March 11

Joshua 9:1 — 10:43

9 And it came about that as soon as all the kings who were on the side of the Jordan in the mountainous region and in the Shephelah and along the whole coast of the Great Sea and in front of Lebanon, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, heard of it, 2 they began to assemble themselves all together to make war against Joshua and Israel unanimously.

3 And the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai. 4 So they, even of their own accord, acted with shrewdness and went and stocked themselves with provisions and took worn-out sacks for their asses, and wine skin-bottles worn out and burst and tied up, 5 and worn-out and patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out garments upon themselves, and all the bread of their provisions proved to be dry and crumby. 6 Then they went to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel: “It is from a distant land that we have come. And now CONCLUDE a covenant with us.” 7 At this the men of Israel said to the Hivites: “Perhaps it is in our vicinity that you are dwelling. So how could we conclude a covenant with you?” 8 In turn they said to Joshua: “We are your servants.”

Then Joshua said to them: “Who are YOU, and where do YOU come from?” 9 At this they said to him: “It is from a very distant land that your servants have come in regard to the name of Jehovah your God, because we have heard of his fame and of all that he did in Egypt, 10 and of all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, namely, Sihon the king of Heshbon and Og the king of Bashan, who was in Ashtaroth. 11 Hence our older men and all the inhabitants of our land said this to us, ‘Take provisions in YOUR hands for the journey and go to meet them, and YOU must say to them: “We are YOUR servants. And now conclude a covenant with us.”’ 12 This bread of ours, it was hot when we took it as our provisions out of our houses on the day of our going out to come here to YOU, and now, look! it is dry and has become crumby. 13 And these are the wine skin-bottles that we filled new, and, look! they have burst, and these garments and sandals of ours, they have worn out because of the great length of the journey.”

14 Upon that the men took some of their provisions, and at the mouth of Jehovah they did not inquire. 15 And Joshua went making peace with them and concluding a covenant with them to let them live, and so the chieftains of the assembly swore to them.

16 And it came about that at the end of three days, after they had concluded a covenant with them, they got to hear that they were near to them and it was in their vicinity they were dwelling. 17 Then the sons of Israel pulled out and came to their cities on the third day, and their cities were Gibeon and Chephirah and Beeroth and Kiriath-jearim. 18 And the sons of Israel did not strike them, because the chieftains of the assembly had sworn to them by Jehovah the God of Israel. And all the assembly began to murmur against the chieftains. 19 At this all the chieftains said to all the assembly: “We, for our part, have sworn to them by Jehovah the God of Israel, and now we are not allowed to hurt them. 20 This is what we shall do to them while letting them live, that no indignation may come upon us over the oath that we have sworn to them.” 21 So the chieftains said to them: “Let them live and let them become gatherers of wood and drawers of water for all the assembly, just as the chieftains have promised them.”

22 Joshua now called them and spoke to them, saying: “Why did YOU trick us, saying, ‘We are very far away from YOU,’ whereas YOU are dwelling in our very midst? 23 And now YOU are cursed people, and a slave’s position and being gatherers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God will never be cut off from YOU.” 24 Then they answered Joshua and said: “It was because your servants were plainly told that Jehovah your God had commanded Moses his servant to give YOU all the land and to annihilate all the inhabitants of the land from before YOU, and we became very much afraid for our souls because of YOU. So we did this thing. 25 And now here we are, in your hand. Just as it is good and right in your eyes to do to us, do.” 26 And he proceeded to do so to them and to deliver them from the hand of the sons of Israel, and they did not kill them. 27 Accordingly Joshua constituted them on that day gatherers of wood and drawers of water for the assembly and for Jehovah’s altar, down to this day, at the place that he should choose.


10 And it came about that as soon as Adoni-zedek the king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai and then devoted it to destruction, that just as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king, and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were continuing in their midst, 2 he became very much afraid, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty ones. 3 Consequently Adoni-zedek the king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham the king of Hebron and to Piram the king of Jarmuth and to Japhia the king of Lachish and to Debir the king of Eglon, saying, 4 “Come up to me and help me and let us strike Gibeon, because it has made peace with Joshua and the sons of Israel.” 5 At this they gathered together and went on up, 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, these and all their camps, and they proceeded to camp against Gibeon and to war against it.

6 Upon that the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying: “Do not let your hand relax from your slaves. Come up to us quickly and do save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites inhabiting the mountainous region have collected together against us.” 7 So Joshua went on up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him and all the valiant mighty men.

8 Then Jehovah said to Joshua: “Do not be afraid of them, for into your hand I have given them. Not a man of them will stand against you.” 9 And Joshua proceeded to come against them by surprise. All night long he had gone up from Gilgal. 10 And Jehovah went throwing them into confusion before Israel, and they began to slay them with a great slaughter at Gibeon and went pursuing them by way of the ascent of Beth-horon and slaying them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. 11 And it came about that while they were fleeing from before Israel and were on the descent of Beth-horon, Jehovah hurled great stones from the heavens upon them as far as Azekah, so that they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the sons of Israel killed with the sword.

12 It was then that Joshua proceeded to speak to Jehovah on the day of Jehovah’s abandoning the Amorites to the sons of Israel, and he went on to say before the eyes of Israel:

“Sun, be motionless over Gibeon,

And, moon, over the low plain of Aijalon.”

13 Accordingly the sun kept motionless, and the moon did stand still, until the nation could take vengeance on its enemies. Is it not written in the book of Jashar? And the sun kept standing still in the middle of the heavens and did not hasten to set for about a whole day. 14 And no day has proved to be like that one, either before it or after it, in that Jehovah listened to the voice of a man, for Jehovah himself was fighting for Israel.

15 After that Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal.

16 Meantime these five kings fled and went hiding themselves in the cave at Makkedah. 17 Then the report was made to Joshua, saying: “The five kings have been found hidden in the cave at Makkedah.” 18 At that Joshua said: “ROLL great stones up to the mouth of the cave and assign men over it to guard them. 19 As for YOU men, do not stand still. Chase after YOUR enemies, and YOU must strike them in the rear. Do not allow them to enter into their cities, for Jehovah YOUR God has given them into YOUR hands.”

20 And it came about that as soon as Joshua and the sons of Israel had finished slaying them with a very great slaughter, until these came to their end, and those who did survive of them escaped and went entering into the fortified cities, 21 all the people then began to return to the camp, to Joshua, at Makkedah in peace. Not a man moved his tongue eagerly against the sons of Israel. 22 Then Joshua said: “OPEN the mouth of the cave and bring out these five kings from the cave to me.” 23 At that they did so and brought out to him from the cave these five kings, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon. 24 And it came about that as soon as they had brought out these kings to Joshua, Joshua proceeded to call all the men of Israel and to say to the commanders of the men of war that had gone with him: “Come forward. Place YOUR feet on the back of the necks of these kings.” So they came forward and placed their feet on the back of their necks. 25 And Joshua went on to say to them: “Do not be afraid or be terrified. Be courageous and strong, for it is like this that Jehovah will do to all YOUR enemies against whom YOU are warring.”

26 And after that Joshua proceeded to strike them and put them to death and hang them upon five stakes, and they continued hanging upon the stakes until the evening. 27 And it came about that at the time of the setting of the sun Joshua commanded, and they went taking them down off the stakes and throwing them into the cave where they had hid themselves. Then they placed big stones at the mouth of the cave—until this very day.

28 And Joshua captured Makkedah on that day and went striking it with the edge of the sword. As for its king, he devoted him and every soul that was in it to destruction. He let no survivor remain. So he did to the king of Makkedah just as he had done to the king of Jericho.

29 Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Makkedah to Libnah and warred against Libnah. 30 Accordingly Jehovah gave it also and its king into Israel’s hand, and they went striking it and every soul that was in it with the edge of the sword. They did not let a survivor remain in it. So they did to its king just as they had done to the king of Jericho.

31 Next Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Libnah to Lachish and went camping against it and warring upon it. 32 Accordingly Jehovah gave Lachish into Israel’s hand so that they captured it on the second day, and they went striking it and every soul that was in it with the edge of the sword, according to all that they had done to Libnah.

33 It was then that Horam the king of Gezer went up to help Lachish. So Joshua struck him and his people until he had let not a survivor of his remain.

34 Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Lachish to Eglon and went camping against it and warring against it. 35 And they got to capture it on that day and began to smite it with the edge of the sword, and they devoted every soul that was in it to destruction on that day, according to all that they had done to Lachish.

36 Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron and began to war against it. 37 And they got to capture it and went striking it and its king and all its towns and every soul that was in it with the edge of the sword. He did not let a survivor remain, according to all that he had done to Eglon. So he devoted it and every soul that was in it to destruction.

38 Finally Joshua and all Israel with him came back to Debir and began to war against it. 39 And he got to capture it and its king and all its towns, and they went striking them with the edge of the sword and devoting every soul that was in it to destruction. He did not let a survivor remain. Just as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king, and just as he had done to Libnah and its king.

40 And Joshua proceeded to strike all the land of the mountainous region and the Negeb and the Shephelah and the slopes and all their kings. He did not let a survivor remain, and everything that breathed he devoted to destruction, just as Jehovah the God of Israel had commanded. 41 And Joshua went striking them from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza and all the land of Goshen and up to Gibeon. 42 And Joshua captured all these kings and their land at one time, because it was Jehovah the God of Israel who was fighting for Israel. 43 After that Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal.