Stones of Remembrance and Sealed Multitudes

1. When all the nation had completely crossed over the Jordan, Yahweh spoke to Joshua, saying, 2. “Take twelve men out of the people, a man out of every tribe, 3. and command them, saying, ‘Take from out of the middle of the Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and carry them over with you, and lay them down in the place where you’ll camp tonight.’” 4. Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, a man out of every tribe. 5. Joshua said to them, “Cross before the ark of Yahweh your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you pick up a stone and put it on your shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel; 6. that this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask in the future, saying, ‘What do you mean by these stones?’ 7. then you shall tell them, ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of Yahweh’s covenant. When it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.’” 8. The children of Israel did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the middle of the Jordan, as Yahweh spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel. They carried them over with them to the place where they camped, and laid them down there. 9. Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day. 10. For the priests who bore the ark stood in the middle of the Jordan, until everything was finished that Yahweh commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and passed over. 11. When all the people had completely crossed over, Yahweh’s ark crossed over, with the priests, in the presence of the people. 12. The children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, crossed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spoke to them. 13. About forty thousand men, ready and armed for war passed over before Yahweh to battle, to the plains of Jericho. 14. On that day, Yahweh magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life. 15. Yahweh spoke to Joshua, saying, 16. “Command the priests who bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of the Jordan.” 17. Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, “Come up out of the Jordan!” 18. When the priests who bore the ark of Yahweh’s covenant had come up out of the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet had been lifted up to the dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place, and went over all its banks, as before. 19. The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, on the east border of Jericho. 20. Joshua set up those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, in Gilgal. 21. He spoke to the children of Israel, saying, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22. Then you shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel came over this Jordan on dry land. 23. For Yahweh your God dried up the waters of the Jordan from before you, until you had crossed over, as Yahweh your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up from before us, until we had crossed over; 24. that all the peoples of the earth may know that Yahweh’s hand is mighty; that you may fear Yahweh your God forever.’” 1. When all the kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, who were by the sea, heard how Yahweh had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we had crossed over, their heart melted, and there was no more spirit in them, because of the children of Israel. 2. At that time, Yahweh said to Joshua, “Make flint knives, and circumcise again the sons of Israel the second time.” 3. Joshua made himself flint knives, and circumcised the sons of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. 4. This is the reason Joshua circumcised them: all the people who came out of Egypt, who were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness along the way, after they came out of Egypt. 5. For all the people who came out were circumcised; but all the people who were born in the wilderness along the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised. 6. For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, even the men of war who came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they didn’t listen to Yahweh’s voice. Yahweh swore to them that he wouldn’t let them see the land which Yahweh swore to their fathers that he would give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7. Their children, whom he raised up in their place, were circumcised by Joshua; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them on the way. 8. When they were done circumcising the whole nation, they stayed in their places in the camp until they were healed. 9. Yahweh said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” Therefore the name of that place was called Gilgal, to this day. 10. The children of Israel encamped in Gilgal. They kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at evening in the plains of Jericho. 11. They ate unleavened cakes and parched grain of the produce of the land on the next day after the Passover, in the same day. 12. The manna ceased on the next day, after they had eaten of the produce of the land. The children of Israel didn’t have manna any more; but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. 13. When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man stood in front of him with his sword drawn in his hand. Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our enemies?” 14. He said, “No; but I have come now as commander of Yahweh’s army.” Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and worshiped, and asked him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” 15. The prince of Yahweh’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your shoes; for the place on which you stand is holy.” Joshua did so. 1. Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the children of Israel. No one went out, and no one came in. 2. Yahweh said to Joshua, “Behold, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the mighty men of valor. 3. All of your men of war shall march around the city, going around the city once. You shall do this six days. 4. Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day, you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5. It shall be that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the city wall shall fall down flat, and the people shall go up, every man straight in front of him.” 6. Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before Yahweh’s ark.” 7. They said to the people, “Advance! March around the city, and let the armed men pass on before Yahweh’s ark.” 8. It was so, that when Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before Yahweh advanced and blew the trumpets, and the ark of Yahweh’s covenant followed them. 9. The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the ark went after them. The trumpets sounded as they went. 10. Joshua commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout, nor let your voice be heard, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout.” 11. So he caused Yahweh’s ark to go around the city, going about it once. Then they came into the camp, and stayed in the camp. 12. Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up Yahweh’s ark. 13. The seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns in front of Yahweh’s ark went on continually, and blew the trumpets. The armed men went in front of them. The rear guard came after Yahweh’s ark. The trumpets sounded as they went. 14. The second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. They did this six days. 15. On the seventh day, they rose early at the dawning of the day, and marched around the city in the same way seven times. Only on this day they marched around the city seven times. 16. At the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for Yahweh has given you the city! 17. The city shall be devoted, even it and all that is in it, to Yahweh. Only Rahab the prostitute shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. 18. But as for you, only keep yourselves from what is devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted it, you take of the devoted thing; so you would make the camp of Israel accursed, and trouble it. 19. But all the silver, gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are holy to Yahweh. They shall come into Yahweh’s treasury.” 20. So the people shouted and the priests blew the trumpets. When the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight in front of him, and they took the city. 21. They utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, both young and old, and ox, sheep, and donkey, with the edge of the sword. 22. Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house, and bring the woman and all that she has out from there, as you swore to her.” 23. The young men who were spies went in, and brought out Rahab with her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. They also brought out all of her relatives, and they set them outside of the camp of Israel. 24. They burned the city with fire, and all that was in it. Only they put the silver, the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron into the treasury of Yahweh’s house. 25. But Rahab the prostitute, her father’s household, and all that she had, Joshua saved alive. She lives in the middle of Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers, whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. 26. Joshua commanded them with an oath at that time, saying, “Cursed is the man before Yahweh, who rises up and builds this city Jericho. With the loss of his firstborn he will lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son he will set up its gates.” 27. So Yahweh was with Joshua; and his fame was in all the land.

1. After this, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree. 2. I saw another angel ascend from the sunrise, having the seal of the living God. He cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was given to harm the earth and the sea, 3. saying, “Don’t harm the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, until we have sealed the bondservants of our God on their foreheads!” 4. I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel: 5. of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand, of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand, 6. of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand, 7. of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand, 8. of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand. 9. After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could count, out of every nation and of all tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands. 10. They cried with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation be to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11. All the angels were standing around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before his throne, and worshiped God, 12. saying, “Amen! Blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might, be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” 13. One of the elders answered, saying to me, “These who are arrayed in the white robes, who are they, and from where did they come?” 14. I told him, “My lord, you know.” He said to me, “These are those who came out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes, and made them white in the Lamb’s blood. 15. Therefore they are before the throne of God, they serve him day and night in his temple. He who sits on the throne will spread his tabernacle over them. 16. They will never be hungry, neither thirsty any more; neither will the sun beat on them, nor any heat; 17. for the Lamb who is in the middle of the throne shepherds them, and leads them to springs of life-giving waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” 1. When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2. I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3. Another angel came and stood over the altar, having a golden censer. Much incense was given to him, that he should add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. 4. The smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand. 5. The angel took the censer, and he filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it on the earth. Thunders, sounds, lightnings, and an earthquake followed. 6. The seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. 7. The first sounded, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. One third of the earth was burned up, and one third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up. 8. The second angel sounded, and something like a great burning mountain was thrown into the sea. One third of the sea became blood, 9. and one third of the living creatures which were in the sea died. One third of the ships were destroyed. 10. The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from the sky, burning like a torch, and it fell on one third of the rivers, and on the springs of the waters. 11. The name of the star is called “Wormwood.” One third of the waters became wormwood. Many people died from the waters, because they were made bitter. 12. The fourth angel sounded, and one third of the sun was struck, and one third of the moon, and one third of the stars; so that one third of them would be darkened, and the day wouldn’t shine for one third of it, and the night in the same way. 13. I saw, and I heard an eagle, flying in mid heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe! Woe! Woe for those who dwell on the earth, because of the other voices of the trumpets of the three angels, who are yet to sound!” 1. The fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from the sky which had fallen to the earth. The key to the pit of the abyss was given to him. 2. He opened the pit of the abyss, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke from a burning furnace. The sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke from the pit. 3. Then out of the smoke came locusts on the earth, and power was given to them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4. They were told that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only those people who don’t have God’s seal on their foreheads. 5. They were given power, not to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion, when it strikes a person. 6. In those days people will seek death, and will in no way find it. They will desire to die, and death will flee from them. 7. The shapes of the locusts were like horses prepared for war. On their heads were something like golden crowns, and their faces were like people’s faces. 8. They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like those of lions. 9. They had breastplates, like breastplates of iron. The sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, or of many horses rushing to war. 10. They have tails like those of scorpions, and stings. In their tails they have power to harm men for five months. 11. They have over them as king the angel of the abyss. His name in Hebrew is “Abaddon”, but in Greek, he has the name “Apollyon”. 12. The first woe is past. Behold, there are still two woes coming after this. 13. The sixth angel sounded. I heard a voice from the horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14. saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Free the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates!” 15. The four angels were freed who had been prepared for that hour and day and month and year, so that they might kill one third of mankind. 16. The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million. I heard the number of them. 17. Thus I saw the horses in the vision, and those who sat on them, having breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the horses’ heads resembled lions’ heads. Out of their mouths proceed fire, smoke, and sulfur. 18. By these three plagues were one third of mankind killed: by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur, which proceeded out of their mouths. 19. For the power of the horses is in their mouths, and in their tails. For their tails are like serpents, and have heads, and with them they harm. 20. The rest of mankind, who were not killed with these plagues, didn’t repent of the works of their hands, that they wouldn’t worship demons, and the idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood; which can’t see, hear, or walk. 21. They didn’t repent of their murders, their sorceries, their sexual immorality, or their thefts.

1. My heart is steadfast, God. I will sing and I will make music with my soul. 2. Wake up, harp and lyre! I will wake up the dawn. 3. I will give thanks to you, Yahweh, among the nations. I will sing praises to you among the peoples. 4. For your loving kindness is great above the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. 5. Be exalted, God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth. 6. That your beloved may be delivered, save with your right hand, and answer us. 7. God has spoken from his sanctuary: “In triumph, I will divide Shechem, and measure out the valley of Succoth. 8. Gilead is mine. Manasseh is mine. Ephraim also is my helmet. Judah is my scepter. 9. Moab is my wash pot. I will toss my sandal on Edom. I will shout over Philistia.” 10. Who will bring me into the fortified city? Who has led me to Edom? 11. Haven’t you rejected us, God? You don’t go out, God, with our armies. 12. Give us help against the enemy, for the help of man is vain. 13. Through God, we will do valiantly. For it is he who will tread down our enemies.