Tuesday 19 August 2031

11The Lord’s angel cameand sat under the oak which was in Ophrah,that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite.His son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press,to hide it from the Midianites.12The Lord’s angel appeared to him,and said to him, “The Lord is with you,you mighty man of valor!”

13Gideon said to him,“Oh, my lord, if the Lord is with us,why then has all this happened to us?Where are all his wondrous workswhich our fathers told us of,saying, ‘Didn’t the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’But now the Lord has cast us off,and delivered us into the hand of Midian.”

14The Lord looked at him,and said, “Go in this your might,and save Israel from the hand of Midian.Haven’t I sent you?”

15He said to him, “O Lord, how shall I save Israel?Behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh,and I am the least in my father’s house.”

16The Lord said to him,“Surely I will be with you,and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.”

17He said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight,then show me a sign that it is you who talk with me.18Please don’t go away until I come to you,and bring out my present,and lay it before you.”

He said, “I will wait until you come back.”

19Gideon went in and prepared a young goatand unleavened cakes of an ephah of meal.He put the meat in a basket and he put the broth in a pot,and brought it out to him under the oak, and presented it.

20The angel of God said to him,“Take the meat and the unleavened cakes,and lay them on this rock,and pour out the broth.”

He did so.21Then the Lord’s angel stretched out the end of the staffthat was in his hand,and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes;and fire went up out of the rockand consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes.Then the Lord’s angel departed out of his sight.

22Gideon saw that he was the Lord’s angel;and Gideon said, “Alas, Lord GOD!Because I have seen the Lord’s angel face to face!”

23The Lord said to him, “Peace be to you!Don’t be afraid.You shall not die.”

24Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord,and called it “The Lord is Peace.”To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

9I will hear what God, the Lord, will speak,for he will speak peace to his people, his saints;but let them not turn again to folly.

11Mercy and truth meet together.Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.12Truth springs out of the earth.Righteousness has looked down from heaven.

13Yes, the Lord will give that which is good.Our land will yield its increase.14Righteousness goes before him,and prepares the way for his steps.

23Jesus said to his disciples,“Most certainly I say to you,a rich man will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven with difficulty.24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter into God’s Kingdom.”

25When the disciples heard it,they were exceedingly astonished,saying, “Who then can be saved?”

26Looking at them, Jesus said,“With men this is impossible,but with God all things are possible.”

27Then Peter answered,“Behold, we have left everything and followed you.What then will we have?”

28Jesus said to them,“Most certainly I tell you that you who have followed me,in the regenerationwhen the Son of Man will sit on the throne of his glory,you also will sit on twelve thrones,judging the twelve tribes of Israel.29Everyone who has left houses,or brothers, or sisters,or father, or mother,or wife, or children,or lands, for my name’s sake,will receive one hundred times,and will inherit eternal life.30But many will be last who are first,and first who are last.