Day 96 of 730

¹It happened, when all the nation had completely passed over the Jordan, that the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying,

²"Take twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,

³and command them, saying, 'Take from out of the middle of the Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and carry them over with you, and lay them down in the lodging place, where you will lodge tonight.'"

⁴Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man.

⁵Joshua said to them, "Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you pick up a stone and put it on your shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel;

⁶that this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask in time to come, saying, 'What do you mean by these stones?'

⁷then you shall tell them, 'Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.'"

⁸The children of Israel did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the middle of the Jordan, as the Lord spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel; and they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.

⁹Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day.

¹⁰For the priests who bore the ark stood in the middle of the Jordan, until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and passed over.

¹¹It happened, when all the people had completely passed over, that the ark of the Lord passed over, with the priests, in the presence of the people.

¹²The children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spoke to them.

¹³About forty thousand men, ready and armed for war passed over before the Lord to battle, to the plains of Jericho.

¹⁴On that day, the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.

¹⁵The Lord spoke to Joshua, saying,

¹⁶"Command the priests who bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of the Jordan."

¹⁷Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, "Come up out of the Jordan!"

¹⁸It happened, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord had come up out of the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up to the dry ground, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place, and went over all its banks, as before.

¹⁹The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, on the east border of Jericho.

²⁰Joshua set up those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, in Gilgal.

²¹He spoke to the children of Israel, saying, "When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What do these stones mean?'

²²Then you shall let your children know, saying, 'Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.

²³For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan from before you, until you had passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up from before us, until we had passed over;

²⁴that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty; that you may fear the Lord your God forever.'"

¹It happened, when all the kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, who were by the sea, heard how that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we had passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel.

²At that time, the Lord said to Joshua, "Make flint knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time."

³Joshua made himself flint knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the Hill of the Foreskins.

⁴This is the reason Joshua circumcised: all the people who came out of Egypt, who were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt.

⁵For all the people who came out were circumcised; but all the people who were born in the wilderness by the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised.

⁶For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, even the men of war who came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they did not listen to the voice of the Lord. The Lord swore to them that he wouldn't let them see the land which the Lord swore to their fathers that he would give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.

⁷Their children, whom he raised up in their place, were circumcised by Joshua; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them on the way.

⁸It happened, when they were done circumcising all the nation, that they stayed in their places in the camp until they were healed.

⁹The Lord said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you." Therefore the name of that place was called Gilgal, to this day.

¹⁰The children of Israel encamped in Gilgal. They kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at evening in the plains of Jericho.

¹¹They ate unleavened cakes and parched grain of the produce of the land on the next day after the Passover, in the same day.

¹²The manna ceased on the next day, after they had eaten of the produce of the land. The children of Israel did not have manna any more; but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

¹³It happened, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man stood in front of him with his sword drawn in his hand. Joshua went to him, and said to him, "Are you for us, or for our adversaries?"

¹⁴He said, "No; but I have come now as captain of the Lord's host." Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and worshipped, and said to him, "What does my lord say to his servant?"

¹⁵The captain of the Lord's host said to Joshua, "Take your shoes off of your feet; for the place on which you stand is holy." Joshua did so.

¹Sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth.

²Sing to the Lord! Bless his name! Proclaim his salvation from day to day!

³Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples.

⁴For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised! He is to be feared above all gods.

⁵For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.

⁶Honor and majesty are before him. Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

⁷Ascribe to the Lord, you families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

⁸Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to his name. Bring an offering, and come into his courts.

⁹Worship the Lord in holy array. Tremble before him, all the earth.

¹⁰Say among the nations, "The Lord reigns." The world is also established. It can't be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity.

¹¹Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice. Let the sea roar, and its fullness!

¹²Let the field and all that is in it exult! Then all the trees of the woods shall sing for joy

¹³before the Lord; for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, the peoples with his truth.

¹My son, do not forget my teaching; but let your heart keep my commandments:

²for length of days, and years of life, and peace, will they add to you.

³Do not let kindness and truth forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart.

⁴So you will find favor, and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

⁶In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

⁷Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord, and depart from evil.

⁸It will be health to your body, and nourishment to your bones.

⁹Honor the Lord with your substance, with the first fruits of all your increase:

¹⁰so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.

¹¹My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline, neither be weary of his reproof:

¹²for whom the Lord loves, he reproves; even as a father reproves the son in whom he delights.

¹³Happy is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gets understanding.

¹⁴For her good profit is better than getting silver, and her return is better than fine gold.

¹⁵She is more precious than rubies. None of the things you can desire are to be compared to her.

¹⁶Length of days is in her right hand. In her left hand are riches and honor.

¹⁷Her ways are ways of pleasantness. All her paths are peace.

¹⁸She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her. Happy is everyone who retains her.

¹⁹By wisdom the Lord founded the earth. By understanding, he established the heavens.

²⁰By his knowledge, the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew.

²¹My son, let them not depart from your eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion:

²²so they will be life to your soul, and grace for your neck.

²³Then you shall walk in your way securely. Your foot won't stumble.

²⁴When you lie down, you will not be afraid. Yes, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet.

²⁵Do not be afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it comes:

²⁶for the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being taken.

²⁷Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it.

²⁸Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come again; tomorrow I will give it to you," when you have it by you.

²⁹Do not devise evil against your neighbor, seeing he dwells securely by you.

³⁰Do not strive with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm.

³¹Do not envy the man of violence. Choose none of his ways.

³²For the perverse is an abomination to the Lord, but his friendship is with the upright.

³³The Lord's curse is in the house of the wicked, but he blesses the habitation of the righteous.

³⁴Surely he is scornful to scoffers, but he gives grace to the humble.

³⁵The wise will inherit glory, but shame will be the promotion of fools.