Today's Reading

¹Joshua rose up early in the morning; and they moved from Shittim, and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel. They lodged there before they passed over.

²It happened after three days, that the officers went through the midst of the camp;

³and they commanded the people, saying, "When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then you shall move from your place, and follow it.

⁴Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near to it, that you may know the way by which you must go; for you have not passed this way before."

⁵Joshua said to the people, "Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you."

⁶Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people." They took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people.

⁷The Lord said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to magnify you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.

⁸You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, 'When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.'"

⁹Joshua said to the children of Israel, "Come here, and hear the words of the Lord your God."

¹⁰Joshua said, "Hereby you shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Hivite, and the Perizzite, and the Girgashite, and the Amorite, and the Jebusite out from before you.

¹¹Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passes over before you into the Jordan.

¹²Now therefore take twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, for every tribe a man.

¹³It shall come to pass, when the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan will be cut off, even the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand in one heap."

¹⁴It happened, when the people moved from their tents to pass over the Jordan, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant being before the people,

¹⁵and when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark had dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks all the time of harvest),

¹⁶that the waters which came down from above stood, and rose up in one heap, a great way off, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those that went down toward the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt Sea, were wholly cut off. Then the people passed over right against Jericho.

¹⁷The priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan; and all Israel passed over on dry ground, until all the nation had passed completely over the Jordan.

¹It happened, when all the nation had completely passed over the Jordan, that the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying,

²"Take twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,

³and command them, saying, 'Take from out of the middle of the Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and carry them over with you, and lay them down in the lodging place, where you will lodge tonight.'"

⁴Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man.

⁵Joshua said to them, "Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you pick up a stone and put it on your shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel;

⁶that this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask in time to come, saying, 'What do you mean by these stones?'

⁷then you shall tell them, 'Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.'"

⁸The children of Israel did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the middle of the Jordan, as the Lord spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel; and they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.

⁹Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day.

¹⁰For the priests who bore the ark stood in the middle of the Jordan, until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and passed over.

¹¹It happened, when all the people had completely passed over, that the ark of the Lord passed over, with the priests, in the presence of the people.

¹²The children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spoke to them.

¹³About forty thousand men, ready and armed for war passed over before the Lord to battle, to the plains of Jericho.

¹⁴On that day, the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.

¹⁵The Lord spoke to Joshua, saying,

¹⁶"Command the priests who bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of the Jordan."

¹⁷Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, "Come up out of the Jordan!"

¹⁸It happened, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord had come up out of the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up to the dry ground, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place, and went over all its banks, as before.

¹⁹The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, on the east border of Jericho.

²⁰Joshua set up those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, in Gilgal.

²¹He spoke to the children of Israel, saying, "When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What do these stones mean?'

²²Then you shall let your children know, saying, 'Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.

²³For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan from before you, until you had passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up from before us, until we had passed over;

²⁴that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty; that you may fear the Lord your God forever.'"

¹It happened, when all the kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, who were by the sea, heard how that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we had passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel.

²At that time, the Lord said to Joshua, "Make flint knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time."

³Joshua made himself flint knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the Hill of the Foreskins.

⁴This is the reason Joshua circumcised: all the people who came out of Egypt, who were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt.

⁵For all the people who came out were circumcised; but all the people who were born in the wilderness by the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised.

⁶For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, even the men of war who came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they did not listen to the voice of the Lord. The Lord swore to them that he wouldn't let them see the land which the Lord swore to their fathers that he would give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.

⁷Their children, whom he raised up in their place, were circumcised by Joshua; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them on the way.

⁸It happened, when they were done circumcising all the nation, that they stayed in their places in the camp until they were healed.

⁹The Lord said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you." Therefore the name of that place was called Gilgal, to this day.

¹⁰The children of Israel encamped in Gilgal. They kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at evening in the plains of Jericho.

¹¹They ate unleavened cakes and parched grain of the produce of the land on the next day after the Passover, in the same day.

¹²The manna ceased on the next day, after they had eaten of the produce of the land. The children of Israel did not have manna any more; but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

¹³It happened, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man stood in front of him with his sword drawn in his hand. Joshua went to him, and said to him, "Are you for us, or for our adversaries?"

¹⁴He said, "No; but I have come now as captain of the Lord's host." Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and worshipped, and said to him, "What does my lord say to his servant?"

¹⁵The captain of the Lord's host said to Joshua, "Take your shoes off of your feet; for the place on which you stand is holy." Joshua did so.

¹It happened on one of those days, as he was teaching the people in the temple and proclaiming the Good News, that the chief priests and scribes came to him with the elders.

²They asked him, "Tell us: by what authority do you do these things? Or who is giving you this authority?"

³He answered them, "I also will ask you one question. Tell me:

⁴the baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from man?"

⁵They reasoned with themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Why did you not believe him?'

⁶But if we say, 'From man,' all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet."

⁷They answered that they did not know where it was from.

⁸Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

⁹He began to tell the people this parable. "A man planted a vineyard, and rented it out to some farmers, and went on a journey for a long time.

¹⁰At the proper season, he sent a servant to the farmers to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the farmers beat him, and sent him away empty.

¹¹He sent yet another servant, and they also beat him, and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty.

¹²He sent yet a third, and they also wounded him, and threw him out.

¹³The lord of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. It may be that they will respect him.'

¹⁴"But when the farmers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, 'This is the heir. Let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.'

¹⁵They threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do to them?

¹⁶He will come and destroy these farmers, and will give the vineyard to others." When they heard it, they said, "May it never be!"

¹⁷But he looked at them, and said, "Then what is this that is written, 'The stone which the builders rejected, the same was made the chief cornerstone?'

¹⁸Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but it will crush whomever it falls on to dust."

¹⁹The chief priests and the scribes sought to lay hands on him that very hour, but they feared the people-for they knew he had spoken this parable against them.

²⁰They watched him, and sent out spies, who pretended to be righteous, that they might trap him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the power and authority of the governor.

²¹They asked him, "Teacher, we know that you say and teach what is right, and are not partial to anyone, but truly teach the way of God.

²²Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"

²³But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them,

²⁴"Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?" They answered, "Caesar's."

²⁵He said to them, "Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."

²⁶They weren't able to trap him in his words before the people. They marveled at his answer, and were silent.

²⁷Some of the Sadducees came to him, those who deny that there is a resurrection.

²⁸They asked him, "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies having a wife, and he is childless, his brother should take the wife, and raise up children for his brother.

²⁹There were therefore seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died childless.

³⁰The second and

³¹the third took her, and likewise the seven all left no children, and died.

³²Afterward the woman also died.

³³Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them will she be? For the seven had her as a wife."

³⁴Jesus said to them, "The sons of this age marry, and are given in marriage.

³⁵But those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage.

³⁶For they cannot die any more, for they are like the angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

³⁷But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he called the Lord 'The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'

³⁸Now he is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all are alive to him."

³⁹Some of the scribes answered, "Teacher, you speak well."

⁴⁰They did not dare to ask him any more questions.

⁴¹He said to them, "Why do they say that the Messiah is David's son?

⁴²David himself says in the scroll of Psalms, 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand,

⁴³until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet."'

⁴⁴"David therefore calls him Lord, so how is he his son?"

⁴⁵In the hearing of all the people, he said to his disciples,

⁴⁶"Beware of the scribes, who like to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts;

⁴⁷who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers: these will receive greater condemnation."

¹ Hear my voice, God, in my complaint. Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

²Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from the noisy crowd of the ones doing evil;

³who sharpen their tongue like a sword, and aim their arrows, deadly words,

⁴to shoot innocent men from ambushes. They shoot at him suddenly and fearlessly.

⁵They encourage themselves in evil plans. They talk about laying snares secretly. They say, "Who will see them?"

⁶They plot injustice, saying, "We have made a perfect plan!" Surely man's mind and heart are cunning.

⁷But God will shoot at them. They will be suddenly struck down with an arrow.

⁸Their own tongues shall ruin them. All who see them will shake their heads.

⁹All mankind shall be afraid. They shall declare the work of God, and shall wisely ponder what he has done.

¹⁰The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall take refuge in him. All the upright in heart shall praise him!

¹My son, if you will receive my words, and store up my commandments within you;

²So as to turn your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding;

³Yes, if you call out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding;

⁴If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures:

⁵then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

⁶For the Lord gives wisdom. Out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.

⁷He lays up sound wisdom for the upright. He is a shield to those who walk in integrity;

⁸that he may guard the paths of justice, and preserve the way of his holy ones.

⁹Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path.

¹⁰For wisdom will enter into your heart. Knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

¹¹Discretion will watch over you. Understanding will keep you,

¹²to deliver you from the way of evil, from the men who speak perverse things;

¹³who forsake the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;

¹⁴who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the perverseness of evil;

¹⁵who are crooked in their ways, and wayward in their paths:

¹⁶To deliver you from the strange woman, even from the foreigner who flatters with her words;

¹⁷who forsakes the friend of her youth, and forgets the covenant of her God:

¹⁸for her house leads down to death, her paths to the dead.

¹⁹None who go to her return again, neither do they attain to the paths of life:

²⁰that you may walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.

²¹For the upright will dwell in the land. The perfect will remain in it.

²²But the wicked will be cut off from the land. The treacherous will be rooted out of it.