Joshua 20

• 1. Then the LORD said to Joshua:
• 2. "Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses,
• 3. so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood.
• 4. "When he flees to one of these cities, he is to stand in the entrance of the city gate and state his case before the elders of that city. Then they are to admit him into their city and give him a place to live with them.
• 5. If the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the one accused, because he killed his neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought.
• 6. He is to stay in that city until he has stood trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest who is serving at that time. Then he may go back to his own home in the town from which he fled."
• 7. So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.
• 8. On the east side of the Jordan of Jericho they designated Bezer in the desert on the plateau in the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead in the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan in the tribe of Manasseh.
• 9. Any of the Israelites or any alien living among them who killed someone accidentally could flee to these designated cities and not be killed by the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.

Joshua 21

• 1. Now the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the other tribal families of Israel
• 2. at Shiloh in Canaan and said to them, "The LORD commanded through Moses that you give us towns to live in, with pasturelands for our livestock."
• 3. So, as the LORD had commanded, the Israelites gave the Levites the following towns and pasturelands out of their own inheritance:
• 4. The first lot came out for the Kohathites, clan by clan. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest were allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin.
• 5. The rest of Kohath's descendants were allotted ten towns from the clans of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan and half of Manasseh.
• 6. The descendants of Gershon were allotted thirteen towns from the clans of the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.
• 7. The descendants of Merari, clan by clan, received twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun.
• 8. So the Israelites allotted to the Levites these towns and their pasturelands, as the LORD had commanded through Moses.
• 9. From the tribes of Judah and Simeon they allotted the following towns by name
• 10. (these towns were assigned to the descendants of Aaron who were from the Kohathite clans of the Levites, because the first lot fell to them):
• 11. They gave them Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), with its surrounding pastureland, in the hill country of Judah. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.)
• 12. But the fields and villages around the city they had given to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession.
• 13. So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron (a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Libnah,
• 14. Jattir, Eshtemoa,
• 15. Holon, Debir,
• 16. Ain, Juttah and Beth Shemesh, together with their pasturelands-nine towns from these two tribes.
• 17. And from the tribe of Benjamin they gave them Gibeon, Geba,
• 18. Anathoth and Almon, together with their pasturelands-four towns.
• 19. All the towns for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were thirteen, together with their pasturelands.
• 20. The rest of the Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted towns from the tribe of Ephraim:
• 21. In the hill country of Ephraim they were given Shechem (a city of refuge for one accused of murder) and Gezer,
• 22. Kibzaim and Beth Horon, together with their pasturelands-four towns.
• 23. Also from the tribe of Dan they received Eltekeh, Gibbethon,
• 24. Aijalon and Gath Rimmon, together with their pasturelands-four towns.
• 25. From half the tribe of Manasseh they received Taanach and Gath Rimmon, together with their pasturelands-two towns.
• 26. All these ten towns and their pasturelands were given to the rest of the Kohathite clans.
• 27. The Levite clans of the Gershonites were given: from the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan (a city of refuge for one accused of murder) and Be Eshtarah, together with their pasturelands-two towns;
• 28. from the tribe of Issachar, Kishion, Daberath,
• 29. Jarmuth and En Gannim, together with their pasturelands-four towns;
• 30. from the tribe of Asher, Mishal, Abdon,
• 31. Helkath and Rehob, together with their pasturelands-four towns;
• 32. from the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee (a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Hammoth Dor and Kartan, together with their pasturelands-three towns.
• 33. All the towns of the Gershonite clans were thirteen, together with their pasturelands.
• 34. The Merarite clans (the rest of the Levites) were given: from the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam, Kartah,
• 35. Dimnah and Nahalal, together with their pasturelands-four towns;
• 36. from the tribe of Reuben, Bezer, Jahaz,
• 37. Kedemoth and Mephaath, together with their pasturelands-four towns;
• 38. from the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead (a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Mahanaim,
• 39. Heshbon and Jazer, together with their pasturelands-four towns in all.
• 40. All the towns allotted to the Merarite clans, who were the rest of the Levites, were twelve.
• 41. The towns of the Levites in the territory held by the Israelites were forty-eight in all, together with their pasturelands.
• 42. Each of these towns had pasturelands surrounding it; this was true for all these towns.
• 43. So the LORD gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there.
• 44. The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the LORD handed all their enemies over to them.
• 45. Not one of all the LORD's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

Acts 1

• 1. In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach
• 2. until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.
• 3. After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.
• 4. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.
• 5. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
• 6. So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
• 7. He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.
• 8. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
• 9. After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
• 10. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.
• 11. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."
• 12. Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day's walk from the city.
• 13. When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.
• 14. They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
• 15. In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty)
• 16. and said, "Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus--
• 17. he was one of our number and shared in this ministry."
• 18. (With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out.
• 19. Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)
• 20. "For," said Peter, "it is written in the book of Psalms, "'May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,' and, "'May another take his place of leadership.'
• 21. Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
• 22. beginning from John's baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection."
• 23. So they proposed two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias.
• 24. Then they prayed, "Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen
• 25. to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs."
• 26. Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.

Jeremiah 10

• 1. Hear what the LORD says to you, O house of Israel.
• 2. This is what the LORD says: "Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the sky, though the nations are terrified by them.
• 3. For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel.
• 4. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter.
• 5. Like a scarecrow in a melon patch, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good."
• 6. No one is like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is mighty in power.
• 7. Who should not revere you, O King of the nations? This is your due. Among all the wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you.
• 8. They are all senseless and foolish; they are taught by worthless wooden idols.
• 9. Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz. What the craftsman and goldsmith have made is then dressed in blue and purple- all made by skilled workers.
• 10. But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King. When he is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure his wrath.
• 11. "Tell them this: 'These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.'"
• 12. But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.
• 13. When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
• 14. Everyone is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. His images are a fraud; they have no breath in them.
• 15. They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish.
• 16. He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these, for he is the Maker of all things, including Israel, the tribe of his inheritance- the LORD Almighty is his name.
• 17. Gather up your belongings to leave the land, you who live under siege.
• 18. For this is what the LORD says: "At this time I will hurl out those who live in this land; I will bring distress on them so that they may be captured."
• 19. Woe to me because of my injury! My wound is incurable! Yet I said to myself, "This is my sickness, and I must endure it."
• 20. My tent is destroyed; all its ropes are snapped. My sons are gone from me and are no more; no one is left now to pitch my tent or to set up my shelter.
• 21. The shepherds are senseless and do not inquire of the LORD; so they do not prosper and all their flock is scattered.
• 22. Listen! The report is coming- a great commotion from the land of the north! It will make the towns of Judah desolate, a haunt of jackals.
• 23. I know, O LORD, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.
• 24. Correct me, LORD, but only with justice- not in your anger, lest you reduce me to nothing.
• 25. Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the peoples who do not call on your name. For they have devoured Jacob; they have devoured him completely and destroyed his homeland.

New International Version

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