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The Death of Moses
34 Then Moses ascended from the rift valley plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the summit of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho.[a] The Lord showed him the whole land—Gilead to Dan, 2 and all of Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the distant[b] sea, 3 the Negev, and the plain of the Valley of Jericho, the city of date palm trees, as far as Zoar. 4 Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’[c] I have let you see it,[d] but you will not cross over there.”
5 So Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab as the Lord had said. 6 He[e] buried him in the valley in the land of Moab near Beth Peor, but no one knows his exact burial place to this very day. 7 Moses was 120 years old when he died, but his eye was not dull[f] nor had his vitality[g] departed. 8 The Israelites mourned for Moses in the rift valley plains[h] of Moab for thirty days; then the days of mourning for Moses ended.
An Epitaph for Moses
9 Now Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had placed his hands on him;[i] and the Israelites listened to him and did just what the Lord had commanded Moses. 10 No prophet ever again arose in Israel like Moses, who knew the Lord face to face.[j] 11 He did[k] all the signs and wonders the Lord had sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, all his servants, and the whole land, 12 and he displayed great power[l] and awesome might in view of all Israel.[m]
The Lord Commissions Joshua
1 After Moses the Lord’s servant died, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant: 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Get ready![n] Cross the Jordan River.[o] Lead these people into the land that I am ready to hand over to them.[p] 3 I am handing over to you every place you set foot, as I promised Moses.[q] 4 Your territory will extend from the desert[r] in the south to Lebanon in the north. It will extend all the way to the great River Euphrates in the east (including all Syria)[s] and all the way to the Mediterranean Sea[t] in the west.[u] 5 No one will be able to resist you[v] all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not abandon you or leave you alone. 6 Be strong and brave! You must lead these people in the conquest of this land that I solemnly promised their ancestors I would hand over to them.[w] 7 Make sure you are[x] very strong and brave! Carefully obey[y] all the law my servant Moses charged you to keep.[z] Do not swerve from it to the right or to the left, so that you may be successful[aa] in all you do.[ab] 8 This law scroll must not leave your lips.[ac] You must memorize it[ad] day and night so you can carefully obey[ae] all that is written in it. Then you will prosper[af] and be successful.[ag] 9 I repeat,[ah] be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic,[ai] for I, the Lord your God, am with you in all you do.”[aj]
Joshua Prepares for the Invasion
10 Joshua instructed[ak] the leaders of the people: 11 “Go through the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your supplies, for within three days you will cross the Jordan River and begin the conquest of the land the Lord your God is ready to hand over to you.’”[al]
12 Joshua told the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh: 13 “Remember what Moses the Lord’s servant commanded you.[am] The Lord your God is giving you a place to settle and is handing this land over to you.[an] 14 Your wives, children, and cattle may stay in the land that Moses assigned to you east of the Jordan River. But all of you warriors must cross over armed for battle ahead of your brothers.[ao] You must help them 15 until the Lord gives your brothers a place like yours to settle and they conquer the land the Lord your God is ready to hand over to them. Then you may go back to your allotted land and occupy the land Moses the Lord’s servant assigned you east of the Jordan.”[ap]
16 They told Joshua, “We will do everything you say. We will go wherever you send us. 17 Just as we obeyed[aq] Moses, so we will obey you. But[ar] may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. 18 Any man who rebels against what you say and does not obey all your commands will be executed.[as] But[at] be strong and brave!”
Joshua Sends Spies into the Land
2 Joshua son of Nun sent two spies out from Shittim secretly and instructed them:[au] “Find out what you can about the land, especially Jericho.”[av] They stopped at the house of a prostitute named Rahab and spent the night there.[aw] 2 The king of Jericho received this report: “Note well![ax] Israelite men have come here tonight[ay] to spy on the land.” 3 So the king of Jericho sent this order to Rahab:[az] “Turn over[ba] the men who came to you[bb]—the ones who came to your house[bc]—for they have come to spy on the whole land!” 4 But the woman hid the two men[bd] and replied, “Yes, these men were clients of mine,[be] but I didn’t know where they came from. 5 When it was time to shut the city gate for the night, the men left.[bf] I don’t know where they were heading. Chase after them quickly, for you have time to catch them!” 6 (Now she had taken them up to the roof and had hidden them in the stalks of flax she had spread out[bg] on the roof.) 7 Meanwhile,[bh] the king’s men tried to find them on the road to the Jordan River[bi] near the fords.[bj] The city gate was shut as soon as they set out in pursuit of them.[bk]
8 Now before the spies[bl] went to sleep, Rahab[bm] went up[bn] to the roof. 9 She said to the men, “I know the Lord is handing this land over to you.[bo] We are absolutely terrified of you,[bp] and all who live in the land are cringing before[bq] you.[br] 10 For we heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you left Egypt and how you annihilated the two Amorite kings, Sihon and Og, on the other side of the Jordan.[bs] 11 When we heard the news we lost our courage and no one could even breathe for fear of you.[bt] For the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below! 12 So now, promise me this with an oath sworn in the Lord’s name.[bu] Because I have shown allegiance to you, show allegiance to my family.[bv] Give me a solemn pledge[bw] 13 that you will spare the lives of my father, mother, brothers, sisters, and all who belong to them, and will rescue us[bx] from death.” 14 The men said to her, “If you[by] die, may we die too![bz] If you do not report what we’ve been up to,[ca] then we will show unswerving allegiance[cb] to you[cc] when the Lord hands the land over to us.”
15 Then Rahab[cd] let them down by a rope[ce] through the window. (Her[cf] house was built as part of the city wall; she lived in the wall.)[cg] 16 She told them, “Head[ch] to the hill country, so the ones chasing you don’t find you.[ci] Hide from them there for three days, long enough for those chasing you[cj] to return. Then you can be on your way.” 17 The men said to her, “We are not bound by this oath you made us swear unless the following conditions are met:[ck] 18 When we invade the land,[cl] tie this red rope[cm] in the window through which you let us down, and gather together in your house your father, mother, brothers, and all who live in your father’s house.[cn] 19 Anyone who leaves your house will be responsible for his own death—we are innocent in that case![co] But if anyone with you in the house is harmed, we will be responsible.[cp] 20 If you should report what we’ve been up to,[cq] we are not bound by this oath you made us swear.” 21 She said, “I agree to these conditions.”[cr] She sent them on their way[cs] and then tied the red rope in the window. 22 They went[ct] to the hill country and stayed there for three days, long enough for those chasing them[cu] to return. Their pursuers[cv] looked all along the way but did not find them.[cw] 23 Then the two men returned—they came down from the hills, crossed the river,[cx] came to Joshua son of Nun, and reported to him all they had discovered. 24 They told Joshua, “Surely the Lord is handing over all the land to us![cy] All who live in the land are cringing before us!”[cz]
The Narrow Door
22 Then[a] Jesus[b] traveled throughout[c] towns[d] and villages, teaching and making his way toward[e] Jerusalem. 23 Someone[f] asked[g] him, “Lord, will only a few[h] be saved?” So[i] he said to them, 24 “Exert every effort[j] to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once[k] the head of the house[l] gets up[m] and shuts the door, then you will stand outside and start to knock on the door and beg him, ‘Lord,[n] let us in!’[o] But he will answer you,[p] ‘I don’t know where you come from.’[q] 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’[r] 27 But[s] he will reply,[t] ‘I don’t know where you come from![u] Go away from me, all you evildoers!’[v] 28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth[w] when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,[x] and all the prophets in the kingdom of God[y] but you yourselves thrown out.[z] 29 Then[aa] people[ab] will come from east and west, and from north and south, and take their places at the banquet table[ac] in the kingdom of God.[ad] 30 But[ae] indeed,[af] some are last[ag] who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”
Going to Jerusalem
31 At that time,[ah] some Pharisees[ai] came up and said to Jesus,[aj] “Get away from here,[ak] because Herod[al] wants to kill you.” 32 But[am] he said to them, “Go[an] and tell that fox,[ao] ‘Look, I am casting out demons and performing healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day[ap] I will complete my work.[aq] 33 Nevertheless I must[ar] go on my way today and tomorrow and the next day, because it is impossible[as] that a prophet should be killed[at] outside Jerusalem.’[au] 34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,[av] you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you![aw] How often I have longed[ax] to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but[ay] you would have none of it![az] 35 Look, your house is forsaken![ba] And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”[bb]
Healing Again on the Sabbath
14 Now[bc] one Sabbath when Jesus went to dine[bd] at the house of a leader[be] of the Pharisees,[bf] they were watching[bg] him closely. 2 There[bh] right[bi] in front of him was a man whose body was swollen with fluid.[bj] 3 So[bk] Jesus asked[bl] the experts in religious law[bm] and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath[bn] or not?” 4 But they remained silent. So[bo] Jesus[bp] took hold of the man,[bq] healed him, and sent him away.[br] 5 Then[bs] he said to them, “Which of you, if you have a son[bt] or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” 6 But[bu] they could not reply[bv] to this.
Psalm 79[a]
A psalm of Asaph.
79 O God, foreigners[b] have invaded your chosen land;[c]
they have polluted your holy temple
and turned Jerusalem into a heap of ruins.
2 They have given the corpses of your servants
to the birds of the sky,[d]
the flesh of your loyal followers
to the beasts of the earth.
3 They have made their blood flow like water
all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury them.[e]
4 We have become an object of disdain to our neighbors;
those who live on our borders taunt and insult us.[f]
5 How long will this go on, O Lord?[g]
Will you stay angry forever?
How long will your rage[h] burn like fire?
6 Pour out your anger on the nations that do not acknowledge you,[i]
on the kingdoms that do not pray to you.[j]
7 For they have devoured Jacob
and destroyed his home.
8 Do not hold us accountable for the sins of earlier generations.[k]
Quickly send your compassion our way,[l]
for we are in serious trouble.[m]
9 Help us, O God, our deliverer!
For the sake of your glorious reputation,[n] rescue us.
Forgive our sins for the sake of your reputation.[o]
10 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
Before our very eyes may the shed blood of your servants
be avenged among the nations.[p]
11 Listen to the painful cries of the prisoners.[q]
Use your great strength to set free those condemned to die.[r]
12 Pay back our neighbors in full.[s]
May they be insulted the same way they insulted you, O Lord.[t]
13 Then we, your people, the sheep of your pasture,
will continually thank you.[u]
We will tell coming generations of your praiseworthy acts.[v]
26 The righteous person is cautious in his friendship,[a]
but the way of the wicked leads them astray.
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