The Daily Audio Bible
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Unconquered Lands
13 Joshua was now old, getting on in years,(A) and the Lord said to him, “You have become old, getting on in years, but a great deal of the land remains to be possessed.(B) 2 This is the land that remains:
All the districts of the Philistines and the Geshurites: 3 from the Shihor east of Egypt to the border of Ekron on the north (considered to be Canaanite territory)—the five Philistine rulers of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, as well as the Avvites 4 in the south; all the land of the Canaanites: from Arah of the Sidonians to Aphek and as far as the border of the Amorites; 5 the land of the Gebalites;(C) and all Lebanon east from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon to the entrance of Hamath[a](D)— 6 all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim,(E) all the Sidonians.
I will drive them out before the Israelites, only distribute the land as an inheritance for Israel, as I have commanded you. 7 Therefore, divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh.”
The Inheritance East of the Jordan
8 With the other half of the tribe, the Reubenites and Gadites had received the inheritance Moses gave them beyond the Jordan to the east, just as Moses the Lord’s servant had given them:(F)
9 From Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley, along with the city in the middle of the valley,(G) all the Medeba plateau as far as Dibon, 10 and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, to the border of the Ammonites; 11 also Gilead(H) and the territory of the Geshurites and Maacathites, all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan to Salecah— 12 the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei; he was one of the remaining Rephaim.
Moses struck them down and drove them out,(I) 13 but the Israelites did not drive out the Geshurites and Maacathites.(J) So Geshur and Maacath live in Israel to this day.(K)
14 He did not give any inheritance to the tribe of Levi. This was its inheritance, just as He had promised: the offerings made by fire to the Lord, the God of Israel.(L)
Reuben’s Inheritance
15 To the tribe of the Reubenites by their clans, Moses gave 16 this as their territory:
From Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley, along with the city in the middle of the valley, to the whole plateau as far as[b] Medeba, 17 with Heshbon and all its cities on the plateau—Dibon, Bamoth-baal, Beth-baal-meon, 18 Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath,(M) 19 Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth-shahar on the hill in the valley,(N) 20 Beth-peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth-jeshimoth— 21 all the cities of the plateau, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon. Moses had killed him and the chiefs of Midian—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba—the princes of Sihon who lived in the land.(O) 22 Along with those the Israelites put to death, they also killed the diviner, Balaam son of Beor, with the sword.
23 The border of the Reubenites was the Jordan and its plain. This was the inheritance of the Reubenites by their clans, with the cities and their villages.
Gad’s Inheritance
24 To the tribe of the Gadites by their clans, Moses gave 25 this as their territory:
Jazer and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the Ammonites to Aroer, near Rabbah; 26 from Heshbon to Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir;[c] 27 in the valley:[d] Beth-haram, Beth-nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon—the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon. Their land also included the Jordan and its territory as far as the edge of the Sea of Chinnereth[e] on the east side of the Jordan.[f]
28 This was the inheritance of the Gadites by their clans, with the cities and their villages.
East Manasseh’s Inheritance
29 And to half the tribe of Manasseh, that is, to half the tribe of Manasseh’s descendants by their clans, Moses gave 30 this as their territory:
From Mahanaim through all Bashan—all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, including all of Jair’s Villages[g](P) that are in Bashan—60 cities. 31 But half of Gilead, and Og’s royal cities in Bashan—Ashtaroth and Edrei—are for the descendants of Machir son of Manasseh, that is, half the descendants of Machir by their clans.
32 These were the portions Moses gave them on the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan east of Jericho. 33 But Moses did not give a portion to the tribe of Levi. The Lord, the God of Israel, was their inheritance, just as He had promised them.(Q)
Israel’s Inheritance in Canaan
14 The Israelites received these portions that Eleazar the priest,(R) Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families of the Israelite tribes gave them in the land of Canaan.(S) 2 Their inheritance was by lot(T) as the Lord commanded through Moses for the nine and a half tribes, 3 because Moses had given the inheritance to the two and a half tribes beyond the Jordan.[h] But he gave no inheritance among them to the Levites. 4 The descendants of Joseph became two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. No portion of the land was given to the Levites except cities to live in, along with pasturelands for their cattle and livestock. 5 So the Israelites did as the Lord commanded Moses,(U) and they divided the land.
Caleb’s Inheritance
6 The descendants of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord promised Moses the man of God at Kadesh-barnea about you and me.(V) 7 I was 40 years old when Moses the Lord’s servant sent me from Kadesh-barnea to scout the land, and I brought back an honest report.(W) 8 My brothers who went with me caused the people’s hearts to melt with fear, but I remained loyal to the Lord my God.(X) 9 On that day Moses promised me: ‘The land where you have set foot will be an inheritance for you and your descendants forever, because you have remained loyal to the Lord my God.’(Y)
10 “As you see, the Lord has kept me alive these 45 years as He promised,(Z) since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel was journeying in the wilderness. Here I am today, 85 years old. 11 I am still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me out. My strength for battle and for daily tasks[i] is now as it was then.(AA) 12 Now give me this hill country the Lord promised me on that day, because you heard then that the Anakim are there, as well as large fortified cities.(AB) Perhaps the Lord will be with me and I will drive them out as the Lord promised.”
13 Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as an inheritance.(AC) 14 Therefore, Hebron belongs to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite as an inheritance to this day,(AD) because he remained loyal to the Lord, the God of Israel. 15 Hebron’s name used to be Kiriath-arba; Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim.(AE) After this, the land had rest from war.
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
18 He then told them a parable on the need for them to pray(A) always and not become discouraged:(B) 2 “There was a judge in a certain town who didn’t fear God(C) or respect man. 3 And a widow(D) in that town kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’
4 “For a while he was unwilling, but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps(E) pestering me,[a] I will give her justice, so she doesn’t wear me out[b] by her persistent coming.’”
6 Then the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 Will not God grant justice(F) to His elect(G) who cry out to Him day and night?(H) Will He delay(I) to help them?[c] 8 I tell you that He will swiftly grant them justice. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes,(J) will He find that faith[d] on earth?”
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9 He(K) also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves(L) that they were righteous(M) and looked down(N) on everyone else: 10 “Two men went up to the temple complex to pray,(O) one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee took his stand[e](P) and was praying like this: ‘God, I thank You that I’m not like other people[f] —greedy,(Q) unrighteous,(R) adulterers,(S) or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast(T) twice a week; I give a tenth[g](U) of everything I get.’
13 “But the tax collector, standing far off,(V) would not even raise his eyes to heaven(W) but kept striking his chest[h](X) and saying, ‘God, turn Your wrath from me[i](Y)—a sinner!’(Z) 14 I tell you, this one went down to his house justified(AA) rather than the other; because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”(AB)
Blessing the Children
15 Some(AC) people were even bringing infants to Him so He might touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 Jesus, however, invited them: “Let the little children come to Me,(AD) and don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17 I assure you:(AE) Whoever does not welcome(AF) the kingdom of God like a little child(AG) will never enter it.”
Psalm 85
Restoration of Favor
For the choir director. A psalm of the sons of Korah.
1 Lord, You showed favor to Your land;(A)
You restored Jacob’s prosperity.[a](B)
2 You took away Your people’s guilt;
You covered all their sin.(C)
3 You withdrew all Your fury;
You turned from Your burning anger.(D)
4 Return to us, God of our salvation,
and abandon Your displeasure with us.(E)
5 Will You be angry with us forever?
Will You prolong Your anger for all generations?(F)
6 Will You not revive us again
so that Your people may rejoice in You?(G)
7 Show us Your faithful love, Lord,
and give us Your salvation.(H)
8 I will listen to what God will say;
surely the Lord will declare peace
to His people, His godly ones,
and not let them go back to foolish ways.(I)
9 His salvation is very near those who fear Him,
so that glory may dwell in our land.(J)
10 Faithful love and truth will join together;
righteousness and peace will embrace.(K)
11 Truth will spring up from the earth,
and righteousness will look down from heaven.(L)
12 Also, the Lord will provide what is good,
and our land will yield its crops.(M)
13 Righteousness will go before Him
to prepare the way for His steps.(N)
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