Daily Readings for May 19

Daily Readings for May 19
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Joshua 3

1.Joshua rose up early in the morning; and they moved from Shittim, and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel. They lodged there before they passed over. 2.It happened after three days, that the officers went through the midst of the camp; 3.and they commanded the people, saying, "When you see the ark of the covenant of Yahweh your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then you shall move from your place, and follow it. 4.Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Don't come near to it, that you may know the way by which you must go; for you have not passed this way before."

5.Joshua said to the people, "Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow Yahweh will do wonders among you."

6.Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people." They took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people.

7.Yahweh said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to magnify you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. 8.You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, 'When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.'"

9.Joshua said to the children of Israel, "Come here, and hear the words of Yahweh your God." 10.Joshua said, "Hereby you shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Hivite, and the Perizzite, and the Girgashite, and the Amorite, and the Jebusite out from before you. 11.Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord⁴ of all the earth passes over before you into the Jordan. 12.Now therefore take twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, for every tribe a man. 13.It shall come to pass, when the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of Yahweh, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan will be cut off, even the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand in one heap."

14.It happened, when the people moved from their tents to pass over the Jordan, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant being before the people, 15.and when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark had dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks all the time of harvest), 16.that the waters which came down from above stood, and rose up in one heap, a great way off, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those that went down toward the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt Sea, were wholly cut off. Then the people passed over right against Jericho. 17.The priests who bore the ark of the covenant of Yahweh stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan; and all Israel passed over on dry ground, until all the nation had passed completely over the Jordan.

Joshua 4

1.It happened, when all the nation had completely passed over the Jordan, that Yahweh spoke to Joshua, saying, 2."Take twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, 3.and command them, saying, 'Take from out of the middle of the Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and carry them over with you, and lay them down in the lodging place, where you will lodge tonight.'"

4.Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man. 5.Joshua said to them, "Pass over before the ark of Yahweh your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you pick up a stone and put it on your shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel; 6.that this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask in time to come, saying, 'What do you mean by these stones?' 7.then you shall tell them, 'Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of Yahweh. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.'"

8.The children of Israel did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the middle of the Jordan, as Yahweh spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel; and they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. 9.Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day. 10.For the priests who bore the ark stood in the middle of the Jordan, until everything was finished that Yahweh commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and passed over. 11.It happened, when all the people had completely passed over, that the ark of Yahweh passed over, with the priests, in the presence of the people.

12.The children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spoke to them. 13.About forty thousand men, ready and armed for war passed over before Yahweh to battle, to the plains of Jericho. 14.On that day, Yahweh magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.

15.Yahweh spoke to Joshua, saying, 16."Command the priests who bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of the Jordan."

17.Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, "Come up out of the Jordan!" 18.It happened, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of Yahweh had come up out of the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up to the dry ground, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place, and went over all its banks, as before. 19.The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, on the east border of Jericho.

20.Joshua set up those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, in Gilgal. 21.He spoke to the children of Israel, saying, "When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What do these stones mean?' 22.Then you shall let your children know, saying, 'Israel came over this Jordan on dry land. 23.For Yahweh your God dried up the waters of the Jordan from before you, until you had passed over, as Yahweh your God did to the Red Sea⁵, which he dried up from before us, until we had passed over; 24.that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of Yahweh, that it is mighty; that you may fear Yahweh your God forever.'"

Isaiah 9

1.But there shall be no more gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time, he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the latter time he has made it glorious, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

2.The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who lived in the land of the shadow of death, on them the light has shined. 3.You have multiplied the nation. You have increased their joy.

They rejoice before you according to the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. 4.For the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as in the day of Midian. 5.For all the armor of the armed man in the noisy battle, and the garments rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire. 6.For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7.Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, on the throne of David, and on his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from that time on, even forever. The zeal of Yahweh of Armies will perform this.

8.The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it falls on Israel. 9.All the people will know, including Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, who say in pride and in arrogance of heart, 10."The bricks have fallen, but we will build with cut stone. The sycamore fig trees have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place." 11.Therefore Yahweh will set up on high against him the adversaries of Rezin, and will stir up his enemies, 12.The Syrians in front, and the Philistines behind; and they will devour Israel with open mouth. For all this, his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. 13.Yet the people have not turned to him who struck them, neither have they sought Yahweh of Armies. 14.Therefore Yahweh will cut off from Israel head and tail, palm branch and reed, in one day. 15.The elder and the honorable man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail. 16.For those who lead this people lead them astray; and those who are led by them are destroyed. 17.Therefore the Lord will not rejoice over their young men, neither will he have compassion on their fatherless and widows; for everyone is profane and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. 18.For wickedness burns like a fire. It devours the briers and thorns; yes, it kindles in the thickets of the forest, and they roll upward in a column of smoke. 19.Through the wrath of Yahweh of Armies, the land is burnt up; and the people are the fuel for the fire. No one spares his brother. 20.One will devour on the right hand, and be hungry; and he will eat on the left hand, and they will not be satisfied. Everyone will eat the flesh of his own arm: 21.Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh; and they together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

1Thessalonians 5

1.But concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need that anything be written to you. 2.For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. 3.For when they are saying, "Peace and safety," then sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman; and they will in no way escape. 4.But you, brothers, aren't in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief. 5.You are all children of light, and children of the day. We don't belong to the night, nor to darkness, 6.so then let's not sleep, as the rest do, but let's watch and be sober. 7.For those who sleep, sleep in the night, and those who are drunk are drunk in the night. 8.But let us, since we belong to the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and, for a helmet, the hope of salvation. 9.For God didn't appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10.who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 11.Therefore exhort one another, and build each other up, even as you also do. 12.But we beg you, brothers, to know those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you, 13.and to respect and honor them in love for their work's sake.

Be at peace among yourselves. 14.We exhort you, brothers, admonish the disorderly, encourage the fainthearted, support the weak, be patient toward all. 15.See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always follow after that which is good, for one another, and for all.

16.Rejoice always. 17.Pray without ceasing. 18.In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you. 19.Don't quench the Spirit. 20.Don't despise prophesies. 21.Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good. 22.Abstain from every form of evil.

23.May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

24.He who calls you is faithful, who will also do it. 25.Brothers, pray for us. 26.Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. 27.I solemnly command you by the Lord that this letter be read to all the holy brothers.

28.The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.