Judges 11-12

New International Version

11 Jephthah^(A) the Gileadite was a mighty warrior.^(B) His father was Gilead;^(C) his mother was a prostitute.^(D) ²Gilead’s wife also bore him sons, and when they were grown up, they drove Jephthah away. “You are not going to get any inheritance in our family,” they said, “because you are the son of another woman.” ³So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob,^(E) where a gang of scoundrels^(F) gathered around him and followed him.

⁴Some time later, when the Ammonites^(G) were fighting against Israel, ⁵the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. ⁶“Come,” they said, “be our commander, so we can fight the Ammonites.”

⁷Jephthah said to them, “Didn’t you hate me and drive me from my father’s house?^(H) Why do you come to me now, when you’re in trouble?”

⁸The elders of Gilead said to him, “Nevertheless, we are turning to you now; come with us to fight the Ammonites, and you will be head^(I) over all of us who live in Gilead.”

⁹Jephthah answered, “Suppose you take me back to fight the Ammonites and the Lord gives them to me—will I really be your head?”

¹⁰The elders of Gilead replied, “The Lord is our witness;^(J) we will certainly do as you say.” ¹¹So Jephthah went with the elders^(K) of Gilead, and the people made him head and commander over them. And he repeated^(L) all his words before the Lord in Mizpah.^(M)

¹²Then Jephthah sent messengers to the Ammonite king with the question: “What do you have against me that you have attacked my country?”

¹³The king of the Ammonites answered Jephthah’s messengers, “When Israel came up out of Egypt, they took away my land from the Arnon^(N) to the Jabbok,^(O) all the way to the Jordan. Now give it back peaceably.”

¹⁴Jephthah sent back messengers to the Ammonite king, ¹⁵saying:

“This is what Jephthah says: Israel did not take the land of Moab^(P) or the land of the Ammonites.^(Q) ¹⁶But when they came up out of Egypt, Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea^[a]^(R) and on to Kadesh.^(S) ¹⁷Then Israel sent messengers^(T) to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Give us permission to go through your country,’^(U) but the king of Edom would not listen. They sent also to the king of Moab,^(V) and he refused.^(W) So Israel stayed at Kadesh.

¹⁸“Next they traveled through the wilderness, skirted the lands of Edom^(X) and Moab, passed along the eastern side^(Y) of the country of Moab, and camped on the other side of the Arnon.^(Z) They did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was its border.

¹⁹“Then Israel sent messengers^(AA) to Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon,^(AB) and said to him, ‘Let us pass through your country to our own place.’^(AC) ²⁰Sihon, however, did not trust Israel^[b] to pass through his territory. He mustered all his troops and encamped at Jahaz and fought with Israel.^(AD)

²¹“Then the Lord, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and his whole army into Israel’s hands, and they defeated them. Israel took over all the land of the Amorites who lived in that country, ²²capturing all of it from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the desert to the Jordan.^(AE)

²³“Now since the Lord, the God of Israel, has driven the Amorites out before his people Israel, what right have you to take it over? ²⁴Will you not take what your god Chemosh^(AF) gives you? Likewise, whatever the Lord our God has given us,^(AG) we will possess. ²⁵Are you any better than Balak son of Zippor,^(AH) king of Moab? Did he ever quarrel with Israel or fight with them?^(AI) ²⁶For three hundred years Israel occupied^(AJ) Heshbon, Aroer,^(AK) the surrounding settlements and all the towns along the Arnon. Why didn’t you retake them during that time? ²⁷I have not wronged you, but you are doing me wrong by waging war against me. Let the Lord, the Judge,^(AL) decide^(AM) the dispute this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites.^(AN)”

²⁸The king of Ammon, however, paid no attention to the message Jephthah sent him.

²⁹Then the Spirit^(AO) of the Lord came on Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah^(AP) of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Ammonites.^(AQ) ³⁰And Jephthah made a vow^(AR) to the Lord: “If you give the Ammonites into my hands, ³¹whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph^(AS) from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.^(AT)”

³²Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into his hands. ³³He devastated twenty towns from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith,^(AU) as far as Abel Keramim. Thus Israel subdued Ammon.

³⁴When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing^(AV) to the sound of timbrels!^(AW) She was an only child.^(AX) Except for her he had neither son nor daughter. ³⁵When he saw her, he tore his clothes^(AY) and cried, “Oh no, my daughter! You have brought me down and I am devastated. I have made a vow to the Lord that I cannot break.^(AZ)”

³⁶“My father,” she replied, “you have given your word to the Lord. Do to me just as you promised,^(BA) now that the Lord has avenged you^(BB) of your enemies,^(BC) the Ammonites. ³⁷But grant me this one request,” she said. “Give me two months to roam the hills and weep with my friends, because I will never marry.”

³⁸“You may go,” he said. And he let her go for two months. She and her friends went into the hills and wept because she would never marry. ³⁹After the two months, she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. And she was a virgin.

From this comes the Israelite tradition ⁴⁰that each year the young women of Israel go out for four days to commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.

Jephthah and Ephraim

12 The Ephraimite forces were called out, and they crossed over to Zaphon.^(BD) They said to Jephthah,^(BE) “Why did you go to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you?^(BF) We’re going to burn down your house over your head.”

²Jephthah answered, “I and my people were engaged in a great struggle with the Ammonites, and although I called, you didn’t save me out of their hands. ³When I saw that you wouldn’t help, I took my life in my hands^(BG) and crossed over to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave me the victory^(BH) over them. Now why have you come up today to fight me?”

⁴Jephthah then called together the men of Gilead^(BI) and fought against Ephraim. The Gileadites struck them down because the Ephraimites had said, “You Gileadites are renegades from Ephraim and Manasseh.^(BJ)” ⁵The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan^(BK) leading to Ephraim, and whenever a survivor of Ephraim said, “Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead asked him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he replied, “No,” ⁶they said, “All right, say ‘Shibboleth.’” If he said, “Sibboleth,” because he could not pronounce the word correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two thousand Ephraimites were killed at that time.

⁷Jephthah led^[c] Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in a town in Gilead.

Ibzan, Elon and Abdon

⁸After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem^(BL) led Israel. ⁹He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. He gave his daughters away in marriage to those outside his clan, and for his sons he brought in thirty young women as wives from outside his clan. Ibzan led Israel seven years. ¹⁰Then Ibzan died and was buried in Bethlehem.

¹¹After him, Elon the Zebulunite led Israel ten years. ¹²Then Elon died and was buried in Aijalon^(BM) in the land of Zebulun.

¹³After him, Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon,^(BN) led Israel. ¹⁴He had forty sons and thirty grandsons,^(BO) who rode on seventy donkeys.^(BP) He led Israel eight years. ¹⁵Then Abdon son of Hillel died and was buried at Pirathon in Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.^(BQ)

Footnotes

Judges 11:16 Or the Sea of Reeds
Judges 11:20 Or however, would not make an agreement for Israel
Judges 12:7 Traditionally judged; also in verses 8-14

Proverbs 21

New International Version

21 In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water
that he channels toward all who please him.^(A)

²A person may think their own ways are right,
but the Lord weighs the heart.^(B)

³To do what is right and just
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.^(C)

⁴Haughty eyes^(D) and a proud heart—
the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin.

⁵The plans of the diligent lead to profit^(E)
as surely as haste leads to poverty.

⁶A fortune made by a lying tongue
is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.^[a]^(F)

⁷The violence of the wicked will drag them away,^(G)
for they refuse to do what is right.

⁸The way of the guilty is devious,^(H)
but the conduct of the innocent is upright.

⁹Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.^(I)

¹⁰The wicked crave evil;
their neighbors get no mercy from them.

¹¹When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom;
by paying attention to the wise they get knowledge.^(J)

¹²The Righteous One^[b] takes note of the house of the wicked
and brings the wicked to ruin.^(K)

¹³Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor
will also cry out^(L) and not be answered.^(M)

¹⁴A gift given in secret soothes anger,
and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.^(N)

¹⁵When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous
but terror to evildoers.^(O)

¹⁶Whoever strays from the path of prudence
comes to rest in the company of the dead.^(P)

¹⁷Whoever loves pleasure will become poor;
whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.^(Q)

¹⁸The wicked become a ransom^(R) for the righteous,
and the unfaithful for the upright.

¹⁹Better to live in a desert
than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.^(S)

²⁰The wise store up choice food and olive oil,
but fools gulp theirs down.

²¹Whoever pursues righteousness and love
finds life, prosperity^[c]^(T) and honor.^(U)

²²One who is wise can go up against the city of the mighty^(V)
and pull down the stronghold in which they trust.

²³Those who guard their mouths^(W) and their tongues
keep themselves from calamity.^(X)

²⁴The proud and arrogant person^(Y)—“Mocker” is his name—
behaves with insolent fury.

²⁵The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him,^(Z)
because his hands refuse to work.
²⁶All day long he craves for more,
but the righteous^(AA) give without sparing.^(AB)

²⁷The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable^(AC)—
how much more so when brought with evil intent!^(AD)

²⁸A false witness^(AE) will perish,^(AF)
but a careful listener will testify successfully.

²⁹The wicked put up a bold front,
but the upright give thought to their ways.^(AG)

³⁰There is no wisdom,^(AH) no insight, no plan
that can succeed against the Lord.^(AI)

³¹The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but victory rests with the Lord.^(AJ)

Footnotes

Proverbs 21:6 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts vapor for those who seek death
Proverbs 21:12 Or The righteous person
Proverbs 21:21 Or righteousness

Revelation 16

New International Version

The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath

16 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple^(A) saying to the seven angels,^(B) “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.”^(C)

²The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land,^(D) and ugly, festering sores^(E) broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.^(F)

³The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.^(G)

⁴The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water,^(H) and they became blood.^(I) ⁵Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say:

“You are just in these judgments,^(J) O Holy One,^(K)
you who are and who were;^(L)
⁶for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets,^(M)
and you have given them blood to drink^(N) as they deserve.”

⁷And I heard the altar^(O) respond:

“Yes, Lord God Almighty,^(P)
true and just are your judgments.”^(Q)

⁸The fourth angel^(R) poured out his bowl on the sun,^(S) and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire.^(T) ⁹They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God,^(U) who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent^(V) and glorify him.^(W)

¹⁰The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast,^(X) and its kingdom was plunged into darkness.^(Y) People gnawed their tongues in agony ¹¹and cursed^(Z) the God of heaven^(AA) because of their pains and their sores,^(AB) but they refused to repent of what they had done.^(AC)

¹²The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates,^(AD) and its water was dried up to prepare the way^(AE) for the kings from the East.^(AF) ¹³Then I saw three impure spirits^(AG) that looked like frogs;^(AH) they came out of the mouth of the dragon,^(AI) out of the mouth of the beast^(AJ) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.^(AK) ¹⁴They are demonic spirits^(AL) that perform signs,^(AM) and they go out to the kings of the whole world,^(AN) to gather them for the battle^(AO) on the great day^(AP) of God Almighty.

¹⁵“Look, I come like a thief!^(AQ) Blessed is the one who stays awake^(AR) and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.”^(AS)

¹⁶Then they gathered the kings together^(AT) to the place that in Hebrew^(AU) is called Armageddon.^(AV)

¹⁷The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air,^(AW) and out of the temple^(AX) came a loud voice^(AY) from the throne, saying, “It is done!”^(AZ) ¹⁸Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder^(BA) and a severe earthquake.^(BB) No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth,^(BC) so tremendous was the quake. ¹⁹The great city^(BD) split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered^(BE) Babylon the Great^(BF) and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath.^(BG) ²⁰Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found.^(BH) ²¹From the sky huge hailstones,^(BI) each weighing about a hundred pounds,^[a] fell on people. And they cursed God^(BJ) on account of the plague of hail,^(BK) because the plague was so terrible.