1 Now the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the other tribes of Israel 2at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said to them, “The Lord commanded through Moses that we be given cities in which to live, together with pasturelands for our livestock.”

3 So by the command of the Lord, the Israelites gave the Levites these cities and their pasturelands out of their own inheritance:

8 So the Israelites allotted to the Levites these cities, together with their pasturelands, as the Lord had commanded through Moses.

9 From the tribes of Judah and Simeon, they designated these cities by name 10to the descendants of Aaron from the Kohathite clans of the Levites, because the first lot fell to them:

20 The remaining Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted these cities:

27 This is what the Levite clans of the Gershonites were given:

34 This is what the Merarite clan (the rest of the Levites) were given:

41 For the Levites, then, there were forty-eight cities in all, together with their pasturelands, within the territory of the Israelites. 42Each of these cities had its own surrounding pasturelands; this was true for all the cities.

43 Thus the Lord gave Israel all the land He had sworn to give their fathers, and they took possession of it and settled in it.

44 And the Lord gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their fathers. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand.

45 Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to the house of Israel had failed; everything was fulfilled.

1 Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh 2and told them, “You have done all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and you have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you. 3All this time you have not deserted your brothers, up to this very day, but have kept the charge given you by the Lord your God.

4 And now that the Lord your God has given your brothers rest as He promised them, you may return to your homes in the land that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you across the Jordan. 5But be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

6 So Joshua blessed them and sent them on their way, and they went to their homes. 7(To the half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given land in Bashan, and to the other half Joshua gave land on the west side of the Jordan among their brothers.) When Joshua sent them to their homes he blessed them, 8saying, “Return to your homes with your great wealth, with immense herds of livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, iron, and very many clothes. Divide with your brothers the spoil of your enemies.”

9 So the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh in the land of Canaan to return to their own land of Gilead, which they had acquired according to the command of the Lord through Moses. 10And when they came to Geliloth near the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an imposing altar there by the Jordan.

11 Then the Israelites received the report: “Behold, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar on the border of the land of Canaan, at Geliloth near the Jordan on the Israelite side.” 12And when they heard this, the whole congregation of Israel assembled at Shiloh to go to war against them.

13 The Israelites sent Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest to the land of Gilead, to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. 14With him they sent ten chiefs — one family leader from each tribe of Israel, each the head of a family among the clans of Israel.

15 They went to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead and said to them, 16“This is what the whole congregation of the Lord says: ‘What is this breach of faith you have committed today against the God of Israel by turning away from the Lord and building for yourselves an altar, that you might rebel against the Lord this day?

17 Was not the sin of Peor enough for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day? It even brought a plague upon the congregation of the Lord. 18And now, would you turn away from the Lord? If you rebel today against the Lord, tomorrow He will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel.

19 If indeed the land of your inheritance is unclean, then cross over to the land of the Lord’s possession, where the Lord’s tabernacle stands, and take possession of it among us. But do not rebel against the Lord or against us by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the Lord our God.

20 Was not Achan son of Zerah unfaithful regarding what was set apart for destruction, bringing wrath upon the whole congregation of Israel? Yet it was not only Achan who perished because of his sin!’”

1 One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the gospel, the chief priests and scribes, together with the elders, came up to Him. 2“Tell us,” they said, “by what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?”

3 “I will also ask you a question,” Jesus replied. “Tell Me: 4John’s baptism — was it from heaven, or from men?”

5 They deliberated among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ 6But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.”

7 So they answered that they did not know where it was from.

8 And Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

9 Then He proceeded to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it out to some tenants, and went away for a long time. 10At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat the servant and sent him away empty-handed.

11 So he sent another servant, but they beat him and treated him shamefully, sending him away empty-handed.

12 Then he sent a third, but they wounded him and threw him out.

13 ‘What shall I do?’ asked the owner of the vineyard. ‘I will send my beloved son. Perhaps they will respect him.’

14 But when the tenants saw the son, they discussed it among themselves and said, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 15So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”

And when the people heard this, they said, “May such a thing never happen!”

17 But Jesus looked directly at them and said, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written:

18 Everyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”

19 When the scribes and chief priests realized that Jesus had spoken this parable against them, they sought to arrest Him that very hour. But they were afraid of the people.

20 So they watched Him closely and sent spies who pretended to be sincere. They were hoping to catch Him in His words in order to hand Him over to the rule and authority of the governor. 21“Teacher,” they inquired, “we know that You speak and teach correctly. You show no partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. 22Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

23 But Jesus saw through their duplicity and said to them, 24“Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?”

“Caesar’s,” they answered.

25 So Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

26 And they were unable to trap Him in His words before the people. And amazed at His answer, they fell silent.