Today's Reading

¹The whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled themselves together at Shiloh, and set up the Tent of Meeting there. The land was subdued before them.

²Seven tribes remained among the children of Israel, which had not yet divided their inheritance.

³Joshua said to the children of Israel, "How long will you neglect to go in to possess the land, which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?

⁴Appoint for you three men of each tribe. I will send them, and they shall arise, walk through the land, and describe it according to their inheritance; and they shall come to me.

⁵They shall divide it into seven portions. Judah shall live in his borders on the south, and the house of Joseph shall live in their borders on the north.

⁶You shall survey the land into seven parts, and bring the description here to me; and I will cast lots for you here before the Lord our God.

⁷For the Levites have no portion among you; for the priesthood of the Lord is their inheritance. Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan eastward, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave them."

⁸The men arose and went. Joshua commanded those who went to survey the land, saying, "Go walk through the land, survey it, and come again to me. I will cast lots for you here before the Lord in Shiloh."

⁹The men went and passed through the land, and surveyed it by cities into seven portions in a book. They came to Joshua to the camp at Shiloh.

¹⁰Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord. There Joshua divided the land to the children of Israel according to their divisions.

¹¹The lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families. The border of their lot went out between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph.

¹²Their border on the north quarter was from the Jordan. The border went up to the side of Jericho on the north, and went up through the hill country westward. It ended at the wilderness of Beth Aven.

¹³The border passed along from there to Luz, to the side of Luz (the same is Bethel), southward. The border went down to Ataroth Addar, by the mountain that lies on the south of Beth Horon the lower.

¹⁴The border extended, and turned around on the west quarter southward, from the mountain that lies before Beth Horon southward; and ended at Kiriath Baal (the same is Kiriath Jearim), a city of the children of Judah. This was the west quarter.

¹⁵The south quarter was from the farthest part of Kiriath Jearim. The border went out westward, and went out to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah.

¹⁶The border went down to the farthest part of the mountain that lies before the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is in the valley of Rephaim northward. It went down to the valley of Hinnom, to the side of the Jebusite southward, and went down to En Rogel.

¹⁷It extended northward, went out at En Shemesh, and went out to Geliloth, which is over against the ascent of Adummim. It went down to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben.

¹⁸It passed along to the side over against the Arabah northward, and went down to the Arabah.

¹⁹The border passed along to the side of Beth Hoglah northward; and the border ended at the north bay of the Salt Sea, at the south end of the Jordan. This was the south border.

²⁰The Jordan was its border on the east quarter. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, by the borders around it, according to their families.

²¹Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz,

²²Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,

²³Avvim, Parah, Ophrah,

²⁴Chephar Ammoni, Ophni, and Geba; twelve cities with their villages.

²⁵Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,

²⁶Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah,

²⁷Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah,

²⁸Zelah, Eleph, the Jebusite (the same is Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kiriath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.

¹The second lot came out for Simeon, even for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families. Their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the children of Judah.

²They had for their inheritance Beersheba (or Sheba), Moladah,

³Hazar Shual, Balah, Ezem,

⁴Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah,

⁵Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susah,

⁶Beth Lebaoth, and Sharuhen; thirteen cities with their villages;

⁷Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan; four cities with their villages;

⁸and all the villages that were around these cities to Baalath Beer, Ramah of the Negev. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families.

⁹Out of the part of the children of Judah was the inheritance of the children of Simeon; for the portion of the children of Judah was too much for them. Therefore the children of Simeon had inheritance in the midst of their inheritance.

¹⁰The third lot came up for the children of Zebulun according to their families. The border of their inheritance was to Sarid.

¹¹Their border went up westward, even to Maralah, and reached to Dabbesheth. It reached to the brook that is before Jokneam.

¹²It turned from Sarid eastward toward the sunrise to the border of Chisloth Tabor. It went out to Daberath, and went up to Japhia.

¹³From there it passed along eastward to Gath Hepher, to Ethkazin; and it went out at Rimmon which stretches to Neah.

¹⁴The border turned around it on the north to Hannathon; and it ended at the valley of Iphtah El;

¹⁵Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem: twelve cities with their villages.

¹⁶This is the inheritance of the children of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their villages.

¹⁷The fourth lot came out for Issachar, even for the children of Issachar according to their families.

¹⁸Their border was to Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem,

¹⁹Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath,

²⁰Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez,

²¹Remeth, Engannim, En Haddah, and Beth Pazzez.

²²The border reached to Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth Shemesh. Their border ended at the Jordan: sixteen cities with their villages.

²³This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Issachar according to their families, the cities with their villages.

²⁴The fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families.

²⁵Their border was Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph,

²⁶Allammelech, Amad, Mishal. It reached to Carmel westward, and to Shihorlibnath.

²⁷It turned toward the sunrise to Beth Dagon, and reached to Zebulun, and to the valley of Iphtah El northward to Beth Emek and Neiel. It went out to Cabul on the left hand,

²⁸and Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, and Kanah, even to great Sidon.

²⁹The border turned to Ramah, to the fortified city of Tyre; and the border turned to Hosah. It ended at the sea by the region of Achzib;

³⁰Ummah also, and Aphek, and Rehob: twenty-two cities with their villages.

³¹This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families, these cities with their villages.

³²The sixth lot came out for the children of Naphtali, even for the children of Naphtali according to their families.

³³Their border was from Heleph, from the oak in Zaanannim, Adaminekeb, and Jabneel, to Lakkum. It ended at the Jordan.

³⁴The border turned westward to Aznoth Tabor, and went out from there to Hukkok. It reached to Zebulun on the south, and reached to Asher on the west, and to Judah at the Jordan toward the sunrise.

³⁵The fortified cities were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth,

³⁶Adamah, Ramah, Hazor,

³⁷Kedesh, Edrei, En Hazor,

³⁸Iron, Migdal El, Horem, Beth Anath, and Beth Shemesh; nineteen cities with their villages.

³⁹This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Naphtali according to their families, the cities with their villages.

⁴⁰The seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families.

⁴¹The border of their inheritance was Zorah, Eshtaol, Irshemesh,

⁴²Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah,

⁴³Elon, Timnah, Ekron,

⁴⁴Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath,

⁴⁵Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon,

⁴⁶Me Jarkon, and Rakkon, with the border over against Joppa.

⁴⁷The border of the children of Dan went out beyond them; for the children of Dan went up and fought against Leshem, and took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and lived therein, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father.

⁴⁸This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages.

⁴⁹So they made an end of distributing the land for inheritance by its borders. The children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun in the midst of them.

⁵⁰According to the commandment of the Lord, they gave him the city which he asked, even Timnathserah in the hill country of Ephraim; and he built the city, and lived there.

⁵¹These are the inheritances, 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 for inheritance by lot in Shiloh before the Lord, at the door of the Tent of Meeting. So they made an end of dividing the land.

¹The Lord spoke to Joshua, saying,

²"Speak to the children of Israel, saying, 'Assign the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you by Moses,

³that the manslayer who kills any person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there. They shall be to you for a refuge from the avenger of blood.

⁴He shall flee to one of those cities, and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city, and declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city. They shall take him into the city with them, and give him a place, that he may live among them.

⁵If the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver up the manslayer into his hand; because he struck his neighbor unintentionally, and did not hate him before.

⁶He shall dwell in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days. Then the manslayer shall return, and come to his own city, and to his own house, to the city he fled from.'"

⁷They set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (the same is Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.

⁸Beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness in the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.

⁹These were the appointed cities for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger who sojourns among them, that whoever kills any person unintentionally might flee there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stands before the congregation.

¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

²The same was in the beginning with God.

³All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made.

⁴In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn't overcome it.

⁶There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John.

⁷The same came as a witness, that he might testify about the light, that all might believe through him.

⁸He was not the light, but was sent that he might testify about the light.

⁹The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world.

¹⁰He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world did not recognize him.

¹¹He came to his own, and those who were his own did not receive him.

¹²But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God's children, to those who believe in his name:

¹³who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

¹⁴The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.

¹⁵John testified about him. He shouted out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me, for he was before me.'"

¹⁶For of his fullness we all received, and grace upon grace.

¹⁷For the Law was given through Moses, grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.

¹⁸No one has seen God at any time. The one and only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.

¹⁹This is John's testimony, when the Jewish leaders sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"

²⁰He confessed, and did not deny, but he confessed, "I am not the Messiah."

²¹They asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the prophet?" He answered, "No."

²²They said therefore to him, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

²³He said, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as Isaiah the prophet said."

²⁴The ones who had been sent were from the Pharisees.

²⁵They asked him, "Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?"

²⁶John answered them, "I baptize in water, but among you stands one whom you do not know.

²⁷He is the one who comes after me, whose sandal strap I'm not worthy to loosen."

²⁸These things were done in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

²⁹The next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

³⁰This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who is preferred before me, for he was before me.'

³¹I did not know him, but for this reason I came baptizing in water: that he would be revealed to Israel."

³²John testified, saying, "I have seen the Spirit descending like a dove out of heaven, and it remained on him.

³³I did not recognize him, but he who sent me to baptize in water, he said to me, 'On whomever you will see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.'

³⁴I have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God. "

³⁵Again, the next day, John was standing with two of his disciples,

³⁶and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!"

³⁷The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

³⁸Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, being interpreted, Teacher), "where are you staying?"

³⁹He said to them, "Come, and you will see." They came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about the tenth hour.

⁴⁰One of the two who heard John, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

⁴¹He first found his own brother, Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah!" (which is, being interpreted, Christ).

⁴²He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, "You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas" (which is by interpretation, Peter).

⁴³On the next day, he was determined to go out into Galilee, and he found Philip. Jesus said to him, "Follow me."

⁴⁴Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter.

⁴⁵Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, "We have found him, of whom Moses in the Law, and the Prophets, wrote: Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

⁴⁶Nathanael said to him, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."

⁴⁷Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said about him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"

⁴⁸Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."

⁴⁹Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are King of Israel!"

⁵⁰Jesus answered him, "Because I told you, 'I saw you underneath the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these!"

⁵¹He said to him, "Truly, truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

¹ Save me, God, for the waters have come up to my neck!

²I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold. I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.

³I am weary with my crying. My throat is dry. My eyes fail, looking for my God.

⁴Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head. Those who want to cut me off, being my enemies wrongfully, are mighty. I have to restore what I did not take away.

⁵God, you know my foolishness. My sins aren't hidden from you.

⁶Do not let those who wait for you be shamed through me, Lord God of Hosts. Do not let those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me, God of Israel.

⁷Because for your sake, I have borne reproach. Shame has covered my face.

⁸I have become a stranger to my brothers, a foreigner to my mother's children.

⁹For the zeal of your house consumes me. The reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.

¹⁰When I wept and I fasted, that was to my reproach.

¹¹When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them.

¹²Those who sit in the gate talk about me. I am the song of the drunkards.

¹³But as for me, my prayer is to you, Lord, in an acceptable time. God, in the abundance of your loving kindness, answer me in the truth of your salvation.

¹⁴Deliver me out of the mire, and do not let me sink. Let me be delivered from those who hate me, and out of the deep waters.

¹⁵Do not let the flood waters overwhelm me, neither let the deep swallow me up. Do not let the pit shut its mouth on me.

¹⁶Answer me, Lord, for your loving kindness is good. According to the multitude of your tender mercies, turn to me.

¹⁷Do not hide your face from your servant, for I am in distress. Answer me speedily!

¹⁸Draw near to my soul, and redeem it. Ransom me because of my enemies.

¹⁹You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor. My adversaries are all before you.

²⁰Reproach has broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness. I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; for comforters, but I found none.

²¹They also gave me gall for my food. In my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink.

²²Let their table before them become a snare. May it become a retribution and a trap.

²³Let their eyes be darkened, so that they can't see. Let their backs be continually bent.

²⁴Pour out your indignation on them. Let the fierceness of your anger overtake them.

²⁵Let their habitation be desolate. Let no one dwell in their tents.

²⁶For they persecute him whom you have wounded. They tell of the sorrow of those whom you have hurt.

²⁷Charge them with crime upon crime. Do not let them come into your righteousness.

²⁸Let them be blotted out of the book of life, and not be written with the righteous.

²⁹But I am in pain and distress. Let your salvation, God, protect me.

³⁰I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.

³¹It will please the Lord better than an ox, or a bull that has horns and hoofs.

³²The humble have seen it, and are glad. You who seek after God, let your heart live.

³³For the Lord hears the needy, and doesn't despise his captive people.

³⁴Let heaven and earth praise him; the seas, and everything that moves therein!

³⁵For God will save Zion, and build the cities of Judah. They shall settle there, and own it.

³⁶The children also of his servants shall inherit it. Those who love his name shall dwell therein.

¹My son, keep my words. Lay up my commandments within you.

²Keep my commandments and live! Guard my teaching as the apple of your eye.

³Bind them on your fingers. Write them on the tablet of your heart.

⁴Tell wisdom, "You are my sister." Call understanding your relative,

⁵that they may keep you from the strange woman, from the foreigner who flatters with her words.

⁶For at the window of my house, I looked out through my lattice.

⁷I saw among the simple ones. I discerned among the youths a young man void of understanding,

⁸passing through the street near her corner, he went the way to her house,

⁹in the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the middle of the night and in the darkness.

¹⁰Behold, there a woman met him with the attire of a prostitute, and with crafty intent.

¹¹She is loud and defiant. Her feet do not stay in her house.

¹²Now she is in the streets, now in the squares, and lurking at every corner.

¹³So she caught him, and kissed him. With an impudent face she said to him:

¹⁴"Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me. This day I have paid my vows.

¹⁵Therefore I came out to meet you, to diligently seek your face, and I have found you.

¹⁶I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.

¹⁷I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

¹⁸Come, let's take our fill of loving until the morning. Let's solace ourselves with loving.

¹⁹For my husband isn't at home. He has gone on a long journey.

²⁰He has taken a bag of money with him. He will come home at the full moon."

²¹With persuasive words, she led him astray. With the flattering of her lips, she seduced him.

²²He followed her immediately, as an ox goes to the slaughter, as a fool stepping into a noose.

²³Until an arrow strikes through his liver, as a bird hurries to the snare, and doesn't know that it will cost his life.

²⁴Now therefore, sons, listen to me. Pay attention to the words of my mouth.

²⁵Do not let your heart turn to her ways. Do not go astray in her paths,

²⁶for she has thrown down many wounded. Yes, all her slain are a mighty army.

²⁷Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death.