oath concerning him that came not up to Jehovah to Mizpah, saying, He shall certainly be put to death.

6

And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, To-day is one tribe extirpated from Israel.

7

What shall we do for wives for them that remain? since we have sworn by Jehovah that we will not give them of our daughters for wives.

8

And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpah to Jehovah? And behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh-Gilead, to the congregation;

9

for the people were numbered, and behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead there.

10

And the assembly sent thither twelve thousand men of the most valiant and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead with the edge of the sword, and the women and the children.

11

And this is the thing which ye shall do: ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain with man.

12

And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead four hundred young women that were virgins, who had known no man by lying with any male, and they brought them to the camp, to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

13

And the whole assembly sent to speak to the children of Benjamin that were at the cliff of Rimmon, and to proclaim peace to them.

14

And Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them the wives whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-Gilead; but even so they found not enough for them.

15

And the people repented them for Benjamin, because Jehovah had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

16

And the elders of the assembly said, What shall we do for wives for them that remain? for the women have been destroyed out of Benjamin.

17

And they said, There must be a possession for those of Benjamin that have escaped, that a tribe be not blotted out of Israel.

18

But we cannot give them wives of our daughters, for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to the Benjaminites!

19

And they said, Behold, there is a feast of Jehovah from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north side of Bethel, toward the sun-rising of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.

20

And they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;

21

and see, and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.

22

And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come to complain to us, that we will say to them, Gratify us with them, because we did not take each man his wife in the war; for ye did not give them to them, that ye should now be guilty.

23

And the children of Benjamin did so, and took wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught; and they went and returned to their inheritance, and built the cities, and dwelt in them.

24

And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance.

25

In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.

line 364.

DISCLOSURE: We may earn a commission when you use one of our coupons/links to make a purchase.

Privacy Statement - Broken Links / Suggestions / Comments Copyright © 1995-2020 Bible-Reading.com - Page last modified E-mail to Michael