Joshua 4; Joshua 5; Joshua 6; Luke 1:1-20

1 When the entire nation had finished crossing over the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua,

2 "Pick twelve men from the people, one man per tribe.

3 Command them, ‘Pick up twelve stones from right here in the middle of the Jordan, where the feet of the priests had been firmly planted. Bring them across with you and put them down in the camp where you are staying tonight.'"

4 Joshua called for the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one man per tribe.

5 Joshua said to them, "Cross over into the middle of the Jordan, up to the LORD your God's chest. Each of you, lift up a stone on his shoulder to match the number of the tribes of the Israelites.

6 This will be a symbol among you. In the future your children may ask, ‘What do these stones mean to you?'

7 Then you will tell them that the water of the Jordan was cut off before the LORD's covenant chest. When it crossed over the Jordan, the water of the Jordan was cut off. These stones will be an enduring memorial for the Israelites."

8 The Israelites did exactly what Joshua ordered. They lifted twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, matching the number of the tribes of the Israelites, exactly as the LORD had said to Joshua. They brought them over to the camp and put them down there.

9 Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan where the feet of the priests had stood while carrying the covenant chest. They are still there today.

10 Meanwhile, the priests carrying the chest were standing in the middle of the Jordan. They stood there until every command that the LORD had ordered Joshua to tell the people had been carried out. This was exactly what Moses had commanded Joshua. The people crossed over quickly.

11 As soon as all the people had finished crossing, the LORD's chest crossed over. The priests then moved to the front of the people.

12 The people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh crossed over, organized for war ahead of the Israelites, exactly as Moses had told them.

13 Approximately forty thousand armed for war crossed over in the LORD's presence to the plains of Jericho, ready for battle.

14 The LORD made Joshua great in the opinion of all Israel on that day. So they revered him in the same way that they had revered Moses during all of his life.

15 The LORD said to Joshua,

16 "Command the priests carrying the chest containing the testimony to come up out of the Jordan."

17 So Joshua commanded the priests, "Come up from the Jordan."

18 The priests carrying the LORD's covenant chest came up from the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of their feet touched dry ground. At that moment, the water of the Jordan started flowing again. It ran as before, completely over its banks.

19 The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month. They camped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.

20 Joshua set up at Gilgal those twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan.

21 He said to the Israelites, "In the future your children will ask their parents, ‘What about these stones?'

22 Then you will let your children know: ‘Israel crossed over the Jordan here on dry ground.'

23 This was because the LORD your God dried up the water of the Jordan before you until you crossed over. This was exactly what the LORD your God did to the Reed Sea. He dried it up before us until we crossed over.

24 This happened so that all the earth's peoples might know that the LORD's power is great and that you may always revere the LORD your God."

1 All the Amorite kings on the west side of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings near the sea heard that the LORD had dried up the water of the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over. Then their hearts melted. They lost all courage because of the Israelites.

2 At that time the LORD said to Joshua, "Make yourself flint knives. Circumcise the Israelites for a second time."

3 So Joshua made flint knives for himself. He circumcised the Israelites at Foreskins Hill.

4 This is the reason Joshua did so: All the people who went out of Egypt, that is, all the men who were soldiers, had died in the desert on the way after they left Egypt.

5 All the people who went out were circumcised. But none of the people born in the desert on the way after they had left Egypt had been circumcised.

6 This was because the Israelites journeyed forty years in the desert until the whole nation died off. These were the men old enough to fight who went out from Egypt and who hadn't obeyed the LORD. The LORD had pledged to them never to show them the land that the LORD had pledged to their ancestors to give us. It is a land full of milk and honey.

7 Joshua circumcised their children, the ones the LORD had set in their place. They were uncircumcised because they hadn't been circumcised on the way.

8 After the whole nation had undergone circumcision, they remained in the camp until they got well again.

9 Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt." So the place was called Gilgal, as it is today.

10 The Israelites camped in Gilgal. They celebrated Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month on the plains of Jericho.

11 On the very next day after Passover, they ate food produced in the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain.

12 The manna stopped on that next day, when they ate food produced in the land. There was no longer any manna for the Israelites. So that year they ate the crops of the land of Canaan.

13 When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up. He caught sight of a man standing in front of him with his sword drawn. Joshua went up and said to him, "Are you on our side or that of our enemies?"

14 He said, "Neither! I'm the commander of the LORD's heavenly force. Now I have arrived!" Then Joshua fell flat on his face and worshipped. Joshua said to him, "What is my master saying to his servant?"

15 The commander of the LORD's heavenly force said to Joshua, "Take your sandals off your feet because the place where you are standing is holy." So Joshua did this.

1 Now Jericho was closed up tightly because of the Israelites. No one went out or came in.

2 The LORD said to Joshua, “Look. I have given Jericho and its king into your power, along with its mighty warriors.

3 Circle the city with all the soldiers, going around the city one time. Do this for six days.

4 Have seven priests carry seven trumpets made from rams' horns in front of the chest. On the seventh day, circle the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets.

5 "Have them blow a long blast on the ram's horn. As soon as you hear that trumpet blast, have all the people shout out a loud war cry. Then the city wall will collapse, and the people will rise up, attacking straight ahead."

6 So Joshua, Nun's son, called the priests. He said to them, "Lift up the covenant chest. Let seven priests carry seven trumpets made from rams' horns in front of the LORD's chest."

7 He said to the people, "Go forward. Circle the city. Let the armed soldiers go in front of the LORD's chest."

8 As soon as Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying seven ram's horn trumpets moved forward in front of the LORD. They blew the trumpets. The LORD's covenant chest followed.

9 The initial group of soldiers was going in front of the priests who were blowing the trumpets. The rear guard was coming behind the chest, with trumpets blowing continuously.

10 Joshua ordered the people, "Don't shout. Don't let your voice be heard. Don't let a word come out of your mouth until the day I tell you, ‘Shout!' Then shout!"

11 He made the LORD's chest circle the city, going around one time. They went back to the camp and stayed there overnight.

12 Joshua got up early in the morning. The priests lifted up the LORD's chest.

13 The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets made from rams' horns were going in front of the LORD's chest, blowing trumpets continuously. The armed soldiers were going in front of them. The rear guard was coming after the LORD's chest, blowing trumpets continuously.

14 They circled the city one time on the second day. Then they went back to the camp. They did this for six days.

15 On the seventh day, they got up at dawn. They circled the city in this way seven times. It was only on that day that they circled the city seven times.

16 The seventh time, the priests blew the trumpets. Then Joshua said to the people, "Shout, because the LORD has given you the city!

17 The city and everything in it is to be utterly wiped out as something reserved for the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute is to stay alive, along with everyone with her in her house. This is because she hid the messengers we sent.

18 But you, keep away from the things set aside for God so that you don't desire and take some of the things reserved. That would turn the camp of Israel into a thing doomed to be utterly wiped out and bring calamity on it.

19 All silver and gold, along with bronze and iron equipment, are holy to the LORD. They must go into the LORD's treasury."

20 Then the people shouted. They blew the trumpets. As soon as the people heard the trumpet blast, they shouted a loud war cry. Then the wall collapsed. The people went up against the city, attacking straight ahead. They captured the city.

21 Without mercy, they wiped out everything in the city as something reserved for God—man and woman, young and old, cattle, sheep, and donkeys.

22 Joshua spoke to the two men who had scouted out the land. "Go to the prostitute's house. Bring out the woman from there, along with everyone related to her, exactly as you pledged to her."

23 So the young men who had been spies went and brought Rahab out, along with her father, her mother, her brothers, and everyone related to her. They brought her whole clan out and let them stay outside Israel's camp.

24 They burned the city and everything in it. But they put the silver and gold, along with the bronze and iron equipment, into the treasury of the LORD's house.

25 Joshua let Rahab the prostitute live, her family, and everyone related to her. So her family still lives among Israel today, because she hid the spies whom Joshua had sent to scout out Jericho.

26 At that time Joshua made this decree: "Anyone who starts to rebuild this city of Jericho will be cursed before the LORD. Laying its foundations will cost them their oldest child. Setting up its gates will cost them their youngest child."

27 The LORD was with Joshua. News about him spread throughout the land.

1 Many people have already applied themselves to the task of compiling an account of the events that have been fulfilled among us.

2 They used what the original eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed down to us.

3 Now, after having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, I have also decided to write a carefully ordered account for you, most honorable Theophilus.

4 I want you to have confidence in the soundness of the instruction you have received.

5 During the rule of King Herod of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah. His wife Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron.

6 They were both righteous before God, blameless in their observance of all the Lord's commandments and regulations.

7 They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to become pregnant and they both were very old.

8 One day Zechariah was serving as a priest before God because his priestly division was on duty.

9 Following the customs of priestly service, he was chosen by lottery to go into the Lord's sanctuary and burn incense.

10 All the people who gathered to worship were praying outside during this hour of incense offering.

11 An angel from the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.

12 When Zechariah saw the angel, he was startled and overcome with fear.

13 The angel said, "Don't be afraid, Zechariah. Your prayers have been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will give birth to your son and you must name him John.

14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many people will rejoice at his birth,

15 for he will be great in the Lord's eyes. He must not drink wine and liquor. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before his birth.

16 He will bring many Israelites back to the Lord their God.

17 He will go forth before the Lord, equipped with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will turn the hearts of fathers back to their children, and he will turn the disobedient to righteous patterns of thinking. He will make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

18 Zechariah said to the angel, "How can I be sure of this? My wife and I are very old."

19 The angel replied, "I am Gabriel. I stand in God's presence. I was sent to speak to you and to bring this good news to you.

20 Know this: What I have spoken will come true at the proper time. But because you didn't believe, you will remain silent, unable to speak until the day when these things happen."