M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

9 When all the kings on the west side of the Yarden in the hills, in the Sh’felah and all along the shore of the Great Sea that fronts the L’vanon — the Hitti, Emori, Kena‘ani, P’rizi, Hivi and Y’vusi — heard what had happened, ² they joined forces to fight together against Y’hoshua and Isra’el. ³ But when the inhabitants of Giv‘ah heard what Y’hoshua had done to Yericho and ‘Ai, ⁴ they developed a clever deception: they made themselves look as if they had been on a long journey by putting old sacks on their donkeys and taking used wineskins that had burst and been mended back together. ⁵ They put old, patched sandals on their feet and dressed in worn-out clothes; and took as provisions nothing but dried-up bread that was crumbling to pieces. ⁶ Then they went to Y’hoshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Isra’el, “We have come from a country far away. Now, make a covenant with us.” ⁷ The men of Isra’el said to the Hivi, “How do we know that you don’t live here among us? If you do, we don’t want to make a covenant with you.” ⁸ But they answered Y’hoshua, “We are your servants.” Y’hoshua asked, “Who are you, and where do you come from?” ⁹ They answered him, “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the reputation of Adonai your God. We have heard reports about him — everything he did in Egypt, ¹⁰ and everything he did to the two kings of the Emori across the Yarden, Sichon king of Heshbon and ‘Og king of Bashan at ‘Ashtarot. ¹¹ So our leaders and all the people living in our country said to us, “Take provisions with you for the journey, go to meet them, and say to them, ‘We are your servants, and now make a covenant with us.’ ¹² Here is the bread which we took for our provisions. It was still warm when we took it out of our homes the day we left to come to you. Now look at it! It’s dry and turned to crumbs! ¹³ And these wineskins were new when we filled them, but look, now they’re torn. Likewise these clothes of ours and our shoes are worn out because of the very long journey.”

¹⁴ The men sampled some of their food but didn’t seek the advice of Adonai, ¹⁵ so Y’hoshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them to spare their lives, and the leading officials of the community swore to them. ¹⁶ But three days later, after they had made the covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors, that they lived there with them.

¹⁷ The people of Isra’el traveled and arrived at their cities on the third day. Their cities were Giv‘on, K’firah, Be’erot and Kiryat-Ye‘arim. ¹⁸ The people of Isra’el did not attack them, because the leading officials of the community had sworn to them by Adonai, the God of Isra’el; but all the community grumbled against the leaders. ¹⁹ However, the leaders replied to the whole community, “We have sworn to them by Adonai, the God of Isra’el; so we can’t touch them. ²⁰ Here is what we will do to them: we will let them live, so that God’s anger will not be on us because of the oath we swore to them. ²¹ Yes, let them live,” the leaders continued, “but let them chop wood and draw water for the whole community.” This is what the leaders said.

²² Y’hoshua summoned them and said this to them: “Why have you deceived us by saying, ‘We come from a place very far away,’ when in fact you are living right here with us? ²³ Now you have a curse on you: you will be slaves forever, supplying people to chop wood and draw water for the house of my God.” ²⁴ They answered Y’hoshua, “It is because we heard the reports that Adonai your God had ordered his servant Moshe to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from ahead of you. So we were terrified for our lives on account of you; that’s why we did this. ²⁵ Now, as you see, we are in your hands; do to us whatever seems good and right to you.” ²⁶ So Y’hoshua did exactly that: he saved them from the power of the people of Isra’el, so that they didn’t kill them. ²⁷ But he did that same day make them choppers of wood and drawers of water for the community and for the altar of Adonai in the place which he would choose; and they remain so to this day.

3 [Adonai] says:

⁶ In the days of Yoshiyahu the king, Adonai asked me, “Have you seen the things that backsliding Isra’el has been doing? She goes up on every bare hill and under every green tree and prostitutes herself there. ⁷ I said that after she had done all these things, she would return to me; but she hasn’t returned. Meanwhile, her unfaithful sister Y’hudah has been watching. ⁸ I saw that even though backsliding Isra’el had committed adultery, so that I had sent her away and given her a divorce document, unfaithful Y’hudah her sister was not moved to fear — instead she too went and prostituted herself. ⁹ The ease with which Isra’el prostituted herself defiled the land, as she committed adultery with stones and with logs. ¹⁰ Yet in spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Y’hudah has not returned to me wholeheartedly; she only makes a pretense of it,” said Adonai.

¹¹ Then Adonai said to me, “Backsliding Isra’el has proved herself more righteous than unfaithful Y’hudah. ¹² Go and proclaim these words toward the north:

¹⁶ “‘“And,” says Adonai, “in those days, when your numbers have increased in the land, people will no longer talk about the ark for the covenant of Adonai — they won’t think about it, they won’t miss it, and they won’t make another one. ¹⁷ When that time comes, they will call Yerushalayim the throne of Adonai. All the nations will be gathered there to the name of Adonai, to Yerushalayim. No longer will they live according to their stubbornly evil hearts. ¹⁸ In those days, the house of Y’hudah will live together with the house of Isra’el; they will come together from the lands in the north to the land I gave your ancestors as their heritage.

¹⁹ “‘“I thought that I would like to put you among the sons [with inheritance rights] and give you a pleasant land, the best heritage of all the nations. I thought that you would call me ‘My father’ and never stop following me. ²⁰ But like a faithless woman who betrays her husband, you, house of Isra’el, have betrayed me,” says Adonai.’”

17 Six days later, Yeshua took Kefa, Ya‘akov and his brother Yochanan and led them up a high mountain privately. ² As they watched, he began to change form — his face shone like the sun, and his clothing became as white as light. ³ Then they looked and saw Moshe and Eliyahu speaking with him. ⁴ Kefa said to Yeshua, “It’s good that we’re here, Lord. I’ll put up three shelters if you want — one for you, one for Moshe and one for Eliyahu.” ⁵ While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them; and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him!” ⁶ When the talmidim heard this, they were so frightened that they fell face down on the ground. ⁷ But Yeshua came and touched them. “Get up!” he said, “Don’t be afraid.” ⁸ So they opened their eyes, looked up and saw only Yeshua by himself.

⁹ As they came down the mountain, Yeshua ordered them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” ¹⁰ The talmidim asked him, “Then why do the Torah-teachers say that Eliyahu must come first?” ¹¹ He answered, “On the one hand, Eliyahu is coming and will restore all things; ¹² on the other hand, I tell you that Eliyahu has come already, and people did not recognize him but did whatever they pleased to him. In the same way, the Son of Man too is about to suffer at their hands.” ¹³ Then the talmidim understood that he was talking to them about Yochanan the Immerser.

¹⁴ As they came up to the crowd, a man approached Yeshua, kneeled down in front of him, ¹⁵ and said, “Sir, have mercy on my son, because he is an epileptic and has such terrible fits that he often falls into the fire or into the water. ¹⁶ I brought him to your talmidim, but they couldn’t heal him.” ¹⁷ Yeshua answered, “Perverted people, without any trust! How long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to me!” ¹⁸ Yeshua rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, so that from that moment he was healed.

¹⁹ Then the talmidim went to him privately and said, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” ²⁰ He said to them, “Because you have such little trust! Yes! I tell you that if you have trust as tiny as a mustard seed, you will be able to say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there!’ and it will move; indeed, nothing will be impossible for you!” ^21 [a]

²² As they were going about together in the Galil, Yeshua said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of people ²³ who will put him to death, and on the third day he will be raised.” And they were filled with sadness.

²⁴ When they came to K’far-Nachum, the collectors of the half-shekel came to Kefa and said, “Doesn’t your rabbi pay the Temple tax?” ²⁵ “Of course he does,” said Kefa. When he arrived home, Yeshua spoke first. “Shim‘on, what’s your opinion? The kings of the earth — from whom do they collect duties and taxes? From their sons or from others?” ²⁶ “From others,” he answered. “Then,” said Yeshua, “The sons are exempt. ²⁷ But to avoid offending them — go to the lake, throw out a line, and take the first fish you catch. Open its mouth, and you will find a shekel. Take it and give it to them for me and for you.”