³ But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, ⁴ they acted craftily. They went and traveled as ambassadors, took worn-out sacks for their donkeys and worn-out wine skins, cracked and patched up, ⁵ along with worn-out, patched up sandals on their feet and worn-out clothes on them. All the bread of their provision was dry and had become crumbly. ⁶ Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country. So now, make a treaty-covenant with us.”

⁷ Then the men of Israel said to the Hivites: “Perhaps you are living among us. How then should we make a covenant with you?”

⁸ But they said to Joshua, “We are your servants.”

Then Joshua asked them, “Who are you? Where do you come from?”

⁹ So they replied to him: “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the Name of Adonai your God. For we have heard the report of Him and all that He did in Egypt, ¹⁰ and all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan—to King Sihon of Heshbon and to King Og of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth. ¹¹ So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us saying, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey, go to meet them and say to them: “We will be your subjects, so now make a treaty-covenant with us.’” ¹² This is our bread, which was hot when we took it for our provision from our homes on the day we left to come to you, but now behold, it is dry and crumbly. ¹³ And these wineskins, which we were new when we filled them, but now see, they are cracked. Also these our garments and our sandals are worn-out because of the very long journey.”

¹⁴ So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, and did not seek counsel from Adonai’s mouth. ¹⁵ So Joshua made peace with them and cut a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the community swore to them.

¹⁶ But it came about at the end of three days after they had cut a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors, and were living among them. ¹⁷ So Bnei-Yisrael journeyed and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. ¹⁸ But Bnei-Yisrael did not strike them, because the leaders of the community had sworn to them by Adonai, God of Israel. Then the entire community murmured against the leaders, ¹⁹ but all the leaders answered the entire community, “We have sworn to them by Adonai, God of Israel, so now we cannot touch them. ²⁰ This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, lest wrath be upon us because of the oath which we swore to them.” ²¹ “Yes, let them live,” the leaders said further, “but let them chop wood and draw water for the entire community.” So the leaders decreed concerning them.

²² Then Joshua summoned them and he spoke to them saying: “Why have you deceived us saying: ‘We are very far from you,’ when you are living among us? ²³ Now therefore, you are cursed, and you will never cease to be servants, wood-choppers and water-carriers for the House of my God.”

²⁴ So they answered Joshua and said: “It was because your servants were clearly told that Adonai your God had commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before you. So we were very afraid for our lives because of you, and so we did this. ²⁵ Now behold, we are in your hand. Whatever seems good and right in your eyes to do to us, do.”

²⁶ Thus he did to them, delivering them from the hand of Bnei-Yisrael, so they did not slay them. ²⁷ On that day Joshua made them wood-choppers and water-carriers for the community, and for the altar of Adonai in the place which He would choose. So it is to this day.

Sun Stands Still

10 Now it came to pass that Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it—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 remained among them. ² So he feared greatly, because Gibeon was a large city, as one of the royal cities—in fact, larger than Ai—and all its men were mighty. ³ Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish and Debir king of Eglon saying: ⁴ “Come up and help me! Let’s attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and Bnei-Yisrael.” ⁵ So the five kings of the Amorites—the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish and the king of Eglon—gathered themselves and went up, they and all their armies, camped against Gibeon and attacked it.

⁶ Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua in camp at Gilgal saying: “Don’t abandon your servants! Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, for all the kings of the Amorites living in the hill country have gathered 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 Adonai said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will stand before you.” ⁹ So Joshua came upon them suddenly by marching all night from Gilgal. ¹⁰ Adonai threw them into confusion before Israel, defeated them with a crushing defeat at Gibeon, chased them by the road that goes up to Beth-horon, and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. ¹¹ While they were fleeing before Israel down the descent of Beth-horon, Adonai cast down great stones from heaven on them all the way to Azekah so they died—more of them died from the hailstones than those Bnei-Yisrael killed with the sword.

¹² Then Joshua spoke to Adonai, on the day Adonai gave the Amorites over to Bnei-Yisrael, and said in the eyes of Israel:

¹³ So the sun stood still and the moon stopped until the nation took vengeance on its enemies. (Is it not written in the Book of Jashar?) Thus the sun halted in the middle of the sky, and did not hurry to go down for about a full day. ¹⁴ There was no day like that before it or after it, when Adonai listened to the voice of a man. For Adonai fought for Israel.

¹⁵ Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal. ¹⁶ Now these five kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah. ¹⁷ So it was reported to Joshua, “The five kings are found hidden in the cave at Makkedah.” ¹⁸ Joshua said, “Roll large stones onto the mouth of the cave, assign men over it to guard them, ¹⁹ but don’t stay there yourselves. Chase after your enemies and attack them at the rear. Don’t let them enter their cities, for Adonai your God has given them into your hand.”

²⁰ So it was that Joshua and Bnei-Yisrael finished striking them with a very great slaughter until they were wiped out, though some of their survivors escaped into the fortified cities. ²¹ Then all the people returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. No one dared sharpen his tongue against Bnei-Yisrael.

²² Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring out those five kings to me from the cave.” ²³ So they did so, and brought out those five kings to him from the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon. ²⁴ When they brought out those kings to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, “Come forward and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came forward and put their feet on their necks. ²⁵ Then Joshua said to them, “Never fear or be dismayed. Chazak! Be strong! For thus will Adonai do to all your enemies whom you will fight.” ²⁶ After this, Joshua struck them and put them to death, then hanged them on five trees, and they remained hanging on the trees until evening. ²⁷ It came about at sunset that Joshua commanded that they be taken down from the trees and thrown into the cave where they had hidden themselves. Then they placed large stones at the mouth of the cave which are there to this very day.

²⁸ On that day Joshua captured Makkedah and struck it and its king with the edge of the sword, putting it and every single soul in it under a ban of destruction, leaving no survivors. So he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho. ²⁹ Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against Libnah. ³⁰ Adonai also gave it with its king into the hand of Israel. So he struck it and every single soul in it with the edge of the sword, leaving no survivors in it. So he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.

³¹ Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Libnah to Lachish, camped against it and fought against it. ³² Adonai delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, so he captured it on the second day, and struck it and every single soul in it with the edge of the sword, just as he had done to Libnah. ³³ Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish, but Joshua defeated him and his people until he had left him no survivors.

³⁴ Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Lachish to Eglon, camped against it and fought against it. ³⁵ They captured it on that day and struck it and every single soul in it with the edge of the sword, putting them under the ban that day, just as he had done to Lachish.

³⁶ Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron, and they fought against it. ³⁷ They captured it and struck it, its king, all its towns, and every single soul that was in it with the edge of the sword, leaving no survivors, just as he had done to Eglon, putting it and every single soul in it under the ban.

³⁸ Then Joshua and all Israel with him turned back to Debir and fought against it. ³⁹ He captured it and its king, and all its towns, struck them with the edge of the sword and put every single soul in it under the ban, leaving no survivors. Just as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king, as he had also done to Libnah and its king.

⁴⁰ So Joshua conquered the entire country—the hill country, the Negev, the lowland and the slopes—with all their kings. He left no survivors, but he put everything that breathed under the ban, just as Adonai God of Israel had commanded. ⁴¹ Thus Joshua defeated them from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, all the country of Goshen as far as Gibeon. ⁴² Thus Joshua captured all those kings and their lands at a single stroke, because Adonai God of Israel fought for Israel. ⁴³ Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal.

¹⁹ “Now there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, living it up in luxury every day. ²⁰ But a poor man named Lazarus had been laid at his gate, covered with sores ²¹ and longing to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Besides, even the dogs were coming to lick his sores.

²² “It happened that the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. Then the rich man also died and was buried. ²³ And from Sheol, as he was in torment, he raised his eyes. And he sees Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his side. ^{[a] 24} So he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me! And send Lazarus so he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, because I am suffering torment in this flame.’^[b]

²⁵ “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your life you received your good things, even as Lazarus received the bad things. But now he is comforted here, and you are tormented. ²⁶ Besides all this, between us and you a great chasm is firmly set, so that those who want to cross over to you cannot, nor can those from there cross over to us.

²⁷ “Then the rich man said, ‘I beg you then, Father Abraham, send Lazarus to my father’s house! ²⁸ For I have five brothers to warn, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

²⁹ “But Abraham says, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets. Let them listen to them.’

³⁰ “But he said, ‘No, Father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

³¹ “But Abraham said, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead!’”

Back to Teaching His Own

17 Then Yeshua said to His disciples, “Stumbling blocks are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom they come! ² It would be better for him to have a millstone put around his neck and to be hurled into the sea, than for him to cause one of these little ones to stumble.

³ “Keep yourselves alert! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. ⁴ Even if he sins against you seven times a day, and seven times returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”

⁵ Then the emissaries said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”

⁶ Then the Lord said, “If you have faith like a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. ⁷ But if you have a slave who is plowing or tending sheep, who among you will say to him when he comes in from the field, ‘Come right in, and recline at table’? ⁸ But won’t he instead say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat! Dress yourself and wait on me while I eat and drink; and afterward, you may eat and drink’? ⁹ He doesn’t thank the slave because he did what he was commanded, does he? ¹⁰ So you too, when you’ve done everything you are commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves. We have done only what we were supposed to do.’”

Nations Conspire Against Israel

Psalm 83