Old/New Testament
The Lord Commissions Joshua
1 After Moses the Lord’s servant died, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant: 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Get ready![a] Cross the Jordan River.[b] Lead these people into the land that I am ready to hand over to them.[c] 3 I am handing over to you every place you set foot, as I promised Moses.[d] 4 Your territory will extend from the desert[e] in the south to Lebanon in the north. It will extend all the way to the great River Euphrates in the east (including all Syria)[f] and all the way to the Mediterranean Sea[g] in the west.[h] 5 No one will be able to resist you[i] all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not abandon you or leave you alone. 6 Be strong and brave! You must lead these people in the conquest of this land that I solemnly promised their ancestors I would hand over to them.[j] 7 Make sure you are[k] very strong and brave! Carefully obey[l] all the law my servant Moses charged you to keep.[m] Do not swerve from it to the right or to the left, so that you may be successful[n] in all you do.[o] 8 This law scroll must not leave your lips.[p] You must memorize it[q] day and night so you can carefully obey[r] all that is written in it. Then you will prosper[s] and be successful.[t] 9 I repeat,[u] be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic,[v] for I, the Lord your God, am with you in all you do.”[w]
Joshua Prepares for the Invasion
10 Joshua instructed[x] the leaders of the people: 11 “Go through the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your supplies, for within three days you will cross the Jordan River and begin the conquest of the land the Lord your God is ready to hand over to you.’”[y]
12 Joshua told the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh: 13 “Remember what Moses the Lord’s servant commanded you.[z] The Lord your God is giving you a place to settle and is handing this land over to you.[aa] 14 Your wives, children, and cattle may stay in the land that Moses assigned to you east of the Jordan River. But all of you warriors must cross over armed for battle ahead of your brothers.[ab] You must help them 15 until the Lord gives your brothers a place like yours to settle and they conquer the land the Lord your God is ready to hand over to them. Then you may go back to your allotted land and occupy the land Moses the Lord’s servant assigned you east of the Jordan.”[ac]
16 They told Joshua, “We will do everything you say. We will go wherever you send us. 17 Just as we obeyed[ad] Moses, so we will obey you. But[ae] may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. 18 Any man who rebels against what you say and does not obey all your commands will be executed.[af] But[ag] be strong and brave!”
Joshua Sends Spies into the Land
2 Joshua son of Nun sent two spies out from Shittim secretly and instructed them:[ah] “Find out what you can about the land, especially Jericho.”[ai] They stopped at the house of a prostitute named Rahab and spent the night there.[aj] 2 The king of Jericho received this report: “Note well![ak] Israelite men have come here tonight[al] to spy on the land.” 3 So the king of Jericho sent this order to Rahab:[am] “Turn over[an] the men who came to you[ao]—the ones who came to your house[ap]—for they have come to spy on the whole land!” 4 But the woman hid the two men[aq] and replied, “Yes, these men were clients of mine,[ar] but I didn’t know where they came from. 5 When it was time to shut the city gate for the night, the men left.[as] I don’t know where they were heading. Chase after them quickly, for you have time to catch them!” 6 (Now she had taken them up to the roof and had hidden them in the stalks of flax she had spread out[at] on the roof.) 7 Meanwhile,[au] the king’s men tried to find them on the road to the Jordan River[av] near the fords.[aw] The city gate was shut as soon as they set out in pursuit of them.[ax]
8 Now before the spies[ay] went to sleep, Rahab[az] went up[ba] to the roof. 9 She said to the men, “I know the Lord is handing this land over to you.[bb] We are absolutely terrified of you,[bc] and all who live in the land are cringing before[bd] you.[be] 10 For we heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you left Egypt and how you annihilated the two Amorite kings, Sihon and Og, on the other side of the Jordan.[bf] 11 When we heard the news we lost our courage and no one could even breathe for fear of you.[bg] For the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below! 12 So now, promise me this with an oath sworn in the Lord’s name.[bh] Because I have shown allegiance to you, show allegiance to my family.[bi] Give me a solemn pledge[bj] 13 that you will spare the lives of my father, mother, brothers, sisters, and all who belong to them, and will rescue us[bk] from death.” 14 The men said to her, “If you[bl] die, may we die too![bm] If you do not report what we’ve been up to,[bn] then we will show unswerving allegiance[bo] to you[bp] when the Lord hands the land over to us.”
15 Then Rahab[bq] let them down by a rope[br] through the window. (Her[bs] house was built as part of the city wall; she lived in the wall.)[bt] 16 She told them, “Head[bu] to the hill country, so the ones chasing you don’t find you.[bv] Hide from them there for three days, long enough for those chasing you[bw] to return. Then you can be on your way.” 17 The men said to her, “We are not bound by this oath you made us swear unless the following conditions are met:[bx] 18 When we invade the land,[by] tie this red rope[bz] in the window through which you let us down, and gather together in your house your father, mother, brothers, and all who live in your father’s house.[ca] 19 Anyone who leaves your house will be responsible for his own death—we are innocent in that case![cb] But if anyone with you in the house is harmed, we will be responsible.[cc] 20 If you should report what we’ve been up to,[cd] we are not bound by this oath you made us swear.” 21 She said, “I agree to these conditions.”[ce] She sent them on their way[cf] and then tied the red rope in the window. 22 They went[cg] to the hill country and stayed there for three days, long enough for those chasing them[ch] to return. Their pursuers[ci] looked all along the way but did not find them.[cj] 23 Then the two men returned—they came down from the hills, crossed the river,[ck] came to Joshua son of Nun, and reported to him all they had discovered. 24 They told Joshua, “Surely the Lord is handing over all the land to us![cl] All who live in the land are cringing before us!”[cm]
Israel Crosses the Jordan
3 Bright and early the next morning Joshua and the Israelites left Shittim and came to the Jordan.[cn] They camped there before crossing the river.[co] 2 After three days the leaders went through the camp 3 and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God[cp] being carried by the Levitical priests, you must leave here[cq] and walk[cr] behind it. 4 But stay about 3,000 feet behind it.[cs] Keep your distance[ct] so you can see[cu] which way you should go, for you have not traveled this way before.”
5 Joshua told the people, “Ritually consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will perform miraculous deeds among you.” 6 Joshua told the priests, “Pick up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they picked up the ark of the covenant and went ahead of the people.
7 The Lord told Joshua, “This very day I will begin to honor you before all Israel,[cv] so they will know that I am with you just as I was with Moses. 8 Instruct the priests carrying the ark of the covenant, ‘When you reach the bank of the Jordan River,[cw] wade into the water.’”[cx]
9 Joshua told the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God!” 10 Joshua continued,[cy] “This is how you will know the living God is among you and that he will truly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites. 11 Look! The ark of the covenant of the Lord[cz] of the whole earth is ready to enter the Jordan ahead of you. 12 Now select for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one per tribe. 13 When the feet[da] of the priests carrying the ark of the Lord, the Lord[db] of the whole earth, touch[dc] the water of the Jordan, the water coming downstream toward you will stop flowing and pile up.”[dd]
14 So when the people left their tents to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went[de] ahead of them. 15 When the ones carrying the ark reached the Jordan, and the feet of the priests carrying the ark touched the surface[df] of the water—(the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest time)[dg]— 16 the water coming downstream toward them stopped flowing.[dh] It piled up far upstream[di] at Adam (the city near Zarethan); there was no water at all flowing to the sea of the rift valley (the Salt Sea).[dj] The people crossed the river opposite Jericho. 17 The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan. All Israel crossed over on dry ground until the entire nation was on the other side.[dk]
The Resurrection
16 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought aromatic spices[a] so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 3 They had been asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 But[b] when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled back. 5 Then[c] as they went into the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe[d] sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified.[e] He has been raised![f] He is not here. Look, there is the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples, even Peter, that he is going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you.” 8 Then[g] they went out and ran from the tomb, for terror and bewilderment had seized them.[h] And they said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
The Longer Ending of Mark[i]
9 [[Early on the first day of the week, after he arose, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had driven out seven demons. 10 She went out and told those who were with him, while they were mourning and weeping. 11 And when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.
12 After this he appeared in a different form to two of them while they were on their way to the country. 13 They went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them. 14 Then he appeared to the eleven themselves, while they were eating, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen him resurrected. 15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 The one who believes and is baptized will be saved, but the one who does not believe will be condemned. 17 These signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages;[j] 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands, and whatever poison they drink will not harm them;[k] they will place their hands on the sick and they will be well.” 19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 They went out and proclaimed everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through the accompanying signs.]]
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