Mark 1:1-8
[1] The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
[2] As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,
“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way,
[3] the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’”
[4] John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a
baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. [5] And all the
country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being
baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. [6] Now John
was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist
and ate locusts and wild honey. [7] And he preached, saying, “After me
comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not
worthy to stoop down and untie. [8] I have baptized you with water, but
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
1 Corinthians 1:1-17
[1] Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,
[2]
To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ
Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place
call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
[3] Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
[4]
I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that
was given you in Christ Jesus, [5] that in every way you were enriched
in him in all speech and all knowledge—[6] even as the testimony about
Christ was confirmed among you—[7] so that you are not lacking in any
gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, [8] who
will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus
Christ. [9] God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship
of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
[10]
I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that
all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you
be united in the same mind and the same judgment. [11] For it has been
reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my
brothers. [12] What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow
Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow
Christ.” [13] Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you
baptized in the name of Paul? [14] I thank God that I baptized none of
you except Crispus and Gaius, [15] so that no one may say that you were
baptized in my name. [16] (I did baptize also the household of
Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.)
[17] For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and
not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied
of its power.
Psalm 72
Of Solomon.
[1] Give the king your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to the royal son!
[2] May he judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice!
[3] Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people,
and the hills, in righteousness!
[4] May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the children of the needy,
and crush the oppressor!
[5] May they fear you while the sun endures,
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations!
[6] May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth!
[7] In his days may the righteous flourish,
and peace abound, till the moon be no more!
[8] May he have dominion from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth!
[9] May desert tribes bow down before him,
and his enemies lick the dust!
[10] May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands
render him tribute;
may the kings of Sheba and Seba
bring gifts!
[11] May all kings fall down before him,
all nations serve him!
[12] For he delivers the needy when he calls,
the poor and him who has no helper.
[13] He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the lives of the needy.
[14] From oppression and violence he redeems their life,
and precious is their blood in his sight.
[15] Long may he live;
may gold of Sheba be given to him!
May prayer be made for him continually,
and blessings invoked for him all the day!
[16] May there be abundance of grain in the land;
on the tops of the mountains may it wave;
may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people blossom in the cities
like the grass of the field!
[17] May his name endure forever,
his fame continue as long as the sun!
May people be blessed in him,
all nations call him blessed!
[18] Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous things.
[19] Blessed be his glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory!
Amen and Amen!
[20] The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended.
Joshua 1
[1]
After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to
Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, [2] “Moses my servant is dead.
Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into
the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. [3] Every
place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you,
just as I promised to Moses. [4] From the wilderness and this Lebanon as
far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the
Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your
territory. [5] No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of
your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not
leave you or forsake you. [6] Be strong and courageous, for you shall
cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to
give them. [7] Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do
according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not
turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good
success wherever you go. [8] This Book of the Law shall not depart from
your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may
be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you
will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. [9]
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be
frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you
wherever you go.”
[10]
And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, [11] “Pass through the
midst of the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your provisions, for
within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take
possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving you to
possess.’”
[12]
And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh
Joshua said, [13] “Remember the word that Moses the servant of the LORD
commanded you, saying, ‘The LORD your God is providing you a place of
rest and will give you this land.’ [14] Your wives, your little ones,
and your livestock shall remain in the land that Moses gave you beyond
the Jordan, but all the men of valor among you shall pass over armed
before your brothers and shall help them, [15] until the LORD gives rest
to your brothers as he has to you, and they also take possession of the
land that the LORD your God is giving them. Then you shall return to
the land of your possession and shall possess it, the land that Moses
the servant of the LORD gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.”
[16]
And they answered Joshua, “All that you have commanded us we will do,
and wherever you send us we will go. [17] Just as we obeyed Moses in all
things, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you, as
he was with Moses! [18] Whoever rebels against your commandment and
disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death.
Only be strong and courageous.”
Joshua 2
[1]
And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies,
saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” And they went and came
into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab and lodged there.
[2] And it was told to the king of Jericho, “Behold, men of Israel have
come here tonight to search out the land.” [3] Then the king of Jericho
sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who
entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land.” [4]
But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. And she said,
“True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. [5]
And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went out. I do
not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake
them.” [6] But she had brought them up to the roof and hid them with
the stalks of flax that she had laid in order on the roof. [7] So the
men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords. And
the gate was shut as soon as the pursuers had gone out.
[8]
Before the men lay down, she came up to them on the roof [9] and said
to the men, “I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the
fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land
melt away before you. [10] For we have heard how the LORD dried up the
water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you
did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to
Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. [11] And as soon as we
heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man
because of you, for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above
and on the earth beneath. [12] Now then, please swear to me by the LORD
that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my
father’s house, and give me a sure sign [13] that you will save alive
my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to
them, and deliver our lives from death.” [14] And the men said to her,
“Our life for yours even to death! If you do not tell this business of
ours, then when the LORD gives us the land we will deal kindly and
faithfully with you.”
[15]
Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was
built into the city wall, so that she lived in the wall. [16] And she
said to them, “Go into the hills, or the pursuers will encounter you,
and hide there three days until the pursuers have returned. Then
afterward you may go your way.” [17] The men said to her, “We will be
guiltless with respect to this oath of yours that you have made us
swear. [18] Behold, when we come into the land, you shall tie this
scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you shall
gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all
your father’s household. [19] Then if anyone goes out of the doors of
your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we
shall be guiltless. But if a hand is laid on anyone who is with you in
the house, his blood shall be on our head. [20] But if you tell this
business of ours, then we shall be guiltless with respect to your oath
that you have made us swear.” [21] And she said, “According to your
words, so be it.” Then she sent them away, and they departed. And she
tied the scarlet cord in the window.
[22]
They departed and went into the hills and remained there three days
until the pursuers returned, and the pursuers searched all along the way
and found nothing. [23] Then the two men returned. They came down from
the hills and passed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and they
told him all that had happened to them. [24] And they said to Joshua,
“Truly the LORD has given all the land into our hands. And also, all the
inhabitants of the land melt away because of us.”
