1And Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, and he called those greater by birth, and the leaders and judges and teachers. And they stood in the sight of the Lord. 2And he spoke to the people in this way: “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘Your fathers lived, in the beginning, across the river: Terah, the father of Abraham, and Nahor. And they served strange gods. 3Then I brought your father Abraham from the parts of Mesopotamia, and I led him into the land of Canaan. And I multiplied his offspring, 4and I gave to him Isaac. And to him, I gave again Jacob and Esau. And I gave mount Seir to Esau as a possession. Yet truly, Jacob and his sons descended into Egypt. 5And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I struck Egypt with many signs and portents. 6And I led you and your fathers away from Egypt, and you arrived at the sea. And the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen, as far as the Red Sea. 7Then the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord. And he stationed a darkness between you and the Egyptians, and he led the sea over them, and he covered them. Your eyes saw all that I did in Egypt, and you lived in the wilderness for a long time. 8And I led you into the land of the Amorite, who was living beyond the Jordan. And when they fought against you, I delivered them into your hands, and you possessed their land, and you put them to death. 9Then Balak, the son of Zippor, the king of Moab, rose up and fought against Israel. And he sent and called for Balaam, the son of Beor, so that he might curse you. 10And I was not willing to listen to him, but on the contrary, I blessed you through him, and I freed you from his hand. 11And you crossed over the Jordan, and you arrived at Jericho. And the men of that city fought against you: the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Girgashite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. And I delivered them into your hands. 12And I sent wasps before you. And I drove them from their places, the two kings of the Amorites, but not by your sword, and not by your bow. 13And I gave you a land, in which you did not labor, and cities, which you did not build, so that you might live in them, and vineyards and olive groves, which you did not plant.’
1Alleluia. Confess to the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy is eternal. 2Confess to the God of gods, for his mercy is eternal. 3Confess to the Lord of lords, for his mercy is eternal. 4He alone performs great miracles, for his mercy is eternal. 5He made the heavens with understanding, for his mercy is eternal. 6He established the earth above the waters, for his mercy is eternal. 7He made the great lights, for his mercy is eternal: 8the sun to rule the day, for his mercy is eternal: 9the moon and the stars to rule the night, for his mercy is eternal. 10He struck Egypt along with their first-born, for his mercy is eternal. 11He led Israel away from their midst, for his mercy is eternal: 12with a powerful hand and an outstretched arm, for his mercy is eternal. 13He divided the Red Sea into separate parts, for his mercy is eternal. 14And he led out Israel through the middle of it, for his mercy is eternal. 15And he shook off Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, for his mercy is eternal. 16He led his people through the desert, for his mercy is eternal. 17He has struck great kings, for his mercy is eternal. 18And he has slaughtered strong kings, for his mercy is eternal: 19Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his mercy is eternal: 20and Og, king of Bashan, for his mercy is eternal. 21And he granted their land as an inheritance, for his mercy is eternal: 22as an inheritance for his servant Israel, for his mercy is eternal. 23For he was mindful of us in our humiliation, for his mercy is eternal. 24And he redeemed us from our enemies, for his mercy is eternal.
3And the Pharisees approached him, testing him, and saying, “Is it lawful for a man to separate from his wife, no matter what the cause?” 4And he said to them in response, “Have you not read that he who made man from the beginning, made them male and female?” And he said: 5“For this reason, a man shall separate from father and mother, and he shall cling to his wife, and these two shall become one flesh. 6And so, now they are not two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no man separate.” 7They said to him, “Then why did Moses command him to give a bill of divorce, and to separate?” 8He said to them: “Although Moses permitted you to separate from your wives, due to the hardness of your heart, it was not that way from the beginning. 9And I say to you, that whoever will have separated from his wife, except because of fornication, and who will have married another, commits adultery, and whoever will have married her who has been separated, commits adultery.” 10His disciples said to him, “If such is the case for a man with a wife, then it is not expedient to marry.” 11And he said to them: “Not everyone is able to grasp this word, but only those to whom it has been given. 12For there are chaste persons who were born so from their mother’s womb, and there are chaste persons who have been made so by men, and there are chaste persons who have made themselves chaste for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Whoever is able to grasp this, let him grasp it.”