Today's Reading

¹Now these are the kings of the land, whom the children of Israel struck, and possessed their land beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise, from the valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon, and all the Arabah eastward:

²Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and the middle of the valley, and half Gilead, even to the river Jabbok, the border of the children of Ammon;

³and the Arabah to the sea of Chinneroth, eastward, and to the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt Sea, eastward, the way to Beth Jeshimoth; and on the south, under the slopes of Pisgah:

⁴and the border of Og king of Bashan, of the remnant of the Rephaim, who lived at Ashtaroth and at Edrei,

⁵and ruled in Mount Hermon, and in Salecah, and in all Bashan, to the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and half Gilead, the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.

⁶Moses the servant of the Lord and the children of Israel struck them. Moses the servant of the Lord gave it for a possession to the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

⁷These are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the children of Israel struck beyond the Jordan westward, from Baal Gad in the valley of Lebanon even to Mount Halak, that goes up to Seir. Joshua gave it to the tribes of Israel for a possession according to their divisions;

⁸in the hill country, and in the lowland, and in the Arabah, and in the slopes, and in the wilderness, and in the Negev; the Hittite, the Amorite, and the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:

⁹the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one;

¹⁰the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one;

¹¹the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one;

¹²the king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one;

¹³the king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one;

¹⁴the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one;

¹⁵the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one;

¹⁶the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one;

¹⁷the king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one;

¹⁸the king of Aphek, one; the king of Lassharon, one;

¹⁹the king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one;

²⁰the king of Shimron Meron, one; the king of Achshaph, one;

²¹the king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one;

²²the king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam in Carmel, one;

²³the king of Dor in the height of Dor, one; the king of Goiim in Gilgal, one;

²⁴the king of Tirzah, one: all the kings thirty-one.

¹Now Joshua was old and well stricken in years. The Lord said to him, "You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to be possessed.

²This is the land that still remains: all the regions of the Philistines, and all the Geshurites;

³from the Shihor, which is before Egypt, even to the border of Ekron northward, which is counted as Canaanite; the five lords of the Philistines; the Gazites, and the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avvim,

⁴on the south; all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians, to Aphek, to the border of the Amorites;

⁵and the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrise, from Baal Gad under Mount Hermon to the entrance of Hamath;

⁶all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim, even all the Sidonians; them will I drive out from before the children of Israel: only you allocate it to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded you.

⁷Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh."

⁸With him the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond the Jordan eastward, even as Moses the servant of the Lord gave them:

⁹from Aroer, that is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the plain of Medeba to Dibon;

¹⁰and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, to the border of the children of Ammon;

¹¹and Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites, and all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan to Salecah;

¹²all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei (the same was left of the remnant of the Rephaim); for Moses attacked these, and drove them out.

¹³Nevertheless the children of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites, nor the Maacathites: but Geshur and Maacath dwell in the midst of Israel to this day.

¹⁴Only he gave no inheritance to the tribe of Levi. The offerings of the Lord, the God of Israel, made by fire are his inheritance, as he spoke to him.

¹⁵Moses gave to the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their families.

¹⁶Their border was from Aroer, that is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the plain by Medeba;

¹⁷Heshbon, and all its cities that are in the plain; Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon,

¹⁸Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath,

¹⁹Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar in the mount of the valley,

²⁰Beth Peor, the slopes of Pisgah, Beth Jeshimoth,

²¹all the cities of the plain, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses struck with the chiefs of Midian, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the princes of Sihon, who lived in the land.

²²The children of Israel also killed Balaam, the son of Beor, the soothsayer, with the sword, among the rest of their slain.

²³The border of the children of Reuben was the bank of the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben according to their families, the cities and its villages.

²⁴Moses gave to the tribe of Gad, to the children of Gad, according to their families.

²⁵Their border was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the children of Ammon, to Aroer that is before Rabbah;

²⁶and from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpeh, and Betonim; and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir;

²⁷and in the valley, Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, the Jordan's bank, to the uttermost part of the sea of Chinnereth beyond the Jordan eastward.

²⁸This is the inheritance of the children of Gad according to their families, the cities and its villages.

²⁹Moses gave an inheritance to the half-tribe of Manasseh. It was for the half-tribe of the children of Manasseh according to their families.

³⁰Their border was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair, which are in Bashan, sixty cities.

³¹Half Gilead, Ashtaroth, and Edrei, the cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were for the children of Machir the son of Manasseh, even for the half of the children of Machir according to their families.

³²These are the inheritances which Moses distributed in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan at Jericho, eastward.

³³But to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance. The Lord, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as he spoke to them.

¹These are the inheritances which the children of Israel took in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed to them,

²by the lot of their inheritance, as the Lord commanded by Moses, for the nine tribes, and for the half-tribe.

³For Moses had given the inheritance of the two tribes and the half-tribe beyond the Jordan; but to the Levites he gave no inheritance among them.

⁴For the children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim: and they gave no portion to the Levites in the land, except cities to dwell in, with their suburbs for their livestock and for their property.

⁵The children of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moses, and they divided the land.

⁶Then the children of Judah drew near to Joshua in Gilgal. Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, "You know the thing that the Lord spoke to Moses the man of God concerning me and concerning you in Kadesh Barnea.

⁷I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land. I brought him word again as it was in my heart.

⁸Nevertheless, my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; but I wholly followed the Lord my God.

⁹Moses swore on that day, saying, 'Surely the land where you walked shall be an inheritance to you and to your children forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.'

¹⁰Now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as he spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. Now, behold, I am eighty-five years old, today.

¹¹I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now for war, to go out and to come in.

¹²Now therefore give me this hill country, of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and great and fortified cities. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out, as the Lord spoke."

¹³Joshua blessed him; and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance.

¹⁴Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day; because he wholly followed the Lord, the God of Israel.

¹⁵Now the name of Hebron before was Kiriath Arba, after the greatest man among the Anakim. The land had rest from war.

¹The whole company of them rose up and brought him before Pilate.

²They began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man perverting our nation, forbidding paying taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king."

³Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" He answered him, "So you say."

⁴Pilate said to the chief priests and the multitudes, "I find no basis for a charge against this man."

⁵But they insisted, saying, "He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee even to this place."

⁶But when Pilate heard it, he asked if the man was a Galilean.

⁷When he found out that he was in Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem during those days.

⁸Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad, for he had wanted to see him for a long time, because he had heard concerning him. He hoped to see some miracle done by him.

⁹He questioned him with many words, but he gave no answers.

¹⁰The chief priests and the scribes stood, vehemently accusing him.

¹¹Herod with his soldiers humiliated him and mocked him. Dressing him in luxurious clothing, they sent him back to Pilate.

¹²Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before that they were enemies with each other.

¹³Pilate called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,

¹⁴and said to them, "You brought this man to me as one that perverts the people, and see, I have examined him before you, and found no basis for a charge against this man concerning those things of which you accuse him.

¹⁵Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us, and see, nothing worthy of death has been done by him.

¹⁶I will therefore chastise him and release him."

¹⁷

¹⁸But they all shouted out together, saying, "Away with this man! Release to us Barabbas!"-

¹⁹one who was thrown into prison for a certain revolt in the city, and for murder.

²⁰Then Pilate spoke to them again, wanting to release Jesus,

²¹but they shouted, saying, "Crucify! Crucify him!"

²²He said to them the third time, "Why? What evil has this man done? I have found no capital crime in him. I will therefore chastise him and release him."

²³But they were urgent with loud voices, asking that he might be crucified. And their voices prevailed.

²⁴Pilate decreed that what they asked for should be done.

²⁵He released him who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus up to their will.

²⁶When they led him away, they grabbed one Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, and placed on him the cross, to carry it after Jesus.

²⁷A great multitude of the people followed him, including women who also mourned and lamented him.

²⁸But Jesus, turning to them, said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.

²⁹For behold, the days are coming in which they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.'

³⁰Then they will begin to tell the mountains, 'Fall on us!' and tell the hills, 'Cover us.'

³¹For if they do these things in the green tree, what will be done in the dry?"

³²There were also others, two criminals, led with him to be put to death.

³³When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified him there with the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.

³⁴Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Dividing his garments among them, they cast lots.

³⁵The people stood watching. The rulers also scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others. Let him save himself, if this is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!"

³⁶The soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar,

³⁷and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!"

³⁸An inscription was also written above him: "THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS."

³⁹One of the criminals who was hanged insulted him, saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!"

⁴⁰But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?

⁴¹And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong."

⁴²And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom."

⁴³And he said to him, "Assuredly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

⁴⁴It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.

⁴⁵The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.

⁴⁶Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" Having said this, he breathed his last.

⁴⁷When the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, "Certainly this was a righteous man."

⁴⁸All the multitudes that came together to see this, when they saw the things that were done, returned home beating their breasts.

⁴⁹All his acquaintances, and the women who followed with him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

⁵⁰Behold, a man named Joseph, who was a member of the council, a good and righteous man

⁵¹(he had not consented to their counsel and deed), from Arimathaea, a city of the Judeans, who was also waiting for the Kingdom of God:

⁵²this man went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.

⁵³He took it down, and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and placed him in a tomb that was cut in stone, where no one had ever been placed.

⁵⁴It was the day of the Preparation, and the Sabbath was drawing near.

⁵⁵The women, who had come with him out of Galilee, followed after, and saw the tomb, and how his body was placed.

⁵⁶They returned, and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

¹ May God be merciful to us, bless us, and cause his face to shine on us. Selah.

²That your way may be known on earth, and your salvation among all nations,

³let the peoples praise you, God. Let all the peoples praise you.

⁴Oh let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you will judge the peoples with equity, and govern the nations on earth. Selah.

⁵Let the peoples praise you, God. Let all the peoples praise you.

⁶The earth has yielded its increase. God, even our own God, will bless us.

⁷God will bless us. All the ends of the earth shall fear him.

¹My son, pay attention to my wisdom. Turn your ear to my understanding:

²that you may maintain discretion, that your lips may preserve knowledge.

³For the lips of an adulteress drip honey. Her mouth is smoother than oil,

⁴But in the end she is as bitter as wormwood, and as sharp as a two-edged sword.

⁵Her feet go down to death. Her steps lead straight to Sheol.

⁶She gives no thought to the way of life. Her ways are crooked, and she doesn't know it.

⁷Now therefore, my sons, listen to me. Do not depart from the words of my mouth.

⁸Remove your way far from her. Do not come near the door of her house,

⁹lest you give your honor to others, and your years to the cruel one;

¹⁰lest strangers feast on your wealth, and your labors enrich another man's house.

¹¹You will groan at your latter end, when your flesh and your body are consumed,

¹²and say, "How I have hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;

¹³neither have I obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor turned my ear to those who instructed me!

¹⁴I have come to the brink of utter ruin, in the midst of the gathered assembly."

¹⁵Drink water out of your own cistern, running water out of your own well.

¹⁶Should your springs overflow in the streets, streams of water in the public squares?

¹⁷Let them be for yourself alone, not for strangers with you.

¹⁸Let your spring be blessed. Rejoice in the wife of your youth.

¹⁹A loving doe and a graceful deer- let her breasts satisfy you at all times. Be captivated always with her love.

²⁰For why should you, my son, be captivated with an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of another?

²¹For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord. He examines all his paths.

²²The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare him. The cords of his sin hold him firmly.

²³He will die for lack of instruction. In the greatness of his folly, he will go astray.