Getting Dating Right

The Bible for Young Explorers: Mark

Priorities of the Kingdom

5 Prayers to Stop Thinking Negatively About Your Spouse

Stress Less: 9 Practices That Build Resilience God's Way

7-Day Devotional: Torn Between Two Worlds – Embracing God’s Gifts Amid Unmet Longings

Learning About Love With St. Valentine

Worship Him

Fuel the Fire Pt 2

Ready as You Are

The Listener’s Bible®: NIV Edition

New International Version™  (Anglicised), Audio Edition

Holy Bible, New International Version™ (Anglicised), South Asian Audio Edition

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkJOS">
 <div class="chapter ch1" data-usfm="JOS.1">
 <div class="label">1</div><div class="s1">Joshua Installed as Leader</div><div class="p"> 1After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses&#8217; aide: 2&#8220;Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them&#8212;to the Israelites. 3I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates&#8212;all the Hittite country&#8212;to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. 5No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.</div><div class="p"> 7&#8220;Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 10So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: 11&#8220;Go through the camp and tell the people, &#8216;Get your provisions ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 12But to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, 13&#8220;Remember the command that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you after he said, &#8216;The Lord your God will give you rest by giving you this land.&#8217; 14Your wives, your children and your livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men, ready for battle, must cross over ahead of your fellow Israelites. You are to help them 15until the Lord gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land the Lord your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 16Then they answered Joshua, &#8220;Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. 18Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey it, whatever you may command them, will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!&#8221;</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkJOS">
 <div class="chapter ch4" data-usfm="JOS.4">
 <div class="label">4</div><div class="p"> 1When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 2&#8220;Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, 3and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 4So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, 5and said to them, &#8220;Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 6to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, &#8216;What do these stones mean?&#8217; 7tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off 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 to the people of Israel forever.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 8So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord had told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down. 9Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been#4:9 Or Joshua also set up twelve stones 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.</div><div class="p"> 10Now 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, 11and 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. 12The men of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over, ready for battle, in front of the Israelites, as Moses had directed them. 13About forty thousand armed for battle crossed over before the Lord to the plains of Jericho for war.</div><div class="p"> 14That day the Lord exalted 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.</div><div class="p"> 15Then the Lord said to Joshua, 16&#8220;Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant law to come up out of the Jordan.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 17So Joshua commanded the priests, &#8220;Come up out of the Jordan.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 18And 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 and ran at flood stage as before.</div><div class="p"> 19On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. 20And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. 21He said to the Israelites, &#8220;In the future when your descendants ask their parents, &#8216;What do these stones mean?&#8217; 22tell them, &#8216;Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.&#8217; 23For 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#4:23 Or the Sea of Reeds when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. 24He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.&#8221;</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkJOS">
 <div class="chapter ch6" data-usfm="JOS.6">
 <div class="label">6</div><div class="p"> 1Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.</div><div class="p"> 2Then the Lord said to Joshua, &#8220;See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. 3March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. 4Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams&#8217; horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. 5When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 6So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, &#8220;Take up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it.&#8221; 7And he ordered the army, &#8220;Advance! March around the city, with an armed guard going ahead of the ark of the Lord.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 8When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the Lord went forward, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the Lord&#8217;s covenant followed them. 9The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard followed the ark. All this time the trumpets were sounding. 10But Joshua had commanded the army, &#8220;Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!&#8221; 11So he had the ark of the Lord carried around the city, circling it once. Then the army returned to camp and spent the night there.</div><div class="p"> 12Joshua got up early the next morning and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. 13The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark of the Lord and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets kept sounding. 14So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.</div><div class="p"> 15On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times. 16The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, &#8220;Shout! For the Lord has given you the city! 17The city and all that is in it are to be devoted#6:17 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verses 18 and 21. to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent. 18But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. 19All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 20When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city. 21They devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it&#8212;men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.</div><div class="p"> 22Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, &#8220;Go into the prostitute&#8217;s house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her.&#8221; 23So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother, her brothers and sisters and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.</div><div class="p"> 24Then they burned the whole city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the Lord&#8217;s house. 25But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho&#8212;and she lives among the Israelites to this day.</div><div class="p"> 26At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath: &#8220;Cursed before the Lord is the one who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho:</div><div class="q1">&#8220;At the cost of his firstborn son</div><div class="q2">he will lay its foundations;</div><div class="q1">at the cost of his youngest</div><div class="q2">he will set up its gates.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 27So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkJOS">
 <div class="chapter ch11" data-usfm="JOS.11">
 <div class="label">11</div><div class="s1">Northern Kings Defeated</div><div class="p"> 1When Jabin king of Hazor heard of this, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon, to the kings of Shimron and Akshaph, 2and to the northern kings who were in the mountains, in the Arabah south of Kinnereth, in the western foothills and in Naphoth Dor on the west; 3to the Canaanites in the east and west; to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites and Jebusites in the hill country; and to the Hivites below Hermon in the region of Mizpah. 4They came out with all their troops and a large number of horses and chariots&#8212;a huge army, as numerous as the sand on the seashore. 5All these kings joined forces and made camp together at the Waters of Merom to fight against Israel.</div><div class="p"> 6The Lord said to Joshua, &#8220;Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them, slain, over to Israel. You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 7So Joshua and his whole army came against them suddenly at the Waters of Merom and attacked them, 8and the Lord gave them into the hand of Israel. They defeated them and pursued them all the way to Greater Sidon, to Misrephoth Maim, and to the Valley of Mizpah on the east, until no survivors were left. 9Joshua did to them as the Lord had directed: He hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots.</div><div class="p"> 10At that time Joshua turned back and captured Hazor and put its king to the sword. (Hazor had been the head of all these kingdoms.) 11Everyone in it they put to the sword. They totally destroyed#11:11 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verses 12, 20 and 21. them, not sparing anyone that breathed, and he burned Hazor itself.</div><div class="p"> 12Joshua took all these royal cities and their kings and put them to the sword. He totally destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded. 13Yet Israel did not burn any of the cities built on their mounds&#8212;except Hazor, which Joshua burned. 14The Israelites carried off for themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities, but all the people they put to the sword until they completely destroyed them, not sparing anyone that breathed. 15As the Lord commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses.</div><div class="p"> 16So Joshua took this entire land: the hill country, all the Negev, the whole region of Goshen, the western foothills, the Arabah and the mountains of Israel with their foothills, 17from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, to Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings and put them to death. 18Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time. 19Except for the Hivites living in Gibeon, not one city made a treaty of peace with the Israelites, who took them all in battle. 20For it was the Lord himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the Lord had commanded Moses.</div><div class="p"> 21At that time Joshua went and destroyed the Anakites from the hill country: from Hebron, Debir and Anab, from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua totally destroyed them and their towns. 22No Anakites were left in Israelite territory; only in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod did any survive.</div><div class="p"> 23So Joshua took the entire land, just as the Lord had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkJOS">
 <div class="chapter ch13" data-usfm="JOS.13">
 <div class="label">13</div><div class="s1">Land Still to Be Taken</div><div class="p"> 1When Joshua had grown old, the Lord said to him, &#8220;You are now very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="mi"> 2&#8220;This is the land that remains: All the regions of the Philistines and Geshurites, 3from the Shihor River on the east of Egypt to the territory of Ekron on the north, all of it counted as Canaanite though held by the five Philistine rulers in Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron; the territory of the Avvites 4on the south; all the land of the Canaanites, from Arah of the Sidonians as far as Aphek and the border of the Amorites; 5the area of Byblos; and all Lebanon to the east, from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo Hamath.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="p"> 6&#8220;As for all the inhabitants of the mountain regions from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim, that is, all the Sidonians, I myself will drive them out before the Israelites. Be sure to allocate this land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have instructed you, 7and divide it as an inheritance among the nine tribes and half of the tribe of Manasseh.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Division of the Land East of the Jordan</div><div class="m"> 8The other half of Manasseh,#13:8 Hebrew With it (that is, with the other half of Manasseh) 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 it to them.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="mi"> 9It extended from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, and from the town in the middle of the gorge, and included the whole plateau of Medeba as far as Dibon, 10and all the towns of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, out to the border of the Ammonites. 11It also included Gilead, the territory of the people of Geshur and Maakah, all of Mount Hermon and all Bashan as far as Salekah&#8212; 12that is, the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan, who had reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei. (He was the last of the Rephaites.) Moses had defeated them and taken over their land. 13But the Israelites did not drive out the people of Geshur and Maakah, so they continue to live among the Israelites to this day.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="p"> 14But 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.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="m"> 15This is what Moses had given to the tribe of Reuben, according to its clans:</div><div class="b"></div><div class="mi"> 16The territory from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, and from the town in the middle of the gorge, and the whole plateau past Medeba 17to Heshbon and all its towns on the plateau, including Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon, 18Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, 19Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar on the hill in the valley, 20Beth Peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth&#8212; 21all the towns on the plateau and the entire realm of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled at Heshbon. Moses had defeated him and the Midianite chiefs, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba&#8212;princes allied with Sihon&#8212;who lived in that country. 22In addition to those slain in battle, the Israelites had put to the sword Balaam son of Beor, who practiced divination. 23The 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.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="m"> 24This is what Moses had given to the tribe of Gad, according to its clans:</div><div class="b"></div><div class="mi"> 25The territory of Jazer, all the towns of Gilead and half the Ammonite country as far as Aroer, near Rabbah; 26and from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the territory of Debir; 27and in the valley, Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Sukkoth and Zaphon 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#13:27 Hebrew Kinnereth). 28These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the Gadites, according to their clans.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="m"> 29This 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:</div><div class="b"></div><div class="mi"> 30The territory extending from Mahanaim and including all of Bashan, the entire realm of Og king of Bashan&#8212;all the settlements of Jair in Bashan, sixty towns, 31half of Gilead, and Ashtaroth and Edrei (the royal cities of Og in Bashan). This was for the descendants of Makir son of Manasseh&#8212;for half of the sons of Makir, according to their clans.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="p"> 32This is the inheritance Moses had given when he was in the plains of Moab across the Jordan east of Jericho. 33But to the tribe of Levi, Moses had given no inheritance; the Lord, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as he promised them.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkJOS">
 <div class="chapter ch14" data-usfm="JOS.14">
 <div class="label">14</div><div class="s1">Division of the Land West of the Jordan</div><div class="p"> 1Now these are the areas the Israelites received as an inheritance in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the tribal clans of Israel allotted to them. 2Their inheritances were assigned by lot to the nine-and-a-half tribes, as the Lord had commanded through Moses. 3Moses had granted the two-and-a-half tribes their inheritance east of the Jordan but had not granted the Levites an inheritance among the rest, 4for Joseph&#8217;s descendants had become two tribes&#8212;Manasseh and Ephraim. The Levites received no share of the land but only towns to live in, with pasturelands for their flocks and herds. 5So the Israelites divided the land, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.</div><div class="s1">Allotment for Caleb</div><div class="p"> 6Now the people of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, &#8220;You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. 7I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, 8but my fellow Israelites who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt in fear. I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly. 9So on that day Moses swore to me, &#8216;The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.&#8217;#14:9 Deut. 1:36</div><div class="p"> 10&#8220;Now then, just as the Lord promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! 11I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I&#8217;m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. 12Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 13Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance. 14So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the Lord, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly. 15(Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba after Arba, who was the greatest man among the Anakites.)</div><div class="p">Then the land had rest from war.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkJOS">
 <div class="chapter ch22" data-usfm="JOS.22">
 <div class="label">22</div><div class="s1">Eastern Tribes Return Home</div><div class="p"> 1Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh 2and said to them, &#8220;You have done all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded, and you have obeyed me in everything I commanded. 3For a long time now&#8212;to this very day&#8212;you have not deserted your fellow Israelites but have carried out the mission the Lord your God gave you. 4Now that the Lord your God has given them rest as he promised, return to your homes in the land that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan. 5But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 6Then Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their homes. 7(To the half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given land in Bashan, and to the other half of the tribe Joshua gave land on the west side of the Jordan along with their fellow Israelites.) When Joshua sent them home, he blessed them, 8saying, &#8220;Return to your homes with your great wealth&#8212;with large herds of livestock, with silver, gold, bronze and iron, and a great quantity of clothing&#8212;and divide the plunder from your enemies with your fellow Israelites.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 9So the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh in Canaan to return to Gilead, their own land, which they had acquired in accordance with the command of the Lord through Moses.</div><div class="p"> 10When they came to Geliloth near the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an imposing altar there by the Jordan. 11And when the Israelites heard that they had built the altar on the border of Canaan at Geliloth near the Jordan on the Israelite side, 12the whole assembly of Israel gathered at Shiloh to go to war against them.</div><div class="p"> 13So the Israelites sent Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, to the land of Gilead&#8212;to Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh. 14With him they sent ten of the chief men, one from each of the tribes of Israel, each the head of a family division among the Israelite clans.</div><div class="p"> 15When they went to Gilead&#8212;to Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh&#8212;they said to them: 16&#8220;The whole assembly of the Lord says: &#8216;How could you break faith with the God of Israel like this? How could you turn away from the Lord and build yourselves an altar in rebellion against him now? 17Was not the sin of Peor enough for us? Up to this very day we have not cleansed ourselves from that sin, even though a plague fell on the community of the Lord! 18And are you now turning away from the Lord?</div><div class="p">&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;If you rebel against the Lord today, tomorrow he will be angry with the whole community of Israel. 19If the land you possess is defiled, come over to the Lord&#8217;s land, where the Lord&#8217;s tabernacle stands, and share the land with us. But do not rebel against the Lord or against us by building an altar for yourselves, other than the altar of the Lord our God. 20When Achan son of Zerah was unfaithful in regard to the devoted things,#22:20 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them. did not wrath come on the whole community of Israel? He was not the only one who died for his sin.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 21Then Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh replied to the heads of the clans of Israel: 22&#8220;The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows! And let Israel know! If this has been in rebellion or disobedience to the Lord, do not spare us this day. 23If we have built our own altar to turn away from the Lord and to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, or to sacrifice fellowship offerings on it, may the Lord himself call us to account.</div><div class="p"> 24&#8220;No! We did it for fear that some day your descendants might say to ours, &#8216;What do you have to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? 25The Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you&#8212;you Reubenites and Gadites! You have no share in the Lord.&#8217; So your descendants might cause ours to stop fearing the Lord.</div><div class="p"> 26&#8220;That is why we said, &#8216;Let us get ready and build an altar&#8212;but not for burnt offerings or sacrifices.&#8217; 27On the contrary, it is to be a witness between us and you and the generations that follow, that we will worship the Lord at his sanctuary with our burnt offerings, sacrifices and fellowship offerings. Then in the future your descendants will not be able to say to ours, &#8216;You have no share in the Lord.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 28&#8220;And we said, &#8216;If they ever say this to us, or to our descendants, we will answer: Look at the replica of the Lord&#8217;s altar, which our ancestors built, not for burnt offerings and sacrifices, but as a witness between us and you.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 29&#8220;Far be it from us to rebel against the Lord and turn away from him today by building an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings and sacrifices, other than the altar of the Lord our God that stands before his tabernacle.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 30When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the community&#8212;the heads of the clans of the Israelites&#8212;heard what Reuben, Gad and Manasseh had to say, they were pleased. 31And Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, said to Reuben, Gad and Manasseh, &#8220;Today we know that the Lord is with us, because you have not been unfaithful to the Lord in this matter. Now you have rescued the Israelites from the Lord&#8217;s hand.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 32Then Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, and the leaders returned to Canaan from their meeting with the Reubenites and Gadites in Gilead and reported to the Israelites. 33They were glad to hear the report and praised God. And they talked no more about going to war against them to devastate the country where the Reubenites and the Gadites lived.</div><div class="p"> 34And the Reubenites and the Gadites gave the altar this name: A Witness Between Us&#8212;that the Lord is God.</div>
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