Today's Reading

¹The men of Ephraim were gathered together, and passed northward; and they said to Jephthah, "Why did you pass over to fight against the children of Ammon, and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house on you with fire."

²Jephthah said to them, "I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, you did not save me out of their hand.

³When I saw that you did not save me, I put my life in my own hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the Lord delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day, to fight against me?"

⁴Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim; and the men of Gilead struck Ephraim, because they said, "You are fugitives of Ephraim, you Gileadites, in the midst of Ephraim, and in the midst of Manasseh."

⁵The Gileadites took the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. It was so, that when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, "Let me go over," the men of Gilead said to him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he said, "No";

⁶then they said to him, "Now say 'Shibboleth;'" and he said "Sibboleth"; for he couldn't manage to pronounce it right: then they seized him, and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. There fell at that time of Ephraim forty-two thousand.

⁷Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

⁸After him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.

⁹He had thirty sons; and thirty daughters he sent abroad, and thirty daughters he brought in from abroad for his sons. He judged Israel seven years.

¹⁰Ibzan died, and was buried at Bethlehem.

¹¹After him Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years.

¹²Elon the Zebulunite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.

¹³After him Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel.

¹⁴He had forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode on seventy donkey colts. And he judged Israel eight years.

¹⁵Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.

¹The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

²There was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and did not bear. .

³The angel of the Lord appeared to the woman, and said to her, "See now, you are barren, and do not bear; but you shall conceive, and bear a son.

⁴Now therefore please be careful and drink no wine nor strong drink, and do not eat any unclean thing.

⁵For behold, you shall conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head; for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb. And he shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines."

⁶Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, "A man of God came to me, and his face was like the face of the angel of God, very awesome; and I didn't ask him where he was from, neither did he tell me his name,

⁷but he said to me, 'Behold, you shall conceive, and bear a son. And now drink no wine nor strong drink, and do not eat any unclean thing; for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb until the day of his death.'"

⁸Then Manoah entreated the Lord, and said, "Oh, Lord, please let the man of God whom you did send come again to us, and teach us what we shall do to the child who shall be born."

⁹God listened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah, her husband, wasn't with her.

¹⁰The woman ran quickly, and told her husband, and said to him, "Behold, the man who came to me the other day has appeared to me."

¹¹Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said to him, "Are you the man who spoke to the woman?" He said, "I am."

¹²Manoah said, "Now let your words happen. How shall the child be raised and what is he to do?"

¹³The angel of the Lord said to Manoah, "Of all that I said to the woman let her be careful.

¹⁴She may not eat of anything that comes of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing. All that I have commanded her she is to observe."

¹⁵Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, "Please, stay a bit longer that we may prepare a young goat for you."

¹⁶The angel of the Lord said to Manoah, "Though you detain me, I won't eat of your bread. And if you prepare a burnt offering, you must offer it to the Lord." For Manoah did not know that he was the angel of the Lord.

¹⁷Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, "What is your name, that when your words come true we may honor you?"

¹⁸And the angel of the Lord said to him, "Why do you ask for my name? It is incomprehensible."

¹⁹So Manoah took the young goat and a grain offering, and offered it on the rock to the Lord, who works wonders. Then the angel did a wonderful thing as Manoah and his wife looked on.

²⁰For it happened, when the flame went up toward the sky from off the altar, that the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on, and they fell on their faces to the ground.

²¹But the angel of the Lord did not appear again to Manoah or to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the Lord.

²²Manoah said to his wife, :We shall surely die, because we have seen God."

²³But his wife said to him, "If the Lord meant to kill us, he wouldn't have received a burnt offering and a grain offering from us, neither would he have shown us all these things, nor would he have spoken to us now like this."

²⁴The woman bore a son, and named him Samson. And the child grew, and the Lord blessed him.

²⁵And the Spirit of the Lord began to direct him in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

¹Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines.

²He came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, "I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. Now therefore get her for me as wife."

³Then his father and his mother said to him, "Is there not a woman among the daughters of your brothers, or among all my people, that you go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?" And Samson said to his father, "Get her for me, for she is the right one for me."

⁴But his father and his mother did not know that it was of the Lord, for he sought for an opportunity against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines had rule over Israel.

⁵Then Samson went down with his father and his mother to Timnah, and came to the vineyards of Timnah. And behold, a young lion roared against him.

⁶And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and he tore him as he would have torn a young goat. And he had nothing in his hand, but he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.

⁷He went down and talked with the woman, and she pleased Samson.

⁸After a while he returned to take her; and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey.

⁹He took it into his hands, and went on, eating as he went. And he came to his father and mother, and gave to them, and they ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the body of the lion.

¹⁰His father went down to the woman, and Samson made a feast there, since young men used to do so.

¹¹It happened, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.

¹²Samson said to them, "Let me now put forth a riddle to you. If you can explain it to me within the seven days of the feast, and figure it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing.

¹³But if you can't explain it to me, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing." And they said to him, "Propose your riddle, we want to hear it."

¹⁴He said to them, "Out of the eater came forth food. Out of the strong came forth sweetness." They couldn't in three days declare the riddle.

¹⁵And it happened on the seventh day, that they said to Samson's wife, "Entice your husband, that he may tell us the riddle, lest we burn you and your father's house with fire. Have you called us to impoverish us? Is it not so?"

¹⁶Samson's wife wept before him, and said, "You just hate me, and do not love me. You have put forth a riddle to the children of my people, and haven't told it me." And he said to her, "Behold, I haven't told it to my father or my mother, and shall I tell you?"

¹⁷She wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it happened on the seventh day, that he told her, because she pressed him sore; and she told the riddle to the children of her people.

¹⁸The men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down, "What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?" He said to them, "If you hadn't plowed with my heifer, you wouldn't have found out my riddle."

¹⁹The Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and struck thirty men of them, and took their belongings, and gave their garments to those who explained the riddle. His anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.

²⁰But Samson's wife was given to his companion, who had been his friend.

¹After these things, Jesus was walking in Galilee, for he would not walk in Judea, because the Jewish leaders sought to kill him.

²Now the Jewish festival, the Feast of Tabernacles, was near.

³His brothers therefore said to him, "Depart from here, and go into Judea, that your disciples also may see your works which you do.

⁴For no one does anything in secret, and himself seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, reveal yourself to the world."

⁵For even his brothers did not believe in him.

⁶Jesus therefore said to them, "My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.

⁷The world cannot hate you, but it hates me, because I testify about it, that its works are evil.

⁸You go up to the feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, because my time is not yet fulfilled."

⁹Having said these things to them, he stayed in Galilee.

¹⁰But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly, but as it were in secret.

¹¹The Jewish leaders therefore sought him at the feast, and said, "Where is he?"

¹²There was much murmuring among the multitudes concerning him. Some said, "He is a good man." Others said, "Not so, but he leads the multitude astray."

¹³Yet no one spoke openly of him for fear of the Jewish leaders.

¹⁴But when it was now the midst of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple and taught.

¹⁵The Jewish leaders therefore marveled, saying, "How does this man know letters, having never been educated?"

¹⁶Jesus therefore answered them, "My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.

¹⁷If anyone desires to do his will, he will know about the teaching, whether it is from God, or if I am speaking from myself.

¹⁸He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory, but he who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

¹⁹Did not Moses give you the Law, and yet none of you keeps the Law? Why do you seek to kill me?"

²⁰The multitude answered, "You have a demon! Who seeks to kill you?"

²¹Jesus answered them, "I did one work, and you all marvel because of it.

²²Moses has given you circumcision (not that it is of Moses, but of the fathers), and on the Sabbath you circumcise a boy.

²³If a boy receives circumcision on the Sabbath, that the Law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me, because I made a man completely healthy on the Sabbath?

²⁴Do not judge according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment."

²⁵Therefore some of them of Jerusalem said, "Is not this he whom they seek to kill?

²⁶Behold, he speaks openly, and they say nothing to him. Can it be that the rulers indeed know that this is the Messiah?

²⁷However we know where this man comes from, but when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he comes from."

²⁸Jesus therefore called out in the temple, teaching and saying, "You both know me, and know where I am from. I have not come of myself, but he who sent me is true, whom you do not know.

²⁹I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me."

³⁰They sought therefore to take him; but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.

³¹But of the multitude, many believed in him. They said, "When the Messiah comes, he won't do more signs than those which this man has done, will he?"

³²The Pharisees heard the multitude murmuring these things concerning him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to arrest him.

³³Then Jesus said, "I will be with you a little while longer, then I go to him who sent me.

³⁴You will seek me, and won't find me; and where I am, you cannot come."

³⁵The Jewish leaders therefore said among themselves, "Where will this man go that we won't find him? Will he go to the Diaspora among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?

³⁶What is this word that he said, 'You will seek me, and won't find me; and where I am, you cannot come'?"

³⁷Now on the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink!

³⁸He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water."

³⁹But he said this about the Spirit, which those believing in him were to receive. For the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

⁴⁰Some of the multitude therefore, when they heard these words, said, "This is truly the Prophet."

⁴¹Others said, "This is the Messiah." But some said, "What, does the Messiah come out of Galilee?

⁴²Hasn't the Scripture said that the Messiah comes of the seed of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?"

⁴³So there arose a division in the multitude because of him.

⁴⁴Some of them would have arrested him, but no one laid hands on him.

⁴⁵The officers therefore came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, "Why did you not bring him?"

⁴⁶The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this man!"

⁴⁷The Pharisees therefore answered them, "You are not also led astray, are you?

⁴⁸Have any of the rulers believed in him, or of the Pharisees?

⁴⁹But this multitude that does not know the Law is accursed."

⁵⁰Nicodemus (he who came to him before, being one of them) said to them,

⁵¹"Does our Law judge a man, unless it first hears from him personally and knows what he does?"

⁵²They answered him, "Are you also from Galilee? Search, and see that no prophet has arisen out of Galilee."

⁵³Everyone went to his own house,

¹ We give thanks to you, God. We give thanks, for your Name is near. Men tell about your wondrous works.

²When I choose the appointed time, I will judge blamelessly.

³The earth and all its inhabitants quake. I firmly hold its pillars. Selah.

⁴I said to the arrogant, "Do not boast!" I said to the wicked, "Do not lift up the horn.

⁵Do not lift up your horn on high. Do not speak with a stiff neck."

⁶For neither from the east, nor from the west, nor yet from the south, comes exaltation.

⁷But God is the judge. He puts down one, and lifts up another.

⁸For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, full of foaming wine mixed with spices. He pours it out. Indeed the wicked of the earth drink and drink it to its very dregs.

⁹But I will declare this forever: I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

¹⁰I will cut off all the horns of the wicked, but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.

¹A wise son listens to his father's instruction, but a scoffer doesn't listen to rebuke.

²By the fruit of his lips, a man enjoys good things; but the unfaithful crave violence.

³He who guards his mouth guards his soul. One who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

⁴The soul of the sluggard desires, and has nothing, but the desire of the diligent shall be fully satisfied.

⁵A righteous man hates lies, but a wicked man brings shame and disgrace.

⁶Righteousness guards the way of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner.

⁷There are some who pretend to be rich, yet have nothing. There are some who pretend to be poor, yet have great wealth.

⁸The ransom of a man's life is his riches, but the poor hear no threats.

⁹The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.

¹⁰Pride only breeds quarrels, but with ones who take advice is wisdom.

¹¹Wealth gained dishonestly dwindles away, but he who gathers by hand makes it grow.

¹²Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when longing is fulfilled, it is a tree of life.

¹³Whoever despises instruction will pay for it, but he who respects a command will be rewarded.

¹⁴The teaching of the wise is a spring of life, to turn from the snares of death.

¹⁵Good understanding wins favor; but the way of the unfaithful is hard.

¹⁶Every prudent man acts from knowledge, but a fool exposes folly.

¹⁷A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a trustworthy envoy gains healing.

¹⁸Poverty and shame come to him who refuses discipline, but he who heeds correction shall be honored.

¹⁹Longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but fools detest turning from evil.

²⁰One who walks with wise men grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.

²¹Misfortune pursues sinners, but prosperity rewards the righteous.

²²A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the wealth of the sinner is stored for the righteous.

²³An abundance of food is in poor people's fields, but injustice sweeps it away.

²⁴One who spares the rod hates his son, but one who loves him is careful to discipline him.

²⁵The righteous one eats to the satisfying of his soul, but the belly of the wicked goes hungry.