Israel Crosses the Jordan

3 Then Joshua rose early in the morning and they set out ^(A)from Shittim. And they came to the Jordan, he and all the people of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. ^2 (B)At the end of three days the officers went through the camp ³ and commanded the people, “As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by ^(C)the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it.

⁷ The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to ^(A)exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, ^(B)as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. ⁸ And as for you, command ^(C)the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, ^(D)you shall stand still in the Jordan.’”

¹³ And ^(A)when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, ^(B)the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall ^(C)stand in one heap.”

¹⁴ So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing ^(D)the ark of the covenant before the people, ¹⁵ and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and ^(E)the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now ^(F)the Jordan overflows all its banks ^(G)throughout the time of harvest), ¹⁶ the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside ^(H)Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of ^(I)the Arabah, ^(J)the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. ¹⁷ Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, ^(K)and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.

The Lord's Chosen Servant

²⁶ For consider your calling, brothers: ^(A)not many of you were wise according to worldly standards,^[a] not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. ²⁷ But ^(B)God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; ^(C)God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; ²⁸ God chose what is low and despised in the world, even ^(D)things that are not, to ^(E)bring to nothing things that are, ²⁹ so ^(F)that no human being^[b] might boast in the presence of God. ³⁰ And because of him^[c] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us ^(G)wisdom from God, ^(H)righteousness and ^(I)sanctification and ^(J)redemption, ³¹ so that, as it is written, ^(K)“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

The Baptism of Jesus

^13 (A)Then Jesus came ^(B)from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. ^14 (C)John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” ¹⁵ But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. ¹⁶ And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, ^(D)the heavens were opened to him,^[a] and he ^(E)saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; ¹⁷ and behold, ^(F)a voice from heaven said, ^(G)“This is my beloved Son,^[b] with whom I am well pleased.”

Revive Us Again

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of ^(A)the Sons of Korah.