Daily Reading

Joshua 20:1-24:33

20:1 The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying,
20:2 Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for
you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of
Moses:

20:3 That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and
unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge
from the avenger of blood.

20:4 And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall
stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall
declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they
shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place,
that he may dwell among them.

20:5 And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they
shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote
his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime.

20:6 And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the
congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high
priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer
return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house,
unto the city from whence he fled.

20:7 And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and
Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron,
in the mountain of Judah.

20:8 And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they
assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the
tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad,
and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.

20:9 These were the cities appointed for all the children of
Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that
whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither,
and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood
before the congregation.

21:1 Then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites unto Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua the son of Nun, and unto the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel;
21:2 And they spake unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan,
saying, The LORD commanded by the hand of Moses to give us
cities to dwell in, with the suburbs thereof for our cattle.

21:3 And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of
their inheritance, at the commandment of the LORD, these cities
and their suburbs.

21:4 And the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites:
and the children of Aaron the priest, which were of the
Levites, had by lot out of the tribe of Judah, and out of the
tribe of Simeon, and out of the tribe of Benjamin, thirteen
cities.

21:5 And the rest of the children of Kohath had by lot out of
the families of the tribe of Ephraim, and out of the tribe of
Dan, and out of the half tribe of Manasseh, ten cities.

21:6 And the children of Gershon had by lot out of the
families of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of
Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the half
tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities.

21:7 The children of Merari by their families had out of the
tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the
tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities.

21:8 And the children of Israel gave by lot unto the Levites
these cities with their suburbs, as the LORD commanded by the
hand of Moses.

21:9 And they gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah,
and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these cities
which are here mentioned by name,

21:10 Which the children of Aaron, being of the families of
the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi, had: for
theirs was the first lot.

21:11 And they gave them the city of Arba the father of Anak,
which city is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with
the suburbs thereof round about it.

21:12 But the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, gave
they to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession.

21:13 Thus they gave to the children of Aaron the priest Hebron
with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and
Libnah with her suburbs,

21:14 And Jattir with her suburbs, and Eshtemoa with her
suburbs,

21:15 And Holon with her suburbs, and Debir with her suburbs,

21:16 And Ain with her suburbs, and Juttah with her suburbs,
and Bethshemesh with her suburbs; nine cities out of those
two tribes.

21:17 And out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with her suburbs,
Geba with her suburbs,

21:18 Anathoth with her suburbs, and Almon with her suburbs;
four cities.

21:19 All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests,
were thirteen cities with their suburbs.

21:20 And the families of the children of Kohath, the Levites
which remained of the children of Kohath, even they had the
cities of their lot out of the tribe of Ephraim.

21:21 For they gave them Shechem with her suburbs in mount
Ephraim, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Gezer
with her suburbs,

21:22 And Kibzaim with her suburbs, and Bethhoron with her
suburbs; four cities.

21:23 And out of the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh with her suburbs,
Gibbethon with her suburbs,

21:24 Aijalon with her suburbs, Gathrimmon with her suburbs;
four cities.

21:25 And out of the half tribe of Manasseh, Tanach with her
suburbs, and Gathrimmon with her suburbs; two cities.

21:26 All the cities were ten with their suburbs for the
families of the children of Kohath that remained.

21:27 And unto the children of Gershon, of the families of the
Levites, out of the other half tribe of Manasseh they gave
Golan in Bashan with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for
the slayer; and Beeshterah with her suburbs; two cities.

21:28 And out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishon with her suburbs,
Dabareh with her suburbs,

21:29 Jarmuth with her suburbs, Engannim with her suburbs; four
cities.

21:30 And out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with her suburbs,
Abdon with her suburbs,

21:31 Helkath with her suburbs, and Rehob with her suburbs; four
cities.

21:32 And out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with
her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and
Hammothdor with her suburbs, and Kartan with her suburbs; three
cities.

21:33 All the cities of the Gershonites according to their
families were thirteen cities with their suburbs.

21:34 And unto the families of the children of Merari, the rest
of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with her
suburbs, and Kartah with her suburbs,

21:35 Dimnah with her suburbs, Nahalal with her suburbs; four
cities.

21:36 And out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with her suburbs,
and Jahazah with her suburbs,

21:37 Kedemoth with her suburbs, and Mephaath with her suburbs;
four cities.

21:38 And out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with her
suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Mahanaim
with her suburbs,

21:39 Heshbon with her suburbs, Jazer with her suburbs; four
cities in all.

21:40 So all the cities for the children of Merari by their
families, which were remaining of the families of the Levites,
were by their lot twelve cities.

21:41 All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the
children of Israel were forty and eight cities with their
suburbs.

21:42 These cities were every one with their suburbs round about
them: thus were all these cities.

21:43 And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he sware
to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt
therein.

21:44 And the LORD gave them rest round about, according to all
that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of
all their enemies before them; the LORD delivered all their
enemies into their hand.

21:45 There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD
had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.

22:1 Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh,
22:2 And said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses the servant
of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that
I commanded you:

22:3 Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this
day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD
your God.

22:4 And now the LORD your God hath given rest unto your
brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get
you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession,
which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side
Jordan.

22:5 But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law,
which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the
LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his
commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all
your heart and with all your soul.

22:6 So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away: and they went
unto their tents.

22:7 Now to the one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had
given possession in Bashan: but unto the other half thereof
gave Joshua among their brethren on this side Jordan westward.
And when Joshua sent them away also unto their tents, then he
blessed them,

22:8 And he spake unto them, saying, Return with much riches
unto your tents, and with very much cattle, with silver, and
with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with very much
raiment: divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren.

22:9 And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the
half tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children
of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to
go unto the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession,
whereof they were possessed, according to the word of the LORD
by the hand of Moses.

22:10 And when they came unto the borders of Jordan, that are
in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children
of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by
Jordan, a great altar to see to.

22:11 And the children of Israel heard say, Behold, the children
of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of
Manasseh have built an altar over against the land of Canaan,
in the borders of Jordan, at the passage of the children of
Israel.

22:12 And when the children of Israel heard of it, the whole
congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves
together at Shiloh, to go up to war against them.

22:13 And the children of Israel sent unto the children of
Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of
Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar
the priest,

22:14 And with him ten princes, of each chief house a prince
throughout all the tribes of Israel; and each one was an head
of the house of their fathers among the thousands of Israel.

22:15 And they came unto the children of Reuben, and to the
children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, unto the
land of Gilead, and they spake with them, saying,

22:16 Thus saith the whole congregation of the LORD, What
trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of
Israel, to turn away this day from following the LORD, in that
ye have builded you an altar, that ye might rebel this day
against the LORD?

22:17 Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we
are not cleansed until this day, although there was a plague in
the congregation of the LORD,

22:18 But that ye must turn away this day from following the
LORD? and it will be, seeing ye rebel to day against the
LORD, that to morrow he will be wroth with the whole
congregation of Israel.

22:19 Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be
unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of
the LORD, wherein the LORD'S tabernacle dwelleth, and take
possession among us: but rebel not against the LORD, nor rebel
against us, in building you an altar beside the altar of the
LORD our God.

22:20 Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the
accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of
Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity.

22:21 Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and
the half tribe of Manasseh answered, and said unto the heads of
the thousands of Israel,

22:22 The LORD God of gods, the LORD God of gods, he knoweth,
and Israel he shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in
transgression against the LORD, (save us not this day,)

22:23 That we have built us an altar to turn from following the
LORD, or if to offer thereon burnt offering or meat offering,
or if to offer peace offerings thereon, let the LORD himself
require it;

22:24 And if we have not rather done it for fear of this
thing, saying, In time to come your children might speak unto
our children, saying, What have ye to do with the LORD God of
Israel?

22:25 For the LORD hath made Jordan a border between us and you,
ye children of Reuben and children of Gad; ye have no part in
the LORD: so shall your children make our children cease from
fearing the LORD.

22:26 Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an
altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice:

22:27 But that it may be a witness between us, and you, and
our generations after us, that we might do the service of the
LORD before him with our burnt offerings, and with our
sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your children
may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in
the LORD.

22:28 Therefore said we, that it shall be, when they should so
say to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may
say again, Behold the pattern of the altar of the LORD, which
our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices;
but it is a witness between us and you.

22:29 God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD, and turn
this day from following the LORD, to build an altar for burnt
offerings, for meat offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the
altar of the LORD our God that is before his tabernacle.

22:30 And when Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the
congregation and heads of the thousands of Israel which were
with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben and the
children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spake, it pleased
them.

22:31 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the
children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the
children of Manasseh, This day we perceive that the LORD is
among us, because ye have not committed this trespass against
the LORD: now ye have delivered the children of Israel out of
the hand of the LORD.

22:32 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the
princes, returned from the children of Reuben, and from the
children of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, unto the land of
Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word again.

22:33 And the thing pleased the children of Israel; and the
children of Israel blessed God, and did not intend to go up
against them in battle, to destroy the land wherein the
children of Reuben and Gad dwelt.

22:34 And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called
the altar Ed: for it shall be a witness between us that the
LORD is God.

23:1 And it came to pass a long time after that the LORD had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old [and] stricken in age.
23:2 And Joshua called for all Israel, and for their elders,
and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their
officers, and said unto them, I am old and stricken in age:

23:3 And ye have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto
all these nations because of you; for the LORD your God is he
that hath fought for you.

23:4 Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that
remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with
all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the great sea
westward.

23:5 And the LORD your God, he shall expel them from before you,
and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess
their land, as the LORD your God hath promised unto you.

23:6 Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that
is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not
aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;

23:7 That ye come not among these nations, these that remain
among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor
cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow
yourselves unto them:

23:8 But cleave unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto
this day.

23:9 For the LORD hath driven out from before you great nations
and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand
before you unto this day.

23:10 One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your
God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you.

23:11 Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the
LORD your God.

23:12 Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the
remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you,
and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and
they to you:

23:13 Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more
drive out any of these nations from before you; but they
shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides,
and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good
land which the LORD your God hath given you.

23:14 And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the
earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls,
that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the
LORD your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto
you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.

23:15 Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all good things
are come upon you, which the LORD your God promised you; so
shall the LORD bring upon you all evil things, until he have
destroyed you from off this good land which the LORD your God
hath given you.

23:16 When ye have transgressed the covenant of the LORD your
God, which he commanded you, and have gone and served other
gods, and bowed yourselves to them; then shall the anger of the
LORD be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from
off the good land which he hath given unto you.

24:1 And 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; and they presented themselves before God.
24:2 And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD
God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the
flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the
father of Nachor: and they served other gods.

24:3 And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the
flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and
multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.

24:4 And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave unto Esau
mount Seir, to possess it; but Jacob and his children went down
into Egypt.

24:5 I sent Moses also and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according
to that which I did among them: and afterward I brought you
out.

24:6 And I brought your fathers out of Egypt: and ye came unto
the sea; and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with
chariots and horsemen unto the Red sea.

24:7 And when they cried unto the LORD, he put darkness between
you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and
covered them; and your eyes have seen what I have done in
Egypt: and ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season.

24:8 And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, which
dwelt on the other side Jordan; and they fought with you: and I
gave them into your hand, that ye might possess their land; and
I destroyed them from before you.

24:9 Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and
warred against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of
Beor to curse you:

24:10 But I would not hearken unto Balaam; therefore he blessed
you still: so I delivered you out of his hand.

24:11 And ye went over Jordan, and came unto Jericho: and the
men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorites, and the
Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the
Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I delivered
them into your hand.

24:12 And I sent the hornet before you, which drave them out
from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; but
not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.

24:13 And I have given you a land for which ye did not labour,
and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the
vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat.

24:14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity
and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served
on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the
LORD.

24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you
this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your
fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or
the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me
and my house, we will serve the LORD.

24:16 And the people answered and said, God forbid that we
should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;

24:17 For the LORD our God, he it is that brought us up and
our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of
bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and
preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the
people through whom we passed:

24:18 And the LORD drave out from before us all the people, even
the Amorites which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also
serve the LORD; for he is our God.

24:19 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD:
for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not
forgive your transgressions nor your sins.

24:20 If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he
will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath
done you good.

24:21 And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve
the LORD.

24:22 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses
against yourselves that ye have chosen you the LORD, to serve
him. And they said, We are witnesses.

24:23 Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which
are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of
Israel.

24:24 And the people said unto Joshua, The LORD our God will we
serve, and his voice will we obey.

24:25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and
set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.

24:26 And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of
God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak,
that was by the sanctuary of the LORD.

24:27 And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone
shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of
the LORD which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a
witness unto you, lest ye deny your God.

24:28 So Joshua let the people depart, every man unto his
inheritance.

24:29 And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the
son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred
and ten years old.

24:30 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in
Timnathserah, which is in mount Ephraim, on the north side of
the hill of Gaash.

24:31 And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all
the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had
known all the works of the LORD, that he had done for Israel.

24:32 And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel
brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of
ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of
Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the
inheritance of the children of Joseph.

24:33 And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him in
a hill that pertained to Phinehas his son, which was given
him in mount Ephraim.


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