Daily Readings for May 20
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Joshua 5

 

1.It 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 Yahweh 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. 2.At that time, Yahweh said to Joshua, "Make flint knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time." 3.Joshua made himself flint knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. 4.This 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. 5.For 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. 6.For 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 didn't listen to the voice of Yahweh. Yahweh swore to them that he wouldn't let them see the land which Yahweh swore to their fathers that he would give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7.Their 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. 8.It happened, when they were done circumcising all the nation, that they stayed in their places in the camp until they were healed.

9.Yahweh said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you." Therefore the name of that place was called Gilgal,⁶ to this day. 10.The children of Israel encamped in Gilgal. They kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at evening in the plains of Jericho. 11.They ate unleavened cakes and parched grain of the produce of the land on the next day after the Passover, in the same day. 12.The manna ceased on the next day, after they had eaten of the produce of the land. The children of Israel didn't have manna any more; but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

13.It 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?"

14.He said, "No; but I have come now as commander of Yahweh's army."

Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and worshipped, and said to him, "What does my lord say to his servant?"

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

 

Joshua 6

 

1.Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the children of Israel. No one went out, and no one came in. 2.Yahweh said to Joshua, "Behold, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the mighty men of valor. 3.All your men of war shall march around the city, going around the city once. You shall do this six days. 4.Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. On the seventh day, you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5.It shall be that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall go up every man straight before him."

6.Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of Yahweh."

7.They said to the people, "Advance! March around the city, and let the armed men pass on before Yahweh's ark."

8.It was so, that when Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before Yahweh advanced, and blew the trumpets; and the ark of the covenant of Yahweh followed them. 9.The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the ark went after them. The trumpets sounded as they went.

10.Joshua commanded the people, saying, "You shall not shout, nor let your voice be heard, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout." 11.So he caused the ark of Yahweh to go around the city, going about it once. Then they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp. 12.Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of Yahweh. 13.The seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of Yahweh went on continually, and blew the trumpets: and the armed men went before them. The rear guard came after the ark of Yahweh. The trumpets sounded as they went. 14.The second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. They did this six days.

15.It happened on the seventh day, that they rose early at the dawning of the day, and marched around the city in the same way seven times. Only on this day they marched around the city seven times. 16.It happened at the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, "Shout, for Yahweh has given you the city! 17.The city shall be devoted, even it and all that is in it, to Yahweh. Only Rahab the prostitute shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. 18.But as for you, only keep yourselves from the devoted thing, lest when you have devoted it, you take of the devoted thing; so would you make the camp of Israel accursed, and trouble it. 19.But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are holy to Yahweh. They shall come into Yahweh's treasury."

20.So the people shouted, and the priests blew the trumpets. It happened, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, that the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. 21.They utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, both young and old, and ox, and sheep, and donkey, with the edge of the sword. 22.Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, "Go into the prostitute's house, and bring out from there the woman and all that she has, as you swore to her." 23.The young men who were spies went in, and brought out Rahab with her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. They also brought out all her relatives, and they set them outside of the camp of Israel. 24.They burnt the city with fire, and all that was in it. Only they put the silver, the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron into the treasury of Yahweh's house. 25.But Rahab the prostitute, her father's household, and all that she had, Joshua saved alive. She lived in the midst of Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers, whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

26.Joshua commanded them with an oath at that time, saying, "Cursed is the man before Yahweh, who rises up and builds this city Jericho. With the loss of his firstborn shall he lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son shall he set up its gates." 27.So Yahweh was with Joshua; and his fame was in all the land.

 

Isaiah 10

 

1.Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, and to the writers who write oppressive decrees; 2.to deprive the needy from justice, and to rob the poor among my people of their rights, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey! 3.What will you do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you leave your wealth?

4.They will only bow down under the prisoners, and will fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

5.Alas Assyrian, the rod of my anger, the staff in whose hand is my indignation! 6.I will send him against a profane nation, and against the people who anger me will I give him a command to take the spoil and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. 7.However he doesn't mean so, neither does his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off not a few nations. 8.For he says, "Aren't all of my princes kings? 9.Isn't Calno like Carchemish? Isn't Hamath like Arpad? Isn't Samaria like Damascus?" 10.As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, whose engraved images exceeded those of Jerusalem and of Samaria; 11.shall I not, as I have done to Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols? 12.Therefore it will happen that, when the Lord has performed his whole work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the willful proud heart of the king of Assyria, and the insolence of his haughty looks. 13.For he has said, "By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I have understanding: and I have removed the boundaries of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures. Like a valiant man I have brought down their rulers. 14.My hand has found the riches of the peoples like a nest, and like one gathers eggs that are abandoned, have I gathered all the earth. There was no one who moved their wing, or that opened their mouth, or chirped."

15.Should an axe brag against him who chops with it? Should a saw exalt itself above him who saws with it? As if a rod should lift those who lift it up, or as if a staff should lift up someone who is not wood. 16.Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, will send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory a burning will be kindled like the burning of fire. 17.The light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame; and it will burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day. 18.He will consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body. It will be as when a standard bearer faints. 19.The remnant of the trees of his forest shall be few, so that a child could write their number.

20.It will come to pass in that day that the remnant of Israel, and those who have escaped from the house of Jacob will no more again lean on him who struck them, but shall lean on Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21.A remnant will return, even the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. 22.For though your people, Israel, are like the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. A destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness. 23.For the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, will make a full end, and that determined, in the midst of all the earth. 24.Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, says "My people who dwell in Zion, don't be afraid of the Assyrian, though he strike you with the rod, and lift up his staff against you, as Egypt did. 25.For yet a very little while, and the indignation against you will be accomplished, and my anger will be directed to his destruction." 26.Yahweh of Armies will stir up a scourge against him, as in the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb. His rod will be over the sea, and he will lift it up like he did against Egypt. 27.It will happen in that day, that his burden will depart from off your shoulder, and his yoke from off your neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing oil.

28.He has come to Aiath. He has passed through Migron. At Michmash he stores his baggage. 29.They have gone over the pass. They have taken up their lodging at Geba. Ramah trembles. Gibeah of Saul has fled. 30.Cry aloud with your voice, daughter of Gallim! Listen, Laishah! You poor Anathoth! 31.Madmenah is a fugitive. The inhabitants of Gebim flee for safety. 32.This very day he will halt at Nob. He shakes his hand at the mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. 33.Behold, the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, will lop the boughs with terror. The tall will be cut down, and the lofty will be brought low. 34.He will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One.

 

2Thessalonians 1

 

1.Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the assembly of the Thessalonians in God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ: 2.Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3.We are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers,¹ even as it is appropriate, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of each and every one of you towards one another abounds; 4.so that we ourselves boast about you in the assemblies of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which you endure. 5.This is an obvious sign of the righteous judgment of God, to the end that you may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which you also suffer. 6.Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay affliction to those who afflict you, 7.and to give relief to you who are afflicted with us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, 8.giving vengeance to those who don't know God, and to those who don't obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus, 9.who will pay the penalty: eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10.when he comes to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired among all those who have believed (because our testimony to you was believed) in that day.

11.To this end we also pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire of goodness and work of faith, with power; 12.that the name of our Lord Jesus² may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

2Thessalonians 2

 

1.Now, brothers, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to him, we ask you 2.not to be quickly shaken in your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by letter as from us, saying that the day of Christ had come. 3.Let no one deceive you in any way. For it will not be, unless the departure comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction, 4.he who opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God or that is worshiped; so that he sits as God in the temple of God, setting himself up as God. 5.Don't you remember that, when I was still with you, I told you these things? 6.Now you know what is restraining him, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. 7.For the mystery of lawlessness already works. Only there is one who restrains now, until he is taken out of the way. 8.Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will kill with the breath of his mouth, and destroy by the manifestation of his coming; 9.even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10.and with all deception of wickedness for those who are being lost, because they didn't receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11.Because of this, God sends them a working of error, that they should believe a lie; 12.that they all might be judged who didn't believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 13.But we are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth; 14.to which he called you through our Good News, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15.So then, brothers, stand firm, and hold the traditions which you were taught by us, whether by word, or by letter.

16.Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, 17.comfort your hearts and establish you in every good work and word.

 

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