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Take a breath, find your place, and read deeply. Discover the joy of reading God’s word with the Immerse New Living Translation (NLT) Bible.
This daily Bible podcast will take you through the Bible in a year following the Immerse Bible Reading Experience. So grab your family and small group and go through the Bible in a year together with Immerse. Each of the 6 volumes is available online or at your favorite Christian bookstore.
Ethan: Welcome to Immerse: the
daily bible reading experience.
Day 100 and 80
now, in those days, Israel had no king.
There was a man from the tribe
of Levi living in a remote area
of the hill country of Efraim.
One day he brought home a woman from
Bethlehem in Judah to be his concubine,
but she became angry with him and returned
to her father's home in Bethlehem.
After about four months, her husband set
out for Bethlehem to speak personally
to her and persuade her to come back.
He took with him a servant
and a pair of donkeys.
When he arrived at her father's house,
her father saw him and welcomed him.
Her father urged him to stay a
while, so he stayed three days
eating, drinking, and sleeping there.
On the fourth day, the man was up
early, ready to leave, but the woman's
father said to his son-in-law, Have
something to eat before you go.
So the two men sat down together
and had something to eat and drink.
Then the woman's father said, please
stay another night and enjoy yourself.
The man got up to leave, but his
father-in-law kept urging him to stay.
So he finally gave in
and stayed the night.
On the morning of the fifth day,
he was up early again, ready to
leave, and again, the woman's father
said, Have something to eat, then
you can leave later this afternoon.
So they had another day of feasting
later as the man and his concubine
and servant were preparing to leave.
His father-in-law said,
look, it's almost evening.
Stay the night and
enjoy yourself tomorrow.
You can get up early and be on your way.
But this time, the man
was determined to leave.
So he took his two saddle donkeys
and his concubine and headed in the
direction of jva that is Jerusalem.
It was late in the day when they
near jva, and the man's servant said
to him, let's stop at this Jebusite
town and spend the night there.
No, his master said, we can't
stay in this foreign town
where there are no Israelites.
Instead, we will go on to Gibbon.
Come on, let's try to get as far
as Gibbon or Rama and we'll spend
the night in one of those towns.
So they went on, the sun was
setting as they came to Gibbon,
a town in the land of Benjamin.
So they stopped there to spend the night.
They rested in the town square, but
no one took them in for the night.
That evening, an old man came
home from his work in the fields.
He was from the Hill country of Raim,
but he was living in Gibbon where the
people were from the tribe of Benjamin.
When he saw the travelers sitting in the
town square, he asked them where they
were from and where they were going.
We have been in Bethlehem, in Judah,
the man replied, we are on our
way to a remote area in the hill
country of Rahe, which is my home.
I travel to Bethlehem and
now I'm returning home.
But no one has taken us in for the night.
Even though we have everything we need,
we have straw and feed for our donkeys and
plenty of bread and wine for ourselves.
You are welcome to stay with me.
The old man said, I will give you anything
you might need, but whatever you do,
don't spend the night in the square.
So he took them home with
him and fed the donkeys.
After they washed their feet,
they ate and drank together.
While they were enjoying themselves,
a crowd of troublemakers from
the town surrounded the house.
They began beating at the door
and shouting to the old man, bring
out the man who was staying with
you so we can have sex with him.
The old man stepped
outside to talk to them.
No, my brothers don't do such
an evil thing for this man.
As a guest in my house and
such a thing would be shameful.
Here, take my virgin daughter
and this man's concubine.
I will bring them out to you
and you can abuse them and do
whatever you like, but don't do
such a shameful thing to this man.
But they wouldn't listen to him.
So the Levi took hold of his
concubine and pushed her out the door.
The men of the town abused her all night,
taking turns raping her until morning.
Finally, at dawn, they let her go.
At Daybreak, the woman returned to the
house where her husband was staying.
She collapsed at the door of the house
and lay there until it was light.
When her husband opened the door to leave
there, lay his concubine with her hands on
the threshold, he said, get up, let's go.
But there was no answer.
So he put her body and his
donkey and took her home.
When he got home, he took a knife and
cut his concubine body into 12 pieces.
Then he sent one piece to each tribe
throughout all the territory of Israel.
Everyone who saw it said such a horrible
crime has not been committed in all
the time since Israel left Egypt.
Think about it.
What are we going to do?
Who's going to speak up
than all the Israelites?
Were united as one man from Dan in
the North to Sheba in the South,
including those from across the
Jordan and the land of Gilead.
The entire community assembled in
the presence of the Lord and Miss
Pa, the leaders of all the people
and all the tribes of Israel.
400,000 warriors, armed with
swords, took their positions in
the assembly of the people of God.
Word soon reached the land of Benjamin
that the other tribes had gone up to.
Miss Pa.
The Israelites then asked how
this terrible crime had happened.
The Levite, the husband of the woman who
had been murdered, said, My concubine
and I came to spend the night in Gibbon,
a town that belongs to the people
of Benjamin That night, some of the
leading citizens of Gibbon surrounded
the house planning to kill me, and they
raped my concubine until she was dead.
So I cut her body into 12 pieces and
sent the pieces throughout the territory
assigned to Israel for these men have
committed a terrible and shameful crime.
Now, then all of you, the entire
community of Israel must decide here
and now what should be done about this?
And all the people rose to their
feet in unison and declared,
none of us will return home.
No, not even one of us.
Instead, this is what
we will do to GI you.
We will draw lots to
decide who will attack it.
One 10th of the man from
each tribe will be chosen to
supply the Warriors with food.
And the rest of us will take revenge
on Gia of Benjamin for the shameful
thing they have done in Israel.
So all the Israelite were
completely united and they gathered
together to attack the town.
The Israelites sent messengers to
the tribe of Benjamin saying what a
terrible thing has been done among you.
Give up those evil men, those
troublemakers from Gibbon
so we can execute them and
purge Israel of this evil.
The people of Benjamin would not listen.
Instead, they came from their
towns and gathered at Gibbon
to fight the Israelites.
And all 26,000 of their warriors
armed with swords arrived in Gibbon
to join the 700 elite troops who lived
there among Benjamin's elite troops.
700 were left-handed, and each of them
could sling a rock and hit a target
within a hair's breath without missing.
Israel had 400,000 experienced
soldiers armed with swords, not
counting Benjamin's warriors.
Before the battle, the Israelites went to
Bethel and asked God, which tribe should
go first to attack the people of Benjamin?
The Lord answered, Judah is to go first.
So the Israelites left early the
next morning and camped near Gibbon.
Then they advanced toward Gibbon
to attack the men of Benjamin.
But Benjamin's warriors who were defending
the town came out and killed 22,000
Israelites on the battlefield that day.
But the Israelites encouraged each other
and took their positions again at the same
place they had fought the previous day
for they had gone up to Bethel and wept
in the presence of the Lord until evening.
They had asked the Lord, should we fight
against our relatives from Benjamin again?
And the Lord had said, Go
out and fight against them.
So the next day, they went out again
to fight against the men of Benjamin,
but the men of Benjamin killed
another 18,000 Israelites, all of
whom were experienced with the sword.
Then all the Israelites went up to
Bethel and wept and the presence of
the Lord and fasted until evening.
They also brought burnt offerings
and peace offerings to the Lord.
The Israelites went up seeking
direction from the Lord.
In those days, the arc of the
covenant of God was in Bethel
and Phineas, son of Eliezer and
grandson of Aaron was the priest.
The Israelites asked the Lord, should
we fight against our relatives from
Benjamin again or should we stop?
The Lord said, go tomorrow.
I will hand them over to you.
So the Israelites set an
ambush all around Gibbon.
They went out on the third
day and took their positions
at the same place as before.
When the Man of Benjamin came out to
attack, they were drawn away from the
town, and as they had done before,
they began to kill the Israelites.
About 30 Israelites died in the
open fields and along the roads.
One leading to Bethel and the
other leading back to Gia.
Then the Warriors of Benjamin Shouted
were defeating them as we did before.
But the Israelites had planned in
advance to run away so that the men
of Benjamin would chase them along the
roads and be drawn away from the town.
When the main group of Israelite
warriors reached Baal Tamar, they
turned and took up their positions.
Meanwhile, the Israelites
hiding and ambush to the west
of Gibeah jumped up to fight.
There were 10,000 elite Israelite
troops who advanced against Gia.
The fighting was so heavy that Benjamin
didn't realize the impending disaster.
So the Lord helped Israel defeat
Benjamin, and that day the Israelites
killed 25,100 of Benjamin's warriors,
all of whom were experienced swordsmen.
Then the men of Benjamin
saw that they were beaten.
The Israelites had retreated from
Benjamin's warriors in order to
give those hiding and ambush more
room to maneuver against Gibbon.
Then those who were hiding rushed in from
all sides and killed everyone in the town.
They had arranged to send up a large
cloud of smoke from the town as a signal.
When the Israelites saw the smoke, they
turned and attacked Benjamin's warriors.
By that time, Benjamin's warriors
had killed about 30 Israelites,
and they shouted we're defeating
them as we did in the first battle.
But when the Warriors of Benjamin looked
behind them and saw the smoke rising
into the sky from every part of the town,
the men of Israel turned and attacked.
At this point, the men of Benjamin
became terrified because they
realized disaster was close at hand.
So they turned around and fled before
the Israelites toward the wilderness,
but they couldn't escape the battle,
and the people who came out of
the nearby towns were also killed.
The Israelites surrounded the man of
Benjamin and chased them relentlessly.
Finally overtaking them east of Gibbon.
That day, 18,000 of Benjamin's
strongest warriors died in battle.
The survivors fled into the wilderness
toward the rock of women, but Israel
killed 5,000 of them along the road.
They continued the chase until they
had killed another 2000 near Giam.
That day, the tribe of Benjamin lost
25,000 strong warriors armed with swords,
leaving only 600 men who escaped to
the Rock of Remen, where they lived
for four months and the Israelites
returned and slaughtered every living
thing in all the towns, the people, the
livestock, and everything they found.
They also burned down all
the towns they came to.
The Israelites had vowed at mpa.
We will never give our
daughters in marriage to a man
from the tribe of Benjamin.
Now, the people went to Bethel
and sat in the presence of God
until evening, weeping loudly and
bitterly, oh Lord God of Israel.
They cried out.
Why has this happened in Israel now one
of our tribes is missing from Israel.
Early the next morning, the people
built an altar and presented their burnt
offerings and peace offerings on it.
Then they said, who among the
tribes of Israel did not join us
at MSPA when we held our assembly
in the presence of the Lord?
At that time, they had taken a solemn oath
in the Lord's presence, vowing that anyone
who refused to come would be put to death.
The Israelites felt sorry for their
brother, Benjamin, and said, today one
of the tribes of Israel has been cut off.
How can we find wives for the few who
remain since we have sworn by the Lord not
to give them our daughters and marriage?
So they asked who among the tribes of
Israel did not join us at MPA when we
assembled in the presence of the Lord
and they discovered that no one from
j b Gilead had attended the assembly
for after they counted all the people.
No one from J BSH Gilead was present.
So the assembly sent 12,000 of
their best warriors to Jesh Gilead
with orders to kill everyone there,
including women and children.
This is what you are to do.
They said, completely destroy all the
males and every woman who is not a virgin.
Among the residents of Jesh Gilead, they
found 400 young virgins who had never
slept with a man, and they brought them to
the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.
The Israelite assembly sent a
peace delegation to the remaining
people of Benjamin who were
living at the Rock of Women.
Then the man of Benjamin returned to
their homes, and the 400 women of j
b Gilead, who had been spared, were
given to them as wives, but there
were not enough women for all of them.
The people felt sorry for Benjamin
because the Lord had made this
gap among the tribes of Israel.
So the elders of the assembly asked, how
can we find wives for the few who remain?
Since the women of the tribe of
Benjamin are dead, there must be heirs
for the survivors so that an entire
tribe of Israel is not wiped out.
But we cannot give them our own daughters
and marriage because we have sworn
with a solemn oath that anyone who
does this will fall under God's curse.
Then they thought of the annual
festival of the Lord held in Shiloh,
south of Laona and north of Bethel,
along the east side of the road
that goes from Bethel to Shechem.
They told the man of Benjamin who still
needed wives go and hide in the vineyards.
When you see the young women of Shiloh
come out for their dances, rush out
from the vineyards and each of you
can take one of them home to the
land of Benjamin to be your wife.
And when their fathers and brothers
come to us and protest, we will
tell them, please be sympathetic.
Let them have your daughters for,
we didn't find wives for all of them
when we destroyed j b Gilead, and
you are not guilty of breaking the
vow since you did not actually give
your daughters to them in marriage.
So the men of Benjamin did, as they
were told, each man caught one of the
women as she danced in the celebration
and carried her off to be his wife.
They returned their own land and they
rebuilt their towns and lived in them.
Then the people of Israel departed
by tribes and families, and
they returned their own homes.
In those days, Israel had no king.
All the people did whatever
seemed right in their own eyes.
This concludes today's
Immerse Reading experience.
Thank you for joining us.