Old/New Testament

The Memorial Stones

4 After the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan,^(A) the Lord spoke to Joshua: ² “Choose twelve men from the people, one man for each tribe,^{(B) 3} and command them: Take twelve stones^(C) from this place in the middle of the Jordan where the priests^[a] are standing, carry them with you, and set them down at the place where you spend the night.”

⁴ So Joshua summoned the twelve men he had selected from the Israelites, one man for each tribe, ⁵ and said to them, “Go across to the ark of the Lord your God in the middle of the Jordan. Each of you lift a stone onto his shoulder, one for each of the Israelite tribes, ⁶ so that this will be a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ ^{(D) 7} you should tell them, ‘The water of the Jordan was cut off in front of the ark of the Lord’s covenant. When it crossed the Jordan, the Jordan’s water was cut off.’ Therefore these stones will always be a memorial for the Israelites.”^(E)

⁸ The Israelites did just as Joshua had commanded them. The twelve men took stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each of the Israelite tribes, just as the Lord had told Joshua. They carried them to the camp and set them down there. ⁹ Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle^[b] of the Jordan where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant were standing. The stones are still there today.^(F)

¹⁰ The priests carrying the ark continued standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything was completed that the Lord had commanded Joshua to tell the people, in keeping with all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people hurried across, ¹¹ and after everyone had finished crossing, the priests with the ark of the Lord crossed in the sight of the people. ¹² The Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh went in battle formation in front of the Israelites,^(G) as Moses had instructed them. ¹³ About forty thousand equipped for war crossed to the plains of Jericho in the Lord’s presence.

¹⁴ On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they revered him throughout his life, as they had revered Moses.^{(H) 15} The Lord told Joshua, ¹⁶ “Command the priests who carry the ark of the testimony^(I) to come up from the Jordan.”

¹⁷ So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up from the Jordan.” ¹⁸ When the priests carrying the ark of the Lord’s covenant came up from the middle of the Jordan, and their feet^[c] stepped out on solid ground, the water of the Jordan resumed its course, flowing over all the banks as before.

¹⁹ The people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month,^(J) and camped at Gilgal on the eastern limits of Jericho.^{(K) 20} Then Joshua set up in Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan, ²¹ and he said to the Israelites, “In the future, when your children ask their fathers, ‘What is the meaning of these stones?’ ²² you should tell your children, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’^{(L) 23} For the Lord your God dried up the water of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over,^(M) just as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up before us until we had crossed over. ²⁴ This is so that all the peoples of the earth may know^(N) that the Lord’s hand is strong,^(O) and so that you may always fear the Lord your God.”^(P)

Circumcision of the Israelites

5 When all the Amorite kings across the Jordan to the west and all the Canaanite kings near the sea^(Q) heard how the Lord had dried up the water of the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over,^(R) they lost heart and their courage failed because of the Israelites.

² At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelite men again.”^{(S) 3} So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelite men at Gibeath-haaraloth.^{[d] 4} This is the reason Joshua circumcised them: All the people who came out of Egypt who were males—all the men of war—had died in the wilderness along the way after they had come out of Egypt. ⁵ Though all the people who came out were circumcised, none of the people born in the wilderness along the way were circumcised after they had come out of Egypt. ⁶ For the Israelites wandered in the wilderness forty years until all the nation’s men of war who came out of Egypt had died off because they did not obey the Lord.^(T) So the Lord vowed never to let them see the land he had sworn to their ancestors to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.^{(U) 7} He raised up their sons in their place; it was these Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised, since they had not been circumcised along the way. ⁸ After the entire nation had been circumcised, they stayed where they were in the camp until they recovered.^{(V) 9} The Lord then said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the disgrace of Egypt from you.” Therefore, that place is still called Gilgal^[e] today.^(W)

Food from the Land

¹⁰ While the Israelites camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they observed the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month.^{(X) 11} The day after Passover they ate unleavened bread and roasted grain from the produce of the land.^{(Y) 12} And the day after they ate from the produce of the land, the manna ceased.^(Z) Since there was no more manna for the Israelites, they ate from the crops of the land of Canaan that year.

Commander of the Lord’s Army

¹³ When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand.^(AA) Joshua approached him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”

¹⁴ “Neither,” he replied. “I have now come as commander of the Lord’s army.”^(AB)

Then Joshua bowed with his face to the ground in homage^(AC) and asked him, “What does my lord want to say to his servant?”

¹⁵ The commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.”^(AD) And Joshua did that.

The Conquest of Jericho

6 Now Jericho was strongly fortified because of the Israelites—no one leaving or entering. ² The Lord said to Joshua, “Look, I have handed Jericho, its king, and its best soldiers over to you.^{(AE) 3} March around the city with all the men of war, circling the city one time. Do this for six days. ⁴ Have seven priests carry seven ram’s-horn trumpets in front of the ark. But on the seventh day, march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the rams’ horns.^{(AF) 5} When there is a prolonged blast of the horn and you hear its sound, have all the troops give a mighty shout. Then the city wall will collapse, and the troops will advance, each man straight ahead.”

⁶ So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant and have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark of the Lord.” ⁷ He said to the troops, “Move forward, march around the city, and have the armed men go ahead of the ark of the Lord.”

⁸ After Joshua had spoken to the troops, seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns before the Lord moved forward and blew the rams’ horns; the ark of the Lord’s covenant followed them. ⁹ While the rams’ horns were blowing, the armed men went in front of the priests who blew the rams’ horns, and the rear guard went behind the ark.^{(AG) 10} But Joshua had commanded the troops, “Do not shout or let your voice be heard. Don’t let one word come out of your mouth until the time I say, ‘Shout!’ Then you are to shout.” ¹¹ So the ark of the Lord was carried around the city, circling it once. They returned to the camp and spent the night there.^[f]

¹² Joshua got up early the next morning. The priests took the ark of the Lord, ¹³ and the seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns marched in front of the ark of the Lord. While the rams’ horns were blowing, the armed men went in front of them, and the rear guard went behind the ark of the Lord. ¹⁴ On the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.

¹⁵ Early on the seventh day, they started at dawn and marched around the city seven times in the same way. That was the only day they marched around the city seven times. ¹⁶ After the seventh time, the priests blew the rams’ horns, and Joshua said to the troops, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city. ¹⁷ But the city and everything in it are set apart to the Lord for destruction.^(AH) Only Rahab the prostitute and everyone with her in the house will live,^(AI) because she hid the messengers we sent. ¹⁸ But keep yourselves from the things set apart, or you will be set apart for destruction. If you^[g] take any of those things, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and make trouble for it. ¹⁹ For all the silver and gold, and the articles of bronze and iron, are dedicated to the Lord and must go into the Lord’s treasury.”^(AJ)

²⁰ So the troops shouted, and the rams’ horns sounded. When they heard the blast of the ram’s horn, the troops gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed.^(AK) The troops advanced into the city, each man straight ahead, and they captured the city. ²¹ They completely destroyed^(AL) everything in the city with the sword—every man and woman, both young and old, and every ox, sheep, and donkey.

Rahab and Her Family Spared

²² Joshua said to the two men who had scouted the land, “Go to the prostitute’s house and bring the woman out of there, and all who are with her, just as you swore to her.”^{(AM) 23} So the young men who had scouted went in and brought out Rahab and her father, mother, brothers, and all who belonged to her. They brought out her whole family and settled them outside the camp of Israel.

²⁴ They burned the 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’s house. ²⁵ However, Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, her father’s family, and all who belonged to her, because she hid the messengers Joshua had sent to spy on Jericho, and she still lives in Israel^(AN) today.^(AO)

²⁶ At that time Joshua imposed this curse:

²⁷ And the Lord was with Joshua,^(AR) and his fame spread throughout the land.

The Dedication to Theophilus

1 Many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled^[a] among us,^{(A) 2} just as the original eyewitnesses^(B) and servants of the word^(C) handed them down to us. ³ So it also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable^(D) Theophilus,^{(E) 4} so that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed.^[b](F)

Gabriel Predicts John’s Birth

⁵ In the days of King Herod^(G) of Judea, there was a priest of Abijah’s division^(H) named Zechariah. His wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. ⁶ Both were righteous in God’s sight,^(I) living without blame^(J) according to all the commands and requirements of the Lord. ⁷ But they had no children because Elizabeth could not conceive, and both of them were well along in years.^(K)

⁸ When his division was on duty^(L) and he was serving as priest before God, ⁹ it happened that he was chosen by lot,^(M) according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense.^{(N) 10} At the hour of incense the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. ¹¹ An angel of the Lord^(O) appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.^{(P) 12} When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified and overcome with fear.^{(Q) 13} But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid,^(R) Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard.^(S) Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.^{(T) 14} There will be joy and delight for you, and many will rejoice at his birth. ¹⁵ For he will be great in the sight of the Lord and will never drink wine or beer.^(U) He will be filled with the Holy Spirit^(V) while still in his mother’s womb.^{(W) 16} He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.^{(X) 17} And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children,^(Y) and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people.”^(Z)

¹⁸ “How can I know this?” Zechariah asked the angel. “For I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years.”

¹⁹ The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel,^(AA) who stands in the presence of God,^(AB) and I was sent to speak to you and tell you this good news. ²⁰ Now listen. You will become silent and unable to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”