Through the Bible – Day 59

₂₆After we had crossed the Arnon and had set up camp in the Kedemoth Desert, I sent messengers to King Sihon of Heshbon, telling him that his nation and ours could be at peace. I said:

_30-31But Sihon refused to let us go across his country, because the LORD made him stubborn and eager to fight us. The LORD told me, “I am going to help you defeat Sihon and take his land, so attack him!”

₃₂We met Sihon and his army in battle at Jahaz, ₃₃and the LORD our God helped us defeat them. We killed Sihon, his sons, and everyone else in his army. ₃₄Then we captured and destroyed every town in Sihon's kingdom, killing everyone, ₃₅but keeping the livestock and everything else of value. ₃₆The LORD helped us capture every town from the gorge of the River Arnon north to the boundary of Gilead, including the town of Aroer on the edge of the gorge and the town in the middle of the gorge.

₃₇However, we stayed away from all the Ammonite towns, both in the hill country and near the River Jabbok, just as the LORD had commanded.

₁When we turned on to the road that leads to Bashan, King Og of Bashan led out his whole army to fight us at Edrei. ₂But the LORD told me, “Moses, don't be afraid of King Og. I am going to help you defeat him and his army and take over his land. Destroy him and his people, just as you did with the Amorite King Sihon of Heshbon.”

_3-6The LORD our God helped us destroy Og and his army and conquer his entire kingdom of Bashan, including the Argob region. His kingdom had lots of villages and sixty towns with high walls and gates that locked with bars. We completely destroyed them all, killing everyone, ₇but keeping the livestock and everything else of value.

₈Sihon and Og had ruled Amorite kingdoms east of the River Jordan. Their land stretched from the gorge of the River Arnon in the south to Mount Hermon in the north, and we captured it all. ₉Mount Hermon is called Mount Sirion by the people of Sidon, and it is called Mount Senir by the Amorites. ₁₀We captured all the towns in the highlands, all of Gilead, and all of Bashan as far as Salecah and Edrei, two of the towns that Og had ruled.

₁₁King Og was the last of the Rephaim, and his coffin is in the town of Rabbah in Ammon. It is made of hard black rock and is four metres long and almost two metres wide.

_12-17I gave some of the land and towns we captured to the tribes of Reuben and Gad. Their share started at the gorge of the River Arnon in the south, took in the town of Aroer on the edge of the gorge, and went far enough north to include the southern half of the Gilead region. The northern part of their land went as far east as the upper gorge of the River Jabbok, which formed their border with the Ammonites. I also gave them the eastern side of the valley of the River Jordan, from Lake Galilee south to the Dead Sea below the slopes of Mount Pisgah.

I gave the northern half of Gilead and all of the Bashan region to half the tribe of Manasseh. Bashan had belonged to King Og, and the Argob region in Bashan used to be called the Land of the Rephaim. Jair from the Manasseh tribe conquered the Argob region as far west as the kingdoms of Geshur and Maacah. The Israelites even started calling Bashan by the name “Villages of Jair”, and that is still its name. I gave the northern half of Gilead to the Machir clan.

_18-19At that time I told the men of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh:

_21-22Then I told Joshua, “You saw how the LORD our God helped us destroy King Sihon and King Og. So don't be afraid! Wherever you go, the LORD will fight on your side and help you destroy your enemies.”

₂₃At that time I prayed and begged, ₂₄“Our LORD, it seems that you have just begun to show me your great power. No other god in the sky or on earth is able to do the mighty things that you do. ₂₅The land west of the Jordan is such good land. Please let me cross the Jordan and see the hills and the Lebanon Mountains.”

₂₆But the LORD was angry with me because of you people, and he refused to listen. “That's enough!” he said. “I don't want to hear any more. ₂₇Climb to the top of Mount Pisgah and look north, south, east, and west. Take a good look, but you are not going to cross the River Jordan. ₂₈Joshua will lead Israel across the Jordan to take the land, so help him be strong and brave and tell him what he must do.”

₂₉After this we stayed in the valley at Beth-Peor.

₁Israel, listen to these laws and teachings! If you obey them, you will live, and you will go in and take the land that the LORD is giving you. He is the God your ancestors worshipped, ₂and now he is your God. I am telling you everything he has commanded, so don't add anything or take anything away.

₃You saw how he killed everyone who worshipped the god Baal-Peor. ₄But all of you who were faithful to the LORD your God are still alive today.

_5-8No other nation has laws that are as fair as the ones the Lord my God told me to give you. If you faithfully obey them when you enter the land, you will show other nations how wise you are. In fact, everyone who hears about your laws will say, “That great nation certainly is wise!” And what makes us greater than other nations? We have a God who is close to us and answers our prayers.

₉You must be very careful not to forget the things you have seen God do for you. Keep reminding yourselves, and tell your children and grandchildren as well. ₁₀Do you remember the day you stood in the LORD's presence at Mount Sinai? The LORD said, “Moses, bring the people of Israel here. I want to speak to them so they will obey me as long as they live, and so they will teach their children to obey me too.”

₁₁Mount Sinai was surrounded by deep dark clouds, and fire went up to the sky. You came to the foot of the mountain, ₁₂and the LORD spoke to you from the fire. You could hear him and understand what he was saying, but you couldn't see him. ₁₃The LORD said he was making an agreement with you, and he told you that your part of the agreement is to obey the Ten Commandments. Then the LORD wrote these Commandments on two flat stones.

₁₄That's when the LORD commanded me to give you the laws and teachings you must obey in the land that you will conquer west of the River Jordan.

₁Jesus left and returned to his home town with his disciples. ₂The next Sabbath he taught in the Jewish meeting place. Many of the people who heard him were amazed and asked, “How can he do all this? Where did he get such wisdom and the power to perform these miracles? ₃Isn't he the carpenter, the son of Mary? Aren't James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon his brothers? Don't his sisters still live here in our town?” The people were very unhappy because of what he was doing.

₄But Jesus said, “Prophets are honoured by everyone, except the people of their home town and their relatives and their own family.” ₅Jesus could not perform any miracles there, except to heal a few sick people by placing his hands on them. ₆He was surprised that the people did not have any faith.

Jesus taught in all the neighbouring villages. ₇Then he called together his twelve apostles and sent them out two by two with power over evil spirits. ₈He told them, “You may take along a walking stick. But don't carry food or a travelling bag or any money. ₉It's all right to wear sandals, but don't take along a change of clothes. ₁₀When you are welcomed into a home, stay there until you leave that town. ₁₁If any place won't welcome you or listen to your message, leave and shake the dust from your feet as a warning to them.”

₁₂The apostles left and started telling everyone to turn to God. ₁₃They forced out many demons and healed a lot of sick people by putting olive oil on them.

₁₄Jesus became so well known that Herod the ruler heard about him. Some people thought he was John the Baptist, who had come back to life with the power to perform miracles. ₁₅Others thought he was Elijah or some other prophet who had lived long ago. ₁₆But when Herod heard about Jesus, he said, “This must be John! I had his head cut off, and now he has come back to life.”

_17-18Herod had earlier married Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. But John had told him, “It isn't right for you to take your brother's wife!” So, in order to please Herodias, Herod arrested John and put him in prison.

₁₉Herodias had a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she could not do it ₂₀because Herod was afraid of John and protected him. He knew that John was a good and holy man. Even though Herod was confused by what John said, he was glad to listen to him. And he often did.

₂₁Finally, Herodias got her chance when Herod gave a great birthday celebration for himself and invited his officials, his army officers, and the leaders of Galilee. ₂₂The daughter of Herodias came in and danced for Herod and his guests. She pleased them so much that Herod said, “Ask for anything, and it's yours! ₂₃I swear that I will give you as much as half of my kingdom, if you want it.”

₂₄The girl left and asked her mother, “What do you think I should ask for?”

Her mother answered, “The head of John the Baptist!”

₂₅The girl hurried back and told Herod, “Straight away on a dish I want the head of John the Baptist!”

₂₆The king was very sorry for what he had said. But he did not want to break the promise he had made in front of his guests. ₂₇At once he ordered a guard to cut off John's head there in prison. ₂₈The guard put the head on a dish and took it to the girl. Then she gave it to her mother.

₂₉When John's followers learnt that he had been killed, they took his body and put it in a tomb.