# verses

book: Num
contenido:
King Sihon had ruled from Heshbon, after defeating the Moabites and taking over their land north of the Arnon River gorge.


book: Num
contenido:
That's why the Amorites had written this poem about Heshbon: Come and rebuild Heshbon, King Sihon's capital city!


book: Num
contenido:
His armies marched out like fiery flames, burning down the town of Ar and destroying the hills along the Arnon River.


book: Num
contenido:
You Moabites are done for! Your god Chemosh deserted your people; they were captured, taken away by King Sihon the Amorite.


book: Num
contenido:
We completely defeated Moab. The towns of Heshbon and Dibon, of Nophah and Medeba are ruined and gone.


book: Num
contenido:
Moses sent some men to explore the town of Jazer. Later, the Israelites captured the villages surrounding it and forced out the Amorites who lived there.


book: Num
contenido:
The Israelites headed toward the region of Bashan, where King Og ruled, and he led his entire army to Edrei to meet Israel in battle.


book: Num
contenido:
The LORD said to Moses, “Don't be afraid of Og. I will help you defeat him and his army, just as you did King Sihon who ruled in Heshbon. Og's territory will be yours.”


book: Num
contenido:
So the Israelites wiped out Og, his family, and his entire army—there were no survivors. Then Israel took over the land of Bashan.


book: Num
contenido:
Israel moved from there to the hills of Moab, where they camped across the Jordan River from the town of Jericho.


book: Num
contenido:
When King Balak of Moab and his people heard how many Israelites there were and what they had done to the Amorites, he and the Moabites were terrified and panicked.


book: Num
contenido:
They said to the Midianite leaders, “That huge mob of Israelites will wipe out everything in sight, like a bull eating grass in a field.” So King Balak


book: Num
contenido:
sent a message to Balaam son of Beor who lived among his relatives in the town of Pethor near the Euphrates River. It said: I need your help. A large group of people has come here from Egypt and settled near my territory.


book: Num
contenido:
They are too powerful for us to defeat, so would you come and place a curse on them? Maybe then we can run them off. I know that anyone you bless will be successful, but anyone you curse will fail.


book: Num
contenido:
The leaders of Moab and Midian left and took along money to pay Balaam. When they got to his house, they gave him Balak's message.


book: Num
contenido:
“Spend the night here,” Balaam replied, “and tomorrow I will tell you the LORD's answer.” So the officials stayed at his house.


book: Num
contenido:
to ask me to go to Moab and put a curse on the people who have come there from Egypt. They have settled everywhere around him, and he wants to run them off.”


book: Num
contenido:
But God replied, “Don't go with Balak's messengers. I have blessed those people who have come from Egypt, so don't curse them.”


book: Num
contenido:
The next morning, Balaam said to Balak's officials, “Go on back home. The LORD says I cannot go with you.”


book: Num
contenido:
Balaam answered, “Even if Balak offered me a palace full of silver or gold, I wouldn't do anything to disobey the LORD my God.


book: Num
contenido:
You are welcome to spend the night here, just as the others did. I will find out if the LORD has something else to say about this.”


book: Num
contenido:
That night, God said, “Balaam, I'll let you go to Moab with Balak's messengers, but do only what I say.”


book: Num
contenido:
Balaam was riding his donkey to Moab, and two of his servants were with him. But God was angry that Balaam had gone, so one of the LORD's angels stood in the road to stop him.


book: Num
contenido:
When Balaam's donkey saw the angel standing there with a sword, it walked off the road and into an open field. Balaam had to beat the donkey to get it back on the road.


book: Num
contenido:
When the donkey saw the angel, it walked so close to one of the walls that Balaam's foot scraped against the wall. Balaam beat the donkey again.


book: Num
contenido:
The angel moved once more and stood in a spot so narrow that there was no room for the donkey to go around.


book: Num
contenido:
When that happened, the LORD told the donkey to speak, and it asked Balaam, “What have I done that made you beat me three times?”


book: Num
contenido:
“But you're my owner,” answered the donkey, “and you've ridden me many times. Have I ever done anything like this before?” “No,” Balaam admitted.


book: Num
contenido:
Just then, the LORD let Balaam see the angel standing in the road, holding a sword, and Balaam bowed down.


book: Num
contenido:
The angel said, “You had no right to treat your donkey like that! I was the one who blocked your way, because I don't think you should go to Moab.


book: Num
contenido:
If your donkey had not seen me and stopped those three times, I would have killed you and let the donkey live.”


book: Num
contenido:
Balaam replied, “I was wrong. I didn't know you were trying to stop me. If you don't think I should go, I'll return home at once.”


book: Num
contenido:
“It's all right for you to go,” the LORD's angel answered. “But you must say only what I tell you.” So Balaam went on with Balak's officials.


book: Num
contenido:
When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went to meet him at the town of Ir on the Arnon River, which is the northern border of Moab.


book: Num
contenido:
Balak asked, “Why didn't you come when I invited you the first time? Did you think I wasn't going to pay you?”


book: Num
contenido:
where Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep and gave some of the meat to Balaam and the officials who were with him.


book: Num
contenido:
The next morning, Balak took Balaam to the town of Bamoth-Baal. From there, Balaam could see some of the Israelites.


book: Num
contenido:
Then Balaam said, “Wait here beside your offerings, and I'll go somewhere to be alone. Maybe the LORD will appear to me. If he does, I will tell you everything he says.” And he left.


book: Num
contenido:
When God appeared to him, Balaam said, “I have built seven altars and have sacrificed a bull and a ram on each one.”


book: Num
contenido:
Balaam said: “King Balak of Moab brought me from the hills of Syria to curse Israel and announce its doom.


book: Num
contenido:
They are living alone in peace. And though they are many, they don't bother the other nations. “I hope to obey God for as long as I live and to die in such peace.”


book: Num
contenido:
Balak said, “What are you doing? I asked you to come and place a curse on my enemies. But you have blessed them instead!”


book: Num
contenido:
Balak said to Balaam, “Let's go somewhere else. Maybe if you see a smaller part of the Israelites, you will be able to curse them for me.”


book: Num
contenido:
So he took Balaam to a field on top of Mount Pisgah where lookouts were stationed. Then he built seven altars there and sacrificed a bull and a ram on each one.


book: Num
contenido:
Balaam went back and saw him and his officials standing beside the offerings. Balak asked, “What did the LORD say?”


book: Num
contenido:
“My command from God was to bless these people, and there's nothing I can do to change what he has done.


book: Num
contenido:
Balak said to Balaam, “Come on, let's try another place. Maybe God will let you curse Israel from there.”


book: Num
contenido:
Balaam was sure that the LORD would tell him to bless Israel again. So he did not use any magic to find out what the LORD wanted him to do, as he had the first two times. Instead, he looked out toward the desert


book: Num
contenido:
It's like a grove of palm trees or a garden beside a river. You are like tall aloe trees that the LORD has planted, or like cedars growing near water.


book: Num
contenido:
You and your descendants will prosper like an orchard beside a stream. Your king will rule with power and be a greater king than Agag the Amalekite.


book: Num
contenido:
With the strength of a wild ox, God led you out of Egypt. You will defeat your enemies, shooting them with arrows and crushing their bones.


book: Num
contenido:
Like a lion you lie down, resting after an attack. Who would dare disturb you? “Anyone who blesses you will be blessed; anyone who curses you will be cursed.”


book: Num
contenido:
When Balak heard this, he was so furious that he pounded his fist against his hand and said, “I called you here to place a curse on my enemies, and you've blessed them three times.


book: Num
contenido:
Leave now and go home! I told you I would pay you well, but since the LORD didn't let you do what I asked, you won't be paid.”


book: Num
contenido:
that even if you offered me a palace full of silver or gold, I would still obey the LORD. And I explained that I would say only what he told me.


book: Num
contenido:
So I'm going back home, but I'm leaving you with a warning about what the Israelites will someday do to your nation.”


book: Num
contenido:
My knowledge comes from God Most High, the LORD All-Powerful. I bowed down to him and saw a vision of Israel.


book: Num
contenido:
“What I saw in my vision hasn't happened yet. But someday, a king of Israel will appear like a star. He will wipe out you Moabites and destroy those tribes who live in the desert.


book: Num
contenido:
“And I saw this vision about the Amalekites: Their nation is now great, but it will someday disappear forever.


book: Num
contenido:
Ships will come from Cyprus, bringing people who will invade the lands of Assyria and Eber. But finally, Cyprus itself will be ruined.”


book: Num
contenido:
These women then invited the men to ceremonies where sacrifices were offered to their gods. The men ate the meat from the sacrifices and worshiped the Moabite gods.


book: Num
contenido:
So he said to Moses, “Take the Israelite leaders who are responsible for this and have them killed in front of my sacred tent where everyone can see. Maybe then I will stop being angry with the Israelites.”


book: Num
contenido:
Later, Moses and the people were at the sacred tent, crying, when one of the Israelite men brought a Midianite woman to meet his family.


book: Num
contenido:
and followed the man into his tent, where he ran the spear through the man and into the woman's stomach. The LORD immediately stopped punishing Israel with a deadly disease,


book: Num
contenido:
But instead of punishing them, I forgave them. So because of the loyalty that Phinehas showed, I solemnly promise that he and his descendants will always be my priests.”


book: Num
contenido:
The Israelite man that was killed was Zimri son of Salu, who was one of the leaders of the Simeon tribe.


book: Num
contenido:
And the Midianite woman killed with him was Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite clan leader named Zur.


book: Num
contenido:
“The Midianites are now enemies of Israel, so attack and defeat them! They tricked the people of Israel into worshiping their god at Peor, and they are responsible for the death of Cozbi, the daughter of one of their own leaders.”


book: Num
contenido:
After the LORD had stopped the deadly disease from killing the Israelites, he said to Moses and Eleazar son of Aaron,


book: Num
contenido:
“I want you to find out how many Israelites are in each family. Then make a list of every man 20 years and older who is able to serve in Israel's army.”


book: Num
contenido:
Israel was now camped in the hills of Moab across the Jordan River from the town of Jericho. Moses and Eleazar told them


book: Num
contenido:
what the LORD had said about counting the men 20 years and older, just as Moses and their ancestors had done when they left Egypt.


book: Num
contenido:
There were 43,730 men from the tribe of Reuben, the oldest son of Jacob. These men were from the clans of Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.


book: Num
contenido:
and the grandfather of Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These are the same Dathan and Abiram who had been chosen by the people, but who followed Korah and rebelled against Moses, Aaron, and the LORD.


book: Num
contenido:
That's when the LORD made the earth open up and swallow Dathan, Abiram, and Korah. At the same time, fire destroyed 250 men as a warning to the other Israelites.


book: Num
contenido:
There were 22,200 men from the tribe of Simeon; they were from the clans of Nemuel, Jamin, Jachin, Zerah, and Shaul.


book: Num
contenido:
There were 40,500 men from the tribe of Gad; they were from the clans of Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ozni, Eri, Arod, and Areli.


book: Num
contenido:
There were 76,500 men from the tribe of Judah; they were from the clans of Shelah, Perez, and Zerah, as well as Hezron and Hamul, whose ancestor was Perez. Judah's sons Er and Onan had died in Canaan.


book: Num
contenido:
There were 64,300 men from the tribe of Issachar; they were from the clans of Tola, Puvah, Jashub, and Shimron.


book: Num
contenido:
There were 60,500 men from the tribe of Zebulun; they were from the clans of Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.


book: Num
contenido:
There were 52,700 men from the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph; they were from the clan of Machir, the clan of Gilead his son, and the clans of his six grandsons: Iezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Shemida, and Hepher. Zelophehad son of Hepher had no sons, but he had five daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.


book: Num
contenido:
There were 32,500 men from the tribe of Ephraim son of Joseph; they were from the clans of Shuthelah, Becher, Tahan, and Eran the son of Shuthelah.


book: Num
contenido:
There were 45,600 men from the tribe of Benjamin; they were from the clans of Bela, Ashbel, Ahiram, Shephupham, Hupham, as well as from Ard and Naaman, the two sons of Bela.


book: Num
contenido:
There were 53,400 men from the tribe of Asher; they were from the clans of Imnah, Ishvi, and Beriah, and from the two clans of Heber and Malchiel, the sons of Beriah. Asher's daughter was Serah.


book: Num
contenido:
There were 45,400 men from the tribe of Naphtali; they were from the clans of Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.


book: Num
contenido:
I will show you what land to give each tribe, and they will receive as much land as they need, according to the number of people in it.”


book: Num
contenido:
as well as the clans of Libni, Hebron, Mahli, Mushi, and Korah. Kohath the Levite was the father of Amram,


book: Num
contenido:
the husband of Levi's daughter Jochebed, who was born in Egypt. Amram and Jochebed's three children were Aaron, Moses, and Miriam.


book: Num
contenido:
In the tribe of Levi there were 23,000 men and boys at least a month old. They were not listed with the other tribes, because they would not receive any land in Canaan.


book: Num
contenido:
Moses and Eleazar counted the Israelites while they were camped in the hills of Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho.


book: Num
contenido:
except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. The LORD had said that everyone else would die there in the desert.


book: Num
contenido:
Zelophehad was from the Manasseh tribe, and he had five daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.


book: Num
contenido:
One day his daughters went to the sacred tent, where they met with Moses, Eleazar, and some other leaders of Israel, as well as a large crowd of Israelites. The young women said:


book: Num
contenido:
You know that our father died in the desert. But it was for something he did wrong, not for joining with Korah in rebelling against the LORD. Our father left no sons


book: Num
contenido:
to carry on his family name. But why should his name die out for that reason? Give us some land like the rest of his relatives in our clan, so our father's name can live on.


book: Num
contenido:
Zelophehad's daughters are right. They should each be given part of the land their father would have received.


book: Num
contenido:
And if his father has no brothers, the land must be given to his nearest relative in the clan. This is my law, and the Israelites must obey it.


book: Num
contenido:
The LORD said to Moses, “One day you will go up into the Abarim Mountains, and from there you will see the land I am giving the Israelites.


book: Num
contenido:
because both of you disobeyed me at Meribah near the town of Kadesh in the Zin Desert. When the Israelites insulted me there, you didn't believe in my holy power.”


book: Num
contenido:
“You are the LORD God, and you know what is in everyone's heart. So I ask you to appoint a leader for Israel.


book: Num
contenido:
Your people need someone to lead them into battle, or else they will be like sheep wandering around without a shepherd.”


book: Num
contenido:
The LORD answered, “Joshua son of Nun can do the job. Place your hands on him to show that he is the one to take your place.


book: Num
contenido:
Then go with him and tell him to stand in front of Eleazar the priest and the Israelites. Appoint Joshua as their new leader


book: Num
contenido:
But Joshua must depend on Eleazar to find out from me what I want him to do as he leads Israel into battle.”


book: Num
contenido:
to say to the people of Israel: Offer sacrifices to me at the appointed times of worship, so that I will smell the smoke and be pleased.


book: Num
contenido:
Each day offer two rams a year old as sacrifices to please me. The animals must have nothing wrong with them;


book: Num
contenido:
Along with each of them, one kilogram of your finest flour mixed with a liter of olive oil must be offered as a grain sacrifice.


book: Num
contenido:
Finally, along with each of these two sacrifices, a liter of wine must be poured on the altar as a drink offering.


book: Num
contenido:
The second ram will be sacrificed that evening, along with the other offerings, just like the one sacrificed that morning. The smell of the smoke from these sacrifices will please me.


book: Num
contenido:
On the Sabbath, in addition to the regular daily sacrifices, you must sacrifice two rams a year old to please me. These rams must have nothing wrong with them, and they will be sacrificed with a drink offering and two kilograms of your finest flour mixed with olive oil.


book: Num
contenido:
On the first day of each month, bring to the altar two bulls, one full-grown ram, and seven rams a year old that have nothing wrong with them. Then offer these as sacrifices to please me.


book: Num
contenido:
Three kilograms of your finest flour mixed with olive oil must be offered with each bull as a grain sacrifice. Two kilograms of flour mixed with oil must be offered with the ram,


book: Num
contenido:
and one kilogram of flour mixed with oil must be offered with each of the young rams. The smell of the smoke from these sacrifices will please me.


book: Num
contenido:
Offer two liters of wine as a drink offering with each bull, one and a half liters with the ram, and one liter with each of the young rams. Finally, you must offer a goat as a sacrifice for sin. These sacrifices are to be offered on the first day of each month, in addition to the regular daily sacrifices.


book: Num
contenido:
The following day will begin the Festival of Thin Bread, which will last for a week. During this time you must honor me by eating bread made without yeast.


book: Num
contenido:
Bring to the altar two bulls, one full-grown ram, and seven rams a year old that have nothing wrong with them. And then offer these as sacrifices to please me.


book: Num
contenido:
All of these are to be offered each day of the festival in additional to the regular sacrifices, and the smoke from them will please me.


book: Num
contenido:
Then on the last day of the festival, you must once again rest from work and come together for worship.


book: Num
contenido:
On the first day of the Harvest Festival, you must rest from your work, come together for worship, and bring a sacrifice of new grain.


book: Num
contenido:
The animals must have nothing wrong with them and are to be sacrificed along with the regular daily sacrifices.


book: Num
contenido:
On the first day of the seventh month, you must rest from your work and come together to celebrate at the sound of the trumpets.


book: Num
contenido:
Bring to the altar one bull, one full-grown ram, and seven rams a year old that have nothing wrong with them. And then offer these as sacrifices to please me.


book: Num
contenido:
Three kilograms of your finest flour mixed with olive oil must be offered with the bull as a grain sacrifice. Two kilograms of flour mixed with oil must be offered with the ram,


book: Num
contenido:
These sacrifices will be made in addition to the regular daily sacrifices and the sacrifices for the first day of the month. The smoke from these sacrifices will please me.


book: Num
contenido:
The tenth day of the seventh month is the Great Day of Forgiveness. On that day you must rest from all work and come together for worship. Show sorrow for your sins by going without food,


book: Num
contenido:
and bring to the altar one young bull, one full-grown ram, and seven rams a year old that have nothing wrong with them. Then offer these as sacrifices to please me.


book: Num
contenido:
A goat must also be sacrificed for the sins of the people. You will offer these sacrifices in addition to the sacrifice to ask forgiveness and the regular daily sacrifices.


book: Num
contenido:
Beginning on the fifteenth day of the seventh month and continuing for seven days, everyone must celebrate the Festival of Shelters in honor of me.


book: Num
contenido:
On the first day, you must rest from your work and come together for worship. Bring to the altar 13 bulls, 2 full-grown rams, and 14 rams a year old that have nothing wrong with them. Then offer these as sacrifices to please me.


book: Num
contenido:
Three kilograms of your finest flour mixed with olive oil must be offered with each bull as a grain sacrifice. Two kilograms of flour mixed with oil must be offered with each of the rams,


book: Num
contenido:
You must also offer a goat as a sacrifice for sin. These are to be offered in addition to the regular daily sacrifices.


book: Num
contenido:
For the next six days of the festival, you will sacrifice one less bull than the day before, so that on the seventh day, seven bulls will be sacrificed. The other sacrifices and offerings must remain the same for each of these days.


book: Num
contenido:
Bring to the altar one bull, one full-grown ram, and seven rams a year old that have nothing wrong with them. Then offer these as sacrifices to please me.


book: Num
contenido:
And offer a goat as the sacrifice to ask forgiveness for the people. These sacrifices are made in addition to the regular daily sacrifices.


book: Num
contenido:
You must offer all these sacrifices to me at the appointed times of worship, together with any offerings that are voluntarily given or given because of a promise.


book: Num
contenido:
But if he hears about it and objects, then she no longer has to keep her promise. The LORD will forgive her, because her father did not agree with the promise.


book: Num
contenido:
Suppose a woman makes a promise to the LORD and then gets married. If her husband later hears about the promise but says nothing, she must do what she said, whether she meant it or not.


book: Num
contenido:
But if her husband hears about the promise and objects, she no longer has to keep it, and the LORD will forgive her.


book: Num
contenido:
But if he hears about the promise and does object, she no longer has to keep it. The LORD will forgive her, because her husband would not allow her to keep the promise.


book: Num
contenido:
If her husband hears about a promise and says nothing about it for a whole day, she must do what she said—since he did not object, the promise must be kept.


book: Num
contenido:
But if he waits until the next day to stop her from keeping her promise, he is the one who must be punished.


book: Num
contenido:
These are the laws that the LORD gave Moses about husbands and wives, and about young daughters who still live at home.


book: Num
contenido:
Then Moses told the people, “The LORD wants to punish the Midianites. So tell our men to prepare for battle.


book: Num
contenido:
Moses sent them off to war. Phinehas the son of Eleazar went with them and took along some things from the sacred tent and the trumpets for sounding the battle signal.


book: Num
contenido:
The Israelites fought against the Midianites, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. They killed all the men,


book: Num
contenido:
The Israelites captured every woman and child, then led away the Midianites' cattle and sheep, and took everything else that belonged to them.


book: Num
contenido:
Israel's soldiers gathered together everything they had taken from the Midianites, including the captives and the animals.


book: Num
contenido:
Then they returned to their own camp in the hills of Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho, where Moses, Eleazar, and the other Israelite leaders met the troops outside camp.


book: Num
contenido:
They are the ones who followed Balaam's advice and invited our people to worship the god Baal Peor. That's why the LORD punished us by killing so many of our people.


book: Num
contenido:
Then Moses said to the soldiers, “If you killed anyone or touched a dead body, you are unclean and have to stay outside the camp for seven days. On the third and seventh days, you must go through a ceremony to make yourselves and your captives clean.


book: Num
contenido:
Eleazar then explained, “If you need to purify something that won't burn, such as gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, or lead, you must first place it in a hot fire. After you take it out, sprinkle it with the water that purifies. Everything else should only be sprinkled with the water. Do all of this, just as the LORD commanded Moses.


book: Num
contenido:
Wash your clothes on the seventh day, and after that, you will be clean and may return to the camp.”


book: Num
contenido:
Make a list of everything taken from the Midianites, including the captives and the animals. Then divide them between the soldiers and the rest of the people. Eleazar the priest and the family leaders will help you.


book: Num
contenido:
From the half that belongs to the soldiers, set aside for the LORD one out of every 500 people or animals and give these to Eleazar.


book: Num
contenido:
From the half that belongs to the people, set aside one out of every 50 and give these to the Levites in charge of the sacred tent.


book: Num
contenido:
and listed everything that had been taken from the Midianites. The list included 675,000 sheep and goats, 72,000 cattle, 61,000 donkeys, and 32,000 young women who had never had sex.


book: Num
contenido:
Each half included 337,500 sheep and goats, 36,000 cattle, 30,500 donkeys, and 16,000 young women. From the half that belonged to the soldiers, Moses counted out 675 sheep and goats, 72 cattle, 61 donkeys, and 32 women and gave them to Eleazar to be dedicated to the LORD. Then from the half that belonged to the people, Moses set aside one out of every 50 animals and women, as the LORD had said, and gave them to the Levites.


book: Num
contenido:
So we want to give the LORD all the gold jewelry we took from the Midianites. It's our gift to him for watching over us and our troops.”


book: Num
contenido:
So Moses and Eleazar placed the gold in the LORD's sacred tent to remind Israel of what had happened.


book: Num
contenido:
The tribes of Reuben and Gad owned a lot of cattle and sheep, and they saw that the regions of Jazer and Gilead had good pastureland.


book: Num
contenido:
“The LORD has helped us capture the land around the towns of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon. That's good pastureland, and since we own cattle and sheep,


book: Num
contenido:
If you did that, it would discourage the others from crossing over into the land the LORD promised them.


book: Num
contenido:
And he said that no one who was 20 years or older when they left Egypt would enter the land he had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Not one of those people believed in the LORD's power,


book: Num
contenido:
but he was so angry with the others that he forced them to wander around in the desert for 40 years. By that time everyone who had sinned against him had died.


book: Num
contenido:
If you reject the LORD, he will once again abandon his people and leave them here in the desert. And you will be to blame!


book: Num
contenido:
The men from Reuben and Gad replied: Let us build places to keep our sheep and goats, and towns for our wives and children,


book: Num
contenido:
The land on this side of the Jordan River will be ours, so we won't expect to receive any on the other side.


book: Num
contenido:
You also agreed to cross the Jordan and stay with the rest of the Israelites, until the LORD forces our enemies out of the land. If you do these things,


book: Num
contenido:
then after the LORD helps Israel capture the land, you can return to your own land. You will no longer have to stay with the others.


book: Num
contenido:
Go ahead and build towns for your wives and children, and places for your sheep and goats. Just be sure to do what you have promised.


book: Num
contenido:
“Make sure that the tribes of Gad and Reuben prepare for battle and cross the Jordan River with you. If they do, then after the land is in your control, give them the region of Gilead as their tribal land.


book: Num
contenido:
But if they break their promise, they will receive land on the other side of the Jordan, like the rest of the tribes.”


book: Num
contenido:
The tribes of Gad and Reuben replied, “We are your servants and will do whatever the LORD has commanded.


book: Num
contenido:
We will cross the Jordan River, ready to fight for the LORD in Canaan. But the land we will inherit as our own will be on this side of the river.”


book: Num
contenido:
So Moses gave the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half of Manasseh the territory and towns that King Sihon the Amorite had ruled, as well as the territory and towns that King Og of Bashan had ruled.


book: Num
contenido:
Beth-Nimrah, and Beth-Haran. They built walls around them and also built places to keep their sheep and goats.


book: Num
contenido:
Sibmah, as well as the towns that used to be known as Nebo and Baal-Meon. They renamed all those places.


book: Num
contenido:
The clan of Machir from the tribe of East Manasseh went to the region of Gilead, captured its towns, and forced out the Amorites.


book: Num
contenido:
Moses kept a list of the places they camped, just as the LORD had instructed. Here is the record of their journey:


book: Num
contenido:
Israel left the Egyptian city of Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month. This was the day after the LORD had punished Egypt's gods by killing the first-born sons in every Egyptian family. So while the Egyptians were burying the bodies, they watched the Israelites proudly leave their country.


book: Num
contenido:
They left Pi-Hahiroth, crossed the Red Sea, then walked three days into the Etham Desert and camped at Marah.


book: Num
contenido:
As Israel traveled from the Sinai Desert to Kadesh in the Zin Desert, they camped at Kibroth-Hattaavah, Hazeroth, Rithmah, Rimmon-Perez, Libnah, Rissah, Kehelathah, Mount Shepher, Haradah, Makheloth, Tahath, Terah, Mithkah, Hashmonah, Moseroth, Bene-Jaakan, Hor-Haggidgad, Jotbathah, Abronah, Ezion-Geber, and finally Kadesh.


book: Num
contenido:
That's where the LORD commanded Aaron the priest to go to the top of the mountain. Aaron died there on the first day of the fifth month, 40 years after the Israelites left Egypt.


book: Num
contenido:
It was then that the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Southern Desert of Canaan, heard that Israel was headed that way.


book: Num
contenido:
The Israelites left Mount Hor and headed toward Moab. Along the way, they camped at Zalmonah, Punon, Oboth, Iye-Abarim in the territory of Moab, Dibon-Gad, Almon-Diblathaim, at a place near Mount Nebo in the Abarim Mountains,


book: Num
contenido:
While Israel was camped in the lowlands of Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho, the LORD told Moses


book: Num
contenido:
I will show you how to divide the land among the tribes, according to the number of clans in each one, so that the larger tribes will have more land than the smaller ones.


book: Num
contenido:
If you don't force out all the people there, they will be like splinters in your eyes and thorns in your back. They will always be trouble for you,


book: Num
contenido:
The southern border will be the Zin Desert and the northwest part of Edom. This border will begin at the south end of the Dead Sea.


book: Num
contenido:
It will go west from there, but will turn southward to include Scorpion Pass, the village of Zin, and the town of Kadesh-Barnea. From there, the border will continue to Hazar-Addar and on to Azmon.


book: Num
contenido:
After that, it will run to Lebo-Hamath and across to Zedad, which is the northern edge of your land.


book: Num
contenido:
and on down to Riblah on the east side of Ain. From there, it will go south to the eastern hills of Lake Galilee,


book: Num
contenido:
then follow the Jordan River down to the north end of the Dead Sea. The land within those four borders will belong to you.


book: Num
contenido:
Then Moses told the people, “You will receive the land inside these borders. It will be yours, but the LORD has commanded you to divide it among the nine and a half tribes.


book: Num
contenido:
and here is the list of their names: Caleb son of Jephunneh from Judah, Shemuel son of Ammihud from Simeon, Elidad son of Chislon from Benjamin, Bukki son of Jogli from Dan, Hanniel son of Ephod from Manasseh, Kemuel son of Shiphtan from Ephraim, Elizaphan son of Parnach from Zebulun, Paltiel son of Azzan from Issachar, Ahihud son of Shelomi from Asher, and Pedahel son of Ammihud from Naphtali.”


book: Num
contenido:
While the people of Israel were still camped in the lowlands of Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho, the LORD told Moses


book: Num
contenido:
to say to them: When you receive your tribal lands, you must give towns and pastures to the Levi tribe.


book: Num
contenido:
The pasture around each of these towns must be in the shape of a square, with the town itself in the center. The pasture is to measure 900 meters on each side, with 450 meters of land outside each of the town walls. This will be the Levites' pastureland.


book: Num
contenido:
Six of the towns you give them will be Safe Towns where a person who has accidentally killed someone can run for protection. But you will also give the Levites 42 other towns,


book: Num
contenido:
Since the towns for the Levites must come from Israel's own tribal lands, the larger tribes will give more towns than the smaller ones.


book: Num
contenido:
If the victim's relatives think it was murder, they might try to take revenge. Anyone accused of murder can run to one of these Safe Towns for protection and not be killed before a trial is held.


book: Num
contenido:
Suppose you hit someone with a piece of iron or a large stone or a dangerous wooden tool. If that person dies, then you are a murderer and must be put to death


book: Num
contenido:
by one of the victim's relatives. He will take revengefor his relative's death as soon as he finds you.


book: Num
contenido:
Or suppose you get angry and kill someone by pushing or hitting or by throwing something. You are a murderer and must be put to death by one of the victim's relatives.


book: Num
contenido:
But if you are not angry and accidentally kill someone in any of these ways, the townspeople must hold a trial and decide if you are guilty.


book: Num
contenido:
If they decide that you are innocent, you will be protected from the victim's relative and sent to stay in one of the Safe Towns until the high priest dies.


book: Num
contenido:
Death is the penalty for murder. But no one accused of murder can be put to death unless there are at least two witnesses to the crime.


book: Num
contenido:
And if you have been proven innocent of murder and are living in a Safe Town, you cannot pay to go back home; you must stay there until the high priest dies.


book: Num
contenido:
I, the LORD, live among you people of Israel, so your land must be kept pure. But when a murder takes place, blood pollutes the land, and it becomes unclean. If that happens, the murderer must be put to death, so the land will be clean again. Keep murder out of Israel!


book: Num
contenido:
One day the family leaders from the Gilead clan of the Manasseh tribe went to Moses and the other family leaders of Israel


book: Num
contenido:
and said, “Sir, the LORD has said that he will show what land each tribe will receive as their own. And the LORD has commanded you to give the daughters of our relative Zelophehad the land that he would have received.


book: Num
contenido:
But if they marry men from other tribes of Israel, the land they receive will become part of that tribe's inheritance and will no longer belong to us.


book: Num
contenido:
Even when land is returned to its original owner in the Year of Celebration, we will not get back Zelophehad's land—it will belong to the tribe into which his daughters married.”


book: Num
contenido:
I will allow Zelophehad's daughters to marry anyone, as long as those men belong to one of the clans of the Manasseh tribe.


book: Num
contenido:
Tribal land must not be given to another tribe—it will remain the property of the tribe that received it.


book: Num
contenido:
In the future, any daughter who inherits land must marry someone from her own tribe. Israel's tribal land is never to be passed from one tribe to another.


book: Num
contenido:
Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah the daughters of Zelophehad obeyed the LORD and married their uncles' sons


book: Num
contenido:
These are the laws that the LORD gave to Moses and the Israelites while they were camped in the lowlands of Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho.


book: Deut
contenido:
This book contains the speeches that Moses made while Israel was in the land of Moab, camped near the town of Suph in the desert east of the Jordan River. The town of Paran was in one direction from their camp, and the towns of Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab were in the opposite direction. Earlier, Moses had defeated the Amorite King Sihon of Heshbon. Moses had also defeated King Og of Bashan, who used to live in Ashtaroth for part of the year and in Edrei for the rest of the year. Although it takes only eleven days to walk from Mount Sinai to Kadesh-Barnea by way of the Mount Seir Road, these speeches were not made until 40 years after Israel left Egypt. The LORD had given Moses his laws for the people of Israel. And on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses began explaining those laws by saying:


book: Deut
contenido:
People of Israel, when we were in our camp at Mount Sinai, the LORD our God told us: You have stayed here long enough.


book: Deut
contenido:
Leave this place and go into the land that belongs to the Amorites and their neighbors the Canaanites. This land includes the Jordan River valley, the hill country, the western foothills, the Southern Desert, the Mediterranean seacoast, the Lebanon Mountains, and all the territory as far as the Euphrates River.


book: Deut
contenido:
I give you this land, just as I promised your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Now you must go and take the land.


book: Deut
contenido:
Right after the LORD commanded us to leave Mount Sinai, I told you: Israel, being your leader is too big a job for one person.


book: Deut
contenido:
Each tribe must choose some experienced men who are known for their wisdom and understanding, and I will make those men the official leaders of their tribes.


book: Deut
contenido:
Then I took these men, who were already wise and respected leaders, and I appointed them as your official leaders. Some of them became military officers in charge of groups of 1,000, or 100, or 50, or 10,


book: Deut
contenido:
and others became judges. I gave these judges the following instructions: When you settle legal cases, your decisions must be fair. It doesn't matter if the case is between two Israelites, or between an Israelite and a foreigner living in your community.


book: Deut
contenido:
And it doesn't matter if one is helpless and the other is powerful. Don't be afraid of anyone! No matter who shows up in your court, God will help you make a fair decision. If any case is too hard for you, bring the people to me, and I will make the decision.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD had commanded us to leave Mount Sinai and go to the hill country that belonged to the Amorites, so we started out into the huge desert. You remember how frightening it was, but soon we were at Kadesh-Barnea,


book: Deut
contenido:
and I told you, “We have reached the hill country. It belongs to the Amorites now, but the LORD our God is giving it to us. He is the same God our ancestors worshiped, and he has told us to go in and take this land, so don't hesitate and be afraid.”


book: Deut
contenido:
Then all of you came to me and said, “Before we go into the land, let's send some men to explore it. When they come back, they can tell us about the towns we will find and what roads we should take to get there.”


book: Deut
contenido:
You stayed in your tents and grumbled, “The LORD must hate us—he brought us out of Egypt, just so he could hand us over to the Amorites and get rid of us.


book: Deut
contenido:
We are afraid, because the men who explored the land told us that the cities are large, with walls that reach to the sky. The people who live there are taller and stronger than we are, and some of them are Anakim. We have nowhere to go.”


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD our God will lead the way. He will fight on our side, just as he did when we saw him do all those things to the Egyptians.


book: Deut
contenido:
And you know that the LORD has taken care of us the whole time we've been in the desert, just as you might carry one of your children.”


book: Deut
contenido:
even though he had always been with us in the desert. During the daytime, the LORD was in the cloud, leading us in the right direction and showing us where to camp. And at night, he was there in the fire.


book: Deut
contenido:
You people of this generation are evil, and I refuse to let you go into the good land that I promised your ancestors.


book: Deut
contenido:
Caleb son of Jephunneh is the only one of your generation that I will allow to go in. He obeyed me completely, so I will give him and his descendants the land he explored.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD was even angry with me because of you people, and he said, “Moses, I won't let you go into the land either.


book: Deut
contenido:
Then the LORD spoke to you again: People of Israel, you said that your innocent young children would be taken prisoner in the battle for the land. But someday I will let them go into the land, and with my help they will conquer it and live there.


book: Deut
contenido:
Then you told me, “We disobeyed the LORD our God, but now we want to obey him. We will go into the hill country and fight, just as he told us to do.” So you picked up your weapons, thinking it would be easy to take over the hill country.


book: Deut
contenido:
But the LORD said, “Moses, warn them not to go into the hill country. I won't help them fight, and their enemies will defeat them.”


book: Deut
contenido:
I told you what the LORD had said, but you paid no attention. You disobeyed him and went into the hill country anyway. You thought you were so great!


book: Deut
contenido:
But when the Amorites in the hill country attacked from their towns, you ran from them as you would run from a swarm of bees. The Amorites chased your troops into Seir as far as Hormah, killing them as they went.


book: Deut
contenido:
Then you came back to the place of worship at Kadesh-Barnea and wept, but the LORD would not listen to your prayers.


book: Deut
contenido:
After we had been in Kadesh for a few months, we obeyed the LORD and headed back into the desert by way of Red Sea Road.


book: Deut
contenido:
And give the people these orders: “Be very careful, because you will soon go through the land that belongs to your relatives, the descendants of Esau. They are afraid of you,


book: Deut
contenido:
but don't start a war with them. I have given them the hill country of Seir, so I won't give any of it to you, not even enough to set a foot on.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD has helped us and taken care of us during the past 40 years that we have been in this huge desert. We've had everything we needed, and the LORD has blessed us and made us successful in whatever we have done.


book: Deut
contenido:
We went past the territory that belonged to our relatives, the descendants of Esau. We followed Arabah Road that starts in the south at Elath and Ezion-Geber, then we turned onto the desert road that leads to Moab.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD told me, “Don't try to start a war with Moab. Leave them alone, because I gave the land of Ar to them, and I will not let you have any of it.”


book: Deut
contenido:
Before the LORD gave the Moabites their land, a large and powerful tribe lived there. They were the Emim, and they were as tall as the Anakim.


book: Deut
contenido:
The Moabites called them Emim, though others sometimes used the name Rephaim for both the Anakim and the Emim.


book: Deut
contenido:
The Horites used to live in Seir, but the Edomites took over that region. They killed many of the Horites and forced the rest of them to leave, just as Israel did to the people in the land that the LORD gave them.


book: Deut
contenido:
When we came to the Zered Gorge along the southern border of Moab, the LORD told us to cross the gorge into Moab, and we did.


book: Deut
contenido:
This was 38 years after we left Kadesh-Barnea, and by that time all the men who had been in the army at Kadesh-Barnea had died, just as the LORD had said they would.


book: Deut
contenido:
into Ammon. But don't start a war with the Ammonites. I gave them their land, and I won't give any of it to Israel.”


book: Deut
contenido:
Before the Ammonites conquered the land that the LORD had given them, some of the Rephaim used to live there, although the Ammonites called them Zamzummim.


book: Deut
contenido:
The Zamzummim were a large and powerful tribe and were as tall as the Anakim. But the LORD helped the Ammonites, and they killed many of the Zamzummim and forced the rest to leave. Then the Ammonites settled there.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD helped them as he had helped the Edomites, who killed many of the Horites in Seir and forced the rest to leave before settling there themselves.


book: Deut
contenido:
A group called the Avvim used to live in villages as far south as Gaza, but the Philistines killed them and settled on their land.


book: Deut
contenido:
After we went through Ammon, the LORD told us: Israel, pack up your possessions, take down your tents, and cross the Arnon River gorge. The territory of the Amorite King Sihon of Heshbon lies on the other side of the river, but I now give you his land. So attack and take it!


book: Deut
contenido:
Today I will start making all other nations afraid of you. They will tremble with fear when anyone mentions you, and they will be terrified when you show up.


book: Deut
contenido:
After 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:


book: Deut
contenido:
Please let Israel go across your country. We will walk straight through, without turning off the road.


book: Deut
contenido:
You can even sell us food and water, and we will pay with silver. We need to reach the Jordan River and cross it, because the LORD our God is giving us the land on the west side. The Edomites and Moabites have already let us cross their land. Please let us cross your land as well.


book: Deut
contenido:
But 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!”


book: Deut
contenido:
and the LORD our God helped us defeat them. We killed Sihon, his sons, and everyone else in his army.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD helped us capture every town from the Arnon River gorge 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.


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


book: Deut
contenido:
When we turned onto the road that leads to Bashan, King Og of Bashan led out his whole army to fight us at Edrei.


book: Deut
contenido:
But 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.”


book: Deut
contenido:
The 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 60 towns with high walls and gates that locked with bars. We completely destroyed them all, killing everyone,


book: Deut
contenido:
Sihon and Og had ruled Amorite kingdoms east of the Jordan River. Their land stretched from the Arnon River gorge in the south to Mount Hermon in the north, and we captured it all.


book: Deut
contenido:
Mount Hermon is called Mount Sirion by the people of Sidon, and it is called Mount Senir by the Amorites.


book: Deut
contenido:
We 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.


book: Deut
contenido:
King 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 meters long and almost two meters wide.


book: Deut
contenido:
I gave some of the land and towns we captured to the tribes of Reuben and Gad. Their share started at the Arnon River gorge 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 Jabbok River gorge, which formed their border with the Ammonites. I also gave them the eastern side of the Jordan River valley, 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.


book: Deut
contenido:
At that time I told the men of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh: The LORD our God told me to give you this land with its towns, and that's what I have done. Now your wives and children can stay here with your large flocks of sheep and goats and your large herds of cattle. But all of you men that can serve in our army must cross the Jordan River and help the other tribes, because they are your relatives.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD will let them defeat the enemy nations on the west side of the Jordan and take their land. Afterwards, you can come back here to the land I gave you.


book: Deut
contenido:
Then 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.”


book: Deut
contenido:
“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.


book: Deut
contenido:
The land west of the Jordan is such good land. Please let me cross the Jordan and see the hills and the Lebanon Mountains.”


book: Deut
contenido:
But 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.


book: Deut
contenido:
Climb 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 Jordan River.


book: Deut
contenido:
Joshua will lead Israel across the Jordan to take the land, so help him be strong and brave and tell him what he must do.”


book: Deut
contenido:
Israel, 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 worshiped,


book: Deut
contenido:
and now he is your God. I am telling you everything he has commanded, so don't add anything or take anything away.


book: Deut
contenido:
No 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 that 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.


book: Deut
contenido:
You 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.


book: Deut
contenido:
Do 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.”


book: Deut
contenido:
Mount Sinai was surrounded by deep dark clouds, and fire went up to the sky. You came to the foot of the mountain,


book: Deut
contenido:
and the LORD spoke to you from the fire. You could hear him and understand what he was saying, but you couldn't see him.


book: Deut
contenido:
The 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.


book: Deut
contenido:
That'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 Jordan River.


book: Deut
contenido:
not to commit the sin of worshiping idols. Don't make idols to be worshiped, whether they are shaped like men, women,


book: Deut
contenido:
And when you see the sun or moon or stars, don't be tempted to bow down and worship them. The LORD put them there for all the other nations to worship.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD was angry with me because of what you said, and he told me that he would not let me cross the Jordan River into the good land that he is giving you.


book: Deut
contenido:
So I must stay here and die on this side of the Jordan, but you will cross the river and take the land.


book: Deut
contenido:
Always remember the agreement that the LORD your God made with you, and don't make an idol in any shape or form.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD will be angry if you worship other gods, and he can be like a fire destroying everything in its path.


book: Deut
contenido:
Soon you will cross the Jordan River and settle down in the land. Then in the years to come, you will have children, and they will give you grandchildren. After many years, you might lose your sense of right and wrong and make idols, even though the LORD your God hates them. So I am giving you fair warning today, and I call the earth and the sky as witnesses. If you ever make idols, the LORD will be angry, and you won't have long to live, because the LORD will let you be wiped out.


book: Deut
contenido:
Only a few of you will survive, and the LORD will force you to leave the land and will scatter you among the nations.


book: Deut
contenido:
There you will have to worship gods made of wood and stone, and these are nothing but idols that can't see or hear or eat or smell.


book: Deut
contenido:
In all of your troubles, you may finally decide that you want to worship only the LORD. And if you turn back to him and obey him completely, he will again be your God.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD your God will have mercy—he won't destroy you or desert you. The LORD will remember his promise, and he will keep the agreement he made with your ancestors.


book: Deut
contenido:
When the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt, you saw how he fought for you and showed his great power by performing terrifying miracles. You became his people, and at Mount Sinai you heard him talking to you out of fiery flames. And yet you are still alive! Has anything like this ever happened since the time God created humans? No matter where you go or who you ask, you will get the same answer. No one has ever heard of another god even trying to do such things as the LORD your God has done for you.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD wants you to know he is the only true God, and he wants you to obey him. That's why he let you see his mighty miracles and his fierce fire on earth, and why you heard his voice from that fire and from the sky.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD loved your ancestors and decided that you would be his people. So the LORD used his great power to bring you out of Egypt.


book: Deut
contenido:
Now you face other nations more powerful than you are, but the LORD has already started forcing them out of their land and giving it to you.


book: Deut
contenido:
Today I am explaining his laws and teachings. And if you always obey them, you and your descendants will live long and be successful in the land the LORD is giving you.


book: Deut
contenido:
Moses said, “People of Israel, you must set aside the following three towns east of the Jordan River as Safe Towns: Bezer in the desert highlands belonging to the Reuben tribe; Ramoth in Gilead, belonging to the Gad tribe; and Golan in Bashan, belonging to the Manasseh tribe. If you kill a neighbor without meaning to, and if you had not been angry with that person, you can run to one of these towns and find safety.”


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The Israelites had come from Egypt and were camped east of the Jordan River near Beth-Peor, when Moses gave these laws and teachings. The land around their camp had once belonged to King Sihon of Heshbon. But Moses and the Israelites defeated him


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and King Og of Bashan, and took their lands. These two Amorite kings had ruled the territory east of the Jordan River


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Their land included the eastern side of the Jordan River valley, as far south as the Dead Sea below the slopes of Mount Pisgah.


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Moses called together the people of Israel and said: Today I am telling you the laws and teachings that you must follow, so listen carefully.


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but you were afraid of the fire and refused to go up the mountain. So I spoke with the LORD for you, then I told you that he had said:


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Don't bow down and worship idols. I am the LORD your God, and I demand all your love. If you reject me and worship idols, I will punish your families for three or four generations.


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but the seventh day of the week belongs to me, your God. No one is to work on that day—not you, your children, your oxen or donkeys or any other animal, not even those foreigners who live in your towns. And don't make your slaves do any work.


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This special day of rest will remind you that I reached out my mighty arm and rescued you from slavery in Egypt.


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Respect your father and mother, and you will live a long and successful life in the land I am giving you.


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When we were gathered at the mountain, the LORD spoke to us in a loud voice from the dark fiery cloud. The LORD gave us these commands, and only these. Then he wrote them on two flat stones and gave them to me.


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When fire blazed from the mountain, and you heard the voice coming from the darkness, your tribal leaders came to me


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and said: Today the LORD our God has shown us how powerful and glorious he is. He spoke to us from the fire, and we learned that people can live, even though God speaks to them.


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But we don't want to take a chance on being killed by that terrible fire, and if we keep on hearing the LORD's voice, we will die.


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Has anyone else ever heard the only true God speaking from fire, as we have? And even if they have, would they live to tell about it?


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Moses, go up close and listen to the LORD. Then come back and tell us, and we will do everything he says.


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I wish they would always worship me with fear and trembling and be this willing to obey me! Then they and their children would always enjoy a successful life.


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but you come back here to me. After I tell you my laws and teachings, you will repeat them to the people, so they can obey these laws in the land I am giving them.


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Follow them, because they make a path that will lead to a long successful life in the land the LORD your God is giving you.


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The LORD told me to give you these laws and teachings, so you can obey them in the land he is giving you. Soon you will cross the Jordan River and take that land.


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And if you and your descendants want to live a long time, you must always worship the LORD and obey his laws.


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Pay attention, Israel! Our ancestors worshiped the LORD, and he promised to give us this land that is rich with milk and honey. Be careful to obey him, and you will become a successful and powerful nation.


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and tell them to your children over and over again. Talk about them all the time, whether you're at home or walking along the road or going to bed at night, or getting up in the morning.


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The LORD promised your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that he would give you this land. Now he will take you there and give you large towns, with good buildings that you didn't build,


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and houses full of good things that you didn't put there. The LORD will give you wells that you didn't have to dig, and vineyards and olive orchards that you didn't have to plant. But when you have eaten so much that you can't eat any more,


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Worship and obey the LORD your God with fear and trembling, and promise that you will be loyal to him.


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If you worship other gods, the LORD will be furious and wipe you off the face of the earth. The LORD your God is with you,


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and live in a way that pleases him. Then you will be able to go in and take this good land from your enemies, just as he promised your ancestors.


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Then you will answer: We were slaves of the king of Egypt, but the LORD used his great power and set us free.


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We saw him perform miracles and make horrible things happen to the king, his officials, and everyone else.


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The LORD rescued us from Egypt, so he could bring us into this land, as he had promised our ancestors.


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That's why the LORD our God demands that we obey his laws and worship him with fear and trembling. And if we do, he will protect us and help us be successful.


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People of Israel, the LORD your God will help you take the land of the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. These seven nations have more people and are stronger than Israel, but when you attack them,


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the LORD will force them out of the land. Then you must destroy them without mercy. Don't make any peace treaties with them,


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If you do, those people will lead your descendants to worship other gods and to turn their backs on the LORD. That will make him very angry, and he will quickly destroy Israel.


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So when you conquer these nations, tear down the altars where they worship their gods. Break up their sacred stones, cut down the poles that they use in worshiping the goddess Asherah, and throw their idols in the fire.


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Israel, you are the chosen people of the LORD your God. There are many nations on this earth, but he chose only Israel to be his very own.


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but the LORD chose you because he loves you and because he had made a promise to your ancestors. Then with his mighty arm, he rescued you from the king of Egypt, who had made you his slaves.


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You know that the LORD your God is the only true God. So love him and obey his commands, and he will faithfully keep his agreement with you and your descendants for a thousand generations.


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If you completely obey these laws, the LORD your God will be loyal and keep the agreement he made with you, just as he promised our ancestors.


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The LORD will love you and bless you by giving you many children and plenty of food, wine, and olive oil. Your herds of cattle will have many calves, and your flocks of sheep will have many lambs.


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You will no longer suffer with the same horrible diseases that you sometimes had in Egypt. You will be healthy, but the LORD will make your enemies suffer from those diseases.


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When the LORD helps you defeat your enemies, you must destroy them without pity! And don't get trapped into worshiping their gods.


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You saw how the LORD used his tremendous power to work great miracles and bring you out of Egypt. And he will again work miracles for you when you face these enemies you fear so much.


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Some of them may try to survive by hiding from you, but the LORD will make them panic, and soon they will be dead.


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So don't be frightened when you meet them in battle. The LORD your God is great and fearsome, and he will fight at your side.


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As you attack these nations, the LORD will force them out little by little. He won't let you get rid of them all at once—if he did, there wouldn't be enough people living in the land to keep down the number of wild animals.


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But when you attack your enemies, the LORD will make them panic, and you will easily destroy them. You will defeat their kings one after another until they are gone, and no one will remember they ever lived.


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After you conquer a nation, burn their idols. Don't get trapped into wanting the silver or gold on an idol. Even the metal on an idol is disgusting to the LORD,


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so destroy it. If you bring it home with you, both you and your house will be destroyed. Stay away from those disgusting idols!


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Israel, do you want to go into the land the LORD promised your ancestors? Do you want to capture it, live there, and become a powerful nation? Then be sure to obey every command I am giving you.


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Don't forget how the LORD your God has led you through the desert for the past 40 years. He wanted to find out if you were truly willing to obey him and depend on him,


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so he made you go hungry. Then he gave you manna, a kind of food that you and your ancestors had never even heard about. The LORD was teaching you that people need more than food to live—they need every word that the LORD has spoken.


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The LORD your God is bringing you into a good land with streams that flow from springs in the valleys and hills.


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You can dig for copper in those hills, and the stones are made of iron ore. And you won't go hungry. Wheat and barley fields are everywhere, and so are vineyards and orchards full of fig, pomegranate, and olive trees, and there is plenty of honey.


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Make sure that you never forget the LORD or disobey his laws and teachings that I am giving you today. If you always obey them,


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But when all this happens, don't be proud! Don't forget that you were once slaves in Egypt and that it was the LORD who set you free.


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Remember how he led you in that huge and frightening desert where poisonous snakes and scorpions live. There was no water, but the LORD split open a rock, and water poured out so you could drink.


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He also gave you manna, a kind of food your ancestors had never even heard about. The LORD was testing you to make you trust him, so that later on he could be good to you.


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Instead, remember that the LORD your God gives you the strength to make a living. That's how he keeps the promise he made to your ancestors.


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But I'm warning you—if you forget the LORD your God and worship other gods, the LORD will destroy you, just as he destroyed the nations you fought.


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Israel, listen to me! You will soon cross the Jordan River and go into the land to force out the nations that live there. They are more powerful than you are, and the walls around their cities reach to the sky.


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Some of these nations are descendants of the Anakim. You know how tall and strong they are, and you've heard that no one can defeat them in battle.


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But the LORD your God has promised to go ahead of you, like a raging fire burning everything in its path. So when you attack your enemies, it will be easy for you to destroy them and take their land.


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After the LORD helps you wipe out these nations and conquer their land, don't think he did it because you are such good people. You aren't good—you are stubborn! No, the LORD is going to help you, because the nations that live there are evil, and because he wants to keep the promise he made to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.


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Don't ever forget how you kept rebelling and making the LORD angry the whole time you were in the desert. You rebelled from the day you left Egypt until the day you arrived here.


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It happened during those 40 days and nights that I was on the mountain, without anything to eat or drink. He had told me to come up there so he could give me the agreement he made with us. And this agreement was actually the same Ten Commandments he had announced to you when he spoke from the fire on the mountain. The LORD had written them on two flat stones with his own hand. But after giving me the two stones,


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he said: Moses, hurry down the mountain to those people you led out of Egypt. They have already disobeyed me and committed the terrible sin of making an idol.


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So don't try to stop me! I am going to wipe them out, and no one on earth will remember they ever lived. Then I will let your descendants become an even bigger and more powerful nation than Israel.


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Fire was raging on the mountaintop as I went back down, carrying the two stones with the commandments on them.


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I saw how quickly you had sinned and disobeyed the LORD your God. There you were, worshiping the metal idol you had made in the shape of a calf.


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I bowed down at the place of worship and prayed to the LORD, without eating or drinking for 40 days and nights. You had committed a terrible sin by making that idol, and the LORD hated what you had done. He was angry enough to destroy all of you and Aaron as well. So I prayed for you and Aaron as I had done before, and this time the LORD answered my prayers.


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It was a sin for you to make that idol, so I threw it into the fire to melt it down. Then I took the lump of gold, ground it into powder, and threw the powder into the stream flowing down the mountain.


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Then at Kadesh-Barnea the LORD said, “I am giving you the land, so go ahead and take it!” But since you didn't trust the LORD, you rebelled and disobeyed his command.


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After you had made the idol in the shape of a calf, the LORD said he was going to destroy you. So I lay face down in front of the LORD for 40 days and nights


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and prayed: Our LORD, please don't wipe out your people. You used your great power to rescue them from Egypt and to make them your very own.


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Israel's ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob obeyed you faithfully. Think about them, and not about Israel's stubbornness, evil, and sin.


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If you destroy your people, the Egyptians will say, “The LORD promised to give Israel land, but he wasn't powerful enough to keep his promise. In fact, he hated them so much that he took them into the desert and killed them.”


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But you, our LORD, chose the people of Israel to be your own, and with your mighty power you rescued them from Egypt.


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The LORD told me to chisel out two flat stones, just like the ones he had given me earlier. He also commanded me to make a wooden chest, then come up the mountain and meet with him.


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He told me that he would write on the new stones the same words he had written on the ones I broke, and that I could put these stones in this sacred chest.


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So I made a chest out of acacia wood, and I chiseled two flat stones like the ones I broke. Then I carried the stones up the mountain,


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where the LORD wrote the Ten Commandments on them, just as he had done the first time. The commandments were exactly what he had announced from the fire, when you were gathered at the mountain. After the LORD returned the stones to me,


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I took them down the mountainside and put them in the chest, just as he had commanded. And they are still there.


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Later we set up camp at the wells belonging to the descendants of Jaakan. Then we moved on and camped at Moserah, where Aaron died and was buried, and his son Eleazar became the priest.


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After I put the two stones in the sacred chest, the LORD chose the tribe of Levi, not only to carry the chest, but also to serve as his priests at the place of worship and to bless the other tribes in his name. And they still do these things.


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The LORD promised that he would always provide for the tribe of Levi, and that's why he won't give them any land, when he divides it among the other tribes.


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When I had taken the second set of stones up the mountain, I spent 40 days and nights there, just as I had done before. Once again, the LORD answered my prayer and did not destroy you.


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Instead, he told me, “Moses, get ready to lead the people into the land that I promised their ancestors.”


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People of Israel, what does the LORD your God want from you? The LORD wants you to respect and follow him, to love and serve him with all your heart and soul,


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and to obey his laws and teachings that I am giving you today. Do this, and all will go well for you.


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Everything belongs to the LORD your God, not only the earth and everything on it, but also the sky and the highest heavens.


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Yet the LORD loved your ancestors and wanted them to belong to him. So he chose them and their descendants rather than any other nation, and today you are still his people.


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The LORD your God is more powerful than all other gods and lords, and his tremendous power is to be feared. His decisions are always fair, and you cannot bribe him to change his mind.


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The LORD defends the rights of orphans and widows. He cares for foreigners and gives them food and clothing.


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When your ancestors went to live in Egypt, there were only 70 of them. But the LORD has blessed you, and now there are more of you than there are stars in the sky.


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Remember, he corrected you and not your children. You are the ones who saw the LORD use his great power


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And when the Egyptian army chased you in their chariots, you saw the LORD drown them and their horses in the Red Sea. Egypt still suffers from that defeat!


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You saw what the LORD did for you while you were in the desert, right up to the time you arrived here.


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And you saw how the LORD made the ground open up in the middle of our camp underneath the tents of Dathan and Abiram, who were swallowed up along with their families, their animals, and their tents.


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Soon you will cross the Jordan River, and if you obey the laws and teachings I'm giving you today, you will be strong enough to conquer the land


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that the LORD promised your ancestors and their descendants. It's rich with milk and honey, and you will live there and enjoy it for a long time.


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The LORD your God commands you to love him and to serve him with all your heart and soul. If you obey him,


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he will send rain at the right seasons, so you will have more than enough food, wine, and olive oil, and there will be plenty of grass for your cattle.


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the LORD will become angry and keep the rain from falling. Nothing will grow in your fields, and you will die and disappear from the good land that the LORD is giving you.


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Memorize these laws and think about them. Write down copies and tie them to your wrists and your foreheads to help you obey them.


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Teach them to your children. Talk about them all the time—whether you're at home or walking along the road or going to bed at night, or getting up in the morning.


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Then you and your descendants will live a long time in the land that the LORD promised your ancestors. Your families will live there as long as the sky is above the earth.


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Love the LORD your God faithfully and obey all the laws and teachings I'm giving you today. If you live the way the LORD wants,


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he will help you take the land. And even though the nations there are more powerful than you, the LORD will force them to leave when you attack.


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You will capture the land everywhere you go, from the Southern Desert to the Lebanon Mountains, and from the Euphrates River west to the Mediterranean Sea.


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No one will be able to stand up to you. The LORD will make everyone terrified of you, just as he promised.


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But if you disobey him and worship those gods that have never done anything for you, the LORD will put a curse on you.


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After the LORD your God helps you take the land, you must have a ceremony where you announce his blessings from Mount Gerizim and his curses from Mount Ebal.


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You know that these two mountains are west of the Jordan River in land now controlled by the Canaanites living in the Jordan River valley. The mountains are west of the road near the sacred trees of Moreh on the other side of Gilgal.


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Soon you will cross the Jordan River to conquer the land that the LORD your God is giving you. And when you have settled there,


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Now I'll tell you the laws and teachings that you have to obey as long as you live. Your ancestors worshiped the LORD, and he is giving you this land.


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But the nations that live there worship other gods. So after you capture the land, you must completely destroy their places of worship—on mountains and hills or in the shade of large trees.


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Wherever these nations worship their gods, you must tear down their altars, break their sacred stones, burn the sacred poles used in worshiping the goddess Asherah, and smash their idols to pieces. Destroy these places of worship so completely that no one will remember they were ever there.


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Soon you will cross the Jordan, and the LORD will help you conquer your enemies and let you live in peace, there in the land he has given you. But after you are settled, life will be different. You must not offer sacrifices just anywhere you want to. Instead, the LORD will choose a place somewhere in Israel where you must go to worship him. All of your sacrifices and offerings must be taken there, including sacrifices to please the LORD and any gift you promise or voluntarily give him. That's where you must also take one tenth of your grain, wine, and olive oil, as well as the first-born of your cattle, sheep, and goats. You and your family and servants will eat your gifts and sacrifices and celebrate there at the place of worship, because the LORD your God has made you successful in everything you have done. And since Levites will not have any land of their own, you must ask some of them to come along and celebrate with you. Sometimes you may want to kill an animal for food and not as a sacrifice. If the LORD has blessed you and given you enough cows or sheep or goats, then you can butcher one of them where you live. You can eat it just like the meat from a deer or gazelle that you kill when you go hunting. And even those people who are unclean and unfit for worship can have some of the meat. But you must not eat the blood of any animal—let the blood drain out on the ground.


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The LORD has promised that later on he will give Israel more land, and some of you may not be able to travel all the way from your homes to the place of worship each time you are hungry for meat. But the LORD will give you cattle, sheep, and goats, and you can butcher any of those animals at home and eat as much as you want.


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It is the same as eating the meat from a deer or a gazelle that you kill when you go hunting. And in this way, anyone who is unclean and unfit for worship can have some of the meat.


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But don't eat the blood. It is the life of the animal, so let it drain out on the ground before you eat the meat.


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Do you want the LORD to make you successful? Do you want your children to be successful even after you are gone? Then do what pleases the LORD and don't eat blood.


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All sacrifices and offerings to the LORD must be taken to the place where he chooses to be worshiped. If you offer a sacrifice to please the LORD, all of its meat must be burned on the altar. You can eat the meat from certain kinds of sacrifices, but you must always pour out the animal's blood on the altar.


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If you obey these laws, you will be doing what the LORD your God says is right and good. Then he will help you and your descendants be successful.


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Israel, as you go into the land and attack the nations that are there, the LORD will get rid of them, and you can have their land.


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But that's when you must be especially careful not to ask, “How did those nations worship their gods? Shouldn't we worship the LORD in the same way?”


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No, you should not! The LORD hates the disgusting way those nations worship their gods, because they even burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices.


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Someday a prophet may come along who is able to perform miracles or tell what will happen in the future. Then the prophet may say, “Let's start worshiping some new gods—some gods that we know nothing about.”


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If the prophet says this, don't listen! The LORD your God will be watching to find out whether or not you love him with all your heart and soul.


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You must be completely faithful to the LORD. Worship and obey only the LORD and do this with fear and trembling,


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because he rescued you from slavery in Egypt. If a prophet tells you to disobey the LORD your God and to stop worshiping him, then that prophet is evil and must be put to death.


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Someone else may say to you, “Let's worship other gods.” That person may be your best friend, your brother or sister, your son or daughter, or your own dear wife or husband. But you must not listen to people who say such things. Instead, you must stone them to death. You must be the first to throw the stones, then others from the community will finish the job. Don't show any pity. The gods worshiped by other nations have never done anything for you or your ancestors. People who ask you to worship other gods are trying to get you to stop worshiping the LORD, who rescued you from slavery in Egypt. So put to death anyone who asks you to worship another god.


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And when the rest of Israel hears about it, they will be afraid, and no one else will ever do such an evil thing again.


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You may hear that some worthless people have talked everyone there into worshiping other gods, even though these gods had never done anything for them.


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You must carefully find out if the rumor is true. Then if the people of that town have actually done such a disgusting thing in your own country,


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Gather all the possessions of the people who lived there, and pile them up in the marketplace, without keeping anything for yourself. Set the pile and the whole town on fire, and don't ever rebuild the town. The whole town will be a sacrifice to the LORD your God. Then he won't be angry anymore, and he will have mercy on you and make your nation stronger, just as he promised your ancestors.


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That's why you must do what the LORD your God says is right. I am giving you his laws and teachings today, and you must obey them.


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People of Israel, you are the LORD's children, so when you mourn for the dead, you must not cut yourselves or shave your forehead.


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Out of all the nations on this earth, the LORD your God chose you to be his own. You belong to the LORD, so don't behave like those who worship other gods.


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You may eat the meat of cattle, sheep, and goats; wild sheep and goats; and gazelles, antelopes, and all kinds of deer.


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But don't eat camels, rabbits, and rock badgers. These animals chew the cud but do not have divided hoofs. You must treat them as unclean.


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And don't eat pork, since pigs have divided hoofs, but they do not chew their cud. Don't even touch a dead pig!


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You can eat any fish that has fins and scales. But there are other creatures that live in the water,


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But don't eat the meat of any of the following birds: eagles, vultures, falcons, kites, ravens, ostriches, owls, sea gulls, hawks, pelicans, ospreys, cormorants, storks, herons, and hoopoes. You must not eat bats.


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You belong to the LORD your God, so if you happen to find a dead animal, don't eat its meat. You may give it to foreigners who live in your town or sell it to foreigners who are visiting your town. Don't boil a young goat in its mother's milk.


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Also set aside ten percent of your wine and olive oil, and the first-born of every cow, sheep, and goat. Take these to the place where the LORD chooses to be worshiped, and eat them there. This will teach you to always respect the LORD your God.


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But suppose you can't carry that ten percent of your harvest to the place where the LORD chooses to be worshiped. If you live too far away, or if the LORD gives you a big harvest,


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When you and your family arrive, spend the money on food for a big celebration. Buy cattle, sheep, goats, wine, beer, and if there are any other kinds of food that you want, buy those too.


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And since people of the Levi tribe won't own any land for growing crops, remember to ask the Levites to celebrate with you.


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Every third year, instead of using the ten percent of your harvest for a big celebration, bring it into town and put it in a community storehouse.


book: Deut
contenido:
The Levites have no land of their own, so you must give them food from the storehouse. You must also give food to the poor who live in your town, including orphans, widows, and foreigners. If they have enough to eat, then the LORD your God will be pleased and make you successful in everything you do.


book: Deut
contenido:
Every seven years you must announce, “The LORD says loans do not need to be paid back.” Then if you have loaned money to another Israelite, you can no longer ask for payment.


book: Deut
contenido:
This law applies only to loans you have made to other Israelites. Foreigners will still have to pay back what you have loaned them.


book: Deut
contenido:
No one in Israel should ever be poor. The LORD your God is giving you this land, and he has promised to make you very successful, if you obey his laws and teachings that I'm giving you today. You will lend money to many nations, but you won't have to borrow. You will rule many nations, but they won't rule you.


book: Deut
contenido:
After the LORD your God gives land to each of you, there may be poor Israelites in the town where you live. If there are, then don't be mean and selfish with your money.


book: Deut
contenido:
Be careful! Don't say to yourself, “Soon it will be the seventh year, and then I won't be able to get my money back.” It would be horrible for you to think that way and to be so selfish that you refuse to help the poor. They are your relatives, and if you don't help them, they may ask the LORD to decide whether you have done wrong. And he will say that you are guilty.


book: Deut
contenido:
You should be happy to give the poor what they need, because then the LORD will make you successful in everything you do.


book: Deut
contenido:
There will always be some Israelites who are poor and needy. That's why I am commanding you to be generous with them.


book: Deut
contenido:
give them sheep and goats and a good supply of grain and wine. The more the LORD has given you, the more you should give them.


book: Deut
contenido:
I am commanding you to obey the LORD as a reminder that you were slaves in Egypt before he set you free.


book: Deut
contenido:
But one of your slaves may say, “I love you and your family, and I would be better off staying with you, so please don't make me leave.”


book: Deut
contenido:
Take the slave to the door of your house and push a sharp metal rod through one earlobe and into the door. Such slaves will belong to you for life, whether they are men or women.


book: Deut
contenido:
Don't complain when you have to set a slave free. After all, you got six years of service at half the cost of hiring someone to do the work.


book: Deut
contenido:
If the first-born animal of a cow or sheep or goat is a male, it must be given to the LORD. Don't put first-born cattle to work or cut wool from first-born sheep.


book: Deut
contenido:
Instead, each year you must take the first-born of these animals to the place where the LORD your God chooses to be worshiped. You and your family will sacrifice them to the LORD and then eat them as part of a sacred meal.


book: Deut
contenido:
But if the animal is lame or blind or has something else wrong with it, you must not sacrifice it to the LORD your God.


book: Deut
contenido:
You can butcher it where you live, and eat it just like the meat of a deer or gazelle that you kill while hunting. Even those people who are unclean and unfit for worship can have some.


book: Deut
contenido:
People of Israel, you must celebrate Passover in the month of Abib, because one night in that month years ago, the LORD your God rescued you from Egypt.


book: Deut
contenido:
The Passover sacrifice must be a cow, a sheep, or a goat, and you must offer it at the place where the LORD chooses to be worshiped.


book: Deut
contenido:
Eat all of the meat of the Passover sacrifice that same night. But don't serve bread made with yeast at the Passover meal. Serve the same kind of thin bread that you ate when you were slaves suffering in Egypt and when you had to leave Egypt quickly. As long as you live, this thin bread will remind you of the day you left Egypt. For seven days following Passover, don't make any bread with yeast. In fact, there should be no yeast anywhere in Israel.


book: Deut
contenido:
It must be offered at the place where the LORD chooses to be worshiped. Kill the sacrifice at sunset, the time of day when you left Egypt.


book: Deut
contenido:
Eat thin bread for the next six days. Then on the seventh day, don't do any work. Instead, come together and worship the LORD.


book: Deut
contenido:
go to the place where the LORD chooses to be worshiped and celebrate the Harvest Festival in honor of the LORD your God. Bring him an offering as large as you can afford, depending on how big a harvest he has given you. Be sure to take along your sons and daughters and all your servants. Also invite the poor, including Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows.


book: Deut
contenido:
After you have finished the grain harvest and the grape harvest, take your sons and daughters and all your servants to the place where the LORD chooses to be worshiped. Celebrate the Festival of Shelters for seven days. Also invite the poor, including Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows. The LORD will give you big harvests and make you successful in everything you do. You will be completely happy, so celebrate this festival in honor of the LORD your God.


book: Deut
contenido:
Each year there are three festivals when all Israelite men must go to the place where the LORD chooses to be worshiped. These are the Festival of Thin Bread, the Harvest Festival, and the Festival of Shelters. And don't forget to take along a gift for the LORD.


book: Deut
contenido:
After you are settled in the towns that you will receive from the LORD your God, the people in each town must appoint judges and other officers. Those of you that become judges must be completely fair when you make legal decisions, even if someone important is involved. Don't take bribes to give unfair decisions. Bribes keep people who are wise from seeing the truth and turn honest people into liars.


book: Deut
contenido:
People of Israel, if you want to enjoy a long and successful life, make sure that everyone is treated with justice in the land the LORD is giving you.


book: Deut
contenido:
When you build the altar for offering sacrifices to the LORD your God, don't set up a sacred pole for the worship of the goddess Asherah.


book: Deut
contenido:
If an ox or a sheep has something wrong with it, don't offer it as a sacrifice to the LORD your God—he will be disgusted!


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD your God is giving you towns to live in. But later, a man or a woman in your town may start worshiping other gods, or even the sun, moon, or stars. I have warned you not to worship other gods, because whoever worships them is disobeying the LORD and breaking the agreement he made with you.


book: Deut
contenido:
So when you hear that someone in your town is committing this disgusting sin, you must carefully find out if that person really is guilty.


book: Deut
contenido:
But you will need two or three witnesses—one witness isn't enough to prove a person guilty. Get rid of those who are guilty of such evil. Take them outside your town gates and everyone must stone them to death. But the witnesses must be the first to throw stones.


book: Deut
contenido:
It may be difficult to find out the truth in some legal cases in your town. You may not be able to decide if someone was killed accidentally or murdered. Or you may not be able to tell whether an injury or some property damage was done by accident or on purpose. If the case is too difficult, take it to the court at the place where the LORD your God chooses to be worshiped. This court will be made up of one judge and several priests who serve at the LORD's altar. They will explain the law to you and give you their decision about the case. Do exactly what they tell you, or you will be put to death.


book: Deut
contenido:
People of Israel, after you capture the land the LORD your God is giving you, and after you settle on it, you will say, “We want a king, just like the nations around us.”


book: Deut
contenido:
Go ahead and appoint a king, but make sure that he is an Israelite and that he is the one the LORD has chosen.


book: Deut
contenido:
The king should not have many horses, especially those from Egypt. The LORD has said never to go back there again.


book: Deut
contenido:
And the king must not have a lot of wives—they might tempt him to be unfaithful to the LORD. Finally, the king must not try to get huge amounts of silver and gold.


book: Deut
contenido:
The official copy of God's laws will be kept by the priests of the Levi tribe. So, as soon as anyone becomes king, he must go to the priests and write out a copy of these laws while they watch.


book: Deut
contenido:
Each day the king must read and obey these laws, so that he will learn to worship the LORD with fear and trembling


book: Deut
contenido:
and not think that he's better than everyone else. If the king completely obeys the LORD's commands, he and his descendants will rule Israel for many years.


book: Deut
contenido:
The people of the Levi tribe, including the priests, will not receive any land. Instead, they will receive part of the sacrifices that are offered to the LORD,


book: Deut
contenido:
When you sacrifice a bull or sheep, the priests will be given the shoulder, the jaws, and the stomach.


book: Deut
contenido:
In addition, they will receive the first part of your grain harvest and part of your first batches of wine and olive oil. You must also give them the first wool that is cut from your sheep each year.


book: Deut
contenido:
Give these gifts to the priests, because the LORD has chosen them and their descendants out of all the tribes of Israel to be his special servants at the place of worship.


book: Deut
contenido:
Some Levites may have money from selling family possessions, and others may not. But all Levites serving at the place of worship will receive the same amount of food from the sacrifices and gifts brought by the people.


book: Deut
contenido:
Soon you will go into the land that the LORD your God is giving you. The nations that live there do things that are disgusting to the LORD, and you must not follow their example.


book: Deut
contenido:
Don't sacrifice your son or daughter. And don't try to use any kind of magic or witchcraft to tell fortunes or to cast spells or to talk with spirits of the dead.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD is disgusted with anyone who does these things, and that's why he will help you destroy the nations that are in the land.


book: Deut
contenido:
You will go in and take the land from nations that practice magic and witchcraft. But the LORD your God won't allow you to do those things.


book: Deut
contenido:
Instead, he will choose one of your own people to be a prophet just like me, and you must do what that prophet says.


book: Deut
contenido:
You were asking for a prophet the day you were gathered at Mount Sinai and said to the LORD, “Please don't let us hear your voice or see this terrible fire again—if we do, we will die!”


book: Deut
contenido:
So when I want to speak to them, I will choose one of them to be a prophet like you. I will give my message to that prophet, who will tell the people exactly what I have said.


book: Deut
contenido:
But if I haven't spoken, and a prophet claims to have a message from me, you must kill that prophet, and you must also kill any prophet who claims to have a message from another god.


book: Deut
contenido:
You will know, because if the LORD says something will happen, it will happen. And if it doesn't, you will know that the prophet was falsely claiming to speak for the LORD. Don't be afraid of any prophet whose message doesn't come from the LORD.


book: Deut
contenido:
Soon you will go into the land and attack the nations. The LORD your God will destroy them and give you their lands, towns, and homes. Then after you are settled,


book: Deut
contenido:
you must choose three of your towns to be Safe Towns. Divide the land into three regions with one Safe Town near the middle of each, so that a Safe Town can be easily reached from anywhere in your land. Then, if one of you accidentally kills someone, you can run to a Safe Town and find protection from being put to death. But you must not have been angry with the person you killed.


book: Deut
contenido:
For example, suppose you and a friend go into the forest to cut wood. You are chopping down a tree with an ax, when the ax head slips off the handle, hits your friend, and kills him. You can run to one of the Safe Towns and save your life.


book: Deut
contenido:
You don't deserve to die, since you did not mean to harm your friend. But he did get killed, and his relatives might be very angry. They might even choose one of the men from their family to track you down and kill you. If it is too far to one of the Safe Towns, the victim's relative might be able to catch you and kill you.


book: Deut
contenido:
Israel, the LORD your God has promised that if you obey his laws and teachings I'm giving you, and if you always love him, then he will give you the land he promised your ancestors. When that happens, you must name three more Safe Towns in the new territory.


book: Deut
contenido:
You will need them, so innocent people won't be killed on your land while they are trying to reach a Safe Town that is too far away. You will be guilty of murder, if innocent people lose their lives because you didn't name enough Safe Towns in the land the LORD your God will give you.


book: Deut
contenido:
But what if you really do commit murder? Suppose one of you hates a neighbor. So you wait in a deserted place, kill the neighbor, and run to a Safe Town.


book: Deut
contenido:
If that happens, the leaders of your town must send messengers to bring you back from the Safe Town. They will hand you over to one of the victim's relatives, who will put you to death.


book: Deut
contenido:
Israel, for the good of the whole country, you must kill anyone who murders an innocent person. Never show mercy to a murderer!


book: Deut
contenido:
In the land the LORD is giving you, there are already stones set up to mark the property lines between fields. So don't move those stones.


book: Deut
contenido:
Before you are convicted of a crime, at least two witnesses must be able to testify that you did it.


book: Deut
contenido:
then both you and the accused must be taken to the court at the place where the LORD is worshiped. There the priests and judges will find out if you are lying or telling the truth. If you are lying and the accused is innocent,


book: Deut
contenido:
then you will be punished without mercy. You will receive the same punishment the accused would have received if found guilty, whether it means losing an eye, a tooth, a hand, a foot, or even your life. Israel, the crime of telling lies in court must be punished. And when people hear what happens to witnesses that lie, everyone else who testifies in court will tell the truth.


book: Deut
contenido:
If you have to go to war, you may find yourselves facing an enemy army that is bigger than yours and that has horses and chariots. But don't be afraid! The LORD your God rescued you from Egypt, and he will help you fight.


book: Deut
contenido:
and say, “Soldiers of Israel, listen to me! Today when you go into battle, don't be afraid of the enemy, and when you see them, don't panic.


book: Deut
contenido:
Then the tribal officials will say to the troops: If any of you have built a new house, but haven't yet moved in, you may go home. It isn't right for you to die in battle and for somebody else to live in your new house.


book: Deut
contenido:
If any of you have planted a vineyard but haven't had your first grape harvest, you may go home. It isn't right for you to die in battle and for somebody else to enjoy your grapes.


book: Deut
contenido:
If any of you are engaged to be married, you may go back home and get married. It isn't right for you to die in battle and for somebody else to marry the woman you are engaged to.


book: Deut
contenido:
Finally, if any of you are afraid, you may go home. We don't want you to discourage the other soldiers.


book: Deut
contenido:
When the officials are finished giving these orders, they will appoint officers to be in command of the army.


book: Deut
contenido:
Before you attack a town that is far from your land, offer peace to the people who live there. If they surrender and open their town gates, they will become your slaves. But if they reject your offer of peace and try to fight, surround their town and attack. Then, after the LORD helps you capture it, kill all the men. Take the women and children as slaves and keep the livestock and everything else of value.


book: Deut
contenido:
Whenever you capture towns in the land the LORD your God is giving you, be sure to kill all the people and animals.


book: Deut
contenido:
He has commanded you to completely wipe out the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.


book: Deut
contenido:
If you allow them to live, they will persuade you to worship their disgusting gods, and you will be unfaithful to the LORD.


book: Deut
contenido:
When you are attacking a town, don't chop down its fruit trees, not even if you have had the town surrounded for a long time. Fruit trees aren't your enemies, and they produce food that you can eat, so don't cut them down.


book: Deut
contenido:
You may need wood to make ladders and towers to help you get over the walls and capture the town. But use only trees that you know are not fruit trees.


book: Deut
contenido:
Suppose the body of a murder victim is found in a field in the land the LORD your God is giving you, and no one knows who the murderer is.


book: Deut
contenido:
The judges and other leaders from the towns around there must find out what town is the closest to where the body was found.


book: Deut
contenido:
The leaders from that town will go to their cattle herds and choose a young cow that has never been put to work.


book: Deut
contenido:
They and some of the priests will take this cow to a nearby valley where there is a stream, but no crops. Once they reach the valley, the leaders will break the cow's neck. The priests must be there, because the LORD your God has chosen them to be his special servants at the place of worship. The LORD has chosen them to bless the people in his name and to be judges in all legal cases, whether property or injury is involved.


book: Deut
contenido:
But since an innocent person was murdered, we beg you, our LORD, to accept this sacrifice and forgive Israel. We are your people, and you rescued us. Please don't hold this crime against us.” If you obey the LORD and do these things, he will forgive Israel.


book: Deut
contenido:
From time to time, you men will serve as soldiers and go off to war. The LORD your God will help you defeat your enemies, and you will take many prisoners.


book: Deut
contenido:
One of these prisoners may be a beautiful woman, and you may want to marry her. But first you must bring her into your home, and have her shave her head, cut her nails, get rid of her foreign clothes, and start wearing Israelite clothes. She will mourn a month for her father and mother, then you can marry her.


book: Deut
contenido:
Later on, if you are not happy with the woman, you can divorce her, and she can go free. But you have slept with her as your wife, so you cannot sell her as a slave or make her into your own slave.


book: Deut
contenido:
Suppose a man has two wives and loves one more than the other. The first son of either wife is the man's first-born son, even if the boy's mother is the wife the man doesn't love. Later, when the man is near death and is dividing up his property, he must give a double share to his first-born son, simply because he was the first to be born.


book: Deut
contenido:
A father and a mother may have a stubborn and rebellious son who refuses to obey them even after he has been punished.


book: Deut
contenido:
If a son is like that, his parents must drag him to the town gate, where the leaders of the town hold their meetings.


book: Deut
contenido:
The parents will tell the leaders, “This son of ours is stubborn and never obeys. He spends all his time drinking and partying.”


book: Deut
contenido:
The men of the town will stone that son to death, because they must get rid of the evil he brought into the community. Everyone in Israel will be afraid when they hear how he was punished.


book: Deut
contenido:
you must not leave it there overnight. Bury it the same day, because the dead body of a criminal hanging on a tree will bring God's curse on the land. The LORD your God is giving this land to you, so don't make it unclean by leaving the bodies of executed criminals on display.


book: Deut
contenido:
If the owner lives too far away, or if you don't know who the owner is, take the animal home with you and take care of it. The owner will come looking for the animal, and then you can give it back.


book: Deut
contenido:
That's what you should do if you find anything that belongs to someone else. Do whatever you can to help, whether you find a cow or sheep or donkey or some clothing.


book: Deut
contenido:
Oxen and donkeys that carry heavy loads can stumble and fall, and be unable to get up by themselves. So as you walk along the road, help anyone who is trying to get an ox or donkey back on its feet.


book: Deut
contenido:
Women must not pretend to be men, and men must not pretend to be women. The LORD your God is disgusted with people who do that.


book: Deut
contenido:
As you walk along the road, you might see a bird's nest in a tree or on the ground. If the mother bird is in the nest with either her eggs or her baby birds, you are allowed to take the baby birds or the eggs, but not the mother bird. Let her go free, and the LORD will bless you with a long and successful life.


book: Deut
contenido:
If you build a house, make sure to put a low wall around the edge of the flat roof. Then if someone falls off the roof and is killed, it won't be your fault.


book: Deut
contenido:
If you plant a vineyard, don't plant any other fruit tree or crop in it. If you do plant something else there, you must bring to the place of worship everything you harvest from the vineyard.


book: Deut
contenido:
He might tell ugly lies about her, and say, “I married this woman, but when we slept together, I found out she wasn't a virgin.”


book: Deut
contenido:
If this happens, the bride's father and mother must go to the town gate to show the town leaders the proof that the woman was a virgin.


book: Deut
contenido:
and accusing her of not being a virgin. But he is wrong, because here is proof that she was a virgin!” Then the bride's parents will show them the bed sheet from the woman's wedding night.


book: Deut
contenido:
because he accused his bride of not being a virgin. He will have to pay her father 100 pieces of silver and will never be allowed to divorce her.


book: Deut
contenido:
the men of the town will take the woman to the door of her father's house and stone her to death. This woman brought evil into your community by sleeping with someone before she got married, and you must get rid of that evil by killing her.


book: Deut
contenido:
People of Israel, if a man is caught having sex with someone else's wife, you must put them both to death. That way, you will get rid of the evil they have done in Israel.


book: Deut
contenido:
If a man is caught in town having sex with an engaged woman who isn't screaming for help, they both must be put to death. The man is guilty of having sex with a married woman. And the woman is guilty because she didn't call for help, even though she was inside a town and people were nearby. Take them both to the town gate and stone them to death. You must get rid of the evil they brought into your community.


book: Deut
contenido:
Do not punish the woman at all; she has done nothing wrong, and certainly nothing deserving death. This crime is like murder,


book: Deut
contenido:
because the woman was alone out in the country when the man attacked her. She screamed, but there was no one to help her.


book: Deut
contenido:
Suppose a woman isn't engaged to be married, and a man forces her to have sex with him. If he is caught,


book: Deut
contenido:
they will be forced to get married. He must give her father 50 pieces of silver as a bride-price and can never divorce her.


book: Deut
contenido:
No one born outside of a legal marriage, or any of their descendants for ten generations, can fully belong to the LORD's people.


book: Deut
contenido:
No Ammonites or Moabites, or any of their descendants for ten generations, can become part of Israel, the LORD's people.


book: Deut
contenido:
This is because when you came out of Egypt, they refused to provide you with food and water. And besides, they hired Balaam to put a curse on you.


book: Deut
contenido:
But the LORD your God loves you, so he refused to listen to Balaam and turned Balaam's curse into a blessing.


book: Deut
contenido:
But Edomites are your relatives, and you lived as foreigners in the country of Egypt. Now you must be kind to Edomites and Egyptians


book: Deut
contenido:
For example, if something happens at night that makes a man unclean and unfit for worship, he must go outside the camp and stay there


book: Deut
contenido:
And make sure that you have a small shovel in your equipment. When you go out to the toilet area, use the shovel to dig a hole. Then, after you relieve yourself, bury the waste in the hole.


book: Deut
contenido:
You must keep your camp clean of filthy and disgusting things. The LORD is always present in your camp, ready to rescue you and give you victory over your enemies. But if he sees something disgusting in your camp, he may turn around and leave.


book: Deut
contenido:
When runaway slaves from other countries come to Israel and ask for protection, you must not hand them back to their owners.


book: Deut
contenido:
Instead, you must let them choose which one of your towns they want to live in. Don't be cruel to runaway slaves.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD your God is disgusted with men and women who are prostitutes of any kind, and he will not accept a gift from them, even if it had been promised to him.


book: Deut
contenido:
When you lend money, food, or anything else to another Israelite, you are not allowed to charge interest.


book: Deut
contenido:
You can charge a foreigner interest. But if you charge other Israelites interest, the LORD your God will not let you be successful in the land you are about to take.


book: Deut
contenido:
People of Israel, if you make a sacred promise to give a gift to the LORD, then do it as soon as you can. If the LORD has to come looking for the gift you promised, you will be guilty of breaking that promise.


book: Deut
contenido:
You must keep whatever promises you make to the LORD. After all, you are the one who chose to make the promises.


book: Deut
contenido:
If you go into a vineyard that belongs to someone else, you are allowed to eat as many grapes as you want while you are there. But don't take any with you when you leave.


book: Deut
contenido:
In the same way, if you are in a grain field that belongs to someone else, you can pick heads of grain and eat the kernels. But don't cut down the stalks of grain and take them with you.


book: Deut
contenido:
Suppose a woman was divorced by her first husband because he found something disgraceful about her. He wrote out divorce papers, gave them to her, and sent her away.


book: Deut
contenido:
Since she has slept with her second husband, she cannot marry her first husband again. Their marriage would pollute the land that the LORD your God is giving you, and he would be disgusted.


book: Deut
contenido:
If a man and a woman have been married less than one year, he must not be sent off to war or sent away to do forced labor. He must be allowed to stay home for a year and be happy with his wife.


book: Deut
contenido:
When you lend money to people, you are allowed to keep something of theirs as a guarantee that they will pay back the loan. But don't take one or both of their millstones, or else they may starve. They need these stones for grinding grain into flour to make bread.


book: Deut
contenido:
If you are guilty of kidnapping Israelites and forcing them into slavery, you will be put to death to remove this evil from the community.


book: Deut
contenido:
When you lend money to people, you are allowed to keep something of theirs as a guarantee that the money will be paid back. But you must not go into their house to get it.


book: Deut
contenido:
Suppose someone is so poor that a coat is the only thing that can be offered as a guarantee on a loan. Don't keep the coat overnight.


book: Deut
contenido:
Instead, give it back before sunset, so the owner can keep warm and sleep and ask the LORD to bless you. Then the LORD your God will notice that you have done the right thing.


book: Deut
contenido:
If you hire poor people to work for you, don't hold back their pay, whether they are Israelites or foreigners who live in your town.


book: Deut
contenido:
Pay them their wages at the end of each day, because they live in poverty and need the money to survive. If you don't pay them on time, they will complain about you to the LORD, and he will punish you.


book: Deut
contenido:
Parents must not be put to death for crimes committed by their children, and children must not be put to death for crimes committed by their parents. Don't put anyone to death for someone else's crime.


book: Deut
contenido:
Make sure that orphans and foreigners are treated fairly. And if you lend money to a widow and want to keep something of hers to guarantee that she will pay you back, don't take any of her clothes.


book: Deut
contenido:
You were slaves in Egypt until the LORD your God rescued you. That's why I am giving you these laws.


book: Deut
contenido:
If you forget to bring in a stack of harvested grain, don't go back in the field to get it. Leave it for the poor, including foreigners, orphans, and widows, and the LORD will make you successful in everything you do.


book: Deut
contenido:
You lived in poverty as slaves in Egypt until the LORD your God rescued you. That's why I am giving you these laws.


book: Deut
contenido:
Suppose you and someone else each accuse the other of doing something wrong, and you go to court, where the judges decide you are guilty. If your punishment is to be beaten with a whip, one of the judges will order you to lie down, and you will receive the number of lashes you deserve.


book: Deut
contenido:
Forty lashes is the most that you can be given, because more than that might make other Israelites think you are worthless.


book: Deut
contenido:
Suppose two brothers are living on the same property, when one of them dies without having a son to carry on his name. If this happens, his widow must not marry anyone outside the family. Instead, she must marry her late husband's brother, and their first son will be the legal son of the dead man.


book: Deut
contenido:
But suppose the brother refuses to marry the widow. She must go to a meeting of the town leaders at the town gate and say, “My husband died without having a son to carry on his name. And my husband's brother refuses to marry me so I can have a son.”


book: Deut
contenido:
The leaders will call the living brother to the town gate and try to persuade him to marry the widow. But if he doesn't change his mind and marry her,


book: Deut
contenido:
she must go over to him while the town leaders watch. She will pull off one of his sandals and spit in his face, while saying, “That's what happens to a man who won't help provide descendants for his dead brother.”


book: Deut
contenido:
From then on, that man's family will be known as “the family of the man whose sandal was pulled off.”


book: Deut
contenido:
If two men are fighting, and the wife of one man tries to rescue her husband by grabbing the other man's private parts,


book: Deut
contenido:
Don't try to cheat people by having two sets of weights or measures, one to get more when you are buying, and the other to give less when you are selling.


book: Deut
contenido:
If you weigh and measure things honestly, the LORD your God will let you enjoy a long life in the land he is giving you.


book: Deut
contenido:
You were tired, and they followed along behind, attacking those who could not keep up with the others. This showed that the Amalekites have no respect for God.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD your God will help you capture the land, and he will give you peace. But when that day comes, you must wipe out Amalek so completely that no one will remember they ever lived.


book: Deut
contenido:
and plant crops. And when you begin harvesting each of your crops, the very first things you pick must be put in a basket. Take them to the place where the LORD your God chooses to be worshiped,


book: Deut
contenido:
and tell the priest, “Long ago the LORD our God promised our ancestors that he would give us this land. And today, I thank him for keeping his promise and giving me a share of the land.”


book: Deut
contenido:
Then, standing there in front of the place of worship, you must pray: My ancestor was homeless, an Aramean who went to live in Egypt. There were only a few in his family then, but they became great and powerful, a nation of many people.


book: Deut
contenido:
The Egyptians were cruel and had no pity on us. They mistreated our people and forced us into slavery.


book: Deut
contenido:
We called out for help to you, the LORD God of our ancestors. You heard our cries; you knew we were in trouble and abused.


book: Deut
contenido:
Now, LORD, I bring to you the best of the crops that you have given me. After you say these things, place the basket in front of the LORD's altar and bow down to worship him.


book: Deut
contenido:
Then you and your family must celebrate by eating a meal at the place of worship to thank the LORD your God for giving you such a good harvest. And remember to invite the Levites and the foreigners who live in your town.


book: Deut
contenido:
Every year you are to give ten percent of your harvest to the LORD. But every third year, this ten percent must be given to the poor who live in your town, including Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows. That way, they will have enough to eat.


book: Deut
contenido:
Then you must pray: Our LORD and our God, you have said that ten percent of my harvest is sacred. I have obeyed your command and given this to the poor, including the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows.


book: Deut
contenido:
I have not eaten any of this sacred food while I was in mourning; in fact, I never touched it when I was unclean. And none of it has been offered as a sacrifice to the spirits of the dead. I have done everything exactly as you commanded.


book: Deut
contenido:
Our LORD, look down from your temple in heaven and bless us and our land. You promised our ancestors that you would give us this land rich with milk and honey, and you have kept your promise.


book: Deut
contenido:
Today the LORD your God has commanded you to obey these laws and teachings with all your heart and soul.


book: Deut
contenido:
In response, you have agreed that the LORD will be your God, that you will obey all his laws and teachings, and that you will listen when he speaks to you.


book: Deut
contenido:
Since you have agreed to obey the LORD, he has agreed that you will be his people and that you will belong to him, just as he promised.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD created all nations, but he will make you more famous than any of them, and you will receive more praise and honor. You will belong only to the LORD your God, just as he promised.


book: Deut
contenido:
Moses stood together with the leaders and told the people of Israel: Obey all the laws and teachings that I am giving you today.


book: Deut
contenido:
Soon you will enter the land that the LORD your God is giving to you. He is the God your ancestors worshiped, and he has promised that this land is rich with milk and honey. After you cross the Jordan River, go to Mount Ebal. Set up large slabs of stone, then cover them with white plaster and write on them a copy of these laws.


book: Deut
contenido:
At this same place, build an altar for offering sacrifices to the LORD your God. But don't use stones that have been cut with iron tools.


book: Deut
contenido:
Look for stones that can be used without being cut. Then offer sacrifices to please the LORD, burning them completely on the altar.


book: Deut
contenido:
Next, offer sacrifices to ask the LORD's blessing, and serve the meat at a sacred meal where you will celebrate in honor of the LORD.


book: Deut
contenido:
Don't forget to write out a copy of these laws on the stone slabs that you are going to set up. Make sure that the writing is easy to read.


book: Deut
contenido:
Moses stood together with the priests and said, “Israel, be quiet and listen to me! Today you have become the people of the LORD your God.


book: Deut
contenido:
After you cross the Jordan River, you will go to Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. The tribes of Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin will go up on Mount Gerizim, where they will bless the people of Israel. The tribes of Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali will go up on Mount Ebal where they will agree to the curses.


book: Deut
contenido:
The people of the Levi tribe will speak each curse in a loud voice, then the rest of the people will agree to that curse by saying, “Amen!” Here are the curses: We ask the LORD to put a curse on anyone who makes an idol or worships idols, even secretly. The LORD is disgusted with idols. We ask the LORD to put a curse on all who do not show respect for their father and mother. We ask the LORD to put a curse on anyone who moves the rocks that mark property lines. We ask the LORD to put a curse on anyone who tells blind people to go the wrong way. We ask the LORD to put a curse on anyone who keeps the poor from getting justice, whether these poor are foreigners, widows, or orphans. We ask the LORD to put a curse on any man who sleeps with his father's wife; that man has shown no respect for his father's marriage. We ask the LORD to put a curse on anyone who has sex with an animal. We ask the LORD to put a curse on any man who sleeps with his sister or his half sister or his mother-in-law. We ask the LORD to put a curse on anyone who commits murder, even when there are no witnesses to the crime. We ask the LORD to put a curse on anyone who accepts money to murder an innocent victim. We ask the LORD to put a curse on anyone who refuses to obey his laws. And so, to each of these curses, the people will answer, “Amen!”


book: Deut
contenido:
Today I am giving you the laws and teachings of the LORD your God. Always obey them, and the LORD will make Israel the most famous and important nation on earth, and he will bless you in many ways.


book: Deut
contenido:
You will have many children. You will harvest large crops, and your herds of cattle and flocks of sheep and goats will produce many young.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD your God is giving you the land, and he will make sure you are successful in everything you do. Your harvests will be so large that your storehouses will be full.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD will give you a lot of children and make sure that your animals give birth to many young. The LORD promised your ancestors that this land would be yours, and he will make it produce large crops for you.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD will open the storehouses of the skies where he keeps the rain, and he will send rain on your land at just the right times. He will make you successful in everything you do. You will have plenty of money to lend to other nations, but you won't need to borrow any yourself.


book: Deut
contenido:
Obey the laws and teachings that I'm giving you today, and the LORD your God will make Israel a leader among the nations, and not a follower. Israel will be wealthy and powerful, not poor and weak.


book: Deut
contenido:
Israel, today I am giving you the laws and teachings of the LORD your God. And if you don't obey them all, he will put many curses on you.


book: Deut
contenido:
You'll have only a few children, your crops will be small, and your herds of cattle and flocks of sheep and goats won't produce many young.


book: Deut
contenido:
No matter what you try to accomplish, the LORD will confuse you, and you will feel his anger. You won't last long, and you may even meet with disaster, all because you rejected the LORD.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD will send terrible diseases to attack you, and you will never be well again. You will suffer with burning fever and swelling and pain until you die somewhere in the land that you captured. The LORD will make the sky overhead seem like a bronze roof that keeps out the rain, and the ground under your feet will become as hard as iron. Your crops will be scorched by the hot east wind or ruined by mildew.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD will let you be defeated by your enemies, and you will scatter in all directions. You will be a horrible sight for the other nations to see,


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD will make you suffer with diseases that will cause oozing sores or crusty itchy patches on your skin or boils like the ones that are common in Egypt. And there will be no cure for you!


book: Deut
contenido:
that even in bright sunshine you will have to feel your way around like a blind person, who cannot tell day from night. For the rest of your life, people will beat and rob you, and no one will be able to stop them.


book: Deut
contenido:
A man will be engaged to a woman, but before they can get married, she will be raped by enemy soldiers. Some of you will build houses, but never get to live in them. If you plant a vineyard, you won't be around long enough to enjoy the first harvest.


book: Deut
contenido:
Your cattle will be killed while you watch, but you won't get to eat any of the meat. Your donkeys and sheep will be stolen from you, and no one will be around to force your enemies to give them back.


book: Deut
contenido:
Your sons and daughters will be dragged off to a foreign country, while you stand there helpless. And even if you watch for them until you go blind, you will never see them again.


book: Deut
contenido:
You will work hard on your farms, but everything you harvest will be eaten by foreigners, who will mistreat you and abuse you for the rest of your life.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD will let you and your king be taken captive to a country that you and your ancestors have never even heard of, and there you will have to worship idols made of wood and stone.


book: Deut
contenido:
People of nearby countries will shudder when they see your terrible troubles, but they will still make fun of you.


book: Deut
contenido:
You will plant vineyards and work hard at taking care of them, but you won't gather any grapes, much less get any wine, because the vines themselves will be eaten by worms.


book: Deut
contenido:
Even if your olive trees grow everywhere in your country, the olives will fall off before they are ready, and there won't be enough olive oil for combing your hair.


book: Deut
contenido:
You will be so short of money that you will have to borrow from those foreigners. They will be the leaders in the community, and you will be the followers.


book: Deut
contenido:
Israel, if you don't obey the laws and teachings that the LORD your God is giving you, he will send these curses to chase, attack, and destroy you.


book: Deut
contenido:
Then everyone will look at you and your descendants and realize that the LORD has placed you under a curse.


book: Deut
contenido:
he will send enemies to attack you and make you their slaves. Then you will live in poverty with nothing to eat, drink, or wear, and your owners will work you to death.


book: Deut
contenido:
Foreigners who speak a strange language will be sent to attack you without warning, just like an eagle swooping down.


book: Deut
contenido:
All over the land that the LORD your God gave you, the enemy army will surround your towns. You may feel safe inside your town walls, but the enemy will tear them down,


book: Deut
contenido:
while you wait in horror. Finally, you will get so hungry that you will eat the sons and daughters that the LORD gave you.


book: Deut
contenido:
Because of hunger, a man who had been gentle and kind will eat his own children and refuse to share the meal with his brother or wife or with his other children.


book: Deut
contenido:
A woman may have grown up in such luxury that she never had to put a foot on the ground. But times will be so bad that she will secretly eat both her newborn baby and the afterbirth, without sharing any with her husband or her other children.


book: Deut
contenido:
Remember! If the LORD decides to destroy your nation, he can use any disease or disaster, not just the ones written in The Book of God's Law.


book: Deut
contenido:
There are as many of you now as the stars in the sky, but if you disobey the LORD your God, only a few of you will be left.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD is happy to make you successful and to help your nation grow while you conquer the land. But if you disobey him, he will be just as happy to pull you up by your roots.


book: Deut
contenido:
Those of you that survive will be scattered to every nation on earth, and you will have to worship stone and wood idols that never helped you or your ancestors.


book: Deut
contenido:
Each morning you will wake up to such terrible sights that you will say, “I wish it were night!” But at night you will be terrified and say, “I wish it were day!”


book: Deut
contenido:
I told you never to go back to Egypt. But now the LORD himself will load you on ships and send you back. Then you will even try to sell yourselves as slaves, but no one will be interested.


book: Deut
contenido:
So Moses finished telling the Israelites what they had to do in order to keep the agreement the LORD was making with them in Moab, which was in addition to the one the LORD had made with them at Mount Sinai.


book: Deut
contenido:
Moses called the nation of Israel together and told them: When you were in Egypt, you saw the LORD perform great miracles that caused trouble for the king, his officials, and everyone else in the country.


book: Deut
contenido:
He has even told you, “For 40 years I, the LORD, led you through the desert, but your clothes and your sandals didn't wear out, and I gave you special food. I did these things so you would realize that I am your God.” But the LORD must give you a change of heart before you truly understand what you have seen and heard.


book: Deut
contenido:
When we first camped here, King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan attacked, but we defeated them.


book: Deut
contenido:
Israel, the LORD has made an agreement with you, and if you keep your part, you will be successful in everything you do.


book: Deut
contenido:
Today everyone in our nation is standing here in the LORD's presence, including leaders and officials, parents and children, and even those foreigners who cut wood and carry water for us. We are at this place of worship to promise that we will keep our part of the agreement with the LORD our God.


book: Deut
contenido:
In this agreement, the LORD promised that you would be his people and that he would be your God. He first made this promise to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and today the LORD is making this same promise to you. But it isn't just for you; it is also for your descendants.


book: Deut
contenido:
When we lived in Egypt, you saw the Egyptians worship disgusting idols of wood, stone, silver, and gold. Then as we traveled through other nations, you saw those people worship other disgusting idols.


book: Deut
contenido:
So make sure that everyone in your tribe remains faithful to the LORD and never starts worshiping gods of other nations. If even one of you worships idols, you will be like the root of a plant that produces bitter, poisonous fruit.


book: Deut
contenido:
You may be an Israelite and know all about the LORD's agreement with us, but he won't bless you if you rebel against him. You may think you can get away with it, but you will cause the rest of Israel to be punished along with you.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD will be furious, and instead of forgiving you, he will separate you from the other tribes. Then he will destroy you, by piling on you all the curses in The Book of God's Law, and you will be forgotten forever.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD will strike your country with diseases and disasters. Your descendants and foreigners from distant countries will see that your land


book: Deut
contenido:
has become a scorching desert of salt and sulfur, where nothing is planted, nothing sprouts, and nothing grows. It will be as lifeless as the land around the cities of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, after the LORD became angry and destroyed them.


book: Deut
contenido:
And they will be given this answer: Our ancestors worshiped the LORD, but after he brought them out of Egypt and made an agreement with them, they rejected the agreement


book: Deut
contenido:
and decided to worship gods that had never helped them. The LORD had forbidden Israel to worship these gods,


book: Deut
contenido:
and so he became furious and punished the land with all the curses in The Book of God's Law. Then he pulled up Israel by the roots and tossed them into a foreign country, where they still are today.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD our God hasn't explained the present or the future, but he has commanded us to obey the laws he gave to us and our descendants.


book: Deut
contenido:
I have told you everything the LORD your God will do for you, and I've also told you the curses he will put on you if you reject him. He will scatter you in faraway countries, but when you realize that he is punishing you,


book: Deut
contenido:
return to him with all your heart and soul and start obeying the commands I have given to you today.


book: Deut
contenido:
Then he will stop punishing you and treat you with kindness. He may have scattered you to the farthest countries on earth, but he will bring you back


book: Deut
contenido:
to the land that had belonged to your ancestors and make you even more successful and powerful than they ever were.


book: Deut
contenido:
You and your descendants are stubborn, but the LORD will make you willing to obey him and love him with all your heart and soul, and you will enjoy a long life.


book: Deut
contenido:
Then the LORD your God will remove the curses from you and put them on those enemies who hate and attack you.


book: Deut
contenido:
and he will bless you with many children, large herds and flocks, and abundant crops. The LORD will be happy to do good things for you, just as he did for your ancestors.


book: Deut
contenido:
But you must decide once and for all to worship him with all your heart and soul and to obey everything in The Book of God's Law.


book: Deut
contenido:
His commands aren't in heaven, so you can't excuse yourselves by saying, “How can we obey the LORD's commands? They are in heaven, and no one can go up to get them, then bring them down and explain them to us.”


book: Deut
contenido:
And you can't say, “How can we obey the LORD's commands? They are across the sea, and someone must go across, then bring them back and explain them to us.”


book: Deut
contenido:
I am commanding you to be loyal to the LORD, to live the way he has told you, and to obey his laws and teachings. You are about to cross the Jordan River and take the land that he is giving you. If you obey him, you will live and become successful and powerful. On the other hand, you might choose to disobey the LORD and reject him. So I'm warning you that if you bow down and worship other gods, you won't have long to live.


book: Deut
contenido:
Now I call the sky and the earth to be witnesses that I am offering you this choice. Will you choose for the LORD to make you prosperous and give you a long life? Or will he put you under a curse and kill you? Choose life!


book: Deut
contenido:
Be completely faithful to the LORD your God, love him, and do whatever he tells you. The LORD is the only one who can give life, and he will let you live a long time in the land that he promised to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.


book: Deut
contenido:
I am 120 years old, and I am no longer able to be your leader. And besides that, the LORD your God has told me that he won't let me cross the Jordan River.


book: Deut
contenido:
But he has promised that he and Joshua will lead you across the Jordan to attack the nations that live on the other side. The LORD will destroy those nations just as he destroyed Sihon and Og, those two Amorite kings. Just remember—whenever you capture a place, kill everyone who lives there.


book: Deut
contenido:
Be brave and strong! Don't be afraid of the nations on the other side of the Jordan. The LORD your God will always be at your side, and he will never abandon you.


book: Deut
contenido:
Then Moses called Joshua up in front of the crowd and said: Joshua, be brave and strong as you lead these people into their land. The LORD made a promise long ago to Israel's ancestors that this land would someday belong to Israel. That time has now come, and you must divide up the land among the people.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD will lead you into the land. He will always be with you and help you, so don't ever be afraid of your enemies.


book: Deut
contenido:
Moses wrote down all of these laws and teachings and gave them to the priests and the leaders of Israel. The priests were from the Levi tribe, and they carried the sacred chest that belonged to the LORD.


book: Deut
contenido:
Moses told these priests and leaders: Each year the Israelites must come together to celebrate the Festival of Shelters at the place where the LORD chooses to be worshiped. You must read these laws and teachings to the people at the festival every seventh year, the year when loans do not need to be repaid.


book: Deut
contenido:
Everyone must come—men, women, children, and even the foreigners who live in your towns. And each new generation will listen and learn to worship the LORD their God with fear and trembling and to do exactly what is said in God's Law.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD told Moses, “You will soon die, so bring Joshua to the sacred tent, and I will appoint him the leader of Israel.” Moses and Joshua went to the sacred tent,


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD said: Moses, you will soon die. But Israel is going into a land where other gods are worshiped, and Israel will reject me and start worshiping these gods. The people will break the agreement I made with them,


book: Deut
contenido:
and I will be so furious that I will abandon them and ignore their prayers. I will send disasters and suffering that will nearly wipe them out. Finally, they will realize that the disasters happened because I abandoned them.


book: Deut
contenido:
They will pray to me, but I will ignore them because they were evil and started worshiping other gods.


book: Deut
contenido:
Moses and Joshua, I am going to give you the words to a new song. Write them down and teach the song to the Israelites. If they learn it, they will know what I want them to do, and so they will have no excuse for not obeying me.


book: Deut
contenido:
I am bringing them into the land that I promised their ancestors. It is a land rich with milk and honey, and the Israelites will have more than enough food to eat. But they will get fat and turn their backs on me and start worshiping other gods. The Israelites will reject me and break the agreement that I made with them.


book: Deut
contenido:
When I punish the Israelites and their descendants with suffering and disasters, I will remind them that they know the words to this song, so they have no excuse for not obeying me. I will give them the land that I promised, but I know the way they are going to live later on.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD told Joshua, “Be brave and strong! I will help you lead the people of Israel into the land that I have promised them.”


book: Deut
contenido:
This is The Book of God's Law. Keep it beside the sacred chest that holds the agreement the LORD your God made with Israel. This book is proof that you know what the LORD wants you to do.


book: Deut
contenido:
I know how stubborn and rebellious you and the rest of the Israelites are. You have rebelled against the LORD while I have been alive, and it will only get worse after I am gone.


book: Deut
contenido:
So call together the leaders and officials of the tribes of Israel. I will bring this book and read every word of it to you, and I will call the sky and the earth as witnesses that all of you know what you are supposed to do.


book: Deut
contenido:
I am going to die soon, and I know that in the future you will stop caring about what is right and what is wrong, and so you will disobey the LORD and stop living the way I told you to live. The LORD will be angry, and terrible things will happen to you.


book: Deut
contenido:
Moses called a meeting of all the people of Israel, so he could teach them the words to the song that the LORD had given him. And here are the words:


book: Deut
contenido:
Israel, I will teach you. My words will be like gentle rain on tender young plants, or like dew on the grass.


book: Deut
contenido:
But you lie and cheat and are unfaithful to him. You have disgraced yourselves and are no longer worthy to be his children.


book: Deut
contenido:
Israel, the LORD discovered you in a barren desert filled with howling winds. God became your fortress, protecting you as though you were his own eyes.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD was like an eagle teaching its young to fly, always ready to swoop down and catch them on its back.


book: Deut
contenido:
he helped you capture the land. Your fields were rich with grain. Olive trees grew in your stony soil, and honey was found among the rocks.


book: Deut
contenido:
Your flocks and herds produced milk and yogurt, and you got choice meat from your sheep and goats that grazed in Bashan. Your wheat was the finest, and you drank the best wine.


book: Deut
contenido:
Israel, you grew fat and rebelled against God, your Creator you rejected the Mighty Rock, your only place of safety.


book: Deut
contenido:
You offered sacrifices to demons, those useless gods that never helped you, new gods that your ancestors never worshiped.


book: Deut
contenido:
and said, “You are unfaithful and can't be trusted. So I won't answer your prayers; I'll just watch and see what happens to you.


book: Deut
contenido:
You worshiped worthless idols, and made me jealous and angry! Now I will send a cruel and worthless nation to make you jealous and angry.


book: Deut
contenido:
“My people, I will breathe out fire that sends you down to the world of the dead. It will scorch your farmlands and burn deep down under the mountains.


book: Deut
contenido:
You'll be struck by starvation and deadly diseases, by the fangs of wild animals and poisonous snakes.


book: Deut
contenido:
People of Israel, that's what the LORD has said to you. But you don't have good sense, and you never listen to advice.


book: Deut
contenido:
How could one enemy soldier chase a thousand of Israel's troops? Or how could two of theirs pursue ten thousand of ours? It can only happen if the LORD stops protecting Israel and lets the enemy win.


book: Deut
contenido:
Our enemies are grapevines rooted in the fields of Sodom and Gomorrah. The grapes they produce are full of bitter poison;


book: Deut
contenido:
Soon our enemies will get what they deserve— suddenly they will slip, and total disaster will quickly follow.


book: Deut
contenido:
When only a few of the LORD's people remain, when their strength is gone, and some of them are slaves, the LORD will feel sorry for them and give them justice.


book: Deut
contenido:
You offered them wine and your best sacrifices. Can't those gods help you now or give you protection?


book: Deut
contenido:
Don't you understand? I am the only God; there are no others. I am the one who takes life and gives it again. I punished you with suffering. But now I will heal you, and nothing can stop me!


book: Deut
contenido:
My arrows will get drunk on enemy blood; my sword will taste the flesh and the blood of the enemy. It will kill prisoners, and cut off the heads of their leaders.”


book: Deut
contenido:
Tell the heavens to celebrate and all gods to bow down to the LORD, because he will take revenge on those hateful enemies who killed his people. He will forgive the sins of Israel and purify their land.


book: Deut
contenido:
Moses spoke the words of the song so that all the Israelites could hear, and Joshua helped him. When Moses had finished,


book: Deut
contenido:
he said, “Always remember this song I have taught you today. And let it be a warning that you must teach your children to obey everything written in The Book of God's Law.


book: Deut
contenido:
Go up into the Abarim Mountain range here in Moab across the Jordan River valley from Jericho. And when you reach the top of Mount Nebo, you will be able to see the land of Canaan, which I am giving to Israel.


book: Deut
contenido:
Then you will die and be buried on the mountaintop, just as your brother Aaron died and was buried on Mount Hor.


book: Deut
contenido:
Both of you were unfaithful to me at Meribah Spring near Kadesh in the Zin Desert. I am God, but there in front of the Israelites, you did not treat me with the honor and respect I deserve.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD came from Mount Sinai. From Edom, he gave light to his people, and his glory was shining from Mount Paran. Thousands of his warriors were with him, and fire was at his right hand.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD loves the tribes of Israel, and he protects his people. They listen to his words and worship at his feet. *


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD will listen to you, tribe of Judah, as you beg to come safely home. You fought your enemies alone; now the LORD will help you.


book: Deut
contenido:
At Massah and Meribah Spring, the LORD tested you, tribe of Levi. You were faithful, and so the priesthood belongs to the Levi tribe.


book: Deut
contenido:
Protecting Israel's agreement with the LORD was more important to you than the life of your father or mother, or brothers or sisters, or your own children.


book: Deut
contenido:
I pray that the LORD will bless everything you do, and make you strong enough to crush your enemies.


book: Deut
contenido:
Descendants of Joseph, the LORD will bless you with precious water from deep wells and with dew from the sky.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD who appeared in the burning bush wants to give you the best the land can produce, and it will be a princely crown on Joseph's head.


book: Deut
contenido:
The armies of Ephraim and Manasseh are majestic and fierce like a bull or a wild ox. They will run their spears through faraway nations.


book: Deut
contenido:
The sea will make you wealthy, and from the sandy beach you will get treasure. So invite the other tribes to celebrate with you and offer sacrifices to God.


book: Deut
contenido:
Tribe of Gad, the LORD will bless you with more land. So shout his praises! Your tribe is like a lion ripping up its victim.


book: Deut
contenido:
Your leaders met together and chose the best land for your tribe, but you obeyed the LORD and helped the other tribes.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD is pleased with you, people of Naphtali. He will bless you and give you the land to the west and the south.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD's greatest blessing is for you, tribe of Asher. You will be the favorite of all the other tribes. You will be rich with olive oil


book: Deut
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and have strong town gates with bronze and iron bolts. Your people will be powerful for as long as they live.


book: Deut
contenido:
Israel, no other god is like ours— the clouds are his chariot as he rides across the skies to come and help us.


book: Deut
contenido:
The eternal God is our hiding place; he carries us in his arms. When God tells you to destroy your enemies, he will make them run.


book: Deut
contenido:
Israel, you will live in safety; your enemies will be gone. The dew will fall from the sky, and you will have plenty of grain and wine.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD has rescued you and given you more blessings than any other nation. He protects you like a shield and is your majestic sword. Your enemies will bow in fear, and you will trample on their backs.


book: Deut
contenido:
Sometime later, Moses left the lowlands of Moab. He went up Mount Pisgah to the peak of Mount Nebo, which is across the Jordan River from Jericho. The LORD showed him all the land as far north as Gilead and the town of Dan.


book: Deut
contenido:
He let Moses see the territories that would soon belong to the tribes of Naphtali, Ephraim, Manasseh, and Judah, as far west as the Mediterranean Sea.


book: Deut
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The LORD also showed him the land in the south, from the valley near the town of Jericho, known as The City of Palm Trees, down to the town of Zoar.


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD said, “Moses, this is the land I was talking about when I solemnly promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that I would give land to their descendants. I have let you see it, but you will not cross the Jordan and go in.”


book: Deut
contenido:
The LORD buried him in a valley near the town of Beth-Peor, but even today no one knows exactly where.


book: Deut
contenido:
The people of Israel stayed in the lowlands of Moab, where they mourned and grieved 30 days for Moses, as was their custom.


book: Deut
contenido:
Before Moses died, he had placed his hands on Joshua, and the LORD had given Joshua wisdom. The Israelites paid attention to what Joshua said and obeyed the commands that the LORD had given Moses.


book: Deut
contenido:
and sent him to perform powerful miracles in the presence of the king of Egypt and his entire nation.


book: Josh
contenido:
Moses, the LORD's servant, was dead. So the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, who had been the assistant of Moses. The LORD said:


book: Josh
contenido:
My servant Moses is dead. Now you must lead Israel across the Jordan River into the land I'm giving to all of you.


book: Josh
contenido:
It will reach from the Southern Desert to the Lebanon Mountains in the north, and to the northeast as far as the great Euphrates River. It will include the land of the Hittites, and the land from here at the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea on the west.


book: Josh
contenido:
Joshua, I will always be with you and help you as I helped Moses, and no one will ever be able to defeat you.


book: Josh
contenido:
Long ago I promised the ancestors of Israel that I would give this land to their descendants. So be strong and brave! Be careful to do everything my servant Moses taught you. Never stop reading The Book of the Law he gave you. Day and night you must think about what it says. If you obey it completely, you and Israel will be able to take this land.


book: Josh
contenido:
I've commanded you to be strong and brave. Don't ever be afraid or discouraged! I am the LORD your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go.


book: Josh
contenido:
to go through the camp and tell everyone: In a few days we will cross the Jordan River to take the land that the LORD our God is giving us. So prepare as much food as you'll need for the march into the land.


book: Josh
contenido:
The LORD's servant Moses said that the LORD our God has given you land here on the east side of the Jordan River, where you could live in peace. Your wives and children and your animals can stay here in the land Moses gave you. But all of you that can serve in our army must pick up your weapons and lead the men of the other tribes across the Jordan River. They are your relatives, so you must help them


book: Josh
contenido:
conquer the land that the LORD is giving them. The LORD will give peace to them as he has given peace to you, and then you can come back and settle here in the land that Moses promised you.


book: Josh
contenido:
The men answered: We'll cross the Jordan River and help our relatives. We'll fight anywhere you send us.


book: Josh
contenido:
If the LORD our God will help you as he helped Moses, and if you are strong and brave, we will obey you as we obeyed Moses. We'll even put to death anyone who rebels against you or refuses to obey you.


book: Josh
contenido:
Joshua chose two men as spies and sent them from their camp at Acacia with these instructions: “Go across the river and find out as much as you can about the whole region, especially about the town of Jericho.” The two spies left the Israelite camp at Acacia and went to Jericho, where they decided to spend the night at the house of a prostitute named Rahab.


book: Josh
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But someone found out about them and told the king of Jericho, “Some Israelite men came here tonight, and they are spies.”


book: Josh
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So the king sent soldiers to Rahab's house to arrest the spies. Meanwhile, Rahab had taken the men up to the flat roof of her house and had hidden them under some piles of flax plants that she had put there to dry. The soldiers came to her door and demanded, “Let us have the men who are staying at your house. They are spies.” She answered, “Some men did come to my house, but I didn't know where they had come from. They left about sunset, just before it was time to close the town gate. I don't know where they were going, but if you hurry, maybe you can catch them.” The guards at the town gate let the soldiers leave Jericho, but they closed the gate again as soon as the soldiers went through. Then the soldiers headed toward the Jordan River to look for the spies at the place where people cross the river.


book: Josh
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We heard how the LORD dried up the Red Sea so you could leave Egypt. And we heard how you destroyed Sihon and Og, those two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River.


book: Josh
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We know that the LORD your God rules heaven and earth, and we've lost our courage and our will to fight.


book: Josh
contenido:
Please promise me in the LORD's name that you will be as kind to my family as I have been to you. Do something to show


book: Josh
contenido:
that you won't let your people kill my father and mother and my brothers and sisters and their families.


book: Josh
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“Rahab,” the spies answered, “if you keep quiet about what we're doing, we promise to be kind to you when the LORD gives us this land. We pray that the LORD will kill us if we don't keep our promise!”


book: Josh
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Rahab's house was built into the town wall, and one of the windows in her house faced outside the wall. She gave the spies a rope, showed them the window, and said, “Use this rope to let yourselves down to the ground outside the wall.


book: Josh
contenido:
Then hide in the hills. The men who are looking for you won't be able to find you there. They'll give up and come back after a few days, and you can be on your way.”


book: Josh
contenido:
The spies said: You made us promise to let you and your family live. We will keep our promise, but you can't tell anyone why we were here. You must tie this red rope on your window when we attack, and your father and mother, your brothers, and everyone else in your family must be here with you. We'll take the blame if anyone who stays in this house gets hurt. But anyone who leaves your house will be killed, and it won't be our fault.


book: Josh
contenido:
“I'll do exactly what you said,” Rahab promised. Then she sent them on their way and tied the red rope to the window.


book: Josh
contenido:
The spies hid in the hills for three days while the king's soldiers looked for them along the roads. As soon as the soldiers gave up and returned to Jericho,


book: Josh
contenido:
the two spies went down into the Jordan valley and crossed the river. They reported to Joshua and told him everything that had happened.


book: Josh
contenido:
“We're sure the LORD has given us the whole country,” they said. “The people there shake with fear every time they think of us.”


book: Josh
contenido:
Early the next morning, Joshua and the Israelites packed up and left Acacia. They went to the Jordan River and camped there that night.


book: Josh
contenido:
shouting, “When you see some of the priests carrying the sacred chest, you'll know it is time to cross to the other side. You've never been there before, and you won't know the way, unless you follow the chest. But don't get too close! Stay about a kilometer back.”


book: Josh
contenido:
Joshua told the people, “Make yourselves acceptable to worship the LORD, because he is going to do some amazing things for us.”


book: Josh
contenido:
Then Joshua turned to the priests and said, “Take the chest and cross the Jordan River ahead of us.” So the priests picked up the chest by its carrying poles and went on ahead.


book: Josh
contenido:
The LORD told Joshua, “Beginning today I will show the people that you are their leader, and they will know that I am helping you as I helped Moses.


book: Josh
contenido:
Now, tell the priests who are carrying the chest to go a little way into the river and stand there.”


book: Josh
contenido:
The Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites control the land on the other side of the river. But the living God will be with you and will force them out of the land when you attack. And now, God is going to prove that he's powerful enough to force them out.


book: Josh
contenido:
Just watch the sacred chest that belongs to the LORD, the ruler of the whole earth. As soon as the priests carrying the chest step into the Jordan, the water will stop flowing and pile up as if someone had built a dam across the river. The LORD has also said that each of the twelve tribes should choose one man to represent it.


book: Josh
contenido:
until they came to the Jordan River. The water in the river had risen over its banks, as it often does in springtime. But as soon as the feet of the priests touched the water,


book: Josh
contenido:
the river stopped flowing, and the water started piling up at the town of Adam near Zarethan. No water flowed toward the Dead Sea, and the priests stood in the middle of the dry riverbed near Jericho while everyone else crossed over.


book: Josh
contenido:
Tell one man from each of the twelve tribes to pick up a large rock from where the priests are standing. Then tell the men to set up those rocks as a monument at the place where you camp tonight.


book: Josh
contenido:
and said: Go to the middle of the riverbed where the sacred chest is, and pick up a large rock. Carry it on your shoulder to our camp. There are twelve of you, so there will be one rock for each tribe.


book: Josh
contenido:
Someday your children will ask, “Why are these rocks here?” Then you can tell them how the water stopped flowing when the chest was being carried across the river. These rocks will always remind our people of what happened here today.


book: Josh
contenido:
The men followed the instructions that the LORD had given Joshua. They picked up twelve rocks, one for each tribe, and carried them to the camp, where they put them down.


book: Josh
contenido:
Joshua set up a monument next to the place where the priests were standing. This monument was also made of twelve large rocks, and it is still there in the middle of the river.


book: Josh
contenido:
The army got ready for battle and crossed the Jordan with everyone else. They marched quickly past the sacred chest and into the desert near Jericho. Forty thousand soldiers from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh led the way, as Moses had ordered. The priests stayed right where they were until the people had followed the orders that the LORD had given Moses and Joshua. Then they watched as the priests carried the chest the rest of the way across.


book: Josh
contenido:
“Joshua,” the LORD said, “tell the priests to come up from the Jordan and bring the chest with them.” So Joshua went over to the priests and told them what the LORD had said. And as soon as the priests carried the chest past the highest place that the floodwaters of the Jordan had reached, the river flooded its banks again. That's how the LORD showed the Israelites that Joshua was their leader. For the rest of Joshua's life, they respected him as they had respected Moses.


book: Josh
contenido:
It was the tenth day of the first month of the year when Israel crossed the Jordan River. They set up camp at Gilgal, which was east of the land controlled by Jericho.


book: Josh
contenido:
The men who had carried the twelve rocks from the Jordan brought them to Joshua, and they made them into a monument.


book: Josh
contenido:
Tell them, “The LORD our God dried up the Jordan River so we could walk across. He did the same thing here for us that he did for our people at the Red Sea,


book: Josh
contenido:
because he wants everyone on earth to know how powerful he is. And he wants us to worship only him.”


book: Josh
contenido:
The Amorite kings west of the Jordan River and the Canaanite kings along the Mediterranean Sea lost their courage and their will to fight, when they heard how the LORD had dried up the Jordan River to let Israel go across.


book: Josh
contenido:
While Israel was camped at Gilgal, the LORD said, “Joshua, make some flint knives and circumcise the rest of the Israelite men and boys.”


book: Josh
contenido:
This had to be done, because none of Israel's baby boys had been circumcised during the 40 years that Israel had wandered through the desert after leaving Egypt. And why had they wandered for 40 years? It was because right after they left Egypt, the men in the army had disobeyed the LORD. And the LORD had said, “None of you men will ever live to see the land that I promised Israel. It is a land rich with milk and honey, and someday your children will live there, but not before you die here in the desert.”


book: Josh
contenido:
The LORD told Joshua, “It was a disgrace for my people to be slaves in Egypt, but now I have taken away that disgrace.” So the Israelites named the place Gilgal, and it still has that name.


book: Josh
contenido:
Israel continued to camp at Gilgal in the desert near Jericho, and on the fourteenth day of the same month, they celebrated Passover.


book: Josh
contenido:
The next day, God stopped sending the Israelites manna to eat each morning, and they started eating food grown in the land of Canaan. They ate roasted grain and thin bread made of the barley they had gathered from nearby fields.


book: Josh
contenido:
One day, Joshua was near Jericho when he saw a man standing some distance in front of him. The man was holding a sword, so Joshua walked up to him and asked, “Are you on our side or on our enemies' side?”


book: Josh
contenido:
“Neither,” he answered. “I am here because I am the commander of the LORD's army.” Joshua fell to his knees and bowed down to the ground. “I am your servant,” he said. “Tell me what to do.”


book: Josh
contenido:
“Take off your sandals,” the commander answered. “This is a holy place.” So Joshua took off his sandals.


book: Josh
contenido:
Meanwhile, the people of Jericho had been locking the gates in their town wall because they were afraid of the Israelites. No one could go out or come in.


book: Josh
contenido:
The LORD said to Joshua: With my help, you and your army will defeat the king of Jericho and his army, and you will capture the town. Here is how to do it: March slowly around Jericho once a day for six days.


book: Josh
contenido:
Take along the sacred chest and tell seven priests to walk in front of it, carrying trumpets. But on the seventh day, march slowly around the town seven times while the priests blow their trumpets.


book: Josh
contenido:
Then the priests will blast on their trumpets, and everyone else will shout. The wall will fall down, and your soldiers can go straight in from every side.


book: Josh
contenido:
Joshua called the priests together and said, “Take the chest and tell seven priests to carry trumpets and march ahead of it.”


book: Josh
contenido:
Next, he gave the army their orders: “March slowly around Jericho. A few of you will go ahead of the chest to guard it, but most of you will follow it. Don't shout the battle cry or yell or even talk until the day I tell you to. Then let out a shout!” As soon as Joshua finished giving the orders, the army started marching. One group of soldiers led the way, with seven priests marching behind them and blowing trumpets. Then came the priests carrying the chest, followed by the rest of the soldiers.


book: Josh
contenido:
They obeyed Joshua's orders and carried the chest once around the town before returning to camp for the night.


book: Josh
contenido:
Early the next morning, Joshua and everyone else started marching around Jericho in the same order as the day before. One group of soldiers was in front, followed by the seven priests with trumpets and the priests who carried the chest. The rest of the army came next. The seven priests blew their trumpets while everyone marched slowly around Jericho and back to camp. They did this once a day for six days.


book: Josh
contenido:
On the seventh day, the army got up at daybreak. They marched slowly around Jericho the same as they had done for the past six days, except on this day they went around seven times.


book: Josh
contenido:
Then the priests blew the trumpets, and Joshua yelled: Get ready to shout! The LORD will let you capture this town.


book: Josh
contenido:
But you must destroy it and everything in it, to show that it now belongs to the LORD. The woman Rahab helped the spies we sent, so protect her and the others who are inside her house. But kill everyone else in the town.


book: Josh
contenido:
The silver and gold and everything made of bronze and iron belong to the LORD and must be put in his treasury. Be careful to follow these instructions, because if you see something you want and take it, the LORD will destroy Israel. And it will be all your fault.


book: Josh
contenido:
The priests blew their trumpets again, and the soldiers shouted as loud as they could. The walls of Jericho fell flat. Then the soldiers rushed up the hill, went straight into the town, and captured it.


book: Josh
contenido:
They killed everyone, men and women, young and old, everyone except Rahab and the others in her house. They even killed every cow, sheep, and donkey. Joshua said to the two men who had been spies, “Rahab kept you safe when I sent you to Jericho. We promised to protect her and her family, and we will keep that promise. Now go into her house and bring them out.” The two men went into Rahab's house and brought her out, along with her father and mother, her brothers, and her other relatives. Rahab and her family had to stay in a place just outside the Israelite army camp. But later they were allowed to live among the Israelites, and her descendants still do. The Israelites took the silver and gold and the things made of bronze and iron and put them with the rest of the treasure that was kept at the LORD's house. Finally, they set fire to Jericho and everything in it.


book: Josh
contenido:
After Jericho was destroyed, Joshua warned the people, “Someday a man will rebuild Jericho, but the LORD will put a curse on him, and the man's oldest son will die when he starts to build the town wall. And by the time he finishes the wall and puts gates in it, all his children will be dead.”


book: Josh
contenido:
The LORD had said that everything in Jericho belonged to him. But Achan from the Judah tribe took some of the things from Jericho for himself. And so the LORD was angry with the Israelites, because one of them had disobeyed him.


book: Josh
contenido:
While Israel was still camped near Jericho, Joshua sent some spies with these instructions: “Go to the town of Ai and find out whatever you can about the region around the town.” The spies left and went to Ai, which is east of Bethel and near Beth-Aven.


book: Josh
contenido:
They went back to Joshua and reported, “You don't need to send the whole army to attack Ai—2,000 or 3,000 troops will be enough. Why bother the whole army for a town that small?”


book: Josh
contenido:
Joshua sent about 3,000 soldiers to attack Ai. But the men of Ai fought back and chased the Israelite soldiers away from the town gate and down the hill to the stone quarries. Thirty-six Israelite soldiers were killed, and the Israelite army felt discouraged.


book: Josh
contenido:
Joshua and the leaders of Israel tore their clothes and put dirt on their heads to show their sorrow. They lay facedown on the ground in front of the sacred chest until sunset.


book: Josh
contenido:
Then Joshua said: Our LORD, did you bring us across the Jordan River just so the Amorites could destroy us? This wouldn't have happened if we had agreed to stay on the other side of the Jordan.


book: Josh
contenido:
Everyone will think you weren't strong enough to protect your people. Now the Canaanites and everyone else who lives in the land will surround us and wipe us out.


book: Josh
contenido:
I said everything in Jericho belonged to me and had to be destroyed. But the Israelites have kept some of the things for themselves. They stole from me and hid what they took. Then they lied about it.


book: Josh
contenido:
What they stole was supposed to be destroyed, and now Israel itself must be destroyed. I cannot help you anymore until you do exactly what I have said. That's why Israel turns and runs from its enemies instead of standing up to them.


book: Josh
contenido:
Tell the people of Israel, “Tomorrow you will meet with the LORD your God, so make yourselves acceptable to worship him. The LORD says that you have taken things that should have been destroyed. You won't be able to stand up to your enemies until you get rid of those things.


book: Josh
contenido:
“Tomorrow morning everyone must gather near the place of worship. You will come forward tribe by tribe, and the LORD will show which tribe is guilty. Next, the clans in that tribe must come forward, and the LORD will show which clan is guilty. The families in that clan must come, and the LORD will point out the guilty family. Finally, the men in that family must come,


book: Josh
contenido:
and the LORD will show who stole what should have been destroyed. That man must be put to death, his body burned, and his possessions thrown into the fire. He has done a terrible thing by breaking the sacred agreement that the LORD made with Israel.”


book: Josh
contenido:
Joshua got up early the next morning and brought each tribe to the place of worship, where the LORD showed that the Judah tribe was guilty.


book: Josh
contenido:
Then Joshua brought the clans of Judah to the LORD, and the LORD showed that the Zerah clan was guilty. One by one he brought the leader of each family in the Zerah clan to the LORD, and the LORD showed that Zabdi's family was guilty.


book: Josh
contenido:
Finally, Joshua brought each man in Zabdi's family to the LORD, and the LORD showed that Achan was the guilty one.


book: Josh
contenido:
“Achan,” Joshua said, “the LORD God of Israel has decided that you are guilty. So tell me what you did, and don't try to hide anything.”


book: Josh
contenido:
While we were in Jericho, I saw a beautiful Babylonian robe, 200 pieces of silver, and a gold bar that weighed the same as 50 pieces of gold. I wanted them for myself, so I took them. I dug a hole under my tent and hid the silver, the gold, and the robe.” Joshua told some people to run to Achan's tent, where they found the silver, the gold, and the robe.


book: Josh
contenido:
They brought them back and put them in front of the sacred chest, so Joshua and the rest of the Israelites could see them.


book: Josh
contenido:
Then everyone took Achan and the things he had stolen to Trouble Valley. They also took along his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys, and sheep, his tent, and everything else that belonged to him.


book: Josh
contenido:
Joshua said, “Achan, you caused us a lot of trouble. Now the LORD is paying you back with the same kind of trouble.” The people of Israel then stoned to death Achan and his family. They made a fire and burned the bodies, together with what Achan had stolen, and all his possessions.


book: Josh
contenido:
They covered the remains with a big pile of rocks, which is still there. Then the LORD stopped being angry with Israel. That's how the place came to be called Trouble Valley.


book: Josh
contenido:
The LORD told Joshua: Don't be afraid, and don't be discouraged by what happened at the town of Ai. Take the army and attack again. But first, order part of the army to set up an ambush on the other side of the town. I will help you defeat the king of Ai and his army, and you will capture the town and the land around it. Destroy Ai and kill its king as you did at Jericho. But you may keep the livestock and everything else you want.


book: Josh
contenido:
Joshua quickly got the army ready to attack Ai. He chose 30,000 of his best soldiers and gave them these orders: Tonight, while it is dark, march to Ai and take up a position behind the town. Get as close to the town as you can without being seen, and be ready to attack.


book: Josh
contenido:
The rest of the army will come with me and attack near the gate. When the people of Ai come out to fight, we'll run away and let them chase us. They will think we are running from them just like the first time. But when we've let them chase us far enough away,


book: Josh
contenido:
now go! The 30,000 soldiers went to a place on the west side of Ai, between Ai and Bethel, where they could hide and wait to attack. That night, Joshua stayed in camp with the rest of the army.


book: Josh
contenido:
Early the next morning he got his troops ready to move out, and he and the other leaders of Israel led them to Ai.


book: Josh
contenido:
Now all his troops were in place. Part of the army was in the camp to the north of Ai, and the others were hiding to the west, ready to make a surprise attack. That night, Joshua went into the valley.


book: Josh
contenido:
The king of Ai saw Joshua's army, so the king and his troops hurried out early the next morning to fight them. Joshua and his army pretended to be beaten, and they let the men of Ai chase them toward the desert. The king and his army were facing the Jordan valley as Joshua had planned. The king did not realize that some Israelite soldiers were hiding behind the town.


book: Josh
contenido:
So he called out every man in Ai to go after Joshua's troops. They all rushed out to chase the Israelite army, and they left the town gates wide open. Not one man was left in Ai or in Bethel. Joshua let the men of Ai chase him and his army farther and farther away from Ai.


book: Josh
contenido:
Finally, the LORD told Joshua, “Point your sword at the town of Ai, because now I am going to help you defeat it!” As soon as Joshua pointed his sword at the town,


book: Josh
contenido:
the soldiers who had been hiding jumped up and ran into the town. They captured it and set it on fire.


book: Josh
contenido:
When Joshua and his troops saw smoke rising from the town, they knew that the other part of their army had captured it. So they turned and attacked. The men of Ai looked back and saw smoke rising from their town. But they could not escape, because the soldiers they had been chasing had suddenly turned and started fighting.


book: Josh
contenido:
Meanwhile, the other Israelite soldiers had come from the town and attacked the men of Ai from the rear. The Israelites captured the king of Ai and brought him to Joshua. They also chased the rest of the men of Ai into the desert and killed them. The Israelite army went back to Ai and killed everyone there.


book: Josh
contenido:
Joshua kept his sword pointed at the town of Ai until every last one of Ai's 12,000 people was dead.


book: Josh
contenido:
But the Israelites took the animals and the other possessions of the people of Ai, because this was what the LORD had told Joshua to do.


book: Josh
contenido:
Joshua made sure every building in Ai was burned to the ground. He told his men to kill the king of Ai and hang his body on a tree. Then at sunset he told the Israelites to take down the body, throw it in the gateway of the town, and cover it with a big pile of rocks. Those rocks are still there, and the town itself has never been rebuilt.


book: Josh
contenido:
One day, Joshua led the people of Israel to Mount Ebal, where he told some of his men, “Build an altar for offering sacrifices to the LORD. And use stones that have never been cut with iron tools, because that is what Moses taught in The Book of the Law.” Joshua offered sacrifices to please the LORD and to ask his blessing. Then with the Israelites still watching, he copied parts of The Book of the Law of Moses onto stones.


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Moses had said that everyone in Israel was to go to the valley between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, where they were to be blessed. So everyone went there, including the foreigners, the leaders, officials, and judges. Half of the people stood on one side of the valley, and half on the other side, with the priests from the Levi tribe standing in the middle with the sacred chest. Then in a loud voice, Joshua read the blessings and curses from The Book of the Law of Moses.


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The kings west of the Jordan River heard about Joshua's victories, so they got together and decided to attack Joshua and Israel. These kings were from the hill country and from the foothills to the west, as well as from the Mediterranean seacoast as far north as the Lebanon Mountains. Some of them were Hittites, others were Amorites or Canaanites, and still others were Perizzites, Hivites, or Jebusites.


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So they decided that some of their men should pretend to be messengers to Israel from a faraway country. The men put worn-out bags on their donkeys and found some old wineskins that had cracked and had been sewn back together.


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Their sandals were old and patched, and their clothes were worn out. They even took along some dry and crumbly bread.


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Then they went to the Israelite camp at Gilgal, where they said to Joshua and the men of Israel, “We have come from a country that is far from here. Please make a peace treaty with us.”


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The Israelites replied, “But maybe you really live near us. We can't make a peace treaty with you if you live nearby.” The Gibeonites said, “If you make a peace treaty with us, we will be your servants.” “Who are you?” Joshua asked. “Where do you come from?” They answered:


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We are your servants, and we live far from here. We came because the LORD your God is so famous. We heard what the LORD did in Egypt


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and what he did to those two Amorite kings on the other side of the Jordan: King Og of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth, and King Sihon of Heshbon.


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Our leaders and everyone who lives in our country told us to meet with you and tell you that all of us are your servants. They said to ask you to make a peace treaty with our people. They told us to be sure and take along enough food for our journey.


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See this dry, crumbly bread of ours? It was hot out of the oven when we packed the food on the day we left our homes.


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These cracked wineskins were new when we filled them, and our clothes and sandals are worn out because we have traveled so far.


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The Israelites tried some of the food, but they did not ask the LORD if he wanted them to make a treaty.


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So Joshua made a peace treaty with the messengers and promised that Israel would not kill their people. Israel's leaders swore that Israel would keep this promise.


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A couple of days later, the Israelites found out that these people actually lived in the nearby towns of Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-Jearim. So the Israelites left the place where they had camped and arrived at the four towns two days later.


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But they did not attack the towns, because the Israelite leaders had sworn in the name of the LORD that they would let these people live. The Israelites complained about their leaders' decision not to attack,


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but the leaders reminded them, “We promised these people in the name of the LORD God of Israel that we would let them live, so we must not harm them. If we break our promise, God will punish us. We'll let them live, but we'll make them cut wood and carry water for our people.”


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Joshua told some of his soldiers, “I want to meet with the Gibeonite leaders. Bring them here.” When the Gibeonites came, Joshua said, “You live close to us. Why did you lie by claiming you lived far away?


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So now you are under a curse, and from now on your people will have to send workers to cut wood and carry water for the place of worship.”


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The Gibeonites answered, “The LORD your God told his servant Moses that you were to kill everyone who lives here and take their land for yourselves. We were afraid you would kill us, and so we tricked you into making a peace treaty. But we agreed to be your servants,


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and you are strong enough to do anything to us that you want. We just ask you to do what seems right.”


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but he did tell the Gibeonites that they would have to be servants of the nation of Israel. They would have to cut firewood and bring it for the priests to use for burning sacrifices on the LORD's altar, wherever the LORD decided the altar would be. The Gibeonites would also have to carry water for the priests. And that is still the work of the Gibeonites.


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King Adonizedek of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured and destroyed the town of Ai, and then killed its king as he had done at Jericho. He also learned that the Gibeonites had signed a peace treaty with Israel.


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This frightened Adonizedek and his people. They knew that Gibeon was a large town, as big as the towns that had kings, and even bigger than the town of Ai had been. And all of the men of Gibeon were warriors.


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So Adonizedek sent messages to the kings of four other towns: King Hoham of Hebron, King Piram of Jarmuth, King Japhia of Lachish, and King Debir of Eglon. The messages said,


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“The Gibeonites have signed a peace treaty with Joshua and the Israelites. Come and help me attack Gibeon!”


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the Gibeonites sent a message to the Israelite camp at Gilgal: “Joshua, please come and rescue us! The Amorite kings from the hill country have joined together and are attacking us. We are your servants, so don't let us down. Please hurry!”


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“Joshua,” the LORD said, “don't be afraid of the Amorites. They will run away when you attack, and I will help you defeat them.”


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The LORD made the enemy panic, and the Israelites started killing them right and left. They chased the Amorite troops up the road to Beth-Horon and kept on killing them, until they reached the towns of Azekah and Makkedah.


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And while these troops were going down through Beth-Horon Pass, the LORD made huge hailstones fall on them all the way to Azekah. More of the enemy soldiers died from the hail than from the Israelite weapons.


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The LORD was helping the Israelites defeat the Amorites that day. So about noon, Joshua prayed to the LORD loud enough for the Israelites to hear: “Our LORD, make the sun stop in the sky over Gibeon, and the moon stand still over Aijalon Valley.” So the sun and the moon stopped and stood still until Israel defeated its enemies. This poem can be found in The Book of Jashar. The sun stood still and didn't go down for about a whole day.


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Never before and never since has the LORD done anything like that for someone who prayed. The LORD was really fighting for Israel.


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While the enemy soldiers were running from the Israelites, the five enemy kings ran away and hid in a cave near Makkedah.


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Joshua answered, “Roll some big stones over the mouth of the cave and leave a few soldiers to guard it.


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But you and everyone else must keep going after the enemy troops, because they will be safe if they reach their walled towns. Don't let them get away! The LORD our God is helping us get rid of them.”


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So Joshua and the Israelites almost wiped out the enemy soldiers. Only a few safely reached their walled towns.


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The Israelite army returned to their camp at Makkedah, where Joshua was waiting for them. No one around there dared say anything bad about the Israelites.


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Joshua told his soldiers, “Now, move the rocks from the entrance to the cave and bring those five kings to me.”


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The soldiers opened the entrance to the cave and brought out the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon.


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After Joshua had called the army together, he forced the five kings to lie down on the ground. Then he called his officers forward and told them, “You fought these kings along with me, so put your feet on their necks.” The officers did this,


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and Joshua continued, “Don't ever be afraid or discouraged. Be brave and strong. This is what the LORD will do to all your enemies.”


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he told some of his troops, “Take the bodies down and throw them into the cave where the kings were found. Cover the entrance to the cave with big rocks.” Joshua's troops obeyed his orders, and those rocks are still there.


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Later that day, Joshua captured Makkedah and killed its king and everyone else in the town, just as he had done at Jericho.


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The LORD let them capture the town and its king, and they killed the king and everyone else, just as they had done at Jericho.


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and the next day the LORD let them capture the town. They killed everyone, as they had done at Libnah.


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King Horam of Gezer arrived to help Lachish, but Joshua and his troops attacked and destroyed him and his army.


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From Lachish, Joshua took his troops to Eglon, where they set up camp surrounding the town. They attacked,


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They captured the town and the nearby villages, then killed everyone, including the king. They destroyed Hebron in the same way they had destroyed Eglon.


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They captured the town, and its nearby villages. Then they destroyed Debir and killed its king, together with everyone else, just as they had done with Hebron and Libnah.


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Joshua captured towns everywhere in the land: In the central hill country and the foothills to the west, in the Southern Desert and the region that slopes down toward the Dead Sea. Whenever he captured a town, he would kill the king and everyone else, as the LORD God of Israel had commanded.


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Joshua wiped out towns from Kadesh-Barnea to Gaza, everywhere in the region of Goshen, and as far north as Gibeon.


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The LORD fought on Israel's side, so Joshua and the Israelite army were able to capture these kings and take their land. They fought one battle after another, then they went back to their camp at Gilgal after capturing all that land.


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King Jabin of Hazor heard about Joshua's victories, so he sent messages to many nearby kings and asked them to join him in fighting Israel. He sent these messages to King Jobab of Madon, the kings of Shimron and Achshaph,


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the kings in the northern hill country and in the Jordan River valley south of Lake Galilee, and the kings in the foothills and in Naphath-Dor to the west.


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He sent messages to the Canaanite kings in the east and the west, to the Amorite, Hittite, Perizzite, and Jebusite kings in the hill country, and to the Hivite kings in the region of Mizpah, near the foot of Mount Hermon.


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The kings and their armies went to Merom Pond, where they set up camp, and got ready to fight Israel. It seemed as though there were more soldiers and horses and chariots than there are grains of sand on a beach.


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The LORD told Joshua: Don't let them frighten you! I'll help you defeat them, and by this time tomorrow they will be dead. When you attack, the first thing you have to do is to cripple their horses. Then after the battle is over, burn their chariots.


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and crippled the enemies' horses. Joshua followed the LORD's instructions, and the LORD helped Israel defeat the enemy. The Israelite army even chased enemy soldiers as far as Misrephoth-Maim to the northwest, the city of Sidon to the north, and Mizpeh Valley to the northeast. None of the enemy soldiers escaped alive. The Israelites came back after the battle and burned the enemy's chariots.


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Up to this time, the king of Hazor had controlled the kingdoms that had joined together to attack Israel, so Joshua led his army back and captured Hazor. They killed its king


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Joshua captured all the towns where the enemy kings had ruled. These towns were built on small hills, and Joshua did not set fire to any of these towns, except Hazor. The Israelites kept the animals and everything of value from these towns, but they killed everyone who lived in them, including their kings. That's what the LORD had told his servant Moses to do, that's what Moses had told Joshua to do, and that's exactly what Joshua did.


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Joshua and his army took control of the northern and southern hill country, the foothills to the west, the Southern Desert, the whole region of Goshen, and the Jordan River valley.


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They took control of the land from Mount Halak near the country of Edom in the south to Baal-Gad in Lebanon Valley at the foot of Mount Hermon in the north. Joshua and his army were at war with the kings in this region for a long time, but finally they captured and put to death the last king.


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The LORD had told Moses that he wanted the towns in this region destroyed and their people killed without mercy. That's why the LORD made the people in the towns stubborn and determined to fight Israel. The only town that signed a peace treaty with Israel was the Hivite town of Gibeon. The Israelite army captured the rest of the towns in battle.


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During this same time, Joshua and his army killed the Anakim from the northern and southern hill country. They also destroyed the towns where the Anakim had lived, including Hebron, Debir, and Anab.


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There were not any Anakim left in the regions where the Israelites lived, although there were still some in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod.


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That's how Joshua captured the land, just as the LORD had commanded Moses, and Joshua divided it up among the tribes. Finally, there was peace in the land.


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Before Moses died, he and the people of Israel had defeated two kings east of the Jordan River. These kings had ruled the region from the Arnon River gorge in the south to Mount Hermon in the north, including the eastern side of the Jordan River valley.


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The first king that Moses and the Israelites defeated was an Amorite, King Sihon of Heshbon. The southern border of his kingdom ran down the middle of the Arnon River gorge, taking in the town of Aroer on the northern edge of the gorge. The Jabbok River separated Sihon's kingdom from the Ammonites on the east. Then the Jabbok turned west and became his northern border, so his kingdom included the southern half of the region of Gilead.


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Sihon also controlled the eastern side of the Jordan River valley from Lake Galilee south to Beth-Jeshimoth and the Dead Sea. In addition to these regions, he ruled the town called Slopes of Mount Pisgah and the land south of there at the foot of the hill.


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Next, Moses and the Israelites defeated King Og of Bashan, who lived in the town of Ashtaroth part of each year and in Edrei the rest of the year. Og was one of the last of the Rephaim.


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His kingdom stretched north to Mount Hermon, east to the town of Salecah, and included the land of Bashan as far west as the borders of the kingdoms of Geshur and Maacah. He also ruled the northern half of Gilead.


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Moses, the LORD's servant, had led the people of Israel in defeating Sihon and Og. Then Moses gave their land to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh.


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Later, Joshua and the Israelites defeated many kings west of the Jordan River, from Baal-Gad in Lebanon Valley in the north to Mount Halak near the country of Edom in the south. This region included the hill country and the foothills, the Jordan River valley and its western slopes, and the Southern Desert. Joshua and the Israelites took this land from the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Joshua divided up the land among the tribes of Israel. The Israelites defeated the kings of the following towns west of the Jordan River:


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Jericho, Ai near Bethel, Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, Eglon, Gezer, Debir, Geder, Hormah, Arad, Libnah, Adullam, Makkedah, Bethel, Tappuah, Hepher, Aphek, Lasharon, Madon, Hazor, Shimron-Meron, Achshaph, Taanach, Megiddo, Kedesh, Jokneam on Mount Carmel, Dor in Naphath-Dor, Goiim in Galilee, and Tirzah. There were 31 of these kings in all.


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Many years later, the LORD told Joshua: Now you are very old, but there is still a lot of land that Israel has not yet taken.


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First, there is the Canaanite territory that starts at the Shihor River just east of Egypt and goes north to Ekron. The southern part of this region belongs to the Avvites and the Geshurites, and the land around Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron belongs to the five Philistine rulers. The other Canaanite territory is in the north. Its northern border starts at the town of Arah, which belongs to the Sidonians. From there, it goes to Aphek, then along the Amorite border to Hamath Pass. The eastern border starts at Hamath Pass and goes south to Baal-Gad at the foot of Mount Hermon, and its southern boundary runs west from there to Misrephoth-Maim. This northern region includes the Lebanon Mountains and the land that belongs to the Gebalites and the Sidonians who live in the hill country from the Lebanon Mountains to Misrephoth-Maim. With my help, Israel will capture these Canaanite territories and force out the people who live there. But you must divide up the land from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea among the nine tribes and the half of Manasseh that don't have any land yet. Then each tribe will have its own land.


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Moses had already given land east of the Jordan River to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh.


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This region stretched north from the town in the middle of the Arnon River valley, and included the town of Aroer on the northern edge of the valley. It covered the flatlands of Medeba north of Dibon,


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and took in the towns that had belonged to Sihon, the Amorite king of Heshbon. Some of these towns were as far east as the Ammonite border.


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Geshur and Maacah were part of this region, and so was the whole territory that King Og had ruled, that is, Gilead, Mount Hermon, and all of Bashan as far east as Salecah. Og had lived in Ashtaroth part of each year, and he had lived in Edrei the rest of the year. Og had been one of the last of the Rephaim, but Moses had defeated Sihon and Og and their people and had forced them to leave their land.


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However, the Israelites did not force the people of Geshur and Maacah to leave, and they still live there among the Israelites.


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Moses did not give any land to the Levi tribe, because the LORD God of Israel had told them, “Instead of land, you will receive the sacrifices offered at my altar.”


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Their land started in the south at the town in the middle of the Arnon River valley, took in the town of Aroer on the northern edge of the valley, and went as far north as the flatlands around Medeba.


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The Amorite King Sihon had lived in Heshbon and had ruled the towns in the flatlands. Now Heshbon belonged to Reuben, and so did the following towns in the flatlands: Dibon, Bamoth-Baal, Beth-Baal-Meon, Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth-Shahar on the hill in the valley, Beth-Peor, Slopes of Mount Pisgah, and Beth-Jeshimoth. Moses defeated Sihon and killed him and the Midianite chiefs who ruled parts of his kingdom for him. Their names were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba.


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This region with its towns and villages was the land for the Reuben tribe, and the Jordan River was its western border.


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It included the town of Jazer, and in the Gilead region their territory took in the land and towns as far east as the town of Aroer just west of Rabbah. This was about half of the land that had once belonged to the Ammonites.


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The land given to Gad stretched from Heshbon in the south to Ramath-Mizpeh and Betonim in the north, and even further north to Mahanaim and Lidebor.


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Gad also received the eastern half of the Jordan River valley, which had been ruled by King Sihon of Heshbon. This territory stretched as far north as Lake Galilee, and included the towns of Beth-Haram, Beth-Nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon.


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Their land started at Mahanaim and took in the region that King Og of Bashan had ruled, including Ashtaroth and Edrei, the two towns where he had lived. The villages where the Jair clan settled were part of Manasseh's land, and so was the northern half of the region of Gilead. The clans of this half of Manasseh had 60 towns in all. The Manasseh tribe is sometimes called the Machir tribe, after Manasseh's son Machir.


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That was how Moses divided up the Moab Plains to the east of Jericho on the other side of the Jordan River, so these two and a half tribes would have land of their own.


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But Moses did not give any land to the Levi tribe, because the LORD had promised that he would always provide for them.


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Nine and a half tribes still did not have any land, although two and a half tribes had already received land east of the Jordan River. Moses had divided that land among them, and he had also said that the Levi tribe would not receive a large region like the other tribes. Instead, the people of Levi would receive towns and the nearby pastures for their sheep, goats, and cattle. And since the descendants of Joseph had become the two tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, there were still nine and a half tribes that needed land. The LORD had told Moses that he would show those tribes how to divide up the land of Canaan. When the priest Eleazar, Joshua, and the leaders of the families and tribes of Israel met to divide up the land of Canaan, the LORD showed them how to do it.


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One day while the Israelites were still camped at Gilgal, Caleb the son of Jephunneh went to talk with Joshua. Caleb belonged to the Kenaz clan, and many other people from the Judah tribe went with Caleb. He told Joshua: You know that back in Kadesh-Barnea the LORD talked to his prophet Moses about you and me.


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I was 40 years old at the time Moses sent me from Kadesh-Barnea into Canaan as a spy. When I came back and told him about the land, everything I said was true.


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The same day I came back, Moses told me, “Since you were faithful to the LORD God, I promise that the places where you went as a spy will belong to you and your descendants forever.”


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Joshua, it was 45 years ago that the LORD told Moses to make that promise, and now I am 85. Even though Israel has moved from place to place in the desert, the LORD has kept me alive all this time as he said he would.


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So I'm asking you for the hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You were there. You heard the other spies talk about that part of the hill country and the large, walled towns where the Anakim live. But maybe the LORD will help me take their land, just as he promised.


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Hebron used to be called Arba's Town, because Arba had been one of the greatest of the Anakim. There was peace in the land.


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The clans of the Judah tribe were given land that went south along the border of Edom, and at its farthest point south it even reached the Zin Desert.


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As it went west from there, it ran south of Scorpion Pass to Zin, and then came up from the south to Kadesh-Barnea. It continued past Hezron up to Addar, turned toward Karka,


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and ran along to Azmon. After that, it followed the Egyptian Gorge and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. This was also Israel's southern border.


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Judah's eastern border ran the full length of the Dead Sea. The northern border started at the northern end of the Dead Sea.


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From there it went west up to Beth-Hoglah, continued north of Beth-Arabah, and went up to the Monument of Bohan, who belonged to the Reuben tribe.


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From there, it went to Trouble Valley and Debir, then turned north and went to Gilgal, which is on the north side of the valley across from Adummim Pass. It continued on to Enshemesh, Enrogel,


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and up through Hinnom Valley on the land sloping south from Jerusalem. The city of Jerusalem itself belonged to the Jebusites. Next, the border went up to the top of the mountain on the west side of Hinnom Valley and at the north end of Rephaim Valley.


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At the top of the mountain it turned and went to Nephtoah Spring and then to the ruins on Mount Ephron. From there, it went to Baalah, which is now called Kiriath-Jearim.


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From Baalah the northern border curved west to Mount Seir and then ran along the northern ridge of Mount Jearim, where Chesalon is located. Then it went down to Beth-Shemesh and over to Timnah.


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It continued along to the hillside north of Ekron, curved around to Shikkeron, and then went to Mount Baalah. After going to Jabneel, the border finally ended at the Mediterranean Sea,


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Joshua gave Caleb some land among the people of Judah, as God had told him to do. Caleb's share was Hebron, which at that time was known as Arba's Town, because Arba was the famous ancestor of the Anakim.


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Right after the wedding, Achsah started telling Othniel that he ought to ask her father for a field. She went to see her father, and while she was getting down from her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What's bothering you?”


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She answered, “I need your help. The land you gave me is in the Southern Desert, so I really need some spring-fed ponds for a water supply.” Caleb gave her a couple of small ponds, named Higher Pond and Lower Pond.


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The first region was located in the Southern Desert along the border with Edom, and it had the following 29 towns with their surrounding villages: Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, Kinah, Dimonah, Aradah, Kedesh, Hazor of Ithnan, Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, Hazor-Hadattah, Kerioth-Hezron, which is also called Hazor, Amam, Shema, Moladah, Hazar-Gaddah, Heshmon, Beth-Pelet, Hazar-Shual, Beersheba and its surrounding villages, Baalah, Iim, Ezem, Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah, Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, Lebaoth, Shilhim, and Enrimmon.


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The second region was located in the northern part of the lower foothills, and it had the following 14 towns with their surrounding villages: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, Zanoah, En-Gannim, Tappuah, Enam, Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, Shaaraim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim.


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The third region was located in the southern part of the lower foothills, and it had the following 16 towns with their surrounding villages: Zenan, Hadashah, Migdalgad, Dilan, Mizpeh, Joktheel, Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, Cabbon, Lahmas, Chitlish, Gederoth, Beth-Dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah.


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The fourth region was located in the central part of the lower foothills, and it had the following nine towns with their surrounding villages: Libnah, Ether, Ashan, Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah.


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The fifth region was located along the Mediterranean seacoast, and it had the following towns with their surrounding settlements and villages: Ekron and the towns between there and the coast, Ashdod and the larger towns nearby, Gaza, the towns from Gaza to the Egyptian Gorge, and the towns along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.


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The sixth region was in the southwestern part of the hill country, and it had the following eleven towns with their surrounding villages: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, Dannah, Kiriath-Sannah, which is now called Debir, Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, Goshen, Holon, and Giloh.


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The seventh region was located in the south-central part of Judah's hill country, and it had the following nine towns with their surrounding villages: Arab, Dumah, Eshan, Janim, Beth-Tappuah, Aphekah, Humtah, Kiriath-Arba, which is now called Hebron, and Zior.


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The eighth region was located in the southeastern part of the hill country, and it had the following ten towns with their surrounding villages: Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah.


book: Josh
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The ninth region was located in the central part of Judah's hill country, and it had the following six towns with their surrounding villages: Halhul, Beth-Zur, Gedor, Maarath, Beth-Anoth, and Eltekon. The tenth region was located in the north-central part of Judah's hill country, and it had the following eleven towns with their surrounding villages: Tekoa, Ephrath, which is also called Bethlehem, Peor, Etam, Culon, Tatam, Shoresh, Kerem, Gallim, Bether, and Manahath.


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The eleventh region was located in the northern part of Judah's hill country, and it had the following two towns with their surrounding villages: Rabbah, and Kiriath-Baal, which is also called Kiriath-Jearim.


book: Josh
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The twelfth region was located in the desert along the Dead Sea, and it had the following six towns with their surrounding villages: Beth-Arabah, Middin, Secacah, Nibshan, Salt Town, and En-Gedi.


book: Josh
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The Jebusites lived in Jerusalem, and the people of the Judah tribe could not capture the city and get rid of them. That's why Jebusites still live in Jerusalem along with the people of Judah.


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Ephraim and Manasseh are the two tribes descended from Joseph, and the following is a description of the land they received. The southern border of their land started at the Jordan River east of the spring at Jericho. From there it went west through the desert up to the hill country around Bethel. From Bethel it went to Luz and then to the border of the Archites in Ataroth. It continued west down to the land that belonged to the Japhlet clan, then went on to Lower Beth-Horon, Gezer, and the Mediterranean Sea.


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The following is a description of the land that was divided among the clans of the Ephraim tribe. Their southern border started at Ataroth-Addar and went west to Upper Beth-Horon


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and the Mediterranean Sea. Their northern border started on the east at Janoah, curved a little to the north, then came back south to Michmethath and Tappuah, where it followed the Kanah Gorge west to the Mediterranean Sea. The eastern border started on the north near Janoah and went between Janoah on the southwest and Taanath-Shiloh on the northeast. Then it went south to Ataroth, Naarah, and on as far as the edge of the land that belonged to Jericho. At that point it turned east and went to the Jordan River. The clans of Ephraim received this region as their tribal land.


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Ephraim could not force the Canaanites out of Gezer, so there are still some Canaanites who live there among the Israelites. But now these Canaanites have to work as slaves for the Israelites.


book: Josh
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Manasseh was Joseph's oldest son, and Machir was Manasseh's oldest son. Machir had a son named Gilead, and some of his descendants had already received the regions of Gilead and Bashan because they were good warriors. The other clans of the Manasseh tribe descended from Gilead's sons Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. The following is a description of the land they received. Hepher's son Zelophehad did not have any sons, but he did have five daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. One day the clans that were descendants of Zelophehad's five daughters went to the priest Eleazar, Joshua, and the leaders of Israel. The people of these clans said, “The LORD told Moses to give us land just as he gave land to our relatives.” Joshua followed the LORD's instructions and gave land to these five clans, as he had given land to the five clans that had descended from Hepher's brothers. So Manasseh's land west of the Jordan River was divided into ten parts.


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The land of the Manasseh tribe went from its northern border with the Asher tribe south to Michmethath, which is to the east of Shechem. The southern border started there, but curved even farther south to include the people who lived around Tappuah Spring.


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The town of Tappuah was on Manasseh's border with Ephraim. Although the land around Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, the town itself belonged to Ephraim.


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Then the border went west to the Kanah Gorge and ran along the northern edge of the gorge to the Mediterranean Sea. The land south of the gorge belonged to Ephraim. And even though there were a few towns that belonged to Ephraim north of the gorge, the land north of the gorge belonged to Manasseh. The western border of Manasseh was the Mediterranean Sea, and the tribe shared a border with the Asher tribe on the northwest and with the Issachar tribe on the northeast.


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Manasseh was supposed to have the following towns with their surrounding villages inside the borders of Issachar's and Asher's tribal lands: Beth-Shan, Ibleam, Endor, Taanach, Megiddo, and Dor, which is also called Naphath.


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When the Israelites grew stronger, they made the Canaanites in these towns work as their slaves, though they never did force them to leave.


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One day the Joseph tribes came to Joshua and asked, “Why didn't you give us more land? The LORD has always been kind to us, and we have too many people for this small region.”


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Joshua replied, “If there's not enough room for you in the hill country of Ephraim, then go into the forest that belonged to the Perizzites and the Rephaim. Clear out the trees and make more room for yourselves there.”


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“Even if we do that,” they answered, “there still won't be enough land for us in the hill country. And we can't move down into Jezreel Valley, because the Canaanites who live in Beth-Shan and in other parts of the valley have iron chariots.”


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“Your tribes do have a lot of people,” Joshua admitted. “I'll give you more land. Your tribes are powerful,


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so you can have the rest of the hill country, but it's a forest, and you'll have to cut down the trees and clear the land. You can also have Jezreel Valley. Even though the Canaanites there are strong and have iron chariots, you can force them to leave the valley.”


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so Joshua told the people: The Judah tribe has already settled in its land in the south, and the Joseph tribes have settled in their land in the north. The tribes of Gad, Reuben, and East Manasseh already have the land that the LORD's servant Moses gave them east of the Jordan River. And the people of Levi won't receive land like the other tribes. Instead, they will serve the LORD as priests. But the rest of you haven't done a thing to take over any land. The LORD God who was worshiped by your ancestors has given you the land, and now it's time to go ahead and settle there. Seven tribes still don't have any land. Each of these tribes should choose three men, and I'll send them to explore the remaining land. They will divide it into seven regions, write a description of each region, and bring these descriptions back to me. I will find out from the LORD our God what region each tribe should get.


book: Josh
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Just before the men left camp, Joshua repeated their orders: “Explore the land and write a description of it. Then come back to Shiloh, and I will find out from the LORD how to divide the land.”


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The men left and went across the land, dividing it into seven regions. They wrote down a description of each region, town by town, and returned to Joshua at the camp at Shiloh.


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Joshua found out from the LORD how to divide the land, and he told the tribes what the LORD had decided.


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Benjamin was the first tribe chosen to receive land. The region for its clans lay between the Judah tribe on the south and the Joseph tribes on the north.


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Benjamin's northern border started at the Jordan River and went up the ridge north of Jericho, then on west into the hill country as far as the Beth-Aven Desert.


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From there it went to Luz, which is now called Bethel. The border ran along the ridge south of Luz, then went to Ataroth-Orech and on as far as the mountain south of Lower Beth-Horon. At that point it turned south and became the western border. It went as far south as Kiriath-Baal, a town in Judah now called Kiriath-Jearim.


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Benjamin's southern border started at the edge of Kiriath-Jearim and went east to the ruins and on to Nephtoah Spring.


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From there it went to the bottom of the hill at the northern end of Rephaim Valley. The other side of this hill faces Hinnom Valley, which is on the land that slopes south from Jerusalem. The border went down through Hinnom Valley until it reached Enrogel.


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At Enrogel the border curved north and went to Enshemesh and on east to Geliloth, which is across the valley from Adummim Pass. Then it went down to the Monument of Bohan, who belonged to the Reuben tribe.


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Inside the valley it went south as far as the northern hillside of Beth-Hoglah. The last section of the border went from there to the northern end of the Dead Sea, at the mouth of the Jordan River.


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The Jordan River itself was Benjamin's eastern border. These were the borders of Benjamin's tribal land, where the clans of Benjamin lived.


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One region of Benjamin's tribal land had twelve towns with their surrounding villages. Those towns were Jericho, Beth-Hoglah, Emek-Keziz, Beth-Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, Avvim, Parah, Ophrah, Chephar-Ammoni, Ophni, and Geba.


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In the other region there were the following 14 towns with their surrounding villages: Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah, Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, Zelah, Haeleph, Gibeah, Kiriath-Jearim, and Jerusalem, which is also called Jebusite Town. These regions are the tribal lands of Benjamin.


book: Josh
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Simeon was the second tribe chosen to receive land, and the region for its clans was inside Judah's borders.


book: Josh
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In one region of Simeon's tribal land there were the following 13 towns with their surrounding villages: Beersheba, Shema, Moladah, Hazar-Shual, Balah, Ezem, Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, Ziklag, Beth-Marcaboth, Hazar-Susah, Beth-Lebaoth, and Sharuhen.


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In another region, Simeon had the following four towns with their surrounding villages: Enrimmon, Tachan, Ether, and Ashan.


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Simeon's land also included all the other towns and villages as far south as Baalath-Beer, which is also called Ramah of the South.


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Simeon's tribal land was actually inside Judah's territory. Judah had received too much land for the number of people in its tribe, so part of Judah's land was given to Simeon.


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Zebulun was the third tribe chosen to receive land. The southern border for its clans started in the west at the edge of the gorge near Jokneam. It went east to the edge of the land that belongs to the town of Dabbesheth, and continued on to Maralah and Sarid. It took in the land that belongs to Chislothtabor, then ended at Daberath. The eastern border went up to Japhia


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and became the northern border. Then it curved south around Hannathon and went as far west as Iphtahel Valley.


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Zebulun had twelve towns with their surrounding villages. Some of these were Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Jiralah, and Bethlehem.


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Issachar was the fourth tribe chosen to receive land. The northern border for its clans went from Mount Tabor east to the Jordan River. Their land included the following 16 towns with their surrounding villages: Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem, Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, Debirath, Kishion, Ebez, Remeth, En-Gannim, Enhaddah, Beth-Pazzez, Tabor, Shahazumah and Beth-Shemesh.


book: Josh
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Asher was the fifth tribe chosen to receive land, and the region for its clans included the following towns: Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph, Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal. Asher's southern border ran from the Mediterranean Sea southeast along the Shihor-Libnath River at the foot of Mount Carmel,


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then east to Beth-Dagon. On the southeast, Asher shared a border with Zebulun along the Iphtahel Valley. On the eastern side their border ran north to Beth-Emek, went east of Cabul, and then on to Neiel,


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Then it turned west to become the northern border and went to Ramah and the fortress-city of Tyre. Near Tyre it turned toward Hosah and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. Asher had a total of 22 towns with their surrounding villages, including Mahalab, Achzib, Acco, Aphek, and Rehob.


book: Josh
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Naphtali was the sixth tribe chosen to receive land. The southern border for its clans started in the west, where the tribal lands of Asher and Zebulun meet near Hukkok. From that point it ran east and southeast along the border with Zebulun as far as Aznoth-Tabor. From there the border went east to Heleph, Adami-Nekeb, Jabneel, then to the town called Oak in Zaanannim, and Lakkum. The southern border ended at the Jordan River, at the edge of the town named Jehudah. Naphtali shared a border with Asher on the west.


book: Josh
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The Naphtali clans received this region as their tribal land, and it included 19 towns with their surrounding villages. The following towns had walls around them: Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth, Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, Kedesh, Edrei, Enhazor, Iron, Migdalel, Horem, Beth-Anath, and Beth-Shemesh.


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Dan was the seventh tribe chosen to receive land, and the region for its clans included the following towns: Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir-Shemesh, Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah, Elon, Timnah, Ekron, Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, Jehud, Azor, Beneberak, Gath-Rimmon, Mejarkon, and Rakkon. Dan's tribal land went almost as far as Joppa.


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contenido:
Its clans received this land and these towns with their surrounding villages. Later, when enemies forced them to leave their tribal land, they went to the town of Leshem. They attacked the town, captured it, and killed the people who lived there. Then they settled there themselves and renamed the town Dan after their ancestor.


book: Josh
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The Israelites were still gathered in Shiloh in front of the sacred tent, when Eleazar the priest, Joshua, and the family leaders of Israel finished giving out the land to the tribes. The LORD had told the people to give Joshua whatever town he wanted. So Joshua chose Timnath-Serah in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people gave it to him. Joshua went to Timnath-Serah, rebuilt it, and lived there.


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When Moses was still alive, I commanded him to tell the Israelites about the Safe Towns. Now you tell them that it is time to set up these towns.


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If a person accidentally kills someone and the victim's relatives say it was murder, they might try to take revenge. Anyone accused of murder can run to one of the Safe Towns and be safe from the victim's relatives. The one needing protection will stand at the entrance to the town gate and explain to the town leaders what happened. Then the leaders will bring that person in and provide a place to live in their town.


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One of the victim's relatives might come to the town, looking for revenge. But the town leaders must not simply hand over the person accused of murder. After all, the accused and the victim had been neighbors, not enemies.


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The citizens of that Safe Town must come together and hold a trial. They may decide that the victim was killed accidentally and that the accused is not guilty of murder. Everyone found not guilty must still live in the Safe Town until the high priest dies. Then they can go back to their own towns and their homes that they had to leave behind.


book: Josh
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The Israelites decided that the following three towns west of the Jordan River would be Safe Towns: Kedesh in Galilee in Naphtali's hill country, Shechem in Ephraim's hill country, and Kiriath-Arba in Judah's hill country. Kiriath-Arba is now called Hebron.


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The Israelites had already decided on the following three towns east of the Jordan River: Bezer in the desert flatlands of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead, which was a town that belonged to Gad, and Golan in Bashan, which belonged to Manasseh.


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These Safe Towns were set up, so that if Israelites or even foreigners who lived in Israel accidentally killed someone, they could run to one of these towns. There they would be safe until a trial could be held, even if one of the victim's relatives came looking for revenge.


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While the Israelites were still camped at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, the family leaders of the Levi tribe went to speak to the priest Eleazar, Joshua, and the family leaders of the other Israelite tribes. The leaders of Levi said, “The LORD told Moses that you have to give us towns and provide pastures for our animals.”


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Since the LORD had said this, the leaders of the other Israelite tribes agreed to give some of the towns and pastures from their tribal lands to Levi.


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The leaders asked the LORD to show them in what order the clans of Levi would be given towns, and which towns each clan would receive. The Kohath clans were first. The descendants of Aaron, Israel's first priest, were given 13 towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.


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The other members of the Kohath clans received 10 towns from the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and West Manasseh.


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The clans that were descendants of Gershon were given 13 towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and East Manasseh.


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The clans that were descendants of Merari received 12 towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.


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The LORD had told Moses that he would show the Israelites which towns and pastures to give to the clans of Levi, and he did.


book: Josh
contenido:
The descendants of Aaron from the Kohath clans of Levi were priests, and they were chosen to receive towns first. They were given 13 towns and the pastureland around them. Nine of these towns were from the tribes of Judah and Simeon and four from Benjamin. Hebron, Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, Holon, Debir, Ashan, Juttah, and Beth-Shemesh were from Judah and Simeon. Hebron, located in the hill country of Judah, was earlier called Arba's Town. It had been named after Arba, the ancestor of the Anakim. Hebron's pasturelands went along with the town, but its farmlands and the villages around it had been given to Caleb. Hebron was also one of the Safe Towns for people who had accidentally killed someone. Gibeon, Geba, Anathoth, and Almon were from Benjamin.


book: Josh
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The rest of the Kohath clans of the Levi tribe received ten towns and the pastureland around them. Four of these towns were from the tribe of Ephraim, four from Dan, and two from West Manasseh. Shechem, Gezer, Kibzaim, and Beth-Horon were from Ephraim. Shechem was located in the hill country, and it was also one of the Safe Towns for people who had accidentally killed someone. Elteke, Gibbethon, Aijalon, and Gath-Rimmon were from Dan. Taanach and Jibleam were from West Manasseh.


book: Josh
contenido:
The clans of Levi that were descendants of Gershon received 13 towns and the pastureland around them. Two of these towns were from the tribe of East Manasseh, four from Issachar, four from Asher, and three from Naphtali. Golan in Bashan and Beeshterah were from East Manasseh. Kishion, Daberath, Jarmuth, and En-Gannim were from Issachar. Mishal, Abdon, Helkath, and Rehob were from Asher. Kedesh in Galilee, Hammothdor, and Kartan were from Naphtali. Golan in Bashan and Kedesh in Galilee were also Safe Towns for people who had accidentally killed someone.


book: Josh
contenido:
The rest of the Levi clans were descendants of Merari, and they received twelve towns with the pastureland around them. Four towns were from the tribe of Zebulun, four from Reuben, and four from Gad. Jokneam, Kartah, Rimmonah, and Nahalal were from Zebulun. Bezer, Jazah, Kedemoth, and Mephaath were from Reuben. Bezer was located in the desert flatlands east of the Jordan River across from Jericho. Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim, Heshbon, and Jazer were from Gad. Bezer and Ramoth in Gilead were Safe Towns for people who had accidentally killed someone.


book: Josh
contenido:
The people of the Levi tribe had a total of 48 towns within Israel, and they had pastures around each one of their towns.


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contenido:
The LORD gave the Israelites the land he had promised their ancestors, and they captured it and settled in it.


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There still were enemies around Israel, but the LORD kept his promise to let his people live in peace. And whenever the Israelites did have to go to war, no enemy could defeat them. The LORD always helped Israel win.


book: Josh
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Joshua held a meeting with the men of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh, and he told them:


book: Josh
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You have obeyed every command of the LORD your God and of his servant Moses. And you have done everything I've told you to do. It's taken a long time, but you have stayed and helped your relatives.


book: Josh
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The LORD promised to give peace to your relatives, and that's what he has done. Now it's time for you to go back to your own homes in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan River.


book: Josh
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Moses taught you to love the LORD your God, to be faithful to him, and to worship and obey him with your whole heart and with all your strength. So be very careful to do everything Moses commanded.


book: Josh
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You've become rich from what you've taken from your enemies. You have big herds of cattle, lots of silver, gold, bronze, and iron, and plenty of clothes. Take everything home with you and share with the people of your tribe. I pray that God will be kind to you. You are now free to go home. The tribes of Reuben and Gad started back to Gilead, their own land. Moses had given the land of Bashan to the East Manasseh tribe, so they started back along with Reuben and Gad. God had told Moses that these two and a half tribes should conquer Gilead and Bashan, and they had done so. Joshua had given land west of the Jordan River to the other half of the Manasseh tribe, so they stayed at Shiloh in the land of Canaan with the rest of the Israelites.


book: Josh
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The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh reached the western side of the Jordan River valley and built a huge altar there beside the river. When the rest of the Israelites heard what these tribes had done,


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Phinehas and these leaders went to Gilead and met with the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh. They said:


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All of the LORD's people have gathered together and have sent us to find out why you are unfaithful to our God. You have turned your backs on the LORD by building that altar. Why are you rebelling against him?


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Wasn't our people's sin at Peor terrible enough for you? The LORD punished us by sending a horrible sickness that killed many of us, and we still suffer because of that sin.


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Now you are turning your backs on the LORD again. If you don't stop rebelling against the LORD at once, he will be angry with the whole nation.


book: Josh
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If you don't think your land is a fit place to serve God, then move across the Jordan and live with us in the LORD's own land, where his sacred tent is located. But don't rebel against the LORD our God or against us by building another altar besides the LORD's own altar.


book: Josh
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Don't you remember what happened when Achan was unfaithful and took some of the things that belonged to God? This made God angry with the entire nation. Achan died because he sinned, but he also caused the death of many others.


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The LORD is the greatest God! We ask him to be our witness, because he knows whether or not we were rebellious or unfaithful when we built that altar. If we were unfaithful, then we pray that God won't rescue us today. Let us tell you why we built that altar,


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contenido:
and we ask the LORD to punish us if we are lying. We didn't build it so we could turn our backs on the LORD. We didn't even build it so we could offer animal or grain sacrifices to please the LORD or ask his blessing.


book: Josh
contenido:
We built that altar because we were worried. Someday your descendants might tell our descendants, “The LORD made the Jordan River the boundary between us Israelites and you people of Reuben and Gad. The LORD is Israel's God, but you're not part of Israel, so you can't take part in worshiping the LORD.” Your descendants might say that and try to make our descendants stop worshiping and obeying the LORD.


book: Josh
contenido:
That's why we decided to build the altar. It isn't for offering sacrifices, not even sacrifices to please the LORD.


book: Josh
contenido:
To build another altar for offering sacrifices would be the same as turning our backs on the LORD and rebelling against him. We could never do that! No, we built the altar to remind us and you and the generations to come that we will worship the LORD. And so we will keep bringing our sacrifices to the LORD's altar, there in front of his sacred tent. Now your descendants will never be able to say to our descendants, “You can't worship the LORD.” But if they do say this, our descendants can answer back, “Look at this altar our ancestors built! It's like the LORD's altar, but it isn't for offering sacrifices. It's here to remind us and you that we belong to the LORD, just as much as you do.”


book: Josh
contenido:
Phinehas and the clan leaders were pleased when they heard the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh explain why they had built the altar. Then Phinehas told them, “Today we know that the LORD is helping us. You have not been unfaithful to him, and this means that the LORD will not be angry with us.”


book: Josh
contenido:
Phinehas and the clan leaders left Gilead and went back to Canaan to tell the Israelites about their meeting with the Reuben and Gad tribes.


book: Josh
contenido:
The Israelites were happy and praised God. There was no more talk about going to war and wiping out the tribes of Reuben and Gad.


book: Josh
contenido:
The LORD let Israel live in peace with its neighbors for a long time, and Joshua lived to a ripe old age.


book: Josh
contenido:
One day he called a meeting of the leaders of the tribes of Israel, including the old men, the judges, and the officials. Then he told them: I am now very old.


book: Josh
contenido:
You have seen how the LORD your God fought for you and helped you defeat the nations who lived in this land.


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contenido:
There are still some nations left, but the LORD has promised you their land. So when you attack them, he will make them run away. I have already divided their land among your tribes, as I did with the land of the nations I defeated between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.


book: Josh
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Be sure that you carefully obey everything written in The Book of the Law of Moses and do exactly what it says.


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contenido:
Don't have anything to do with the nations that live around you. Don't worship their gods or pray to their idols or make promises in the names of their gods.


book: Josh
contenido:
When you attacked powerful nations, the LORD made them run away, and no one has ever been able to stand up to you.


book: Josh
contenido:
Any one of you can defeat a thousand enemy soldiers, because the LORD God fights for you, just as he promised.


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contenido:
Don't ever turn your backs on him by marrying people from the nations that are left in the land. Don't even make friends with them. I tell you that if you are friendly with those nations, the LORD won't chase them away when you attack. Instead, they'll be like a trap for your feet, a whip on your back, and thorns in your eyes. And finally, none of you will be left in this good land that the LORD has given you.


book: Josh
contenido:
I will soon die, as everyone must. But deep in your hearts you know that the LORD has kept every promise he ever made to you. Not one of them has been broken.


book: Josh
contenido:
Yes, when the LORD makes a promise, he does what he has promised. But when he makes a threat, he will also do what he has threatened. The LORD is our God. He gave us this wonderful land and made an agreement with us that we would worship only him. But if you worship other gods, it will make the LORD furious. He will start getting rid of you, and soon not one of you will be left in this good land that he has given you.


book: Josh
contenido:
Joshua called the tribes of Israel together for a meeting at Shechem. He asked the leaders, including the old men, the judges, and the officials, to come up and stand near the sacred tent.


book: Josh
contenido:
Then Joshua told everyone to listen to this message from the LORD, the God of Israel: Long ago your ancestors lived on the other side of the Euphrates River, and they worshiped other gods. This continued until the time of your ancestor Terah and his two sons, Abraham and Nahor.


book: Josh
contenido:
But I brought Abraham across the Euphrates River and led him through the land of Canaan. I blessed him by giving him Isaac, the first in a line of many descendants.


book: Josh
contenido:
Then I gave Isaac two sons, Jacob and Esau. I gave Esau the hill country of Mount Seir, but your ancestor Jacob and his children went to live in Egypt.


book: Josh
contenido:
Later I sent Moses and his brother Aaron to help your people, and I made all those horrible things happen to the Egyptians. I brought your ancestors out of Egypt, but the Egyptians got in their chariots and on their horses and chased your ancestors, catching up with them at the Red Sea.


book: Josh
contenido:
Your people cried to me for help, so I put a dark cloud between them and the Egyptians. Then I opened up the sea and let your people walk across on dry ground. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, I commanded the sea to swallow them, and they drowned while you watched. You lived in the desert for a long time,


book: Josh
contenido:
then I brought you into the land east of the Jordan River. The Amorites were living there, and they fought you. But with my help, you defeated them, wiped them out, and took their land.


book: Josh
contenido:
King Balak decided that his nation Moab would go to war against you, so he asked Balaam to come and put a curse on you.


book: Josh
contenido:
You crossed the Jordan River and came to Jericho. The rulers of Jericho fought you, and so did the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. I helped you defeat them all.


book: Josh
contenido:
Your enemies ran from you, but not because you had swords and bows and arrows. I made your enemies panic and run away, as I had done with the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River.


book: Josh
contenido:
You didn't have to work for this land—I gave it to you. Now you live in towns you didn't build, and you eat grapes and olives from vineyards and trees you didn't plant.


book: Josh
contenido:
Then Joshua told the people: Worship the LORD, obey him, and always be faithful. Get rid of the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived on the other side of the Euphrates River and in Egypt.


book: Josh
contenido:
But if you don't want to worship the LORD, then choose here and now! Will you worship the same idols your ancestors did? Or since you're living on land that once belonged to the Amorites, maybe you'll worship their gods. I won't. My family and I are going to worship and obey the LORD!


book: Josh
contenido:
The LORD is our God. We were slaves in Egypt as our ancestors had been, but we saw the LORD work miracles to set our people free and to bring us out of Egypt. Even though other nations were all around us, the LORD protected us wherever we went.


book: Josh
contenido:
And when we fought the Amorites and the other nations that lived in this land, the LORD made them run away. Yes, we will worship and obey the LORD, because the LORD is our God.


book: Josh
contenido:
Joshua said: The LORD is fearsome; he is the one true God, and I don't think you are able to worship and obey him in the ways he demands. You would have to be completely faithful, and if you sin or rebel, he won't let you get away with it.


book: Josh
contenido:
If you turn your backs on the LORD and worship the gods of other nations, the LORD will turn against you. He will make terrible things happen to you and wipe you out, even though he had been good to you before.


book: Josh
contenido:
Joshua said, “You have heard yourselves say that you will worship and obey the LORD. Isn't that true?” “Yes, it's true,” they answered.


book: Josh
contenido:
Joshua said, “But you still have some idols, like those the other nations worship. Get rid of your idols! You must decide once and for all that you really want to obey the LORD God of Israel.”


book: Josh
contenido:
Joshua helped Israel make an agreement with the LORD that day at Shechem. Joshua made laws for Israel


book: Josh
contenido:
and wrote them down in The Book of the Law of God. Then he set up a large stone under the oak tree at the place of worship in Shechem


book: Josh
contenido:
and told the people, “Look at this stone. It has heard everything that the LORD has said to us. Our God can call this stone as a witness if we ever reject him.”


book: Josh
contenido:
The Israelites buried him in his own land at Timnath-Serah, north of Mount Gaash in the hill country of Ephraim.


book: Josh
contenido:
As long as Joshua lived, Israel worshiped and obeyed the LORD. There were other leaders old enough to remember everything that the LORD had done for Israel. And for as long as these men lived, Israel continued to worship and obey the LORD.


book: Josh
contenido:
When the people of Israel left Egypt, they brought the bones of Joseph along with them. They took the bones to the town of Shechem and buried them in the field that Jacob had bought for 100 pieces of silver from Hamor, the founder of Shechem. The town and the field both became part of the land belonging to the descendants of Joseph.


book: Josh
contenido:
When Eleazar the priest died, he was buried in the hill country of Ephraim on a hill that belonged to his son Phinehas.


book: Judg
contenido:
After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the LORD, “Which of our tribes should attack the Canaanites first?”


book: Judg
contenido:
The people of Judah went to their relatives, the Simeon tribe, and said, “Canaanites live in the land God gave us. Help us fight them, and we will help you.” Troops from Simeon came to help Judah.


book: Judg
contenido:
Together they attacked an army of 10,000 Canaanites and Perizzites at Bezek, and the LORD helped Judah defeat them. During the battle, Judah's army found out where the king of Bezek was, and they attacked there.


book: Judg
contenido:
and he said, “I've cut off the thumbs and big toes of 70 kings and made those kings crawl around under my table for scraps of food. Now God is paying me back.” The army of Judah took the king of Bezek along with them to Jerusalem, where he died.


book: Judg
contenido:
They attacked Jerusalem, captured it, killed everyone who lived there, and then burned it to the ground.


book: Judg
contenido:
Judah's army fought the Canaanites who lived in the hill country, the Southern Desert, and the foothills to the west.


book: Judg
contenido:
After that, they attacked the Canaanites who lived at Hebron, defeating the three clans called Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai. At that time, Hebron was called Kiriath-Arba.


book: Judg
contenido:
Caleb's nephew Othniel captured Kiriath-Sepher, so Caleb let him marry Achsah. Othniel was the son of Caleb's younger brother Kenaz.


book: Judg
contenido:
Right after the wedding, Achsah started telling Othniel that he ought to ask her father for a field. She went to see her father, and while she was getting down from her donkey, Caleb asked, “What's bothering you?”


book: Judg
contenido:
She answered, “I need your help. The land you gave me is in the Southern Desert, so please give me some spring-fed ponds for a water supply.” Caleb gave her a couple of small ponds named Higher Pond and Lower Pond.


book: Judg
contenido:
The people who belonged to the Kenite clan were the descendants of the father-in-law of Moses. They left Jericho with the people of Judah and settled near Arad in the Southern Desert of Judah not far from the Amalekites.


book: Judg
contenido:
Judah's army helped Simeon's army attack the Canaanites who lived at Zephath. They completely destroyed the town and renamed it Hormah.


book: Judg
contenido:
The LORD helped the army of Judah capture Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron, and the land near those towns. They also took the hill country. But the people who lived in the valleys had iron chariots, so Judah was not able to make them leave or to take their land.


book: Judg
contenido:
The tribe of Judah gave the town of Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had told them to do. Caleb defeated the three Anakim clans and took over the town.


book: Judg
contenido:
The Jebusites were living in Jerusalem, and the Benjamin tribe did not defeat them or capture the town. That's why Jebusites still live in Jerusalem along with the people of Benjamin.


book: Judg
contenido:
The Ephraim and Manasseh tribes were getting ready to attack Bethel, which at that time was called Luz. And the LORD helped them when they sent spies to find out as much as they could about Bethel.


book: Judg
contenido:
While the spies were watching the town, a man came out, and they told him, “If you show us how our army can get into the town, we will make sure that you aren't harmed.”


book: Judg
contenido:
The man showed them, and the two Israelite tribes attacked Bethel, killing everyone except the man and his family. The two tribes made the man and his family leave,


book: Judg
contenido:
so they went to the land of the Hittites, where he built a town. He named the town Luz, and that is still its name.


book: Judg
contenido:
Canaanites lived in the towns of Beth-Shan, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo, and all the villages nearby. The Canaanites were determined to stay, and the Manasseh tribe never did get rid of them. But later on, when the Israelites grew more powerful, they made slaves of the Canaanites.


book: Judg
contenido:
The Ephraim tribe did not get rid of the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites lived there with Israelites all around them.


book: Judg
contenido:
The Zebulun tribe did not get rid of the Canaanites who lived in Kitron and Nahalol, and the Canaanites stayed there with Israelites around them. But the people of Zebulun did force the Canaanites into slave labor.


book: Judg
contenido:
The Asher tribe did not get rid of the Canaanites who lived in Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, and Rehob, and the Asher tribe lived with Canaanites all around them.


book: Judg
contenido:
The Naphtali tribe did not get rid of the Canaanites who lived in Beth-Shemesh and Beth-Anath, but they did force the Canaanites into slave labor. The Naphtali tribe lived with Canaanites around them.


book: Judg
contenido:
The Amorites were strong enough to keep the tribe of Dan from settling in the valleys, so Dan had to stay in the hill country.


book: Judg
contenido:
The Amorites on Mount Heres and in Aijalon and Shaalbim were also determined to stay. Later on, as Ephraim and Manasseh grew more powerful, they forced those Amorites into slave labor.


book: Judg
contenido:
The LORD's angel went from Gilgal to Bochim and gave the Israelites this message from the LORD: I promised your ancestors that I would give this land to their families, and I brought your people here from Egypt. We made an agreement that I promised never to break,


book: Judg
contenido:
and you promised not to make any peace treaties with the other nations that live in the land. Besides that, you agreed to tear down the altars where they sacrifice to their idols. Why haven't you kept your promise?


book: Judg
contenido:
And so, I'll stop helping you defeat your enemies. Instead, they will be there to trap you into worshiping their idols.


book: Judg
contenido:
Joshua had been faithful to the LORD. And after Joshua sent the Israelites to take the land they had been promised, they remained faithful to the LORD until Joshua died at the age of 110. He was buried on his land in Timnath-Heres, in the hill country of Ephraim north of Mount Gaash. Even though Joshua was gone, the Israelites were faithful to the LORD during the lifetime of those men who had been leaders with Joshua and who had seen the wonderful things the LORD had done for Israel.


book: Judg
contenido:
After a while the people of Joshua's generation died, and the next generation did not know the LORD or any of the things he had done for Israel.


book: Judg
contenido:
The LORD had brought their ancestors out of Egypt, and they had worshiped him. But now the Israelites stopped worshiping the LORD and worshiped the idols of Baal and Astarte, as well as the idols of other gods from nearby nations. The LORD was so angry


book: Judg
contenido:
with the Israelites that he let other nations raid Israel and steal their crops and other possessions. Enemies were everywhere, and the LORD always let them defeat Israel in battle. The LORD had warned Israel he would do this, and now the Israelites were miserable.


book: Judg
contenido:
From time to time, the LORD would choose special leaders known as judges. These judges would lead the Israelites into battle and defeat the enemies that made raids on them.


book: Judg
contenido:
In years gone by, the Israelites had been faithful to the LORD, but now they were quick to be unfaithful and to refuse even to listen to these judges. The Israelites disobeyed the LORD, and instead of worshiping him, they worshiped other gods.


book: Judg
contenido:
When enemies made life miserable for the Israelites, the LORD felt sorry for them. He would choose a judge and help that judge rescue Israel from its enemies. The LORD was kind to Israel as long as that judge lived.


book: Judg
contenido:
But afterwards, the Israelites would become even more sinful than their ancestors had been. The Israelites were stubborn—they simply would not stop worshiping other gods or following their teachings.


book: Judg
contenido:
The LORD was angry with Israel and said: The Israelites have broken the agreement I made with their ancestors. They won't obey me,


book: Judg
contenido:
and I'm going to let those enemies stay. I'll use them to test Israel, because then I can find out if Israel will worship and obey me as their ancestors did.


book: Judg
contenido:
And the LORD had another reason for letting these enemies stay. The Israelites needed to learn how to fight in war, just as their ancestors had done. Each new generation would have to learn by fighting


book: Judg
contenido:
the Philistines and their five rulers, as well as the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites that lived in the Lebanon Mountains from Mount Baal-Hermon to Hamath Pass.


book: Judg
contenido:
Moses had told the Israelites what the LORD had commanded them to do, and now the LORD was using these nations to find out if Israel would obey.


book: Judg
contenido:
But they refused. And some of them even married Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites who lived all around them. That's how they started worshiping foreign gods.


book: Judg
contenido:
This made the LORD angry, so he let Israel be defeated by King Cushan Rishathaim of northern Syria, who ruled Israel eight years and made everyone pay taxes.


book: Judg
contenido:
The Israelites begged the LORD for help, and so he chose Othniel to rescue them. Othniel was the son of Caleb's younger brother Kenaz.


book: Judg
contenido:
The Spirit of the LORD took control of Othniel, and he led Israel in a war against Cushan Rishathaim. The LORD let Othniel win,


book: Judg
contenido:
Once more the Israelites started disobeying the LORD. So he let them be defeated by King Eglon of Moab,


book: Judg
contenido:
who had joined forces with the Ammonites and the Amalekites to attack Israel. Eglon and his army captured Jericho.


book: Judg
contenido:
The Israelites begged the LORD for help, and the LORD chose Ehud from the Benjamin tribe to rescue them. They put Ehud in charge of taking the taxes to King Eglon, but before Ehud went, he made a double-edged dagger. Ehud was left-handed, so he strapped the dagger to his right thigh, where it was hidden under his robes.


book: Judg
contenido:
Ehud and some other Israelites took the taxes to Eglon, who was a very fat man. As soon as they gave the taxes to Eglon, Ehud said it was time to go home.


book: Judg
contenido:
Ehud went with the other Israelites as far as the statues at Gilgal. Then he turned back and went upstairs to the room where Eglon had his throne. Ehud said, “Your Majesty, I need to talk with you in private.” Eglon replied, “Don't say anything yet!” His officials left the room, and Eglon stood up as Ehud came closer. “Yes,” Ehud said, “I have a message for you from God!”


book: Judg
contenido:
that even the handle was buried in his fat. Ehud left the dagger there. Then after closing and locking the doors to the room, he climbed through a window onto the porch


book: Judg
contenido:
and left. When the king's officials came back and saw that the doors were locked, they said, “The king is probably inside relieving himself.”


book: Judg
contenido:
They stood there waiting until they felt foolish, but Eglon still didn't open the doors. Finally, they unlocked the doors and found King Eglon lying dead on the floor.


book: Judg
contenido:
in the hill country of Ephraim and started blowing a trumpet as a signal to call the Israelites together. When they came, he shouted, “Follow me! The LORD will help us defeat the Moabites.” The Israelites followed Ehud down to the Jordan valley, and they captured the places where people cross the river on the way to Moab. They would not let anyone go across,


book: Judg
contenido:
Moab was so badly defeated that it was a long time before they were strong enough to attack Israel again. And Israel was at peace for 80 years.


book: Judg
contenido:
Shamgar the son of Anath was the next to rescue Israel. In one battle, he used a sharp wooden pole to kill 600 Philistines.


book: Judg
contenido:
So the LORD let the Canaanite King Jabin of Hazor conquer Israel. Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, lived in Harosheth-Ha-Goiim.


book: Judg
contenido:
Jabin's army had 900 iron chariots, and for 20 years he made life miserable for the Israelites, until finally they begged the LORD for help.


book: Judg
contenido:
She would sit under Deborah's Palm Tree between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, where Israelites would come and ask her to settle their legal cases.


book: Judg
contenido:
One day, Barak the son of Abinoam was in Kedesh in Naphtali, and Deborah sent word for him to come and talk with her. When he arrived, she said: I have a message for you from the LORD God of Israel! You are to get together an army of 10,000 men from the Naphtali and Zebulun tribes and lead them to Mount Tabor.


book: Judg
contenido:
The LORD will trick Sisera into coming out to fight you at the Kishon River. Sisera will be leading King Jabin's army as usual, and they will have their chariots, but the LORD has promised to help you defeat them.


book: Judg
contenido:
“All right, I'll go!” she replied. “But I'm warning you that the LORD is going to let a woman defeat Sisera, and no one will honor you for winning the battle.” Deborah and Barak left for Kedesh,


book: Judg
contenido:
where Barak called together the troops from Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand soldiers gathered there, and Barak led them out from Kedesh. Deborah went too.


book: Judg
contenido:
At this time, Heber of the Kenite clan was living near the village of Oak in Zaanannim, not far from Kedesh. The Kenites were descendants of Hobab, the father-in-law of Moses, but Heber had moved and had set up his tents away from the rest of the clan.


book: Judg
contenido:
he called his troops together and got all 900 iron chariots ready. Then he led his army away from Harosheth-Ha-Goiim to the Kishon River.


book: Judg
contenido:
Deborah shouted, “Barak, it's time to attack Sisera! Because today the LORD is going to help you defeat him. In fact, the LORD has already gone on ahead to fight for you.” Barak led his 10,000 troops down from Mount Tabor.


book: Judg
contenido:
And during the battle, the LORD confused Sisera, his chariot drivers, and his whole army. Everyone was so afraid of Barak and his army, that even Sisera jumped down from his chariot and tried to escape.


book: Judg
contenido:
Barak's forces went after Sisera's chariots and army as far as Harosheth-Ha-Goiim. Sisera's entire army was wiped out.


book: Judg
contenido:
Only Sisera escaped. He ran to Heber's camp, because Heber and his family had a peace treaty with the king of Hazor. Sisera went to the tent that belonged to Jael, Heber's wife.


book: Judg
contenido:
She came out to greet him and said, “Come in, sir! Please come on in. Don't be afraid.” After they had gone inside, Sisera lay down, and Jael covered him with a blanket.


book: Judg
contenido:
“Could I have a little water?” he asked. “I'm thirsty.” Jael opened a leather bottle and poured him some milk, then she covered him back up.


book: Judg
contenido:
“Stand at the entrance to the tent,” Sisera told her. “If someone comes by and asks if anyone is inside, tell them ‘No.’ ”


book: Judg
contenido:
Sisera was exhausted and soon fell fast asleep. Jael took a hammer and drove a tent-peg through his head into the ground, and he died.


book: Judg
contenido:
Meanwhile, Barak had been following Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him. “The man you're looking for is inside,” she said. “Come in and I'll show him to you.” They went inside, and there was Sisera—dead and stretched out with a tent-peg through his skull.


book: Judg
contenido:
That same day God defeated the Canaanite King Jabin while the Israelites looked on, and his army was no longer powerful enough to attack the Israelites.


book: Judg
contenido:
Jabin grew weaker while the Israelites kept growing stronger, until at last the Israelites destroyed him.


book: Judg
contenido:
In the time of Shamgar son of Anath, and now again in Jael's time, roads were too dangerous for caravans. Travelers had to take the back roads,


book: Judg
contenido:
and villagers couldn't work in their fields. Then Deborah took command, protecting Israel as a mother protects her children.


book: Judg
contenido:
The Israelites worshiped other gods, and the gates of their towns were then attacked. But they had no shields or spears to fight with.


book: Judg
contenido:
Even those who carry water to the animals will tell you, “The LORD has won victories, and so has Israel.” Then the LORD's people marched down to the town gates


book: Judg
contenido:
Troops came from Ephraim, where Amalekites once lived. Others came from Benjamin; officers and leaders came from Machir and Zebulun.


book: Judg
contenido:
The rulers of Issachar came along with Deborah, and Issachar followed Barak into the valley. But the tribe of Reuben was no help at all!


book: Judg
contenido:
Reuben, why did you stay among your sheep pens? Was it to listen to shepherds whistling for their sheep? No one could figure out why Reuben wouldn't come.


book: Judg
contenido:
The people of Gilead stayed across the Jordan. Why did the tribe of Dan remain on their ships and the tribe of Asher stay along the coast near the harbors?


book: Judg
contenido:
Canaanite kings fought us at Taanach by the stream near Megiddo— but they couldn't rob us of our silver.


book: Judg
contenido:
The LORD's angel said, “Put a curse on Meroz Town! Its people refused to help the LORD fight his powerful enemies.”


book: Judg
contenido:
But honor Jael, the wife of Heber from the Kenite clan. Give more honor to her than to any other woman who lives in tents. Yes, give more honor to her than to any other woman.


book: Judg
contenido:
She reached for a tent-peg and held a hammer in her right hand. And with a blow to the head, she crushed his skull.


book: Judg
contenido:
Sisera's mother looked out through her window. “Why is he taking so long?” she asked. “Why haven't we heard his chariots coming?”


book: Judg
contenido:
“Sisera and his troops are finding treasures to bring back— a woman, or maybe two, for each man, and beautiful dresses for those women to wear.”


book: Judg
contenido:
Our LORD, we pray that all your enemies will die like Sisera. But let everyone who loves you shine brightly like the sun at dawn. There was peace in Israel for about 40 years.


book: Judg
contenido:
Then once again the Israelites started disobeying the LORD, so he let the nation of Midian control Israel for seven years.


book: Judg
contenido:
Every time the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites invaded Israel together with the Amalekites and other eastern nations.


book: Judg
contenido:
They rode in on their camels, set up their tents, and then let their livestock eat the crops as far as the town of Gaza. The Midianites stole food, sheep, cattle, and donkeys. Like a swarm of locusts, they could not be counted, and they ruined the land wherever they went.


book: Judg
contenido:
The Midianites took almost everything that belonged to the Israelites, and the Israelites begged the LORD for help.


book: Judg
contenido:
Then the LORD sent a prophet to them with this message: I am the LORD God of Israel, so listen to what I say. You were slaves in Egypt, but I set you free and led you out of Egypt into this land. And when nations here made life miserable for you, I rescued you and helped you get rid of them and take their land.


book: Judg
contenido:
I am your God, and I told you not to worship Amorite gods, even though you are living in the land of the Amorites. But you refused to listen.


book: Judg
contenido:
One day an angel from the LORD went to the town of Ophrah and sat down under the big tree that belonged to Joash, a member of the Abiezer clan. Joash's son Gideon was nearby, threshing grain in a shallow pit, where he could not be seen by the Midianites.


book: Judg
contenido:
Gideon answered, “Please don't take this wrong, but if the LORD is helping us, then why have all of these awful things happened? We've heard how the LORD performed miracles and rescued our ancestors from Egypt. But those things happened long ago. Now the LORD has abandoned us to the Midianites.”


book: Judg
contenido:
Then the LORD himself said, “Gideon, you will be strong, because I am giving you the power to rescue Israel from the Midianites.”


book: Judg
contenido:
Gideon replied, “But how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest one in Manasseh, and everyone else in my family is more important than I am.”


book: Judg
contenido:
“Gideon,” the LORD answered, “you can rescue Israel because I am going to help you! Defeating the Midianites will be as easy as beating up one man.”


book: Judg
contenido:
Gideon said, “It's hard to believe that I'm actually talking to the LORD. Please do something so I'll know that you really are the LORD.


book: Judg
contenido:
Gideon went home and killed a young goat, then started boiling the meat. Next, he opened a big sack of flour and made it into thin bread. When the meat was done, he put it in a basket and poured the broth into a clay cooking pot. He took the meat, the broth, and the bread and placed them under the big tree.


book: Judg
contenido:
God's angel said, “Gideon, put the meat and the bread on this rock, and pour the broth over them.” Gideon did as he was told.


book: Judg
contenido:
The angel was holding a walking stick, and he touched the meat and the bread with the end of the stick. Flames jumped from the rock and burned up the meat and the bread. When Gideon looked, the angel was gone.


book: Judg
contenido:
Gideon built an altar for worshiping the LORD and called it “The LORD Calms Our Fears.” It still stands there in Ophrah, a town in the territory of the Abiezer clan.


book: Judg
contenido:
That night the LORD spoke to Gideon again: Get your father's second-best bull, the one that's seven years old. Use it to pull down the altar where your father worships Baal and cut down the sacred pole next to the altar.


book: Judg
contenido:
Then build an altar for worshiping me on the highest part of the hill where your town is built. Use layers of stones for my altar, not just a pile of rocks. Cut up the wood from the pole, make a fire, kill the bull, and burn it as a sacrifice to me.


book: Judg
contenido:
Gideon chose ten of his servants to help him, and they did everything God had said. But since Gideon was afraid of his family and the other people in Ophrah, he did it all at night.


book: Judg
contenido:
When the people of the town got up the next morning, they saw that Baal's altar had been knocked over, and the sacred pole next to it had been cut down. Then they noticed the new altar covered with the remains of the sacrificed bull.


book: Judg
contenido:
“Who could have done such a thing?” they asked. And they kept on asking, until finally someone told them, “Gideon the son of Joash did it.”


book: Judg
contenido:
The men of the town went to Joash and said, “Your son Gideon knocked over Baal's altar and cut down the sacred pole next to it. Hand him over, so we can kill him!”


book: Judg
contenido:
The crowd pushed closer and closer, but Joash replied, “Are you trying to take revenge for Baal? Are you trying to rescue Baal? If you are, you will be the ones who are put to death, and it will happen before another day dawns. If Baal really is a god, let him take his own revenge on someone who tears down his altar.”


book: Judg
contenido:
That same day, Joash changed Gideon's name to Jerubbaal, explaining, “He tore down Baal's altar, so let Baal take revenge himself.”


book: Judg
contenido:
All the Midianites, Amalekites, and other eastern nations got together and crossed the Jordan River. Then they invaded the land of Israel and set up camp in Jezreel Valley.


book: Judg
contenido:
The LORD's Spirit took control of Gideon, and Gideon blew a trumpet as a signal for the men in the Abiezer clan to follow him.


book: Judg
contenido:
He also sent messengers to the tribes of Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, telling the men of these tribes to come and join his army. Then they set out toward the enemy camp.


book: Judg
contenido:
Gideon prayed to God, “I know that you promised to help me rescue Israel, but I need proof. Tonight I'll spread a sheep skin on the stone floor of that threshing-place over there. If you really will help me rescue Israel, then tomorrow morning let there be dew on the skin, but let the stone floor be dry.”


book: Judg
contenido:
And that's just what happened. Early the next morning, Gideon got up and checked the sheep skin. He squeezed out enough water to fill a bowl.


book: Judg
contenido:
But Gideon prayed to God again. “Don't be angry with me,” Gideon said. “Let me try this just one more time, so I'll really be sure you'll help me. Only this time, let the skin be dry and the stone floor be wet.”


book: Judg
contenido:
Early the next morning, Gideon and his army got up and moved their camp to Fear Spring. The Midianite camp was to the north, in the valley at the foot of Moreh Hill.


book: Judg
contenido:
The LORD said, “Gideon, your army is too big. I can't let you win with this many soldiers. The Israelites would think that they had won the battle all by themselves and that I didn't have anything to do with it.


book: Judg
contenido:
So call your troops together and tell them that anyone who is really afraid can leave Mount Gilead and go home.” Twenty-two thousand men returned home, leaving Gideon with only 10,000 soldiers.


book: Judg
contenido:
“Gideon,” the LORD said, “you still have too many soldiers. Take them down to the spring and I'll test them. I'll tell you which ones can go along with you and which ones must go back home.”


book: Judg
contenido:
When Gideon led his army down to the spring, the LORD told him, “Watch how each man gets a drink of water. Then divide them into two groups—those who lap the water like a dog and those who kneel down to drink.”


book: Judg
contenido:
The LORD said, “Gideon, your army will be made up of everyone who lapped the water from their hands. Send the others home. I'm going to rescue Israel by helping you and your army of 300 defeat the Midianites.”


book: Judg
contenido:
Then Gideon gave these orders, “You 300 men stay here. The rest of you may go home, but leave your food and trumpets with us.” Gideon's army camp was on top of a hill overlooking the Midianite camp in the valley.


book: Judg
contenido:
That night, the LORD said to Gideon. “Get up! Attack the Midianite camp. I am going to let you defeat them,


book: Judg
contenido:
When you hear what the Midianites are saying, you'll be brave enough to attack.” Gideon and Purah worked their way to the edge of the enemy camp, where soldiers were on guard duty.


book: Judg
contenido:
The camp was huge. The Midianites, Amalekites, and other eastern nations covered the valley like a swarm of locusts. And it would be easier to count the grains of sand on a beach than to count their camels.


book: Judg
contenido:
Gideon overheard one enemy guard telling another, “I had a dream about a flat loaf of barley bread that came tumbling into our camp. It hit the headquarters tent, and the tent flipped over and fell to the ground.”


book: Judg
contenido:
The other soldier answered, “Your dream must have been about Gideon, the Israelite commander. It means God will let him and his army defeat the Midianite army and everyone else in our camp.”


book: Judg
contenido:
As soon as Gideon heard about the dream and what it meant, he bowed down to praise God. Then he went back to the Israelite camp and shouted, “Let's go! The LORD is going to let us defeat the Midianite army.”


book: Judg
contenido:
Gideon divided his little army into three groups of 100 men, and he gave each soldier a trumpet and a large clay jar with a burning torch inside.


book: Judg
contenido:
Gideon said, “When we get to the enemy camp, spread out and surround it. Then wait for me to blow a signal on my trumpet. As soon as you hear it, blow your trumpets and shout, ‘Fight for the LORD! Fight for Gideon!’ ”


book: Judg
contenido:
Gideon and his group reached the edge of the enemy camp a few hours after dark, just after the new guards had come on duty. Gideon and his soldiers blew their trumpets and smashed the clay jars that were hiding the torches.


book: Judg
contenido:
The rest of Gideon's soldiers blew the trumpets they were holding in their right hands. Then they smashed the jars and held the burning torches in their left hands. Everyone shouted, “Fight with your swords for the LORD and for Gideon!”


book: Judg
contenido:
The enemy soldiers started yelling and tried to run away. Gideon's troops stayed in their positions surrounding the camp


book: Judg
contenido:
and blew their trumpets again. As they did, the LORD made the enemy soldiers pull out their swords and start fighting each other. The enemy army tried to escape from the camp. They ran to Acacia Tree Town, toward Zeredah, and as far as the edge of the land that belonged to the town of Abel-Meholah near Tabbath.


book: Judg
contenido:
Gideon sent word for more Israelite soldiers to come from the tribes of Naphtali, Asher, and both halves of Manasseh to help fight the Midianites.


book: Judg
contenido:
He also sent messengers to tell all the men who lived in the hill country of Ephraim, “Come and help us fight the Midianites! Put guards at every spring, stream, and well, as far as Beth-Barah before the Midianites can get to them. And guard the Jordan River.” Troops from Ephraim did exactly what Gideon had asked,


book: Judg
contenido:
and they even helped chase the Midianites on the east side of the Jordan River. These troops captured Raven and Wolf, the two Midianite leaders. They killed Raven at a large rock that has come to be known as Raven Rock, and they killed Wolf near a wine-pit that has come to be called Wolf Wine-Pit. The men of Ephraim brought the heads of the two Midianite leaders to Gideon.


book: Judg
contenido:
But the men were really upset with Gideon and complained, “When you went to war with Midian, you didn't ask us to help! Why did you treat us like that?”


book: Judg
contenido:
Gideon answered: Don't be upset! Even though you came later, you were able to do much more than I did. It's just like the grape harvest: The grapes your tribe doesn't even bother to pick are better than the best grapes my family can grow.


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contenido:
Besides, God chose you to capture Raven and Wolf. I didn't do a thing compared to you. By the time Gideon had finished talking, the men of Ephraim had calmed down and were no longer angry with him.


book: Judg
contenido:
After Gideon and his 300 troops had chased the Midianites across the Jordan River, they were exhausted.


book: Judg
contenido:
The town of Succoth was nearby, so he went there and asked, “Please give my troops some food. They are worn out, but we have to keep chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the two Midianite kings.”


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The town leaders of Succoth answered, “Why should we feed your army? We don't know if you really will defeat Zebah and Zalmunna.”


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contenido:
“Just wait!” Gideon said. “After the LORD helps me defeat them, I'm coming back here. I'll make a whip out of thorns and rip the flesh from your bones.”


book: Judg
contenido:
After leaving Succoth, Gideon went to Penuel and asked the leaders there for some food. But he got the same answer as he did at Succoth.


book: Judg
contenido:
Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with an army of 15,000 troops. They were all that was left of the army of the eastern nations, because 120,000 of their warriors had been killed in the battle.


book: Judg
contenido:
Gideon reached the enemy camp by going east along Nomad Road past Nobah and Jogbehah. He made a surprise attack,


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contenido:
he caught a young man who lived in Succoth. Gideon asked him who the town officials of Succoth were, and the young man wrote down 77 names.


book: Judg
contenido:
Gideon went to the town officials and said, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna. Remember how you made fun of me? You said, ‘We don't know if you really will defeat those two Midianite kings. So why should we feed your worn-out army?’ ”


book: Judg
contenido:
Then Gideon said, “Zebah and Zalmunna, tell me about the men you killed at Tabor.” “They were a lot like you,” the two kings answered. “They were dignified, almost like royalty.”


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contenido:
“They were my very own brothers!” Gideon said. “I swear by the living LORD that if you had let them live, I would let you live.”


book: Judg
contenido:
Gideon turned to Jether, his oldest son. “Kill them!” Gideon said. But Jether was young, and he was too afraid to even pull out his sword.


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contenido:
“What's the matter, Gideon?” Zebah and Zalmunna asked. “Do it yourself, if you're not too much of a coward!” Gideon jumped up and killed them both. Then he took the gold ornaments from the necks of their camels.


book: Judg
contenido:
After the battle with the Midianites, the Israelites said, “Gideon, you rescued us! Now we want you to be our king. Then after your death, your son and then your grandson will rule.”


book: Judg
contenido:
“No,” Gideon replied, “I won't be your king, and my son won't be king either. Only the LORD is your ruler.


book: Judg
contenido:
But I will ask you to do one thing: Give me all the earrings you took from the enemy.” The enemy soldiers had been Ishmaelites, and they wore gold earrings.


book: Judg
contenido:
The Israelite soldiers replied, “Of course we will give you the earrings.” Then they spread out a robe on the ground and tossed the earrings on it.


book: Judg
contenido:
The total weight of this gold was nearly 20 kilograms. In addition, there was the gold from the camels' ornaments and from the beautiful jewelry worn by the Midianite kings. Gideon also took their purple robes.


book: Judg
contenido:
Gideon returned to his home in Ophrah and had the gold made into a statue, which the Israelites soon started worshiping. They were unfaithful to God, and even Gideon and his family were trapped into worshiping the statue. The Midianites had been defeated so badly that they were no longer strong enough to attack Israel. And so Israel was at peace for the remaining 40 years of Gideon's life.


book: Judg
contenido:
Gideon lived to be an old man. And when he died, he was buried in the family tomb in his hometown of Ophrah, which belonged to the Abiezer clan.


book: Judg
contenido:
Soon after Gideon's death, the Israelites turned their backs on God again. They set up idols of Baal and worshiped Baal Berith as their god.


book: Judg
contenido:
The Israelites forgot that the LORD was their God, and that he had rescued them from the enemies who lived around them.


book: Judg
contenido:
Besides all that, the Israelites were unkind to Gideon's family, even though Gideon had done so much for Israel.


book: Judg
contenido:
and told them to say to the leaders of Shechem, “Do you think it would be good to have all 70 of Gideon's sons ruling us? Wouldn't you rather have just one man be king? Abimelech would make a good king, and he's related to us.”


book: Judg
contenido:
Abimelech's uncles talked it over with the leaders of Shechem who agreed, “Yes, it would be better for one of our relatives to be king.”


book: Judg
contenido:
Then they gave Abimelech 70 pieces of silver from the temple of their god Baal Berith. Abimelech used the silver to hire a gang of rough soldiers who would do anything for money.


book: Judg
contenido:
Abimelech and his soldiers went to his father's home in Ophrah and brought out Gideon's other sons to a large rock, where they murdered all 70 of them. Gideon's youngest son Jotham hid from the soldiers, but he was the only one who escaped.


book: Judg
contenido:
The leaders of Shechem, including the priests and the military officers, met at the tree next to the sacred rock in Shechem to crown Abimelech king.


book: Judg
contenido:
Jotham heard what they were doing. So he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted down to the people who were there at the meeting: Leaders of Shechem, listen to me, and maybe God will listen to you.


book: Judg
contenido:
But the olive tree replied, “My oil brings honor to people and gods. I won't stop making oil, just so my branches can wave above the other trees.”


book: Judg
contenido:
But the fig tree replied, “I won't stop growing my delicious fruit, just so my branches can wave above the other trees.”


book: Judg
contenido:
But the grape vine replied, “My wine brings cheer to people and gods. I won't stop making wine, just so my branches can wave above the other trees.”


book: Judg
contenido:
The thornbush replied, “If you really want me to be your king, then come into my shade and I will protect you. But if you're deceiving me, I'll start a fire that will spread out and destroy the cedars of Lebanon.” After Jotham had finished telling this story, he said:


book: Judg
contenido:
My father Gideon risked his life for you when he fought to rescue you from the Midianites. Did you reward Gideon by being kind to his family? No, you did not! You attacked his family and killed all 70 of his sons on that rock. And was it right to make Abimelech your king? He's merely the son of my father's slave girl. But just because he's your relative, you made him king of Shechem.


book: Judg
contenido:
So, you leaders of Shechem, if you treated Gideon and his family the way you should have, then I hope you and Abimelech will make each other very happy.


book: Judg
contenido:
But if it was wrong to treat Gideon and his family the way you did, then I pray that Abimelech will destroy you with fire, and I pray that you will do the same to him.


book: Judg
contenido:
Jotham ran off and went to live in the town of Beer, where he could be safe from his brother Abimelech.


book: Judg
contenido:
when God decided to punish him and the leaders of Shechem for killing Gideon's 70 sons. So God turned the leaders of Shechem against Abimelech.


book: Judg
contenido:
Then they sent some men to hide on the hilltops and watch for Abimelech and his troops, while they sent others to rob everyone that went by on the road. But Abimelech found out what they were doing.


book: Judg
contenido:
One day, Gaal son of Ebed went to live in Shechem. His brothers moved there too, and soon the leaders of Shechem started trusting him.


book: Judg
contenido:
The time came for the grape harvest, and the people of Shechem went into their vineyards and picked the grapes. They gathered the grapes and made wine. Then they went into the temple of their god and threw a big party. There was a lot of eating and drinking, and before long they were cursing Abimelech.


book: Judg
contenido:
Gaal said: Hamor was the founder of Shechem, and one of his descendants should be our ruler. But Abimelech's father was Gideon, so Abimelech isn't really one of us. He shouldn't be our king, and we shouldn't have to obey him or Zebul, who rules Shechem for him.


book: Judg
contenido:
If I were the ruler of Shechem, I'd get rid of that Abimelech. I'd tell him, “Get yourself an even bigger army, and we will still defeat you.”


book: Judg
contenido:
And so he sent some messengers to Abimelech. But they had to pretend to be doing something else, or they would not have been allowed to leave Shechem. Zebul told the messengers to say: Gaal the son of Ebed has come to Shechem along with his brothers, and they have persuaded the people to let Gaal rule Shechem instead of you.


book: Judg
contenido:
Get up the next morning at sunrise and rush out of your hiding places to attack the town. Gaal and his followers will come out to fight you, but you will easily defeat them.


book: Judg
contenido:
So one night, Abimelech led his soldiers to Shechem. He divided them into four groups, and they all hid near the town.


book: Judg
contenido:
The next morning, Gaal went out and stood in the opening of the town gate. Abimelech and his soldiers left their hiding places,


book: Judg
contenido:
and Gaal saw them. Zebul was standing there with Gaal, and Gaal remarked, “Zebul, that looks like a crowd of people coming down from the mountaintops.” “No,” Zebul answered, “it's just the shadows of the mountains. It only looks like people moving.”


book: Judg
contenido:
“But Zebul, look over there,” Gaal said. “There's a crowd coming down from the sacred mountain, and another group is coming along the road from the tree where people talk with the spirits of the dead.”


book: Judg
contenido:
Then Zebul replied, “What good is all of your bragging now? You were the one who said Abimelech shouldn't be the ruler of Shechem. Out there is the army that you made fun of. So go out and fight them!”


book: Judg
contenido:
Soon the people of Shechem turned and ran back into the town. However, Abimelech and his troops were close behind and killed many of them along the way.


book: Judg
contenido:
The next morning, the people of Shechem were getting ready to work in their fields as usual, but someone told Abimelech about it.


book: Judg
contenido:
Abimelech divided his army into three groups and set up an ambush in the fields near Shechem. When the people came out of the town, he and his army rushed out from their hiding places and attacked.


book: Judg
contenido:
Abimelech and the troops with him ran to the town gate and took control of it, while two other groups attacked and killed the people who were in the fields.


book: Judg
contenido:
He and his troops fought in Shechem all day, until they had killed everyone in town. Then he and his men tore down the houses and buildings and scattered salt everywhere.


book: Judg
contenido:
Earlier that day, the leaders of the temple of El Berith at Shechem had heard about the attack. So they went into the temple fortress,


book: Judg
contenido:
He led his troops to Mount Zalmon, where he took an ax and chopped off a tree branch. He lifted the branch onto his shoulder and shouted, “Hurry! Cut off a branch just as I did.”


book: Judg
contenido:
When they all had branches, they followed Abimelech back to Shechem. They piled the branches against the fortress and set them on fire, burning down the fortress and killing about 1,000 men and women.


book: Judg
contenido:
But there was a tall fortress in the middle of the town, and the town leaders and everyone else went inside. Then they barred the gates and went up to the flat roof.


book: Judg
contenido:
Abimelech and his army rushed to the fortress and tried to force their way inside. Abimelech himself was about to set the heavy wooden doors on fire,


book: Judg
contenido:
The soldier who carried his weapons was nearby, and Abimelech told him, “Take out your sword and kill me. I don't want people to say that I was killed by a woman!” So the soldier ran his sword through Abimelech.


book: Judg
contenido:
That's how God punished Abimelech for killing his brothers and bringing shame on his father's family.


book: Judg
contenido:
God also punished the people of Shechem for helping Abimelech. Everything happened just as Jotham's curse said it would.


book: Judg
contenido:
Tola was the next person to rescue Israel. He belonged to the Issachar tribe, but he lived in Shamir, a town in the hill country of Ephraim. His father was Puah, and his grandfather was Dodo.


book: Judg
contenido:
He had 30 sons, and each son had his own mule and was in charge of one town in Gilead. Those 30 towns are still called The Settlements of Jair.


book: Judg
contenido:
Before long, the Israelites began disobeying the LORD by worshiping Baal, Astarte, and gods from Syria, Sidon, Moab, Ammon, and Philistia.


book: Judg
contenido:
So the same year that Jair died, Israel's army was crushed by these two nations. For 18 years, Ammon was cruel to the Israelites who lived in Gilead, the region east of the Jordan River that had once belonged to the Amorites.


book: Judg
contenido:
Then the Ammonites began crossing the Jordan and attacking the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim. Life was miserable for the Israelites.


book: Judg
contenido:
They begged the LORD for help and confessed, “We were unfaithful to you, our LORD. We stopped worshiping you and started worshiping idols of Baal.”


book: Judg
contenido:
The LORD answered: In the past when you came crying to me for help, I rescued you. At one time or another I've rescued you from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Maonites.


book: Judg
contenido:
But I'm not going to rescue you any more! You've left me and gone off to worship other gods. If you're in such big trouble, go and cry to them for help!


book: Judg
contenido:
“We have been unfaithful to you,” the Israelites admitted. “If we must be punished, do it yourself, but please rescue us from the Ammonites.”


book: Judg
contenido:
Then the Israelites got rid of the idols of the foreign gods, and they began worshiping only the LORD. Finally, there came a time when the LORD could no longer stand to see them suffer.


book: Judg
contenido:
The rulers of Ammon called their soldiers together and led them to Gilead, where they set up camp. The Israelites gathered at Mizpah and set up camp there.


book: Judg
contenido:
The leaders of Gilead asked each other, “Who can lead an attack on the Ammonites?” Then they agreed, “If we find someone who can lead the attack, we'll make him the ruler of Gilead.”


book: Judg
contenido:
The leaders of the Gilead clan decided to ask a brave warrior named Jephthah son of Gilead to lead the attack against the Ammonites. Even though Jephthah belonged to the Gilead clan, he had earlier been forced to leave the region where they had lived. Jephthah was the son of a prostitute, but his half brothers were the sons of his father's wife. One day his half brothers told him, “You don't really belong to our family, so you can't have any of the family property.” Then they forced Jephthah to leave home. Jephthah went to the country of Tob, where he was joined by a number of men who would do anything for money. So the leaders of Gilead went to Jephthah and said,


book: Judg
contenido:
“Didn't you hate me?” Jephthah replied. “Weren't you the ones who forced me to leave my family? You're only coming to me now because you're in trouble.”


book: Judg
contenido:
“But we do want you to come back,” the leaders said. “And if you lead us in battle against the Ammonites, we will make you the ruler of Gilead.”


book: Judg
contenido:
“All right,” Jephthah said. “If I go back with you and the LORD lets me defeat the Ammonites, will you really make me your ruler?”


book: Judg
contenido:
So Jephthah went back to Mizpah with the leaders of Gilead. The people of Gilead gathered at the place of worship and made Jephthah their ruler. Jephthah also made promises to them.


book: Judg
contenido:
After the ceremony, Jephthah sent messengers to say to the king of Ammon, “Are you trying to start a war? You have invaded my country, and I want to know why!”


book: Judg
contenido:
The king of Ammon replied, “Tell Jephthah that the land really belongs to me, all the way from the Arnon River in the south, to the Jabbok River in the north, and west to the Jordan River. When the Israelites came out of Egypt, they stole it. Tell Jephthah to return it to me, and there won't be any war.”


book: Judg
contenido:
When the Israelites came from Egypt, they traveled across the desert to the Red Sea and then to Kadesh.


book: Judg
contenido:
They sent messengers to the king of Edom and said, “Please, let us go through your country.” But the king of Edom refused. They also sent messengers to the king of Moab, but he wouldn't let them cross his country either. And so the Israelites stayed at Kadesh.


book: Judg
contenido:
A little later, the Israelites set out into the desert, going east of Edom and Moab, and camping on the eastern side of the Arnon River gorge. The Arnon is the eastern border of Moab, and since the Israelites didn't cross it, they didn't even set foot in Moab.


book: Judg
contenido:
The Israelites sent messengers to the Amorite King Sihon of Heshbon. “Please,” they said, “let our people go through your country to get to our own land.”


book: Judg
contenido:
Sihon didn't think the Israelites could be trusted, so he called his army together. They set up camp at Jahaz, then they attacked the Israelite camp.


book: Judg
contenido:
But the LORD God helped Israel defeat Sihon and his army. Israel took over all of the Amorite land where Sihon's people had lived,


book: Judg
contenido:
from the Arnon River in the south to the Jabbok River in the north, and from the desert in the east to the Jordan River in the west.


book: Judg
contenido:
The messengers also told the king of Ammon that Jephthah had said: The LORD God of Israel helped his nation get rid of the Amorites and take their land. Now do you think you're going to take over that same territory?


book: Judg
contenido:
If Chemosh your god takes over a country and gives it to you, don't you have a right to it? And if the LORD takes over a country and gives it to us, the land is ours!


book: Judg
contenido:
Are you better than Balak the son of Zippor? He was the king of Moab, but he didn't quarrel with Israel or start a war with us.


book: Judg
contenido:
For 300 years, Israelites have been living in Heshbon and Aroer and the nearby villages, and in the towns along the Arnon River gorge. If the land really belonged to you Ammonites, you wouldn't have waited until now to try to get it back.


book: Judg
contenido:
I haven't done anything to you, but it's certainly wrong of you to start a war. I pray that the LORD will show whether Israel or Ammon is in the right.


book: Judg
contenido:
Then the LORD's Spirit took control of Jephthah, and Jephthah went through Gilead and Manasseh, raising an army. Finally, he arrived at Mizpah in Gilead, where


book: Judg
contenido:
Jephthah and his army destroyed the 20 towns between Aroer and Minnith, and others as far as Abel-Keramim. After that, the Ammonites could not invade Israel any more.


book: Judg
contenido:
When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, the first one to meet him was his daughter. She was playing a tambourine and dancing to celebrate his victory, and she was his only child.


book: Judg
contenido:
“Oh no!” Jephthah cried. Then he tore his clothes in sorrow and said to his daughter, “I made a sacred promise to the LORD, and I must keep it. Your coming out to meet me has broken my heart.”


book: Judg
contenido:
“Father,” she said, “you made a sacred promise to the LORD, and he let you defeat the Ammonites. Now, you must do what you promised, even if it means I must die.


book: Judg
contenido:
But first, please let me spend two months, wandering in the hill country with my friends. We will cry together, because I can never get married and have children.”


book: Judg
contenido:
“Yes, you may have two months,” Jephthah said. She and some other girls left, and for two months they wandered in the hill country, crying because she could never get married and have children.


book: Judg
contenido:
Then she went back to her father. He did what he had promised, and she never got married. That's why


book: Judg
contenido:
The men of the Ephraim tribe got together an army and went across the Jordan River to Zaphon to meet with Jephthah. They said, “Why did you go to war with the Ammonites without asking us to help? Just for that, we're going to burn down your house with you inside!”


book: Judg
contenido:
“But I did ask for your help,” Jephthah answered. “That was back when the people of Gilead and I were having trouble with the Ammonites, and you wouldn't do a thing to help us.


book: Judg
contenido:
So when we realized you weren't coming, we risked our lives and attacked the Ammonites. And the LORD let us defeat them. There's no reason for you to come here today to attack me.”


book: Judg
contenido:
But the men from Ephraim said, “You people of Gilead are nothing more than refugees from Ephraim. You even live on land that belongs to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.” So Jephthah called together the army of Gilead, then they attacked and defeated the army from Ephraim.


book: Judg
contenido:
The army of Gilead also posted guards at all the places where the soldiers from Ephraim could cross the Jordan River to return to their own land. Whenever one of the men from Ephraim would try to cross the river, the guards would say, “Are you from Ephraim?” “No,” the man would answer, “I'm not from Ephraim.”


book: Judg
contenido:
The guards would then tell them to say “Shibboleth,” because they knew that people of Ephraim could say “Sibboleth,” but not “Shibboleth.” If the man said “Sibboleth,” the guards would grab him and kill him right there. Altogether, 42,000 men from Ephraim were killed in the battle and at the Jordan.


book: Judg
contenido:
Jephthah was a leader of Israel for six years, before he died and was buried in his hometown Mizpah in Gilead.


book: Judg
contenido:
He had 30 daughters and 30 sons, and he let them all marry outside his clan. Ibzan was a leader for seven years,


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contenido:
Abdon the son of Hillel was the next leader of Israel. He had 40 sons and 30 grandsons, and each one of them had his own donkey. Abdon was a leader for eight years, before he died and was buried in his hometown of Pirathon, which is located in the part of the hill country of Ephraim where Amalekites used to live.


book: Judg
contenido:
Once again the Israelites started disobeying the LORD. So he let the Philistines take control of Israel for 40 years.


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contenido:
but one day an angel from the LORD appeared to her and said: You have never been able to have any children, but very soon you will be pregnant and have a son. He will belong to God from the day he is born, so his hair must never be cut. And even before he is born, you must not drink any wine or beer or eat any food forbidden by God's laws. Your son will begin to set Israel free from the Philistines.


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contenido:
She went to Manoah and said, “A prophet who looked like an angel of God came and talked to me. I was so frightened, that I didn't even ask where he was from. He didn't tell me his name,


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contenido:
but he did say that I'm going to have a baby boy. I'm not supposed to drink any wine or beer or eat any food forbidden by God's laws. Our son will belong to God for as long as he lives.”


book: Judg
contenido:
Then Manoah prayed, “Our LORD, please send that prophet again and let him tell us what to do for the son we are going to have.”


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contenido:
God answered Manoah's prayer, and the angel went back to Manoah's wife while she was resting in the fields. Manoah wasn't there at the time,


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contenido:
Manoah went with his wife and asked the man, “Are you the one who spoke to my wife?” “Yes, I am,” he answered.


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contenido:
Manoah then asked, “When your promise comes true, what rules must he obey and what will be his work?”


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contenido:
“She must not eat or drink anything made from grapes. She must not drink wine or beer or eat anything forbidden by God's laws. I told her exactly what to do.”


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contenido:
“Please,” Manoah said, “stay here with us for just a little while, and we'll fix a young goat for you to eat.”


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contenido:
Manoah didn't realize that he was really talking to one of the LORD's angels. The angel answered, “I can stay for a little while, although I won't eat any of your food. But if you would like to offer the goat as a sacrifice to the LORD, that would be fine.”


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contenido:
“No,” the angel replied. “You don't need to know my name. And if you did, you couldn't understand it.”


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contenido:
So Manoah took a young goat over to a large rock he had chosen for an altar, and he built a fire on the rock. Then he killed the goat, and offered it with some grain as a sacrifice to the LORD. But then an amazing thing happened.


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contenido:
The fire blazed up toward the sky, and the LORD's angel went up toward heaven in the fire. Manoah and his wife bowed down low when they saw what happened.


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contenido:
“The LORD isn't going to kill us,” Manoah's wife responded. “The LORD accepted our sacrifice and grain offering, and he let us see something amazing. Besides, he told us that we're going to have a son.”


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contenido:
Later, Manoah's wife did give birth to a son, and she named him Samson. As the boy grew, the LORD blessed him.


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contenido:
Then, while Samson was staying at Dan's Camp between the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol, the Spirit of the LORD took control of him.


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contenido:
When he got back home, he told his parents, “I saw a Philistine woman in Timnah, and I want to marry her. Get her for me!”


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contenido:
His parents answered, “There are a lot of women in our clan and even more in the rest of Israel. Those Philistines are pagans. Why would you want to marry one of their women?” “She looks good to me,” Samson answered. “Get her for me!”


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contenido:
At that time, the Philistines were in control of Israel, and the LORD wanted to stir up trouble for them. That's why he made Samson desire that woman.


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contenido:
As Samson and his parents reached the vineyards near Timnah, a fierce young lion suddenly roared and attacked Samson.


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contenido:
But the LORD's Spirit took control of Samson, and with his bare hands he tore the lion apart, as though it had been a young goat. His parents didn't know what he had done, and he didn't tell them.


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contenido:
Later, Samson returned to Timnah for the wedding. And when he came near the place where the lion had attacked, he left the road to see what was left of the lion. He was surprised to see that bees were living in the lion's skeleton, and that they had made some honey.


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He scooped up the honey in his hands and ate some of it as he walked along. When he got back to his parents, he gave them some of the honey, and they ate it too. But he didn't tell them he had found the honey in the skeleton of a lion.


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While Samson's father went to make the final arrangements with the bride and her family, Samson threw a big party, as grooms usually did.


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When the Philistines saw what Samson was like, they told 30 of their young men to stay with him at the party.


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contenido:
Samson told the 30 young men, “This party will last for seven days. Let's make a bet: I'll tell you a riddle, and if you can tell me the answer before the party is over, I'll give each of you a shirt and a full change of clothing.


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But if you can't tell me the answer, then each of you will have to give me a shirt and a full change of clothing.” “It's a bet!” the Philistines said. “Tell us the riddle.”


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Samson said: Once so strong and mighty— now so sweet and tasty! Three days went by, and the Philistine young men had not come up with the right answer.


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contenido:
Finally, on the seventh day of the party they went to Samson's bride and said, “You had better trick your husband into telling you the answer to his riddle. Have you invited us here just to rob us? If you don't find out the answer, we will burn you and your family to death.”


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Samson's bride went to him and started crying in his arms. “You must really hate me,” she sobbed. “If you loved me at all, you would have told me the answer to your riddle.” “But I haven't even told my parents the answer!” Samson replied. “Why should I tell you?”


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For the entire seven days of the party, she had been whining and trying to get the answer from him. But that seventh day she put so much pressure on Samson that he finally gave in and told her the answer. She went straight to the young men and told them.


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Before sunset that day, the men of the town went to Samson with this answer: A lion is the strongest— honey is the sweetest! Samson replied, This answer you have given me doubtless came from my bride-to-be.


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contenido:
Then the LORD's Spirit took control of Samson. He went to Ashkelon, where he killed 30 men and took their clothing. Samson then gave it to the 30 young men at Timnah and stormed back home to his own family.


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The father of the bride made Samson's wife marry one of the 30 young men that had been at Samson's party.


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contenido:
Later, during the wheat harvest, Samson went to visit the young woman he thought was still his wife. He brought along a young goat as a gift and said to her father, “I want to go into my wife's bedroom.” “You can't do that,” he replied.


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“When you left the way you did, I thought you were divorcing her. So I arranged for her to marry one of the young men who were at your party. But my younger daughter is even prettier, and you can have her as your wife.”


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Samson went out and caught 300 foxes and tied them together in pairs with oil-soaked rags around their tails.


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contenido:
Then Samson took the foxes into the Philistine wheat fields that were ready to be harvested. He set the rags on fire and let the foxes go. The wheat fields went up in flames, and so did the stacks of wheat that had already been cut. Even the Philistine vineyards and olive orchards burned.


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Some of the Philistines started asking around, “Who could have done such a thing?” “It was Samson,” someone told them. “He married the daughter of that man in Timnah, but then the man gave Samson's wife to one of the men at the wedding.” The Philistine leaders went to Timnah and burned to death Samson's wife and her father.


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When Samson found out what they had done, he went to them and said, “You killed them! And I won't rest until I get even with you.”


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Then Samson started hacking them to pieces with his sword. Samson left Philistia and went to live in the cave at Etam Rock.


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contenido:
The people of Judah asked, “Why have you invaded our land?” The Philistines answered, “We've come to get Samson. We're going to do the same things to him that he did to our people.”


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contenido:
Three thousand men from Judah went to the cave at Etam Rock and said to Samson, “Don't you know that the Philistines rule us, and they will punish us for what you did?” “I was only getting even with them,” Samson replied. “They did the same things to me first.”


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“We came here to tie you up and turn you over to them,” said the men of Judah. “I won't put up a fight,” Samson answered, “but you have to promise not to hurt me yourselves.”


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“We promise,” the men said. “We will only tie you up and turn you over to the Philistines. We won't kill you.” Then they tied up his hands and arms with two brand-new ropes and led him away from Etam Rock. When the Philistines saw that Samson was being brought to their camp at Jawbone, they started shouting and ran toward him. But the LORD's Spirit took control of Samson, and Samson broke the ropes, as though they were pieces of burnt cloth.


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Samson glanced around and spotted the jawbone of a donkey. The jawbone had not yet dried out, so it was still hard and heavy. Samson grabbed it and started hitting Philistines—he killed 1,000 of them!


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contenido:
After the fighting was over, he made up this poem about what he had done to the Philistines: I used a donkey's jawbone to kill a thousand men; I beat them with this jawbone over and over again.


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contenido:
Samson tossed the jawbone on the ground and decided to call the place Jawbone Hill. It is still called that today.


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contenido:
Samson was so thirsty that he prayed, “Our LORD, you helped me win a battle against a whole army. Please don't let me die of thirst now. Those heathen Philistines will carry off my dead body.”


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contenido:
Samson was tired and weary, but God sent water gushing from a rock. Samson drank some and felt strong again. Samson named the place Caller Spring, because he had called out to God for help. The spring is still there at Jawbone.


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The people who lived in Gaza found out he was there, and they decided to kill him at sunrise. So they went to the city gate and waited all night in the guardrooms on each side of the gate.


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contenido:
But Samson got up in the middle of the night and went to the town gate. He pulled the gate doors and doorposts out of the wall and put them on his shoulders. Then he carried them all the way to the top of the hill that overlooks Hebron, where he set the doors down, still closed and locked.


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contenido:
The Philistine rulers went to Delilah and said, “Trick Samson into telling you what makes him so strong and what can make him weak. Then we can tie him up so he can't get away. If you find out his secret, we will each give you 1,100 pieces of silver.”


book: Judg
contenido:
The next time Samson was at Delilah's house, she asked, “Samson, what makes you so strong? How can I tie you up so you can't get away? Come on, you can tell me.”


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contenido:
Samson answered, “If someone ties me up with seven new bowstrings that have never been dried, it will make me just as weak as anyone else.”


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contenido:
The Philistine rulers gave seven new bowstrings to Delilah. They also told some of their soldiers to go to Delilah's house and hide in the room where Samson and Delilah were. If the bowstrings made Samson weak, they would be able to capture him. Delilah tied up Samson with the bowstrings and shouted, “Samson, the Philistines are attacking!” Samson snapped the bowstrings, as though they were pieces of scorched string. The Philistines had not found out why Samson was so strong.


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contenido:
Samson answered, “Use some new ropes. If I'm tied up with ropes that have never been used, I'll be just as weak as anyone else.”


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contenido:
Delilah got new ropes, and again some Philistines hid in the room. Then she tied up Samson's arms and shouted, “Samson, the Philistines are attacking!” Samson snapped the ropes as if they were threads.


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contenido:
“You're still lying and making a fool of me,” Delilah said. “Tell me how I can tie you up!” “My hair is in seven braids,” Samson replied. “If you weave my braids into the threads on a loom and nail the loom to a wall, then I will be as weak as anyone else.”


book: Judg
contenido:
While Samson was asleep, Delilah wove his braids into the threads on a loom and nailed the loom to a wall. Then she shouted, “Samson, the Philistines are attacking!” Samson woke up and pulled the loom free from its posts in the ground and from the nails in the wall. Then he pulled his hair free from the woven cloth.


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contenido:
“Samson,” Delilah said, “you claim to love me, but you don't mean it! You've made me look like a fool three times now, and you still haven't told me why you are so strong.”


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contenido:
Finally, Samson told her the truth. “I have belonged to God ever since I was born, so my hair has never been cut. If it were ever cut off, my strength would leave me, and I would be as weak as anyone else.”


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contenido:
Delilah realized that he was telling the truth. So she sent someone to tell the Philistine rulers, “Come to my house one more time. Samson has finally told me the truth.” The Philistine rulers went to Delilah's house, and they brought along the silver they had promised her.


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contenido:
Delilah had lulled Samson to sleep with his head resting in her lap. She signaled to one of the Philistine men as she began cutting off Samson's seven braids. And by the time she was finished, Samson's strength was gone. Delilah tied him up


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contenido:
and shouted, “Samson, the Philistines are attacking!” Samson woke up and thought, “I'll break loose and escape, just as I always do.” He did not realize that the LORD had stopped helping him.


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contenido:
The Philistines grabbed Samson and poked out his eyes. They took him to the prison in Gaza and chained him up. Then they put him to work, turning a millstone to grind grain.


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contenido:
The Philistine rulers threw a big party and sacrificed a lot of animals to their god Dagon. The rulers said: Samson was our enemy, but our god Dagon helped us capture him!


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contenido:
Everyone there was having a good time, and they shouted, “Bring out Samson—he's still good for a few more laughs!” The rulers had Samson brought from the prison, and when the people saw him, this is how they praised their god: Samson ruined our crops and killed our people. He was our enemy, but our god helped us capture him. They made fun of Samson for a while, then they told him to stand near the columns that supported the roof.


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contenido:
A young man was leading Samson by the hand, and Samson said to him, “I need to lean against something. Take me over to the columns that hold up the roof.”


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contenido:
The Philistine rulers were celebrating in a temple packed with people and with 3,000 more on the flat roof. They had all been watching Samson and making fun of him.


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contenido:
Samson prayed, “Please remember me, LORD God. The Philistines poked out my eyes, but make me strong one last time, so I can take revenge for at least one of my eyes!”


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contenido:
Samson was standing between the two middle columns that held up the roof. He felt around and found one column with his right hand, and the other with his left hand.


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contenido:
Then he shouted, “Let me die with the Philistines!” He pushed against the columns as hard as he could, and the temple collapsed with the Philistine rulers and everyone else still inside. Samson killed more Philistines when he died than he had killed during his entire life.


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contenido:
His brothers and the rest of his family went to Gaza and took his body back home. They buried him in his father's tomb, which was located between Zorah and Eshtaol. Samson was a leader of Israel for 20 years.


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contenido:
One day he told his mother, “Do you remember those 1,100 pieces of silver that were stolen from you? I was there when you put a curse on whoever stole them. Well, I'm the one who did it.” His mother answered, “I pray that the LORD will bless you, my son.”


book: Judg
contenido:
Micah returned the silver to his mother, and she said, “I give this silver to the LORD, so my son can use it to make an idol.” Turning to her son, she said, “Micah, now the silver belongs to you.” But Micah handed it back to his mother. She took 200 pieces of the silver and gave them to a silver worker, who made them into an idol. They kept the idol in Micah's house.


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contenido:
He had a shrine for worshiping God there at his home, and he had made some idols and a sacred priestly vest. Micah chose one of his own sons to be the priest for his shrine.


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contenido:
One day a young Levite came to Micah's house in the hill country of Ephraim. He had been staying with one of the clans of Judah in Bethlehem, but he had left Bethlehem to find a new place to live where he could be a priest.


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contenido:
“Where are you from?” Micah asked. “I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah,” the man answered, “and I'm on my way to find a new place to live.”


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contenido:
Micah said, “Why don't you stay here with me? You can be my priest and tell me what God wants me to do. Every year I'll give you ten pieces of silver and one complete set of clothes, and I'll provide all your food.” The young man went for a walk,


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contenido:
then he agreed to stay with Micah and be his priest. He lived in Micah's house, and Micah treated him like one of his own sons.


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contenido:
These things happened before kings ruled Israel. About this time, the tribe of Dan was looking for a place to live. The other tribes had land, but the people of Dan did not really have any to call their own.


book: Judg
contenido:
The tribe chose five warriors to represent their clans and told them, “Go and find some land where we can live.” The warriors left the area of Zorah and Eshtaol and went into the hill country of Ephraim. One night they stayed at Micah's house,


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contenido:
because they heard the young Levite talking, and they knew from his accent that he was from the south. They asked him, “What are you doing here? Who brought you here?”


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contenido:
The Levite replied, “Micah hired me as his priest.” Then he told them how well Micah had treated him.


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contenido:
“Please talk to God for us,” the men said. “Ask God if we will be successful in what we are trying to do.”


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contenido:
The five men left and went to the town of Laish, whose people were from Sidon, but Sidon was too far away to protect them. Even though their town had no walls, the people thought they were safe from attack. So they had not asked anyone else for protection, which meant that the tribe of Dan could easily take over Laish.


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contenido:
“Let's go!” the five men said. “We saw some very good land with enough room for all of us, and it has everything we will ever need. What are you waiting for? Let's attack and take it. You'll find that the people think they're safe, but God is giving the land to us.”


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contenido:
Six hundred men from the tribe of Dan strapped on their weapons and left Zorah and Eshtaol with their families.


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contenido:
One night they camped near Kiriath-Jearim in the territory of Judah, and that's why the place just west of Kiriath-Jearim is still known as Dan's Camp.


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contenido:
the five men who had been spies asked the other warriors, “Did you know that someone in this village has several idols and a sacred priestly vest? What do you think we should do about it?”


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contenido:
The 600 warriors left the road and went to the house on Micah's property where the young Levite priest lived. They stood at the gate and greeted the priest. Meanwhile, the five men who had been there before went into Micah's house and took the sacred priestly vest and the idols. “Hey!” the priest shouted. “What do you think you're doing?”


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contenido:
“Quiet!” the men said. “Keep your mouth shut and listen. Why don't you come with us and be our priest, so you can tell us what God wants us to do? You could stay here and be a priest for one man's family, but wouldn't you rather be the priest for a clan or even a whole tribe of Israel?”


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contenido:
from the tribe of Dan. Then they turned and left, after putting their children, their cattle, and the rest of their other possessions in front.


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contenido:
They had traveled for some time before Micah asked his neighbors to help him get his things back. He and his men caught up with the people of Dan


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contenido:
and shouted for them to stop. They turned to face him and asked, “What's wrong? Why did you bring all these men?”


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contenido:
Micah answered, “You know what's wrong. You stole the gods I made, and you took my priest. I don't have anything left.”


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contenido:
“We don't want to hear any more about it,” the people of Dan said. “And if you make us angry, you'll only get yourself and your family killed.”


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contenido:
After saying this, they turned and left. Micah realized there was no way he could win a fight with them, and so he went back home.


book: Judg
contenido:
The tribe of Dan took Micah's priest and the things Micah had made, and headed for Laish, which was located in a valley controlled by the town of Beth-Rehob. Laish was defenseless, because it had no walls and was too far from Sidon for the Sidonians to help defend it. The leaders of Laish had not even asked nearby towns to help them in case of an attack. The warriors from Dan made a surprise attack on Laish, killing everyone and burning it down. Then they rebuilt the town and settled there themselves.


book: Judg
contenido:
Even though the place of worship was in Shiloh, the people of Dan set up the idol Micah had made. They worshiped the idol, and the Levite was their priest. His name was Jonathan, and he was a descendant of Gershom the son of Moses. His descendants served as priests for the tribe of Dan, until the people of Israel were taken away as prisoners by their enemies.


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contenido:
Before kings ruled Israel, a Levite was living deep in the hill country of the Ephraim tribe. He married a woman from Bethlehem in Judah,


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contenido:
her husband decided to try and talk her into coming back. So he went to Bethlehem, taking along a servant and two donkeys. He talked with his wife, and she invited him into her family's home. Her father was glad to see him


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contenido:
and did not want him to leave. So the man stayed three days, eating and drinking with his father-in-law.


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contenido:
When everyone got up on the fourth day, the Levite started getting ready to go home. But his father-in-law said, “Don't leave until you have a bite to eat. You'll need strength for your journey.”


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contenido:
The two men sat down together and ate a big meal. “Come on,” the man's father-in-law said. “Stay tonight and have a good time.”


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contenido:
The fifth day, the man got up early to leave, but his wife's father said, “You need to keep up your strength! Why don't you leave right after lunch?” So the two of them started eating.


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contenido:
Finally, the Levite got up from the meal, so he and his wife and servant could leave. “Look,” his father-in-law said, “it's already late afternoon, and if you leave now, you won't get very far before dark. Stay with us one more night and enjoy yourself. Then you can get up early tomorrow morning and start home.”


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contenido:
But the Levite decided not to spend the night there again. He had the saddles put on his two donkeys, then he and his wife and servant traveled as far as Jebus, which is now called Jerusalem.


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contenido:
It was beginning to get dark, and the man's servant said, “Let's stop and spend the night in this town where the Jebusites live.”


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contenido:
“No,” the Levite answered. “They aren't Israelites, and I refuse to spend the night there. We'll stop for the night at Gibeah,


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contenido:
They left the road and went into Gibeah. But the Levite couldn't find a house where anyone would let them spend the night, and they sat down in the open area just inside the town gates.


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contenido:
Soon an old man came in through the gates on his way home from working in the fields. Most of the people who lived in Gibeah belonged to the tribe of Benjamin, but this man was originally from the hill country of Ephraim.


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contenido:
He noticed that the Levite was just in town to spend the night. “Where are you going?” the old man asked. “Where did you come from?”


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contenido:
“We've come from Bethlehem in Judah,” the Levite answered. “We went there on a visit. Now we're going to the place where the LORD is worshiped, and later we will return to our home in the hill country of Ephraim. But no one here will let us spend the night in their home.


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contenido:
We brought food for our donkeys and bread and wine for ourselves, so we don't need anything except a place to sleep.”


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contenido:
The old man said, “You are welcome to spend the night in my home and to be my guest, but don't stay out here!”


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contenido:
The old man brought them into his house and fed their donkeys. Then he and his guests washed their feet and began eating and drinking.


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contenido:
They were having a good time, when some worthless men of that town surrounded the house and started banging on the door and shouting, “A man came to your house tonight. Send him out, so we can have sex with him!”


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contenido:
The old man went outside and said, “My friends, please don't commit such a horrible crime against a man who is a guest in my house.


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contenido:
Let me send out my daughter instead. She's a virgin. And I'll even send out the man's wife. You can rape them or do whatever else you want, but please don't do such a horrible thing to this man.”


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contenido:
The men refused to listen, so the Levite grabbed his wife and shoved her outside. The men raped her and abused her all night long. Finally, they let her go just before sunrise,


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contenido:
and it was almost daybreak when she went back to the house where her husband was staying. She collapsed at the door and lay there until sunrise.


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contenido:
About that time, her husband woke up and got ready to leave. He opened the door and went outside, where he found his wife lying at the door with her hands on the doorstep.


book: Judg
contenido:
“Get up!” he said. “It's time to leave.” But his wife didn't move. He lifted her body onto his donkey and left.


book: Judg
contenido:
When he got home, he took a butcher knife and cut her body into twelve pieces. Then he told some messengers, “Take one piece to each tribe of Israel


book: Judg
contenido:
and ask everyone if anything like this has ever happened since Israel left Egypt. Tell them to think about it, talk it over, and tell us what should be done.” Everyone who saw a piece of the body said, “This is horrible! Nothing like this has ever happened since the day Israel left Egypt.”


book: Judg
contenido:
The Israelites called a meeting of the nation. And since they were God's people, the meeting was held at the place of worship in Mizpah. Men who could serve as soldiers came from everywhere in Israel—from Dan in the north, Beersheba in the south, and Gilead east of the Jordan River. Four hundred thousand of them came to Mizpah, and they each felt the same about what those men from the tribe of Benjamin had done. News about the meeting at Mizpah reached the tribe of Benjamin. As soon as the leaders of the tribes of Israel took their places, the Israelites said, “How could such a horrible thing happen?”


book: Judg
contenido:
The husband of the murdered woman answered: My wife and I went into the town of Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night.


book: Judg
contenido:
Later that night, the men of Gibeah surrounded the house. They wanted to kill me, but instead they raped and killed my wife.


book: Judg
contenido:
It was a terrible thing for Israelites to do! So I cut up her body and sent the pieces everywhere in Israel.


book: Judg
contenido:
We'll send one tenth of the men from each tribe to get food for the army. And we'll ask God who should attack Gibeah, because those men deserve to be punished for committing such a horrible crime in Israel.”


book: Judg
contenido:
The tribes of Israel sent messengers to every town and village in Benjamin. And wherever the messengers went, they said, “How could those worthless men in Gibeah do such a disgusting thing?


book: Judg
contenido:
We can't allow such a terrible crime to go unpunished in Israel! Hand the men over to us, and we will put them to death.” But the people of Benjamin refused to listen to the other Israelites.


book: Judg
contenido:
In this army there were 700 left-handed experts who could sling a rock at a target the size of a hair and hit it every time.


book: Judg
contenido:
So they went to the place of worship at Bethel and asked God, “Which tribe should be the first to attack the people of Benjamin?” “Judah,” the LORD answered.


book: Judg
contenido:
Benjamin's soldiers came out of Gibeah and attacked, and when the day was over, 22,000 Israelite soldiers lay dead on the ground.


book: Judg
contenido:
The people of Israel went to the place of worship and cried until sunset. Then they asked the LORD, “Should we attack the people of Benjamin again, even though they are our relatives?” “Yes,” the LORD replied, “attack them again!” The Israelite soldiers encouraged each other to be brave and to fight hard. Then the next day they went back to Gibeah and took up the same positions as they had before.


book: Judg
contenido:
That same day, Benjamin's soldiers came out of Gibeah and attacked, leaving another 18,000 Israelite soldiers dead on the battlefield.


book: Judg
contenido:
The people of Israel went to the place of worship at Bethel, where the sacred chest was being kept. They sat on the ground, crying and not eating for the rest of the day. Then about sunset, they offered sacrifices to please the LORD and to ask his blessing. Phinehas the priest then prayed, “Our LORD, the people of Benjamin are our relatives. Should we stop fighting or attack them again?” “Attack!” the LORD answered. “Tomorrow I will let you defeat them.”


book: Judg
contenido:
but this time they had a different plan. They said, “When the men of Benjamin attack, we will run off and let them chase us away from the town and into the country roads.” The soldiers of Benjamin attacked the Israelite army and started pushing it back from the town. They killed about 30 Israelites in the fields and along the road between Gibeah and Bethel. The men of Benjamin were thinking, “We're mowing them down like we did before.” The Israelites were running away, but they headed for Baal-Tamar, where they regrouped. They had set an ambush, and they were sure it would work. Ten thousand of Israel's best soldiers had been hiding west of Gibeah, and as soon as the men of Benjamin chased the Israelites into the countryside, these 10,000 soldiers made a surprise attack on the town gates. They dashed in and captured Gibeah, killing everyone there. Then they set the town on fire, because the smoke would be the signal for the other Israelite soldiers to turn and attack the soldiers of Benjamin. The fighting had been so heavy around the soldiers of Benjamin, that they did not know the trouble they were in. But then they looked back and saw clouds of smoke rising from the town. They looked in front and saw the soldiers of Israel turning to attack. This terrified them, because they realized that something horrible was happening. And it was horrible—over 25,000 soldiers of Benjamin died that day, and those who were left alive knew that the LORD had given Israel the victory.


book: Judg
contenido:
The men of Benjamin headed down the road toward the desert, trying to escape from the Israelites. But the Israelites stayed right behind them, keeping up their attack. Men even came out of the nearby towns to help kill the men of Benjamin,


book: Judg
contenido:
who were having to fight on all sides. The Israelite soldiers never let up their attack. They chased and killed the warriors of Benjamin as far as a place directly east of Gibeah,


book: Judg
contenido:
Some other warriors of Benjamin turned and ran down the road toward Rimmon Rock in the desert. The Israelites killed 5,000 of them on the road, then chased the rest until they had killed 2,000 more.


book: Judg
contenido:
The Israelites turned back and went to every town in Benjamin's territory, killing all the people and animals, and setting the towns on fire.


book: Judg
contenido:
When the Israelites had met at Mizpah before the war with Benjamin, they had made this sacred promise: “None of us will ever let our daughters marry any man from Benjamin.”


book: Judg
contenido:
After the war with Benjamin, the Israelites went to the place of worship at Bethel and sat there until sunset. They cried loudly and bitterly


book: Judg
contenido:
and prayed, “Our LORD, you are the God of Israel. Why did you let this happen? Now one of our tribes is almost gone.”


book: Judg
contenido:
Early the next morning, the Israelites built an altar and offered sacrifices to please the LORD and to ask his blessing.


book: Judg
contenido:
Then they asked each other, “Did any of the tribes of Israel fail to come to the place of worship? We made a sacred promise that anyone who didn't come to the meeting at Mizpah would be put to death.”


book: Judg
contenido:
The Israelites were sad about what had happened to the Benjamin tribe, and they said, “One of our tribes was almost wiped out.


book: Judg
contenido:
Only a few men of Benjamin weren't killed in the war. We need to get wives for them, so the tribe won't completely disappear. But how can we do that, after promising in the LORD's name that we wouldn't let them marry any of our daughters?”


book: Judg
contenido:
Again the Israelites asked, “Did any of the tribes stay away from the meeting at Mizpah?” After asking around, they discovered that no one had come from Jabesh in Gilead.


book: Judg
contenido:
So they sent 12,000 warriors with these orders: “Attack Jabesh in Gilead and kill everyone, except the women who have never been married.”


book: Judg
contenido:
The warriors attacked Jabesh in Gilead, and returned to their camp at Shiloh in Canaan with 400 young women.


book: Judg
contenido:
The Israelites met and sent messengers to the men of Benjamin at Rimmon Rock, telling them that the Israelites were willing to make peace with them.


book: Judg
contenido:
So the men of Benjamin came back from Rimmon Rock, and the Israelites let them marry the young women from Jabesh. But there weren't enough women.


book: Judg
contenido:
Then their leaders said: All the women of the Benjamin tribe were killed. How can we get wives for the men of Benjamin who are left?


book: Judg
contenido:
But we can't let the men of Benjamin marry any of our daughters. We made a sacred promise not to do that, and if we break our promise, we will be under our own curse.


book: Judg
contenido:
Then someone suggested, “What about the LORD's Festival that takes place each year in Shiloh? It's held north of Bethel, south of Lebonah, and just east of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem.”


book: Judg
contenido:
The leaders told the men of Benjamin who still did not have wives: Go to Shiloh and hide in the vineyards near the festival.


book: Judg
contenido:
Wait there for the young women of Shiloh to come out and perform their dances. Then rush out and grab one of the young women, then take her home as your wife.


book: Judg
contenido:
If the fathers or brothers of these women complain about this, we'll say, “Be kind enough to let those men keep your daughter. After all, we couldn't get enough wives for all the men of Benjamin in the battle at Jabesh. And because you didn't give them permission to marry your daughters, you won't be under the curse we earlier agreed on.”


book: Judg
contenido:
The men of Benjamin went to Shiloh and hid in the vineyards. The young women soon started dancing, and each man grabbed one of them and carried her off. Then the men of Benjamin went back to their own land and rebuilt their towns and started living in them again.


book: Ruth
contenido:
Before Israel was ruled by kings, Elimelech from the clan of Ephrath lived in the town of Bethlehem. His wife was named Naomi, and their two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. But when their crops failed in Israel, they moved to the country of Moab. And while they were there,


book: Ruth
contenido:
Later, Naomi's sons married Moabite women. One was named Orpah and the other Ruth. About ten years later,


book: Ruth
contenido:
When Naomi heard that the LORD had given his people a good harvest, she and her two daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab and go to Judah. As they were on their way there,


book: Ruth
contenido:
Naomi said to them, “Don't you want to go back home to your own mothers? You were kind to my husband and sons, and you've always been kind to me. I pray that the LORD will be just as kind to you.


book: Ruth
contenido:
But she replied, “My daughters, why don't you return home? What good will it do you to go with me? Do you think I could have more sons for you to marry?


book: Ruth
contenido:
You must go back home, because I am too old to marry again. Even if I got married tonight and later had more sons,


book: Ruth
contenido:
would you wait for them to become old enough to marry? No, my daughters! Life is harder for me than it is for you, because the LORD has turned against me.”


book: Ruth
contenido:
Naomi then said to Ruth, “Look, your sister-in-law is going back to her people and to her gods! Why don't you go with her?”


book: Ruth
contenido:
Ruth answered, “Please don't tell me to leave you and return home! I will go where you go, I will live where you live; your people will be my people, your God will be my God.


book: Ruth
contenido:
I will die where you die and be buried beside you. May the LORD punish me if we are ever separated, even by death!”


book: Ruth
contenido:
They reached Bethlehem, and the whole town was excited to see them. The women who lived there asked, “Can this really be Naomi?”


book: Ruth
contenido:
Then she told them, “Don't call me Naomi any longer! Call me Mara, because God has made my life bitter.


book: Ruth
contenido:
I had everything when I left, but the LORD has brought me back with nothing. How can you still call me Naomi, when God has turned against me and made my life so hard?”


book: Ruth
contenido:
The barley harvest was just beginning when Naomi and Ruth, her Moabite daughter-in-law, arrived in Bethlehem.


book: Ruth
contenido:
One day, Ruth said to Naomi, “Let me see if I can find someone who will let me pick up the grain left in the fields by the harvest workers.” Naomi answered, “Go ahead, my daughter.” So immediately Ruth went out to pick up grain in a field. She didn't know it was owned by Boaz, a relative of Naomi's husband Elimelech, as well as a rich and important man.


book: Ruth
contenido:
When Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and went out to his field, he said to the harvest workers, “The LORD bless you!” They replied, “And may the LORD bless you!”


book: Ruth
contenido:
She asked if she could pick up grain left by the harvest workers, and she has been working all morning without a moment's rest.”


book: Ruth
contenido:
Boaz went over to Ruth and said, “I think it would be best for you not to pick up grain in anyone else's field. Stay here with the women


book: Ruth
contenido:
and follow along behind them, as they gather up what the men have cut. I have warned the men not to bother you, and whenever you are thirsty, you can drink from their water jars.”


book: Ruth
contenido:
Ruth bowed down to the ground and said, “You know I come from another country. Why are you so good to me?”


book: Ruth
contenido:
Boaz answered, “I've heard how you've helped your mother-in-law ever since your husband died. You even left your own father and mother to come and live in a foreign land among people you don't know.


book: Ruth
contenido:
I pray that the LORD God of Israel will reward you for what you have done. And now that you have come to him for protection, I pray that he will bless you.”


book: Ruth
contenido:
Ruth replied, “Sir, it's good of you to speak kindly to me and make me feel so welcome. I'm not even one of your servants.”


book: Ruth
contenido:
At mealtime Boaz said to Ruth, “Come, eat with us. Have some bread and dip it in the sauce.” At once she sat down with the workers, and Boaz handed her some roasted grain. Ruth ate all she wanted and had some left over.


book: Ruth
contenido:
When Ruth left to start picking up grain, Boaz told his men, “Don't stop her, even if she picks up grain from where it is stacked.


book: Ruth
contenido:
Be sure to pull out some stalks of grain from the bundles and leave them on the ground for her. And don't speak harshly to her!”


book: Ruth
contenido:
Ruth worked in the field until evening. Then after she had pounded the grain off the stalks, she had a large basket full of grain.


book: Ruth
contenido:
She took the grain to town and showed Naomi how much she had picked up. Ruth also gave her the food left over from her lunch.


book: Ruth
contenido:
Naomi said, “Where did you work today? Whose field was it? God bless the man who treated you so well!” Then Ruth told her that she had worked in the field of a man named Boaz.


book: Ruth
contenido:
“The LORD bless Boaz!” Naomi replied. “He has shown that he is still loyal to the living and to the dead. Boaz is a close relative, one of those who is supposed to look after us.”


book: Ruth
contenido:
Ruth told her, “Boaz even said I could stay in the field with his workers until they had finished harvesting all his grain.”


book: Ruth
contenido:
Naomi replied, “My daughter, it's good that you can pick up grain alongside the women who work in his field. Who knows what might happen to you in someone else's field!”


book: Ruth
contenido:
And so, Ruth stayed close to the women, while picking up grain in his field. Ruth worked in the fields until the barley and wheat were harvested. And all this time she lived with Naomi.


book: Ruth
contenido:
One day, Naomi said to Ruth: It's time I found you a husband, who will give you a home and take care of you.


book: Ruth
contenido:
You have been picking up grain alongside the women who work for Boaz, and you know he is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be threshing the grain.


book: Ruth
contenido:
Now take a bath and put on some perfume, then dress in your best clothes. Go where he is working, but don't let him see you until he has finished eating and drinking.


book: Ruth
contenido:
Watch where he goes to spend the night, then when he is asleep, lift the cover and lie down at his feet. He will tell you what to do.


book: Ruth
contenido:
After Boaz finished eating and drinking and was feeling happy, he went over and fell asleep near the pile of grain. Ruth slipped over quietly. She lifted the cover and lay down near his feet.


book: Ruth
contenido:
“Who are you?” he asked. “Sir, I am Ruth,” she answered, “and you are the relative who is supposed to take care of me. So spread the edge of your cover over me.”


book: Ruth
contenido:
Boaz replied: The LORD bless you! This shows how truly loyal you are to your family. You could have looked for a younger man, either rich or poor, but you didn't.


book: Ruth
contenido:
It's true that I am one of the relatives who is supposed to take care of you, but there is someone who is an even closer relative.


book: Ruth
contenido:
Stay here until morning, then I will find out if he is willing to look after you. If he isn't, I promise by the living God to do it myself. Now go back to sleep until morning.


book: Ruth
contenido:
Ruth lay down again, but she got up before daylight, because Boaz did not want anyone to know she had been there.


book: Ruth
contenido:
Then he told her to spread out her cape. And he filled it with grain and placed it on her shoulder. When Ruth got back to town,


book: Ruth
contenido:
She also said, “Boaz gave me this grain, because he didn't want me to come back without something for you.”


book: Ruth
contenido:
Naomi replied, “Just be patient and don't worry about what will happen. He won't rest until everything is settled today!”


book: Ruth
contenido:
In the meanwhile, Boaz had gone to the meeting place at the town gate and was sitting there when the other close relative came by. So Boaz invited him to come over and sit down, and he did.


book: Ruth
contenido:
he said to the man: Naomi has come back from Moab and is selling the land that belonged to her husband Elimelech.


book: Ruth
contenido:
I'm telling you about this, since you are his closest relative and have the right to buy the property. If you want it, you can buy it now. These ten men and the others standing here can be witnesses. But if you don't want the property, let me know, because I am next in line. The man replied, “I'll buy it!”


book: Ruth
contenido:
“If you do buy it from Naomi,” Boaz told him, “you must also marry Ruth. Then if you have a son by her, the property will stay in the family of Ruth's first husband.”


book: Ruth
contenido:
The man answered, “If that's the case, I don't want to buy it! That would make problems with the property I already own. You may buy it yourself, because I cannot.”


book: Ruth
contenido:
So after the man had agreed to let Boaz buy the property, he took off one of his sandals and handed it to Boaz.


book: Ruth
contenido:
Boaz told the town leaders and everyone else: All of you are witnesses that today I have bought from Naomi the property that belonged to Elimelech and his two sons, Chilion and Mahlon.


book: Ruth
contenido:
You are also witnesses that I have agreed to marry Mahlon's widow Ruth, the Moabite woman. This will keep the property in his family's name, and he will be remembered in this town.


book: Ruth
contenido:
The town leaders and the others standing there said: We are witnesses to this. And we pray that the LORD will give your wife many children, just as he did Leah and Rachel, the wives of Jacob. May you be a rich man in the tribe of Ephrath and an important man in Bethlehem.


book: Ruth
contenido:
May the children you have by this young woman make your family as famous as the family of Perez, the son of Tamar and Judah.


book: Ruth
contenido:
After his birth, the women said to Naomi: Praise the LORD! Today he has given you a grandson to take care of you. We pray that the boy will grow up to be famous everywhere in Israel.


book: Ruth
contenido:
He will make you happy and take care of you in your old age, because he is the son of your daughter-in-law. And she loves you more than seven sons of your own would love you.


book: Ruth
contenido:
The neighborhood women named him Obed, but they called him “Naomi's Boy.” When Obed grew up he had a son named Jesse, who later became the father of King David.


book: Ruth
contenido:
Here is a list of the ancestors of David: Jesse, Obed, Boaz, Salmon, Nahshon, Amminadab, Ram, Hezron, and Perez.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Elkanah lived in Ramah, a town in the hill country of Ephraim. His great-great-grandfather was Zuph, so Elkanah was a member of the Zuph clan of the Ephraim tribe. Elkanah's father was Jeroham, his grandfather was Elihu, and his great-grandfather was Tohu.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Although Peninnah had children, Hannah did not have any.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Once a year Elkanah traveled from his hometown to Shiloh, where he worshiped the LORD All-Powerful and offered sacrifices. Eli was the LORD's priest there, and his two sons Hophni and Phinehas served with him as priests.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Whenever Elkanah offered a sacrifice, he gave some of the meat to Peninnah and some to each of her sons and daughters.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
But he gave Hannah even more, because he loved Hannah very much, even though the LORD had kept her from having children of her own.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
especially when the family went to the house of the LORD each year. One day, Elkanah was there offering a sacrifice, when Hannah began crying and refused to eat.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
So Elkanah asked, “Hannah, why are you crying? Why won't you eat? Why do you feel so bad? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
When the sacrifice had been offered, and they had eaten the meal, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli was sitting in his chair near the door to the place of worship.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
“LORD All-Powerful, I am your servant, but I am so miserable! Please let me have a son. I promise to give him to you for as long as he lives, and his hair will never be cut.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Hannah prayed silently to the LORD for a long time. But her lips were moving, and Eli thought she was drunk.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
“Sir, please don't think I'm no good!” Hannah answered. “I'm not drunk, and I haven't been drinking. But I do feel miserable and terribly upset. I've been praying all this time, telling the LORD about my problems.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
“Sir, thank you for being so kind to me,” Hannah said. Then she left, and after eating something, she felt much better.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Elkanah and his family got up early the next morning and worshiped the LORD. Then they went back home to Ramah. Later the LORD blessed Elkanah and Hannah


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The next time Elkanah and his family went to offer their yearly sacrifice, he took along a gift that he had promised to give to the LORD.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
But Hannah stayed home, because she had told Elkanah, “Samuel and I won't go until he's old enough for me to stop nursing him. Then I'll give him to the LORD, and he can stay there at Shiloh for the rest of his life.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
“You know what's best,” Elkanah said. “Stay here until it's time to stop nursing him. I'm sure the LORD will help you do what you have promised.” Hannah did not go to Shiloh until she stopped nursing Samuel.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
When it was the time of year to go to Shiloh again, Hannah and Elkanah took Samuel to the LORD's house. They brought along a three-year-old bull, a sack containing about nine kilograms of flour, and a clay jar full of wine. Hannah and Elkanah offered the bull as a sacrifice, then brought the little boy to Eli.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Now I am giving him to the LORD, and he will be the LORD's servant for as long as he lives.” Elkanah worshiped the LORD there at Shiloh, and


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Hannah prayed: You make me strong and happy, LORD. You rescued me. Now I can be glad and laugh at my enemies.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
I can tell those proud people, “Stop your boasting! Nothing is hidden from the LORD, and he judges what we do.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
People who once had plenty to eat must now hire themselves out for only a piece of bread. But you give the hungry more than enough to eat. A woman did not have a child, and you gave her seven, but a woman who had many was left with none.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
You take away life, and you give life. You send people down to the world of the dead and bring them back again.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Our LORD, you are the one who makes us rich or poor. You put some in high positions and bring disgrace on others.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
You lift the poor and homeless out of the garbage dump and give them places of honor in royal palaces. You set the world on foundations, and they belong to you.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
You protect your loyal people, but everyone who is evil will die in darkness. We cannot win a victory by our own strength.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Our LORD, those who attack you will be broken in pieces when you fight back with thunder from heaven. You will judge the whole earth and give power and strength to your chosen king.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Eli's sons were priests, but they were dishonest and refused to obey the LORD. So, while people were boiling the meat from their sacrifices, these priests would send over a servant with a large, three-pronged fork.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The servant would stick the fork into the cooking pot, and whatever meat came out on the fork was taken back to Eli's two sons. That was how they treated every Israelite who came to offer sacrifices in Shiloh.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Sometimes, when people were offering sacrifices, the servant would come over, even before the fat had been cut off and sacrificed to the LORD. Then the servant would tell them, “The priest doesn't want his meat boiled! Give him some raw meat that he can roast!”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Usually the people answered, “Take what you want. But first, let us sacrifice the fat to the LORD.” “No,” the servant would reply. “If you don't give it to me now, I'll take it by force.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Eli's sons did not show any respect for the sacrifices that the people offered. This was a terrible sin, and it made the LORD very angry.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
and the clothes his mother made for him. She brought new clothes every year, when she and her husband came to offer sacrifices at Shiloh.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Eli always blessed Elkanah and his wife and said, “Samuel was born in answer to your prayers. Now you have given him to the LORD. I pray that the LORD will bless you with more children to take his place.” After Eli had blessed them, Elkanah and Hannah would return home.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The LORD was kind to Hannah, and she had three more sons and two daughters. But Samuel grew up at the LORD's house in Shiloh.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
“Why are you doing these awful things?” he asked them. “I've been hearing nothing but complaints about you from all of the LORD's people.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
If you harm another person, God can help make things right between the two of you. But if you commit a crime against the LORD, no one can help you!” But the LORD had already decided to kill them. So he kept them from listening to their father.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
One day a prophet came to Eli and gave him this message from the LORD: When your ancestors were slaves of the king of Egypt, I came and showed them who I am.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Out of all the tribes of Israel, I chose your family to be my priests. I wanted them to offer sacrifices and burn incense to me and to find out from me what I want my people to do. I commanded everyone to bring their sacrifices here where I live, and I allowed you and your family to keep those that were not offered to me on the altar. But you honor your sons instead of me! You don't respect the sacrifices and offerings that are brought to me, and you've all grown fat from eating the best parts.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
I am the LORD, the God of Israel. I promised to always let your family serve me as priests, but now I tell you that I cannot do this any longer! I honor anyone who honors me, but I put a curse on anyone who hates me.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The time will come when I will kill you and everyone else in your family. Not one of you will live to an old age.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Your family will have a lot of trouble. I will be kind to Israel, but everyone in your family will die young.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
If I let anyone from your family be a priest, his life will be full of sadness and sorrow. But most of the men in your family will die a violent death!


book: 1Sam
contenido:
To prove to you that I will do these things, your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will die on the same day.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
I have chosen someone else to be my priest, someone who will be faithful and obey me. I will always let his family serve as priests and help my chosen king.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
But if anyone is left from your family, he will come to my priest and beg for money or a little bread. He may even say to my priest, “Please let me be a priest, so I will at least have something to eat.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Samuel served the LORD by helping Eli the priest, who was by that time almost blind. In those days, the LORD hardly ever spoke directly to people, and he did not appear to them in dreams very often. But one night, Eli was asleep in his room,


book: 1Sam
contenido:
and Samuel was sleeping on a mat near the sacred chest in the LORD's house. They had not been asleep very long


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Then he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. What do you want?” “I didn't call you,” Eli answered. “Go back to bed.” Samuel went back.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Again the LORD called out Samuel's name. Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am,” he said. “What do you want?” Eli told him, “Son, I didn't call you. Go back to sleep.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
When the LORD called out his name for the third time, Samuel went to Eli again and said, “Here I am. What do you want?” Eli finally realized that it was the LORD who was speaking to Samuel.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
So he said, “Go back and lie down! If someone speaks to you again, answer, ‘I'm listening, LORD. What do you want me to do?’ ” Once again Samuel went back and lay down.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The LORD then stood beside Samuel and called out as he had done before, “Samuel! Samuel!” “I'm listening,” Samuel answered. “What do you want me to do?”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The LORD said: Samuel, I am going to do something in Israel that will shock everyone who hears about it!


book: 1Sam
contenido:
He knew that his sons refused to respect me, and he let them get away with it, even though I said I would punish his family forever.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
I warned Eli that sacrifices or offerings could never make things right! His family has done too many disgusting things.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The next morning, Samuel got up and opened the doors to the LORD's house. He was afraid to tell Eli what the LORD had said.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Eli said, “What did God say to you? Tell me everything. I'll ask God to punish you terribly if you don't tell me every word he said!”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
From the town of Dan in the north to the town of Beersheba in the south, everyone in the country knew that Samuel was truly the LORD's prophet.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Then Samuel would speak to the whole nation of Israel. One day the Israelites went out to fight the Philistines. They set up camp near Ebenezer, and the Philistines camped at Aphek.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The Israelite army returned to their camp, and the leaders said, “Why did the LORD let us lose to the Philistines today? Let's get the sacred chest where the LORD's agreement with Israel is kept. Then the LORD will help us and rescue us from our enemies.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The army sent some soldiers to bring back the sacred chest from Shiloh, because the LORD All-Powerful has his throne on the winged creatures on top of the chest. As Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas,


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The Philistines heard the noise and said, “What are those Hebrews shouting about?” When the Philistines learned that the sacred chest had been brought into the camp,


book: 1Sam
contenido:
they were scared to death and said: The gods have come into their camp. Now we're in real trouble! Nothing like this has ever happened to us before.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
We're in big trouble! Who can save us from these powerful gods? They're the same gods who made all those horrible things happen to the Egyptians in the desert.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Philistines, be brave and fight hard! If you don't, those Hebrews will rule us, just as we've been ruling them. Fight and don't be afraid.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The Philistines did fight. They killed 30,000 Israelite soldiers, and all the rest ran off to their homes.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
That same day a soldier from the tribe of Benjamin ran from the battlefront to Shiloh. He had torn his clothes and put dirt on his head to show his sorrow.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
He went into town and told the news about the battle, and everyone started crying. Eli was afraid that something might happen to the sacred chest. So he was sitting on his chair beside the road, just waiting.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
He was 98 years old and blind, but he could hear everyone crying, and he asked, “What's all that noise?” The soldier hurried over and told Eli,


book: 1Sam
contenido:
“Israel ran away from the Philistines,” the soldier answered. “Many of our people were killed, including your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas. But worst of all, the sacred chest was captured.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Eli was still sitting on a chair beside the wall of the town gate. And when the man said that the Philistines had taken the sacred chest, Eli fell backwards. He was a very heavy old man, and the fall broke his neck and killed him. He had been a leader of Israel for 40 years.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The wife of Phinehas was about to give birth. And soon after she heard that the sacred chest had been captured and that her husband and his father had died, her baby came. The birth was very hard,


book: 1Sam
contenido:
and she was dying. But the women taking care of her said, “Don't be afraid—it's a boy!” She didn't pay any attention to them.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Instead she kept thinking about losing her husband and her father-in-law. So she said, “My son will be named Ichabod, because the glory of Israel left our country when the sacred chest was captured.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
They brought it into the temple of their god Dagon and put it next to the statue of Dagon, which they worshiped.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, they found the statue lying facedown on the floor in front of the sacred chest. They put the statue back where it belonged.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
But early the next morning, it had fallen over again and was lying facedown on the floor in front of the chest. The body of the statue was still in one piece, but its head and both hands had broken off and were lying on the stone floor in the doorway.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
This is why the priests and everyone else step over that part of the doorway when they enter the temple of Dagon in Ashdod.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The LORD caused a lot of trouble for the people of Ashdod and their neighbors. He made sores break out all over their bodies, and everyone was in a panic.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Finally, they said, “The God of Israel did this. He is the one who caused all this trouble for us and our god Dagon. We've got to get rid of this chest.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The people of Ashdod invited all the Philistine rulers to come to Ashdod, and they asked them, “What can we do with the sacred chest that belongs to the God of Israel?” “Send it to Gath,” the rulers answered. But after they took it there,


book: 1Sam
contenido:
so they sent the sacred chest to Ekron. But before they could take it through the town gates, the people of Ekron started screaming, “They've brought the sacred chest that belongs to the God of Israel! It will kill us and our families too!”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The people of Ekron called for another meeting of the Philistine rulers and told them, “Send this chest back where it belongs. Then it won't kill us.” Everyone was in a panic, because God was causing a lot of people to die,


book: 1Sam
contenido:
the Philistines called in their priests and fortunetellers, and asked, “What should we do with this sacred chest? Tell us how to send it back where it belongs!”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
“Don't send it back without a gift,” the priests and fortunetellers answered. “Send along something to Israel's God to make up for taking the chest in the first place. Then you will be healed, and you will find out why the LORD was causing you so much trouble.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
“What should we send?” the Philistines asked. The priests and fortunetellers answered: There are five Philistine rulers, and they all have the same disease that you have.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
So make five gold models of the sores and five gold models of the rats that are wiping out your crops. If you honor the God of Israel with this gift, maybe he will stop causing trouble for you and your gods and your crops.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Don't be like the Egyptians and their king. They were stubborn, but when Israel's God was finished with them, they had to let Israel go.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Get a new cart and two cows that have young calves and that have never pulled a cart. Hitch the cows to the cart, but take the calves back to their barn.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Then put the chest on the cart. Put the gold rats and sores into a bag and put it on the cart next to the chest. Then send it on its way.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Watch to see if the chest goes on up the road to the Israelite town of Beth-Shemesh. If it goes back to its own country, you will know that it was the LORD who made us suffer so badly. But if the chest doesn't go back to its own country, then the LORD had nothing to do with the disease that hit us—it was simply bad luck.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The Philistines followed their advice. They hitched up the two cows to the cart, but they kept their calves in a barn.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The cows went straight up the road toward Beth-Shemesh, mooing as they went. The Philistine rulers followed them until they got close to Beth-Shemesh.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The people of Beth-Shemesh were harvesting their wheat in the valley. When they looked up and saw the chest, they were so happy that they stopped working and started celebrating.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The cows left the road and pulled the cart into a field that belonged to Joshua from Beth-Shemesh, and they stopped beside a huge rock. Some men from the tribe of Levi were there. So they took the chest off the cart and placed it on the rock, and then they did the same thing with the bag of gold rats and sores. A few other people chopped up the cart and made a fire. They killed the cows and burned them as sacrifices to the LORD. After that, they offered more sacrifices.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
When the five rulers of the Philistines saw what had happened, they went back to Ekron that same day.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
That is how the Philistines sent gifts to the LORD to make up for taking the sacred chest. They sent five gold sores, one each for their towns of Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
They also sent one gold rat for each walled town and for every village that the five Philistine rulers controlled. The huge stone where the Levites set the chest is still there in Joshua's field as a reminder of what happened.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Some of the men of Beth-Shemesh looked inside the sacred chest, and the LORD God killed 70 of them. This made the people of Beth-Shemesh very sad,


book: 1Sam
contenido:
and they started saying, “No other God is like the LORD! Who can go near him and stay alive? We'll have to send the chest away from here. But where can we send it?”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
They sent messengers to tell the people of Kiriath-Jearim, “The Philistines have sent back the sacred chest. Why don't you take it and keep it there with you?”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The people of Kiriath-Jearim got the chest and took it to Abinadab's house, which was on a hill in their town. They chose his son Eleazar to take care of it,


book: 1Sam
contenido:
and it stayed there for 20 years. During this time everyone in Israel was very sad and begged the LORD for help.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
One day, Samuel told all the people of Israel, “If you really want to turn back to the LORD, then prove it. Get rid of your foreign idols, including the ones of the goddess Astarte. Turn to the LORD with all your heart and worship only him. Then he will rescue you from the Philistines.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Then Samuel said, “Tell everyone in Israel to meet together at Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The Israelites met together at Mizpah with Samuel as their leader. They drew water from the well and poured it out as an offering to the LORD. On that same day they went without eating to show their sorrow, and they confessed they had been unfaithful to the LORD.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
When the Philistine rulers found out about the meeting at Mizpah, they sent an army there to attack the people of Israel. The Israelites were afraid when they heard that the Philistines were coming.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Samuel begged the LORD to rescue Israel, then he sacrificed a young lamb to the LORD. Samuel had not even finished offering the sacrifice when the Philistines started to attack. But the LORD answered his prayer and made thunder crash all around them. The Philistines panicked and ran away.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The men of Israel left Mizpah and went after them as far as the hillside below Beth-Car, killing every enemy soldier they caught.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The Philistines were so badly beaten that it was quite a while before they attacked Israel again. After the battle, Samuel set up a monument between Mizpah and the rocky cliffs. He named it “Help Monument” to remind Israel how much the LORD had helped them. For as long as Samuel lived, the LORD helped Israel fight the Philistines.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The Israelites were even able to recapture their towns and territory between Ekron and Gath. Israel was also at peace with the Amorites.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Every year he would go around to the towns of Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah where he served as judge for the people.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Then he would go back to his home in Ramah and do the same thing there. He also had an altar built for the LORD at Ramah.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Samuel had two sons. The older one was Joel, and the younger one was Abijah. When Samuel was getting old, he let them be leaders at Beersheba.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
But they were not like their father. They were dishonest and accepted bribes to give unfair decisions.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
and said, “You are an old man. You set a good example for your sons, but they haven't followed it. Now we want a king to be our leader, just like all the other nations. Choose one for us!”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The LORD answered: Samuel, do everything they want you to do. I am really the one they have rejected as their king.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Ever since the day I rescued my people from Egypt, they have turned from me to worship idols. Now they are turning away from you.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
If you have a king, this is how he will treat you. He will force your sons to join his army. Some of them will ride in his chariots, some will serve in the cavalry, and others will run ahead of his own chariot.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Some of them will be officers in charge of 1,000 soldiers, and others will be in charge of 50. Still others will have to farm the king's land and harvest his crops, or make weapons and parts for his chariots.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The king will take your best fields, as well as your vineyards, and olive orchards and give them to his own officials.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
and you will finally cry out for the LORD to save you from the king you wanted. But the LORD won't answer your prayers.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The people would not listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want to be like other nations. We want a king to rule us and lead us in battle.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
“Do what they want,” the LORD answered. “Give them a king.” Samuel told the people to go back to their homes.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Kish was a wealthy man who belonged to the tribe of Benjamin. His father was Abiel, his grandfather was Zeror, his great-grandfather was Becorath, and his great-great-grandfather was Aphiah.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Kish had a son named Saul, who was better looking and more than a head taller than anyone else in all Israel.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Kish owned some donkeys, but they had run off. So he told Saul, “Take one of the servants and go look for the donkeys.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Saul and the servant went through the hill country of Ephraim and the territory of Shalishah, but they could not find the donkeys. Then they went through the territories of Shaalim and Benjamin, but still there was no sign of the donkeys.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Finally they came to the territory where the clan of Zuph lived. “Let's go back home,” Saul told his servant. “If we don't go back soon, my father will stop worrying about the donkeys and start worrying about us!”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
“Wait!” the servant answered. “There's a man of God who lives in a town near here. He's amazing! Everything he says comes true. Let's talk to him. Maybe he can tell us where to look.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Saul said, “How can we talk to the prophet when I don't have anything to give him? We don't even have any bread left in our sacks. What can we give him?”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
“I have a small piece of silver,” the servant answered. “We can give him that, and then he will tell us where to look for the donkeys.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
“Great!” Saul replied. “Let's go to the man who can see visions!” He said this because in those days God would answer questions by giving visions to prophets. Saul and his servant went to the town where the prophet lived.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to get water, and the two men said to them, “We're looking for the man who can see visions. Is he in town?”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
“Yes, he is,” they replied. “He's in town today because there's going to be a sacrifice and a sacred meal at the place of worship. In fact, he's just ahead of you. Hurry


book: 1Sam
contenido:
and you should find him right inside the town gate. He's on his way out to the place of worship to eat with the invited guests. They can't start eating until he blesses the sacrifice. If you go now, you should find him.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
They went to the town, and just as they were going through the gate, Samuel was coming out on his way to the place of worship.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
“I've seen how my people are suffering, and I've heard their call for help. About this time tomorrow I'll send you a man from the tribe of Benjamin, who will rescue my people from the Philistines. I want you to pour olive oil on his head to show that he will be their leader.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Samuel looked at Saul, and the LORD told Samuel, “This is the man I told you about. He's the one who will rule Israel.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Saul went over to Samuel in the gateway and said, “A man who can see visions lives here in town. Could you tell me the way to his house?”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
“I am the one who sees visions!” Samuel answered. “Go on up to the place of worship. You will eat with me today, and in the morning I'll answer your questions.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Don't worry about your donkeys that ran off three days ago. They've already been found. Everything of value in Israel now belongs to you and your family.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
“Why are you telling me this?” Saul asked. “I'm from Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my clan is the least important in the tribe.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Samuel took Saul and his servant into the dining room at the place of worship. About 30 people were there for the dinner, but Samuel gave Saul and his servant the places of honor.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Then Samuel told the cook, “I gave you the best piece of meat and told you to set it aside. Bring it here now.” The cook brought the meat over and set it down in front of Saul. “This is for you,” Samuel told him. “Go ahead and eat it. I had this piece saved especially for you, and I invited these guests to eat with you.” After Saul and Samuel had finished eating,


book: 1Sam
contenido:
they went down from the place of worship and back into town. A bed was set up for Saul on the flat roof of Samuel's house,


book: 1Sam
contenido:
and Saul slept there. About sunrise the next morning, Samuel called up to Saul on the roof, “Time to get up! I'll help you get started on your way.” Saul got up. He and Samuel left together


book: 1Sam
contenido:
and had almost reached the edge of town when Samuel stopped and said, “Tell your servant go on. Stay here with me for a few minutes, and I'll tell you what God has told me.” After the servant had gone,


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Samuel took a small jar of olive oil and poured it on Saul's head. Then he kissed Saul and told him: The LORD has chosen you to be the leader and ruler of his people.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
When you leave me today, you'll meet two men near Rachel's tomb at Zelzah in the territory of Benjamin. They'll tell you, “The donkeys you've been looking for have been found. Your father has forgotten about them, and now he's worrying about you! He's wondering how he can find you.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Go on from there until you reach the big oak tree at Tabor, where you'll meet three men on their way to worship God at Bethel. One of them will be leading three young goats, another will be carrying three round loaves of bread, and the last one will be carrying a clay jar of wine.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Next, go to Gibeah, where the Philistines have an army camp. As you're going into the town, you'll meet a group of prophets coming down from the place of worship. They'll be going along prophesying while others are walking in front of them, playing small harps, small drums, and flutes.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The Spirit of the LORD will suddenly take control of you. You'll become a different person and start prophesying right along with them.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Then go to Gilgal. I'll come a little later, so wait for me. It may even take a week for me to get there, but when I come, I'll offer sacrifices to please the LORD and to ask for his blessings. I'll also tell you what to do next.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
As Saul turned around to leave Samuel, God made Saul feel like a different person. That same day, everything happened just as Samuel had said.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
When Saul arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met him. The Spirit of God suddenly took control of him, and right there in the middle of the group he began prophesying.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Some people who had known Saul for a long time saw that he was speaking and behaving like a prophet. They said to each other, “What's happened? How can Saul be a prophet?”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
“Why not?” one of them answered. “Saul has as much right to be a prophet as anyone else!” That's why everyone started saying, “How can Saul be a prophet?”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Later, Saul's uncle asked him, “Where have you been?” Saul answered, “Looking for the donkeys. We couldn't find them, so we went to talk with Samuel.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Saul answered, “He told us the donkeys had been found.” But Saul didn't mention that Samuel had chosen him to be king.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
When everyone had arrived, Samuel said: The LORD God of Israel told me to remind you that he had rescued you from the Egyptians and from the other nations that abused you.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
God has rescued you from your troubles and hard times. But you have rejected your God and have asked for a king. Now each tribe and clan must come near the place of worship so the LORD can choose a king.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Samuel brought each tribe, one after the other, to the altar, and the LORD chose the Benjamin tribe.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Next, Samuel brought each clan of Benjamin there, and the LORD chose the Matri clan. Finally, Saul the son of Kish was chosen. But when they looked for him, he was nowhere to be found.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The people prayed, “Our LORD, is Saul here?” “Yes,” the LORD answered, “he is hiding behind the baggage.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The people ran and got Saul and brought him into the middle of the crowd. He was more than a head taller than anyone else.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
“Look closely at the man the LORD has chosen!” Samuel told the crowd. “There is no one like him!” The crowd shouted, “Long live the king!”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Samuel explained the rights and duties of a king and wrote them all in a book. He put the book in one of the shrines where the LORD was worshiped. Then Samuel sent everyone home.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
God had encouraged some young men to become followers of Saul, and when he returned to his hometown of Gibeah, they went with him.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
But some worthless fools said, “How can someone like Saul rescue us from our enemies?” They did not want Saul to be their king, and so they didn't bring him any gifts. But Saul kept calm.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
About this time, King Nahash of Ammon came with his army and surrounded the town of Jabesh in Gilead. The people who lived there told Nahash, “If you will sign a peace treaty with us, you can be our ruler, and we will pay taxes to you.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Nahash answered, “Sure, I'll sign a treaty! But not before I insult Israel by poking out the right eye of every man who lives in Jabesh.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The town leaders said, “Give us seven days so we can send messengers everywhere in Israel to ask for help. If no one comes here to save us, we will surrender to you.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Some of the messengers went to Gibeah, Saul's hometown. They told what was happening at Jabesh, and everyone in Gibeah started crying.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Just then, Saul came in from the fields, walking behind his oxen. “Why is everyone crying?” Saul asked. They told him what the men from Jabesh had said.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Saul killed two of his oxen, cut them up in pieces, and gave the pieces to the messengers. He told them to show the pieces to everyone in Israel and say, “Saul and Samuel are getting an army together. Come and join them. If you don't, this is what will happen to your oxen!” The LORD made the people of Israel terribly afraid. So all the men came together


book: 1Sam
contenido:
at Bezek. Saul had them organized and counted. There were 300,000 from Israel and 30,000 from Judah.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Saul and his officers sent the messengers back to Jabesh with this promise: “We will rescue you tomorrow afternoon.” The messengers went back to the people at Jabesh and told them that they were going to be rescued. Everyone was encouraged!


book: 1Sam
contenido:
So they told the Ammonites, “We will surrender to you tomorrow, and then you can do whatever you want to.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The next day, Saul divided his army into three groups and attacked before daylight. They started killing Ammonites and kept it up until afternoon. A few Ammonites managed to escape, but they were scattered far from each other.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The Israelite soldiers went to Samuel and demanded, “Where are the men who said they didn't want Saul to be king? Bring them to us, and we will put them to death!”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
“Come on!” Samuel said. “Let's go to Gilgal and make an agreement that Saul will continue to be our king.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Everyone went to the place of worship at Gilgal, where they agreed that Saul would be their king. Saul and the people sacrificed animals to ask for the LORD's blessing, and they had a big celebration.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
You have seen how I have led you ever since I was a young man. I'm already old. My hair is gray, and my own sons are grown. Now you must see how well your king will lead you.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Let me ask this. Have I ever taken anyone's ox or donkey or forced you to give me anything? Have I ever hurt anyone or taken a bribe to give an unfair decision? Answer me so the LORD and his chosen king can hear you. And if I have done any of these things, I will give it all back.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Samuel said, “The LORD and his chosen king are witnesses to what you have said.” “That's true,” they replied.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Then Samuel told them: The LORD brought your ancestors out of Egypt and chose Moses and Aaron to be your leaders.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Now the LORD will be your judge. So stand here and listen, while I remind you how often the LORD has saved you and your ancestors from your enemies.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
After Jacob went to Egypt, your ancestors cried out to the LORD for help, and he sent Moses and Aaron. They brought your ancestors out of Egypt and led them here to settle this land.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
But your ancestors forgot the LORD, so he let them be defeated by the Philistines, the king of Moab, and Sisera, the commander of Hazor's army.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Again your ancestors cried out to the LORD for help. They said, “We have sinned! We stopped worshiping you, our LORD, and started worshiping Baal and Astarte. But now, if you rescue us from our enemies, we will worship you.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The LORD sent Gideon, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel to rescue you from your enemies, and you didn't have to worry about being attacked.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Then you saw that King Nahash of Ammon was going to attack you. And even though the LORD your God is your king, you told me, “This time it's different. We want a king to rule us!”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
You asked for a king, and you chose one. Now he stands here where all of you can see him. But it was really the LORD who made him your king.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
If you and your king want to be followers of the LORD, you must worship him and do what he says. Don't be stubborn!


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Isn't this the dry season? I'm going to ask the LORD to send a thunderstorm. When you see it, you will realize how wrong you were to ask for a king.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Samuel prayed, and that same day the LORD sent a thunderstorm. Everyone was afraid of the LORD and of Samuel.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
They told Samuel, “Please, pray to the LORD your God for us! We don't want to die. We have sinned many times in the past, and we were very wrong to ask for a king.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Samuel answered: Even though what you did was wrong, you don't need to be afraid. But you must always follow the LORD and worship him with all your heart.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Don't worship idols! They don't have any power, and they can't help you or save you when you're in trouble.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
But the LORD has chosen you to be his own people. He will always take care of you so that everyone will know how great he is.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
I would be disobeying the LORD if I stopped praying for you! I will always teach you how to live right.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
You also must obey the LORD—you must worship him with all your heart and remember the great things he has done for you.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Then he chose 3,000 men from Israel to be full-time soldiers and sent everyone else home. Two thousand of these troops stayed with him in the hills around Michmash and Bethel. The other 1,000 were stationed with Jonathan at Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Jonathan led an attack on the Philistine army camp at Geba. The Philistine camp was destroyed, but the other Philistines heard what had happened. Then Saul told his messengers, “Go to every village in the country. Give a signal with the trumpet, and when the people come together, tell them what has happened.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The messengers then said to the people of Israel, “Saul has destroyed the Philistine army camp at Geba. Now the Philistines really hate Israel, so every town and village must send men to join Saul's army at Gilgal.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The Philistines called their army together to fight Israel. They had 3,000 chariots, 6,000 cavalry, and as many foot soldiers as there are grains of sand on the beach. They went to Michmash and set up camp there east of Beth-Aven.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The Israelite army realized that they were outnumbered and were going to lose the battle. Some of the Israelite men hid in caves or in clumps of bushes, and some ran to places where they could hide among large rocks. Others hid in tombs or in deep dry pits.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Still others went to Gad and Gilead on the other side of the Jordan River. Saul stayed at Gilgal. His soldiers were shaking with fear,


book: 1Sam
contenido:
and they were starting to run off and leave him. Saul waited there seven days, just as Samuel had ordered him to do, but Samuel did not come.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Finally, Saul commanded, “Bring me some animals, so we can offer sacrifices to please the LORD and ask for his help.” Saul killed one of the animals,


book: 1Sam
contenido:
“What have you done?” Samuel asked. Saul answered, “My soldiers were leaving in all directions, and you didn't come when you were supposed to. The Philistines were gathering at Michmash,


book: 1Sam
contenido:
and I was worried that they would attack me here at Gilgal. I hadn't offered a sacrifice to ask for the LORD's help, so I forced myself to offer a sacrifice on the altar fire.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
“That was stupid!” Samuel said. “You didn't obey the LORD your God. If you had obeyed him, someone from your family would always have been king of Israel.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
But no, you disobeyed, and so the LORD won't choose anyone else from your family to be king. In fact, he has already chosen the one he wants to be the next leader of his people.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Then Samuel left Gilgal. Part of Saul's army had not deserted him, and he led them to Gibeah in Benjamin to join his other troops. Then he counted them and found that he still had 600 men.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Saul, Jonathan, and their army set up camp at Geba in Benjamin. The Philistine army was camped at Michmash.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Each day they sent out patrols to attack and rob villages and then destroy them. One patrol would go north along the road to Ophrah in the region of Shual.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Another patrol would go west along the road to Beth-Horon. A third patrol would go east toward the desert on the road to the ridge that overlooks Zeboim Valley.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The Philistines would not allow any Israelites to learn how to make iron tools. “If we allowed that,” they said, “those worthless Israelites would make swords and spears.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Whenever the Israelites wanted to get an iron point put on a cattle prod, they had to go to the Philistines. Even if they wanted to sharpen plow-blades, picks, axes, sickles, and pitchforks they still had to go to them. And the Philistines charged high prices.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
So, whenever the Israelite soldiers had to go into battle, none of them had a sword or a spear except Saul and his son Jonathan.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
and Saul was in Geba with his 600 men. Saul's own tent was set up under a fruit tree by the threshing place at the edge of town. Ahijah was serving as priest, and one of his jobs was to get answers from the LORD for Saul. Ahijah's father was Ahitub, and his father's brother was Ichabod. Ahijah's grandfather was Phinehas, and his great-grandfather Eli had been the LORD's priest at Shiloh. One day, Jonathan told the soldier who carried his weapons that he wanted to attack the Philistine camp on the other side of the valley. So they slipped out of the Israelite camp without anyone knowing it. Jonathan didn't even tell his father he was leaving.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Jonathan decided to get to the Philistine camp by going through the pass that led between Shiny Cliff and Michmash to the north and Thornbush Cliff and Geba to the south.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Jonathan and the soldier who carried his weapons talked as they went toward the Philistine camp. “It's just the two of us against all those godless men,” Jonathan said. “But the LORD can help a few soldiers win a battle just as easily as he can help a whole army. Maybe the LORD will help us win this battle.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
But we will go if they tell us to come up the hill and fight. That will mean the LORD is going to help us win.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Jonathan and the soldier stood at the bottom of the hill where the Philistines could see them. The Philistines said, “Look! Those worthless Israelites have crawled out of the holes where they've been hiding.” Then they yelled down to Jonathan and the soldier, “Come up here, and we will teach you a thing or two!” Jonathan turned to the soldier and said, “Follow me! The LORD is going to let us win.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Jonathan crawled up the hillside with the soldier right behind him. When they got to the top, Jonathan killed the Philistines who attacked from the front, and the soldier killed those who attacked from behind.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The whole Philistine army panicked—those in camp, those on guard duty, those in the fields, and those on raiding patrols. All of them were afraid and confused. Then God sent an earthquake, and the ground began to tremble.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Saul's lookouts at Geba saw that the Philistine army was running in every direction, like melted wax.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Saul told his officers, “Call the roll and find out who left our camp.” When they had finished, they found out that Jonathan and the soldier who carried his weapons were missing.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
At that time, Ahijah was serving as priest for the army of Israel, and Saul told him, “Come over here! Let's ask God what we should do.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Just as Saul finished saying this, he could see that the Philistine army camp was getting more and more confused, and he said, “Ahijah, never mind!”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Saul quickly called his army together, then led them to the Philistine camp. By this time the Philistines were so confused that they were killing each other.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
There were also some hired soldiers in the Philistine camp, who now switched to Israel's side and fought for Saul and Jonathan.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Many Israelites had been hiding in the hill country of Ephraim. And when they heard that the Philistines were running away, they came out of hiding and joined in chasing the Philistines.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
So the LORD helped Israel win the battle that day. Saul had earlier told his soldiers, “I want to get even with those Philistines by sunset. If any of you eat before then, you will be under a curse!” So he made them swear not to eat. By the time the fighting moved past Beth-Aven, the Israelite troops were weak from hunger.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
The army and the people who lived nearby had gone into a forest, and they came to a place where honey was dripping on the ground. But no one ate any of it, because they were afraid of being put under the curse.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Jonathan did not know about Saul's warning to the soldiers. So he dipped the end of his walking stick in the honey and ate some with his fingers. He felt stronger and more alert.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Then a soldier told him, “Your father swore that anyone who ate food today would be put under a curse, and we agreed not to eat. That's why we're so weak.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
Jonathan said, “My father has caused you a lot of trouble. Look at me! I ate only a little of this honey, but already I feel strong and alert.


book: 1Sam
contenido:
I wish you had eaten some of the food the Philistines left behind. We would have been able to kill a lot more of them.”


book: 1Sam
contenido:
By evening the Israelite army was exhausted from killing Philistines all the way from Michmash to Aijalon.


