The Daily Audio Bible
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24 And Joshua gathered all the lineages of Israel into Shechem; and he called the greater men in birth, and the princes, and judges, and masters; and they stood in the sight of the Lord. (And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel into Shechem; and he called the men of great age, that is, the elders, and the leaders, and the judges, and the officers; and they stood before the Lord.)
2 And Joshua spake thus to the people, The Lord God of Israel saith these things, Your fathers dwelled at the beginning beyond the flood Euphrates, (that is,) Terah, the father of Abraham and Nachor, and they served alien gods. (And Joshua spoke to the people thus, The Lord God of Israel saith these things, Long ago your forefathers lived on the other side of the Euphrates River, that is, Terah, and his sons Abraham and Nachor, and they served foreign, or other, gods.)
3 Therefore I took your father Abraham from the coasts of Mesopotamia, and I brought him into the land of Canaan; and I multiplied his seed, and I gave Isaac to him;
4 and again, I gave to Isaac, Jacob, and Esau; of which I gave to Esau the hill of Seir, to have in possession; and Jacob and his sons went down into Egypt. (and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau; and I gave Esau the hill country of Seir, to have for a possession; and Jacob and his sons went down into Egypt.)
5 And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I smote Egypt with many signs and wonders, and I led you
6 and your fathers out of Egypt. And ye came to the (Red) Sea, and (the) Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots, and multitude of knights (and many soldiers), (yea,) unto the Red Sea.
7 And the sons of Israel cried to the Lord, and he put darknesses betwixt you and [the] Egyptians; and he brought the sea (down) on them, and (it altogether) covered them. Your eyes have seen all (the) things, which I did in Egypt. And ye dwelled in wilderness much time (And then ye lived in the wilderness, or in the desert, a long time).
8 And I brought you into the land of Amorites, that dwelled beyond (the) Jordan; and when they fought against you, I betook them into your hands, and ye had their land in possession, and ye killed them. (And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, who lived on the east side of the Jordan River; and when they fought against you, I delivered them into your hands, and ye had their land for a possession, and ye killed them.)
9 And Balak, the son of Zippor, the king of Moab, rose (up), and fought against Israel; and he sent (for), and called (on) Balaam, the son of Beor, that he should curse you.
10 And I would not hear him, but on the contrary by Balaam I blessed you, and I delivered you from the hands of Balak. (But I would not listen to him, and on the contrary, I blessed you by Balaam, and I rescued you from Balak’s hands.)
11 And ye passed [over] (the) Jordan (And ye crossed over the Jordan River), and came to Jericho; and men of that city fought against you, Amorites, and Perizzites, and Canaanites, Hittites, and Girgashites, and Hivites, and Jebusites; and I betook them (all) into your hands.
12 And I sent flies with venomous tongues before you, and I casted them out of their places; (yea,) I killed [the] two kings of (the) Amorites, not in thy sword, nor in thy bow (but not with thy sword, or with thy bow).
13 And I gave to you the land in which ye travailed not, and cities which ye builded not, (so) that ye should dwell in those, and vineries (and vineyards), and places of olive trees, which ye planted not.
14 Now therefore dread ye the Lord, and serve ye him with perfect heart and most true; and do ye away the gods, to which your fathers served in Mesopotamia, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord. (And so now fear ye the Lord, and serve ye him with a perfect and a most true heart; and do ye away the gods whom your forefathers served in Mesopotamia, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.)
15 But if it seemeth evil to you, that ye serve the Lord, choosing is given to you; choose ye to you today that, that pleaseth, whom ye ought most to serve; whether to gods, which your fathers served in Mesopotamia, whether to the gods of Amorites, in whose land ye dwell; forsooth I, and mine house, shall serve the Lord. (But if it seemeth onerous to you, that ye serve the Lord, choosing is given to you; choose ye today what pleaseth you, whom ye ought most to serve; whether the gods, which your fathers served in Mesopotamia, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye live; but I, and my house, shall serve the Lord.)
16 And all the people answered, and said, Far be it from us that we forsake the Lord, and serve alien gods (and serve foreign, or other, gods).
17 Our Lord God himself led us and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of servage, and did great signs in our sight; and he kept us (safe) in all the way, by which we went, and in all peoples, by which we passed; (The Lord our God himself led us and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of servitude, or of slavery, and did great miracles before us; and he kept us safe on all the way, by which we went, and among all the peoples, through whom we passed;)
18 and he casted out all folks, Amorites, the dwellers of the land, into which we entered. Therefore we shall serve the Lord, for he is our Lord God. (and he threw out the Amorites, and all the other people, who lived in the land, into which we entered. And so we shall serve the Lord, for he is the Lord our God.)
19 And Joshua said to the people, Ye may not serve the Lord; for God is holy, and a strong fervent lover, and he forgiveth not your trespasses and sins. (But Joshua said to the people, Ye shall not be able to serve the Lord; for God is holy, and a jealous God, and he will not forgive your trespasses and sins.)
20 If ye forsake the Lord, and serve alien gods (Yea, if ye forsake the Lord, and serve foreign, or other, gods), the Lord shall turn himself (away) from you, and he shall torment (you), and destroy you, (even) after that he hath given good things to you.
21 And the people said to Joshua, It shall not be so, as thou speakest, but we shall serve the Lord.
22 And Joshua said to the people, Ye be witnesses (to yourselves), that ye have chosen the Lord to you, that ye serve him. And they answered, We be witnesses. (And Joshua said to the people, Ye be your own witnesses, that ye have chosen the Lord for yourselves, and that ye shall serve him. And they answered, We be our own witnesses.)
23 Therefore, he said, now do ye away alien gods from the midst of you (And so now, he said, do ye away foreign, or other, gods from your midst), and bow ye your hearts to the Lord God of Israel.
24 And the people said to Joshua, We shall serve the Lord our God, and we shall be obedient to his behests (and we shall obey his commands).
25 Therefore Joshua smote a bond of peace in that day, and setted forth to the people commandments and dooms in Shechem. (And so Joshua struck a covenant that day, and set forth for the people commandments and laws in Shechem.)
26 And he wrote all these words in the book of God’s law. And he took a great stone, and putted it under an oak, that was in the saintuary of the Lord. (And he wrote all these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a great stone, and he set it up under the oak, or by the pole, that was there in the sanctuary of the Lord.)
27 And he said to all the people, Lo! this stone shall be to you into witnessing, that ye [have] heard all the words of the Lord, which he spake to you, lest peradventure ye would deny (it) afterward, and lie to your Lord God. (And he said to all the people, Lo! this stone shall be your witness, that ye have heard all the words of the Lord, which he spoke to you, lest ye would deny it afterward, and lie to the Lord your God.)
28 And Joshua let go the people, each man into his possession. (And then Joshua let the people go, each man back to his possession/each person back to their own place.)
29 And after these things Joshua, the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, an hundred years eld and ten (and he was a hundred and ten years old).
30 And they buried him in the coasts of his possession, in Timnath of Serah, which is set in the hill of Ephraim, from the north part of the hill (of) Gaash. (And they buried him on his land, in Timnath Serah, which is set in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.)
31 And Israel served the Lord in all the days of Joshua, and of the elder men, that lived (a) long time after Joshua, and which elder men knew all the works of the Lord, which he had done in Israel (which he had done for Israel).
32 Also the bones of Joseph, the which the sons of Israel bare from Egypt, they buried in Shechem, in a part of the field, the which field Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for an hundred young sheep; and that field was into (a) possession of the sons of Joseph. (And Joseph’s bones, which the Israelites had brought from Egypt, they buried in Shechem, in a part of the field, which Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for a hundred young sheep; for that field became a possession of Joseph’s sons.)
33 Also Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, died; and Phinehas and his sons buried him in Gibeah, which was given to him in the hill of Ephraim. (And Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, died; and Phinehas and his sons buried him on a hill, which had been given to Phinehas, in the hill country of Ephraim.)
21 And he beheld, and saw the rich men, that cast their gifts into the treasury;
2 but he saw also a little poor widow casting two farthings.[a]
3 And he said, Truly I say to you, that this poor widow cast more than all men.
4 For why all these of [the] thing that was plenteous to them [For why all these of the abundance, or plenteous, to them] cast into the gifts of God; but this widow of that thing that failed to her, cast all her livelode [sent all her lifelode], that she had.
5 And when some men said of the temple, that it was appareled with good stones and gifts [that it was adorned with good stones and gifts], he said,
6 These things that ye see, days shall come, in which a stone shall not be left on a stone, which shall not be destroyed.[b]
7 And they asked him, and said [saying], Commander, when shall these things be? and what token shall be, when they shall begin to be done?
8 And he said, See ye, that ye be not deceived; for many shall come in my name, saying, For I am, and the time shall approach [and the time shall nigh]; therefore do not ye go after them.
9 And when ye shall hear battles and strives within [But when ye shall hear battles and dissensions within], do not ye be afeared; it behooveth first these things to be done, but not yet at once is an end [but not yet anon the end].
10 Then he said to them, Folk shall rise against folk, and realm against realm;
11 and great movings of the earth shall be by places, and pestilences, and hungers, and dreads from heaven, and great tokens shall be.
12 But before all these things they shall set their hands on you, and shall pursue you, betaking into synagogues and keepings, drawing you to kings and to justices[c], for my name;
13 but it shall fall to you into witnessing.
14 Therefore put ye in your hearts, not to think before, how ye shall answer;
15 for I shall give to you mouth and wisdom, to which all your adversaries shall not be able to against-stand, and gainsay [and against-say].
16 And ye shall be taken of father, and mother [Soothly ye shall be betrayed of father, and mother], and brethren, and cousins, and friends, and by death they shall torment [some] of you;
17 and ye shall be in hate to all men for my name. [and ye shall be hated of all men for my name.]
18 And an hair of your head shall not perish;
19 in your patience ye shall wield your souls.
20 But when ye shall see Jerusalem be environed with an host, then know ye, that the desolation of it shall approach. [Forsooth when ye shall see Jerusalem environed of an host of battle, then know ye, that the desolation thereof shall nigh.]
21 Then they that be in Judaea, flee to the mountains; and they that be in the middle of it, go away; and they that be in the countries, enter not into it.
22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things that be written, be fulfilled.
23 And woe to them, that be with child, and nourishing in those days [and nursing in those days]; for a great dis-ease shall be on the earth, and wrath to this people.
24 And they shall fall by the sharpness of sword, and they shall be led prisoners into all folks [and they shall be led captive, or prisoners, into all folks]; and Jerusalem shall be defouled of heathen men [and Jerusalem shall be defouled, or trodden down, of heathen men], till the times of nations be fulfilled.
25 And tokens shall be in the sun, and the moon, and in the stars; and in the earth overlaying of folks, for confusion of the sound of the sea and of floods [for confusion of sound of the sea and waves];
26 for men shall wax dry for dread and abiding that shall come into all the world [men waxing dry for dread and abiding that shall come on all the world]; for virtues of heaven shall be moved.
27 And then they shall see man's Son coming in a cloud, with great power and majesty.
28 And when these things begin to be made, behold ye, and raise ye your heads, for your redemption approacheth.[d]
38 But thou hast put away, and despised; and hast delayed thy christ. (But thou hast rejected, and despised, and hast raged against thy anointed king.)
39 Thou hast turned away the testament of thy servant; thou madest unholy his saintuary in earth. (Thou hast made void the covenant with thy servant; thou hast defiled his crown, and hast thrown it to the ground.)
40 Thou destroyedest all the hedges thereof; thou hast set the steadfastness thereof (into) dread (thou hast brought his strongholds, or his fortresses, into ruin).
41 All men passing by the way ravished him; he is made (a) shame to his neighbours. (All who pass by him, on the way, rob him; he is shamed by his neighbours.)
42 Thou hast enhanced the right hand of men oppressing him; thou hast gladdened all his enemies.
43 Thou hast turned away the help of his sword; and thou helpedest not him in battle (and thou hast not helped him in the battle).
44 Thou destroyedest him from cleansing; and thou hast hurled down his seat in earth. (Thou hast destroyed his purity; and thou hast thrown down his throne to the ground.)
45 Thou hast made less the days of his time; thou hast beshed him with shame.
46 Lord, how long turnest thou away, into the end; shall thine ire burn out as fire? (Lord, how long turnest thou away, forever? shall thy anger always burn like fire?)
47 Bethink thou what is my substance; for whether thou hast ordained vainly all the sons of men? (Remember thou what my substance is/how short my time is; hast thou ordained all the sons of men in vain?)
48 Who is a man, that shall live, and shall not see death; shall (he) deliver his soul from the hand of hell? (What man shall live, and shall not see death? can he save his soul from the power of Sheol, or the land of the dead?/from the power of the grave?)
49 Lord, where be thine eld mercies; as thou hast sworn to David in thy truth? (Lord, where be the former acts, or the earlier proofs, of thy constant love? yea, those promises that thou hast sworn to David in thy faithfulness?)
50 Lord, be thou mindful of the shame of thy servants; (of the curses) of many heathen men, which I held together in my bosom. (Lord, remember thy servant’s shame; remember the curses of many of the heathen, which I carried in my heart.)
51 Which thine enemies, Lord, did shamefully; for they despised the changing of thy christ. (Which thy enemies, Lord, spoke shamefully to me; for they despised the footsteps of thy anointed king/for they despised the successors of thy anointed king.)
52 Blessed be the Lord [into] without end (Blessed be the Lord forever); be it done, be it done.
20 He that goeth with wise men, shall be wise (He who goeth with the wise, shall be wise); the friend of fools shall be made like them.
21 Evil pursueth sinners; and goods shall be given to just men (but good things shall be given to the righteous).
22 A good man shall leave after him heirs, sons, and the sons of sons; and the chattel of a sinner is kept to a just man. (A good person shall leave heirs after him, yea, sons and daughters, and their sons and daughters; but a sinner’s possessions shall be given to the righteous.)
23 Many meats be in the new-tilled fields of fathers; and be gathered to other men without doom. (Much food for the poor could be in untilled fields; but other men unjustly keep that land from being worked.)
2001 by Terence P. Noble