the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Joshua 10
1 Now it came to pass, when Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had completely destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them;2 that they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty.3 Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, and to Piram king of Jarmuth, and to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying,4 Come up to me, and help me, and let us smite Gibeon; for it has made peace with Joshua and with the sons of Israel.5 Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together, and went up, they and all their hosts, and encamped against Gibeon, and made war against it.6 And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Do not slack your hand from your slaves; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the hill-country are gathered together against us.
7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor.8 And Yahweh said to Joshua, Don't fear them: for I have delivered them into your hands; not a man of them shall stand before you.9 Joshua therefore came on them suddenly; [for] he went up from Gilgal all the night.10 And Yahweh discomfited them before Israel, and he slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon, and smote them to Azekah, and to Makkedah.11 And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, that Yahweh cast down great stones from heaven on them to Azekah, and they died: they who died with the hailstones were more than they whom the sons of Israel slew with the sword.12 Then Joshua spoke to Yahweh in the day when Yahweh delivered up the Amorites before the sons of Israel; and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand still on Gibeon; And, Moon, in the valley of Aijalon.13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, Until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies. Isn't this written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stayed in the midst of heaven, and didn't hurry to go down about a whole day.14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that Yahweh listened to the voice of a man: for Yahweh fought for Israel.
15 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp to Gilgal.16 And these five kings fled, and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.17 And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings have been found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah.18 And Joshua said, Roll great stones to the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to keep them:19 but don't you stay; pursue after your enemies, and smite the hindmost of them; don't allow them to enter into their cities: for Yahweh your God has delivered them into your hand.20 And it came to pass, when Joshua and the sons of Israel had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, until they were consumed, and the remnant which remained of them had entered into the fortified cities,21 that all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace: none moved his tongue against any of the sons of Israel.22 Then Joshua said, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring forth those five kings to me out of the cave.23 And they did so, and brought forth those five kings to him out of the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon.24 And it came to pass, when they brought forth those kings to Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the men of war that went with him, Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet on the necks of them.25 And Joshua said to them, Don't be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage: for thus shall Yahweh do to all your enemies against whom you fight.26 And afterward Joshua smote them, and put them to death, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging on the trees until the evening.27 And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun, that Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they had hidden themselves, and laid great stones on the mouth of the cave, to this very day.
28 And Joshua took Makkedah on that day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof: he completely destroyed them and all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining; and he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.29 And Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, to Libnah, and fought against Libnah:30 and Yahweh delivered it also, and the king thereof, into the hand of Israel; and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining in it; and he did to the king thereof as he had done to the king of Jericho.31 And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it:32 and Yahweh delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel; and he took it on the second day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein, according to all that he had done to Libnah.33 Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua smote him and his people, until he had left him none remaining.34 And Joshua passed from Lachish, and all Israel with him, to Eglon; and they encamped against it, and fought against it;35 and they took it on that day, and smote it with the edge of the sword; and all the souls that were therein he completely destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.36 And Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, to Hebron; and they fought against it:37 and they took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof, and all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but he completely destroyed it, and all the souls that were therein.38 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir, and fought against it:39 and he took it, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and completely destroyed all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining: as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to the king thereof; as he had done also to Libnah, and to the king thereof.40 So Joshua smote all the land, the hill-country, and the South, and the lowland, and the slopes, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but he completely destroyed all that breathed, as Yahweh, the God of Israel, commanded.41 And Joshua smote them from Kadesh-barnea even to Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even to Gibeon.42 And all these kings and their land Joshua took at one time, because Yahweh, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.43 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp to Gilgal.
Updated Bible Version
Scripture quotations are from the UPDV® Updated Bible Version 1.9, Copyright © 2003-4 by Updated Publishers. Used by permission. All Rights Reserved.