Daily Text and Bible Reading: Saturday, March 8 [Press play below]

1.1 After the death of Moses the servant of Jehovah, Jehovah said to Joshua the son of Nun, the minister of Moses:
1.2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now get up, cross the Jordan, you and all this people, and go into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel.
1.3 I will give you every place on which you set your foot, just as I promised Moses.
1.4 Your territory will extend from the wilderness up to Lebanon and to the great river, the Euphrates—all the land of the Hittites—and to the Great Sea on the west.
1.5 No one will be able to take a stand against you as long as you live. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will neither desert you nor abandon you.
1.6 Be courageous and strong, for you are the one who will cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their forefathers I would give to them.
1.7 “Only be courageous and very strong, and observe carefully the entire Law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not deviate from it either to the right or to the left, so that you may act wisely wherever you go.
1.8 This book of the Law should not depart from your mouth, and you must read it in an undertone day and night, in order to observe carefully all that is written in it; for then your way will be successful and then you will act wisely.
1.9 Have I not commanded you? Be courageous and strong. Do not be struck with terror or fear, for Jehovah your God is with you wherever you go.”
1.10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people:
1.11 “Pass throughout the camp and give this command to the people, ‘Get provisions ready, because in three days you will cross the Jordan to go in and take possession of the land that Jehovah your God is giving you to possess.’”
1.12 And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said:
1.13 “Remember what Moses the servant of Jehovah commanded you: ‘Jehovah your God is giving you rest and has given you this land.
1.14 Your wives, your children, and your livestock will dwell in the land that Moses has given you on this side of the Jordan, but all you mighty warriors should cross over in battle formation ahead of your brothers. You must help them
1.15 until Jehovah gives your brothers rest, just as he has given you, and they also take possession of the land that Jehovah your God is giving them. Then return to the land you were given to occupy and take possession of it, the land that Moses the servant of Jehovah gave you on the east side of the Jordan.’”
1.16 They answered Joshua: “We will do all that you have commanded, and we will go wherever you send us.
1.17 Just as we listened to everything Moses said, so we will listen to you. Only may Jehovah your God be with you just as he was with Moses.
1.18 Any man who rebels against your order and does not obey every command you give him will be put to death. Only be courageous and strong.”
2.1 Then Joshua the son of Nun secretly sent two men out from Shittim as spies. He told them: “Go and inspect the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab, and they stayed there.
2.2 The king of Jericho was told: “Look! Israelite men have come in here tonight to spy out the land.”
2.3 At that the king of Jericho sent word to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came and are staying in your house, for they have come to spy out the entire land.”
2.4 But the woman took the two men and hid them. Then she said: “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from.
2.5 And at dark when the city gate was about to be closed, the men went out. I do not know where the men went, but if you quickly chase after them, you will catch up with them.”
2.6 (However, she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them among stalks of flax laid in rows on the roof.)
2.7 So the men chased after them in the direction of the Jordan at the fords, and the city gate was shut once the pursuers had gone out.
2.8 Before the men lay down to sleep, she came up to them on the roof.
2.9 She said to the men: “I do know that Jehovah will give you the land and that the fear of you has fallen upon us. All the inhabitants of the land are disheartened because of you,
2.10 for we heard how Jehovah dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you left Egypt and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites, Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction on the other side of the Jordan.
2.11 When we heard about it, we lost heart, and no one has any courage because of you, for Jehovah your God is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.
2.12 Now, please, swear to me by Jehovah that, because I showed loyal love to you, you will also show loyal love to my father’s household; and you must give me a sign of good faith.
2.13 You must spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and you must save us from death.”
2.14 At that the men said to her: “We will give our lives for yours! If you do not tell about our mission, then we will show loyal love and faithfulness toward you when Jehovah gives us the land.”
2.15 After that she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on a side of the city wall. In fact, she was dwelling on the wall.
2.16 Then she said to them: “Go to the mountainous region and hide there for three days, so that those pursuing you may not find you. Then, after your pursuers have come back, you can go on your way.”
2.17 The men said to her: “We will be free from guilt respecting this oath that you made us swear
2.18 unless, when we come into the land, you tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window by which you let us down. You should gather your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household with you into the house.
2.19 Then if anyone goes out the doors of your house into the open, his blood will be on his own head, and we will be free from guilt. But if harm comes to anyone who remains with you in the house, his blood will be on our heads.
2.20 But if you report our mission, we will be free from guilt respecting your oath that you made us swear.”
2.21 She replied: “Let it be according to your words.” With that she sent them off, and they went their way. Afterward, she tied the scarlet cord in the window.
2.22 So they left and went to the mountainous region and stayed there for three days, until the pursuers returned. The pursuers had been looking for them on every road but did not find them.
2.23 The two men then descended from the mountainous region and crossed the river and came to Joshua the son of Nun. They related to him all the things that had happened to them.
2.24 Then they said to Joshua: “Jehovah has handed over the entire land to us. In fact, all the inhabitants of the land are disheartened because of us.”
3.1 Then Joshua got up early in the morning, and he and all the Israelites departed from Shittim and came to the Jordan. They spent the night there before crossing over.
3.2 After three days, the officers passed throughout the camp
3.3 and commanded the people: “As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of Jehovah your God being carried by the Levitical priests, you should depart from your place and follow it.
3.4 But keep a distance of about 2,000 cubits from it; do not come any nearer to it, so that you may know which is the way to go, for you have not traveled on this way before.”
3.5 Joshua now said to the people: “Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow Jehovah will do wonderful things among you.”
3.6 Then Joshua said to the priests: “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass ahead of the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went ahead of the people.
3.7 Then Jehovah said to Joshua: “This day I will start to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so that they may know that I will be with you just as I was with Moses.
3.8 You should give this command to the priests carrying the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you should stand still in the Jordan.’”
3.9 And Joshua said to the Israelites: “Come here and listen to the words of Jehovah your God.”
3.10 Joshua then said: “By this you will know that a living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive away from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites.
3.11 Look! The ark of the covenant of the Lord of the whole earth is passing ahead of you into the Jordan.
3.12 Now take 12 men from the tribes of Israel, one man for each tribe,
3.13 and as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests carrying the Ark of Jehovah, the Lord of the whole earth, touch the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan flowing from upstream will be halted and they will stand still like a dam.”
3.14 So when the people departed from their tents just before crossing the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of the people.
3.15 As soon as the carriers of the Ark reached the Jordan and the priests carrying the Ark dipped their feet into the edge of the waters (now the Jordan overflows its banks all the days of harvest),
3.16 the waters flowing from upstream stood still. They rose up like a dam very far away at Adam, the city near Zarethan, while the waters descending toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, drained away. They were halted, and the people crossed over opposite Jericho.
3.17 While the priests carrying the ark of Jehovah’s covenant kept standing still on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, all Israel crossed over on dry ground until the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan.
4.1 As soon as the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, Jehovah said to Joshua:
4.2 “Take 12 men from the people, one man from each tribe,
4.3 and give them this command: ‘Take up 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood still, and carry them over with you and set them down in the place where you will spend the night.’”
4.4 So Joshua called the 12 men whom he had appointed from the Israelites, one man from each tribe,
4.5 and Joshua said to them: “Pass ahead of the Ark of Jehovah your God to the middle of the Jordan, and each of you should lift up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites,
4.6 to serve as a sign among you. If your children should later ask you, ‘Why do you have these stones?’
4.7 you must tell them: ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were halted from before the ark of Jehovah’s covenant. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were halted. These stones will serve as a lasting memorial to the people of Israel.’”
4.8 So the Israelites did just as Joshua had commanded. They took up 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan, just as Jehovah had instructed Joshua, to correspond to the number of the tribes of the Israelites. They took them over to the place where they would spend the night and set them down there.
4.9 Joshua also set up 12 stones in the middle of the Jordan at the place where the feet of the priests who carried the ark of the covenant stood, and the stones are there to this day.
4.10 The priests carrying the Ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything that Jehovah had ordered Joshua to tell the people to do was completed, in harmony with all that Moses had commanded Joshua. All the while, the people hurried across.
4.11 As soon as all the people had finished crossing over, the Ark of Jehovah and the priests crossed over in the sight of the people.
4.12 And the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh crossed over in battle formation ahead of the other Israelites, just as Moses had instructed them.
4.13 About 40,000 soldiers armed for battle crossed over before Jehovah onto the desert plains of Jericho.
4.14 On that day Jehovah exalted Joshua in the eyes of all Israel, and they deeply respected him all the days of his life, just as they had deeply respected Moses.
4.15 Then Jehovah said to Joshua:
4.16 “Command the priests carrying the ark of the Testimony to come up out of the Jordan.”
4.17 So Joshua commanded the priests: “Come up out of the Jordan.”
4.18 When the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of Jehovah came up from the middle of the Jordan and the soles of the feet of the priests stepped onto dry ground, the waters of the Jordan resumed their course and overflowed the banks as before.
4.19 The people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho.
4.20 As for the 12 stones that they had taken out of the Jordan, Joshua set these up at Gilgal.
4.21 Then he said to the Israelites: “In the future when your children ask their fathers, ‘What do these stones mean?’
4.22 you must explain to your children: ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry land
4.23 when Jehovah your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before them until they had crossed it, just as Jehovah your God did to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we crossed it.
4.24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth may know how mighty Jehovah’s hand is and so that you may always fear Jehovah your God.’”