Month: April 2020

Oppression by the Midianites

6 The Israelites did things that the Lord saw as evil, and the Lord handed them over to the Midianites for seven years. ² The power of the Midianites prevailed over Israel, and because of the Midianites, the Israelites used crevices and caves in the mountains as hidden strongholds. ³ Whenever the Israelites planted seeds, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other easterners would invade. ⁴ They would set up camp against the Israelites and destroy the land’s crops as far as Gaza, leaving nothing to keep Israel alive, not even sheep, oxen, or donkeys. ⁵ They would invade with their herds and tents, coming like a swarm of locusts, so that no one could count them or their camels. They came into the land to destroy it. ⁶ So Israel became very weak on account of Midian, and the Israelites cried out to the Lord.

⁷ This time when the Israelites cried out to the Lord because of Midian, ⁸ the Lord sent them a prophet, who said to them, “The Lord, Israel’s God, proclaims: I myself brought you up from Egypt, and I led you out of the house of slavery. ⁹ I delivered you from the power of the Egyptians and from the power of all your oppressors. I drove them out before you and gave you their land. ¹⁰ I told you, ‘I am the Lord your God; you must not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.’ But you have not obeyed me.”

Gideon’s commissioning

¹¹ Then the Lord’s messenger came and sat under the oak at Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites. ¹² The Lord’s messenger appeared to him and said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior!”

¹³ But Gideon replied to him, “With all due respect, my Lord, if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his amazing works that our ancestors recounted to us, saying, ‘Didn’t the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and allowed Midian to overpower us.”

¹⁴ Then the Lord turned to him and said, “You have strength, so go and rescue Israel from the power of Midian. Am I not personally sending you?”

¹⁵ But again Gideon said to him, “With all due respect, my Lord, how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I’m the youngest in my household.”

¹⁶ The Lord replied, “Because I’m with you, you’ll defeat the Midianites as if they were just one person.”^[a]

¹⁷ Then Gideon said to him, “If I’ve gained your approval, please show me a sign that it’s really you speaking with me. ¹⁸ Don’t leave here until I return, bring out my offering, and set it in front of you.”

The Lord replied, “I’ll stay until you return.”

¹⁹ So Gideon went and prepared a young goat and used an ephah^[b] of flour for unleavened bread. He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot and brought them out to him under the oak and presented them. ²⁰ Then God’s messenger said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread and set them on this rock, then pour out the broth.” And he did so. ²¹ The Lord’s messenger reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread. Fire came up from the rock and devoured the meat and the unleavened bread; and the Lord’s messenger vanished before his eyes. ²² Then Gideon realized that it had been the Lord’s messenger. Gideon exclaimed, “Oh no, Lord God! I have seen the Lord’s messenger face-to-face!”

²³ But the Lord said to him, “Peace! Don’t be afraid! You won’t die.”

²⁴ So Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it “The Lord makes peace.” It still stands today in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

²⁵ That night the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s bull and a second bull seven years old. Break down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah^[c] that is beside it. ²⁶ Build an altar to the Lord your God in the proper way on top of this high ground. Then take the second bull and offer it as an entirely burned offering with the wood of the Asherah that you cut down.” ²⁷ So Gideon took ten of his servants and did just as the Lord had told him. But because he was too afraid of his household and the townspeople to do it during the day, he did it at night.

²⁸ When the townspeople got up early in the morning, there was the altar to Baal broken down, with the asherah image that had been beside it cut down, and the second bull offered on the newly built altar! ²⁹ They asked each other, “Who did this?” They searched and investigated, and finally they concluded, “Gideon, Joash’s son, did this!” ³⁰ The townspeople said to Joash, “Bring out your son for execution because he tore down the altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah that was beside it.”

³¹ But Joash replied to all who were lined up against him, “Will you make Baal’s complaint for him? Will you come to his rescue? Anyone who argues for him will be killed before morning. If he is a god, let him argue for himself, because it was his altar that was torn down.” ³² So on that day Gideon became known as Jerubbaal, meaning, “Let Baal argue with him,” because he tore down his altar.

Gideon seeks a sign

³³ Some time later, all the Midianites, Amalekites, and other easterners joined together, came over, and set up camp in the Jezreel Valley. ³⁴ Then the Lord’s spirit came over Gideon, and he sounded the horn and summoned the Abiezrites to follow him. ³⁵ He sent messengers into all of Manasseh, and they were also summoned to follow him. Then he sent messengers into Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali too, and they marched up to meet them.

³⁶ But then Gideon said to God, “To see if you really intend to rescue Israel through me as you have declared, ³⁷ I’m now putting a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece but all the ground is dry, then I’ll know that you are going to rescue Israel through me, as you have declared.” ³⁸ And that is what happened. When he got up early the next morning and squeezed the fleece, he wrung out enough dew from the fleece to fill a bowl with water.

³⁹ Then Gideon said to God, “Don’t be angry with me, but let me speak just one more time. Please let me make just one more test with the fleece: now let only the fleece be dry and let dew be on all the ground.” ⁴⁰ And God did so that night. Only the fleece was dry, but there was dew on all the ground.

Peter denies knowing Jesus

⁵⁴ After they arrested Jesus, they led him away and brought him to the high priest’s house. Peter followed from a distance. ⁵⁵ When they lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.

⁵⁶ Then a servant woman saw him sitting in the firelight. She stared at him and said, “This man was with him too.”

⁵⁷ But Peter denied it, saying, “Woman, I don’t know him!”

⁵⁸ A little while later, someone else saw him and said, “You are one of them too.”

But Peter said, “Man, I’m not!”

⁵⁹ An hour or so later, someone else insisted, “This man must have been with him, because he is a Galilean too.”

⁶⁰ Peter responded, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about!” At that very moment, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. ⁶¹ The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter, and Peter remembered the Lord’s words: “Before a rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” ⁶² And Peter went out and cried uncontrollably.

Jesus taunted

⁶³ The men who were holding Jesus in custody taunted him while they beat him. ⁶⁴ They blindfolded him and asked him repeatedly, “Prophesy! Who hit you?” ⁶⁵ Insulting him, they said many other horrible things against him.

Jesus before the Jerusalem leadership

⁶⁶ As morning came, the elders of the people, both chief priests and legal experts, came together, and Jesus was brought before their council.

⁶⁷ They said, “If you are the Christ, tell us!”

He answered, “If I tell you, you won’t believe. ⁶⁸ And if I ask you a question, you won’t answer. ⁶⁹ But from now on, the Human One^[a] will be seated on the right side of the power of God.”^[b]

⁷⁰ They all said, “Are you God’s Son, then?”

He replied, “You say that I am.”

⁷¹ Then they said, “Why do we need further testimony? We’ve heard it from his own lips.”

Jesus before Pilate

23 The whole assembly got up and led Jesus to Pilate and ² began to accuse him. They said, “We have found this man misleading our people, opposing the payment of taxes to Caesar, and claiming that he is the Christ, a king.”

³ Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

Jesus replied, “That’s what you say.”

⁴ Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no legal basis for action against this man.”

⁵ But they objected strenuously, saying, “He agitates the people with his teaching throughout Judea—starting from Galilee all the way here.”

Jesus before Herod

⁶ Hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. ⁷ When he learned that Jesus was from Herod’s district, Pilate sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. ⁸ Herod was very glad to see Jesus, for he had heard about Jesus and had wanted to see him for quite some time. He was hoping to see Jesus perform some sign. ⁹ Herod questioned Jesus at length, but Jesus didn’t respond to him. ¹⁰ The chief priests and the legal experts were there, fiercely accusing Jesus. ¹¹ Herod and his soldiers treated Jesus with contempt. Herod mocked him by dressing Jesus in elegant clothes and sent him back to Pilate. ¹² Pilate and Herod became friends with each other that day. Before this, they had been enemies.

Psalm 95

Psalm 96

Deborah and Barak Rescue from Canaanites

4 But the Israelites again did evil in the sight of the Lord, after Ehud died. ² So the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in ^[a]Harosheth-hagoyim. ³ Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord [for help], for Jabin had nine hundred iron chariots and had oppressed and tormented the sons of Israel severely for twenty years.

⁴ Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. ⁵ She used to sit [to hear and decide disputes] under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the Israelites came up to her for judgment. ⁶ Now she sent word and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali, and said to him, “Behold, the Lord, the God of Israel, has commanded, ‘Go and march to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men [of war] from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun. ⁷ I will draw out Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his infantry to meet you at the river Kishon, and I will hand him over to you.’” ⁸ Then Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” ⁹ She said, “I will certainly go with you; nevertheless, ^[b]the journey that you are about to take will not be for your honor and glory, because the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh. ¹⁰ And Barak summoned [the fighting men of the tribes of] Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh, and ten thousand men went up ^[c]under his command; Deborah also went up with him.

¹¹ Now Heber the Kenite had separated himself from the Kenites, from the sons of Hobab the ^[d]father-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent as far away as the ^[e]terebinth tree in Zaanannim, which is near Kedesh.

¹² When someone told Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, ¹³ Sisera called together all his chariots, nine hundred iron chariots, and all the people who were with him, from Harosheth-hagoyim to the river Kishon. ¹⁴ Deborah said to Barak, “Arise! For this is the day when the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. Has the Lord not gone out before you?” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. ¹⁵ And the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and [confused] all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera dismounted from his chariot and fled away on foot. ¹⁶ But Barak pursued the chariots and the army to Harosheth-hagoyim, and the entire army of Sisera fell by the sword; not even one man was left.

¹⁷ But Sisera fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. ¹⁸ Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, “Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me! Have no fear.” So he turned aside to her [and went] into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. ¹⁹ And he said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink because I am thirsty.” And she opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink; then she covered him. ²⁰ And he said to her, “Stand at the door of the tent, and if any man comes and asks you, ‘Is there anyone here?’ tell him, ‘No.’” ²¹ But Jael, Heber’s wife, took a tent peg and a hammer in her hand, and came up quietly to him and drove the peg through his temple, and it went through into the ground; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. So he died. ²² And behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.” And he entered [her tent] with her, and behold Sisera lay dead with the tent peg in his temple.

²³ So on that day God subdued and humbled Jabin king of Canaan before the sons of Israel. ²⁴ And the hand of the sons of Israel pressed down heavier and heavier on Jabin king of Canaan, until they had destroyed him.

The Song of Deborah and Barak

5 Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying,

And the land was at rest for forty years.

³⁵ And He said to them, “When I sent you out without a money belt and [provision] bag and [extra] sandals, did you lack anything?” They answered, “Nothing.” ³⁶ Then He said to them, “But now, he who has a money belt is to take it along, and also his [provision] bag, and he who has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one. ³⁷ For I tell you that this [Scripture] which is written must be completed and fulfilled in Me: ‘And He was counted with the criminals’; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment [and is settled].”^{(A) 38} They said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.”

The Garden of Gethsemane

³⁹ And He came out and went, as was His habit, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed Him. ⁴⁰ When He arrived at the place [called Gethsemane], He said to them, “Pray continually that you may not fall into temptation.”^{(B) 41} And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, ⁴² saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup [of divine wrath] from Me; yet not My will, but [always] Yours be done.” ^43 [a]Now an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. ⁴⁴ And being in agony [deeply distressed and anguished; almost to the point of death], He prayed more intently; and His ^[b]sweat became like drops of blood, falling down on the ground.^{(C) 45} When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow, ⁴⁶ and He said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not fall into temptation.”

Judas Betrays Jesus

⁴⁷ While He was still speaking, a crowd came, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve [disciples], was leading the way for them. He approached Jesus to ^[c]kiss Him.^{(D) 48} And Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” ⁴⁹ When those who were around Him saw what was about to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with the sword?” ⁵⁰ And ^[d]one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear.^{(E) 51} But Jesus replied, “Stop! No more of this.” And He touched the ear and healed him. ⁵² Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders [of the Sanhedrin] who had come out against Him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as you would against a robber? ⁵³ Day after day when I was with you in the temple, you did not lay hands on Me; but this hour and the power and authority of darkness are yours.”

The Lord Implored to Avenge His People.

¹⁰ Also, all [the people of] that generation were gathered to their fathers [in death]; and another generation arose after them who did not know (recognize, understand) the Lord, nor even the work which He had done for Israel.

Israel Serves Baals

¹¹ Then the Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord and worshiped and served the Baals, ¹² and they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods from the gods of the peoples who were around them, and they bowed down to them, and offended and provoked the Lord to anger. ¹³ So they abandoned the Lord and served Baal [the pagan god of the Canaanites] and the ^[a]Ashtaroth. ¹⁴ So the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He gave them into the hands (power) of plunderers who robbed them; and He sold them into the hands of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer stand [in opposition] before their enemies. ¹⁵ Wherever they went, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil (misfortune), as the Lord had spoken, and as the Lord had sworn to them, so that they were severely distressed.^(A)

¹⁶ Then the Lord raised up ^[b]judges who rescued them from the hands of those who robbed them. ¹⁷ Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they played the prostitute after other gods and they bowed down to them. They quickly turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked in obeying the commandments of the Lord; they did not do as their fathers. ¹⁸ When the Lord raised up judges for them, He was with the judge and He rescued them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed and afflicted them. ¹⁹ But when the judge died, they turned back and behaved more corruptly than their fathers, in following and serving other gods, and bowing down to them. They did not ^[c]abandon their practices or their stubborn ways. ²⁰ So the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He said, “Because this ^[d]nation has transgressed (violated) My covenant (binding agreement) which I commanded their fathers, and has not listened to My voice, ²¹ I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left [to be conquered] when he died, ²² in order to test [the loyalty of] Israel by them, whether Israel will keep the way of the Lord to walk in it, as their fathers did, or not.” ²³ So the Lord allowed those nations to remain, not driving them out at once; and He did not give them into the hand of Joshua.

Idolatry Leads to Servitude

3 Now these are the nations which the Lord left [in order] to test Israel by them (that is, all [the people of Israel] who had not [previously] experienced any of the wars in Canaan; ² only in order that the generations of the sons of Israel might be taught war, at least those who had not experienced it previously). ³ The remaining nations are: the five lords (governors) of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to the entrance of Hamath. ⁴ They were [allowed to remain] for the testing of Israel, to determine whether Israel would listen to and obey the commandments of the Lord, which He had commanded their fathers (ancestors) through Moses. ⁵ And the Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites; ⁶ and they took their daughters for themselves as wives and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their [pagan] gods.^(B)

⁷ And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the ^[e]Asheroth.^{(C) 8} So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of ^[f]Mesopotamia; and the Israelites served Cushan-rishathaim eight years.

The First Judge Rescues Israel

⁹ But when the Israelites cried out to the Lord [for help], the Lord raised up a ^[g]man to rescue the people of Israel, ^[h]Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. ¹⁰ The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand, and he prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim. ¹¹ And the land was at rest [from oppression for] forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

¹² Now the Israelites again did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel, since they had done what was evil in the sight of the Lord. ¹³ And Eglon gathered to him the sons of Ammon and Amalek, and went and struck down Israel [in defeat], and they took possession of the City of Palm Trees (Jericho). ¹⁴ And the Israelites served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years.

Ehud Rescues Israel from Moab

¹⁵ But when the Israelites cried out to the Lord [for help], the Lord raised up a ^[i]man to rescue them, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, ^[j]a left-handed man. And the Israelites sent a gift of tribute by him to Eglon king of Moab. ¹⁶ Now Ehud made for himself a sword a ^[k]cubit long, which had two edges, and he bound it on his ^[l]right thigh under his robe. ¹⁷ And he brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. ¹⁸ And when Ehud had finished presenting the ^[m]tribute, he sent away the people who had carried it. ¹⁹ But Ehud himself turned back from the ^[n]sculptured stones at Gilgal, [and he returned to Eglon] and said [to him], “I have a secret message for you, O king.” Eglon said “Keep silence.” And all who attended him left him. ²⁰ Ehud came to him as he was sitting alone in his [private] cool upper chamber, and Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” And the king got up from his seat. ²¹ Then Ehud reached out with his left hand and took the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon’s belly. ²² And the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, because Ehud did not draw the sword out of his belly; and the refuse came out. ²³ Then Ehud went out into the vestibule and shut the doors of the upper chamber behind him, and locked them.

²⁴ When Ehud departed, Eglon’s servants came. And when they saw that the doors of the upper room were locked, they said, “He is only ^[o]relieving himself in the cool room.” ²⁵ They waited [a very long time] until they became embarrassed and uneasy, but he still did not open the doors of the upper room. So [finally] they took the key and opened them, and behold, their master had fallen to the floor, dead.

²⁶ Now Ehud escaped while they lingered, and he passed beyond the sculptured stones and escaped to Seirah. ²⁷ When he had arrived, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was in front of them. ²⁸ And he said to them, “Pursue them, for the Lord has handed over your enemies the Moabites to you.” So they went down after him and seized the ^[p]fords of the Jordan opposite Moab and did not allow anyone to cross. ²⁹ They struck down at that time about ten thousand Moabite men, all strong, courageous men; not a man escaped. ³⁰ So Moab was subdued and humbled that day under the hand of Israel, and the land was at rest for eighty years.

Shamgar Rescues from Philistines

³¹ After Ehud came Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistine men with an ^[q]oxgoad. He too saved Israel.

The Lord’s Supper

¹⁴ When the hour [for the meal] had come, Jesus reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. ¹⁵ He said to them, “I have earnestly wanted to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; ¹⁶ for I say to you, I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” ¹⁷ And when He had taken a cup and ^[a]given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves;^{(A) 18} for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.” ¹⁹ And when He had taken bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” ²⁰ And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup, which is poured out for you, is the new covenant [ratified] in My blood. ²¹ But listen, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table.^{(B) 22} For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe (judgment is coming) to that man by whom He is betrayed and handed over!” ²³ And they began to discuss among themselves which one of them it might be who was going to do this.

Who Is Greatest?

²⁴ Now a dispute also arose among them as to which of them was regarded to be the greatest. ²⁵ Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles have absolute power and lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’^{(C) 26} But it is not to be this way with you; on the contrary, the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest [and least privileged], and the [one who is the] leader, like the servant. ²⁷ For who is the greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

²⁸ “You are those who have remained and have stood by Me in My trials; ²⁹ and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you [the privilege] ³⁰ that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

³¹ “Simon, Simon (Peter), listen! Satan has demanded permission to sift [all of] you like grain;^{(D) 32} but I have prayed [especially] for you [Peter], that your faith [and confidence in Me] may not fail; and you, once you have turned back again [to Me], strengthen and support your brothers [in the faith].” ³³ And Peter said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You both to prison and to death!”^{(E) 34} Jesus said, “I say to you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will [utterly] deny three times that you know Me.”

Praise for the Lord’s Goodness.

A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath day.

The Majesty of the Lord.

Contrast the Upright and the Wicked

Jerusalem Is Captured

1 Now it came about after the death of Joshua, that the ^[a]sons (descendants) of Israel (Jacob) asked the Lord, “Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?” ² And the Lord said, “Judah shall go up [first]; behold, I have given the land into his hand.” ³ And [the tribe of the sons of] Judah said to [the tribe of the sons of] Simeon his brother, “Come up with me into my allotted territory, so that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with you into your allotted territory.” So Simeon went with him. ⁴ Then Judah went up, and the Lord gave the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand, and they struck down in defeat ten thousand men at Bezek. ⁵ Then they found Adoni-bezek in Bezek and fought against him, and they struck down in defeat the Canaanites and the Perizzites. ⁶ But Adoni-bezek fled; and they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and his big toes. ⁷ Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to gather up scraps of food under my table; as I have done [to others], so God has repaid me.” So they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

⁸ Then the sons of Judah fought against [Jebusite] Jerusalem and ^[b]captured it and struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire. ⁹ Afterward the sons of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who lived in the hill country, in the Negev (South country) and in the lowland. ¹⁰ So Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron (the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath-arba); and they defeated Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai.

Capture of Other Cities

¹¹ From there [the tribe of] Judah went against the inhabitants of Debir (the name of Debir formerly was Kiriath-sepher [city of books and scribes]). ¹² And Caleb said, “Whoever attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will even give him my daughter Achsah as a wife.” ¹³ Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, captured it; so he gave him his daughter Achsah as a wife. ¹⁴ When she came to Othniel, she persuaded him to [allow her to] ask her father [Caleb] for a field. Then she [rode up to Caleb and] dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you want?” ¹⁵ She said to him, “Give me a blessing; since you have given me the land of the Negev (South country), give me springs of water, too.” So Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

¹⁶ The sons of [^[c]Jethro] the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up from the City of Palms (Jericho) with the sons of Judah, to the wilderness of Judah which is in the Negev (South country) near Arad; and they went and lived with the people.^{(A) 17} Then [the warriors of the tribe of] Judah went with [the warriors of the tribe of] Simeon his brother, and they struck the Canaanites living in Zephath and utterly destroyed it. So the city was called Hormah (destruction). ¹⁸ Also [the warriors of] Judah captured Gaza with its territory and Ashkelon with its territory and Ekron with its territory. ¹⁹ The Lord was with Judah, and [the tribe of] Judah took possession of the hill country, but they could not dispossess and drive out those inhabiting the valley because they had iron chariots. ²⁰ Then they gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had said, and he drove out from there the three sons of Anak.^{(B) 21} But the sons of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem; so the Jebusites have lived with the sons of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.

²² The ^[d]house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and the Lord was with them. ²³ The house of Joseph spied out Bethel (now the name of the city was formerly Luz). ²⁴ The spies saw a man coming out of the city and they said to him, “Please show us the entrance to the city and we will treat you kindly.” ²⁵ So he showed them the entrance to the city, and they struck the city with the edge of the sword, but they let the man and all his family go free. ²⁶ The man went into the ^[e]land of the Hittites and built a city and named it Luz, which is its name to this day.

Places Not Conquered

²⁷ But [the tribe of] Manasseh did not take possession of Beth-shean and its villages, or Taanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages; so the Canaanites remained in that land. ²⁸ It happened when Israel became strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not drive them out completely.

²⁹ Neither did [the warriors of] Ephraim drive out the Canaanites who were living in Gezer; so the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them.

³⁰ [The warriors of the tribe of] Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron or of Nahalol; so the Canaanites lived among them and were put to forced labor.

³¹ [The warriors of the tribe of] Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, or the inhabitants of Sidon, or of Ahlab, or of Achzib, or of Helbah, or of Aphik, or of Rehob. ³² So the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, because they did not drive them out.

³³ Neither did [the warriors of] Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, or the inhabitants of Beth-anath, but they lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; and the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became forced labor for them.

³⁴ Then the ^[f]Amorites forced the sons of Dan [back] into the hill country, for they would not allow them to come down into the valley; ³⁵ yet the Amorites persisted in living on Mount Heres (the mountain of the sun), in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim; but when the power of the house (descendants) of Joseph became strong and prevailed, they became forced labor. ³⁶ The border of the Amorites ran from the ascent of Akrabbim, from ^[g]Sela (rock) and upward.

Israel Rebuked

2 Now the ^[h]Angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and led you to the land which I swore [to give] to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you,^{(C) 2} and as for you, you shall not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not ^[i]obeyed Me; what is this that you have done? ³ So I also said, ‘I will not drive your enemies out before you; but they will be like thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you.’” ⁴ When the Angel of the Lord had spoken these words to all the Israelites, the people raised their voices and wept. ⁵ So they named that place Bochim (weepers); and there they offered sacrifices to the Lord.

Joshua Dies

⁶ And when Joshua had sent the people away, the [tribes of the] Israelites went each to his inheritance, to take possession of the land. ⁷ The people served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of the Lord which He had done for Israel. ⁸ Then Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. ⁹ And they buried him in the territory of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

Parable of the Fig Tree

²⁹ Then He told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees;^{(A) 30} as soon as they put out leaves, you see it and know for yourselves that summer is near. ³¹ So you too, when you see these things happening, know [without any doubt] that the kingdom of God is near. ³² I assure you and most solemnly say to you, this generation [those living at that definite period of time preceding the second coming] will not pass away until ^[a]everything takes place. ³³ Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

³⁴ “But be on guard, so that your hearts are not weighed down and depressed with the giddiness of debauchery and the nausea of self-indulgence and the worldly worries of life, and then that day [when the Messiah returns] will not come on you suddenly like a trap; ³⁵ for it will come upon all those who live on the face of all the earth. ³⁶ But keep alert at all times [be attentive and ready], praying that you may have the strength and ability [to be found worthy and] to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man [at His coming].”

³⁷ Now in the daytime Jesus was teaching in [the porches and courts of] the temple, but at night He would go out and spend the night on the mount that is called Olivet. ³⁸ And early in the morning all the people would come to Him in the temple to listen to Him.

Preparing the Passover

22 Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was approaching.^{(B) 2} The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Him to death; for they were afraid of the people [who listened devotedly to His teaching, and who respected His spiritual wisdom].

³ Then Satan entered Judas, the one called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve [disciples]. ⁴ And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him and hand Him over to them. ⁵ They were delighted and agreed with him to give him money. ⁶ So he consented, and began looking for a good opportunity to betray Jesus to them [at a time when He was] separated from the crowd [because the people might riot or stop them from seizing Him].

⁷ Then came the preparation day of ^[b]Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.^{(C) 8} So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover meal for us, so that we may eat it.” ⁹ They asked Him, “Where do You want us to prepare it?” ¹⁰ He replied, “When you have entered the city, a ^[c]man carrying an earthen jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house that he enters. ¹¹ And say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks, “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’ ¹² Then he will show you a large upstairs room, furnished [with carpets and dining couches]; prepare the meal there.” ¹³ They left and found it just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.

Book Four

God’s Eternity and Man’s Transitoriness.

A Prayer of Moses the man of God.

Security of the One Who Trusts in the Lord.

Joshua Reviews Israel’s History

24 Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel and for their heads and for their judges and for their officers; they presented themselves before God. ² Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘Your fathers, including Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, lived beyond the [Euphrates] River in ancient times; and they served other gods. ³ Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the [Euphrates] River and led him through all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants, and I gave him Isaac. ⁴ To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau, and to Esau I gave [the hill country of] Mount Seir to possess; but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt. ⁵ Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt by what I did in its midst; and afterward I brought you out. ⁶ Then I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea; and the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. ⁷ When they cried out to the Lord [for help], He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them and covered them; and your own eyes saw what I did in Egypt. And you lived in the wilderness ^[a]a long time (forty years).^{(A) 8} Then I brought you into the land of the Amorites who lived on the other side of the Jordan, and they fought with you; and I gave them into your hand, and you took possession of their land and I destroyed them before you. ⁹ Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel, and he sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you. ¹⁰ But I would not listen to Balaam. Therefore he had to bless you, so I saved you from Balak’s hand.^{(B) 11} You crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho; and the citizens of Jericho fought against you, as did the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Girgashite, the Hivite and the Jebusite; and so I gave them into your hand. ¹² I sent the hornet [that is, the terror of you] before you, which drove the two kings of the Amorites out before you; but it was not by your sword or by your bow.^{(C) 13} I gave you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you live in them; you eat from vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.’

¹⁴ “Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and in truth; remove the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the [Euphrates] River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. ¹⁵ If it is unacceptable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

¹⁶ The people answered, “Far be it from us to abandon (reject) the Lord to serve other gods; ¹⁷ for the Lord our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and who did these great signs (miracles) in our sight and kept us safe all along the way that we went and among all the peoples among whom we passed. ¹⁸ The Lord drove all the peoples out from before us, even the Amorites who lived in the land. We also will serve the Lord, for He is our God.”

¹⁹ Then Joshua said to the people, “You will not be able to serve the Lord [if you serve any other gods], for He is a holy God; He is a ^[b]jealous God [demanding what is rightfully and uniquely His]. He will not forgive your transgression [of His law] or your sins. ²⁰ If you do abandon (reject) the Lord and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume and destroy you after He has done you good.” ²¹ The people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve [only] the Lord.” ²² Joshua then said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves the Lord, to serve Him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” ²³ “Now then, remove the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your hearts toward the Lord, the God of Israel.” ²⁴ The people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and we will listen to and obey His voice.” ²⁵ So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance at Shechem. ²⁶ And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was in [the courtyard of] the sanctuary of the Lord. ²⁷ Joshua then said to all the people, “Look, this stone shall serve as a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of the Lord which He spoke to us; so it shall be a witness against you, so that [afterward] you do not deny your God.” ²⁸ Then Joshua sent the people away, each to [the territory of] his inheritance.

Joshua’s Death and Burial

²⁹ It happened after these things that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, at the age of a hundred and ten years. ³⁰ They buried him in the territory of his inheritance in Timnath-serah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north side of Mount Gaash.

³¹ Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, and had known all the works of the Lord which He had done for Israel.

³² Now they buried the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up from Egypt, at Shechem, in the plot of land which Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money; and it became the inheritance of the sons of Joseph. ³³ And Eleazar [the priest], the son of Aaron died; and they buried him at Gibeah [on the hill] of Phinehas his son, which had been given to him in the hill country of Ephraim.

The Widow’s Gift

21 Looking up, He saw the rich people putting their gifts into the treasury.^{(A) 2} And He saw a poor widow putting in two ^[a]small copper coins. ³ He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in [proportionally] more than all of them; ⁴ for they all put in gifts from their abundance; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

⁵ As some were talking about the ^[b]temple, that it was decorated with beautiful stones and consecrated offerings [of magnificent gifts of gold which were displayed on the walls and hung in the porticoes], He said,^{(B) 6} “As for all these things which you see, the time will come when there will not be one stone left on another that will not be ^[c]torn down.”

⁷ They asked Him, “Teacher, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign when these things are about to happen?” ⁸ He said, “Be careful and see to it that you are not misled; for many will come in My name [appropriating for themselves the name Messiah which belongs to Me alone], saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time is near!’ Do not follow them. ⁹ When you hear of wars and disturbances [civil unrest, revolts, uprisings], do not panic; for these things must take place first, but the end will not come immediately.”

Things to Come

¹⁰ Then Jesus told them, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.^{(C) 11} There will be violent earthquakes, and in various places famines and [deadly and devastating] pestilences (plagues, epidemics); and there will be terrible sights and great signs from heaven.

¹² “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, turning you over to the synagogues and prisons, and bringing you before kings and governors for My name’s sake.^{(D) 13} This will be a time and an opportunity for you to testify [about Me]. ¹⁴ So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; ¹⁵ for I will give you [skillful] words and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute. ¹⁶ But you will be betrayed and handed over even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death, ¹⁷ and you will be continually hated by everyone because of [your association with] My name. ¹⁸ But not a hair of your head will perish.^{(E) 19} By your [patient] endurance [empowered by the Holy Spirit] you will gain your souls.

²⁰ “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by [hostile] armies, then understand [with confident assurance] that her complete destruction is near. ²¹ At that time, those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are inside the city (Jerusalem) must get out, and those who are [out] in the country must not enter the city; ²² for these are days of vengeance [of rendering full justice or satisfaction], so that all things which are written will be fulfilled. ²³ Woe to those women who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For great trouble and anguish will be on the land, and wrath and retribution on this people [Israel]. ²⁴ And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled (completed).^(F)

The Return of Christ

²⁵ “There will be signs (attesting miracles) in the sun and moon and stars; and on the earth [there will be] distress and anguish among nations, in perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea and the waves,^{(G) 26} people fainting from fear and expectation of the [dreadful] things coming on the world; for the [very] powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷ Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with [transcendent, overwhelming] power [subduing the nations] and with great glory.^{(H) 28} Now when these things begin to occur, stand tall and lift up your heads [in joy], because [suffering ends as] your redemption is drawing near.”

²¹ Then the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered and said to the heads of the families of Israel, ²² “The Mighty One, God, the Lord, the Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows, and may Israel itself know. If it was in rebellion, or if in an unfaithful act against the Lord, do not save us this day! ²³ If we have built an altar for ourselves to turn away from following the Lord, or if [we did so] to offer a burnt offering or grain offering on it, or if to offer sacrifices of peace offerings on it, may the Lord Himself require it [of us and hold us responsible]. ²⁴ But in truth we have done this out of concern, for a reason, saying, ‘In time to come your sons (descendants) may say to our sons, “What ^[a]claim do you have to the Lord, the God of Israel? ²⁵ For the Lord has made the Jordan a border between us and you, you sons of Reuben and sons of Gad; you have no part in the Lord.” So your sons (descendants) may cause our sons to stop fearing the Lord.’

²⁶ “So we said, ‘Let us prepare and build an altar, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice, ²⁷ but to be a witness between us and you and between the generations after us, that we are to perform the service of the Lord before Him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices and with our peace offerings, so that your sons (descendants) will not say to our sons in time to come, “You have no part in the Lord.”’ ²⁸ So we said, ‘If your descendants should say this to us or to our descendants in time to come, then we can reply, “See the copy of the altar of the Lord which our fathers made, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice, but rather it is a witness between us and you.”’ ²⁹ Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord and turn away from following the Lord this day, by building an altar for burnt offering, for grain offering or for sacrifice, besides the altar of the Lord our God which is before His ^[b]tabernacle [in Shiloh].”

³⁰ So when Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the congregation and heads of the families of Israel who were with him, heard the words which the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the sons of Manasseh spoke, it ^[c]pleased them. ³¹ Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the sons of Manasseh, “Today we know that the Lord is among us, because you have not committed this unfaithful act against the Lord; indeed you have saved Israel from the hand of the Lord.”

³² Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest and the leaders returned from the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad, from the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the sons of Israel, and brought back word to them. ³³ The report ^[d]pleased the sons of Israel, and the sons of Israel blessed God; and they said no more about going to battle against them to destroy the land in which the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad were living. ³⁴ The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad called the altar Witness; “For it is a witness between us that the Lord is God.”

Joshua’s Farewell Address

23 A long time after that, when the Lord had given Israel rest from all their enemies ^[e]on every side, and Joshua had grown old and ^[f]advanced in years, ² that Joshua called all Israel, their elders and their heads and their judges and their officers, and said to them, “I am old and advanced in years. ³ And you have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; for the Lord your God is He who has been fighting for you.^{(A) 4} See, I have allotted to you these nations that remain as an inheritance for your tribes, with all the nations which I have cut off, from the Jordan [on the east] to the Great [Mediterranean] Sea toward the setting sun. ⁵ The Lord your God will push them away from before you and drive them out of your sight and you will take possession of their land, just as the Lord your God ^[g]promised you. ⁶ Be steadfast and very determined to keep and to do everything that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, so that you do not turn aside from it to the right or the left, ⁷ so that you do not associate with these nations which remain among you, or mention the name of their gods, or make anyone swear [an oath by them], or serve them, or bow down to them. ⁸ But you are to cling to the Lord your God, just as you have done to this day. ⁹ For the Lord has driven out great and mighty nations from before you; and as for you, no man has been able to stand [in opposition] before you to this day. ¹⁰ One of your men puts to flight a thousand, for the Lord your God is He who is fighting for you, just as He ^[h]promised you. ¹¹ So be very careful and watchful of yourselves to ^[i]love the Lord your God. ¹² For if you ever turn back and cling to the rest of these nations, these that are left among you, and intermarry with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, ¹³ know and understand with certainty that the Lord your God will not continue to drive these nations out from before you; but they will be a snare and trap to you, and a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land which the Lord your God has given you.

¹⁴ “Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one word of all the good words which the Lord your God has promised concerning you has failed; all have been fulfilled for you, not one of them has failed. ¹⁵ It shall come about that just as every good word which the Lord your God spoke and promised to you has ^[j]been fulfilled for you, so the Lord will bring upon you every bad thing [about which He warned you], until He has destroyed and eliminated you from this good land which the Lord your God has given you. ¹⁶ When you transgress (violate) the covenant of the Lord your God, which He commanded you [to follow], and you go and serve other gods and bow down to them, then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from the good land which He has given you.”

Is There a Resurrection?

²⁷ Now some of the Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) came to Him^{(A) 28} and they questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us [a law that] if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife and no children, his brother should ^[a]marry the wife and raise children for his brother.^{(B) 29} Now there were seven brothers; and the first took a wife and died childless. ³⁰ And the second, ³¹ and the third married her, and in the same way all seven died, leaving no children. ³² Finally the woman also died. ³³ So in the [life after] resurrection, whose wife does she become? For all seven had married her.”

³⁴ Jesus said to them, “The sons of this [world and present] age marry and [the women] are given in marriage; ³⁵ but those who are considered worthy to gain that [other world and that future] age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; ³⁶ and they cannot die again, because they are [immortal] like the angels (equal to, angel-like). And they are ^[b]children of God, being ^[c]participants in the resurrection. ³⁷ But [as for the fact] that the dead are raised [from death], even Moses showed, in the passage about the burning bush, when he calls the Lord the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.^{(C) 38} Now He is not the God of the dead, but of the living [so these forefathers will be among the resurrected]; for all live [in a definite relationship] to Him.” ³⁹ Some of the scribes replied, “Teacher, you have spoken well [so that there is no room for blame].” ⁴⁰ And they did not dare to question Him further about anything [because of the wisdom He displayed in His answers].

⁴¹ Then He said to them, “How is it that people say that the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) is David’s son?^{(D) 42} For David himself says in the book of Psalms,

^44 [d]So David calls Him (the Son) ‘Lord,’ and how then is He David’s son?”

⁴⁵ And with all the people listening, He said to His disciples, ⁴⁶ “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes [displaying their prominence], and love respectful greetings in the [crowded] market places, and ^[e]chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets. ⁴⁷ These [men] who confiscate and devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense [to appear devout] offer long prayers. These [men] will receive the greater [sentence of] condemnation.”