The Daily Audio Bible
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21 The people from Reuben, Gad, and ·East [the half-tribe of] Manasseh answered [L the heads of the clans of Israel], 22 “·The Lord is God of gods! [or El, God, the Lord] ·The Lord is God of gods [or El, God, the Lord]! God knows, and we want you to know also. If we have ·done something wrong [L rebelled or broken faith with the Lord], ·you may kill us [L do not spare us today]. 23 If we have built our own altar to turn away from the Lord or to offer burnt offerings [1:1–17] or ·grain [L gift; tribute; Lev. 2:1] and ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [3:1], may the Lord himself punish us.
24 “We did not build it for that reason. We feared that someday your people would not accept us as part of your nation. Then they might say, ‘·You cannot worship [L What do you have to do with…?] the Lord, the God of Israel. 25 The Lord made the Jordan River a border between us and you people of Reuben and Gad. You ·cannot worship [L have no share/portion in] the Lord.’ So we feared that your children might make our ·children [descendants] stop ·worshiping [L fearing] the Lord.
26 “That is why we decided to build this altar. But it is not for burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] and sacrifices. 27 This altar is ·proof to [witness between] you and us and to all our ·children [generations] who will come after us that we ·worship the Lord [L do the service of the Lord before him] with our whole burnt offerings, grain, and ·fellowship [or peace] offerings. This was so your ·children [descendants] would not say to our ·children [descendants], ‘You ·are not the Lord’s [L have no share/portion in the Lord].’
28 “In the future if ·your children [L they] say that to us or our ·children [generations], we can say, ‘See the altar made by our ancestors. It is ·exactly like [a copy/model of] the Lord’s altar, but we do not use it for burnt offerings or sacrifices. It ·shows that we are part of Israel [L is a witness between us and you].’
29 “·Truly, we don’t want to be [L Far be it from us to rebel] against the Lord or to ·stop following [turn away from] him by building an altar for burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17], grain [L gift; tribute] offerings [Lev. 2:1], or sacrifices. We know the only true altar to the Lord our God is in front of the ·Holy Tent [T Tabernacle].”
30 When Phinehas the priest and the ·ten leaders [L leaders of the congregation, the heads of the clans of the families of Israel,] heard the people of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh, they were ·pleased [satisfied]. 31 So Phinehas, son of Eleazar the priest, said to the people of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, “·Now [L Today] we know the Lord is ·with us [L in our midst] ·and that you didn’t turn against [or because you have not broken faith with] him. Now ·the Israelites will not be punished by [L you have rescued the Israelites from the hand of] the Lord.”
32 Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the leaders left the people of Reuben and Gad in Gilead and went back to Canaan where they told the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] what had happened. 33 They were ·pleased [satisfied] and thanked God. So they ·decided not to fight [L talked no more about going to war against] the people of Reuben and Gad and destroy those lands.
34 And the people of Reuben and Gad named the altar ·Proof That We Believe the Lord Is God [L A Witness Between Us—That the Lord Is God; or Witness, “For,” they said, “it is a witness between us that the Lord is God”].
The Last Words of Joshua
23 The Lord gave Israel ·peace [rest] from their enemies around them. Many years passed, and Joshua grew very old. 2 He called a meeting of ·all [L all Israel:] the elders, heads of families, judges, and officers of Israel. He said, “I am now very old. 3 You have seen what the Lord has done to ·our enemies [L these nations] to help us. The Lord your God fought for you. 4 ·Remember that [See; T Behold] ·your people have been given their [L I have alloted to you the] land between the Jordan River and the ·Mediterranean [L Great] Sea in the west, the land I promised to give you. 5 The Lord your God will ·force [drive] out the people living there. The Lord will push them out ahead of you. And you will ·own the [occupy/possess their] land, as he has promised you.
6 “Be strong. You must be careful to obey everything ·commanded [L that is written] in the Book of the ·Teachings [Law] of Moses. Do not ·stray [L turn aside] from it either from the left or the right. 7 Don’t ·become friends [associate; mix] with ·the people living among us who are not Israelites [L these nations remaining among you]. Don’t ·say [mention; or invoke] the names of their gods or make anyone swear by them. Don’t serve or ·worship [bow down before] them. 8 You must ·continue to follow [L hold fast to; cling to] the Lord your God, as you have done ·in the past [L to this day].
9 “The Lord has ·forced to leave [driven out] many great and powerful nations. No nation has been able to ·defeat [resist; stand before] you [L to this day]. 10 With his help, one Israelite ·could defeat [routs] a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, as he promised to do. 11 So you must be careful to love the Lord your God.
12 “[L But] If you turn away from the way of the Lord and ·become friends with [ally yourselves with; cling to] ·these people who are not part of Israel [the remnant of these nations who remain among you] and marry them, 13 the Lord your God will not ·help you defeat [drive out] your enemies. They will be like ·traps [L a snare and a trap] for you, like whips on your back and thorns in your eyes, ·and none of you will be left in [L until you perish from] this good land the Lord your God has given you.
14 “·It’s almost time for me to die [L Look, today I am going the way of all the earth]. You know ·and fully believe [L in your hearts and souls] that the Lord has not failed to keep a single one of the good promises he made. He has fulfilled every one of them. Not one of them has failed. 15 Every good promise that the Lord your God made has come true, and in the same way, his other promises will come true. He promised that evil will come to you and that he will destroy you from this good land that he gave you. 16 This will happen if you don’t keep your ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with the Lord your God. If you go and serve other gods and ·worship [bow down before] them, the ·Lord will become very angry with you [L anger of the Lord will burn against you]. Then ·none of you will be left in [L you will quickly perish from] this good land he has given you.”
Some Sadducees Try to Trick Jesus(A)
27 Some Sadducees, who believed people would not rise from the dead, came to Jesus. 28 They asked, “Teacher, Moses wrote that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, then that man must marry the widow and ·have children [L raise up offspring/seed] for his brother [Deut. 25:5–6]. 29 Once there were seven brothers. The first brother ·married [L took a wife] and died, but had no children. 30 Then the second brother married the widow, and he died. 31 And the third brother married the widow, and he died. The same thing happened with all seven brothers; they died and had no children. 32 Finally, the woman died also. 33 Since all seven brothers had married her, whose wife will she be ·when people rise from the dead [L at the resurrection]?”
34 Jesus said to them, “·On earth, people [L The children of this age] marry and are given to someone to marry. 35 But those who will be worthy ·to be raised from the dead and live again [L of the age to come and the resurrection] will not marry, nor will they be given to someone to marry. 36 [L For] In that life they are ·like [or equal to] angels and cannot die. They are children of God, because they ·have been raised from the dead [are children of the resurrection]. 37 Even Moses clearly showed that the dead are raised to life. When he wrote about the burning bush [Ex. 3:1–12], he said that the Lord is ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob [Ex. 3:6; C God is still the God of the patriarchs, so they must have a continued existence after death].’ 38 God is the God of the living, not the dead, because all people are alive to him.”
39 Some of the ·teachers of the law [scribes] said, “Teacher, ·your answer was good [well said!].” 40 No one ·was brave enough [dared] to ask him another question.
Is the Christ the Son of David?(B)
41 Then Jesus said, “Why do people say that the ·Christ [Messiah] is the Son of David [2 Sam. 7:12–16]? 42 [L For; Since] In the book of Psalms, David himself says:
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit by me at my right ·side [L hand],
43 until I put your enemies ·under your control [L as a footstool for your feet; C meaning defeated or made subject to your authority; Ps. 110:1].”’
44 David calls ·the Christ [the Messiah; L him] ‘Lord,’ so how can ·the Christ [the Messiah; L he] be his son?”
Jesus Accuses Some Leaders(C)
45 While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his ·followers [disciples], 46 “Beware of the ·teachers of the law [scribes]. They like to walk around wearing ·fancy clothes [or flowing robes], and they love for people to greet them with respect in the marketplaces. They love to have the most important seats in the synagogues [11:43] and [the place of highest honor] at ·feasts [banquets]. 47 But they ·cheat widows and steal their houses [L devour widows’ homes] and ·then try to make themselves look good by saying [L with false motives pray] long prayers. They will receive a greater ·punishment [condemnation].”
14 Your ·kingdom [L throne] is ·built [established] on ·what is right and fair [righteousness and judgment/justice].
·Love [Loyalty] and ·truth [faithfulness] are ·in all you do [L before your face].
15 ·Happy [Blessed] are the people who know how to ·praise [shout to] you.
Lord, let them ·live [L walk] in the light of your ·presence [L face].
16 In your name they rejoice
and continually ·praise [exalt] your ·goodness [righteousness].
17 You are their ·glorious [beautiful] strength,
and in your ·kindness [favor] you ·honor our king [L lift up our horn; C symbol of power and here of the king].
18 Our shield [C the king] belongs to the Lord,
our king to the Holy One of Israel.
19 ·Once [Then], in a vision [2 Sam. 7:4], you spoke
to ·those who worship you [your faithful ones/saints].
You said, “I have ·given strength to [L set help on] a warrior;
I have raised up a ·young man [chosen one] from my people [1 Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22].
20 I have found my servant David;
I ·appointed him by pouring [L have anointed him with] holy oil on him [1 Sam. 16:1–13].
21 I will steady him with my hand
and strengthen him with my arm.
22 No enemy will ·make him give forced payments [make him pay tribute; or prevail over/or outwit him],
and wicked people will not ·defeat [afflict; humble] him.
23 I will ·crush [pound] his enemies in front of him;
I will ·defeat [strike down] those who hate him.
24 My ·loyalty [faithfulness] and ·love [loyalty] will be with him.
Through ·me [L my name] ·he will be strong [L his horn will be raised up; v. 17].
25 I will ·give him power [L set his hand] over the sea
·and control [L his right hand] over the rivers [C the waters represent chaos].
26 He will ·say [proclaim] to me, ‘You are my father,
my God, the Rock, my ·Savior [Victor].’
27 I will make him my firstborn son,
the ·greatest [highest] king on earth [2:7; 2 Sam. 7:14].
28 My ·love [loyalty] will ·watch over [keep; guard] him forever,
and my ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with him will ·never end [be faithful].
29 I will ·make his family continue [L set his seed forever],
and his ·kingdom [L throne] ·will last as long as the skies [L like the days of the skies/heavens].
30 “If his descendants ·reject [leave; abandon] my ·teachings [instructions; laws]
and do not ·follow [L walk in] my ·laws [judgments],
31 if they ·ignore [profane] my ·demands [statutes; ordinances; requirements]
and ·disobey [L do not keep/guard] my commands,
32 then I will punish their ·sins [transgressions] with a rod
and their ·wrongs [guilt] with ·a whip [lashes].
33 But I will not ·hold back [break; invalidate] my ·love [loyalty] from ·David [L him],
nor will I ·stop being loyal [L deal falsely with my faithfulness].
34 I will not ·break [profane; violate] my ·agreement [covenant; treaty]
nor ·change [alter] what ·I have said [L came out of my lips].
35 Once and for all I have ·promised [sworn] by my holiness,
I will not lie to David.
36 His ·family [L seed] will go on forever.
His ·kingdom [L throne] will last before me like the sun.
37 It will ·continue [be established] forever, like the moon,
like a ·dependable [reliable; faithful] witness in the sky.” ·
17 A wicked messenger ·brings nothing but trouble [or will fall into evil],
but a ·trustworthy [reliable] ·one [envoy] ·makes everything right [L brings healing].
18 A person who ·refuses [neglects] ·correction [instruction; discipline] will end up poor and disgraced,
but the one who ·accepts [L guards] correction will be honored.
19 ·It is so good when wishes come true [L A realized longing/desire is pleasant],
but fools ·hate [detest] ·to stop doing [turning from] evil.
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