Crossing Over: Faith's First Steps Forward

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. It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. For I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2. I know a man in Christ, fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I don’t know, or whether out of the body, I don’t know; God knows), such a one caught up into the third heaven. 3. I know such a man (whether in the body, or outside of the body, I don’t know; God knows), 4. how he was caught up into Paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 5. On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in my weaknesses. 6. For if I would desire to boast, I will not be foolish; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, so that no man may think more of me than that which he sees in me, or hears from me. 7. By reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted excessively, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, that I should not be exalted excessively. 8. Concerning this thing, I begged the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9. He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me. 10. Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong. 11. I have become foolish in boasting. You compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you, for in nothing was I inferior to the very best apostles, though I am nothing. 12. Truly the signs of an apostle were worked among you in all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty works. 13. For what is there in which you were made inferior to the rest of the assemblies, unless it is that I myself was not a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong. 14. Behold, this is the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden to you; for I seek not your possessions, but you. For the children ought not to save up for the parents, but the parents for the children. 15. I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more abundantly, am I loved the less? 16. But be it so, I did not myself burden you. But, being crafty, I caught you with deception. 17. Did I take advantage of you by anyone of them whom I have sent to you? 18. I exhorted Titus, and I sent the brother with him. Did Titus take any advantage of you? Didn’t we walk in the same spirit? Didn’t we walk in the same steps? 19. Again, do you think that we are excusing ourselves to you? In the sight of God we speak in Christ. But all things, beloved, are for your edifying. 20. For I am afraid that by any means, when I come, I might find you not the way I want to, and that I might be found by you as you don’t desire; that by any means there would be strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, whisperings, proud thoughts, riots; 21. that again when I come my God would humble me before you, and I would mourn for many of those who have sinned before now, and not repented of the uncleanness and sexual immorality and lustfulness which they committed. 1. This is the third time I am coming to you. “At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.” 2. I have said beforehand, and I do say beforehand, as when I was present the second time, so now, being absent, I write to those who have sinned before now, and to all the rest, that, if I come again, I will not spare; 3. seeing that you seek a proof of Christ who speaks in me; who toward you is not weak, but is powerful in you. 4. For he was crucified through weakness, yet he lives through the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we will live with him through the power of God toward you. 5. Examine your own selves, whether you are in the faith. Test your own selves. Or don’t you know as to your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. 6. But I hope that you will know that we aren’t disqualified. 7. Now I pray to God that you do no evil; not that we may appear approved, but that you may do that which is honorable, though we are as reprobate. 8. For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. 9. For we rejoice when we are weak and you are strong. And this we also pray for, even your perfecting. 10. For this cause I write these things while absent, that I may not deal sharply when present, according to the authority which the Lord gave me for building up, and not for tearing down. 11. Finally, brothers, rejoice. Be perfected, be comforted, be of the same mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12. Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13. All the saints greet you. 14. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s love, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.

1. Do you indeed speak righteousness, silent ones? Do you judge blamelessly, you sons of men? 2. No, in your heart you plot injustice. You measure out the violence of your hands in the earth. 3. The wicked go astray from the womb. They are wayward as soon as they are born, speaking lies. 4. Their poison is like the poison of a snake; like a deaf cobra that stops its ear, 5. which doesn’t listen to the voice of charmers, no matter how skillful the charmer may be. 6. Break their teeth, God, in their mouth. Break out the great teeth of the young lions, Yahweh. 7. Let them vanish like water that flows away. When they draw the bow, let their arrows be made blunt. 8. Let them be like a snail which melts and passes away, like the stillborn child, who has not seen the sun. 9. Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns, he will sweep away the green and the burning alike. 10. The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance. He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked; 11. so that men shall say, “Most certainly there is a reward for the righteous. Most certainly there is a God who judges the earth.”