Joshua 20-21

New International Version

Cities of Refuge^(A)

20 Then the Lord said to Joshua: ²“Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, ³so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally^(B) may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood.^(C) ⁴When they flee to one of these cities, they are to stand in the entrance of the city gate^(D) and state their case before the elders^(E) of that city. Then the elders are to admit the fugitive into their city and provide a place to live among them. ⁵If the avenger of blood comes in pursuit, the elders must not surrender the fugitive, because the fugitive killed their neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought. ⁶They are to stay in that city until they have stood trial before the assembly^(F) and until the death of the high priest who is serving at that time. Then they may go back to their own home in the town from which they fled.”

⁷So they set apart Kedesh^(G) in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem^(H) in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba^(I) (that is, Hebron^(J)) in the hill country of Judah.^(K) ⁸East of the Jordan (on the other side from Jericho) they designated Bezer^(L) in the wilderness on the plateau in the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead^(M) in the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan^(N) in the tribe of Manasseh. ⁹Any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing among them who killed someone accidentally^(O) could flee to these designated cities and not be killed by the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.^(P)

Towns for the Levites^(Q)

21 Now the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the other tribal families of Israel^(R) ²at Shiloh^(S) in Canaan and said to them, “The Lord commanded through Moses that you give us towns^(T) to live in, with pasturelands for our livestock.”^(U) ³So, as the Lord had commanded, the Israelites gave the Levites the following towns and pasturelands out of their own inheritance:

⁴The first lot came out for the Kohathites,^(V) according to their clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest were allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin.^(W) ⁵The rest of Kohath’s descendants were allotted ten towns from the clans of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan and half of Manasseh.^(X)

⁶The descendants of Gershon^(Y) were allotted thirteen towns from the clans of the tribes of Issachar,^(Z) Asher,^(AA) Naphtali and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

⁷The descendants of Merari,^(AB) according to their clans, received twelve^(AC) towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun.^(AD)

⁸So the Israelites allotted to the Levites these towns and their pasturelands, as the Lord had commanded through Moses.

⁹From the tribes of Judah and Simeon they allotted the following towns by name ¹⁰(these towns were assigned to the descendants of Aaron who were from the Kohathite clans of the Levites, because the first lot fell to them):

¹¹They gave them Kiriath Arba^(AE) (that is, Hebron^(AF)), with its surrounding pastureland, in the hill country of Judah. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.) ¹²But the fields and villages around the city they had given to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession.^(AG)

¹³So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron (a city of refuge^(AH) for one accused of murder), Libnah,^(AI) ¹⁴Jattir,^(AJ) Eshtemoa,^(AK) ¹⁵Holon,^(AL) Debir,^(AM) ¹⁶Ain,^(AN) Juttah^(AO) and Beth Shemesh,^(AP) together with their pasturelands—nine towns from these two tribes.

¹⁷And from the tribe of Benjamin they gave them Gibeon,^(AQ) Geba,^(AR) ¹⁸Anathoth^(AS) and Almon, together with their pasturelands—four towns.

¹⁹The total number of towns^(AT) for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, came to thirteen, together with their pasturelands.^(AU)

²⁰The rest of the Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted towns from the tribe of Ephraim:

²¹In the hill country of Ephraim they were given Shechem^(AV) (a city of refuge for one accused of murder) and Gezer,^(AW) ²²Kibzaim and Beth Horon,^(AX) together with their pasturelands—four towns.^(AY)

²³Also from the tribe of Dan they received Eltekeh, Gibbethon,^(AZ) ²⁴Aijalon^(BA) and Gath Rimmon,^(BB) together with their pasturelands—four towns.

²⁵From half the tribe of Manasseh they received Taanach^(BC) and Gath Rimmon, together with their pasturelands—two towns.

²⁶All these ten towns and their pasturelands were given to the rest of the Kohathite clans.^(BD)

²⁷The Levite clans of the Gershonites were given:

from the half-tribe of Manasseh,

Golan in Bashan^(BE) (a city of refuge for one accused of murder^(BF)) and Be Eshterah, together with their pasturelands—two towns;

²⁸from the tribe of Issachar,^(BG)

Kishion,^(BH) Daberath,^(BI) ²⁹Jarmuth^(BJ) and En Gannim,^(BK) together with their pasturelands—four towns;

³⁰from the tribe of Asher,^(BL)

Mishal,^(BM) Abdon,^(BN) ³¹Helkath and Rehob,^(BO) together with their pasturelands—four towns;

³²from the tribe of Naphtali,

Kedesh^(BP) in Galilee (a city of refuge for one accused of murder^(BQ)), Hammoth Dor and Kartan, together with their pasturelands—three towns.

³³The total number of towns of the Gershonite^(BR) clans came to thirteen, together with their pasturelands.

³⁴The Merarite clans (the rest of the Levites) were given:

from the tribe of Zebulun,^(BS)

Jokneam,^(BT) Kartah, ³⁵Dimnah and Nahalal,^(BU) together with their pasturelands—four towns;

³⁶from the tribe of Reuben,

Bezer,^(BV) Jahaz,^(BW) ³⁷Kedemoth and Mephaath,^(BX) together with their pasturelands—four towns;

³⁸from the tribe of Gad,

Ramoth^(BY) in Gilead^(BZ) (a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Mahanaim,^(CA) ³⁹Heshbon and Jazer,^(CB) together with their pasturelands—four towns in all.

⁴⁰The total number of towns allotted to the Merarite clans, who were the rest of the Levites, came to twelve.^(CC)

⁴¹The towns of the Levites in the territory held by the Israelites were forty-eight in all, together with their pasturelands.^(CD) ⁴²Each of these towns had pasturelands surrounding it; this was true for all these towns.

⁴³So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors,^(CE) and they took possession^(CF) of it and settled there.^(CG) ⁴⁴The Lord gave them rest^(CH) on every side, just as he had sworn to their ancestors. Not one of their enemies^(CI) withstood them; the Lord gave all their enemies^(CJ) into their hands.^(CK) ⁴⁵Not one of all the Lord’s good promises^(CL) to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

Jeremiah 10

New International Version

God and Idols^(A)

10 Hear what the Lord says to you, people of Israel. ²This is what the Lord says:

“Do not learn the ways of the nations^(B)
    or be terrified by signs^(C) in the heavens,
    though the nations are terrified by them.
³For the practices of the peoples are worthless;
    they cut a tree out of the forest,
    and a craftsman^(D) shapes it with his chisel.^(E)
⁴They adorn it with silver^(F) and gold;
    they fasten it with hammer and nails
    so it will not totter.^(G)
⁵Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field,
    their idols cannot speak;^(H)
they must be carried
    because they cannot walk.^(I)
Do not fear them;
    they can do no harm^(J)
    nor can they do any good.”^(K)

⁶No one is like you,^(L) Lord;
    you are great,^(M)
    and your name is mighty in power.
⁷Who should not fear^(N) you,
    King of the nations?^(O)
    This is your due.
Among all the wise leaders of the nations
    and in all their kingdoms,
    there is no one like you.

⁸They are all senseless^(P) and foolish;^(Q)
    they are taught by worthless wooden idols.^(R)
⁹Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish^(S)
    and gold from Uphaz.
What the craftsman and goldsmith have made^(T)
    is then dressed in blue and purple—
    all made by skilled workers.
¹⁰But the Lord is the true God;
    he is the living God,^(U) the eternal King.^(V)
When he is angry,^(W) the earth trembles;^(X)
    the nations cannot endure his wrath.^(Y)

¹¹“Tell them this: ‘These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish^(Z) from the earth and from under the heavens.’”^[a]

¹²But God made^(AA) the earth^(AB) by his power;
    he founded the world by his wisdom^(AC)
    and stretched out the heavens^(AD) by his understanding.
¹³When he thunders,^(AE) the waters in the heavens roar;
    he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth.
He sends lightning^(AF) with the rain^(AG)
    and brings out the wind from his storehouses.^(AH)

¹⁴Everyone is senseless and without knowledge;
    every goldsmith is shamed^(AI) by his idols.
The images he makes are a fraud;^(AJ)
    they have no breath in them.
¹⁵They are worthless,^(AK) the objects of mockery;
    when their judgment comes, they will perish.
¹⁶He who is the Portion^(AL) of Jacob is not like these,
    for he is the Maker of all things,^(AM)
including Israel, the people of his inheritance^(AN)—
    the Lord Almighty is his name.^(AO)

Coming Destruction

¹⁷Gather up your belongings^(AP) to leave the land,
    you who live under siege.
¹⁸For this is what the Lord says:
    “At this time I will hurl^(AQ) out
    those who live in this land;
I will bring distress^(AR) on them
    so that they may be captured.”

¹⁹Woe to me because of my injury!
    My wound^(AS) is incurable!
Yet I said to myself,
    “This is my sickness, and I must endure^(AT) it.”
²⁰My tent^(AU) is destroyed;
    all its ropes are snapped.
My children are gone from me and are no more;^(AV)
    no one is left now to pitch my tent
    or to set up my shelter.
²¹The shepherds^(AW) are senseless^(AX)
    and do not inquire of the Lord;^(AY)
so they do not prosper^(AZ)
    and all their flock is scattered.^(BA)
²²Listen! The report is coming—
    a great commotion from the land of the north!^(BB)
It will make the towns of Judah desolate,^(BC)
    a haunt of jackals.^(BD)

Jeremiah’s Prayer

²³Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own;
    it is not for them to direct their steps.^(BE)
²⁴Discipline me, Lord, but only in due measure—
    not in your anger,^(BF)
    or you will reduce me to nothing.^(BG)
²⁵Pour out your wrath on the nations^(BH)
    that do not acknowledge you,
    on the peoples who do not call on your name.^(BI)
For they have devoured^(BJ) Jacob;
    they have devoured him completely
    and destroyed his homeland.^(BK)