Joshua 2, Psalm 123, 124, 125, Isaiah 62, Matthew 10

Joshua 2,

1 Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. "Go, look over the land, "he said, "especially Jericho." So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.
 
2 The king of Jericho was told, "Look! Some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land."
 
3 So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: "Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land."
 
4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, "Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from.
 
5 At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, the men left. I don't know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them."
 
6 (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.)
 
7 So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.
 
8 Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof
 
9 and said to them, "I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you.
 
10 We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed.
 
11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.
 
12 Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign
 
13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death."
 
14 "Our lives for your lives!" the men assured her. "If you don't tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the LORD gives us the land."
 
15 So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall.
 
16 Now she had said to them, "Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way."
 
17 The men said to her, "This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us
 
18 unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house.
 
19 If anyone goes outside your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head; we will not be responsible. As for anyone who is in the house with you, his blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on him.
 
20 But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear."
 
21 "Agreed," she replied. "Let it be as you say." So she sent them away and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.
 
22 When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them.
 
23 Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them.
 
24 They said to Joshua, "The LORD has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us."

Psalm 123, 124, 125,

1 I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven.
 
2 As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he shows us his mercy.
 
3 Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us, for we have endured much contempt.
 
4 We have endured much ridicule from the proud, much contempt from the arrogant.

1 If the LORD had not been on our side-let Israel say-
 
2 if the LORD had not been on our side when men attacked us,
 
3 when their anger flared against us, they would have swallowed us alive;
 
4 the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us,
 
5 the raging waters would have swept us away.
 
6 Praise be to the LORD, who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
 
7 We have escaped like a bird out of the fowler's snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped.
 
8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

1 Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
 
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.
 
3 The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil.
 
4 Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart.
 
5 But those who turn to crooked ways the LORD will banish with the evildoers. Peace be upon Israel.

Isaiah 62,

1 For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch.
 
2 The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow.
 
3 You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD's hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
 
4 No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married.
 
5 As a young man marries a maiden, so will your sons marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.
 
6 I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest,
 
7 and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.
 
8 The LORD has sworn by his right hand and by his mighty arm: "Never again will I give your grain as food for your enemies, and never again will foreigners drink the new wine for which you have toiled;
 
9 but those who harvest it will eat it and praise the LORD, and those who gather the grapes will drink it in the courts of my sanctuary."
 
10 Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations.
 
11 The LORD has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: "Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.' "
 
12 They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the LORD; and you will be called Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted.

Matthew 10

1 He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
 
2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
 
3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
 
4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
 
5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.
 
6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.
 
7 As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.'
 
8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.
 
9 Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts;
 
10 take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.
 
11 "Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave.
 
12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting.
 
13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you.
 
14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.
 
15 I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
 
16 I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
 
17 "Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues.
 
18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.
 
19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say,
 
20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
 
21 "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.
 
22 All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
 
23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
 
24 "A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.
 
25 It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household!
 
26 "So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.
 
27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.
 
28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
 
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.
 
30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
 
31 So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
 
32 "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.
 
33 But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.
 
34 "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
 
35 For I have come to turn " 'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her motherinlaw-
 
36 a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'
 
37 "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
 
38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
 
39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
 
40 "He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me.
 
41 Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward.
 
42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."