¹And it came to pass when all the kings who were on this side of the Jordan, in the hills and in the lowland and in all the coasts of the Great Sea toward Lebanon—the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite—heard about it, ²that they gathered together to fight with Joshua and Israel with one accord. ³But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, ⁴they worked craftily, and went and pretended to be ambassadors. And they took old sacks on their donkeys, old wineskins torn and mended, ⁵old and patched sandals on their feet, and old garments on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy. ⁶And they went to Joshua, to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a covenant with us.” ⁷Then the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you dwell among us; so how can we make a covenant with you?” ⁸But they said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you, and where do you come from?” ⁹So they said to him: “From a very far country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lᴏʀᴅ your God; for we have heard of His fame, and all that He did in Egypt, ¹⁰and all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan—to Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth. ¹¹Therefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take provisions with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them, “We are your servants; now therefore, make a covenant with us.” ’ ¹²This bread of ours we took hot for our provision from our houses on the day we departed to come to you. But now look, it is dry and moldy. ¹³And these wineskins which we filled were new, and see, they are torn; and these our garments and our sandals have become old because of the very long journey.” ¹⁴Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the Lᴏʀᴅ. ¹⁵So Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live; and the rulers of the congregation swore to them. ¹⁶And it happened at the end of three days, after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors who dwelt near them. ¹⁷Then the children of Israel journeyed and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kirjath Jearim. ¹⁸But the children of Israel did not attack them, because the rulers of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lᴏʀᴅ God of Israel. And all the congregation complained against the rulers. ¹⁹Then all the rulers said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the Lᴏʀᴅ God of Israel; now therefore, we may not touch them. ²⁰This we will do to them: We will let them live, lest wrath be upon us because of the oath which we swore to them.” ²¹And the rulers said to them, “Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers for all the congregation, as the rulers had promised them.” ²²Then Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, “Why have you deceived us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you dwell near us? ²³Now therefore, you are cursed, and none of you shall be freed from being slaves—woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.” ²⁴So they answered Joshua and said, “Because your servants were clearly told that the Lᴏʀᴅ your God commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; therefore we were very much afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing. ²⁵And now, here we are, in your hands; do with us as it seems good and right to do to us.” ²⁶So he did to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, so that they did not kill them. ²⁷And that day Joshua made them woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation and for the altar of the Lᴏʀᴅ, in the place which He would choose, even to this day.

¹To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. Deliver me, O Lᴏʀᴅ, from evil men; Preserve me from violent men, ²Who plan evil things in their hearts; They continually gather together for war. ³They sharpen their tongues like a serpent; The poison of asps is under their lips. Selah ⁴Keep me, O Lᴏʀᴅ, from the hands of the wicked; Preserve me from violent men, Who have purposed to make my steps stumble. ⁵The proud have hidden a snare for me, and cords; They have spread a net by the wayside; They have set traps for me. Selah ⁶I said to the Lᴏʀᴅ: “You are my God; Hear the voice of my supplications, O Lᴏʀᴅ. ⁷O God the Lᴏʀᴅ, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle. ⁸Do not grant, O Lᴏʀᴅ, the desires of the wicked; Do not further his wicked scheme, Lest they be exalted. Selah ⁹“As for the head of those who surround me, Let the evil of their lips cover them; ¹⁰Let burning coals fall upon them; Let them be cast into the fire, Into deep pits, that they rise not up again. ¹¹Let not a slanderer be established in the earth; Let evil hunt the violent man to overthrow him.” ¹²I know that the Lᴏʀᴅ will maintain The cause of the afflicted, And justice for the poor. ¹³Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name; The upright shall dwell in Your presence.

¹A Psalm of David. Lᴏʀᴅ, I cry out to You; Make haste to me! Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You. ²Let my prayer be set before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. ³Set a guard, O Lᴏʀᴅ, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips. ⁴Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, To practice wicked works With men who work iniquity; And do not let me eat of their delicacies. ⁵Let the righteous strike me; It shall be a kindness. And let him rebuke me; It shall be as excellent oil; Let my head not refuse it. For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked. ⁶Their judges are overthrown by the sides of the cliff, And they hear my words, for they are sweet. ⁷Our bones are scattered at the mouth of the grave, As when one plows and breaks up the earth. ⁸But my eyes are upon You, O God the Lᴏʀᴅ; In You I take refuge; Do not leave my soul destitute. ⁹Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, And from the traps of the workers of iniquity. ¹⁰Let the wicked fall into their own nets, While I escape safely.

¹“They say, ‘If a man divorces his wife, And she goes from him And becomes another man’s, May he return to her again?’ Would not that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the harlot with many lovers; Yet return to Me,” says the Lᴏʀᴅ. ²“Lift up your eyes to the desolate heights and see: Where have you not lain with men? By the road you have sat for them Like an Arabian in the wilderness; And you have polluted the land With your harlotries and your wickedness. ³Therefore the showers have been withheld, And there has been no latter rain. You have had a harlot’s forehead; You refuse to be ashamed. ⁴Will you not from this time cry to Me, ‘My father, You are the guide of my youth? ⁵Will He remain angry forever? Will He keep it to the end?’ Behold, you have spoken and done evil things, As you were able.” ⁶The Lᴏʀᴅ said also to me in the days of Josiah the king: “Have you seen what backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there played the harlot. ⁷And I said, after she had done all these things, ‘Return to Me.’ But she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. ⁸Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also. ⁹So it came to pass, through her casual harlotry, that she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. ¹⁰And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me with her whole heart, but in pretense,” says the Lᴏʀᴅ. ¹¹Then the Lᴏʀᴅ said to me, “Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. ¹²Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say: ‘Return, backsliding Israel,’ says the Lᴏʀᴅ; ‘I will not cause My anger to fall on you. For I am merciful,’ says the Lᴏʀᴅ; ‘ I will not remain angry forever. ¹³Only acknowledge your iniquity, That you have transgressed against the Lᴏʀᴅ your God, And have scattered your charms To alien deities under every green tree, And you have not obeyed My voice,’ says the Lᴏʀᴅ. ¹⁴“Return, O backsliding children,” says the Lᴏʀᴅ; “for I am married to you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. ¹⁵And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. ¹⁶Then it shall come to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land in those days,” says the Lᴏʀᴅ, “that they will say no more, ‘The ark of the covenant of the Lᴏʀᴅ.’ It shall not come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they visit it, nor shall it be made anymore. ¹⁷At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the Lᴏʀᴅ, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the Lᴏʀᴅ, to Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the dictates of their evil hearts. ¹⁸In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given as an inheritance to your fathers. ¹⁹“But I said: ‘How can I put you among the children And give you a pleasant land, A beautiful heritage of the hosts of nations?’ “And I said: ‘You shall call Me, “My Father,” And not turn away from Me.’ ²⁰Surely, as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, So have you dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel,” says the Lᴏʀᴅ. ²¹A voice was heard on the desolate heights, Weeping and supplications of the children of Israel. For they have perverted their way; They have forgotten the Lᴏʀᴅ their God. ²²“Return, you backsliding children, And I will heal your backslidings.” “Indeed we do come to You, For You are the Lᴏʀᴅ our God. ²³Truly, in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, And from the multitude of mountains; Truly, in the Lᴏʀᴅ our God Is the salvation of Israel. ²⁴For shame has devoured The labor of our fathers from our youth— Their flocks and their herds, Their sons and their daughters. ²⁵We lie down in our shame, And our reproach covers us. For we have sinned against the Lᴏʀᴅ our God, We and our fathers, From our youth even to this day, And have not obeyed the voice of the Lᴏʀᴅ our God.”

¹Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; ²and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. ³And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. ⁴Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” ⁵While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” ⁶And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. ⁷But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” ⁸When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. ⁹Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.” ¹⁰And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” ¹¹Jesus answered and said to them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. ¹²But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.” ¹³Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist. ¹⁴And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, ¹⁵“Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. ¹⁶So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.” ¹⁷Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” ¹⁸And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. ¹⁹Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” ²⁰So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. ²¹However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” ²²Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, ²³and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.” And they were exceedingly sorrowful. ²⁴When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?” ²⁵He said, “Yes.” And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?” ²⁶Peter said to Him, “From strangers.” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. ²⁷Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.”