¹Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and they set out from Acacia Grove and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they crossed over. ²So it was, after three days, that the officers went through the camp; ³and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lᴏʀᴅ your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. ⁴Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before.” ⁵And Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lᴏʀᴅ will do wonders among you.” ⁶Then Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, “Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over before the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people. ⁷And the Lᴏʀᴅ said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. ⁸You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘When you have come to the edge of the water of the Jordan, you shall stand in the Jordan.’ ” ⁹So Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Come here, and hear the words of the Lᴏʀᴅ your God.” ¹⁰And Joshua said, “By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites: ¹¹Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lᴏʀᴅ of all the earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan. ¹²Now therefore, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from every tribe. ¹³And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the Lᴏʀᴅ, the Lᴏʀᴅ of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap.” ¹⁴So it was, when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, ¹⁵and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest), ¹⁶that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho. ¹⁷Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lᴏʀᴅ stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.

¹A Song of Ascents. When the Lᴏʀᴅ brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream. ²Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “The Lᴏʀᴅ has done great things for them.” ³The Lᴏʀᴅ has done great things for us, And we are glad. ⁴Bring back our captivity, O Lᴏʀᴅ, As the streams in the South. ⁵Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. ⁶He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him.

¹A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the Lᴏʀᴅ builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lᴏʀᴅ guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain. ²It is vain for you to rise up early, To sit up late, To eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep. ³Behold, children are a heritage from the Lᴏʀᴅ, The fruit of the womb is a reward. ⁴Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. ⁵Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.

¹A Song of Ascents. Blessed is every one who fears the Lᴏʀᴅ, Who walks in His ways. ²When you eat the labor of your hands, You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you. ³Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine In the very heart of your house, Your children like olive plants All around your table. ⁴Behold, thus shall the man be blessed Who fears the Lᴏʀᴅ. ⁵The Lᴏʀᴅ bless you out of Zion, And may you see the good of Jerusalem All the days of your life. ⁶Yes, may you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel!

¹Who is this who comes from Edom, With dyed garments from Bozrah, This One who is glorious in His apparel, Traveling in the greatness of His strength?— “I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.” ²Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like one who treads in the winepress? ³“I have trodden the winepress alone, And from the peoples no one was with Me. For I have trodden them in My anger, And trampled them in My fury; Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, And I have stained all My robes. ⁴For the day of vengeance is in My heart, And the year of My redeemed has come. ⁵I looked, but there was no one to help, And I wondered That there was no one to uphold; Therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me; And My own fury, it sustained Me. ⁶I have trodden down the peoples in My anger, Made them drunk in My fury, And brought down their strength to the earth.” ⁷I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lᴏʀᴅ And the praises of the Lᴏʀᴅ, According to all that the Lᴏʀᴅ has bestowed on us, And the great goodness toward the house of Israel, Which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies, According to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses. ⁸For He said, “Surely they are My people, Children who will not lie.” So He became their Savior. ⁹In all their affliction He was afflicted, And the Angel of His Presence saved them; In His love and in His pity He redeemed them; And He bore them and carried them All the days of old. ¹⁰But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; So He turned Himself against them as an enemy, And He fought against them. ¹¹Then he remembered the days of old, Moses and his people, saying: “Where is He who brought them up out of the sea With the shepherd of His flock? Where is He who put His Holy Spirit within them, ¹²Who led them by the right hand of Moses, With His glorious arm, Dividing the water before them To make for Himself an everlasting name, ¹³Who led them through the deep, As a horse in the wilderness, That they might not stumble?” ¹⁴As a beast goes down into the valley, And the Spirit of the Lᴏʀᴅ causes him to rest, So You lead Your people, To make Yourself a glorious name. ¹⁵Look down from heaven, And see from Your habitation, holy and glorious. Where are Your zeal and Your strength, The yearning of Your heart and Your mercies toward me? Are they restrained? ¹⁶Doubtless You are our Father, Though Abraham was ignorant of us, And Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O Lᴏʀᴅ, are our Father; Our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name. ¹⁷O Lᴏʀᴅ, why have You made us stray from Your ways, And hardened our heart from Your fear? Return for Your servants’ sake, The tribes of Your inheritance. ¹⁸Your holy people have possessed it but a little while; Our adversaries have trodden down Your sanctuary. ¹⁹We have become like those of old, over whom You never ruled, Those who were never called by Your name.

¹Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities. ²And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples ³and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” ⁴Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: ⁵The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. ⁶And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” ⁷As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ⁸But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. ⁹But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰For this is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’ ¹¹“Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹²And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. ¹³For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. ¹⁴And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. ¹⁵He who has ears to hear, let him hear! ¹⁶But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, ¹⁷and saying: ‘We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned to you, And you did not lament.’ ¹⁸For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ ¹⁹The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.” ²⁰Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: ²¹“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. ²²But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. ²³And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. ²⁴But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.” ²⁵At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. ²⁶Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. ²⁷All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. ²⁸Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”