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21 The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered the leaders[a] of the Israelite clans: 22 “El, God, the Lord![b] El, God, the Lord! He knows the truth![c] Israel must also know! If we have rebelled or disobeyed the Lord,[d] don’t spare us[e] today! 23 If we have built[f] an altar for ourselves to turn back from following the Lord by making[g] burnt sacrifices and grain offerings on it, or by offering[h] tokens of peace[i] on it, the Lord himself will punish us.[j] 24 We swear we have done this because we were worried that[k] in the future your descendants would say to our descendants, ‘What relationship do you have with the Lord God of Israel?[l] 25 The Lord made the Jordan a boundary between us and you Reubenites and Gadites. You have no right to worship the Lord.’[m] In this way your descendants might cause our descendants to stop obeying[n] the Lord. 26 So we decided to build this altar, not for burnt offerings and sacrifices, 27 but as a reminder to us and you[o] and our descendants who follow us, that we will honor the Lord in his very presence[p] with burnt offerings, sacrifices, and tokens of peace.[q] Then in the future your descendants will not be able to say to our descendants, ‘You have no right to worship the Lord.’[r] 28 We said, ‘If in the future they say such a thing[s] to us or to our descendants, we will reply, “See the model of the Lord’s altar that our ancestors[t] made, not for burnt offerings or sacrifices, but as a reminder to us and you.”’[u] 29 Far be it from us to rebel against the Lord by turning back today from following after the Lord by building an altar for burnt offerings, sacrifices, and tokens of peace[v] aside from the altar of the Lord our God located in front of his dwelling place!”[w]
30 When Phinehas the priest and the community leaders and Israel’s clan leaders who accompanied him heard the defense of the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the Manassehites,[x] they were satisfied.[y] 31 Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, said to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the Manassehites,[z] “Today we know that the Lord is among us, because you have not disobeyed the Lord in this.[aa] Now[ab] you have rescued the Israelites from the Lord’s judgment.”[ac]
32 Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, and the leaders left the Reubenites and Gadites in the land of Gilead and reported back to the Israelites in the land of Canaan.[ad] 33 The Israelites were satisfied with their report and gave thanks to God.[ae] They said nothing more about launching an attack to destroy the land in which the Reubenites and Gadites lived.[af] 34 The Reubenites and Gadites named the altar, “Surely it is a Reminder to us[ag] that the Lord is God.”
Joshua Challenges Israel to be Faithful
23 A long time[ah] passed after the Lord made Israel secure from all their enemies,[ai] and Joshua was very old.[aj] 2 So Joshua summoned all Israel, including the elders, rulers, judges, and leaders, and told them: “I am very old. 3 You saw everything the Lord your God did to all these nations on your behalf, for the Lord your God fights for you.[ak] 4 See, I have parceled out to your tribes these remaining nations,[al] from the Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea[am] in the west, including all the nations I defeated.[an] 5 The Lord your God will drive them out from before you and remove them,[ao] so you can occupy[ap] their land as the Lord your God promised[aq] you. 6 Be very strong! Carefully obey[ar] all that is written in the law scroll of Moses so you won’t swerve from it to the right or the left, 7 or associate with these nations that remain near[as] you. You must not invoke or make solemn declarations by the names of their gods![at] You must not worship[au] or bow down to them! 8 But you must be loyal to[av] the Lord your God, as you have been[aw] to this very day.
9 “The Lord drove out from before you great and mighty nations; no one has been able to resist you[ax] to this very day. 10 One of you makes a thousand run away,[ay] for the Lord your God fights for you,[az] as he promised you he would.[ba] 11 Watch yourselves carefully! Love the Lord your God![bb] 12 But if you ever turn away and make alliances with[bc] these nations that remain near you,[bd] and intermarry with them and establish friendly relations with them,[be] 13 know for certain that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations from before you. They will trap and ensnare you;[bf] they will be a whip that tears[bg] your sides and thorns that blind[bh] your eyes until you disappear[bi] from this good land the Lord your God gave you.
14 “Look, today I am about to die.[bj] You know with all your heart and being[bk] that not even one of all the faithful promises the Lord your God made to you is left unfulfilled; every one was realized—not one promise is unfulfilled![bl] 15 But in the same way every faithful promise the Lord your God made to you has been realized,[bm] it is just as certain that if you disobey, then the Lord will bring on you every judgment[bn] until he destroys you from this good land that the Lord your God gave you. 16 If you violate the covenantal laws of the Lord your God which he commanded you to keep,[bo] and follow, worship, and bow down to other gods,[bp] then the Lord will be very angry with you and you will disappear[bq] quickly from the good land that he gave to you.”
Marriage and the Resurrection
27 Now some Sadducees[a] (who contend that there is no resurrection)[b] came to him. 28 They asked him,[c] “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies leaving a wife but no children, that man[d] must marry[e] the widow and father children[f] for his brother.[g] 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman[h] and died without children. 30 The second[i] 31 and then the third married her, and in this same way all seven died, leaving no children. 32 Finally the woman died too. 33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be?[j] For all seven had married her.”[k]
34 So[l] Jesus said to them, “The people of this age[m] marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are regarded as worthy to share in[n] that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage.[o] 36 In fact, they can no longer die, because they are equal to angels[p] and are sons of God, since they are[q] sons[r] of the resurrection. 37 But even Moses revealed that the dead are raised[s] in the passage about the bush,[t] where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.[u] 38 Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living,[v] for all live before him.”[w] 39 Then[x] some of the experts in the law[y] answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well!”[z] 40 For they did not dare any longer to ask[aa] him anything.
The Messiah: David’s Son and Lord
41 But[ab] he said to them, “How is it that they say that the Christ[ac] is David’s son?[ad] 42 For David himself says in the book of Psalms,
‘The Lord said to my[ae] lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
43 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’[af]
44 If David then calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?”[ag]
Jesus Warns the Disciples against Pride
45 As[ah] all the people were listening, Jesus[ai] said to his disciples, 46 “Beware[aj] of the experts in the law.[ak] They[al] like walking around in long robes, and they love elaborate greetings[am] in the marketplaces[an] and the best seats[ao] in the synagogues[ap] and the places of honor at banquets. 47 They[aq] devour[ar] widows’ property,[as] and as a show make long prayers. They will receive a more severe punishment.”
14 Equity and justice are the foundation of your throne.[a]
Loyal love and faithfulness characterize your rule.[b]
15 How blessed are the people who worship you![c]
O Lord, they experience your favor.[d]
16 They rejoice in your name all day long,
and are vindicated[e] by your justice.
17 For you give them splendor and strength.[f]
By your favor we are victorious.[g]
18 For our shield[h] belongs to the Lord,
our king to the Holy One of Israel.[i]
19 Then you[j] spoke through a vision to your faithful followers[k] and said:
“I have placed a young hero[l] over a warrior;
I have raised up a young man[m] from the people.
20 I have discovered David, my servant.
With my holy oil I have anointed him as king.[n]
21 My hand will support him,[o]
and my arm will strengthen him.
22 No enemy will be able to exact tribute[p] from him;[q]
a violent oppressor will not be able to humiliate him.[r]
23 I will crush his enemies before him;
I will strike down those who hate him.
24 He will experience my faithfulness and loyal love,[s]
and by my name he will win victories.[t]
25 I will place his hand over the sea,
his right hand over the rivers.[u]
26 He will call out to me,
‘You are my father,[v] my God, and the protector who delivers me.’[w]
27 I will appoint him to be my firstborn son,[x]
the most exalted of the earth’s kings.
28 I will always extend my loyal love to him,
and my covenant with him is secure.[y]
29 I will give him an eternal dynasty,[z]
and make his throne as enduring as the skies above.[aa]
30 If his sons reject my law
and disobey my regulations,
31 if they break[ab] my rules
and do not keep my commandments,
32 I will punish their rebellion by beating them with a club,[ac]
their sin by inflicting them with bruises.[ad]
33 But I will not remove[ae] my loyal love from him,
nor be unfaithful to my promise.[af]
34 I will not break[ag] my covenant
or go back on what I promised.[ah]
35 Once and for all I have vowed by my own holiness,
I will never deceive[ai] David.
36 His dynasty will last forever.[aj]
His throne will endure before me, like the sun;[ak]
37 it will remain stable, like the moon.[al]
His throne will endure like the skies.”[am] (Selah)
17 An unreliable[a] messenger falls[b] into trouble,[c]
but a faithful envoy[d] brings[e] healing.
18 The one who neglects[f] discipline ends up in[g] poverty and shame,
but the one who accepts reproof is honored.[h]
19 A desire fulfilled will be sweet[i] to the soul,
but fools abhor[j] turning away from evil.[k]
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