Day 121 of 365
Josh 24:1–36, Luke 22:1–19, Prov 27:19–27
Old Testament
1 Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.
2 Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, 'Your fathers lived of old time beyond the River, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor: and they served other gods.
3 I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.
4 I gave to Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave to Esau Mount Seir, to possess it. Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.
5 I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did in its midst: and afterward I brought you out.
6 I brought your fathers out of Egypt: and you came to the sea. The Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and with horsemen to the Red Sea.
7 When they cried out to the Lord, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea on them, and covered them; and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt: and you lived in the wilderness many days.
8 I brought you into the land of the Amorites, that lived beyond the Jordan: and they fought with you; and I gave them into your hand. You possessed their land; and I destroyed them from before you.
9 Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel. He sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you;
10 but I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he blessed you still. So I delivered you out of his hand.
11 You went over the Jordan, and came to Jericho. The men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; and I delivered them into your hand.
12 I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; not with your sword, nor with your bow.
13 I gave you a land whereon you had not labored, and cities which you did not build, and you live in them. You eat of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.'
14 Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth. Put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, in Egypt; and serve the Lord.
15 If it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
16 The people answered, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other gods;
17 for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way in which we went, and among all the peoples through the midst of whom we passed.
18 The Lord drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord; for he is our God."
19 Joshua said to the people, "You can't serve the Lord; for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your disobedience nor your sins.
20 If you forsake the Lord, and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you evil, and consume you, after he has done you good."
21 The people said to Joshua, "No; but we will serve the Lord."
22 Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen you the Lord, to serve him." They said, "We are witnesses."
23 "Now therefore put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord, the God of Israel."
24 The people said to Joshua, "We will serve the Lord our God, and we will listen to his voice."
25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.
26 Joshua wrote these words in the scroll of the Law of God; and he took a great stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the Lord.
27 Joshua said to all the people, "Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us; for it has heard all the words of the Lord which he spoke to us. It shall be therefore a witness against you, lest you deny your God."
28 So Joshua sent the people away, every man to his inheritance.
29 It happened after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being one hundred ten years old.
30 They buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathserah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash.
31 Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, and had known all the work of the Lord, that he had worked for Israel.
32 They buried the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, in Shechem, in the parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money. They became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.
33 Eleazar the son of Aaron died. They buried him in the hill of Phinehas his son, which was given him in the hill country of Ephraim.
New Testament
1 Now the feast of unleavened bread, which is called the Passover, drew near.
2 The chief priests and the scribes sought how they might put him to death, for they feared the people.
3 Satan entered into Judas, who was called Iscariot, who was numbered with the twelve.
4 He went away, and talked with the chief priests and captains about how he might deliver him to them.
5 They were glad, and agreed to give him money.
6 He consented, and sought an opportunity to deliver him to them in the absence of the multitude.
7 The day of unleavened bread came, on which the Passover must be sacrificed.
8 He sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat."
9 They said to him, "Where do you want us to prepare?"
10 He said to them, "Behold, when you have entered into the city, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him into the house which he enters.
11 Tell the master of the house, 'The Teacher says to you, "Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"'
12 He will show you a large, furnished upper room. Make preparations there."
13 They went, found things as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.
14 When the hour had come, he sat down with the twelve.
15 He said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer,
16 for I tell you, I will no longer by any means eat of it until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God."
17 He received a cup, and when he had given thanks, he said, "Take this, and share it among yourselves,
18 for I tell you, I will not drink at all again from the fruit of the vine, until the Kingdom of God comes."
19 He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave to them, saying, "This is my body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me."
Wisdom
19 As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man.
20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; and a man's eyes are never satisfied.
21 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace for gold; but man is refined by his praise.
22 Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, yet his foolishness will not be removed from him.
23 Know well the state of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds:
24 for riches are not forever, nor does even the crown endure to all generations.
25 The hay is removed, and the new growth appears, the grasses of the hills are gathered in.
26 The lambs are for your clothing, and the goats are the price of a field.
27 There will be plenty of goats' milk for your food, for your family's food, and for the nourishment of your servant girls.
Text: New Heart English Bible.