The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday April 22, 2024 (NIV)

Review of Israel’s History

24 Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem^(A) and summoned Israel’s elders, leaders, judges, and officers, and they presented themselves before God.^{(B) 2} Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah,^(C) the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods. ³ But I took your father Abraham from the region beyond the Euphrates River, led him throughout the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants.^(D) I gave him Isaac,^{(E) 4} and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau.^(F) I gave the hill country of Seir to Esau as a possession.^(G)

“‘Jacob and his sons, however, went down to Egypt.^{(H) 5} I sent Moses and Aaron,^(I) and I defeated Egypt by what I did within it, and afterward I brought you out. ⁶ When I brought your ancestors out of Egypt and you reached the Red Sea,^(J) the Egyptians pursued your ancestors with chariots and horsemen as far as the sea. ⁷ Your ancestors cried out to the Lord, so he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea over them, engulfing them. Your own eyes saw what I did to Egypt. After that, you lived in the wilderness a long time.

⁸ “‘Later, I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived beyond the Jordan.^(K) They fought against you, but I handed them over to you. You possessed their land, and I annihilated them before you. ⁹ Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab,^(L) set out to fight against Israel. He sent for Balaam son of Beor to curse you, ¹⁰ but I would not listen to Balaam. Instead, he repeatedly blessed you, and I rescued you from him.

¹¹ “‘You then crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho.^(M) Jericho’s citizens—as well as the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hethites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites—fought against you, but I handed them over to you. ¹² I sent hornets^[a](N) ahead of you, and they drove out the two Amorite kings^(O) before you. It was not by your sword or bow. ¹³ I gave you a land you did not labor for, and cities you did not build,^(P) though you live in them; you are eating from vineyards and olive groves you did not plant.’

The Covenant Renewal

¹⁴ “Therefore, fear the Lord and worship him in sincerity and truth.^(Q) Get rid of the gods your ancestors worshiped^(R) beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and worship the Lord. ¹⁵ But if it doesn’t please you to worship the Lord, choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship—the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living?^(S) As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord.”

¹⁶ The people replied, “We will certainly not abandon the Lord to worship other gods! ¹⁷ For the Lord our God brought us and our ancestors out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery,^(T) and performed these great signs before our eyes. He also protected us all along the way we went and among all the peoples whose lands we traveled through. ¹⁸ The Lord drove out before us all the peoples, including the Amorites who lived in the land. We too will worship the Lord, because he is our God.”

¹⁹ But Joshua told the people, “You will not be able to worship the Lord, because he is a holy God. He is a jealous God;^(U) he will not forgive your transgressions and sins.^{(V) 20} If you abandon the Lord and worship foreign gods, he will turn against you, harm you, and completely destroy^(W) you, after he has been good to you.”

²¹ “No!” the people answered Joshua. “We will worship the Lord.”

²² Joshua then told the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you yourselves have chosen to worship the Lord.”

“We are witnesses,” they said.

²³ “Then get rid of the foreign gods that are among you and turn your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”

²⁴ So the people said to Joshua, “We will worship the Lord our God and obey him.”

²⁵ On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people at Shechem and established a statute and ordinance for them. ²⁶ Joshua recorded these things in the book of the law of God;^(X) he also took a large stone and set it up there under the oak at the sanctuary of the Lord. ²⁷ And Joshua said to all the people, “You see this stone—it will be a witness against us,^(Y) for it has heard all the words the Lord said to us, and it will be a witness against you, so that you will not deny your God.” ²⁸ Then Joshua sent the people away, each to his own inheritance.

Burial of Three Leaders

²⁹ After these things, the Lord’s servant, Joshua son of Nun, died at the age of 110. ³⁰ They buried him in his allotted territory at Timnath-serah, in the hill country of Ephraim^(Z) north of Mount Gaash. ³¹ Israel worshiped the Lord throughout Joshua’s lifetime and during the lifetimes of the elders who outlived Joshua^(AA) and who had experienced all the works the Lord had done for Israel.

³² Joseph’s bones, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt,^(AB) were buried at Shechem in the parcel of land Jacob had purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver.^[b](AC) It was an inheritance for Joseph’s descendants.

³³ And Eleazar son of Aaron died, and they buried him at Gibeah,^[c] which had been given to his son Phinehas^(AD) in the hill country of Ephraim.

The Widow’s Gift

21 He^(A) looked up and saw the rich dropping their offerings into the temple treasury.^{(B) 2} He also saw a poor widow dropping in two tiny coins.^{[a](C) 3} “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all of them.^{(D) 4} For all these people have put in gifts out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”

Destruction of the Temple Predicted

⁵ As^(E) some were talking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, ⁶ “These things that you see—the days will come^(F) when not one stone will be left on another that will not be thrown down.”^(G)

Signs of the End of the Age

⁷ “Teacher,” they asked him, “so when will these things happen? And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” ^(H)

⁸ Then he said, “Watch out that you are not deceived.^(I) For many will come in my name,^(J) saying, ‘I am he,’^(K) and, ‘The time is near.’ Don’t follow them.^{(L) 9} When you hear of wars and rebellions,^[b] don’t be alarmed. Indeed, it is necessary that these things take place first, but the end won’t come right away.”

¹⁰ Then he told them, “Nation will be raised up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.^{(M) 11} There will be violent earthquakes,^(N) and famines and plagues^(O) in various places, and there will be terrifying sights and great signs from heaven.^{(P) 12} But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you^(Q) and persecute^(R) you. They will hand you over to the synagogues^(S) and prisons,^(T) and you will be brought before kings and governors^(U) because of my name. ¹³ This will give you an opportunity to bear witness.^{(V) 14} Therefore make up your minds^[c] not to prepare your defense ahead of time,^{(W) 15} for I will give you such words^(X) and a wisdom^(Y) that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.^{(Z) 16} You will even be betrayed by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends.^(AA) They will kill some of you. ¹⁷ You will be hated by everyone because of my name,^{(AB) 18} but not a hair of your head will be lost.^{(AC) 19} By your endurance, gain^[d] your lives.^(AD)

The Destruction of Jerusalem

²⁰ “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies,^(AE) then recognize that its desolation^(AF) has come near. ²¹ Then those in Judea must flee^(AG) to the mountains.^(AH) Those inside the city must leave it, and those who are in the country must not enter it, ²² because these are days of vengeance^(AI) to fulfill all the things that are written. ²³ Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days,^(AJ) for there will be great distress in the land^[e] and wrath against this people. ²⁴ They will be killed by the sword^[f](AK) and be led captive into all the nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles^[g](AL) until the times of the Gentiles^(AM) are fulfilled.

The Coming of the Son of Man

²⁵ “Then there will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; ^(AN) and there will be anguish on the earth among nations bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the waves.^{(AO) 26} People will faint from fear and expectation of the things that are coming on the world, because the powers of the heavens will be shaken.^{(AP) 27} Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud^(AQ) with power and great glory.^{(AR) 28} But when these things begin to take place, stand up and lift your heads, because your redemption is near.”^(AS)