Joshua 24:1-28 NRSV-CI
[1] Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. [2] And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Long ago your ancestors—Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor—lived beyond the Euphrates and served other gods. [3] Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac; [4] and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I gave Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. [5] Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in its midst; and afterwards I brought you out. [6] When I brought your ancestors out of Egypt, you came to the sea; and the Egyptians pursued your ancestors with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. [7] When they cried out to the Lord, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and made the sea come upon them and cover them; and your eyes saw what I did to Egypt. Afterwards you lived in the wilderness a long time. [8] Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites, who lived on the other side of the Jordan; they fought with you, and I handed them over to you, and you took possession of their land, and I destroyed them before you. [9] Then King Balak son of Zippor of Moab, set out to fight against Israel. He sent and invited Balaam son of Beor to curse you, [10] but I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he blessed you; so I rescued you out of his hand. [11] When you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho, the citizens of Jericho fought against you, and also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I handed them over to you. [12] I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove out before you the two kings of the Amorites; it was not by your sword or by your bow. [13] I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and towns that you had not built, and you live in them; you eat the fruit of vineyards and oliveyards that you did not plant. [14] “Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. [15] Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” [16] Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; [17] for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; [18] and the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.” [19] But Joshua said to the people, “You cannot serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. [20] If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm, and consume you, after having done you good.” [21] And the people said to Joshua, “No, we will serve the Lord!” [22] Then Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” [23] He said, “Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.” [24] The people said to Joshua, “The Lord our God we will serve, and him we will obey.” [25] So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem. [26] Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a large stone, and set it up there under the oak in the sanctuary of the Lord. [27] Joshua said to all the people, “See, this stone shall be a witness against us; for it has heard all the words of the Lord that he spoke to us; therefore it shall be a witness against you, if you deal falsely with your God.” [28] So Joshua sent the people away to their inheritances.
Numbers 22:1-41 NRSV-CI
[1] The Israelites set out, and camped in the plains of Moab across the Jordan from Jericho. [2] Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. [3] Moab was in great dread of the people, because they were so numerous; Moab was overcome with fear of the people of Israel. [4] And Moab said to the elders of Midian, “This horde will now lick up all that is around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” Now Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. [5] He sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is on the Euphrates, in the land of Amaw, to summon him, saying, “A people has come out of Egypt; they have spread over the face of the earth, and they have settled next to me. [6] Come now, curse this people for me, since they are stronger than I; perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land; for I know that whomever you bless is blessed, and whomever you curse is cursed.” [7] So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees for divination in their hand; and they came to Balaam, and gave him Balak’s message. [8] He said to them, “Stay here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, just as the Lord speaks to me”; so the officials of Moab stayed with Balaam. [9] God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?” [10] Balaam said to God, “King Balak son of Zippor of Moab, has sent me this message: [11] ‘A people has come out of Egypt and has spread over the face of the earth; now come, curse them for me; perhaps I shall be able to fight against them and drive them out.’ ” [12] God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.” [13] So Balaam rose in the morning, and said to the officials of Balak, “Go to your own land, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.” [14] So the officials of Moab rose and went to Balak, and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.” [15] Once again Balak sent officials, more numerous and more distinguished than these. [16] They came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak son of Zippor: ‘Do not let anything hinder you from coming to me; [17] for I will surely do you great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do; come, curse this people for me.’ ” [18] But Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, “Although Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the command of the Lord my God, to do less or more. [19] You remain here, as the others did, so that I may learn what more the Lord may say to me.” [20] That night God came to Balaam and said to him, “If the men have come to summon you, get up and go with them; but do only what I tell you to do.” [21] So Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the officials of Moab. [22] God’s anger was kindled because he was going, and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the road as his adversary. Now he was riding on the donkey, and his two servants were with him. [23] The donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand; so the donkey turned off the road, and went into the field; and Balaam struck the donkey, to turn it back onto the road. [24] Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side. [25] When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it scraped against the wall, and scraped Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he struck it again. [26] Then the angel of the Lord went ahead, and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. [27] When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam; and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. [28] Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” [29] Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a fool of me! I wish I had a sword in my hand! I would kill you right now!” [30] But the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I been in the habit of treating you this way?” And he said, “No.” [31] Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed down, falling on his face. [32] The angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? I have come out as an adversary, because your way is perverse before me. [33] The donkey saw me, and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away from me, surely just now I would have killed you and let it live.” [34] Then Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now therefore, if it is displeasing to you, I will return home.” [35] The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men; but speak only what I tell you to speak.” So Balaam went on with the officials of Balak. [36] When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him at Ir-moab, on the boundary formed by the Arnon, at the farthest point of the boundary. [37] Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send to summon you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honor you?” [38] Balaam said to Balak, “I have come to you now, but do I have power to say just anything? The word God puts in my mouth, that is what I must say.” [39] Then Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. [40] Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent them to Balaam and to the officials who were with him. [41] On the next day Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal; and from there he could see part of the people of Israel.
Numbers 23:1-30 NRSV-CI
[1] Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” [2] Balak did as Balaam had said; and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar. [3] Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your burnt offerings while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet me. Whatever he shows me I will tell you.” And he went to a bare height. [4] Then God met Balaam; and Balaam said to him, “I have arranged the seven altars, and have offered a bull and a ram on each altar.” [5] The Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and this is what you must say.” [6] So he returned to Balak, who was standing beside his burnt offerings with all the officials of Moab. [7] Then Balaam uttered his oracle, saying: “Balak has brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains: ‘Come, curse Jacob for me; Come, denounce Israel!’ [8] How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the Lord has not denounced? [9] For from the top of the crags I see him, from the hills I behold him; Here is a people living alone, and not reckoning itself among the nations! [10] Who can count the dust of Jacob, or number the dust-cloud of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, and let my end be like his!” [11] Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but now you have done nothing but bless them.” [12] He answered, “Must I not take care to say what the Lord puts into my mouth?” [13] So Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place from which you may see them; you shall see only part of them, and shall not see them all; then curse them for me from there.” [14] So he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah. He built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. [15] Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here beside your burnt offerings, while I meet the Lord over there.” [16] The Lord met Balaam, put a word into his mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and this is what you shall say.” [17] When he came to him, he was standing beside his burnt offerings with the officials of Moab. Balak said to him, “What has the Lord said?” [18] Then Balaam uttered his oracle, saying: “Rise, Balak, and hear; listen to me, O son of Zippor: [19] God is not a human being, that he should lie, or a mortal, that he should change his mind. Has he promised, and will he not do it? Has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? [20] See, I received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it. [21] He has not beheld misfortune in Jacob; nor has he seen trouble in Israel. The Lord their God is with them, acclaimed as a king among them. [22] God, who brings them out of Egypt, is like the horns of a wild ox for them. [23] Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel; now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘See what God has done!’ [24] Look, a people rising up like a lioness, and rousing itself like a lion! It does not lie down until it has eaten the prey and drunk the blood of the slain.” [25] Then Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them at all, and do not bless them at all.” [26] But Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell you, ‘Whatever the Lord says, that is what I must do’?” [27] So Balak said to Balaam, “Come now, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.” [28] So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland. [29] Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” [30] So Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
Numbers 24:1-25 NRSV-CI
[1] Now Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, so he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness. [2] Balaam looked up and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. Then the spirit of God came upon him, [3] and he uttered his oracle, saying: “The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is clear, [4] the oracle of one who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, who falls down, but with eyes uncovered: [5] how fair are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel! [6] Like palm groves that stretch far away, like gardens beside a river, like aloes that the Lord has planted, like cedar trees beside the waters. [7] Water shall flow from his buckets, and his seed shall have abundant water, his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. [8] God who brings him out of Egypt, is like the horns of a wild ox for him; he shall devour the nations that are his foes and break their bones. He shall strike with his arrows. [9] He crouched, he lay down like a lion, and like a lioness; who will rouse him up? Blessed is everyone who blesses you, and cursed is everyone who curses you.” [10] Then Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. Balak said to Balaam, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but instead you have blessed them these three times. [11] Now be off with you! Go home! I said, ‘I will reward you richly,’ but the Lord has denied you any reward.” [12] And Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not tell your messengers whom you sent to me, [13] ‘If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the Lord, to do either good or bad of my own will; what the Lord says, that is what I will say’? [14] So now, I am going to my people; let me advise you what this people will do to your people in days to come.” [15] So he uttered his oracle, saying: “The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is clear, [16] the oracle of one who hears the words of God, and knows the knowledge of the Most High, who sees the vision of the Almighty, who falls down, but with his eyes uncovered: [17] I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near— a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the borderlands of Moab, and the territory of all the Shethites. [18] Edom will become a possession, Seir a possession of its enemies, while Israel does valiantly. [19] One out of Jacob shall rule, and destroy the survivors of Ir.” [20] Then he looked on Amalek, and uttered his oracle, saying: “First among the nations was Amalek, but its end is to perish forever.” [21] Then he looked on the Kenite, and uttered his oracle, saying: “Enduring is your dwelling place, and your nest is set in the rock; [22] yet Kain is destined for burning. How long shall Asshur take you away captive?” [23] Again he uttered his oracle, saying: “Alas, who shall live when God does this? [24] But ships shall come from Kittim and shall afflict Asshur and Eber; and he also shall perish forever.” [25] Then Balaam got up and went back to his place, and Balak also went his way.
Numbers 25:1-18 NRSV-CI
[1] While Israel was staying at Shittim, the people began to have sexual relations with the women of Moab. [2] These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. [3] Thus Israel yoked itself to the Baal of Peor, and the Lord’s anger was kindled against Israel. [4] The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the people, and impale them in the sun before the Lord, in order that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.” [5] And Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you shall kill any of your people who have yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor.” [6] Just then one of the Israelites came and brought a Midianite woman into his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the Israelites, while they were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting. [7] When Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he got up and left the congregation. Taking a spear in his hand, [8] he went after the Israelite man into the tent, and pierced the two of them, the Israelite and the woman, through the belly. So the plague was stopped among the people of Israel. [9] Nevertheless those that died by the plague were twenty-four thousand. [10] The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: [11] “Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the Israelites by manifesting such zeal among them on my behalf that in my jealousy I did not consume the Israelites. [12] Therefore say, ‘I hereby grant him my covenant of peace. [13] It shall be for him and for his descendants after him a covenant of perpetual priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the Israelites.’ ” [14] The name of the slain Israelite man, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri son of Salu, head of an ancestral house belonging to the Simeonites. [15] The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi daughter of Zur, who was the head of a clan, an ancestral house in Midian. [16] The Lord said to Moses, [17] “Harass the Midianites, and defeat them; [18] for they have harassed you by the trickery with which they deceived you in the affair of Peor, and in the affair of Cozbi, the daughter of a leader of Midian, their sister; she was killed on the day of the plague that resulted from Peor.”
Exodus 17:1-16 NRSV-CI
[1] From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. [2] The people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” [3] But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” [4] So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” [5] The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. [6] I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. [7] He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” [8] Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. [9] Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some men for us and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” [10] So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. [11] Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. [12] But Moses’ hands grew weary; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; so his hands were steady until the sun set. [13] And Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the sword. [14] Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a reminder in a book and recite it in the hearing of Joshua: I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” [15] And Moses built an altar and called it, The Lord is my banner. [16] He said, “A hand upon the banner of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
Numbers 31:1-19 NRSV-CI
[1] The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, [2] “Avenge the Israelites on the Midianites; afterward you shall be gathered to your people.” [3] So Moses said to the people, “Arm some of your number for the war, so that they may go against Midian, to execute the Lord’s vengeance on Midian. [4] You shall send a thousand from each of the tribes of Israel to the war.” [5] So out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe were conscripted, twelve thousand armed for battle. [6] Moses sent them to the war, a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for sounding the alarm in his hand. [7] They did battle against Midian, as the Lord had commanded Moses, and killed every male. [8] They killed the kings of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian, in addition to others who were slain by them; and they also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. [9] The Israelites took the women of Midian and their little ones captive; and they took all their cattle, their flocks, and all their goods as booty. [10] All their towns where they had settled, and all their encampments, they burned, [11] but they took all the spoil and all the booty, both people and animals. [12] Then they brought the captives and the booty and the spoil to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the Israelites, at the camp on the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. [13] Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation went to meet them outside the camp. [14] Moses became angry with the officers of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, who had come from service in the war. [15] Moses said to them, “Have you allowed all the women to live? [16] These women here, on Balaam’s advice, made the Israelites act treacherously against the Lord in the affair of Peor, so that the plague came among the congregation of the Lord. [17] Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man by sleeping with him. [18] But all the young girls who have not known a man by sleeping with him, keep alive for yourselves. [19] Camp outside the camp seven days; whoever of you has killed any person or touched a corpse, purify yourselves and your captives on the third and on the seventh day.
Genesis 30:25-34 NRSV-CI
[25] When Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own home and country. [26] Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know very well the service I have given you.” [27] But Laban said to him, “If you will allow me to say so, I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me because of you; [28] name your wages, and I will give it.” [29] Jacob said to him, “You yourself know how I have served you, and how your cattle have fared with me. [30] For you had little before I came, and it has increased abundantly; and the Lord has blessed you wherever I turned. But now when shall I provide for my own household also?” [31] He said, “What shall I give you?” Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything; if you will do this for me, I will again feed your flock and keep it: [32] let me pass through all your flock today, removing from it every speckled and spotted sheep and every black lamb, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and such shall be my wages. [33] So my honesty will answer for me later, when you come to look into my wages with you. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and black among the lambs, if found with me, shall be counted stolen.” [34] Laban said, “Good! Let it be as you have said.”
Genesis 44:1-15 NRSV-CI
[1] Then he commanded the steward of his house, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the top of his sack. [2] Put my cup, the silver cup, in the top of the sack of the youngest, with his money for the grain.” And he did as Joseph told him. [3] As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their donkeys. [4] When they had gone only a short distance from the city, Joseph said to his steward, “Go, follow after the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you returned evil for good? Why have you stolen my silver cup? [5] Is it not from this that my lord drinks? Does he not indeed use it for divination? You have done wrong in doing this.’ ” [6] When he overtook them, he repeated these words to them. [7] They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing! [8] Look, the money that we found at the top of our sacks, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan; why then would we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house? [9] Should it be found with any one of your servants, let him die; moreover the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.” [10] He said, “Even so; in accordance with your words, let it be: he with whom it is found shall become my slave, but the rest of you shall go free.” [11] Then each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack. [12] He searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. [13] At this they tore their clothes. Then each one loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city. [14] Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house while he was still there; and they fell to the ground before him. [15] Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that one such as I can practice divination?”
2 Kings 4:1-7 NRSV-CI
[1] Now the wife of a member of the company of prophets cried to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead; and you know that your servant feared the Lord, but a creditor has come to take my two children as slaves.” [2] Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house, except a jar of oil.” [3] He said, “Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not just a few. [4] Then go in, and shut the door behind you and your children, and start pouring into all these vessels; when each is full, set it aside.” [5] So she left him and shut the door behind her and her children; they kept bringing vessels to her, and she kept pouring. [6] When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” But he said to her, “There are no more.” Then the oil stopped flowing. [7] She came and told the man of God, and he said, “Go sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your children can live on the rest.”
Hosea 1:1-11 NRSV-CI
[1] The word of the Lord that came to Hosea son of Beeri, in the days of Kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah, and in the days of King Jeroboam son of Joash of Israel. [2] When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take for yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord.” [3] So he went and took Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. [4] And the Lord said to him, “Name him Jezreel; for in a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. [5] On that day I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.” [6] She conceived again and bore a daughter. Then the Lord said to him, “Name her Lo-ruhamah, for I will no longer have pity on the house of Israel or forgive them. [7] But I will have pity on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the Lord their God; I will not save them by bow, or by sword, or by war, or by horses, or by horsemen.” [8] When she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived and bore a son. [9] Then the Lord said, “Name him Lo-ammi, for you are not my people and I am not your God.” [10] Yet the number of the people of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which can be neither measured nor numbered; and in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.” [11] The people of Judah and the people of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head; and they shall take possession of the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel.
Matthew 10:5-15 NRSV-CI
[5] These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, [6] but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. [7] As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ [8] Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. [9] Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, [10] no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for laborers deserve their food. [11] Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. [12] As you enter the house, greet it. [13] If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. [14] If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. [15] Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
Ezekiel 37:15-28 NRSV-CI
[15] The word of the Lord came to me: [16] Mortal, take a stick and write on it, “For Judah, and the Israelites associated with it”; then take another stick and write on it, “For Joseph (the stick of Ephraim) and all the house of Israel associated with it”; [17] and join them together into one stick, so that they may become one in your hand. [18] And when your people say to you, “Will you not show us what you mean by these?” [19] say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am about to take the stick of Joseph (which is in the hand of Ephraim) and the tribes of Israel associated with it; and I will put the stick of Judah upon it, and make them one stick, in order that they may be one in my hand. [20] When the sticks on which you write are in your hand before their eyes, [21] then say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from every quarter, and bring them to their own land. [22] I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all. Never again shall they be two nations, and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms. [23] They shall never again defile themselves with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. I will save them from all the apostasies into which they have fallen, and will cleanse them. Then they shall be my people, and I will be their God. [24] My servant David shall be king over them; and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall follow my ordinances and be careful to observe my statutes. [25] They shall live in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, in which your ancestors lived; they and their children and their children’s children shall live there forever; and my servant David shall be their prince forever. [26] I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; and I will bless them and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary among them forevermore. [27] My dwelling place shall be with them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. [28] Then the nations shall know that I the Lord sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary is among them forevermore.
Jeremiah 30:1-24 NRSV-CI
[1] The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: [2] Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you. [3] For the days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel and Judah, says the Lord, and I will bring them back to the land that I gave to their ancestors and they shall take possession of it. [4] These are the words that the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah: [5] Thus says the Lord: We have heard a cry of panic, of terror, and no peace. [6] Ask now, and see, can a man bear a child? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his loins like a woman in labor? Why has every face turned pale? [7] Alas! that day is so great there is none like it; it is a time of distress for Jacob; yet he shall be rescued from it. [8] On that day, says the Lord of hosts, I will break the yoke from off his neck, and I will burst his bonds, and strangers shall no more make a servant of him. [9] But they shall serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them. [10] But as for you, have no fear, my servant Jacob, says the Lord, and do not be dismayed, O Israel; for I am going to save you from far away, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease, and no one shall make him afraid. [11] For I am with you, says the Lord, to save you; I will make an end of all the nations among which I scattered you, but of you I will not make an end. I will chastise you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished. [12] For thus says the Lord: Your hurt is incurable, your wound is grievous. [13] There is no one to uphold your cause, no medicine for your wound, no healing for you. [14] All your lovers have forgotten you; they care nothing for you; for I have dealt you the blow of an enemy, the punishment of a merciless foe, because your guilt is great, because your sins are so numerous. [15] Why do you cry out over your hurt? Your pain is incurable. Because your guilt is great, because your sins are so numerous, I have done these things to you. [16] Therefore all who devour you shall be devoured, and all your foes, everyone of them, shall go into captivity; those who plunder you shall be plundered, and all who prey on you I will make a prey. [17] For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, says the Lord, because they have called you an outcast: “It is Zion; no one cares for her!” [18] Thus says the Lord: I am going to restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob, and have compassion on his dwellings; the city shall be rebuilt upon its mound, and the citadel set on its rightful site. [19] Out of them shall come thanksgiving, and the sound of merrymakers. I will make them many, and they shall not be few; I will make them honored, and they shall not be disdained. [20] Their children shall be as of old, their congregation shall be established before me; and I will punish all who oppress them. [21] Their prince shall be one of their own, their ruler shall come from their midst; I will bring him near, and he shall approach me, for who would otherwise dare to approach me? says the Lord. [22] And you shall be my people, and I will be your God. [23] Look, the storm of the Lord! Wrath has gone forth, a whirling tempest; it will burst upon the head of the wicked. [24] The fierce anger of the Lord will not turn back until he has executed and accomplished the intents of his mind. In the latter days you will understand this.
Isaiah 11:1-16 NRSV-CI
[1] A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. [2] The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. [3] His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; [4] but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. [5] Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins. [6] The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. [7] The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. [8] The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. [9] They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. [10] On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious. [11] On that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that is left of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Ethiopia, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea. [12] He will raise a signal for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. [13] The jealousy of Ephraim shall depart, the hostility of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah, and Judah shall not be hostile towards Ephraim. [14] But they shall swoop down on the backs of the Philistines in the west, together they shall plunder the people of the east. They shall put forth their hand against Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites shall obey them. [15] And the Lord will utterly destroy the tongue of the sea of Egypt; and will wave his hand over the River with his scorching wind; and will split it into seven channels, and make a way to cross on foot; [16] so there shall be a highway from Assyria for the remnant that is left of his people, as there was for Israel when they came up from the land of Egypt.