The Daily Audio Bible
Today's audio is from the NET. Switch to the NET to read along with the audio.
40 At that time the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev in the land of Canaan,(A) heard the Israelites were coming.
41 They traveled from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah.
42 They traveled from Zalmonah and camped at Punon.
43 They traveled from Punon and camped at Oboth.(B)
44 They traveled from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim on the border of Moab.(C)
45 They traveled from Iyim[a] and camped at Dibon-gad.(D)
46 They traveled from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim.(E)
47 They traveled from Almon-diblathaim and camped in the Abarim(F) range facing Nebo.(G)
48 They traveled from the Abarim range and camped on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.(H) 49 They camped by the Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth(I) to the Acacia Meadow[b](J) on the plains of Moab.
Instructions for Occupying Canaan
50 The Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, 51 “Tell the Israelites: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52 you must drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you, destroy all their stone images(K) and cast images,(L) and demolish all their high places. 53 You are to take possession of the land and settle in it because I have given you the land(M) to possess. 54 You are to receive the land as an inheritance by lot according to your clans. Increase the inheritance for a large clan and decrease it for a small one. Whatever place the lot indicates for someone will be his. You will receive an inheritance according to your ancestral tribes. 55 But if you don’t drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, those you allow to remain will become barbs for your eyes and thorns for your sides; they will harass you in the land where you will live. 56 And what I had planned to do to them, I will do to you.”(N)
Boundaries of the Promised Land
34 The Lord spoke to Moses, 2 “Command the Israelites and say to them: When you enter the land of Canaan, it will be allotted to you as an inheritance[c] with these borders:
3 Your southern side will be from the Wilderness of Zin along the boundary of Edom. Your southern border on the east will begin at the east end of the Dead Sea. 4 Your border will turn south of the Scorpions’ Ascent,[d] proceed to Zin, and end south of Kadesh-barnea. It will go to Hazar-addar and proceed to Azmon.(O) 5 The border will turn from Azmon(P) to the Brook of Egypt,(Q) where it will end at the Mediterranean Sea.
6 Your western border will be the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea; this will be your western border.
7 This will be your northern border: From the Mediterranean Sea draw a line to Mount Hor;(R) 8 from Mount Hor draw a line to the entrance of Hamath,[e](S) and the border will reach Zedad.(T) 9 Then the border will go to Ziphron and end at Hazar-enan.(U) This will be your northern border.
10 For your eastern border, draw a line from Hazar-enan to Shepham. 11 The border will go down from Shepham to Riblah east of Ain.(V) It will continue down and reach the eastern slope of the Sea of Chinnereth.[f](W) 12 Then the border will go down to the Jordan and end at the Dead Sea. This will be your land defined by its borders on all sides.”
13 So Moses commanded the Israelites, “This is the land you are to receive by lot as an inheritance, which the Lord commanded to be given to the nine and a half tribes. 14 For the tribe of Reuben’s descendants and the tribe of Gad’s descendants have received their inheritance according to their ancestral families,[g] and half the tribe of Manasseh has received its inheritance. 15 The two and a half tribes have received their inheritance(X) across the Jordan east of Jericho, toward the sunrise.”
Leaders for Distributing the Land
16 The Lord spoke to Moses, 17 “These are the names of the men who are to distribute the land as an inheritance for you: the priest Eleazar and Joshua son of Nun. 18 Take one leader from each tribe to distribute the land. 19 These are the names of the men:
Caleb(Y) son of Jephunneh from the tribe of Judah;
20 Shemuel son of Ammihud from the tribe of Simeon’s descendants;
21 Elidad son of Chislon from the tribe of Benjamin;
22 Bukki son of Jogli, a leader from the tribe of Dan’s descendants;
23 from the sons of Joseph:
Hanniel son of Ephod, a leader from the tribe of Manasseh’s descendants,
24 Kemuel son of Shiphtan, a leader from the tribe of Ephraim’s descendants;
25 Eli-zaphan son of Parnach, a leader from the tribe of Zebulun’s descendants;
26 Paltiel son of Azzan, a leader from the tribe of Issachar’s descendants;
27 Ahihud son of Shelomi, a leader from the tribe of Asher’s descendants;
28 Pedahel son of Ammihud, a leader from the tribe of Naphtali’s descendants.”
29 These are the ones the Lord commanded to distribute the inheritance to the Israelites in the land of Canaan.
Cities for the Levites
35 The Lord again spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho:(Z) 2 “Command the Israelites to give cities out of their hereditary property for the Levites to live in and pastureland around the cities.(AA) 3 The cities will be for them to live in, and their pasturelands will be for their herds, flocks, and all their other animals. 4 The pasturelands of the cities you are to give the Levites will extend from the city wall five hundred yards[h] on every side. 5 Measure a thousand yards[i] outside the city for the east side, a thousand yards for the south side, a thousand yards for the west side, and a thousand yards for the north side, with the city in the center. This will belong to them as pasturelands for the cities.
6 “The cities you give the Levites will include six cities of refuge,(AB) which you will provide so that the one who kills someone may flee there; in addition to these, give forty-two other cities.(AC) 7 The total number of cities you give the Levites will be forty-eight, along with their pasturelands.(AD) 8 Of the cities that you give from the Israelites’ territory, you should take more from a larger tribe and less from a smaller one.(AE) Each tribe is to give some of its cities to the Levites in proportion to the inheritance it receives.”
Cities of Refuge
9 The Lord said to Moses, 10 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11 designate cities to serve as cities of refuge for you, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there.(AF) 12 You will have the cities as a refuge from the avenger,(AG) so that the one who kills someone will not die until he stands trial before the assembly. 13 The cities you select will be your six cities of refuge. 14 Select three cities across the Jordan and three cities in the land of Canaan to be cities of refuge.(AH) 15 These six cities will serve as a refuge for the Israelites and for the alien or temporary resident among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there.
16 “If anyone strikes a person with an iron object and death results, he is a murderer; the murderer must be put to death.(AI) 17 If anyone has in his hand a stone capable of causing death and strikes another person and he dies, the murderer must be put to death. 18 If anyone has in his hand a wooden object capable of causing death and strikes another person and he dies, the murderer must be put to death. 19 The avenger of blood himself is to kill the murderer; when he finds him, he is to kill him.(AJ) 20 Likewise, if anyone in hatred pushes a person or throws an object at him with malicious intent and he dies, 21 or if in hostility he strikes him with his hand and he dies, the one who struck him must be put to death; he is a murderer. The avenger of blood is to kill the murderer when he finds him.
22 “But if anyone suddenly pushes a person without hostility or throws any object at him without malicious intent 23 or without looking drops a stone that could kill a person and he dies, but he was not his enemy and didn’t intend to harm him, 24 the assembly is to judge between the person who kills someone and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances. 25 The assembly is to protect the one who kills someone from the avenger of blood. Then the assembly will return him to the city of refuge he fled to, and he must live there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.(AK)
26 “If the one who kills someone ever goes outside the border of the city of refuge he fled to, 27 and the avenger of blood finds him outside the border of his city of refuge and kills him, the avenger will not be guilty of bloodshed, 28 for the one who killed a person was supposed to live in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. Only after the death of the high priest may the one who has killed a person return to the land he possesses. 29 These instructions will be a statutory ordinance for you throughout your generations wherever you live.
30 “If anyone kills a person, the murderer is to be put to death based on the word of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death based on the testimony of one witness.(AL) 31 You are not to accept a ransom for the life of someone who is guilty of murder; he must be put to death. 32 Neither should you accept a ransom for the person who flees to his city of refuge, allowing him to return and live in the land before the death of the high priest.
33 “Do not defile the land where you live, for bloodshed defiles the land,(AM) and there can be no atonement for the land because of the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of the person who shed it. 34 Do not make the land unclean where you live and where I dwell; for I, the Lord, reside among the Israelites.”
A Man Cleansed
12 While he was in one of the towns, a man was there who had leprosy[a] all over him.(A) He saw Jesus, fell facedown, and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
13 Reaching out his hand, Jesus touched him,(B) saying, “I am willing; be made clean,” and immediately the leprosy left him. 14 Then he ordered him to tell no one:(C) “But go and show yourself to the priest, and offer what Moses commanded for your cleansing as a testimony to them.”
15 But the news[b] about him spread even more, and large crowds would come together to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 Yet he often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.(D)
The Son of Man Forgives and Heals
17 On one of those days while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law(E) were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea, and also from Jerusalem. And the Lord’s power to heal was in him.(F) 18 Just then some men came,(G) carrying on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed. They tried to bring him in and set him down before him. 19 Since they could not find a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the roof tiles into the middle of the crowd before Jesus.
20 Seeing their faith he said, “Friend,[c] your sins are forgiven.”
21 Then the scribes and the Pharisees(H) began to think to themselves, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (I)
22 But perceiving their thoughts, Jesus replied to them, “Why are you thinking this in your hearts?[d] 23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he told the paralyzed man, “I tell you: Get up, take your stretcher, and go home.”
25 Immediately he got up before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God.(J) 26 Then everyone was astounded, and they were giving glory to God. And they were filled with awe(K) and said, “We have seen incredible things today.”
The Call of Levi
27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office,(L) and he said to him, “Follow me.” 28 So, leaving everything behind, he got up and began to follow him.
Psalm 65
God’s Care for the Earth
For the choir director. A psalm of David. A song.
1 Praise is rightfully yours,[a]
God, in Zion;
vows to you will be fulfilled.(A)
2 All humanity will come to you,
the one who hears prayer.(B)
3 Iniquities overwhelm me;
only you can atone for our rebellions.(C)
4 How happy is the one you choose
and bring near to live in your courts!
We will be satisfied with the goodness of your house,(D)
the holiness of your temple.[b](E)
5 You answer us in righteousness,
with awe-inspiring works,
God of our salvation,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the distant seas.(F)
6 You establish the mountains by your power;
you are robed with strength.(G)
7 You silence the roar of the seas,
the roar of their waves,
and the tumult of the nations.(H)
8 Those who live far away are awed by your signs;
you make east and west shout for joy.(I)
9 You visit the earth and water it abundantly,
enriching it greatly.
God’s stream is filled with water,
for you prepare the earth in this way,
providing people with grain.(J)
10 You soften it with showers and bless its growth,
soaking its furrows and leveling its ridges.(K)
11 You crown the year with your goodness;
your carts overflow with plenty.[c](L)
12 The wilderness pastures overflow,
and the hills are robed with joy.(M)
13 The pastures are clothed with flocks
and the valleys covered with grain.(N)
They shout in triumph; indeed, they sing.(O)
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.