Monday, October 20, 2014

Judges, Day 1 Readings

The Rise of Judges and the Leadership of Deborah  

Today's first reading tells what happened in the aftermath of Joshua's death.  Without a strong central leader, the Hebrews became more tribal, with occasional strong leaders called judges taking charge.  Also, without a central leader, the people begin to stray in their faith, causing God to test them.

Read Judges 2:1-23  (NIV)   (NRSV)   (CEB)
[links to Bible Gateway open in a new window]

The second selection tells of the prophet Deborah, one of these tribal judges, who dictated how the Hebrews would defeat the Canaanite army, with its king meeting a gruesome death at the hand of another woman, Jael.

Read Judges 4:1-22  (NIV)   (NRSV)   (CEB)
[links to Bible Gateway open in a new window]

Reading the Bible in Its Entirety

If you are planning to read the Bible in its entirety, you should read Judges 1-4 today.