Old/New Testament
The Israelites Make a Memorial
4 After all the nation finished crossing the Jordan, Yahweh said to Joshua, 2 “Take twelve men from the people, one man from each tribe,[a] 3 and command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan where the priests’ feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you, and set them up in the place where you will camp tonight.’”[b] 4 So Joshua summoned the twelve men whom he had appointed from the Israelites,[c] one from each tribe. 5 And Joshua said to them, “Cross over before[d] the ark of Yahweh your God to the middle of the Jordan, and each one of you lift up a stone on your[e] shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites,[f] 6 so that this may be a reminder[g] among you. When your children ask in the future, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’[h] 7 you will say to them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off from before[i] the ark of the covenant of Yahweh. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones will be as a memorial for the Israelites[j] for eternity.”
8 Thus the Israelites[k] did as Joshua commanded. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan as Yahweh told Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites,[l] and they carried them over with them to the camp,[m] and they put them there. 9 Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests carrying the ark of the covenant stood, and they are there to this day. 10 The priests carrying the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything that Yahweh commanded Joshua to tell the people was finished, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua. And the people hastily crossed over.
11 And it happened, when all the people had finished crossing, the ark of Yahweh and the priests crossed over in front of[n] the people. 12 The children of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the Israelites,[o] as Moses told them. 13 About forty thousand armed for fighting crossed over before the presence of Yahweh to the plains of Jericho for battle. 14 On that day Yahweh exalted Joshua in the sight[p] of all Israel, and they respected him[q] as they respected[r] Moses all the days of his life.
15 Then Yahweh said to Joshua, saying, 16 “Command the priests carrying the ark of the testimony[s] to come up[t] from the Jordan.” 17 So Joshua commanded the priests, saying, “Come up from the Jordan.” 18 And it happened that when the priests carrying the ark came up from the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet touched dry land,[u] the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and flowed over all its banks as before.
19 And the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they camped in Gilgal on the eastern edge[v] of Jericho. 20 And those twelve stones that they took from the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal. 21 And he said to the Israelites,[w] “When your children ask in the future their parents,[x] ‘What is the meaning of these stones?’[y] 22 you will let your children know by saying, ‘Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.’ 23 For Yahweh your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you, until you had crossed, just as Yahweh your God did to the Red Sea,[z] which he dried up before us until we had crossed over, 24 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of Yahweh is strong, so that you may fear Yahweh your God forever.”[aa]
The Israelites Are Circumcised
5 And it happened, when all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites[ab] who were by the sea heard that Yahweh dried up the waters of the Jordan in front of the Israelites[ac] until they crossed over, their hearts melted, and there was no courage left in them[ad] because of the presence of the Israelites. [ae]
2 At that time Yahweh said to Joshua, “Make for yourself knives of flint, and circumcise the Israelites[af] a second time.” 3 So Joshua made knives of flint, and he circumcised the Israelites[ag] at the hill of the foreskins.[ah] 4 This is the reason why Joshua circumcised all the people: all the males who went out from Egypt, all the warriors, died in the wilderness as they went out from Egypt on the journey.[ai] 5 For all the people who left were circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness on the journey[aj] after they left from Egypt were not circumcised. 6 For forty years the Israelites[ak] traveled in the wilderness until all the nation, the warriors that left Egypt, perished, because they did not listen to the voice of Yahweh. To them Yahweh swore that they would not see the land that he[al] swore to their ancestors[am] to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 And it was their children whom he raised in their place that Joshua circumcised, for they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the journey.[an]
The Israelites Celebrate Passover in Canaan
8 And it happened, when all the nation had finished circumcising, they remained where they were in the camp until they recovered. 9 And Yahweh said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the disgrace of Egypt from you.” Therefore, the name of that place is called Gilgal[ao] to this day. 10 And the Israelites[ap] camped at Gilgal, and they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening, on the plains of Jericho. 11 On the next day after the Passover, on that[aq] very day, they ate from the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and roasted corn. 12 And the manna ceased the day after, when they started eating the produce of the land, and there was no longer manna for the Israelites.[ar] They ate from the crop of the land of Canaan in that year.
The Commander of Yahweh’s Army Appears Before Joshua
13 And it happened, when Joshua was by Jericho, he looked up,[as] and he saw a man standing opposite him[at] with his sword drawn in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said, “Are you with us, or with our adversaries?” 14 And he said, “Neither. I have come now as the commander of Yahweh’s army.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and he bowed down[au] and said to him, “What is my lord commanding his servant?” 15 The commander of Yahweh’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals[av] from your feet,[aw] for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
The Battle of Jericho
6 Now Jericho was shut up inside and out because of the presence of the Israelites;[ax] no one was going out or coming in. 2 And Yahweh said to Joshua, “Look, I am giving Jericho into your hand, its king and the soldiers of the army. 3 You will march around the city, all the warriors circling the city once; you will do so for six days. 4 And seven priests will bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day you will march around the city seven times, and the priests will blow on the trumpets. 5 And when they blow long on the horn of the ram, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people will shout with a great war cry, and the wall of the city will fall flat,[ay] and the people will charge, each one straight ahead.”[az] 6 So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests carry the trumpets of the rams’ horns before the ark of Yahweh.” 7 And he said[ba] to the people, “Go forward and march around the city, and let the armed men pass before the ark of Yahweh.
8 And when Joshua spoke[bb] to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the presence of Yahweh went forward and they blew the trumpets; and the ark of the covenant of Yahweh followed behind them. 9 And the armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard came after the ark, while they were blowing the trumpets. 10 But Joshua commanded the people, saying, “You will not shout, and you will not let your voice be heard; a word will not go out from your mouth until the day I say to you ‘Shout!’ Then you will shout.” 11 And the ark of Yahweh went around the city, circling once,[bc] and they came into the camp and spent the night in the camp. 12 Then Joshua got up early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of Yahweh. 13 The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of the rams’ horns before the ark of Yahweh went on continually, and they blew on the trumpets. And the armed men went before them, and the rear guard came after the ark of Yahweh, while the trumpets blew continually. 14 And they marched around the city once on the second day, and they returned to the camp. They did this for six days.
15 Then on the seventh day they rose early at dawn, and they marched around the city in this manner seven times. It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. 16 And at the seventh time the priests blew on the trumpets, and Joshua said to the people, “Shout! For Yahweh has given you the city. 17 The city and all that is in it will be devoted to Yahweh; only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in the house will live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. 18 As for you, keep away from the things[bd] devoted to destruction so that you do not take them and bring about your own destruction, making the camp of Israel an object for destruction, bringing trouble upon it. 19 But all of the silver and gold, and the items of bronze and iron, are holy to Yahweh, and they must go to Yahweh’s treasury.” 20 So the people shouted, and they[be] blew on the trumpets. And when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, they raised a great shout, and the wall fell flat. The people charged, each one straight ahead into the city,[bf] and they captured it. 21 And they utterly destroyed by the edge of the sword[bg] all who were in the city, both men and women, young and old, ox, sheep, and donkey.
22 Then Joshua said to the two men who spied on the land, “Go to the prostitute’s house and bring out from there the woman and all who belong to her, just as you swore to her.” 23 So the young men who were spies went and brought Rahab and her father and mother, her brothers, and all who were with her. And they brought all her family out and set them outside the camp of Israel. 24 And they burned the city and all that was in it with fire; they put only the silver and gold, and the items of copper and iron, into the treasury of the house of Yahweh. 25 But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute and her family[bh] and all who were with her, and she has lived in the midst of Israel until this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
26 And Joshua swore at that time, saying, “Cursed is anyone before Yahweh who gets up and builds Jericho, this city. At the cost of his firstborn he will lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest he will set up its gates.” 27 So Yahweh was with Joshua, and his fame was in all the land.
The Preface to Luke’s Gospel
1 Since many have attempted to compile an account concerning the events that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as those who were eyewitnesses and servants of the word from the beginning passed on to us, 3 it seemed best to me also—because I[a] have followed all things carefully from the beginning—to write them[b] down in orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty concerning the things about which you were taught.
The Prediction of John the Baptist’s Birth
5 It happened that in the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a certain priest, Zechariah by name, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife[c] from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous in the sight of God, living blamelessly in all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. 7 And they did not have[d] a child, because Elizabeth was barren. And they were both advanced in years.[e]
8 And it happened that while[f] he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood he was chosen by lot to enter into the temple of the Lord to burn incense. 10 And the whole crowd of the people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering. 11 And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was terrified when he[g] saw the angel,[h] and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him,
“Do not be afraid, Zechariah,
because your prayer has been heard,
and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
and you will call his name John.
14 And you will experience joy and exultation,[i]
and many will rejoice at his birth.
15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord,
and he must never drink wine or beer,
and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit
while he is[j] still in his mother’s womb.
16 And he will turn many of the sons of Israel
to the Lord their God.
17 And he will go on before him
in the spirit and power of Elijah,
to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,
and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous,
to prepare for the Lord a people made ready.”
18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “By what will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years!”[k] 19 And the angel answered and[l] said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because[m] you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.”
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