Today's Reading

¹Then the heads of fathers' houses of the Levites came near to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of fathers' houses of the tribes of the children of Israel.

²They spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, "The Lord commanded Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with their suburbs for our livestock."

³The children of Israel gave to the Levites out of their inheritance, according to the commandment of the Lord, these cities with their suburbs.

⁴The lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. The children of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, had thirteen cities by lot out of the tribe of Judah, out of the tribe of the Simeonites, and out of the tribe of Benjamin.

⁵The rest of the children of Kohath had ten cities by lot out of the families of the tribe of Ephraim, out of the tribe of Dan, and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh.

⁶The children of Gershon had thirteen cities by lot out of the families of the tribe of Issachar, out of the tribe of Asher, out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

⁷The children of Merari according to their families had twelve cities out of the tribe of Reuben, out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun.

⁸The children of Israel gave these cities with their suburbs by lot to the Levites, as the Lord commanded by Moses.

⁹They gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these cities which are mentioned by name:

¹⁰and they were for the children of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi; for theirs was the first lot.

¹¹They gave them Kiriath Arba, named after the father of Anak (the same is Hebron), in the hill country of Judah, with its suburbs around it.

¹²But they gave the fields of the city and its villages to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession.

¹³To the children of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer, Libnah with its suburbs,

¹⁴Jattir with its suburbs, Eshtemoa with its suburbs,

¹⁵Holon with its suburbs, Debir with its suburbs,

¹⁶Ain with its suburbs, Juttah with its suburbs, and Beth Shemesh with its suburbs; nine cities out of those two tribes.

¹⁷Out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its suburbs, Geba with its suburbs,

¹⁸Anathoth with its suburbs, and Almon with its suburbs; four cities.

¹⁹All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their suburbs.

²⁰The families of the children of Kohath, the Levites, even the rest of the children of Kohath, had the cities of their lot out of the tribe of Ephraim.

²¹They gave them Shechem with its suburbs in the hill country of Ephraim, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Gezer with its suburbs,

²²Kibzaim with its suburbs, and Beth Horon with its suburbs; four cities.

²³Out of the tribe of Dan, Elteke with its suburbs, Gibbethon with its suburbs,

²⁴Aijalon with its suburbs, Gath Rimmon with its suburbs; four cities.

²⁵Out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Taanach with its suburbs, and Gath Rimmon with its suburbs; two cities.

²⁶All the cities of the families of the rest of the children of Kohath were ten with their suburbs.

²⁷They gave to the children of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, out of the half-tribe of Manasseh Golan in Bashan with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Be Eshterah with its suburbs; two cities.

²⁸Out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishion with its suburbs, Daberath with its suburbs,

²⁹Jarmuth with its suburbs, En Gannim with its suburbs; four cities.

³⁰Out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with its suburbs, Abdon with its suburbs,

³¹Helkath with its suburbs, and Rehob with its suburbs; four cities.

³²Out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer, Hammothdor with its suburbs, and Kartan with its suburbs; three cities.

³³All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their suburbs.

³⁴To the families of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its suburbs, Kartah with its suburbs,

³⁵Dimnah with its suburbs, and Nahalal with its suburbs; four cities.

³⁶Out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with its suburbs, Jahaz with its suburbs,

³⁷Kedemoth with its suburbs, and Mephaath with its suburbs; four cities.

³⁸Out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Mahanaim with its suburbs,

³⁹Heshbon with its suburbs, Jazer with its suburbs; four cities in all.

⁴⁰All these were the cities of the children of Merari according to their families, even the rest of the families of the Levites. Their lot was twelve cities.

⁴¹All the cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the children of Israel were forty-eight cities with their suburbs.

⁴²Each of these cities included their suburbs around them. It was this way with all these cities.

⁴³So the Lord gave to Israel all the land which he swore to give to their fathers. They possessed it, and lived in it.

⁴⁴The Lord gave them rest all around, according to all that he swore to their fathers. Not a man of all their enemies stood before them. The Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand.

⁴⁵Nothing failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.

¹Then Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh,

²and said to them, "You have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and have listened to my voice in all that I commanded you.

³You have not left your brothers these many days to this day, but have performed the duty of the commandment of the Lord your God.

⁴Now the Lord your God has given rest to your brothers, as he spoke to them. Therefore now return and go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan.

⁵Only take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to keep his commandments, to hold fast to him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul."

⁶So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away; and they went to their tents.

⁷Now to the one half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given inheritance in Bashan; but to the other half gave Joshua among their brothers beyond the Jordan westward. Moreover when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed them,

⁸and spoke to them, saying, "Return with much wealth to your tents, with very much livestock, with silver, with gold, with brass, with iron, and with very much clothing. Divide the spoil of your enemies with your brothers."

⁹The children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, to the land of their possession, which they owned, according to the commandment of the Lord by Moses.

¹⁰When they came to the region about the Jordan, that is in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, a great altar to look at.

¹¹The children of Israel heard this, "Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar in the forefront of the land of Canaan, in the region about the Jordan, on the side that pertains to the children of Israel."

¹²When the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up against them to war.

¹³The children of Israel sent to the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest,

¹⁴and with him ten princes, one prince of a fathers' house for each of the tribes of Israel; and they were everyone of them head of their fathers' houses among the thousands of Israel.

¹⁵They came to the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them, saying,

¹⁶"Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord, 'What trespass is this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the Lord, in that you have built you an altar, to rebel this day against the Lord?

¹⁷Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day, although there came a plague on the congregation of the Lord,

¹⁸that you must turn away this day from following the Lord? It will be, seeing that you rebel today against the Lord, that tomorrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel.

¹⁹However, if the land of your possession is unclean, then pass over to the land of the possession of the Lord, in which the Lord's tabernacle dwells, and take possession among us; but do not rebel against the Lord, nor rebel against us, in building an altar other than the altar of the Lord our God.

²⁰Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the devoted thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? That man did not perish alone in his iniquity.'"

²¹Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered, and spoke to the heads of the thousands of Israel,

²²"The Mighty One, God, the Lord, the Mighty One, God, the Lord, he knows; and Israel shall know: if it was in rebellion, or if in trespass against the Lord (do not save us this day),

²³that we have built us an altar to turn away from following the Lord; or if to offer burnt offering or meal offering, or if to offer sacrifices of peace offerings, let the Lord himself require it.

²⁴If we have not out of concern done this, and for a reason, saying, 'In time to come your children might speak to our children, saying, "What have you to do with the Lord, the God of Israel?

²⁵For the Lord has made the Jordan a border between us and you, you children of Reuben and children of Gad. You have no portion in the Lord."' So your children might make our children cease from fearing the Lord.

²⁶Therefore we said, 'Let's now prepare to build ourselves an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice;

²⁷but it will be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we may perform the service of the Lord before him with our burnt offerings, with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings;' that your children may not tell our children in time to come, 'You have no portion in the Lord.'

²⁸Therefore we said, 'It shall be, when they tell us or our generations this in time to come, that we shall say, "Behold the pattern of the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice; but it is a witness between us and you."'

²⁹Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord, and turn away this day from following the Lord, to build an altar for burnt offering, for meal offering, or for sacrifice, besides the altar of the Lord our God that is before his tabernacle!"

³⁰When Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation, even the heads of the thousands of Israel that were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them well.

³¹Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the children of Reuben, to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, "Today we know that the Lord is in the midst of us, because you have not committed this trespass against the Lord. Now you have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the Lord."

³²Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the princes, returned from the children of Reuben, and from the children of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, to the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word again.

³³The thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children of Israel blessed God, and spoke no more of going up against them to war, to destroy the land in which the children of Reuben and the children of Gad lived.

³⁴The children of Reuben and the children of Gad named the altar "A Witness Between Us that the Lord is God."

¹It happened after many days, when the Lord had given rest to Israel from their enemies all around, and Joshua was old and well advanced in years,

²that Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders and for their heads, and for their judges and for their officers, and said to them, "I am old and well advanced in years.

³You have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations because of you; for it is the Lord your God who has fought for you.

⁴Behold, I have allotted to you these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from the Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even to the great sea toward the going down of the sun.

⁵The Lord your God will thrust them out from before you, and drive them from out of your sight. You shall possess their land, as the Lord your God spoke to you.

⁶Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the scroll of the Law of Moses, that you not turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left;

⁷that you not come among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow down yourselves to them;

⁸but hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day.

⁹For the Lord has driven great and strong nations out from before you. But as for you, no man has stood before you to this day.

¹⁰One man of you shall chase a thousand; for it is the Lord your God who fights for you, as he spoke to you.

¹¹Take good heed therefore to yourselves, that you love the Lord your God.

¹²Else if you do at all go back, and hold fast to the remnant of these nations, even these who remain among you, and make marriages with them, and go in to them, and they to you;

¹³know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no longer drive these nations from out of your sight; but they shall be a snare and a trap to you, a scourge in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which the Lord your God has given you.

¹⁴Behold, today I am going the way of all the earth. You know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have happened to you. Not one thing has failed of it.

¹⁵It shall happen that as all the good things have come on you of which the Lord your God spoke to you, so the Lord will bring on you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land which the Lord your God has given you,

¹⁶when you disobey the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods, and bow down yourselves to them. Then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and you will perish quickly from off the good land which he has given to you."

¹The third day, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee. Jesus' mother was there.

²Jesus also was invited, with his disciples, to the marriage.

³When the wine ran out, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no wine."

⁴Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does that have to do with you and me? My hour has not yet come."

⁵His mother said to the servants, "Whatever he says to you, do it."

⁶Now there were six water pots of stone set there after the Jewish manner of purifying, containing two or three metretes apiece.

⁷Jesus said to them, "Fill the water pots with water." They filled them up to the brim.

⁸He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the ruler of the feast." So they took it.

⁹When the ruler of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the ruler of the feast called the bridegroom,

¹⁰and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and when the guests have drunk freely, then that which is worse. You have kept the good wine until now!"

¹¹This beginning of his signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

¹²After this, he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they stayed there a few days.

¹³The Jewish Passover was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

¹⁴He found in the temple those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, and the changers of money sitting.

¹⁵He made a whip of cords, and threw all out of the temple, both the sheep and the oxen; and he poured out the changers' money, and overthrew their tables.

¹⁶To those who sold the doves, he said, "Take these things out of here! Do not make my Father's house a marketplace!"

¹⁷His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for your house will eat me up."

¹⁸The Jewish leaders therefore answered him, "What sign do you show us, seeing that you do these things?"

¹⁹Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."

²⁰The Jewish leaders therefore said, "Forty-six years was this temple in building, and will you raise it up in three days?"

²¹But he spoke of the temple of his body.

²²When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he said this, and they believed the Scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.

²³Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in his name, observing his signs which he did.

²⁴But Jesus did not trust himself to them, because he knew everyone,

²⁵and because he did not need for anyone to testify concerning man; for he himself knew what was in man.

¹ Hurry, God, to deliver me. Come quickly to help me, Lord.

²Let them be disappointed and confounded who seek my soul. Let those who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.

³Let them be turned because of their shame Who say, "Aha! Aha!"

⁴Let all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let those who love your salvation continually say, "Let God be exalted!"

⁵But I am poor and needy. Come to me quickly, God. You are my help and my deliverer. Lord, do not delay.

¹Doesn't wisdom cry out? Doesn't understanding raise her voice?

²On the top of high places by the way, where the paths meet, she stands.

³Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, at the entry doors, she cries aloud:

⁴"To you men, I call! I send my voice to the sons of mankind.

⁵You simple, understand prudence. You fools, be of an understanding heart.

⁶Hear, for I will speak excellent things. The opening of my lips is for right things.

⁷For my mouth speaks truth. Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

⁸All the words of my mouth are in righteousness. There is nothing crooked or perverse in them.

⁹They are all plain to him who understands, right to those who find knowledge.

¹⁰Receive my instruction rather than silver; knowledge rather than choice gold.

¹¹For wisdom is better than rubies. All the things that may be desired can't be compared to it.

¹²"I, wisdom, have made prudence my dwelling. Find out knowledge and discretion.

¹³The fear of the Lord is to hate evil. I hate pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth.

¹⁴Counsel and sound knowledge are mine. I have understanding and power.

¹⁵By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.

¹⁶By me princes rule; nobles, and all the righteous rulers of the earth.

¹⁷I love those who love me. Those who seek me diligently will find me.

¹⁸With me are riches, honor, enduring wealth, and prosperity.

¹⁹My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold; my yield than choice silver.

²⁰I walk in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of justice;

²¹That I may give wealth to those who love me. I fill their treasuries.

²²"The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his work, before his deeds of old.

²³I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, before the earth existed.

²⁴When there were no depths, I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water.

²⁵Before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was brought forth;

²⁶while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the beginning of the dust of the world.

²⁷When he established the heavens, I was there; when he set a circle on the surface of the deep,

²⁸when he established the clouds above, when the springs of the deep became strong,

²⁹when he gave to the sea its boundary, that the waters should not violate his commandment, when he marked out the foundations of the earth;

³⁰then I was the craftsman by his side. I was a delight day by day, always rejoicing before him,

³¹Rejoicing in his whole world. My delight was with the sons of men.

³²"Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, for blessed are those who keep my ways.

³³Hear instruction, and be wise. Do not refuse it.

³⁴Blessed is the man who hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at my door posts.

³⁵For whoever finds me, finds life, and will obtain favor from the Lord.

³⁶But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul. All those who hate me love death."