Joshua 6:6~27, Psalm 135, 136, Isaiah 66, Matthew 14

Joshua 6:6~27,

6 So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant of the LORD and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it."
 
7 And he ordered the people, "Advance! March around the city, with the armed guard going ahead of the ark of the LORD."
 
8 When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the LORD went forward, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the LORD's covenant followed them.
 
9 The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard followed the ark. All this time the trumpets were sounding.
 
10 But Joshua had commanded the people, "Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!"
 
11 So he had the ark of the LORD carried around the city, circling it once. Then the people returned to camp and spent the night there.
 
12 Joshua got up early the next morning and the priests took up the ark of the LORD.
 
13 The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark of the LORD and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the LORD, while the trumpets kept sounding.
 
14 So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.
 
15 On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times.
 
16 The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the people, "Shout! For the LORD has given you the city!
 
17 The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent.
 
18 But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it.
 
19 All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the LORD and must go into his treasury."
 
20 When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so every man charged straight in, and they took the city.
 
21 They devoted the city to the LORD and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it-men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.
 
22 Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, "Go into the prostitute's house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her."
 
23 So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.
 
24 Then they burned the whole 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 But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho-and she lives among the Israelites to this day.
 
26 At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath: "Cursed before the LORD is the man who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho: "At the cost of his firstborn son will he lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest will he set up its gates."
 
27 So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.

Psalm 135, 136,

1 Praise the LORD. Praise the name of the LORD; praise him, you servants of the LORD,
 
2 you who minister in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God.
 
3 Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.
 
4 For the LORD has chosen Jacob to be his own, Israel to be his treasured possession.
 
5 I know that the LORD is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods.
 
6 The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.
 
7 He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
 
8 He struck down the firstborn of Egypt, the firstborn of men and animals.
 
9 He sent his signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants.
 
10 He struck down many nations and killed mighty kings-
 
11 Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan and all the kings of Canaan-
 
12 and he gave their land as an inheritance, an inheritance to his people Israel.
 
13 Your name, O LORD, endures forever, your renown, O LORD, through all generations.
 
14 For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants.
 
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.
 
16 They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see;
 
17 they have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths.
 
18 Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.
 
19 O house of Israel, praise the LORD; O house of Aaron, praise the LORD;
 
20 O house of Levi, praise the LORD; you who fear him, praise the LORD.
 
21 Praise be to the LORD from Zion, to him who dwells in Jerusalem. Praise the LORD.

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.
 
2 Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.
 
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever.
 
4 to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever.
 
5 who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever.
 
6 who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever.
 
7 who made the great lights-His love endures forever.
 
8 the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever.
 
9 the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever.
 
10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt His love endures forever.
 
11 and brought Israel out from among them His love endures forever.
 
12 with a mighty hand and outstretched arm; His love endures forever.
 
13 to him who divided the Red Sea asunder His love endures forever.
 
14 and brought Israel through the midst of it, His love endures forever.
 
15 but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea; His love endures forever.
 
16 to him who led his people through the desert, His love endures forever.
 
17 who struck down great kings, His love endures forever.
 
18 and killed mighty kings-His love endures forever.
 
19 Sihon king of the Amorites His love endures forever.
 
20 and Og king of Bashan-His love endures forever.
 
21 and gave their land as an inheritance, His love endures forever.
 
22 an inheritance to his servant Israel; His love endures forever.
 
23 to the One who remembered us in our low estate His love endures forever.
 
24 and freed us from our enemies, His love endures forever.
 
25 and who gives food to every creature. His love endures forever.
 
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.

Isaiah 66,

1 This is what the LORD says: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be?
 
2 Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?" declares the LORD. "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.
 
3 But whoever sacrifices a bull is like one who kills a man, and whoever offers a lamb, like one who breaks a dog's neck; whoever makes a grain offering is like one who presents pig's blood,and whoever burns memorial incense, like one who worships an idol. They have chosen their own ways, and their souls delight in their abominations;
 
4 so I also will choose harsh treatment for them and will bring upon them what they dread. For when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, no one listened. They did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me."
 
5 Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble at his word: "Your brothers who hate you, and exclude you because of my name, have said, 'Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy!' Yet they will be put to shame.
 
6 Hear that uproar from the city, hear that noise from the temple! It is the sound of the LORD repaying his enemies all they deserve.
 
7 "Before she goes into labor, she gives birth; before the pains come upon her, she delivers a son.
 
8 Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children.
 
9 Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?" says the LORD. "Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery?" says your God.
 
10 "Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice greatly with her, all you who mourn over her.
 
11 For you will nurse and be satisfied at her comforting breasts; you will drink deeply and delight in her overflowing abundance."
 
12 For this is what the LORD says: "I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; you will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees.
 
13 As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem."
 
14 When you see this, your heart will rejoice and you will flourish like grass; the hand of the LORD will be made known to his servants, but his fury will be shown to his foes.
 
15 See, the LORD is coming with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
 
16 For with fire and with his sword the LORD will execute judgment upon all men, and many will be those slain by the LORD.
 
17 "Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following the one in the midst of those who eat the flesh of pigs and rats and other abominable things-they will meet their end together," declares the LORD.
 
18 "And I, because of their actions and their imaginations, am about to come and gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see my glory.
 
19 "I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who survive to the nations-to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations.
 
20 And they will bring all your brothers, from all the nations, to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the LORD -on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels," says the LORD. "They will bring them, as the Israelites bring their grain offerings, to the temple of the LORD in ceremonially clean vessels.
 
21 And I will select some of them also to be priests and Levites," says the LORD.
 
22 "As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me," declares the LORD, "so will your name and descendants endure.
 
23 From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me," says the LORD.
 
24 "And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind."

Matthew 14

1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus,
 
2 and he said to his attendants, "This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him."
 
3 Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife,
 
4 for John had been saying to him: "It is not lawful for you to have her."
 
5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered him a prophet.
 
6 On Herod's birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for them and pleased Herod so much
 
7 that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked.
 
8 Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist."
 
9 The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted
 
10 and had John beheaded in the prison.
 
11 His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother.
 
12 John's disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.
 
13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.
 
14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
 
15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food."
 
16 Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."
 
17 "We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered.
 
18 "Bring them here to me," he said.
 
19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.
 
20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
 
21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
 
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.
 
23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,
 
24 but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
 
25 During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.
 
26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.
 
27 But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."
 
28 "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."
 
29 "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
 
30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"
 
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"
 
32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.
 
33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."
 
34 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret.
 
35 And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him
 
36 and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.