Land Still to Be Taken

13 When Joshua had grown old,(A) the Lord said to him, “You are now very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over.

“This is the land that remains: all the regions of the Philistines(B) and Geshurites,(C) from the Shihor River(D) on the east of Egypt to the territory of Ekron(E) on the north, all of it counted as Canaanite though held by the five Philistine rulers(F) in Gaza, Ashdod,(G) Ashkelon,(H) Gath and Ekron; the territory of the Avvites(I) on the south; all the land of the Canaanites, from Arah of the Sidonians as far as Aphek(J) and the border of the Amorites;(K) the area of Byblos;(L) and all Lebanon(M) to the east, from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon(N) to Lebo Hamath.(O)

“As for all the inhabitants of the mountain regions from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim,(P) that is, all the Sidonians, I myself will drive them out(Q) before the Israelites. Be sure to allocate this land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have instructed you,(R) and divide it as an inheritance(S) among the nine tribes and half of the tribe of Manasseh.”

Division of the Land East of the Jordan

The other half of Manasseh,[a] the Reubenites and the Gadites had received the inheritance that Moses had given them east of the Jordan, as he, the servant of the Lord, had assigned(T) it to them.(U)

It extended from Aroer(V) on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, and from the town in the middle of the gorge, and included the whole plateau(W) of Medeba as far as Dibon,(X) 10 and all the towns of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon,(Y) out to the border of the Ammonites.(Z) 11 It also included Gilead,(AA) the territory of the people of Geshur and Maakah, all of Mount Hermon and all Bashan as far as Salekah(AB) 12 that is, the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan,(AC) who had reigned in Ashtaroth(AD) and Edrei.(AE) (He was the last of the Rephaites.(AF)) Moses had defeated them and taken over their land.(AG) 13 But the Israelites did not drive out the people of Geshur(AH) and Maakah,(AI) so they continue to live among the Israelites to this day.(AJ)

14 But to the tribe of Levi he gave no inheritance, since the food offerings presented to the Lord, the God of Israel, are their inheritance, as he promised them.(AK)

15 This is what Moses had given to the tribe of Reuben, according to its clans:

16 The territory from Aroer(AL) on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, and from the town in the middle of the gorge, and the whole plateau past Medeba(AM) 17 to Heshbon and all its towns on the plateau,(AN) including Dibon,(AO) Bamoth Baal,(AP) Beth Baal Meon,(AQ) 18 Jahaz,(AR) Kedemoth,(AS) Mephaath,(AT) 19 Kiriathaim,(AU) Sibmah,(AV) Zereth Shahar on the hill in the valley, 20 Beth Peor,(AW) the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth— 21 all the towns on the plateau(AX) and the entire realm of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled at Heshbon. Moses had defeated him and the Midianite chiefs,(AY) Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba(AZ)—princes allied with Sihon—who lived in that country. 22 In addition to those slain in battle, the Israelites had put to the sword Balaam son of Beor,(BA) who practiced divination.(BB) 23 The boundary of the Reubenites was the bank of the Jordan. These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the Reubenites, according to their clans.(BC)

24 This is what Moses had given to the tribe of Gad, according to its clans:

25 The territory of Jazer,(BD) all the towns of Gilead(BE) and half the Ammonite country as far as Aroer, near Rabbah;(BF) 26 and from Heshbon(BG) to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim, and from Mahanaim(BH) to the territory of Debir;(BI) 27 and in the valley, Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah,(BJ) Sukkoth(BK) and Zaphon(BL) with the rest of the realm of Sihon king of Heshbon (the east side of the Jordan, the territory up to the end of the Sea of Galilee[b](BM)). 28 These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the Gadites,(BN) according to their clans.

29 This is what Moses had given to the half-tribe of Manasseh, that is, to half the family of the descendants of Manasseh, according to its clans:

30 The territory extending from Mahanaim(BO) and including all of Bashan,(BP) the entire realm of Og king of Bashan(BQ)—all the settlements of Jair(BR) in Bashan, sixty towns, 31 half of Gilead, and Ashtaroth and Edrei (the royal cities of Og in Bashan).(BS) This was for the descendants of Makir(BT) son of Manasseh—for half of the sons of Makir, according to their clans.(BU)

32 This is the inheritance Moses had given when he was in the plains of Moab(BV) across the Jordan east of Jericho.(BW) 33 But to the tribe of Levi, Moses had given no inheritance;(BX) the Lord, the God of Israel, is their inheritance,(BY) as he promised them.(BZ)

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 13:8 Hebrew With it (that is, with the other half of Manasseh)
  2. Joshua 13:27 Hebrew Kinnereth

Jerusalem Under Siege

“Flee for safety, people of Benjamin!
    Flee from Jerusalem!
Sound the trumpet(A) in Tekoa!(B)
    Raise the signal over Beth Hakkerem!(C)
For disaster looms out of the north,(D)
    even terrible destruction.
I will destroy Daughter Zion,(E)
    so beautiful and delicate.(F)
Shepherds(G) with their flocks will come against her;
    they will pitch their tents around(H) her,
    each tending his own portion.”

“Prepare for battle against her!
    Arise, let us attack at noon!(I)
But, alas, the daylight is fading,
    and the shadows of evening grow long.
So arise, let us attack at night
    and destroy her fortresses!”

This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“Cut down the trees(J)
    and build siege ramps(K) against Jerusalem.
This city must be punished;
    it is filled with oppression.(L)
As a well pours out its water,
    so she pours out her wickedness.
Violence(M) and destruction(N) resound in her;
    her sickness and wounds are ever before me.
Take warning, Jerusalem,
    or I will turn away(O) from you
and make your land desolate
    so no one can live in it.”

This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“Let them glean the remnant(P) of Israel
    as thoroughly as a vine;
pass your hand over the branches again,
    like one gathering grapes.”

10 To whom can I speak and give warning?
    Who will listen(Q) to me?
Their ears are closed[a](R)
    so they cannot hear.(S)
The word(T) of the Lord is offensive to them;
    they find no pleasure in it.
11 But I am full of the wrath(U) of the Lord,
    and I cannot hold it in.(V)

“Pour it out on the children in the street
    and on the young men(W) gathered together;
both husband and wife will be caught in it,
    and the old, those weighed down with years.(X)
12 Their houses will be turned over to others,(Y)
    together with their fields and their wives,(Z)
when I stretch out my hand(AA)
    against those who live in the land,”
declares the Lord.
13 “From the least to the greatest,
    all(AB) are greedy for gain;(AC)
prophets and priests alike,
    all practice deceit.(AD)
14 They dress the wound of my people
    as though it were not serious.
‘Peace, peace,’ they say,
    when there is no peace.(AE)
15 Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct?
    No, they have no shame at all;
    they do not even know how to blush.(AF)
So they will fall among the fallen;
    they will be brought down when I punish(AG) them,”
says the Lord.

16 This is what the Lord says:

“Stand at the crossroads and look;
    ask for the ancient paths,(AH)
ask where the good way(AI) is, and walk in it,
    and you will find rest(AJ) for your souls.
    But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
17 I appointed watchmen(AK) over you and said,
    ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’(AL)
    But you said, ‘We will not listen.’(AM)
18 Therefore hear, you nations;
    you who are witnesses,
    observe what will happen to them.
19 Hear, you earth:(AN)
    I am bringing disaster(AO) on this people,
    the fruit of their schemes,(AP)
because they have not listened to my words(AQ)
    and have rejected my law.(AR)
20 What do I care about incense from Sheba(AS)
    or sweet calamus(AT) from a distant land?
Your burnt offerings are not acceptable;(AU)
    your sacrifices(AV) do not please me.”(AW)

21 Therefore this is what the Lord says:

“I will put obstacles before this people.
    Parents and children alike will stumble(AX) over them;
    neighbors and friends will perish.”

22 This is what the Lord says:

“Look, an army is coming
    from the land of the north;(AY)
a great nation is being stirred up
    from the ends of the earth.(AZ)
23 They are armed with bow and spear;
    they are cruel and show no mercy.(BA)
They sound like the roaring sea(BB)
    as they ride on their horses;(BC)
they come like men in battle formation
    to attack you, Daughter Zion.(BD)

24 We have heard reports about them,
    and our hands hang limp.(BE)
Anguish(BF) has gripped us,
    pain like that of a woman in labor.(BG)
25 Do not go out to the fields
    or walk on the roads,
for the enemy has a sword,
    and there is terror on every side.(BH)
26 Put on sackcloth,(BI) my people,
    and roll in ashes;(BJ)
mourn with bitter wailing(BK)
    as for an only son,(BL)
for suddenly the destroyer(BM)
    will come upon us.

27 “I have made you a tester(BN) of metals
    and my people the ore,
that you may observe
    and test their ways.
28 They are all hardened rebels,(BO)
    going about to slander.(BP)
They are bronze and iron;(BQ)
    they all act corruptly.
29 The bellows blow fiercely
    to burn away the lead with fire,
but the refining(BR) goes on in vain;
    the wicked are not purged out.
30 They are called rejected silver,(BS)
    because the Lord has rejected them.”(BT)

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 6:10 Hebrew uncircumcised

In Thessalonica

17 When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica,(A) where there was a Jewish synagogue. As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue,(B) and on three Sabbath(C) days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,(D) explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer(E) and rise from the dead.(F) “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,”(G) he said. Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas,(H) as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.

But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city.(I) They rushed to Jason’s(J) house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.[a] But when they did not find them, they dragged(K) Jason and some other believers(L) before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world(M) have now come here,(N) and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.”(O) When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. Then they made Jason(P) and the others post bond and let them go.

In Berea

10 As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas(Q) away to Berea.(R) On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue.(S) 11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica,(T) for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures(U) every day to see if what Paul said was true.(V) 12 As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.(W)

13 But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea,(X) some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. 14 The believers(Y) immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas(Z) and Timothy(AA) stayed at Berea. 15 Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens(AB) and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.(AC)

In Athens

16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue(AD) with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news(AE) about Jesus and the resurrection.(AF) 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus,(AG) where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching(AH) is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” 21 (All the Athenians(AI) and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus(AJ) and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.(AK) 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship(AL)—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.

24 “The God who made the world and everything in it(AM) is the Lord of heaven and earth(AN) and does not live in temples built by human hands.(AO) 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.(AP) 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.(AQ) 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.(AR) 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’[b](AS) As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’[c]

29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill.(AT) 30 In the past God overlooked(AU) such ignorance,(AV) but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.(AW) 31 For he has set a day when he will judge(AX) the world with justice(AY) by the man he has appointed.(AZ) He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”(BA)

32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead,(BB) some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” 33 At that, Paul left the Council. 34 Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus,(BC) also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

Footnotes

  1. Acts 17:5 Or the assembly of the people
  2. Acts 17:28 From the Cretan philosopher Epimenides
  3. Acts 17:28 From the Cilician Stoic philosopher Aratus

16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
    he drew me out of deep waters.(A)
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,(B)
    from my foes, who were too strong for me.(C)
18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,(D)
    but the Lord was my support.(E)
19 He brought me out into a spacious place;(F)
    he rescued me because he delighted in me.(G)

20 The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;(H)
    according to the cleanness of my hands(I) he has rewarded me.(J)
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord;(K)
    I am not guilty of turning(L) from my God.
22 All his laws are before me;(M)
    I have not turned away from his decrees.
23 I have been blameless(N) before him
    and have kept myself from sin.
24 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,(O)
    according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

25 To the faithful(P) you show yourself faithful,(Q)
    to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26 to the pure(R) you show yourself pure,
    but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.(S)
27 You save the humble(T)
    but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.(U)
28 You, Lord, keep my lamp(V) burning;
    my God turns my darkness into light.(W)
29 With your help(X) I can advance against a troop[a];
    with my God I can scale a wall.

30 As for God, his way is perfect:(Y)
    The Lord’s word is flawless;(Z)
    he shields(AA) all who take refuge(AB) in him.
31 For who is God besides the Lord?(AC)
    And who is the Rock(AD) except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength(AE)
    and keeps my way secure.(AF)
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;(AG)
    he causes me to stand on the heights.(AH)
34 He trains my hands for battle;(AI)
    my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You make your saving help my shield,
    and your right hand sustains(AJ) me;
    your help has made me great.
36 You provide a broad path(AK) for my feet,
    so that my ankles do not give way.(AL)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 18:29 Or can run through a barricade

10 Listen, my son,(A) accept what I say,
    and the years of your life will be many.(B)
11 I instruct(C) you in the way of wisdom
    and lead you along straight paths.(D)
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
    when you run, you will not stumble.(E)
13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
    guard it well, for it is your life.(F)

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