Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 128

A song of ascents.

4 When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan,^(A) the Lord said to Joshua, ² “Choose twelve men^(B) from among the people, one from each tribe, ³ and tell them to take up twelve stones^(C) from the middle of the Jordan,^(D) from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.^(E)”

⁴ So Joshua called together the twelve men^(F) he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, ⁵ and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan.^(G) Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, ⁶ to serve as a sign^(H) among you. In the future, when your children^(I) ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’^{(J) 7} tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off^(K) before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial^(L) to the people of Israel forever.”

⁸ So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones^(M) from the middle of the Jordan,^(N) according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord had told Joshua;^(O) and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down. ⁹ Joshua set up the twelve stones^(P) that had been^[a] in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day.^(Q)

¹⁰ Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the Lord had commanded Joshua was done by the people, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people hurried over, ¹¹ and as soon as all of them had crossed, the ark of the Lord and the priests came to the other side while the people watched. ¹² The men of Reuben,^(R) Gad^(S) and the half-tribe of Manasseh^(T) crossed over, ready for battle, in front of the Israelites,^(U) as Moses had directed them.^{(V) 13} About forty thousand armed for battle^(W) crossed over^(X) before the Lord to the plains of Jericho for war.

¹⁴ That day the Lord exalted^(Y) Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him all the days of his life, just as they had stood in awe of Moses.

¹⁵ Then the Lord said to Joshua, ¹⁶ “Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant law^(Z) to come up out of the Jordan.”

¹⁷ So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.”

¹⁸ And the priests came up out of the river carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord. No sooner had they set their feet on the dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to their place^(AA) and ran at flood stage^(AB) as before.

¹⁹ On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal^(AC) on the eastern border of Jericho. ²⁰ And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones^(AD) they had taken out of the Jordan. ²¹ He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’^{(AE) 22} tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’^{(AF) 23} For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea^[b] when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over.^{(AG) 24} He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know^(AH) that the hand of the Lord is powerful^(AI) and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.^(AJ)”

¹³ And we also thank God continually^(A) because, when you received the word of God,^(B) which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. ¹⁴ For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators^(C) of God’s churches in Judea,^(D) which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people^(E) the same things those churches suffered from the Jews ¹⁵ who killed the Lord Jesus^(F) and the prophets^(G) and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone ¹⁶ in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles^(H) so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit.^(I) The wrath of God has come upon them at last.^[a]

Paul’s Longing to See the Thessalonians

¹⁷ But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought),^(J) out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you.^{(K) 18} For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan^(L) blocked our way.^{(M) 19} For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown^(N) in which we will glory^(O) in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes?^(P) Is it not you? ²⁰ Indeed, you are our glory^(Q) and joy.