The Daily Audio Bible
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Crossing the Jordan River
3 Joshua got up early the next morning. He and all the Israelites left Shittim. They came to the Jordan River, where they camped before crossing.
2 Three days later the officers went through the camp. 3 They told the people, “As soon as you see the ark of the promise of Yahweh your Elohim and the Levitical priests who carry it, break camp and follow them. 4 However, stay about half a mile behind them. Don’t come any closer to them so that you will know which way to go because you have not gone this way before.”
5 Joshua told the people, “Perform the ceremonies to make yourselves holy because tomorrow Yahweh will do miracles among you.”
6 Joshua also told the priests, “Take the ark of the promise, and go ahead of the people.” They did as they were told.
7 Then Yahweh said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to honor you in front of all the people of Israel. I will do this to let them know that I am with you just as I was with Moses. 8 Order the priests who carry the ark of the promise, ‘When you step into the water of the Jordan River, stand there.’”
9 So Joshua said to the people of Israel, “Come here, and listen to the words of Yahweh your Elohim.” 10 Joshua continued, “This is how you will know that El Chay is among you and that he will certainly force the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites out of your way. 11 Watch the ark of the promise of the Adonay of the whole earth as it goes ahead of you into the Jordan River. 12 Choose one man from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. 13 The priests who carry the ark of Yahweh, the Adonay of the whole earth, will stand in the water of the Jordan. Then the water flowing from upstream will stop and stand up like a dam.”
14 So they broke camp to cross the Jordan River. The priests who carried the ark of the promise went ahead of the people. 15 (The Jordan overflows all its banks during the harvest season.)[a] When the priests who were carrying the ark came to the edge of the Jordan River and set foot in 16 the water, the water stopped flowing from upstream. The water rose up like a dam as far away as the city of Adam near Zarethan. The water flowing down toward the Sea of the Plains (the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. Then the people crossed from the east side of the Jordan River directly opposite Jericho. 17 The priests who carried the ark of Yahweh’s promise stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan until the whole nation of Israel had crossed the Jordan River on dry ground.
A Reminder of the Crossing
4 The whole nation finished crossing the Jordan River. Yahweh had told Joshua, 2 “Choose one man from each of the 12 tribes. 3 Order them to pick up 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan, where the priests’ feet stood firmly. Take the stones along with you, and set them down where you will camp tonight.”
4 Joshua called the 12 men whom he had selected (one from each tribe). 5 He said to them, “Go to the middle of the Jordan River in front of the ark of Yahweh your Elohim. Each man must take a stone on his shoulder, one for each tribe of Israel. 6 This will be a sign for you. In the future your children will ask, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 7 You should answer, ‘The water of the Jordan River was cut off in front of the ark of Yahweh’s promise. When the ark crossed the Jordan, the river stopped flowing. These stones are a permanent reminder for the people of Israel.’”
8 The people of Israel did as Joshua had ordered. They took 12 stones, one for each of the tribes of Israel. They took them from the middle of the Jordan as Yahweh had told Joshua. They carried them to the camp and set them down there.
9 Joshua also set 12 stones in the middle of the Jordan River, where the priests who carried the ark of the promise had stood. The stones are still there today.
10 The priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan. They stood there until everything Yahweh had ordered Joshua to tell the people had been carried out. This was as Moses had told Joshua. The people hurried to the other side. 11 As soon as everyone had crossed, the priests with Yahweh’s ark crossed and went ahead of them.
12 The men of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh did as Moses had told them. They marched across in battle formation ahead of the people of Israel. 13 About 40,000 armed men crossed the river in front of Yahweh to the plains of Jericho for battle.
14 On that day Yahweh honored Joshua in the presence of all the Israelites. As long as Joshua lived, the Israelites respected him in the same way they had respected Moses.
15 Yahweh said to Joshua, 16 “Order the priests who carry the ark of the testimony to come out of the Jordan River.”
17 So Joshua ordered the priests, “Come out of the Jordan.”
18 The priests who carried the ark of Yahweh’s promise came out of the middle of the Jordan. When their feet stepped onto dry land, the water of the Jordan returned to its seasonal flood level.
19 On the tenth day of the first month, the people came out of the Jordan River. They made their camp at Gilgal, just east of Jericho. 20 At Gilgal Joshua set up the 12 stones they had taken from the Jordan. 21 He said to the people of Israel, “In the future when children ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22 the children should be told that Israel crossed the Jordan River on dry ground. 23 Yahweh your Elohim dried up the Jordan ahead of you until you had crossed, as he did to the Red Sea until we had crossed. 24 Yahweh did this so that everyone in the world would know his mighty power and that you would fear Yahweh your Elohim every day of your life.”
7 Then Yeshua noticed how the guests always chose the places of honor. So he used this illustration when he spoke to them: 8 “When someone invites you to a wedding, don’t take the place of honor. Maybe someone more important than you was invited. 9 Then your host would say to you, ‘Give this person your place.’ Embarrassed, you would have to take the place of least honor. 10 So when you’re invited, take the place of least honor. Then, when your host comes, he will tell you, ‘Friend, move to a more honorable place.’ Then all the other guests will see how you are honored. 11 Those who honor themselves will be humbled, but people who humble themselves will be honored.”
12 Then he told the man who had invited him, “When you invite people for lunch or dinner, don’t invite only your friends, family, other relatives, or rich neighbors. Otherwise, they will return the favor. 13 Instead, when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the handicapped, the lame, and the blind. 14 Then you will be blessed because they don’t have any way to pay you back. You will be paid back when those who have God’s approval come back to life.”
15 One of those eating with him heard this. So he said to Yeshua, “The person who will be at the banquet in the kingdom of God is blessed.”
16 Yeshua said to him, “A man gave a large banquet and invited many people. 17 When it was time for the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who were invited, ‘Come! Everything is ready now.’
18 “Everyone asked to be excused. The first said to him, ‘I bought a field, and I need to see it. Please excuse me.’ 19 Another said, ‘I bought five pairs of oxen, and I’m on my way to see how well they plow. Please excuse me.’ 20 Still another said, ‘I recently got married, and that’s why I can’t come.’
21 “The servant went back to report this to his master. Then the master of the house became angry. He told his servant, ‘Run to every street and alley in the city! Bring back the poor, the handicapped, the blind, and the lame.’
22 “The servant said, ‘Sir, what you’ve ordered has been done. But there is still room for more people.’
23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go to the roads and paths! Urge the people to come to my house. I want it to be full. 24 I can guarantee that none of those invited earlier will taste any food at my banquet.’”
The Cost of Being a Disciple
25 Large crowds were traveling with Yeshua. He turned to them and said, 26 “If people come to me and are not ready to abandon their fathers, mothers, wives, children, brothers, and sisters, as well as their own lives, they cannot be my disciples. 27 So those who do not carry their crosses and follow me cannot be my disciples.
28 “Suppose you want to build a tower. You would first sit down and figure out what it costs. Then you would see if you have enough money to finish it. 29 Otherwise, if you lay a foundation and can’t finish the building, everyone who watches will make fun of you. 30 They’ll say, ‘This person started to build but couldn’t finish the job.’
31 “Or suppose a king is going to war against another king. He would first sit down and think things through. Can he and his 10,000 soldiers fight against a king with 20,000 soldiers? 32 If he can’t, he’ll send ambassadors to ask for terms of peace while the other king is still far away. 33 In the same way, none of you can be my disciples unless you give up everything.
34 “Salt is good. But if salt loses its taste, how will you restore its flavor? 35 It’s not any good for the ground or for the manure pile. People throw it away.
“Let the person who has ears listen!”
Psalm 80
For the choir director; according to shoshannim eduth; by Asaph; a psalm.
1 Open your ears, O Roeh of Israel,
the one who leads the descendants of Joseph like sheep,
the one who is enthroned over the angels.[a]
2 Appear in front of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.
Wake up your power, and come to save us.
3 O Elohim, restore us and smile on us
so that we may be saved.
4 O Yahweh Elohim Tsebaoth, how long will you smolder in anger
against the prayer of your people?
5 You made them eat tears as food.
You often made them drink their own tears.
6 You made us a source of conflict to our neighbors,
and our enemies made fun of us.
7 O Elohim Tsebaoth, restore us and smile on us
so that we may be saved.
8 You brought a vine from Egypt.
You forced out the nations and planted it.
9 You cleared the ground for it
so that it took root and filled the land.
10 Its shade covered the mountains.
Its branches covered the mighty cedars.
11 It reached out with its branches to the Mediterranean Sea.
Its shoots reached the Euphrates River.
12 Why did you break down the stone fences around this vine?
All who pass by are picking its fruit.
13 Wild boars from the forest graze on it.
Wild animals devour it.
14 O Elohim Tsebaoth, come back!
Look from heaven and see!
Come to help this vine.
15 Take care of what your right hand planted,
the son you strengthened for yourself.
16 The vine has been cut down and burned.
Let them be destroyed by the threatening look on your face.
17 Let your power rest on the man you have chosen,
the son of man you strengthened for yourself.
18 Then we will never turn away from you.
Give us life again, and we will call on you.
19 O Yahweh Elohim Tsebaoth, restore us, and smile on us
so that we may be saved.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.