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I M M E R S EThe Reading Bible™

Welcome to I M M E R S E The Bible Reading Experience

The Bible is a great gift to us from God. Through its words, God reveals himself to us and invites us into a relationship with him. And as we begin to better understand who God is, we also begin to better understand who we are—people who are loved by God, created in his image, and called into a new kind of life as members of his renewed creation.

The appropriate way to receive the Bible is to come to know it deeply, to lose ourselves in it precisely so that we can find ourselves in it. But the Bibles that most of us read are filled with artificial divisions and additions that, though originally meant to make the Bible easier to navigate, have had some unintended consequences. We now rarely read the Bible the way it was originally meant to be read. We most often break it into small, digestible chunks and pieces. We seldom read it at length and without distraction. Immerse: The Bible Reading Experience has been developed to reopen our eyes to the beauty of God’s word in its amazing unity so that we can more easily discover its call to live into God’s grand Story.

Immerse: The Reading Bible presents each book of the Bible without chapter and verse numbers, subject headers, or footnotes—all later historical additions. The entire text of the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, is presented in a single-column format with easy-to-read type. To provide meaningful perspective, book introductions give historical and literary context, and the books are often reordered chronologically or grouped with books that share similar ancient audiences. This unique Bible enhances the opportunity for readers to approach God’s word in simple clarity.

Immerse is more than just a series of books; it’s a community growing experience rooted in God’s word. This sampler provides information on the layout, features, and text found in Immerse: The Reading Bible, but it also provides an opportunity to experience what Immerse is all about. The opening events recorded in the book of Joshua are included so you can experience firsthand the look and feel of Immerse: Kingdoms. Take a deep breath, and drink deeply. Immerse yourself in God’s beautiful, life-giving words.

The entire Bible divided into 6 volumes provides the framework for the Immerse experience.

Each volume has been developed so it can be read according to an 8-week reading plan. The goal is for churches and other groups to read Immerse and then to come together each week to discuss what they’ve read. Meetings should feel more like a book club, where people gather to discuss the reading, freely sharing thoughts and opinions, all centered on God’s word. Ultimately, the goal is to encourage God’s people to read through the entire Bible in a regular 3-year rhythm, leading to a lifetime of deep Scripture engagement.

i m m e r s e b i b l e . c o m

Immerse: Prophets presents the First Testament prophets in groupings that generally represent four historical periods: before the fall of Israel’s northern kingdom (Amos,

Hosea, Micah, Isaiah), before the fall of the southern kingdom (Zephaniah, Nahum, Habakkuk), around the time of Jerusalem’s destruction (Jeremiah, Obadiah, Ezekiel), and after the return from exile (Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Joel, Jonah).

Immerse: Chronicles

contains the remaining First Testament books: Chronicles–Ezra–Nehemiah, Esther, and Daniel. These works were all written after the

Jewish people fell under the control of foreign empires and were scattered among the nations. They remind God’s chastened people of their identity and calling to faithfully represent God to the nations and that there is still hope for the struggling dynasty of David.

Immerse: Poets

presents the poetical books of the First Testament in two sections, dividing them between song books (Psalms, Lamentations, Song of Songs) and

wisdom writings (Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job). These poetic writings all reflect the down-to-earth faith of God’s ancient people as they sought to live out their covenant relationship through their worship and wise living. These books now call us to do the same.

Immerse: Messiah

provides a unique guided journey through the entire New Testament. Each major section is anchored by one of the Gospels, highlighting the

richness of Scripture’s fourfold witness to Jesus the Messiah, who fulfills all the longings and promises set in motion in the First Testament.

Immerse: Beginnings

includes the first five books of the Bible, known as the Torah (meaning “instruction”). These books describe the origins of God’s creation, human

rebellion, and the family of Israel—the people God chose to be a light to all people. We follow the covenant community from its earliest ancestors to the time it is about to enter the Promised Land.

Immerse: Kingdoms

tells the story of Israel from the time of its conquest of Canaan (Joshua) through its struggle to settle the land (Judges, Ruth) and the establishment of

Israel’s kingdom, which ends in a forced exile (Samuel–Kings). The nation of Israel, commissioned to be God’s light to the nations, falls to division and then foreign conquest for rejecting God’s rule.

To facilitate your reading experience, each volume comes with a Quick Start Guide.

WEEK 1 JoshuaDay 1 pp. A9-4Day 2 pp. 4-10Day 3 pp. 10-19Day 4 pp. 19-32Day 5 pp. 32-39

WEEK 2 Judges, RuthDay 6 pp. 41-52Day 7 pp. 52-61Day 8 pp. 61-72Day 9 pp. 72-80Day 10 pp. 81-88

WEEK 3 Samuel–KingsDay 11 pp. 89-95Day 12 pp. 96-100Day 13 pp. 100-106Day 14 pp. 106-114Day 15 pp. 114-122






8-WEEK READING PLAN

KINGDOMS

4 Questions to get your conversations started:1. What stood out to you this week?2. Was there anything confusing or troubling?3. Did anything make you think differently about God?4. How might this change the way we live?

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QUICK START GUIDE3 ways to get the most out of your experience

Use Immerse: Kingdoms instead of your regular chapter-and-verse Bible. This special reader’s edition restores the Bible to its natural simplicity and beauty by removing chapter and verse numbers and other historical additions. Letters look like letters, songs look like songs, and the original literary structures are visible in each book.

Commit to making this a community experience. Immerse is designed for groups to encounter large portions of the Bible together for 8 weeks—more like a book club, less like a Bible study. By meeting every week in small groups and discussing what you read in open, honest conversations, you and your community can come together to be transformed through an authentic experience with the Scriptures.

Aim to understand the big story. Read through “The Stories and the Story” (p. 273) to see how the books of the Bible work together to tell God’s story of his creation’s restoration. As you read through Immerse: Kingdoms, rather than ask, “How do I fit God into my busy life?” begin asking, “How can I join in God’s great plan by living out my part in his story?”

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I M M E R S E Resources:• Custom Immerse audio Bible• Weekly preview videos• Digital eBook version• Pastor’s Guide• Group Leader’s Guide• Family Guide

Available at www.ImmerseBible.com

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The guides provide

Useful background information for the reader

Ideas for getting the most out of the Immerse experience

An 8-week reading plan to guide the reading

Four questions to inspire conversation:

What stood out to you this week?

Was there anything confusing or troubling?

Did anything make you think differently about God?

How might this change the way we live?

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Maximized Readability Line length, line height, font size, and spacing have all been thoughtfully crafted for an optimal reading experience.

Natural Structure The natural literary structures of each book are displayed by appropriate layout, simple line spacing, and graphic markers.

Refreshing Reading Experience Designed to be enjoyed like the bestseller it is.

Chapter and Verse Ranges Displayed for quick orientation to the Bible text that falls on each page

Alerts you to important thematic turning points

Alerts you to the book’s significant structural transitions

Sets different kinds of literature—poems, songs, stories, letters, genealogies, lists—in ways that help readers recognize them, facilitating more immediate understanding.

Presents the entire Holy Bible, New Living Translation—a translation of the Scriptures designed to bring readers immediate clarity and a heart-language connection to God’s word.

Lays out the entire Bible in a friendly single-column format with easy-to-read type.

Offers excellent book and section introductions that provide the historical and literary information necessary to accurately understand each inspired work on its own terms.

Presents each book of the Bible without the distractions of chapter and verse numbers, subject headers, or footnotes—all later historical additions to the text.

Provides subtle literary markers to pull forward the original structures of the books, helping readers to experience and progressively discover each book’s flow as originally intended.

Arranges the Bible books in ways that offer readers additional context, grouping books together that share similar ancient origins, contexts, and audiences.

I M M E R S E : The Reading Bible...


Support Tools to Enhance Your Immerse Experience

Current resources available online at immersebible.com:

The Immerse experience involves far more than just reading a series of books. Various support components have been purposely developed to enhance your community reading experience. These resources are included at no additional charge. And as resources are updated or added, your church will be given immediate access to them, allowing you to provide the most up-to-date tools and information to your community.

Custom Audio Bible Full audio recording that follows the natural literary breaks found in Immerse: The Reading Bible

Weekly videos A 2-3 minute “trailer” highlighting what to expect and look for in the following week’s reading

Pastor’s Guide Guide to help pastors implement Immerse: The Bible Reading Experience in their church

Group Leader’s Guide Guide for facilitating discussion during weekly group meetings

Family Guide A resource that parents can use to engage their children in the Immerse experience

Quick Start Guide Guide for participants, delivered as a bookmark within each book (also downloadable). One side gives the reading plan and helpful discussion starters; the opposite side provides other excellent tips for getting the most out of your reading experience.

Graphics Kit For use in church programs, PowerPoint slides, etc.

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eBook Version Available for purchase, for use on Nook, Kindle, iPad, etc.


I M M E R S E D I N J O S H U A

T H E S T O RY O F how the tribes of Israel became a kingdom begins with the conquest of the land of Canaan. God promised he would give this land to Abraham’s descendants, and Moses brought them right to its border. But Moses’ successor, Joshua, actually leads Israel into the land, defeating the city- kingdoms that rule there. The book of Joshua de-scribes how he did this.

Throughout the land there are walled cities, each ruled by its own king. As long as these fortified “royal cities” remain in hostile hands, the Israelites will be under constant threat. The biggest threat of all looms immediately before them as they enter Canaan. Jericho is an imposing fortress that controls the fords of the Jordan River. If the Israelites man-age to cross over but then can’t defeat Jericho, the river will become a barrier, trapping them where their enemies can destroy them.

The task is daunting, but God promises Joshua, “I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them.”

The book of Joshua has three major sections. Most of it is in the form of a narrative, but at various places there are important lists, including records of defeated cities and kings and of land allotments for Israel’s tribes.

The book opens with a description of how God prepares Joshua and the people for entry into the land and then guides them across the Jordan River. It begins with God commissioning and encouraging Joshua in his task, while also urging Joshua and the people to continu-ally meditate on the instructions God has given to Moses. Joshua sends spies into Canaan and then leads the people into the land, crossing the Jordan River on dry ground. In their new land they celebrate their freedom festival— Passover— and, for the first time, eat food from the Land of Promise.

Next Israel invades the central region of Canaan and then spreads out to both the northern and southern regions. Key to this section is the realization that God himself is fighting for Israel, thus keeping his prom-ises to Israel’s ancestors. The warfare Joshua conducts is brutal, but in

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Experience Immerse yourself by reading the first accounts of Israel’s

conquest of the Promise Land in the book of Joshua. Join the people of Israel as

they struggle with their fears, cross a swollen Jordan River by faith, and face terrifying enemies with fortified walls. Set out with

God’s people to conquer and settle the land of Canaan on the way to establishing a

kingdom under God’s authority.

the context of the story, the nations are removed from Canaan because they had become utterly corrupt— just as Israel itself will be brutally removed in the future for its own detestable practices. These events must be read within the context of God’s ongoing Story of redemption, especially in light of God’s supreme revelation later in Israel’s Messiah.

Once the land has been conquered, the second section explains how Joshua divides it among the tribes. We may wonder why there is such a detailed description of the allocation of the land, but this gets at the heart of the covenant. God’s intention has always been for his people to thrive in the physical place he set apart for them. Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land reflects God’s overall objective to reclaim the entire creation as our good home and his glorious Temple.

The final section of the book focuses on Joshua’s leading the people in a covenant renewal ceremony. The leaders of the various tribes and clans gather at Shechem and are challenged to serve God alone, obey the Law of Moses, and fully claim their inheritance from the Lord.

“Choose today whom you will serve,” Joshua challenges them. “As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” The people, aware of their story and recognizing that they are to continue living it out, re-spond, “We would never abandon the Lord and serve other gods. . . . We, too, will serve the Lord, for he alone is our God.”

At the end of Joshua’s life, the people have received God’s gift of land as promised and are poised to fulfill their calling as agents in God’s mission to all nations. The Lord has kept his promises to Abraham and Moses. Now Abraham’s family must step up to become God’s covenant people for the sake of the world.

2 I M M E R S E • K I N G D O M S


J O S H U A

After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Josh ua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said, “ Moses my servant is dead. There-fore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Is ra elites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you— from the Ne gev wilderness in the south to the Leb a non mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hit ites.’ No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.

“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in every thing you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey every thing written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command— be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wher-ever you go.”

Josh ua then commanded the officers of Is ra el, “Go through the camp and tell the people to get their provisions ready. In three days you will cross the Jordan River and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you.”

Then Josh ua called together the tribes of Reu ben, Gad, and the half- tribe of Ma nas seh. He told them, “Remember what Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded you: ‘The Lord your God is giving you a place of rest. He has given you this land.’ Your wives, children, and livestock may remain here in the land Moses assigned to you on the east side of the Jordan River. But your strong warriors, fully armed, must lead the other tribes across the Jor dan to help them conquer their territory. Stay with

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them until the Lord gives them rest, as he has given you rest, and until they, too, possess the land the Lord your God is giving them. Only then may you return and settle here on the east side of the Jordan River in the land that Moses, the servant of the Lord, assigned to you.”

They answered Josh ua, “We will do whatever you command us, and we will go wherever you send us. We will obey you just as we obeyed Moses. And may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. Anyone who rebels against your orders and does not obey your words and every-thing you command will be put to death. So be strong and courageous!”

Then Josh ua secretly sent out two spies from the Is ra elite camp at Aca cia Grove. He instructed them, “Scout out the land on the other side of the Jordan River, especially around Jer i cho.” So the two men set out and came to the house of a prostitute named Ra hab and stayed there that night.

But someone told the king of Jer i cho, “Some Is ra elites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” So the king of Jer i cho sent orders to Ra hab: “Bring out the men who have come into your house, for they have come here to spy out the whole land.”

Ra hab had hidden the two men, but she replied, “Yes, the men were here earlier, but I didn’t know where they were from. They left the town at dusk, as the gates were about to close. I don’t know where they went. If you hurry, you can probably catch up with them.” (Actually, she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them beneath bundles of flax she had laid out.) So the king’s men went looking for the spies along the road leading to the shallow crossings of the Jordan River. And as soon as the king’s men had left, the gate of Jer i cho was shut.

Before the spies went to sleep that night, Ra hab went up on the roof to talk with them. “I know the Lord has given you this land,” she told them. “We are all afraid of you. Every one in the land is living in terror. For we have heard how the Lord made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt. And we know what you did to Si hon and Og, the two Am o rite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you com-pletely destroyed. No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.

“Now swear to me by the Lord that you will be kind to me and my fam i ly since I have helped you. Give me some guarantee that when Jer i cho is conquered, you will let me live, along with my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families.”

“We offer our own lives as a guarantee for your safety,” the men agreed.

4 I M M E R S E • K I N G D O M S 1:15–2:14


“If you don’t betray us, we will keep our promise and be kind to you when the Lord gives us the land.”

Then, since Ra hab’s house was built into the town wall, she let them down by a rope through the window. “Escape to the hill country,” she told them. “Hide there for three days from the men searching for you. Then, when they have returned, you can go on your way.”

Before they left, the men told her, “We will be bound by the oath we have taken only if you follow these instructions. When we come into the land, you must leave this scarlet rope hanging from the window through which you let us down. And all your fam i ly members— your father, mother, brothers, and all your relatives— must be here inside the house. If they go out into the street and are killed, it will not be our fault. But if anyone lays a hand on people inside this house, we will accept the respon-sibility for their death. If you betray us, however, we are not bound by this oath in any way.”

“I accept your terms,” she replied. And she sent them on their way, leav-ing the scarlet rope hanging from the window.

The spies went up into the hill country and stayed there three days. The men who were chasing them searched every where along the road, but they finally returned without success.

Then the two spies came down from the hill country, crossed the Jordan River, and reported to Josh ua all that had happened to them. “The Lord has given us the whole land,” they said, “for all the people in the land are terrified of us.”

Early the next morning Josh ua and all the Is ra elites left Aca cia Grove and arrived at the banks of the Jordan River, where they camped before crossing. Three days later the Is ra elite officers went through the camp, giving these instructions to the people: “When you see the Le vit i cal priests carrying the Ark of the Cov enant of the Lord your God, move out from your positions and follow them. Since you have never traveled this way before, they will guide you. Stay about half a mile behind them, keeping a clear distance between you and the Ark. Make sure you don’t come any closer.”

Then Josh ua told the people, “Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do great wonders among you.”

In the morning Josh ua said to the priests, “Lift up the Ark of the Cov-enant and lead the people across the river.” And so they started out and went ahead of the people.

The Lord told Josh ua, “Today I will begin to make you a great leader in the eyes of all the Is ra elites. They will know that I am with you, just as I was with Moses. Give this command to the priests who carry the Ark of

J O S H u A 52:15–3:8


the Cov enant: ‘When you reach the banks of the Jordan River, take a few steps into the river and stop there.’”

So Josh ua told the Is ra elites, “Come and listen to what the Lord your God says. Today you will know that the living God is among you. He will surely drive out the Ca naanites, Hit tites, Hi vites, Per iz zites, Gir ga shites, Am o rites, and Jeb u sites ahead of you. Look, the Ark of the Cov enant, which belongs to the Lord of the whole earth, will lead you across the Jordan River! Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Is ra el, one from each tribe. The priests will carry the Ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth. As soon as their feet touch the water, the flow of water will be cut off upstream, and the river will stand up like a wall.”

So the people left their camp to cross the Jor dan, and the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Cov enant went ahead of them. It was the harvest season, and the Jor dan was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river’s edge, the water above that point began backing up a great distance away at a town called Adam, which is near Zar e than. And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea until the riverbed was dry. Then all the people crossed over near the town of Jer i cho.

Meanwhile, the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Lord’s Cov-enant stood on dry ground in the middle of the riverbed as the people passed by. They waited there until the whole nation of Is ra el had crossed the Jor dan on dry ground.

When all the people had crossed the Jor dan, the Lord said to Josh ua, “Now choose twelve men, one from each tribe. Tell them, ‘Take twelve stones from the very place where the priests are standing in the middle of the Jor dan. Carry them out and pile them up at the place where you will camp tonight.’”

So Josh ua called together the twelve men he had chosen— one from each of the tribes of Is ra el. He told them, “Go into the middle of the Jor-dan, in front of the Ark of the Lord your God. Each of you must pick up one stone and carry it out on your shoulder— twelve stones in all, one for each of the twelve tribes of Is ra el. We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord’s Cov enant went across.’ These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Is ra el forever.”

So the men did as Josh ua had commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan River, one for each tribe, just as the Lord had told Josh ua. They carried them to the place where they camped for the night and constructed the memorial there.



Josh ua also set up another pile of twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, at the place where the priests who carried the Ark of the Cov enant were standing. And they are there to this day.

The priests who were carrying the Ark stood in the middle of the river until all of the Lord’s commands that Moses had given to Josh ua were carried out. Meanwhile, the people hurried across the riverbed. And when every one was safely on the other side, the priests crossed over with the Ark of the Lord as the people watched.

The armed warriors from the tribes of Reu ben, Gad, and the half- tribe of Ma nas seh led the Is ra elites across the Jor dan, just as Moses had di-rected. These armed men— about 40,000 strong— were ready for battle, and the Lord was with them as they crossed over to the plains of Jer i cho.

That day the Lord made Josh ua a great leader in the eyes of all the Is-ra elites, and for the rest of his life they revered him as much as they had revered Moses.

The Lord had said to Josh ua, “Command the priests carrying the Ark of the Cov enant to come up out of the riverbed.” So Josh ua gave the com-mand. As soon as the priests carrying the Ark of the Lord’s Cov enant came up out of the riverbed and their feet were on high ground, the water of the Jor dan returned and overflowed its banks as before.

The people crossed the Jor dan on the tenth day of the first month. Then they camped at Gilgal, just east of Jer i cho. It was there at Gilgal that Josh ua piled up the twelve stones taken from the Jordan River.

Then Josh ua said to the Is ra elites, “In the future your children will ask, ‘What do these stones mean?’ Then you can tell them, ‘This is where the Is ra elites crossed the Jor dan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the river right before your eyes, and he kept it dry until you were all across, just as he did at the Red Sea when he dried it up until we had all crossed over. He did this so all the nations of the earth might know that the Lord’s hand is powerful, and so you might fear the Lord your God forever.”

When all the Am o rite kings west of the Jor dan and all the Ca naanite kings who lived along the Mediterranean coast heard how the Lord had dried up the Jordan River so the people of Is ra el could cross, they lost heart and were paralyzed with fear because of them.

At that time the Lord told Josh ua, “Make flint knives and circumcise this second generation of Is ra elites.” So Josh ua made flint knives and circum-cised the entire male population of Is ra el at Gib e ath- ha ar a loth.

Josh ua had to circumcise them because all the men who were old enough to fight in battle when they left Egypt had died in the wilderness. Those who left Egypt had all been circumcised, but none of those born

J O S H u A 74:9–5:5


after the Exodus, during the years in the wilderness, had been circumcised. The Is ra elites had traveled in the wilderness for forty years until all the men who were old enough to fight in battle when they left Egypt had died. For they had disobeyed the Lord, and the Lord vowed he would not let them enter the land he had sworn to give us— a land flowing with milk and honey. So Josh ua circumcised their sons— those who had grown up to take their fathers’ places— for they had not been circumcised on the way to the Promised Land. After all the males had been circumcised, they rested in the camp until they were healed.

Then the Lord said to Josh ua, “Today I have rolled away the shame of your slavery in Egypt.” So that place has been called Gilgal to this day.

While the Is ra elites were camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jer i cho, they celebrated Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month. The very next day they began to eat unleavened bread and roasted grain harvested from the land. No manna appeared on the day they first ate from the crops of the land, and it was never seen again. So from that time on the Is ra elites ate from the crops of Ca naan.

When Josh ua was near the town of Jer i cho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with sword in hand. Josh ua went up to him and demanded, “Are you friend or foe?”

“Neither one,” he replied. “I am the commander of the Lord’s army.”At this, Josh ua fell with his face to the ground in reverence. “I am at your

command,” Josh ua said. “What do you want your servant to do?”The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for

the place where you are standing is holy.” And Josh ua did as he was told.Now the gates of Jer i cho were tightly shut because the people were

afraid of the Is ra elites. No one was allowed to go out or in. But the Lord said to Josh ua, “I have given you Jer i cho, its king, and all its strong war-riors. You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.”

So Josh ua called together the priests and said, “Take up the Ark of the Lord’s Cov enant, and assign seven priests to walk in front of it, each carry ing a ram’s horn.” Then he gave orders to the people: “March around the town, and the armed men will lead the way in front of the Ark of the Lord.”

After Josh ua spoke to the people, the seven priests with the rams’ horns



started marching in the presence of the Lord, blowing the horns as they marched. And the Ark of the Lord’s Cov enant followed behind them. Some of the armed men marched in front of the priests with the horns and some behind the Ark, with the priests continually blowing the horns. “Do not shout; do not even talk,” Josh ua commanded. “Not a single word from any of you until I tell you to shout. Then shout!” So the Ark of the Lord was carried around the town once that day, and then every one returned to spend the night in the camp.

Josh ua got up early the next morning, and the priests again carried the Ark of the Lord. The seven priests with the rams’ horns marched in front of the Ark of the Lord, blowing their horns. Again the armed men marched both in front of the priests with the horns and behind the Ark of the Lord. All this time the priests were blowing their horns. On the second day they again marched around the town once and returned to the camp. They followed this pattern for six days.

On the seventh day the Is ra elites got up at dawn and marched around the town as they had done before. But this time they went around the town seven times. The seventh time around, as the priests sounded the long blast on their horns, Josh ua commanded the people, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the town! Jer i cho and every thing in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the Lord. Only Ra hab the prostitute and the others in her house will be spared, for she protected our spies.

“Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you your-selves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on the camp of Is ra el. Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sa cred to the Lord and must be brought into his treasury.”

When the people heard the sound of the rams’ horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jer i cho collapsed, and the Is-ra elites charged straight into the town and captured it. They completely destroyed every thing in it with their swords— men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, goats, and donkeys.

Meanwhile, Josh ua said to the two spies, “Keep your promise. Go to the prostitute’s house and bring her out, along with all her fam i ly.”

The men who had been spies went in and brought out Ra hab, her fa-ther, mother, brothers, and all the other relatives who were with her. They moved her whole fam i ly to a safe place near the camp of Is ra el.

Then the Is ra elites burned the town and every thing in it. Only the things made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron were kept for the treasury of the Lord’s house. So Josh ua spared Ra hab the prostitute and her relatives who were with her in the house, because she had hidden the spies Josh ua sent to Jer i cho. And she lives among the Is ra elites to this day.

At that time Josh ua invoked this curse:

J O S H u A 96:9-26


“May the curse of the Lord fall on anyonewho tries to rebuild the town of Jericho.

At the cost of his firstborn son,he will lay its foundation.

At the cost of his youngest son,he will set up its gates.”

So the Lord was with Josh ua, and his reputation spread throughout the land.

But Is ra el violated the instructions about the things set apart for the Lord. A man named Achan had stolen some of these dedicated things, so the Lord was very angry with the Is ra elites. Achan was the son of Carmi, a descendant of Zim ri son of Ze rah, of the tribe of Ju dah.

Josh ua sent some of his men from Jer i cho to spy out the town of Ai, east of Beth el, near Beth- aven. When they returned, they told Josh ua, “There’s no need for all of us to go up there; it won’t take more than two or three thousand men to attack Ai. Since there are so few of them, don’t make all our people struggle to go up there.”

So approximately 3,000 warriors were sent, but they were soundly de-feated. The men of Ai chased the Is ra elites from the town gate as far as the quarries, and they killed about thirty- six who were retreating down the slope. The Is ra elites were paralyzed with fear at this turn of events, and their courage melted away.

Josh ua and the elders of Is ra el tore their clothing in dismay, threw dust on their heads, and bowed face down to the ground before the Ark of the Lord until evening. Then Josh ua cried out, “Oh, Sovereign Lord, why did you bring us across the Jordan River if you are going to let the Am o-rites kill us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side! Lord, what can I say now that Is ra el has fled from its enemies? For when the Ca-naanites and all the other people living in the land hear about it, they will surround us and wipe our name off the face of the earth. And then what will happen to the honor of your great name?”

But the Lord said to Josh ua, “Get up! Why are you lying on your face like this? Is ra el has sinned and broken my cov enant! They have stolen some of the things that I commanded must be set apart for me. And they have not only stolen them but have lied about it and hidden the things among their own belongings. That is why the Is ra elites are running from their enemies in defeat. For now Is ra el itself has been set apart for destruc-tion. I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction.



The Partnership

The Art

Tyndale House Publishers, founded in 1962, is one of the largest privately held Christian publishers of books, Bibles, and digital media in the world. Tyndale publishes the Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT), the translation of choice for millions of readers. www.tyndale.com

The Institute for Bible Reading is an activist think tank uncommonly focused on providing people tools and frameworks that fundamentally change the way they read the Bible so it can achieve its mission and be-come that story that defines their lives. www.instituteforbiblereading.org

A Word from Rachel Van Dyke, Illustrator:

When I was approached by Tyndale House Publishers to consider creating art work for the covers of their new Reading Bible series, I had already been in prayer for a few months about how God might use my artistic gifts for His Kingdom. There was a deep need in me to see a direct connection between my artistic expression and bringing people to the saving knowledge of Christ.

The title, Immerse, is so visually expressive for me. I was thrilled to create a series of works that would embody this feeling of immersion in Christ’s love and God’s word.

I was given the book titles for the Immerse series, each one inspiring in me a color and gesture. Throughout the series, the cover art represents a set of harmonious colors to express the title to that particular Reading Bible volume. It feels alive and in motion, much like the Spirit of God in our lives.


Welcome to I M M E R S E The Bible Reading Experience Encourages the extended reading of Scripture with a tool especially designed for reading comfortably and at length.

Encourages engagement with the grand narrative of Scripture, inviting readers to make the Bible’s great drama of restoration and new life the story of their lives too.

Encourages a deeper appreciation of the Bible’s individual books and a deeper understanding of how each book fits into the whole of God’s revealed word.

Encourages a regular and deep reading of Scripture, which uncovers the spiritual light and practical wisdom that God wants to provide for all his people.

Encourages people to read and listen to God’s word together in groups, fostering rich community with others and a deeper communion with God.

Encourages people to read the Bible intensively in two 8-week sessions each year, still allowing room for other activities and studies in their community’s annual cycle.

Provides structured reading plans, introductory videos, and other printed and online tools that help leaders to easily guide the reading and reflection process.

Encourages people to read through the entire Bible in a regular 3-year rhythm, leading to a lifetime of engagement in God’s word.

ImmerseBible.comCREATED IN ALLIANCE WITH

9 781496 432384

ISBN 9781496432384

ISBN 978-1-4964-3238-4Immerse Beginnings Sampler

EAN

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