The Daily Audio Bible
Today's audio is from the NLT. Switch to the NLT to read along with the audio.
24 Then Joshua gathered all the families of Israel to Shechem. He called for the leaders of Israel, the heads of the families and those who judged between what is right or wrong. And they showed themselves before God. 2 Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your fathers lived on the other side of the River. There was Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor. And they worshiped other gods. 3 Then I took your father Abraham from the other side of the River. I led him through all the land of Canaan. I gave him many children, and I gave him Isaac. 4 To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I gave Mount Seir to Esau for his own. But Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. 5 I sent Moses and Aaron. I had to bring trouble upon Egypt by what I did among them. Then I brought you out. 6 I brought your fathers out of Egypt to the Sea. Egypt went after your fathers to the Red Sea with war-wagons and horsemen. 7 But when they cried out to the Lord, He put darkness between you and the Egyptians. He brought the sea upon them and covered them. Your own eyes saw what I did in Egypt. And you lived in the desert for a long time. 8 I brought you into the land of the Amorites who lived on the east side of the Jordan. They fought with you, and I gave them to you. You took their land for your own when I destroyed them in front of you.
9 ’Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, came and fought against Israel. He sent for Balaam the son of Beor to curse you. 10 But I would not listen to Balaam. So he had to pray for good to come to you. And I saved you from his hand.
11 ’You crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The people of Jericho fought against you. And the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Hivite and the Jebusite fought against you. So I gave them into your hand. 12 I sent the hornets ahead of you. They drove out the people and the two kings of the Amorites from in front of you. You did not do it by your sword or bow. 13 I gave you a land you did not work for. You live in cities you did not build. You are eating from vines and olive trees you did not plant.’
14 “So fear the Lord. Serve Him in faith and truth. Put away the gods your fathers served on the other side of the river and in Egypt. Serve the Lord. 15 If you think it is wrong to serve the Lord, choose today whom you will serve. Choose the gods your fathers worshiped on the other side of the river, or choose the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”
16 The people answered, “May it never be that we turn away from the Lord and serve other gods. 17 For the Lord our God is the One Who brought us and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house where we were made to work. He did these powerful works in front of our eyes. He kept us safe everywhere we went, among all the nations we passed through. 18 The Lord drove away from in front of us all the nations, even the Amorites who lived in the land. So we will serve the Lord. For He is our God.”
19 Then Joshua said to the people, “You will not be able to serve the Lord. For He is a holy God. He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your wrong-doing or your sins. 20 If you turn away from the Lord and serve strange gods, He will turn and punish you. He will destroy you after He has been good to you.” 21 The people said to Joshua, “Not so, for we will serve the Lord.” 22 Then Joshua said to the people, “You have spoken for yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord.” And they said, “We have spoken for ourselves.” 23 Joshua said, “So put away the strange gods that are among you. Give your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.” 24 The people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God. We will obey His voice.” 25 So Joshua made an agreement with the people that day. And he made Laws for them in Shechem. 26 Joshua wrote these words in the book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the tree that was by the holy place of the Lord. 27 Joshua said to all the people, “See, this stone will be here to speak against us. For it has heard all the words the Lord spoke to us. So it will be here to speak against you, if you do not stay true to your God.” 28 Then Joshua sent the people away, each to his own land.
The Death of Joshua and Eleazar
29 After this, Joshua the son of Nun, the Lord’s servant, died. He was 110 years old. 30 They buried him in the land he was given in Timnath-serah, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 31 Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and of the leaders who lived after him who had known all the works the Lord had done for Israel.
32 The people of Israel brought the bones of Joseph from Egypt. They buried them in Shechem, in the piece of ground Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for 100 pieces of money. It became the land of Joseph’s children.
33 Eleazar the son of Aaron died also. They buried him on the hill at Gibeah that was given to his son Phinehas in the hill country of Ephraim.
A Woman Whose Husband Had Died Gave All She Had (A)
21 Jesus looked up and saw rich men putting their money into the money box in the house of God. 2 He saw a poor woman whose husband had died. She put in two very small pieces of money. 3 He said, “I tell you the truth, this poor woman has put in more than all of them. 4 For they have put in a little of the money they had no need for. She is very poor and has put in all she had. She has put in what she needed for her own living.”
Jesus Tells of the House of God (B)
5 Some people were talking about the house of God. They were saying that the stones were beautiful and that many gifts had been given. Jesus said, 6 “As for these things you see, all these stones will be thrown down. Not one will be left on another.” 7 They asked Jesus, “Teacher, when will this take place? What are we to look for to show us these things are about to happen?” 8 He said, “Be careful that no one leads you the wrong way. For many people will come in My name. They will say, ‘I am the Christ.’ The time is near. Do not follow them. 9 When you hear of wars and fighting in different places, do not be afraid. These things have to happen first, but the end is not yet.”
10 Then Jesus said to them, “Nations will have wars with other nations. Countries will fight against countries. 11 The earth will shake and break apart in different places. There will be no food. There will be bad diseases among many people. Very special things will be seen in the sky that will make people much afraid.
12 “But before all this happens, men will take hold of you and make it very hard for you. They will give you over to the places of worship and to the prisons. They will bring you in front of kings and the leaders of the people. This will all be done to you because of Me. 13 This will be a time for you to tell about Me. 14 Do not think about what you will say ahead of time. 15 For I will give you wisdom in what to say and I will help you say it. Those who are against you will not be able to stop you or say you are wrong.
16 “You will be handed over by your parents and your brothers and your family and your friends. They will kill some of you. 17 All men will hate you because of Me. 18 Yet not one hair of your head will be lost. 19 But stay true and your souls will have life.
Days of Trouble and Pain and Sorrow
20 “When you see armies all around Jerusalem, know that it will soon be destroyed. 21 Those in the country of Judea must run to the mountains. Those in the city must leave at once. Those in the country must not go into the city. 22 People will be punished in these hard days. All things will happen as it is written.
23 “It will be hard for women who will soon be mothers. It will be hard for those feeding babies in those days. It will be very hard for the people in the land and anger will be brought down on them. 24 People will be killed by the sword. They will be held in prison by all nations. Jerusalem will be walked over by the people who are not Jews until their time is finished.
Jesus Will Come Again in His Shining-Greatness
25 “There will be special things to look for in the sun and moon and stars. The nations of the earth will be troubled and will not know what to do. They will be troubled at the angry sea and waves. 26 The hearts of men will give up because of being afraid of what is coming on the earth. The powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with power and much greatness. 28 When these things begin to happen, lift up your heads because you have been bought by the blood of Christ and will soon be free.”
38 But You have thrown off and turned away from Your chosen one. You have been full of anger against him. 39 You have hated the agreement with Your servant. You have made his crown dirty in the dust. 40 You have broken down all his walls. You have destroyed his strong places. 41 All who pass on the road rob him. He has become a shame to his neighbors. 42 You have honored the right hand of those who fight against him. You have made all who hate him glad. 43 You have turned away the sharp part of his sword. And You have not made him stand in a fight. 44 You have put an end to what shows of his greatness, and have thrown his throne to the ground. 45 You have made him old before his time, and have covered him with shame.
46 How long, O Lord? Will You hide Yourself forever? Will Your anger burn like fire? 47 Remember how fast my life is passing. You have made all men for nothing. 48 What man can live and not see death? Can he save himself from the power of the grave?
49 O Lord, where is the loving-kindness You used to have, that You promised in faith to David? 50 O Lord, remember the shame of those who work for You. Remember how I carry near my heart the shame of all the nations. 51 Those who hate You have put us to shame, O Lord. They have put to shame the footsteps of Your chosen one.
52 Praise the Lord forever! Let it be so.
20 He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the one who walks with fools will be destroyed.
21 Trouble follows sinners, but good things will be given to those who are right with God.
22 A good man leaves what he owns for his children’s children. The riches of the sinner are stored up for those who are right with God.
23 Much food is in the plowed land of the poor, but it is taken away because of wrong-doing.
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.