Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A Prayer of Thanks for Victory

The People of Israel Cross the Jordan

3 The next morning Joshua and all the people of Israel got up early, left the camp at Acacia, and went to the Jordan, where they camped while waiting to cross it. ² Three days later the leaders went through the camp ³ and told the people, “When you see the priests carrying the Covenant Box of the Lord your God, break camp and follow them. ⁴ You have never been here before, so they will show you the way to go. But do not get near the Covenant Box; stay about half a mile behind it.”

⁵ Joshua told the people, “Purify yourselves, because tomorrow the Lord will perform miracles among you.” ⁶ Then he told the priests to take the Covenant Box and go with it ahead of the people. They did as he said.

⁷ The Lord said to Joshua, “What I do today will make all the people of Israel begin to honor you as a great man, and they will realize that I am with you as I was with Moses. ⁸ Tell the priests carrying the Covenant Box that when they reach the river, they must wade in and stand near the bank.”

⁹ Then Joshua said to the people, “Come here and listen to what the Lord your God has to say. ¹⁰ As you advance, he will surely drive out the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. You will know that the living God is among you ¹¹ when the Covenant Box of the Lord of all the earth crosses the Jordan ahead of you. ¹² Now choose twelve men, one from each of the tribes of Israel. ¹³ When the priests who carry the Covenant Box of the Lord of all the earth put their feet in the water, the Jordan will stop flowing, and the water coming downstream will pile up in one place.”

^14-15 It was harvest time, and the river was in flood.

When the people left the camp to cross the Jordan, the priests went ahead of them, carrying the Covenant Box. As soon as the priests stepped into the river, ¹⁶ the water stopped flowing and piled up, far upstream at Adam, the city beside Zarethan. The flow downstream to the Dead Sea was completely cut off, and the people were able to cross over near Jericho. ¹⁷ While the people walked across on dry ground, the priests carrying the Lord's Covenant Box stood on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan until all the people had crossed over.

The Resurrection^(A)

28 After the Sabbath, as Sunday morning was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. ² Suddenly there was a violent earthquake; an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled the stone away, and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. ⁴ The guards were so afraid that they trembled and became like dead men.

⁵ The angel spoke to the women. “You must not be afraid,” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; he has been raised, just as he said. Come here and see the place where he was lying. ⁷ Go quickly now, and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from death, and now he is going to Galilee ahead of you; there you will see him!’ Remember what I have told you.”

⁸ So they left the tomb in a hurry, afraid and yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.

⁹ Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Peace be with you.” They came up to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. ¹⁰ “Do not be afraid,” Jesus said to them. “Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”