The Parable of the Sower^(A)(B)

4 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake.^(C) The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. ² He taught them many things by parables,^(D) and in his teaching said: ³ “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.^{(E) 4} As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”^(F)

⁹ Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”^(G)

¹⁰ When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. ¹¹ He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God^(H) has been given to you. But to those on the outside^(I) everything is said in parables ¹² so that,

¹³ Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? ¹⁴ The farmer sows the word.^{(K) 15} Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan^(L) comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. ¹⁶ Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. ¹⁷ But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. ¹⁸ Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; ¹⁹ but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth^(M) and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. ²⁰ Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”

A Lamp on a Stand

²¹ He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand?^{(N) 22} For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open.^{(O) 23} If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.”^(P)

²⁴ “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more.^{(Q) 25} Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”^(R)

The Parable of the Growing Seed

²⁶ He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like.^(S) A man scatters seed on the ground. ²⁷ Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. ²⁸ All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. ²⁹ As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”^(T)

The Parable of the Mustard Seed^(U)

³⁰ Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like,^(V) or what parable shall we use to describe it? ³¹ It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. ³² Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”

³³ With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand.^{(W) 34} He did not say anything to them without using a parable.^(X) But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.

Jesus Calms the Storm^(Y)

³⁵ That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” ³⁶ Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat.^(Z) There were also other boats with him. ³⁷ A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. ³⁸ Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

³⁹ He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

⁴⁰ He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”^(AA)

⁴¹ They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Psalm 39^[a]

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

6 Now the gates of Jericho^(A) were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.

² Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered^(B) Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. ³ March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. ⁴ Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns^(C) in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets.^{(D) 5} When you hear them sound a long blast^(E) on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout;^(F) then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”

⁶ So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it.”^{(G) 7} And he ordered the army, “Advance^(H)! March around the city, with an armed guard going ahead of the ark^(I) of the Lord.”

⁸ When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the Lord went forward, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the Lord’s covenant followed them. ⁹ The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard^(J) followed the ark. All this time the trumpets were sounding. ¹⁰ But Joshua had commanded the army, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!^(K)” ¹¹ So he had the ark of the Lord carried around the city, circling it once. Then the army returned to camp and spent the night there.

¹² Joshua got up early the next morning and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. ¹³ The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark of the Lord and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets kept sounding. ¹⁴ So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.

¹⁵ On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times.^{(L) 16} The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!^{(M) 17} The city and all that is in it are to be devoted^[a](N) to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute^(O) and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid^(P) the spies we sent. ¹⁸ But keep away from the devoted things,^(Q) so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction^(R) and bring trouble^(S) on it. ¹⁹ All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron^(T) are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury.”

²⁰ When the trumpets sounded,^(U) the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout,^(V) the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city.^{(W) 21} They devoted^(X) the city to the Lord and destroyed^(Y) with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.

²² Joshua said to the two men^(Z) who had spied out^(AA) the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her.^(AB)” ²³ So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother, her brothers and sisters and all who belonged to her.^(AC) They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.

²⁴ Then they burned the whole city^(AD) and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron^(AE) into the treasury of the Lord’s house.^{(AF) 25} But Joshua spared^(AG) Rahab the prostitute,^(AH) with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho^(AI)—and she lives among the Israelites to this day.

²⁶ At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath:^(AJ) “Cursed^(AK) before the Lord is the one who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho:

²⁷ So the Lord was with Joshua,^(AM) and his fame spread^(AN) throughout the land.

Achan’s Sin

7 But the Israelites were unfaithful in regard to the devoted things^[b];^(AO) Achan^(AP) son of Karmi, the son of Zimri,^[c] the son of Zerah,^(AQ) of the tribe of Judah,^(AR) took some of them. So the Lord’s anger burned^(AS) against Israel.^(AT)

² Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai,^(AU) which is near Beth Aven^(AV) to the east of Bethel,^(AW) and told them, “Go up and spy out^(AX) the region.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.

³ When they returned to Joshua, they said, “Not all the army will have to go up against Ai. Send two or three thousand men to take it and do not weary the whole army, for only a few people live there.” ⁴ So about three thousand went up; but they were routed by the men of Ai,^{(AY) 5} who killed about thirty-six^(AZ) of them. They chased the Israelites from the city gate as far as the stone quarries and struck them down on the slopes. At this the hearts of the people melted in fear^(BA) and became like water.

⁶ Then Joshua tore his clothes^(BB) and fell facedown^(BC) to the ground before the ark of the Lord, remaining there till evening.^(BD) The elders of Israel^(BE) did the same, and sprinkled dust^(BF) on their heads. ⁷ And Joshua said, “Alas, Sovereign Lord, why^(BG) did you ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us?^(BH) If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan! ⁸ Pardon your servant, Lord. What can I say, now that Israel has been routed by its enemies? ⁹ The Canaanites and the other people of the country will hear about this and they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth.^(BI) What then will you do for your own great name?^(BJ)”

¹⁰ The Lord said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? ¹¹ Israel has sinned;^(BK) they have violated my covenant,^(BL) which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied,^(BM) they have put them with their own possessions.^{(BN) 12} That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies;^(BO) they turn their backs^(BP) and run^(BQ) because they have been made liable to destruction.^(BR) I will not be with you anymore^(BS) unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.

¹³ “Go, consecrate the people. Tell them, ‘Consecrate yourselves^(BT) in preparation for tomorrow; for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There are devoted things among you, Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove them.

¹⁴ “‘In the morning, present^(BU) yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe the Lord chooses^(BV) shall come forward clan by clan; the clan the Lord chooses shall come forward family by family; and the family the Lord chooses shall come forward man by man. ¹⁵ Whoever is caught with the devoted things^(BW) shall be destroyed by fire,^(BX) along with all that belongs to him.^(BY) He has violated the covenant^(BZ) of the Lord and has done an outrageous thing in Israel!’”^(CA)

¹⁶ Early the next morning Joshua had Israel come forward by tribes, and Judah was chosen. ¹⁷ The clans of Judah came forward, and the Zerahites were chosen.^(CB) He had the clan of the Zerahites come forward by families, and Zimri was chosen. ¹⁸ Joshua had his family come forward man by man, and Achan son of Karmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah,^(CC) was chosen.^(CD)

¹⁹ Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory^(CE) to the Lord, the God of Israel, and honor him. Tell^(CF) me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”

²⁰ Achan replied, “It is true! I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I have done: ²¹ When I saw in the plunder^(CG) a beautiful robe from Babylonia,^[d] two hundred shekels^[e] of silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels,^[f] I coveted^(CH) them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”

²² So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent, and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath. ²³ They took the things from the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites and spread them out before the Lord.

²⁴ Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold bar, his sons^(CI) and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor.^{(CJ) 25} Joshua said, “Why have you brought this trouble^(CK) on us? The Lord will bring trouble on you today.”

Then all Israel stoned him,^(CL) and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them.^{(CM) 26} Over Achan they heaped^(CN) up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day.^(CO) Then the Lord turned from his fierce anger.^(CP) Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor^[g](CQ) ever since.

Ai Destroyed

8 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid;^(CR) do not be discouraged.^(CS) Take the whole army^(CT) with you, and go up and attack Ai.^(CU) For I have delivered^(CV) into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land. ² You shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder^(CW) and livestock for yourselves.^(CX) Set an ambush^(CY) behind the city.”

³ So Joshua and the whole army moved out to attack Ai. He chose thirty thousand of his best fighting men and sent them out at night ⁴ with these orders: “Listen carefully. You are to set an ambush behind the city. Don’t go very far from it. All of you be on the alert. ⁵ I and all those with me will advance on the city, and when the men come out against us, as they did before, we will flee from them. ⁶ They will pursue us until we have lured them away from the city, for they will say, ‘They are running away from us as they did before.’ So when we flee from them, ⁷ you are to rise up from ambush and take the city. The Lord your God will give it into your hand.^{(CZ) 8} When you have taken the city, set it on fire.^(DA) Do what the Lord has commanded.^(DB) See to it; you have my orders.”

⁹ Then Joshua sent them off, and they went to the place of ambush^(DC) and lay in wait between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai—but Joshua spent that night with the people.

¹⁰ Early the next morning^(DD) Joshua mustered his army, and he and the leaders of Israel^(DE) marched before them to Ai. ¹¹ The entire force that was with him marched up and approached the city and arrived in front of it. They set up camp north of Ai, with the valley between them and the city. ¹² Joshua had taken about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city. ¹³ So the soldiers took up their positions—with the main camp to the north of the city and the ambush to the west of it. That night Joshua went into the valley.

¹⁴ When the king of Ai saw this, he and all the men of the city hurried out early in the morning to meet Israel in battle at a certain place overlooking the Arabah.^(DF) But he did not know^(DG) that an ambush had been set against him behind the city. ¹⁵ Joshua and all Israel let themselves be driven back^(DH) before them, and they fled toward the wilderness.^{(DI) 16} All the men of Ai were called to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and were lured away^(DJ) from the city. ¹⁷ Not a man remained in Ai or Bethel who did not go after Israel. They left the city open and went in pursuit of Israel.

¹⁸ Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Hold out toward Ai the javelin^(DK) that is in your hand,^(DL) for into your hand I will deliver the city.” So Joshua held out toward the city the javelin that was in his hand.^{(DM) 19} As soon as he did this, the men in the ambush rose quickly^(DN) from their position and rushed forward. They entered the city and captured it and quickly set it on fire.^(DO)

²⁰ The men of Ai looked back and saw the smoke of the city rising up into the sky,^(DP) but they had no chance to escape in any direction; the Israelites who had been fleeing toward the wilderness had turned back against their pursuers. ²¹ For when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and that smoke was going up from it, they turned around^(DQ) and attacked the men of Ai. ²² Those in the ambush also came out of the city against them, so that they were caught in the middle, with Israelites on both sides. Israel cut them down, leaving them neither survivors nor fugitives.^{(DR) 23} But they took the king of Ai alive^(DS) and brought him to Joshua.

²⁴ When Israel had finished killing all the men of Ai in the fields and in the wilderness where they had chased them, and when every one of them had been put to the sword, all the Israelites returned to Ai and killed those who were in it. ²⁵ Twelve thousand men and women fell that day—all the people of Ai.^{(DT) 26} For Joshua did not draw back the hand that held out his javelin^(DU) until he had destroyed^[h](DV) all who lived in Ai.^{(DW) 27} But Israel did carry off for themselves the livestock and plunder of this city, as the Lord had instructed Joshua.^(DX)

²⁸ So Joshua burned^(DY) Ai^[i](DZ) and made it a permanent heap of ruins,^(EA) a desolate place to this day.^{(EB) 29} He impaled the body of the king of Ai on a pole and left it there until evening. At sunset,^(EC) Joshua ordered them to take the body from the pole and throw it down at the entrance of the city gate. And they raised a large pile of rocks^(ED) over it, which remains to this day.

The Covenant Renewed at Mount Ebal

³⁰ Then Joshua built on Mount Ebal^(EE) an altar^(EF) to the Lord, the God of Israel, ³¹ as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses—an altar of uncut stones, on which no iron tool^(EG) had been used. On it they offered to the Lord burnt offerings and sacrificed fellowship offerings.^{(EH) 32} There, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua wrote on stones a copy of the law of Moses.^{(EI) 33} All the Israelites, with their elders, officials and judges, were standing on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the Lord, facing the Levitical^(EJ) priests who carried it. Both the foreigners living among them and the native-born^(EK) were there. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal,^(EL) as Moses the servant of the Lord had formerly commanded when he gave instructions to bless the people of Israel.

³⁴ Afterward, Joshua read all the words of the law—the blessings and the curses—just as it is written in the Book of the Law.^{(EM) 35} There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read to the whole assembly of Israel, including the women and children, and the foreigners who lived among them.^(EN)