Sirach 46:1-10

Revised Standard Version

46 Joshua the son of Nun was mighty in war,
    and was the successor of Moses in prophesying.
He became, in accordance with his name,
    a great savior of God’s^[a] elect,
to take vengeance on the enemies that rose against them,
    so that he might give Israel its inheritance.
² How glorious he was when he lifted his hands
    and stretched out his sword against the cities!
³ Who before him ever stood so firm?
    For he waged the wars of the Lord.
⁴ Was not the sun held back by his hand?
    And did not one day become as long as two?
⁵ He called upon the Most High, the Mighty One,
    when enemies pressed him on every side,
⁶ and the great Lord answered him
    with hailstones of mighty power.
He hurled down war upon that nation,
    and at the descent of Beth-hor′on^[b] he destroyed those who resisted,
so that the nations might know his armament,
    that he was fighting in the sight of the Lord;
    for he wholly followed the Mighty One.
⁷ And in the days of Moses he did a loyal deed,
    he and Caleb the son of Jephun′neh:
they withstood the congregation,^[c]
    restrained the people from sin,
    and stilled their wicked murmuring.
⁸ And these two alone were preserved
    out of six hundred thousand people on foot,
to bring them into their inheritance,
    into a land flowing with milk and honey.
⁹ And the Lord gave Caleb strength,
    which remained with him to old age,
so that he went up to the hill country,
    and his children obtained it for an inheritance;
¹⁰ so that all the sons of Israel might see
    that it is good to follow the Lord.