Israel Fights the Remaining Canaanites^(A)

1 After the death^(B) of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, “Who of us is to go up first^(C) to fight against the Canaanites?^(D)”

² The Lord answered, “Judah^(E) shall go up; I have given the land into their hands.^(F)”

³ The men of Judah then said to the Simeonites their fellow Israelites, “Come up with us into the territory allotted to us, to fight against the Canaanites. We in turn will go with you into yours.” So the Simeonites^(G) went with them.

⁴ When Judah attacked, the Lord gave the Canaanites and Perizzites^(H) into their hands, and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek.^{(I) 5} It was there that they found Adoni-Bezek^(J) and fought against him, putting to rout the Canaanites and Perizzites. ⁶ Adoni-Bezek fled, but they chased him and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes.

⁷ Then Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have picked up scraps under my table. Now God has paid me back^(K) for what I did to them.” They brought him to Jerusalem,^(L) and he died there.

⁸ The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem^(M) also and took it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire.

⁹ After that, Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country,^(N) the Negev^(O) and the western foothills. ¹⁰ They advanced against the Canaanites living in Hebron^(P) (formerly called Kiriath Arba^(Q)) and defeated Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai.^{(R) 11} From there they advanced against the people living in Debir^(S) (formerly called Kiriath Sepher).

¹² And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.” ¹³ Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage.

¹⁴ One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him^[a] to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?”

¹⁵ She replied, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.^(T)

¹⁶ The descendants of Moses’ father-in-law,^(U) the Kenite,^(V) went up from the City of Palms^[b](W) with the people of Judah to live among the inhabitants of the Desert of Judah in the Negev near Arad.^(X)

¹⁷ Then the men of Judah went with the Simeonites^(Y) their fellow Israelites and attacked the Canaanites living in Zephath, and they totally destroyed^[c] the city. Therefore it was called Hormah.^{[d](Z) 18} Judah also took^[e] Gaza,^(AA) Ashkelon^(AB) and Ekron—each city with its territory.

¹⁹ The Lord was with^(AC) the men of Judah. They took possession of the hill country,^(AD) but they were unable to drive the people from the plains, because they had chariots fitted with iron.^{(AE) 20} As Moses had promised, Hebron^(AF) was given to Caleb, who drove from it the three sons of Anak.^{(AG) 21} The Benjamites, however, did not drive out^(AH) the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem;^(AI) to this day the Jebusites live there with the Benjamites.

²² Now the tribes of Joseph^(AJ) attacked Bethel,^(AK) and the Lord was with them. ²³ When they sent men to spy out Bethel (formerly called Luz),^{(AL) 24} the spies saw a man coming out of the city and they said to him, “Show us how to get into the city and we will see that you are treated well.^(AM)” ²⁵ So he showed them, and they put the city to the sword but spared^(AN) the man and his whole family. ²⁶ He then went to the land of the Hittites,^(AO) where he built a city and called it Luz,^(AP) which is its name to this day.

²⁷ But Manasseh did not^(AQ) drive out the people of Beth Shan or Taanach or Dor^(AR) or Ibleam^(AS) or Megiddo^(AT) and their surrounding settlements, for the Canaanites^(AU) were determined to live in that land. ²⁸ When Israel became strong, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor but never drove them out completely.^{(AV) 29} Nor did Ephraim^(AW) drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer,^(AX) but the Canaanites continued to live there among them.^{(AY) 30} Neither did Zebulun drive out the Canaanites living in Kitron or Nahalol, so these Canaanites lived among them, but Zebulun did subject them to forced labor. ³¹ Nor did Asher^(AZ) drive out those living in Akko or Sidon^(BA) or Ahlab or Akzib^(BB) or Helbah or Aphek^(BC) or Rehob.^{(BD) 32} The Asherites lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land because they did not drive them out. ³³ Neither did Naphtali drive out those living in Beth Shemesh^(BE) or Beth Anath^(BF); but the Naphtalites too lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, and those living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath became forced laborers for them. ³⁴ The Amorites^(BG) confined the Danites^(BH) to the hill country, not allowing them to come down into the plain.^{(BI) 35} And the Amorites were determined also to hold out in Mount Heres,^(BJ) Aijalon^(BK) and Shaalbim,^(BL) but when the power of the tribes of Joseph increased, they too were pressed into forced labor. ³⁶ The boundary of the Amorites was from Scorpion Pass^(BM) to Sela^(BN) and beyond.^(BO)

The Angel of the Lord at Bokim

2 The angel of the Lord^(BP) went up from Gilgal^(BQ) to Bokim^(BR) and said, “I brought you up out of Egypt^(BS) and led you into the land I swore to give to your ancestors.^(BT) I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you,^{(BU) 2} and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land,^(BV) but you shall break down their altars.^(BW)’ Yet you have disobeyed^(BX) me. Why have you done this? ³ And I have also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you;^(BY) they will become traps^(BZ) for you, and their gods will become snares^(CA) to you.’”

⁴ When the angel of the Lord had spoken these things to all the Israelites, the people wept aloud,^{(CB) 5} and they called that place Bokim.^[f](CC) There they offered sacrifices to the Lord.

Disobedience and Defeat^(CD)

⁶ After Joshua had dismissed the Israelites, they went to take possession of the land, each to their own inheritance. ⁷ The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel.^(CE)

⁸ Joshua son of Nun,^(CF) the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. ⁹ And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres^[g](CG) in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

²⁹ He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. ³⁰ When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. ³¹ Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God^(A) is near.

³² “Truly I tell you, this generation^(B) will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. ³³ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.^(C)

³⁴ “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life,^(D) and that day will close on you suddenly^(E) like a trap. ³⁵ For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶ Be always on the watch, and pray^(F) that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

³⁷ Each day Jesus was teaching at the temple,^(G) and each evening he went out^(H) to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives,^{(I) 38} and all the people came early in the morning to hear him at the temple.^(J)

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus^(K)

22 Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching,^{(L) 2} and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus,^(M) for they were afraid of the people. ³ Then Satan^(N) entered Judas, called Iscariot,^(O) one of the Twelve. ⁴ And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard^(P) and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. ⁵ They were delighted and agreed to give him money.^{(Q) 6} He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.

The Last Supper^{(R)(S)(T)(U)(V)}

⁷ Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.^{(W) 8} Jesus sent Peter and John,^(X) saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”

⁹ “Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked.

¹⁰ He replied, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, ¹¹ and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ ¹² He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there.”

¹³ They left and found things just as Jesus had told them.^(Y) So they prepared the Passover.

BOOK IV

Psalms 90–106

Psalm 90

A prayer of Moses the man of God.

Psalm 91