Joshua 4-6
1 Now when all the people finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying, 2 “Take men from the people, one from each tribe, 3 and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve prepared stones from the midst of the Jordan and carry these together with you. Put them in your encampment where you will set up camp tonight.’ ” 4 So among the sons of Israel, Joshua called twelve men of high repute, one from each tribe. 5 He said to them, “Draw near in front of me in the Lord’s presence into the midst of the Jordan, and let each take up a stone and carry it on his shoulders, according to the number of the twelve tribes of Israel, 6 so these might be an appointed sign for you continually, that when your son asks you tomorrow, saying, ‘What are these stones to you?’ 7 then you will declare to your son, saying, ‘The Jordan River dried up before the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth when it crossed over’; and these stones shall be a memorial for you, for the sons of Israel forever.”
8 So the sons of Israel did as the Lord commanded Joshua; and they took twelve stones from the midst of the Jordan, as the Lord directed Joshua, when the children of Israel had completely crossed over, and carried these stones with them into the encampment and set them there. 9 Then Joshua also set another twelve stones in the Jordan itself, in the place walked on by the feet of the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord. They are there to this day. 10 The priests who carried the ark of the covenant stood in the Jordan until Joshua had completed all the Lord commanded him to proclaim to the people; and the people hastened and crossed over.
11 Then it came to pass, when all the people finished crossing over, that the ark of the covenant of the Lord crossed over, and the stones before them. 12 The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh also crossed over, well-armed before the sons of Israel, as Moses commanded them. 13 Forty thousand men armed for war crossed before the Lord for battle against the city of Jericho. 14 On that day, the Lord magnified Joshua before all the nation of Israel, and they feared him as long as he lived, as they did Moses.
15 Then the Lord spoke to Joshua saying, 16 “Command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant of the testimony of the Lord to come up from the Jordan.” 17 So Joshua commanded the priests, saying, “Go out from the Jordan.” 18 Then it came to pass, when the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stepped out from the Jordan and set their feet on land, the water of the Jordan returned to its place, and went as before over all its banks.
19 Now the people went up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and the children of Israel camped at Gilgal in the region eastward from Jericho. 20 Then Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones he took from the Jordan, 21 saying, “When your children ask you, ‘What are these stones?’ 22 then tell your children that Israel crossed the Jordan on dry land; 23 that the Lord our God dried up the water of the Jordan from before them until they all crossed over, as the Lord our God did to the Red Sea, which the Lord our God dried up before us until we crossed over; 24 that all the nations of the land might know that the power of the Lord is mighty; and that you might worship the Lord your God in every age.”
1 Then it came to pass, when the kings of the Amorites on the other side of the Jordan and the kings of the Phoenicians near the sea heard that the Lord God had dried up the Jordan River before the children of Israel when they crossed over, their minds fainted, they were panic-stricken, and there was no more sense left in them because of the presence of the children of Israel.
Circumcision at Gilgal
2 At about this time, the Lord said to Joshua, “Make stone knives for yourself from a sharp rock, and sit down and circumcise the sons of Israel.” 3 So Joshua made sharp stone knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at the place called the Hill of Foreskins. 4 In this manner, Joshua completely purified the sons of Israel, as many as were born at any time along the way and as many as were uncircumcised after they came out of Egypt. 5 Joshua circumcised all these. 6 For Israel lived in the Madbarite desert for forty-two years; therefore, most of their fighting men who came out of Egypt and who disobeyed the commandments of God were uncircumcised. Concerning these, He also determined that they would not see the land which the Lord swore to give to their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 But in their place, He raised up their sons, whom Joshua circumcised because they were born during the journey and thus were uncircumcised. 8 So when they were circumcised, they rested there and stayed in the camp until they were healed. 9 Then the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, “Today I have removed the disgrace of Egypt from you.” Thus he called the name of that place Gilgal.
10 Then the children of Israel kept Pascha on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, to the west of Jericho, across the Jordan in the plain. 11 They ate of the unleavened and new wheat of the land. 12 On this day, the manna ceased, after they ate from the wheat of the land. Thus, the children of Israel no longer had manna, for they enjoyed the fruits in the land of the Phoenicians in that year.
Captain of the Lord’s Hosts
13 Then it came to pass, when Joshua was at Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing before him with a sword drawn in his hand. So Joshua came near and said to him, “Are you for us or on the side of our adversaries?” 14 He said to him, “I am now come, the chief captain of the host of the Lord.” Then Joshua fell on his face upon the earth and said to him, “O Master, what do you command your servant?” 15 The chief captain of the Lord said to Joshua, “Loose the shoe from your feet; for the place on which you stand is holy.”
The Defeat of Jericho
1 Jericho was enclosed and fortified, and no one went out of or into it. 2 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Behold, I will deliver Jericho into your hand, its king and its army of soldiers who are mighty. 3 But place your soldiers around it, 4 and it shall come to pass that when you sound with the trumpet, let all the people shout together, and when they shout, the walls of the city shall fall by themselves; and all the people will enter, each rushing throughout the entire area of the city.”
5 So Joshua the son of Nun went to the priests 6 and he spoke to them, saying, “Command the people to go around and surround the city, and let the men of war pass on armed before the Lord. 7 Let seven priests holding seven holy trumpets likewise pass by before the Lord, and let them signal vigorously; and let the ark of the covenant of the Lord follow after them. 8 Let the men of war go in front; and let the priests be the rear guard behind the ark of the covenant of the Lord as they proceed, and sound the trumpets.”
9 Now Joshua gave a command to the people, saying, “Do not shout, nor let anyone hear your voice, until the day I myself tell you to shout, and then shout.” 10 So when the ark of the covenant of God went around the city, it immediately returned into the camp and lodged there. 11 Then on the second day, Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the covenant of the Lord. 12 Seven priests carried seven trumpets and went on before the Lord. The armed men followed after with the rest of the multitude behind the ark of the covenant of the Lord. Then the priests sounded the trumpets, and all the rest of the multitude encircled the city from close by, 13 then again went back to the camp. They did this for six days.
14 On the seventh day, they rose early in the morning and went around the city six times. 15 Then it came to pass that as they marched around the seventh time, the priests blew the trumpets, and Joshua said to the sons of Israel, “Shout, for indeed the Lord has handed over the city to you. 16 For the city shall be accursed by the Lord, it and whatever is in it. However, preserve Rahab the harlot and whatever is in her house. 17 But be very careful to keep yourself from what is accursed, lest you yourself consider to take from it what is accursed, and then you shall make the camp of the children of Israel a curse and destroy us. 18 But all the silver, the gold, the bronze or the iron shall be holy to the Lord and brought in to the treasury of the Lord.” 19 So the priests sounded the trumpets, and when the people heard the sound of the trumpets, all the people shouted together with a great and mighty shout. Then the entire wall fell round about, and all the people went into the city.
20 Joshua put the city under a curse with the edge of the sword, and whatever was in it: from man to woman, from young man to old man, and from calf to donkey. 21 Then Joshua said to the two young men who acted as spies, “Go into the house of the woman, and bring her out from there, and whatever she has.” 22 So the two young men who had spied out the city went into the house of the woman and brought out Rahab the harlot, her father and mother, and her brothers and kindred, and all she possessed. They set her outside the camp of Israel, 23 and the city, with everyone in it, was set on fire; but the silver, the gold, the bronze, and the iron they brought into the treasury of the Lord.
24 Thus Joshua kept alive Rahab the harlot and all the house of her father, and caused her to dwell in Israel to this very day, because she hid the spies Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. 25 Joshua adjured Israel on that day before the Lord, saying, “Cursed be the man who rebuilds that city. He shall lay its foundation in his firstborn son, and he shall set up its gates with his youngest son.” Thus did Hiel from Bethel. He laid its foundation in Abiram, his firstborn son, and he set up its gates with Segub, his youngest surviving son.
26 So the Lord was with Joshua, and his name was known throughout all the land.
Psalm 67:1–20
1 For the End; a psalm of an ode; by David.
2 Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered,
And let those who hate Him flee from before His face.
3 As smoke vanishes, so let them vanish;
As wax melts before the fire,
So let the sinners perish from the face of God.
4 And let the righteous be glad;
Let them greatly rejoice before God;
Let them be glad with merriment.
5 Sing to God; sing to His name;
Make ready the way for Him
Who rides upon the sunset;
His name is the Lord;
And greatly rejoice before Him.
Let them be troubled before His face,
6 He who is the father of orphans and the judge of widows;
God is in His holy place.
7 God settles the solitary in a house;
With courage He leads out those in bondage,
Likewise those who rebel, who dwell in tombs.
8 O God, when You went forth before Your people,
When You passed through the desert,
(Pause)
9 The earth shook; truly the heavens let the rain fall,
Before the face of the God of Sinai,
Before the face of the God of Israel.
10 You, O God, willingly grant rain to Your inheritance,
And it was weakened, but You restored it.
11 Your creatures are dwelling in it;
In Your goodness, O God, You provide for the poor.
12 The Lord will give His word
To those proclaiming the gospel with great power,
13 He who is the King of hosts of the beloved,
That He may divide the booty for the beauty of the house.
14 If you fall asleep in the midst of your portions,
You will have the wings of a dove, all covered with silver,
And her back with yellow gold.
(Pause)
15 When the heavenly One appoints kings over it,
They shall become as white as the snow on Zalmon.
16 The mountain of God is a fertile mountain,
A mountain richly curdled with milk, a fat mountain.
17 Why do you think about other mountains richly curdled with milk?
This is the mountain God consented to dwell in;
Truly the Lord will lodge in it to the end.
18 God’s chariot is ten thousand-fold,
Thousands abounding in numbers;
The Lord is among them at Sinai in the holy place.
19 You ascended on high, You led captivity captive;
You received gifts for mankind,
Truly for the disobedient, so they may dwell there.
The Lord God is blessed;
20 Blessed is the Lord from day to day;
The God of our salvation will bring prosperity upon us.
(Pause)
Proverbs 13:22–27
22 He who walks with the wise shall be wise,
But he who walks with those without discernment will be known.
23 Evil things shall pursue sinners,
But good things will overtake the righteous.
24 A good man will inherit sons of sons,
But the wealth of the ungodly will be stored up for the righteous.
25 The righteous shall live in wealth many years,
But the unrighteous will be destroyed suddenly.
26 He who spares the rod hates his son,
But he who loves him instructs him with care.
27 A righteous man eats and satisfies his soul,
But the souls of the ungodly are in want.
Mark 14:32–52
32 Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”
33 And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed.
34 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.”
35 He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him.
36 And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”
37 Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour?
38 “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
39 Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words.
40 And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.
41 Then He came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.
42 “Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”
Betrayal and Arrest in Gethsemane
(Matt. 26:47–56; Luke 22:47–53; John 18:1–11)
43 And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.
44 Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely.”
45 As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, “Rabbi, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.
46 Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him.
47 And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.
48 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?
49 “I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.”
50 Then they all forsook Him and fled.
A Young Man Flees Naked
51 Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body. And the young men laid hold of him,
52 and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.