Genesis 49

¹⁴Now I am going back to my people, but come, let me warn you what this people will do to your people in the days to come.”

²⁰The anger of the Lord will not turn back until He has fully accomplished the purposes of His heart. In the days to come you will understand this clearly.

¹⁴Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision concerns those days.”

³⁰When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the Lord your God and listen to His voice.

¹After this I looked and saw a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had previously heard speak to me like a trumpet was saying, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after these things.”

¹⁵“Do not touch My anointed ones! Do no harm to My prophets!”

¹¹Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

²⁰My son, keep your father’s commandment, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

¹My son, pay attention to my wisdom; incline your ear to my insight,

²²Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.

²⁴Now, my sons, listen to me, and attend to the words of my mouth.

²⁶My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes delight in my ways.

⁵¹He struck all the firstborn of Egypt, the virility in the tents of Ham.

¹⁷Instead, he must acknowledge the firstborn, the son of his unloved wife, by giving him a double portion of all that he has. For that son is the firstfruits of his father’s strength; the right of the firstborn belongs to him.

³⁶Then He struck all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their vigor.

³²And Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Reuben, for she said, “The Lord has seen my affliction. Surely my husband will love me now.”

¹These were the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun,

¹⁸“Not so, my father!” Joseph said. “This one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”

²²While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard about it. Jacob had twelve sons:

¹These were the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel. Though he was the firstborn, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel, because Reuben defiled his father’s bed. So he is not reckoned according to birthright.

²⁰‘Cursed is he who sleeps with his father’s wife, for he has violated his father’s marriage bed.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’

⁶Let Reuben live and not die, nor his men be few.”

¹It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is intolerable even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife.

⁶But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

⁷That man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

²⁵Three days later, while they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons (Dinah’s brothers Simeon and Levi) took their swords, went into the unsuspecting city, and slaughtered every male.

²⁶They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went away.

³³Again she conceived and gave birth to a son, and she said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved, He has given me this son as well.” So she named him Simeon.

³⁴Once again Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi.

¹⁰The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.

¹¹The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

⁹Whoever is slothful in his work is brother to him who destroys.

³⁰Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble upon me by making me a stench to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people of this land. We are few in number; if they unite against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”

⁹Do not take my soul away with sinners, or my life with men of bloodshed,

⁹Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will dwell securely.

⁴I do not sit with deceitful men, nor keep company with hypocrites.

⁵I hate the mob of evildoers, and refuse to sit with the wicked.

²Hide me from the scheming of the wicked, from the mob of workers of iniquity,

¹⁹My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh, the pain in my chest! My heart pounds within me; I cannot be silent. For I have heard the sound of the horn, the alarm of battle.

²⁴The descendants of Simeon: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul.

²⁵The sons of Shaul: Shallum, Mibsam, and Mishma.

¹The second lot came out for the clans of the tribe of Simeon: Their inheritance lay within the territory of Judah

²and included Beersheba (or Sheba), Moladah,

⁶⁵They assigned by lot the cities named above from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.

¹⁵Then Amnon hated Tamar with such intensity that his hatred was greater than the love he previously had. “Get up!” he said to her. “Be gone!”

²⁴A hateful man disguises himself with his speech, but he lays up deceit in his heart.

²⁵When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart.

³⁹and they journeyed to the entrance of Gedor, to the east side of the valley, in search of pasture for their flocks.

⁴⁰There they found rich, good pasture, and the land was spacious, peaceful, and quiet; for some Hamites had lived there formerly.

²⁹May peoples serve you and nations bow down to you. May you be the master of your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed, and those who bless you be blessed.”

²And though Judah prevailed over his brothers and a ruler came from him, the birthright belonged to Joseph.

¹⁴For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, a tribe as to which Moses said nothing about priests.

⁷And concerning Judah he said: “O Lord, hear the cry of Judah and bring him to his people. With his own hands he defends his cause, but may You be a help against his foes.”

³⁵And once more she conceived and gave birth to a son and said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah. Then Leah stopped having children.

²⁴When they had brought the kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had accompanied him, “Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So the commanders came forward and put their feet on their necks.

⁹He crouches, he lies down like a lion, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? Blessed are those who bless you and cursed are those who curse you.”

⁵Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

²⁴Behold, the people rise like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion, not resting until they devour their prey and drink the blood of the slain.”

⁸Then the remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, which tramples and tears as it passes through, with no one to rescue them.

¹⁴For I am like a lion to Ephraim and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear them to pieces and then go away. I will carry them off where no one can rescue them.

⁵When she saw that she had waited in vain, that her hope was lost, she took another of her cubs and made him a young lion.

¹⁷I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come forth from Jacob, and a scepter will arise from Israel. He will crush the skulls of Moab and strike down all the sons of Sheth.

³²He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David,

³³and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end!”

⁷Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim is My helmet, Judah is My scepter.

⁶For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

²²For the Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our King. It is He who will save us.

⁵Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.

⁶In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is His name by which He will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness.

¹Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah with crimson-stained garments? Who is this robed in splendor, marching in the greatness of His strength? “It is I, proclaiming vindication, mighty to save.”

²Why are Your clothes red, and Your garments like one who treads the winepress?

¹⁴“Sir,” I answered, “you know.” So he replied, “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

¹⁸And in that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk. All the streams of Judah will run with water, and a spring will flow from the house of the Lord to water the Valley of Acacias.

²⁰The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore, and they were eating and drinking and rejoicing.

²⁵Throughout the days of Solomon, Judah and Israel dwelt securely from Dan to Beersheba, each man under his own vine and his own fig tree.

⁴And each man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, with no one to frighten him. For the mouth of the Lord of Hosts has spoken.

¹⁸Concerning Zebulun he said: “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your journeys, and Issachar, in your tents.

¹⁹They will call the peoples to a mountain; there they will offer sacrifices of righteousness. For they will feast on the abundance of the seas and the hidden treasures of the sand.”

¹⁰The third lot came up for the clans of the tribe of Zebulun: The border of their inheritance stretched as far as Sarid.

¹¹It went up westward to Maralah, reached Dabbesheth, and met the brook east of Jokneam.

²⁰“God has given me a good gift,” she said. “This time my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons.” And she named him Zebulun.

³²From Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do: 200 chiefs with all their kinsmen at their command.

¹⁸Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my maidservant to my husband.” So she named him Issachar.

¹⁸Concerning Zebulun he said: “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your journeys, and Issachar, in your tents.

¹⁷The fourth lot came out for the clans of the tribe of Issachar:

¹⁸Their territory included Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem,

¹⁵The princes of Issachar were with Deborah, and Issachar was with Barak, rushing into the valley at his heels. In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision.

¹⁶Why did you sit among the sheepfolds to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision.

¹After the time of Abimelech, a man of Issachar, Tola son of Puah, the son of Dodo, rose up to save Israel. He lived in Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim.

¹After the king had settled into his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him,

¹⁵(Hebron used to be called Kiriath-arba, after Arba, the greatest man among the Anakim.) Then the land had rest from war.

¹⁸“Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to labor strenuously against Tyre. Every head was made bald and every shoulder made raw. But he and his army received no wages from Tyre for the labor they expended on it.

¹¹So the land had rest for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.

⁴They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

⁶“I relieved his shoulder of the burden; his hands were freed from the basket.

²²Concerning Dan he said: “Dan is a lion’s cub, leaping out of Bashan.”

⁶Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; He has heard my plea and given me a son.” So she named him Dan.

²Now there was a man from Zorah named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, whose wife was barren and had no children.

²⁶So the Danites went on their way, and Micah turned to go back home, because he saw that they were too strong for him.

²⁷After they had taken Micah’s idols and his priest, they went to Laish, to a quiet and unsuspecting people, and they struck them with their swords and burned down the city.

²⁵Finally, the divisions of the camp of Dan set out under their standard, serving as the rear guard for all units, with Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai in command.

¹In those days there was no king in Israel, and the tribe of the Danites was looking for territory to occupy. For up to that time they had not come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.

²So the Danites sent out five men from their clans, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. “Go and explore the land,” they told them. The men entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night.

²²After they were some distance from Micah’s house, the men in the houses near Micah’s house mobilized and overtook the Danites.

²³When they called out after them, the Danites turned to face them and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you that you have called out such a company?”

³⁵From Dan: 28,600 prepared for battle.

¹One day Samson went down to Timnah, where he saw a young Philistine woman.

²So he returned and told his father and mother, “I have seen a daughter of the Philistines in Timnah. Now get her for me as a wife.”

¹⁷⁴I long for Your salvation, O Lord, and Your law is my delight.

⁹And in that day it will be said, “Surely this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He has saved us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited. Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”

¹⁶⁶I wait for Your salvation, O Lord, and I carry out Your commandments.

⁷But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.

⁵I wait for the Lord; my soul does wait, and in His word I put my hope.

¹For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. I waited patiently for the Lord; He inclined to me and heard my cry.

¹¹The descendants of Gad lived next to the Reubenites in the land of Bashan, as far as Salecah:

¹²Joel was the chief, Shapham the second, then Jaanai and Shaphat, who lived in Bashan.

²⁰Concerning Gad he said: “Blessed is he who enlarges the domain of Gad! He lies down like a lion and tears off an arm or a head.

²¹He chose the best land for himself, because a ruler’s portion was reserved for him there. He came with the leaders of the people; he administered the Lord’s justice and His ordinances for Israel.”

¹¹Then Leah said, “How fortunate!” So she named him Gad.

¹⁸Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah.

¹⁹The sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel and Shimei. The children of Zerubbabel: Meshullam and Hananiah, their sister Shelomith,

²⁶So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria (that is, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria) to take the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile. And he brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river of Gozan, where they remain to this day.

⁸The other half of Manasseh, along with the Reubenites and Gadites, had received the inheritance Moses had given them beyond the Jordan to the east, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had assigned to them:

²⁴And concerning Asher he said: “May Asher be the most blessed of sons; may he be the most favored among his brothers and dip his foot in oil.

²⁵May the bolts of your gate be iron and bronze, and may your strength match your days.”

¹³Leah said, “How happy I am! For the women call me happy.” So she named him Asher.

²⁴The fifth lot came out for the clans of the tribe of Asher:

²⁵Their territory included Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph,

¹⁷The children of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah. The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel.

²³Concerning Naphtali he said: “Naphtali is abounding with favor, full of the blessing of the Lord; he shall take possession of the sea and the south.”

⁸Then Rachel said, “In my great struggles, I have wrestled with my sister and won.” So she named him Naphtali.

³²The sixth lot came out for the clans of the tribe of Naphtali:

³³Their border started at Heleph and the great tree of Zaanannim, passing Adami-nekeb and Jabneel as far as Lakkum and ending at the Jordan.

¹⁰where he summoned Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him.

¹⁸Zebulun was a people who risked their lives; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the battlefield.

²⁴The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.

⁵²And the second son he named Ephraim, saying, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

³Your wife will be like a fruitful vine flourishing within your house, your sons like olive shoots sitting around your table.

¹Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers.

²But his delight is in the Law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.

¹The allotment for the descendants of Joseph extended from the Jordan at Jericho to the waters of Jericho on the east, through the wilderness that goes up from Jericho into the hill country of Bethel.

²It went on from Bethel (that is, Luz) and proceeded to the border of the Archites in Ataroth.

¹⁴Then the sons of Joseph said to Joshua, “Why have you given us only one portion as an inheritance? We have many people, because the Lord has blessed us abundantly.”

¹⁵Joshua answered them, “If you have so many people that the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go to the forest and clear for yourself an area in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim.”

²⁷And with the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob’s family who went to Egypt were seventy in all.

²⁴and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, with no water in it.

¹³I was pushed so hard I was falling, but the Lord helped me.

³who sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their bitter words like arrows,

²⁸So when the Midianite traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.

⁴When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.

³³I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!”

²how he swore an oath to the Lord, and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:

⁵until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

¹⁶So this is what the Lord God says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will never be shaken.

¹For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” A Psalm of Asaph. Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, who leads Joseph like a flock; You who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth

²⁰My glory is ever new within me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.’

¹⁷But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles would hear it. So I was delivered from the mouth of the lion.

¹¹And God told him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation—even a company of nations—shall come from you, and kings shall descend from you.

¹³And there at the top the Lord was standing and saying, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you now lie.

¹⁹And my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

¹³Concerning Joseph he said: “May his land be blessed by the Lord with the precious dew from heaven above and the deep waters that lie beneath,

¹⁴with the bountiful harvest from the sun and the abundant yield of the seasons,

¹⁷You might say in your heart, “The power and strength of my hands have made this wealth for me.”

²And all these blessings will come upon you and overtake you, if you will obey the voice of the Lord your God:

³You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.

¹⁵with the best of the ancient mountains and the bounty of the everlasting hills,

¹⁶with the choice gifts of the land and everything in it, and with the favor of Him who dwelt in the burning bush. May these rest on the head of Joseph and crown the brow of the prince of his brothers.

⁶He stood and measured the earth; He looked and startled the nations; the ancient mountains crumbled; the perpetual hills collapsed. His ways are everlasting.

²“Speak to the Israelites and tell them that if a man or woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the Lord,

⁵You who tremble at His word, hear the word of the Lord: “Your brothers who hate you and exclude you because of My name have said, ‘Let the Lord be glorified that we may see your joy!’ But they will be put to shame.”

³⁹His father Isaac answered him: “Behold, your dwelling place shall be away from the richness of the land, away from the dew of heaven above.

⁴⁰You shall live by the sword and serve your brother. But when you rebel, you will tear his yoke from your neck.”

¹⁸I will clothe his enemies with shame, but the crown upon him will gleam.”

²¹And the Benjamites came out of Gibeah and cut down 22,000 Israelites on the battlefield that day.

²⁵That same day the Benjamites came out against them from Gibeah and cut down another 18,000 Israelites, all of them armed with swords.

²⁴Behold, the people rise like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion, not resting until they devour their prey and drink the blood of the slain.”

²⁷Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey, shedding blood, and destroying lives for dishonest gain.

¹⁸And with her last breath—for she was dying—she named him Ben-oni. But his father called him Benjamin.

²¹The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.

¹¹By these letters the king permitted the Jews in each and every city the right to assemble and defend themselves, to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the forces of any people or province hostile to them, including women and children, and to plunder their possessions.

⁴And I heard the number of those who were sealed, 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel:

⁸Yes, it is coming, and it will surely happen, declares the Lord God. This is the day of which I have spoken.

⁹Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out, kindle fires, and burn up the weapons—the bucklers and shields, the bows and arrows, the clubs and spears. For seven years they will use them for fuel.

²⁴Behold, the people rise like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion, not resting until they devour their prey and drink the blood of the slain.”

³¹And Elijah took twelve stones, one for each tribe of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come and said, “Israel shall be your name.”

¹Behold, a day of the Lord is coming when your plunder will be divided in your presence.

²For I will gather all the nations for battle against Jerusalem, and the city will be captured, the houses looted, and the women ravished. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be removed from the city.

³⁰but when I lie down with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me with them.” Joseph answered, “I will do as you have requested.”

¹³They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave at Machpelah in the field near Mamre, which Abraham had purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site.

¹⁵You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.

⁸And at a ripe old age he breathed his last and died, old and contented, and was gathered to his people.

⁹His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite.

³⁷Please let your servant return, that I may die in my own city near the tomb of my father and mother. But here is your servant Chimham. Let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what is good in your sight.”

²⁹Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

¹⁶Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the standard of the merchants.

¹⁷So Ephron’s field at Machpelah near Mamre, the cave that was in it, and all the trees within the boundaries of the field were deeded over

⁸“If you are willing for me to bury my dead,” he said to them, “listen to me, and approach Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf

⁹to sell me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him sell it to me in your presence for full price, so that I may have a burial site.”

²⁰So the field and its cave were deeded by the Hittites to Abraham as a burial site.

²⁹Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

⁹His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite.

¹⁶Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the standard of the merchants.

¹⁷So Ephron’s field at Machpelah near Mamre, the cave that was in it, and all the trees within the boundaries of the field were deeded over

¹⁶Their bones were carried back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a price he paid in silver.

³⁰but when I lie down with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me with them.” Joseph answered, “I will do as you have requested.”

¹³They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave at Machpelah in the field near Mamre, which Abraham had purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site.

¹⁷So Ephron’s field at Machpelah near Mamre, the cave that was in it, and all the trees within the boundaries of the field were deeded over

¹⁸to Abraham’s possession in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city.

²⁹Then Jacob instructed them, “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite.

⁸And at a ripe old age he breathed his last and died, old and contented, and was gathered to his people.

²⁹Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

²⁷And Joshua said to all the people, “You see this stone. It will be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words the Lord has spoken to us, and it will be a witness against you if you ever deny your God.”

²⁸Then Joshua sent the people away, each to his own inheritance.

²³in joyful assembly, to the congregation of the firstborn, enrolled in heaven. You have come to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,

¹³All these people died in faith, without having received the things they were promised. However, they saw them and welcomed them from afar. And they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

¹⁴Now those who say such things show that they are seeking a country of their own.