The Death of Joshua

⁶ When Joshua dismissed the people, the people of Israel went each to his inheritance to take possession of the land. ^7 (A)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. ⁸ And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110 years. ⁹ And they buried him within the boundaries of ^(B)his inheritance in Timnath-heres, ^(C)in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash. ¹⁰ And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.

Israel's Unfaithfulness

^11 (D)And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. ^12 (E)And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. ^(F)They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and ^(G)bowed down to them. ^(H)And they provoked the Lord to anger. ¹³ They abandoned the Lord ^(I)and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. ^14 (J)So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he ^(K)gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. ^(L)And he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, ^(M)so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. ¹⁵ Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord was against them for harm, as the Lord had warned, ^(N)and as the Lord had sworn to them. And they were in terrible distress.

The Lord Raises Up Judges

^16 (O)Then the Lord raised up judges, ^(P)who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them. ¹⁷ Yet they did not listen to their judges, for ^(Q)they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. ^(R)They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord, and they did not do so. ¹⁸ Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, ^(S)the Lord was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. ^(T)For the Lord was moved to pity by ^(U)their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them. ¹⁹ But ^(V)whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways. ^20 (W)So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he said, “Because this people ^(X)has transgressed my covenant that I commanded their fathers and have not obeyed my voice, ^21 (Y)I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died, ²² in order ^(Z)to test Israel by them, whether they will take care to walk in the way of the Lord as their fathers did, or not.” ²³ So the Lord left those nations, not driving them out quickly, and he did not give them into the hand of Joshua.

You Will Not Abandon My Soul

A ^(A)Miktam^[a] of David.

Bear One Another's Burdens

6 Brothers,^{[a] (A)}if anyone is caught in any transgression, ^(B)you who are spiritual should restore him in ^(C)a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. ^2 (D)Bear one another's burdens, and ^(E)so fulfil ^(F)the law of Christ. ³ For ^(G)if anyone thinks he is something, ^(H)when he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴ But let each one ^(I)test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbour. ⁵ For ^(J)each will have to bear his own load.

^6 (K)One who is taught the word must share all good things with the one who teaches. ^7 (L)Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for ^(M)whatever one sows, that will he also reap. ⁸ For ^(N)the one who sows to his own flesh ^(O)will from the flesh reap corruption, but ^(P)the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. ⁹ And ^(Q)let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, ^(R)if we do not give up. ¹⁰ So then, ^(S)as we have opportunity, let us ^(T)do good to everyone, and especially to those who are ^(U)of the household of faith.

If Your Brother Sins Against You

^15 (A)“If your brother sins against you, ^(B)go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have ^(C)gained your brother. ¹⁶ But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established ^(D)by the evidence of two or three witnesses. ¹⁷ If he refuses to listen to them, ^(E)tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, ^(F)let him be to you as ^(G)a Gentile and ^(H)a tax collector. ¹⁸ Truly, I say to you, ^(I)whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed^[a] in heaven. ¹⁹ Again I say to you, if two of you ^(J)agree on earth about anything they ask, ^(K)it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three are ^(L)gathered in my name, ^(M)there am I among them.”