Thursday in Season after Pentecost

6Verse 6. After Joshua had dismissed the people, the Israelites went out to take possession of the land, each to his own inheritance. 7Verse 7. And the people served the LORD throughout the days of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him, who had seen all the great works that the LORD had done for Israel. 8Verse 8. And Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110. 9Verse 9. They buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath-heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 10Verse 10. After that whole generation had also been gathered to their fathers, another generation rose up who did not know the LORD or the works that He had done for Israel. 11Verse 11. And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals. 12Verse 12. Thus they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they followed after various gods of the peoples around them. They bowed down to them and provoked the LORD to anger, 13Verse 13. for they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. 14Verse 14. Then the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He delivered them into the hands of those who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. 15Verse 15. Wherever Israel marched out, the hand of the LORD was against them to bring calamity, just as He had sworn to them. So they were greatly distressed.

1Verse 1. And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2Verse 2. “Son of man, set your face against the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them. 3Verse 3. You are to say: ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD! This is what the Lord GOD says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: I am about to bring a sword against you, and I will destroy your high places. 4Verse 4. Your altars will be demolished and your incense altars will be smashed; and I will cast down your slain before your idols. 5Verse 5. I will lay the corpses of the Israelites before their idols and scatter your bones around your altars. 6Verse 6. Wherever you live, the cities will be laid waste and the high places will be demolished, so that your altars will be laid waste and desecrated, your idols smashed and obliterated, your incense altars cut down, and your works blotted out. 7Verse 7. The slain will fall among you, and you will know that I am the LORD. 8Verse 8. Yet I will leave a remnant, for some of you will escape the sword when you are scattered among the nations and throughout the lands. 9Verse 9. Then in the nations to which they have been carried captive, your survivors will remember Me — how I have been grieved by their adulterous hearts that turned away from Me, and by their eyes that lusted after idols. So they will loathe themselves for the evil they have done and for all their abominations. 10Verse 10. And they will know that I am the LORD; I did not declare in vain that I would bring this calamity upon them. 11Verse 11. This is what the Lord GOD says: Clap your hands, stomp your feet, and cry out “Alas!” because of all the wicked abominations of the house of Israel, who will fall by sword and famine and plague. 12Verse 12. He who is far off will die by the plague, he who is near will fall by the sword, and he who remains will die by famine. So I will vent My fury upon them. 13Verse 13. Then you will know that I am the LORD, when their slain lie among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the mountaintops, and under every green tree and leafy oak— the places where they offered fragrant incense to all their idols. 14Verse 14. I will stretch out My hand against them, and wherever they live I will make the land a desolate waste, from the wilderness to Diblah. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’”