Bible Reading Plan

Joshua 22

Chapter 22

Tribes beyond Jordan Return

^1 (C1)Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh,² and said to them, "You have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, ^(C1)and have listened to my voice in all that I commanded you.³ "You have not abandoned your brothers these many days to this day, but have fulfilled the obligation of the commandment of the LORD your God.⁴ "And now ^(C1)the LORD your God has given rest to your brothers, as He spoke to them; therefore turn now and go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you beyond the Jordan.⁵ "Only be very careful to ^(F1)follow the commandment and the Law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to ^(C1)love the LORD your God and walk in all His ways, and keep His commandments and cling to Him, and serve Him ^(C2)with all your heart and with all your soul."⁶ So Joshua ^(C1)blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.

⁷ Now ^(C1)to the one half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, but ^(C2)to the other half Joshua gave a possession among their brothers westward beyond the Jordan. So when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he also blessed them,⁸ and said to ^(F1)them, "Return to your tents with great riches and with very many livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, iron, and with very many clothes; ^(C1)divide the spoils of your enemies with your brothers."⁹ So the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned home, ^(F1)leaving the sons of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the ^(C1)land of Gilead, to the land of their possession in which they had settled, in accordance with the ^(F2)command of the LORD ^(F3)through Moses.

The Offensive Altar

¹⁰ When they came to the region of the Jordan which is in the land of Canaan, the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan, ^(F1)a large altar in appearance.¹¹ But the sons of Israel ^(F1)heard a report: "Behold, the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have ^(C1)built an altar at the ^(F2)frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region of the Jordan, on the side belonging to the sons of Israel."¹² And when the sons of Israel heard about it, the entire congregation of the sons of Israel assembled at ^(C1)Shiloh to go up against them in battle.

¹³ Then the sons of Israel sent to the sons of Reuben, to the sons of Gad, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, ^(C1)Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest,¹⁴ and with him ten leaders, one leader for each father's household from each of the tribes of Israel; and ^(C1)each one of them was the head of his father's household among the ^(F1)thousands of Israel.¹⁵ They came to the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them, saying,¹⁶ "This is what the whole congregation of the LORD says: 'What is this unfaithful act which you have committed against the God of Israel, turning away from following the LORD this day, by ^(C1)building yourselves an altar, to rebel against the LORD this day?¹⁷ 'Is ^(C1)the wrongdoing of Peor ^(F1)not enough for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day, although ^(F2)a plague came on the congregation of the LORD,¹⁸ that you must turn away this day from following the LORD? If you rebel against the LORD today, ^(C1)He will be angry with the entire congregation of Israel tomorrow.¹⁹ 'If, however, the land of your possession is unclean, then ^(F1)cross into the land of the possession of the LORD, where the LORD'S ^(F2)tabernacle ^(F3)stands, and settle among us. Only do not rebel against the LORD, or rebel against us, by ^(C1)building an altar for yourselves besides the altar of the LORD our God.²⁰ 'Did ^(C1)Achan the son of Zerah not act unfaithfully in the things designated for destruction, and wrath fall on the entire congregation of Israel? So that man did not perish alone in his guilt.'"

²¹ Then the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered and spoke to the heads of the ^(F1)families of Israel.²² "The ^(C1)Mighty One, God, the LORD, the Mighty One, God, the LORD! ^(C2)He knows, and may Israel itself know. If it was in rebellion, or if in an unfaithful act against the LORD, do not save us this day!²³ "If we have built us an altar to turn away from following the LORD, or if to ^(C1)offer a burnt offering or grain offering on it, or if to offer sacrifices of peace offerings on it, may the LORD Himself ^(F1)demand it.²⁴ "But truly we have done this out of concern, ^(F1)for a reason, saying, 'In time to come your sons may say to our ^(F2)sons, "What have you to do with the LORD, the God of Israel?²⁵ "For the LORD has made the Jordan a border between us and you, you sons of Reuben and sons of Gad; you have no portion in the LORD." So your sons may make our sons stop fearing the LORD.'

²⁶ "Therefore we said, 'Let's ^(F1)build an altar, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice;²⁷ rather, it shall be ^(C1)a witness between us and you and between our generations after us, that we are to ^(C2)perform the service of the LORD before Him with our burnt offerings, our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings, so that your sons will not say to our sons in time to come, "You have no portion in the LORD."'²⁸ "Therefore we said, 'It shall also come about if they say this to us or to our generations in time to come, then we shall say, "See the copy of the altar of the LORD which our fathers made, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice; rather, it is a witness between us and you."'²⁹ "Far be it from us that we should rebel against the LORD and turn away from following the LORD this day, by ^(C1)building an altar for burnt offering, for grain offering, or for sacrifice, besides the altar of the LORD our God which is before His ^(F1)tabernacle."

³⁰ So when Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the congregation, that is, the heads of the ^(F1)families of Israel who were with him, heard the words which the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the sons of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them.³¹ And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and to the sons of Manasseh, "Today we know that the ^(C1)LORD is in our midst, because you have not committed this unfaithful act against the LORD; now you have saved the sons of Israel from the hand of the LORD."

³² Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest and the leaders returned from the sons of Reuben and from the sons of Gad, from the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the sons of Israel, and brought back word to them.³³ The word pleased the sons of Israel, and the sons of Israel ^(C1)blessed God; and they did not speak of going up against them in battle to destroy the land in which the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad were living.³⁴ And the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad ^(C1)called the altar Witness; "For," they said, "it is a witness between us that the LORD is God."

Job 31

Chapter 31

Job Asserts His Integrity

¹ "I have made a covenant with my ^(C1)eyes;
How then could I look at a virgin?

² "And what is ^(C1)the portion of God from above,
Or the inheritance of the Almighty from on high?

³ "Is it not ^(C1)disaster to the criminal,
And misfortune to ^(C2)those who practice injustice?

⁴ "Does He not ^(C1)see my ways,
And ^(C2)count all my steps?

⁵ "If I have ^(C1)walked with deception,
And my foot has hurried after deceit,

⁶ Let Him ^(C1)weigh me with ^(F1)accurate scales,
And let God know ^(C2)my integrity.

⁷ "If my step has ^(C1)turned from the way,
Or my heart ^(F1)followed my eyes,
Or if any ^(C2)spot has stuck to my hands,

⁸ Let me ^(C1)sow and another eat,
And let my ^(F1)(C2)crops be uprooted.

⁹ "If my heart has been ^(C1)enticed by a woman,
Or I have lurked at my neighbor's doorway,

¹⁰ May my wife ^(C1)grind grain for another,
And let ^(C2)others ^(F1)kneel down over her.

¹¹ "For that would be a ^(C1)lustful crime;
Moreover, it would be ^(C2)wrongdoing punishable by judges.

¹² "For it would be ^(C1)fire that consumes to ^(F1)(C2)Abaddon,
And would ^(C3)uproot all my ^(F2)increase.

¹³ "If I have ^(C1)rejected the claim of my male or female slaves
When they filed a complaint against me,

¹⁴ What then could I do when God arises?
And when He calls me to account, how am I to answer Him?

¹⁵ "Did ^(C1)He who made me in the womb not make him,
And the same One create us in the womb?

¹⁶ "If I have kept ^(C1)the poor from their desire,
Or have caused the eyes of ^(C2)the widow to fail,

¹⁷ Or have ^(C1)eaten my morsel alone,
And ^(C2)the orphan has not ^(F1)shared it

¹⁸ (But from my youth he grew up with me as with a father,
And from ^(F1)my infancy I guided her),

¹⁹ If I have seen anyone perish ^(C1)for lack of clothing,
Or that ^(C2)the needy had no covering,

²⁰ If his waist has not ^(F1)thanked me,
And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep,

²¹ If I have lifted up my hand against ^(C1)the orphan,
Because I saw ^(F1)I had support ^(C2)in the gate,

²² May my shoulder fall from its ^(F1)socket,
And my ^(C1)arm be broken off ^(F2)at the elbow.

²³ "For ^(C1)disaster from God is a terror to me,
And because of ^(C2)His majesty I can do nothing.

²⁴ "If I have put my confidence in ^(C1)gold,
And called fine gold my trust,

²⁵ If I have ^(C1)gloated because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had obtained so much;

²⁶ If I have ^(C1)looked at the ^(F1)sun when it shone,
Or the moon going in splendor,

²⁷ And my heart was secretly enticed,
And my hand ^(F1)threw a kiss from my mouth,

²⁸ That too would have been ^(C1)a guilty deed calling for ^(F1)judgment,
For I would have ^(C2)denied God above.

²⁹ "Have I ^(C1)rejoiced at the misfortune of my enemy,
Or become excited when evil found him?

³⁰ "^(F1)No, ^(C1)I have not ^(F2)allowed my mouth to sin
By asking for his life in ^(C2)a curse.

³¹ "Have the people of my tent not said,
'Who can ^(F1)find one who has not been ^(C1)satisfied with his meat'?

³² "The stranger has not spent the night outside,
For I have opened my doors to the ^(F1)traveler.

³³ "Have I ^(C1)covered my wrongdoings like a man,
By hiding my guilt in my shirt pocket,

³⁴ Because I ^(C1)feared the great multitude
And the contempt of families terrified me,
And I kept silent and did not go out of doors?

³⁵ "Oh that I had one to hear me!
Here is my ^(F1)signature;
^(C1)Let the Almighty answer me!
And the indictment which my ^(C2)adversary has written,

³⁶ I would certainly carry it on my shoulder,
I would tie it to myself like a garland.

³⁷ "I would declare to Him ^(C1)the number of my steps;
Like ^(C2)a prince, I would approach Him.

³⁸ "If my ^(C1)land cries out against me,
And its furrows weep together;

³⁹ If I have ^(C1)eaten its ^(F1)fruit without money,
Or have ^(C2)caused ^(F2)its owners to lose their lives,

⁴⁰ May the ^(C1)thorn-bush ^(F1)grow instead of wheat,
And stinkweed instead of barley."
The words of Job are ended.

Acts 14

Chapter 14

Acceptance and Opposition

¹ In ^(C1)Iconium ^(C2)they entered the synagogue of the Jews together, and spoke in such a way ^(C3)that a large number of people believed, both of Jews and of ^(C4)Greeks.² But ^(C1)the ^(F1)(C2)unbelieving Jews stirred up the ^(F2)minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against ^(C3)the brothers.³ Therefore they spent a long time there ^(C1)speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord, who was testifying to the word of His grace, granting that ^(F1)(C2)signs and wonders be performed by their hands.^4 (C1)But the ^(F1)people of the city were divided; and some ^(F2)sided with ^(C2)the Jews, while others, with ^(C3)the apostles.⁵ And when an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and ^(C1)the Jews with their rulers, to treat them abusively and to ^(C2)stone them,⁶ they became aware of it and fled to the cities of ^(C1)Lycaonia, ^(C2)Lystra and ^(C3)Derbe, and the surrounding region;⁷ and there they continued to ^(C1)preach the gospel.

⁸ In ^(C1)Lystra ^(C2)a man was sitting whose feet were incapacitated. He had been disabled from his mother's womb, and had never walked.⁹ This man was listening to Paul as he spoke. Paul ^(C1)looked at him intently and saw that he had ^(C2)faith to be ^(F1)made well,¹⁰ and he said with a loud voice, "Stand upright on your feet!" ^(C1)And the man leaped up and began to walk.¹¹ When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the ^(C1)Lycaonian language, "^(C2)The gods have become like men and have come down to us!"¹² And they began calling Barnabas, ^(F1)Zeus, and Paul, ^(F2)Hermes, since he was ^(F3)the chief speaker.¹³ Moreover, the priest of Zeus, whose temple was ^(F1)just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and ^(C1)wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.¹⁴ But when ^(C1)the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard about it, they ^(C2)tore their ^(F1)robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out¹⁵ and saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We are also ^(C1)men, of the same nature as you, ^(C2)preaching the gospel to you, to turn from these ^(F1)(C3)useless things to a ^(C4)living God, who ^(C5)MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA, AND EVERYTHING THAT IS IN THEM.¹⁶ "^(F1)In past generations He ^(C1)permitted all the ^(F2)nations to ^(C2)go their own ways;¹⁷ yet ^(C1)He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and ^(C2)gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, ^(F1)satisfying your hearts with food and gladness."¹⁸ And even by saying these things, only with difficulty did they restrain the crowds from offering sacrifices to them.

¹⁹ But ^(C1)Jews came from ^(C2)Antioch and ^(C3)Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they ^(C4)stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, thinking that he was dead.²⁰ But while ^(C1)the disciples stood around him, he got up and entered the city. The next day he left with Barnabas for ^(C2)Derbe.²¹ And after they had ^(C1)preached the gospel to that city and had ^(C2)made a good number of disciples, they returned to ^(C3)Lystra, to ^(C4)Iconium, and to ^(C5)Antioch,²² strengthening the souls of ^(C1)the disciples, encouraging them to continue in ^(C2)the faith, and saying, "^(C3)It is through many tribulations that we must enter the kingdom of God."²³ When ^(C1)they had appointed ^(C2)elders for them in every church, having ^(C3)prayed with fasting, they ^(C4)entrusted them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

²⁴ They passed through ^(C1)Pisidia and came into ^(C2)Pamphylia.²⁵ When they had spoken the word in ^(C1)Perga, they went down to Attalia.²⁶ From there they sailed to ^(C1)Antioch, ^(C2)where they had been ^(C3)entrusted to the grace of God for the work that they had ^(F1)accomplished.²⁷ When they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to ^(C1)report all the things that God had done with them and ^(F1)how He had opened a ^(C2)door of faith to the Gentiles.²⁸ And they spent ^(F1)a long time with ^(C1)the disciples.