Acts 9:26-43; Joshua 5; Joshua 6; Job 23

Acts 9:26-43

26 When he arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to associate with the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, since they did not believe he was a disciple.

27 Barnabas, however, took him and brought him to the apostles and explained to them how, on the road, Saul had seen the Lord, and that He had talked to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus.

28 Saul was coming and going with them in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.

29 He conversed and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, but they attempted to kill him.

30 When the brothers found out, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

31 So the church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace, being built up and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, and it increased in numbers.

32 As Peter was traveling from place to place, he also came down to the saints who lived in Lydda.

33 There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years.

34 Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your own bed," and immediately he got up.

35 So all who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. She was always doing good works and acts of charity.

37 In those days she became sick and died. After washing her, they placed her in a room upstairs.

38 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples heard that Peter was there and sent two men to him who begged him, "Don't delay in coming with us."

39 So Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they led him to the room upstairs. And all the widows approached him, weeping and showing him the robes and clothes that Dorcas had made while she was with them.

40 Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down, prayed, and turning toward the body said, "Tabitha, get up!" She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up.

41 He gave her his hand and helped her stand up. Then he called the saints and widows and presented her alive.

42 This became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.

43 And Peter stayed on many days in Joppa with Simon, a leather tanner.

Joshua 5

1 When all the Amorite kings across the Jordan to the west and all the Canaanite kings near the sea heard how the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, 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."

3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelite men at Gibeath-haaraloth.

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 40 years until all the nation's men of war who came out of Egypt had died off because they did not obey the Lord. So the Lord vowed never to let them see the land He had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.

7 Joshua raised up their sons in their place; it was these he 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.

9 The Lord then said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the disgrace of Egypt from you." Therefore, that place has been called Gilgal to this day.

10 While the Israelites camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they kept the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month.

11 The day after Passover they ate unleavened bread and roasted grain from the produce of the land.

12 And the day after they ate from the produce of the land, the manna ceased. Since there was no more manna for the Israelites, they ate from the crops of the land of Canaan that year.

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. 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." Then Joshua bowed with his face to the ground in worship 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." And Joshua did so.

Joshua 6

1 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 fighting men over to you.

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 trumpets.

5 When there is a prolonged blast of the horn and you hear its sound, have all the people give a mighty shout. Then the city wall will collapse, and the people 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 trumpets in front of the ark of the Lord."

7 He said to the people, "Move forward, march around the city, and have the armed troops go ahead of the ark of the Lord."

8 After Joshua had spoken to the people, seven priests carrying seven trumpets before the Lord moved forward and blew the trumpets; the ark of the Lord's covenant followed them.

9 While the trumpets were blowing, the armed troops went in front of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard went behind the ark.

10 But Joshua had commanded the people: "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.

12 Joshua got up early the next morning. The priests took the ark of the Lord,

13 and the seven priests carrying seven trumpets marched in front of the ark of the Lord. While the trumpets were blowing, the armed troops 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 trumpets, and Joshua said to the people, "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. Only Rahab the prostitute and everyone with her in the house will live, because she hid the men we sent.

18 But keep yourselves from the things set apart, or you will be set apart for destruction. If you take any of those things, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and bring disaster on 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."

20 So the people shouted, and the trumpets sounded. When they heard the blast of the trumpet, the people gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed. The people advanced into the city, each man straight ahead, and they captured the city.

21 They completely destroyed everything in the city with the sword-every man and woman, both young and old, and every ox, sheep, and donkey.

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 promised her."

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 up 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 But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, her father's household, and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent to spy on Jericho, and she lives in Israel to this day.

26 At that time Joshua imposed this curse: Cursed before the Lord is the man who undertakes the rebuilding of this city, Jericho. He will lay its foundation [at the cost of] his firstborn; He will set up its gates [at the cost of] his youngest.

27 And the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.

Job 23

1 Then Job answered:

2 Today also my complaint is bitter. His hand is heavy despite my groaning.

3 If only I knew how to find Him, so that I could go to His throne.

4 I would plead my case before Him and fill my mouth with arguments.

5 I would learn how He would answer me; and understand what He would say to me.

6 Would He prosecute me forcefully? No, He will certainly pay attention to me.

7 There an upright man could reason with Him, and I would escape from my Judge forever.

8 If I go east, He is not there, and if I go west, I cannot perceive Him.

9 When He is at work to the north, I cannot see Him; when He turns south, I cannot find Him.

10 Yet He knows the way I have taken; when He has tested me, I will emerge as pure gold.

11 My feet have followed in His tracks; I have kept to His way and not turned aside.

12 I have not departed from the commands of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily food.

13 But He is unchangeable; who can oppose Him? He does what He desires.

14 He will certainly accomplish what He has decreed for me, and He has many more things like these in mind.

15 Therefore I am terrified in His presence; when I consider [this], I am afraid of Him.

16 God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me.

17 Yet I am not destroyed by the darkness, by the thick darkness that covers my face.