Joshua 16

• 1. The allotment to the descendants of Joseph extended from the Jordan River near Jericho, east of the waters of Jericho, through the wilderness and into the hill country of Bethel.
• 2. From Bethel (that is, Luz) it ran over to Ataroth in the territory of the Arkites.
• 3. Then it descended westward to the territory of the Japhletites as far as Lower Beth-horon, then to Gezer and on over to the Mediterranean Sea.
• 4. The families of Joseph's sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, received their inheritance.
• 5. The following territory was given to the families of the tribe of Ephraim as their inheritance. The eastern boundary of their inheritance began at Ataroth-addar. From there it ran to Upper Beth-horon,
• 6. then on to the Mediterranean Sea. The northern boundary began at the Mediterranean, ran east past Micmethath, then curved eastward past Taanath-shiloh to the east of Janoah.
• 7. From Janoah it turned southward to Ataroth and Naarah, touched Jericho, and ended at the Jordan River.
• 8. From Tappuah the border extended westward, following the Kanah Ravine to the Mediterranean Sea. This is the inheritance given to the families of the tribe of Ephraim.
• 9. Ephraim was also given some towns with surrounding villages in the territory of the half-tribe of Manasseh.
• 10. They did not drive the Canaanites out of Gezer, however, so the people of Gezer live as slaves among the people of Ephraim to this day.

Joshua 17

• 1. The next allotment of land was given to the half-tribe of Manasseh, the descendants of Joseph's older son. Gilead and Bashan on the east side of the Jordan had already been given to the family of Makir because he was a great warrior. (Makir was Manasseh's oldest son and was the father of Gilead.)
• 2. Land on the west side of the Jordan was allotted to the remaining families within the tribe of Manasseh: Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida.
• 3. However, Zelophehad son of Hepher, who was a descendant of Manasseh, Makir, and Gilead, had no sons. Instead, he had five daughters. Their names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
• 4. These women came to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the Israelite leaders and said, "The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance along with the men of our tribe." So Joshua gave them an inheritance along with their uncles, as the LORD had commanded.
• 5. As a result, Manasseh's inheritance came to ten parcels of land, in addition to the land of Gilead and Bashan across the Jordan River,
• 6. because the female descendants of Manasseh received an inheritance along with the male descendants. (The land of Gilead was given to the rest of the male descendants of Manasseh.)
• 7. The boundary of the tribe of Manasseh extended from the border of Asher to Micmethath, which is east of Shechem. Then the boundary went south from Micmethath to the people living near the spring of Tappuah.
• 8. (The land surrounding Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but the town of Tappuah, on the border of Manasseh's territory, belonged to the tribe of Ephraim.)
• 9. From the spring of Tappuah, the border of Manasseh followed the northern side of the Kanah Ravine to the Mediterranean Sea. (Several towns in Manasseh's territory belonged to the tribe of Ephraim.)
• 10. The land south of the ravine belonged to Ephraim, and the land north of the ravine belonged to Manasseh, with the Mediterranean Sea forming Manasseh's western border. North of Manasseh was the territory of Asher, and to the east was the territory of Issachar.
• 11. The following towns within the territory of Issachar and Asher were given to Manasseh: Beth-shan, Ibleam, Dor (that is, Naphoth-dor), Endor, Taanach, and Megiddo, with their respective villages.
• 12. But the descendants of Manasseh were unable to occupy these towns. They could not drive out the Canaanites who continued to live there.
• 13. Later on, however, when the Israelites became strong enough, they forced the Canaanites to work as slaves. But they did not drive them out of the land.
• 14. The descendants of Joseph came to Joshua and asked, "Why have you given us only one portion of land when the LORD has given us so many people?"
• 15. Joshua replied, "If the hill country of Ephraim is not large enough for you, clear out land for yourselves in the forest where the Perizzites and Rephaites live."
• 16. They said, "The hill country is not enough for us, and the Canaanites in the lowlands around Beth-shan and the valley of Jezreel have iron chariots--they are too strong for us."
• 17. Then Joshua said to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, the descendants of Joseph, "Since you are so large and strong, you will be given more than one portion.
• 18. The forests of the hill country will be yours as well. Clear as much of the land as you wish and live there. And I am sure you can drive out the Canaanites from the valleys, too, even though they are strong and have iron chariots."

Psalms 148

• 1. Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens! Praise him from the skies!
• 2. Praise him, all his angels! Praise him, all the armies of heaven!
• 3. Praise him, sun and moon! Praise him, all you twinkling stars!
• 4. Praise him, skies above! Praise him, vapors high above the clouds!
• 5. Let every created thing give praise to the LORD, for he issued his command, and they came into being.
• 6. He established them forever and forever. His orders will never be revoked.
• 7. Praise the LORD from the earth, you creatures of the ocean depths,
• 8. fire and hail, snow and storm, wind and weather that obey him,
• 9. mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars,
• 10. wild animals and all livestock, reptiles and birds,
• 11. kings of the earth and all people, rulers and judges of the earth,
• 12. young men and maidens, old men and children.
• 13. Let them all praise the name of the LORD. For his name is very great; his glory towers over the earth and heaven!
• 14. He has made his people strong, honoring his godly ones--the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the LORD!

Jeremiah 8

• 1. "In that day," says the LORD, "the enemy will break open the graves of the kings and officials of Judah, and the graves of the priests, prophets, and common people.
• 2. They will dig out their bones and spread them out on the ground before the sun, moon, and stars--the gods my people have loved, served, and worshiped. Their bones will not be gathered up again or buried but will be scattered on the ground like dung.
• 3. And the people of this evil nation who survive will wish to die rather than live where I will send them. I, the LORD Almighty, have spoken!
• 4. "Jeremiah, say to the people, `This is what the LORD says: When people fall down, don't they get up again? When they start down the wrong road and discover their mistake, don't they turn back?
• 5. Then why do these people keep going along their self-destructive path, refusing to turn back, even though I have warned them?
• 6. I listen to their conversations, and what do I hear? Is anyone sorry for sin? Does anyone say, "What a terrible thing I have done"? No! All are running down the path of sin as swiftly as a horse rushing into battle!
• 7. The stork knows the time of her migration, as do the turtledove, the swallow, and the crane. They all return at the proper time each year. But not my people! They do not know what the LORD requires of them.
• 8. " `How can you say, "We are wise because we have the law of the LORD," when your teachers have twisted it so badly?
• 9. These wise teachers will be shamed by exile for their sin, for they have rejected the word of the LORD. Are they so wise after all?
• 10. I will give their wives and their farms to others. From the least to the greatest, they trick others to get what does not belong to them. Yes, even my prophets and priests are like that.
• 11. They offer superficial treatments for my people's mortal wound. They give assurances of peace when all is war.
• 12. Are they ashamed when they do these disgusting things? No, not at all--they don't even blush! Therefore, they will lie among the slaughtered. They will be humbled when they are punished, says the LORD.
• 13. I will take away their rich harvests of figs and grapes. Their fruit trees will all die. All the good things I prepared for them will soon be gone. I, the LORD, have spoken!'
• 14. "Then the people will say, `Why should we wait here to die? Come, let's go to the fortified cities to die there. For the LORD our God has decreed our destruction and has given us a cup of poison to drink because we sinned against the LORD.
• 15. We hoped for peace, but no peace came. We hoped for a time of healing, but found only terror.
• 16. The snorting of the enemies' warhorses can be heard all the way from the land of Dan in the north! The whole land trembles at the approach of the terrible army, for it is coming to devour the land and everything in it--cities and people alike.'
• 17. "I will send these enemy troops among you like poisonous snakes you cannot charm," says the LORD. "No matter what you do, they will bite you, and you will die."
• 18. My grief is beyond healing; my heart is broken.
• 19. Listen to the weeping of my people; it can be heard all across the land. "Has the LORD abandoned Jerusalem?" the people ask. "Is her King no longer there?Oh, why have they angered me with their carved idols and worthless gods?" asks the LORD.
• 20. "The harvest is finished, and the summer is gone," the people cry, "yet we are not saved!"
• 21. I weep for the hurt of my people. I am stunned and silent, mute with grief.
• 22. Is there no medicine in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why is there no healing for the wounds of my people?

New Living Translation: 193 of 365 days.