71 Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon ) and all the people who were with him, rose early and camped beside the spring of Harod ; and the camp of Midian was on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley . 2 The Lord said to Gideon , "The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands , for Israel would become boastful , saying , 'My own power has delivered me.' 3 "Now therefore come , proclaim in the hearing of the people , saying , ' Whoever is afraid and trembling , let him return and depart from Mount Gilead .' " So 22,000 e e people returned , but 10,000 e remained . 4 Then the Lord said to Gideon , "The people are still too many ; bring them down to the water and I will test them for you there . Therefore it shall be that he of whom I say to you, 'This one shall go with you,' he shall go with you; but everyone of whom I say to you, 'This one shall not go with you,' he shall not go ." 5 So he brought the people down to the water . And the Lord said to Gideon , "You shall separate everyone who laps the water with his tongue as a dog laps , as well as everyone who kneels e to drink ." 6 Now the number of those who lapped , putting their hand to their mouth , was 300 e men ; but all the rest of the people kneeled e to drink water . 7 The Lord said to Gideon , "I will deliver you with the 300 e men who lapped and will give the Midianites into your hands ; so let all the other people go , each man to his home ." 8 So the 300 men took the people's provisions and their trumpets into their hands . And Gideon sent all the other men of Israel , each to his tent , but retained the 300 e men ; and the camp of Midian was below e him in the valley .
9 Now the same night it came about that the Lord said to him, "Arise , go down against the camp , for I have given it into your hands . 10 "But if you are afraid to go down , go with Purah your servant down to the camp , 11 and you will hear what they say ; and afterward your hands will be strengthened that you may go down against the camp ." So he went with Purah his servant down to the outposts of the army that was in the camp . 12 Now the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the sons of the east were lying in the valley as numerous as locusts ; and their camels were without number , as numerous as the sand on the seashore e . 13 When Gideon came , behold , a man was relating a dream to his friend . And he said , "Behold , I had a dream ; a loaf of barley bread was tumbling into the camp of Midian , and it came to the tent and struck it so that it fell , and turned it upside down so that the tent lay flat ." 14 His friend replied , "This is nothing less e than e the sword of Gideon the son of Joash , a man of Israel ; God has given Midian and all the camp into his hand ." 15 When Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation , he bowed in worship . He returned to the camp of Israel and said , "Arise , for the Lord has given the camp of Midian into your hands ."
16 He divided the 300 e men into three companies , and he put trumpets and empty pitchers into the hands of all of them, with torches inside the pitchers . 17 He said to them, "Look at me and do likewise . And behold , when I come to the outskirts of the camp , do as I do . 18 "When I and all who are with me blow the trumpet , then you also blow the trumpets all around the camp and say , 'For the Lord and for Gideon .' " 19 So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch , when they had just posted the watch ; and they blew the trumpets and smashed the pitchers that were in their hands . 20 When the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers , they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing , and cried , "A sword for the Lord and for Gideon !" 21 Each stood in his place around the camp ; and all the army ran , crying out as they fled . 22 When they blew 300 e trumpets , the Lord set the sword of one against another even throughout the whole army ; and the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah , as far as the edge of Abel-meholah , by Tabbath .
23 The men of Israel were summoned from Naphtali and Asher and all Manasseh , and they pursued Midian . 24 Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim , saying , "Come down against Midian and take the waters before them, as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan ." So all the men of Ephraim were summoned and they took the waters as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan . 25 They captured the two leaders of Midian , Oreb and Zeeb , and they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb , and they killed Zeeb at the wine press of Zeeb , while they pursued Midian ; and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon from across the Jordan .
81 Then the men of Ephraim said to him, " What is this thing you have done to us, not calling us when you went to fight against Midian ?" And they contended with him vigorously . 2 But he said to them, "What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer ? 3 "God has given the leaders of Midian , Oreb and Zeeb into your hands ; and what was I able to do in comparison with you?" Then their anger toward e him subsided when he said that.
4 Then Gideon and the 300 e men who were with him came to the Jordan and crossed over , weary yet pursuing . 5 He said to the men of Succoth , "Please give loaves of bread to the people who are following me, for they are weary , and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna , the kings of Midian ." 6 The leaders of Succoth said , " Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hands , that we should give bread to your army ?" 7 Gideon said , "All right , when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand , then I will thrash your bodies with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers ." 8 He went up from there to Penuel and spoke similarly to them; and the men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth had answered . 9 So he spoke also to the men of Penuel , saying , "When I return safely , I will tear down this tower ." 10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor , and their armies with them, about 15,000 e e men, all who were left of the entire army of the sons of the east ; for the fallen were 120,000 e e swordsmen e e . 11 Gideon went up by the way of those who lived in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah , and attacked the camp when the camp was unsuspecting . 12 When Zebah and Zalmunna fled , he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian , Zebah and Zalmunna , and routed the whole army . 13 Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle by the ascent of Heres . 14 And he captured a youth from Succoth and questioned him. Then the youth wrote down for him the princes of Succoth and its elders , seventy-seven men . 15 He came to the men of Succoth and said , "Behold Zebah and Zalmunna , concerning whom you taunted me, saying , ' Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand , that we should give bread to your men who are weary ?' " 16 He took the elders of the city , and thorns of the wilderness and briers , and he disciplined the men of Succoth with them. 17 He tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city .
18 Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna , "What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor ?" And they said , "They were like you, each one resembling the son of a king ." 19 He said , "They were my brothers , the sons of my mother . As the Lord lives , if only you had let them live , I would not kill you." 20 So he said to Jether his firstborn , "Rise , kill them." But the youth did not draw his sword , for he was afraid , because he was still a youth . 21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said , "Rise up yourself , and fall on us; for as the man , so is his strength ." So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna , and took the crescent ornaments which were on their camels' necks .
22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon , "Rule over us, both you and your son , also your son's son , for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian ." 23 But Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the Lord shall rule over you." 24 Yet Gideon said to them, "I would request e of you, that each of you give me an earring from his spoil ." (For they had gold earrings , because they were Ishmaelites .) 25 They said , "We will surely give them." So they spread out a garment , and every one of them threw an earring there from his spoil . 26 The weight of the gold earrings that he requested was 1,700 e e shekels of gold , besides e the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple robes which were on the kings of Midian , and besides e the neck bands that were on their camels' necks . 27 Gideon made it into an ephod , and placed it in his city , Ophrah , and all Israel played the harlot with it there , so that it became a snare to Gideon and his household . 28 So Midian was subdued before the sons of Israel , and they did not lift up their heads anymore . And the land was undisturbed for forty years in the days of Gideon .
29 Then Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house . 30 Now Gideon had seventy sons who were his direct descendants , for he had many wives . 31 His concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son , and he named e him Abimelech . 32 And Gideon the son of Joash died at a ripe old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash , in Ophrah of the Abiezrites . 33 Then it came about, as soon as Gideon was dead , that the sons of Israel again played the harlot with the Baals , and made Baal-berith their god . 34 Thus the sons of Israel did not remember the Lord their God , who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side ; 35 nor did they show kindness to the household of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon ) in accord with all the good that he had done to Israel .
51 Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God , He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret ; 2 and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake ; but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets . 3 And He got into one of the boats , which was Simon's , and asked him to put out a little way from the land . And He sat down and began teaching the people from the boat . 4 When He had finished speaking , He said to Simon , "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch ." 5 Simon answered and said , " Master , we worked hard all night and caught nothing , but I will do as You say and let down the nets ." 6 When they had done this , they enclosed a great quantity of fish , and their nets began to break ; 7 so they signaled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats , so that they began to sink . 8 But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus' feet , saying , "Go away from me Lord , for I am a sinful man , O Lord !" 9 For amazement had seized him and all his companions e because of the catch of fish which they had taken ; 10 and so also were James and John , sons of Zebedee , who were partners with Simon . And Jesus said to Simon , " Do not fear , from now on you will be catching men ." 11 When they had brought their boats to land , they left everything and followed Him.
12 While He was in one of the cities , behold , there was a man covered with leprosy ; and when he saw Jesus , he fell on his face and implored Him, saying , "Lord , if You are willing , You can make me clean ." 13 And He stretched out His hand and touched him, saying , "I am willing ; be cleansed ." And immediately the leprosy left him. 14 And He ordered him to tell no one , "But go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing , just as Moses commanded , as a testimony to them." 15 But the news about Him was spreading even farther , and large crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses . 16 But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray .
(Read Luke 5:1-11)
When Christ had done preaching, he told Peter to apply to the business of his calling. Time spent on week days in public exercises of religion, need be but little hinderance in time, and may be great furtherance to us in temper of mind, as to our worldly business. With what cheerfulness may we go about the duties of our calling, when we have been with God, and thus have our worldly employments sanctified to us by the word and prayer! Though they had taken nothing, yet Christ told them to let down their nets again. We must not abruptly quit our callings because we have not the success in them we desire. We are likely to speed well, when we follow the guidance of Christ's word. The draught of fishes was by a miracle. We must all, like Peter, own ourselves to be sinful men, therefore Jesus Christ might justly depart from us. But we must beseech him that he would not depart; for woe unto us if the Saviour depart from sinners! Rather let us entreat him to come and dwell in our hearts by faith, that he may transform and cleanse them. These fishermen forsook all, and followed Jesus, when their calling prospered. When riches increase, and we are tempted to set our hearts upon them, then to quit them for Christ is thankworthy.
(Read Luke 5:12-16)
This man is said to be full of leprosy; he had that distemper in a high degree, which represents our natural pollution by sin; we are full of that leprosy; from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot there is no soundness in us. Strong confidence and deep humility are united in the words of this leper. And if any sinner, from a deep sense of vileness, says, I know the Lord can cleanse, but will he look upon such a one as me? will he apply his own precious blood for my cleansing and healing? Yes, he will. Speak not as doubting, but as humbly referring the matter to Christ. And being saved from the guilt and power of our sins, let us spread abroad Christ's fame, and bring others to hear him and to be healed.
