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

1 The whole nation finished crossing the Jordan River. The LORD had told Joshua,

2 "Choose one man from each of the 12 tribes.

3 Order them to pick up 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan, where the priests' feet stood firmly. Take the stones along with you, and set them down where you will camp tonight."

4 Joshua called the 12 men whom he had selected (one from each tribe).

5 He said to them, "Go to the middle of the Jordan River in front of the ark of the LORD your God. Each man must take a stone on his shoulder, one for each tribe of Israel.

6 This will be a sign for you. In the future your children will ask, 'What do these stones mean to you?'

7 You should answer, 'The water of the Jordan River was cut off in front of the ark of the LORD's promise. When the ark crossed the Jordan, the river stopped flowing. These stones are a permanent reminder for the people of Israel.'"

8 The people of Israel did as Joshua had ordered. They took 12 stones, one for each of the tribes of Israel. They took them from the middle of the Jordan as the LORD had told Joshua. They carried them to the camp and set them down there.

9 Joshua also set 12 stones in the middle of the Jordan River, where the priests who carried the ark of the promise had stood. The stones are still there today.

10 The priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan. They stood there until everything the LORD had ordered Joshua to tell the people had been carried out. This was as Moses had told Joshua. The people hurried to the other side.

11 As soon as everyone had crossed, the priests with the LORD's ark crossed and went ahead of them.

12 The men of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh did as Moses had told them. They marched across in battle formation ahead of the people of Israel .

13 About 40,000 armed men crossed the river in front of the LORD to the plains of Jericho for battle.

14 On that day the LORD honored Joshua in the presence of all the Israelites. As long as Joshua lived, the Israelites respected him in the same way they had respected Moses.

15 The LORD said to Joshua,

16 "Order the priests who carry the ark of the testimony to come out of the Jordan River."

17 So Joshua ordered the priests, "Come out of the Jordan."

18 The priests who carried the ark of the LORD's promise came out of the middle of the Jordan. When their feet stepped onto dry land, the water of the Jordan returned to its seasonal flood level.

19 On the tenth day of the first month, the people came out of the Jordan River. They made their camp at Gilgal, just east of Jericho.

20 At Gilgal Joshua set up the 12 stones they had taken from the Jordan.

21 He said to the people of Israel, "In the future when children ask their parents, 'What do these stones mean?'

22 the children should be told that Israel crossed the Jordan River on dry ground.

23 The LORD your God dried up the Jordan ahead of you until you had crossed, as he did to the Red Sea until we had crossed.

24 The LORD did this so that everyone in the world would know his mighty power and that you would fear the LORD your God every day of your life."

1 All the Amorite kings west of the Jordan River and all the Canaanite kings along the Mediterranean Sea heard that the LORD had dried up the Jordan River so that the Israelites could cross. So they lost heart and had no courage left to face the people of Israel.

2 At that time the LORD spoke to Joshua, "Make flint knives, and circumcise the men of Israel."

3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the men of Israel at the Hill of Circumcision.

4 This is the reason Joshua circumcised them: All the soldiers had died on the way through the desert after they left Egypt.

5 The men who left Egypt had been circumcised. However, the men born later, on the way through the desert, were not circumcised.

6 For 40 years the Israelites wandered through the desert until all their soldiers who left Egypt died. They died because they disobeyed the LORD. The LORD swore that he would not let them see this land flowing with milk and honey which he had sworn to give our ancestors.

7 The sons who took their place had not been circumcised on the way. So Joshua circumcised them.

8 When all the men had been circumcised, they remained in the camp until they recovered.

9 The LORD said to Joshua, "Today I have removed the disgrace of Egypt from you." So Joshua named the place Gilgal, the name it still has today.

10 The people of Israel camped at Gilgal in the Jericho plain. There they celebrated the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month.

11 On the day after the Passover, they ate some of the produce of the land, unleavened bread and roasted grain.

12 The day after that, the manna stopped. The people of Israel never had manna again. That year they began to eat the crops that grew in Canaan.

13 When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are you one of us or one of our enemies?"

14 He answered, "Neither one! I am here as the commander of the LORD's army." Immediately, Joshua bowed with his face touching the ground and worshiped. He asked, "Sir, what do you want to tell me?"

15 The commander of the LORD's army said to Joshua, "Take off your sandals because this place where you are standing is holy." So Joshua did as he was told.

1 Jericho was bolted and barred shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one could enter or leave.

2 The LORD said to Joshua, "I am about to hand Jericho, its king, and its warriors over to you.

3 All the soldiers will march around the city once a day for six days.

4 Seven priests will carry rams' horns ahead of the ark. But on the seventh day you must march around the city seven times while the priests blow their horns.

5 When you hear a long blast on the horn, all the troops must shout very loudly. The wall around the city will collapse. Then the troops must charge straight ahead into the city."

6 Joshua, son of Nun, summoned the priests. He said to them, "Pick up the ark of the promise, and have seven priests carry seven rams' horns ahead of the LORD's ark."

7 He told the troops, "March around the city. Let the armed men march ahead of the LORD's ark."

8 After Joshua had given orders to the troops, the seven priests carrying the seven rams' horns ahead of the LORD marched off as they blew their horns. The ark of the LORD's promise followed them.

9 The armed men went ahead of the priests, who blew their horns. The rear guard followed the ark while the priests continued to blow their horns.

10 Joshua ordered the troops, "Don't shout, make any noise, or let one word come out of your mouth until I tell you to shout. Then shout!"

11 So the LORD's ark went around the city once. Then they went back to the camp and stayed there for the night.

12 Joshua got up early in the morning. The priests carried the LORD's ark.

13 The seven priests carrying the seven rams' horns were ahead of it. The priests blew their horns as they went. The armed men were ahead of them, and the rear guard followed the LORD's ark while the horns blew continually.

14 They went around the city once on the second day and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.

15 On the seventh day they got up at dawn. They marched around the city seven times the same way they had done it before. That was the only day they marched around it seven times.

16 When they went around the seventh time, the priests blew their rams' horns. Joshua said to the troops, "Shout, because the LORD has given you the city!

17 The city has been claimed by the LORD. Everything in it belongs to the LORD. Only the prostitute Rahab and all who are in the house with her will live because she hid the messengers we sent.

18 But stay away from what has been claimed by the LORD for destruction, or you, too, will be destroyed by the LORD. If you take anything that is claimed by the LORD, you will bring destruction and disaster on the camp of Israel.

19 All the silver and gold and everything made of bronze and iron are holy and belong to the LORD. They must go into the LORD's treasury."

20 So the troops shouted very loudly when they heard the blast of the rams' horns, and the wall collapsed. The troops charged straight ahead and captured the city.

21 They claimed everything in it for the LORD. With their swords they killed men and women, young and old, as well as cattle, sheep, and donkeys.

22 But Joshua said to the two spies, "Go to the prostitute's house. Bring the woman out, along with everything she has, as you swore you would do for her."

23 The spies went and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, everything she had, and even all of her relatives. They gave them a place outside the camp of Israel.

24 Then Israel burned the city and everything in it. But they put the silver and gold and everything made of bronze and iron into the LORD's treasury.

25 Joshua spared the prostitute Rahab, her father's family, and everything she had. She still lives in Israel today because she hid the messengers Joshua had sent to look at Jericho.

26 At that time Joshua pronounced this curse: "The LORD will curse whoever comes to rebuild the city of Jericho. It will cost him his firstborn son to lay the foundation. It will cost him his youngest son to set up the city doors."

27 So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.

1 Many have attempted to write about what had taken place among us.

2 They received their information from those who had been eyewitnesses and servants of God's word from the beginning, and they passed it on to us.

3 I, too, have followed everything closely from the beginning. So I thought it would be a good idea to write an orderly account for Your Excellency, Theophilus.

4 In this way you will know that what you've been told is true.

5 When Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the division of priests named after Abijah. Zechariah's wife Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron.

6 Zechariah and Elizabeth had God's approval. They followed all the Lord's commands and regulations perfectly.

7 Yet, they never had any children because Elizabeth couldn't become pregnant. Both of them were too old to have children.

8 Zechariah was on duty with his division of priests. As he served in God's presence,

9 he was chosen by priestly custom to go into the Lord's temple to burn incense.

10 All the people were praying outside while he was burning incense.

11 Then, to the right of the incense altar, an angel of the Lord appeared to him.

12 Zechariah was troubled and overcome with fear.

13 The angel said to him, "Don't be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife Elizabeth will have a son, and you will name him John.

14 He will be your pride and joy, and many people will be glad that he was born.

15 As far as the Lord is concerned, he will be a great man. He will never drink wine or any other liquor. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.

16 He will bring many people in Israel back to the Lord their God.

17 He will go ahead of the Lord with the spirit and power that Elijah had. He will change parents' attitudes toward their children. He will change disobedient people so that they will accept the wisdom of those who have God's approval. In this way he will prepare the people for their Lord."

18 Zechariah said to the angel, "What proof is there for this? I'm an old man, and my wife is beyond her childbearing years."

19 The angel answered him, "I'm Gabriel! I stand in God's presence. God sent me to tell you this good news.

20 But because you didn't believe what I said, you will be unable to talk until the day this happens. Everything will come true at the right time."