The Continuing Conquest of Canaan

After the death of Joshua, the people of Israel (A)inquired of the Lord, (B)“Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?” The Lord said, “Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand.” And Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me into the territory allotted to me, that we may fight against the Canaanites. (C)And I likewise will go with you into the territory allotted to you.” So Simeon went with him. Then Judah went up and the Lord gave the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand, and they defeated 10,000 of them at Bezek. They found Adoni-bezek at Bezek and fought against him and defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites. Adoni-bezek fled, but they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and his big toes. And Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off (D)used to pick up scraps under my table. (E)As I have done, so God has repaid me.” And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

(F)And the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it and struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire. And afterward the men of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who lived in (G)the hill country, in the Negeb, and in (H)the lowland. 10 (I)And Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron (J)(now the name of Hebron was formerly Kiriath-arba), and they defeated (K)Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai.

11 From there they went against the inhabitants of Debir. The name of Debir was formerly Kiriath-sepher. 12 And Caleb said, “He who attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give him Achsah my daughter for a wife.” 13 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, (L)Caleb's younger brother, captured it. And he gave him Achsah his daughter for a wife. 14 When she came to him, she urged him to ask her father for a field. And she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you want?” 15 She said to him, “Give me a blessing. Since you have set me in the land of the Negeb, give me also springs of water.” And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

16 And the descendants of the (M)Kenite, Moses' father-in-law, went up with the people of Judah (N)from the city of palms into the wilderness of Judah, which lies in the Negeb near (O)Arad, (P)and they went and settled with the people. 17 (Q)And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they defeated the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath and devoted it to destruction. So the name of the city was called (R)Hormah.[a] 18 Judah also (S)captured Gaza with its territory, and Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory. 19 (T)And the Lord was with Judah, and he took possession of the (U)hill country, but he could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain because they had (V)chariots of iron. 20 (W)And Hebron was given to Caleb, as Moses had said. And he drove out from it (X)the three sons of Anak. 21 But the people of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem, (Y)so the Jebusites have lived with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.

22 The house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, (Z)and the Lord was with them. 23 And the house of Joseph scouted out Bethel. ((AA)Now the name of the city was formerly Luz.) 24 And the spies saw a man coming out of the city, and they said to him, “Please show us the way into the city, (AB)and we will deal kindly with you.” 25 And he showed them the way into the city. And they struck the city with the edge of the sword, but they let the man and all his family go. 26 And the man went to (AC)the land of the Hittites and built a city and called its name Luz. That is its name to this day.

Failure to Complete the Conquest

27 (AD)Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and its villages, or Taanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages, for the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land. 28 When Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not drive them out completely.

29 (AE)And Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them.

30 Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, or the inhabitants of (AF)Nahalol, so the Canaanites lived among them, but became subject to forced labor.

31 (AG)Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, or the inhabitants of Sidon or of Ahlab or of Achzib or of Helbah or of Aphik or of Rehob, 32 so the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, for they did not drive them out.

33 Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of (AH)Beth-shemesh, or the inhabitants of Beth-anath, so they lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless, the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became subject to forced labor for them.

34 (AI)The Amorites pressed the people of Dan back into the hill country, for they did not allow them to come down to the plain. 35 The Amorites persisted in dwelling in Mount Heres, (AJ)in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim, but the hand of the house of Joseph rested heavily on them, and they became subject to forced labor. 36 And the border of the Amorites ran from (AK)the ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela and upward.

Israel's Disobedience

Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to (AL)Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, (AM)‘I will never break my covenant with you, (AN)and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; (AO)you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done? So now I say, (AP)I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become (AQ)thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.” As soon as the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the people of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept. And they called the name of that place Bochim.[b] And they sacrificed there to the Lord.

The Death of Joshua

When Joshua dismissed the people, the people of Israel went each to his inheritance to take possession of the land. (AR)And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the Lord had done for Israel. And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110 years. And they buried him within the boundaries of (AS)his inheritance in Timnath-heres, (AT)in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash.

Footnotes

  1. Judges 1:17 Hormah means utter destruction
  2. Judges 2:5 Bochim means weepers

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

29 And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 As soon as they come out in leaf, you see (A)for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 (B)Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. 33 (C)Heaven and earth will pass away, but (D)my words will not pass away.

Watch Yourselves

34 “But watch yourselves (E)lest (F)your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and (G)cares of this life, and (H)that day come upon you suddenly (I)like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But (J)stay awake at all times, (K)praying that you may (L)have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and (M)to stand before the Son of Man.”

37 And (N)every day he was teaching in the temple, but (O)at night he went out and lodged on (P)the mount called Olivet. 38 And early in the morning (Q)all the people came to him in the temple to hear him.

The Plot to Kill Jesus

22 (R)Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called (S)the Passover. And the chief priests and the scribes (T)were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people.

Judas to Betray Jesus

(U)Then (V)Satan entered into (W)Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and (X)officers how he might betray him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. So he consented and sought an opportunity to (Y)betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.

The Passover with the Disciples

(Z)Then came (AA)the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. So Jesus[a] sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.” They said to him, “Where will you have us prepare it?” 10 He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters 11 and tell the master of the house, (AB)‘The Teacher says to you, Where is (AC)the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 12 And he will show you (AD)a large upper room furnished; prepare it there.” 13 And they went and found it (AE)just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

Footnotes

  1. Luke 22:8 Greek he

Book Four

From Everlasting to Everlasting

A (A)Prayer of Moses, the (B)man of God.

90 Lord, you have been our (C)dwelling place[a]
    in all generations.
(D)Before the (E)mountains were brought forth,
    or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
    (F)from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

You return man to dust
    and say, (G)“Return, (H)O children of man!”[b]
For (I)a thousand years in your sight
    are but as (J)yesterday when it is past,
    or as (K)a watch in the night.

You (L)sweep them away as with a flood; they are like (M)a dream,
    like (N)grass that is renewed in the morning:
in (O)the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
    in the evening it (P)fades and (Q)withers.

For we are brought to an end by your anger;
    by your wrath we are dismayed.
You have (R)set our iniquities before you,
    our (S)secret sins in the light of your presence.

For all our days pass away under your wrath;
    we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
10 The years of our life are seventy,
    or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span[c] is but toil and trouble;
    they are soon gone, and we fly away.
11 Who considers the power of your anger,
    and your wrath according to the fear of you?

12 (T)So teach us to number our days
    that we may get a heart of wisdom.
13 (U)Return, O Lord! (V)How long?
    Have (W)pity on your servants!
14 Satisfy us in the (X)morning with your steadfast love,
    that we may (Y)rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have (Z)afflicted us,
    and for as many years as we have seen evil.
16 Let your (AA)work be shown to your servants,
    and your glorious power to their children.
17 Let the (AB)favor[d] of the Lord our God be upon us,
    and establish (AC)the work of our hands upon us;
    yes, establish the work of our hands!

My Refuge and My Fortress

91 He who dwells in (AD)the shelter of the Most High
    will abide in (AE)the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say[e] to the Lord, “My (AF)refuge and my (AG)fortress,
    my God, in whom I (AH)trust.”

For he will deliver you from (AI)the snare of the fowler
    and from the deadly pestilence.
He will (AJ)cover you with his pinions,
    and under his (AK)wings you will (AL)find refuge;
    his (AM)faithfulness is (AN)a shield and buckler.
(AO)You will not fear (AP)the terror of the night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
    nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
You will only look with your eyes
    and (AQ)see the recompense of the wicked.

Because you have made the Lord your (AR)dwelling place—
    the Most High, who is my (AS)refuge[f]
10 (AT)no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
    (AU)no plague come near your tent.

11 (AV)For he will command his (AW)angels concerning you
    to (AX)guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
    lest you (AY)strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on (AZ)the lion and the (BA)adder;
    the young lion and (BB)the serpent you will (BC)trample underfoot.

14 “Because he (BD)holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
    I will protect him, because he (BE)knows my name.
15 When he (BF)calls to me, I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble;
    I will rescue him and (BG)honor him.
16 With (BH)long life I will satisfy him
    and (BI)show him my salvation.”

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 90:1 Some Hebrew manuscripts (compare Septuagint) our refuge
  2. Psalm 90:3 Or of Adam
  3. Psalm 90:10 Or pride
  4. Psalm 90:17 Or beauty
  5. Psalm 91:2 Septuagint He will say
  6. Psalm 91:9 Or For you, O Lord, are my refuge! You have made the Most High your dwelling place

24 (A)Whoever spares the rod hates his son,
    but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.[a]
25 (B)The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite,
    but the belly of the wicked suffers want.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 13:24 Or who loves him disciplines him early

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