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Annual Bible reading: 188 of 365 days

• Joshua 9
• 1. Now when all the kings west of the Jordan heard about these things-those in the hill country, in the western foothills, and along the entire coast of the Great Sea as far as Lebanon (the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites)-
• 2. they came together to make war against Joshua and Israel.
• 3. However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,
• 4. they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended.
• 5. The men put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy.
• 6. Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, "We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us."
• 7. The men of Israel said to the Hivites, "But perhaps you live near us. How then can we make a treaty with you?"
• 8. "We are your servants," they said to Joshua. But Joshua asked, "Who are you and where do you come from?"
• 9. They answered: "Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt,
• 10. and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan-Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth.
• 11. And our elders and all those living in our country said to us, 'Take provisions for your journey; go and meet them and say to them, "We are your servants; make a treaty with us."'
• 12. This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But now see how dry and moldy it is.
• 13. And these wineskins that we filled were new, but see how cracked they are. And our clothes and sandals are worn out by the very long journey."
• 14. The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD.
• 15. Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath.
• 16. Three days after they made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites heard that they were neighbors, living near them.
• 17. So the Israelites set out and on the third day came to their cities: Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim.
• 18. But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. The whole assembly grumbled against the leaders,
• 19. but all the leaders answered, "We have given them our oath by the LORD, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now.
• 20. This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them."
• 21. They continued, "Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers for the entire community." So the leaders' promise to them was kept.
• 22. Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, "Why did you deceive us by saying, 'We live a long way from you,' while actually you live near us?
• 23. You are now under a curse: You will never cease to serve as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God."
• 24. They answered Joshua, "Your servants were clearly told how the LORD your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and to wipe out all its inhabitants from before you. So we feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this.
• 25. We are now in your hands. Do to us whatever seems good and right to you."
• 26. So Joshua saved them from the Israelites, and they did not kill them.
• 27. That day he made the Gibeonites woodcutters and water carriers for the community and for the altar of the LORD at the place the LORD would choose. And that is what they are to this day.
• Psalms 141
• 1. O LORD, I call to you; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to you.
• 2. May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.
• 3. Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.
• 4. Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil, to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers; let me not eat of their delicacies.
• 5. Let a righteous man strike me-it is a kindness; let him rebuke me-it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it. Yet my prayer is ever against the deeds of evildoers;
• 6. their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs, and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.
• 7. They will say, "As one plows and breaks up the earth, so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of the grave. "
• 8. But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign LORD; in you I take refuge-do not give me over to death.
• 9. Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, from the traps set by evildoers.
• 10. Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety.
• Jeremiah 3
• 1. "If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him and marries another man, should he return to her again? Would not the land be completely defiled? But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers- would you now return to me?" declares the LORD.
• 2. "Look up to the barren heights and see. Is there any place where you have not been ravished? By the roadside you sat waiting for lovers, sat like a nomad in the desert. You have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness.
• 3. Therefore the showers have been withheld, and no spring rains have fallen. Yet you have the brazen look of a prostitute; you refuse to blush with shame.
• 4. Have you not just called to me: 'My Father, my friend from my youth,
• 5. will you always be angry? Will your wrath continue forever?' This is how you talk, but you do all the evil you can."
• 6. During the reign of King Josiah, the LORD said to me, "Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree and has committed adultery there.
• 7. I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it.
• 8. I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery.
• 9. Because Israel's immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stone and wood.
• 10. In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, but only in pretense," declares the LORD.
• 11. The LORD said to me, "Faithless Israel is more righteous than unfaithful Judah.
• 12. Go, proclaim this message toward the north: "'Return, faithless Israel,' declares the LORD, 'I will frown on you no longer, for I am merciful,' declares the LORD, 'I will not be angry forever.
• 13. Only acknowledge your guilt- you have rebelled against the LORD your God, you have scattered your favors to foreign gods under every spreading tree, and have not obeyed me,'" declares the LORD.
• 14. "Return, faithless people," declares the LORD, "for I am your husband. I will choose you-one from a town and two from a clan-and bring you to Zion.
• 15. Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.
• 16. In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land," declares the LORD, "men will no longer say, 'The ark of the covenant of the LORD.' It will never enter their minds or be remembered; it will not be missed, nor will another one be made.
• 17. At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.
• 18. In those days the house of Judah will join the house of Israel, and together they will come from a northern land to the land I gave your forefathers as an inheritance.
• 19. "I myself said, "'How gladly would I treat you like sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.' I thought you would call me 'Father' and not turn away from following me.
• 20. But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you have been unfaithful to me, O house of Israel," declares the LORD.
• 21. A cry is heard on the barren heights, the weeping and pleading of the people of Israel, because they have perverted their ways and have forgotten the LORD their God.
• 22. "Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding.Yes, we will come to you, for you are the LORD our God.
• 23. Surely the idolatrous commotion on the hills and mountains is a deception; surely in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.
• 24. From our youth shameful gods have consumed the fruits of our fathers' labor- their flocks and herds, their sons and daughters.
• 25. Let us lie down in our shame, and let our disgrace cover us. We have sinned against the LORD our God, both we and our fathers; from our youth till this day we have not obeyed the LORD our God."

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