Old/New Testament
Memorial Stones from the Jordan
4 Now it happened when all the nation had completed crossing the (A)Jordan, that Yahweh spoke to Joshua, saying, 2 “(B)Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from each tribe, 3 and command them, saying, ‘Carry for yourselves twelve stones from here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet are standing firm, and carry them over with you and lay them down in (C)the lodging place where you will lodge tonight.’” 4 So Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the sons of Israel, one man from each tribe; 5 and Joshua said to them, “[a]Cross again before the ark of Yahweh your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you carry a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel, 6 in order that this would be a sign among you, so that (D)when your children ask [b]later, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 7 then you shall say to them, ‘Because the (E)waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of Yahweh; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ So these stones shall become a (F)memorial to the sons of Israel forever.”
8 Thus the sons of Israel did as Joshua commanded and carried twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, just as Yahweh spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel; and they carried them over with them to (G)the lodging place and laid them down there. 9 But Joshua set up twelve (H)stones in the middle of the Jordan at the place where the feet of the priests who carried the ark of the covenant were standing, and they are there to this day. 10 Now the priests who carried the ark were standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything was completed that Yahweh had commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. And the people hurried and crossed. 11 And it happened when all the people had completed crossing, that the ark of Yahweh and the priests crossed before the people. 12 (I)And the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over in battle array before the sons of Israel, just as Moses had spoken to them; 13 about 40,000 equipped for war crossed for battle before Yahweh to the desert plains of Jericho.
14 (J)On that day, Yahweh magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel, so that they [c]feared him, just as they had [d]feared Moses all the days of his life.
15 Then Yahweh said to [e]Joshua, 16 “Command the priests who carry (K)the ark of the testimony that they come up from the Jordan.” 17 So Joshua commanded the priests, saying, “Come up from the Jordan.” 18 So it happened when the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of Yahweh had come up from the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were [f]lifted up to the dry ground, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and went over all its banks as before.
19 Now the people came up from the Jordan on the (L)tenth of the first month and camped at Gilgal on the eastern edge of Jericho. 20 [g](M)And those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up (N)at Gilgal. 21 Then he said to the sons of [h]Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22 then you shall make your children know, saying, ‘Israel crossed this Jordan on (O)dry land.’ 23 For Yahweh your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as Yahweh your God had done to the [i]Red Sea, (P)which He dried up before us until we had crossed, 24 that (Q)all the peoples of the earth may know that the (R)hand of Yahweh is strong, so that you may [j](S)fear Yahweh your God [k]forever.”
The Men of Israel Circumcised
5 Now it happened when all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the (T)Canaanites who were by the sea, (U)heard how Yahweh had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the sons of Israel until [l]they had crossed, that their hearts melted, and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the sons of Israel.
2 At that time Yahweh said to Joshua, “Make for yourself (V)flint knives and circumcise again the sons of Israel the second time.” 3 So Joshua made himself flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at [m]Gibeath-haaraloth. 4 Now this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: (W)all the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, died in the wilderness along the way when they came out of Egypt. 5 For all the people who came out were circumcised, but all the people who were born in the wilderness along the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised. 6 For the sons of Israel had walked (X)forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, that is, the men of war who came out of Egypt, were completely destroyed because they did not listen to the voice of Yahweh, (Y)to whom Yahweh had sworn that He would not let them see the land which Yahweh had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 And their sons whom He raised up in their place, Joshua [n]circumcised; for they were uncircumcised because they had not circumcised them along the way.
8 Now it happened that when they had completed circumcising all the nation, they remained in their places in the camp until they were [o]healed. 9 Then Yahweh said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away (Z)the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the name of that place is called [p]Gilgal to this day.
10 Then the sons of Israel camped at Gilgal and (AA)celebrated the Passover on the evening of the (AB)fourteenth day of the month on the desert plains of Jericho. 11 And on the [q]day after the Passover, on [r]that very day, they ate some of the yield of the land, unleavened cakes and roasted grain. 12 (AC)Then the manna ceased on the [s]day after they had eaten some of the produce of the land, so that the sons of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate some of the produce of the land of Canaan during that year.
Commander of Yahweh’s Host
13 Now it happened when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, (AD)a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us or for our adversaries?” 14 He said, “No! Rather I indeed come now as commander of the host of Yahweh.” And Joshua (AE)fell on his face to the earth and bowed down and said to him, “What has my lord to say to his slave?” 15 The commander of the host of Yahweh said to Joshua, “(AF)Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
The Destruction of Jericho
6 Now Jericho was tightly shut because of the sons of Israel; no one went out, and no one came in. 2 And Yahweh said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with (AG)its king and the valiant warriors. 3 And you shall march around the city, all the men of war circling the city once. You shall do so for six days. 4 Also seven priests shall carry seven (AH)trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark; then on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 And it will be that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down [t]beneath itself, and the people will go up every man [u]straight ahead.”
6 So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Carry the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests carry seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of Yahweh.” 7 Then [v]he said to the people, “Go forward, and march around the city, and let the armed men go on before the ark of Yahweh.” 8 And so it happened that, when Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before Yahweh passed on forward and blew the trumpets; and the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came after them. 9 And the armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and (AI)the rear guard came after the ark, while they continued to blow the trumpets. 10 But Joshua commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout nor let your voice be heard nor let a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I tell you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout!” 11 So he had the ark of Yahweh [w]taken around the city, circling it once; then they came into the camp and spent the night in the camp.
12 Then Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests carried the ark of Yahweh. 13 (AJ)And the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of Yahweh went on continually and blew the trumpets; and the armed men went before them, and (AK)the rear guard came after the ark of Yahweh, and they continued to blow the trumpets. 14 Thus the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp; they did so for six days.
15 Then it happened that on the seventh day they rose early at the [x]breaking of dawn and marched around the city in the same manner seven times; only on that day they marched around the city seven times. 16 Now it happened that on the seventh time, the priests blew the trumpets, and Joshua said to the people, “(AL)Shout! For Yahweh has given you the city. 17 And the city shall be (AM)devoted to destruction, it and all that is in it belongs to Yahweh; only Rahab the harlot [y]and all who are with her in the house shall live because she hid the messengers whom we sent. 18 But as for you, only keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest as you are devoting them to destruction, you also (AN)take some of the things devoted to destruction and make the camp of Israel devoted to destruction and bring trouble on it. 19 (AO)But all the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron are holy to Yahweh; they shall go into the treasury of Yahweh.” 20 So the people shouted, and [z]the priests blew the trumpets; and when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted with a great shout, and the (AP)wall fell down [aa]beneath itself, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight [ab]ahead, and they took the city. 21 (AQ)And they devoted to destruction everything in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword.
22 Now to the two men who had spied out the land, Joshua said, “(AR)Go into the harlot’s house and bring the woman and all she has out of there, as you have sworn to her.” 23 So the young men who were spies went in and (AS)brought out Rahab and her father and her mother and her brothers and all she had; they also brought out all her relatives and placed them outside the camp of Israel. 24 (AT)But they burned the city with fire, and all that was in it. Only the silver and gold, and articles of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the [ac]house of Yahweh. 25 However, (AU)Rahab the harlot and her father’s household and all she had, Joshua preserved alive; and she has lived in the midst of Israel to this day, for (AV)she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
26 Then Joshua made them swear an oath at that time, saying, “(AW)Cursed before Yahweh is the man who rises up and builds this city Jericho; with the loss of his firstborn he shall lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son he shall set up its gates.” 27 So (AX)Yahweh was with Joshua, and the (AY)report about him was in all the land.
Luke’s Account of Things Fulfilled
1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things that [a](A)have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as those, who (B)from the beginning [b]were (C)eyewitnesses and [c](D)servants of (E)the [d]word, handed them down to us, 3 it seemed fitting for me as well, (F)having [e]investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you (G)in orderly sequence, (H)most excellent (I)Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty about the things you have been [f](J)taught.
John the Baptist’s Birth Foretold
5 (K)In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the (L)division of [g]Abijah, and he had a wife [h]from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both (M)righteous in the sight of God, walking (N)blamelessly in all the commandments and righteous requirements of the [i]Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in [j]years.
8 Now it happened that while (O)he was performing his priestly service before God in the order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot (P)to enter the [k]sanctuary of the [l]Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying (Q)outside at the hour of the incense offering. 11 And (R)an angel of the [m]Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw the angel, and (S)fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “(T)Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will [n]bear you a son, and (U)you will call his name [o]John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the [p]Lord; and (V)he will not drink any wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [q]while yet in his mother’s womb. 16 And he will (W)turn many of the sons of Israel back to the [r]Lord their God. 17 And he will (X)go before Him in the spirit and power of (Y)Elijah, (Z)to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, to (AA)make ready a people prepared for the [s]Lord.”
18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know this? For (AB)I am an old man and my wife is advanced in [t]years.” 19 And the angel answered and said to him, “I am (AC)Gabriel, who (AD)stands before God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”
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