Beginning
9 ¶ And it came to pass when all the kings who were on this side of the Jordan, in the mountains and in the valleys and in all the coast of the great sea over against Lebanon, heard these things, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites
2 gathered themselves together with one accord to fight with Joshua and with Israel.
3 ¶ But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai,
4 they worked with prudence and went and made as if they had been ambassadors and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old and rent and bound up,
5 and old patched shoes upon their feet, and old garments upon them, and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy.
6 Thus they came unto Joshua to the camp at Gilgal and said unto him and to the men of Israel, We are come from a far country; now, therefore, make ye a covenant with us.
7 And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us, and how shall we make a covenant with you?
8 And they said unto Joshua, We are thy slaves. And Joshua said unto them, Who are you and where do you come from?
9 And they said unto him, From very far lands thy slaves are come because of the name of the LORD thy God, for we have heard the fame of him and all that he did in Egypt
10 and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side of the Jordan, and to Sihon, king of Heshbon, and to Og, king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.
11 Therefore, our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, Take provision with you for the journey and go to meet them and say unto them, We are your slaves; therefore, now make ye a covenant with us.
12 This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to come unto you, but now, behold, it is dry and mouldy.
13 These bottles of wine, we also filled new, and, behold, they are rent, and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey.
14 And the men of Israel took of their provision and did not ask counsel at the mouth of the LORD.
15 ¶ And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live; also the princes of the congregation swore unto them.
16 At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard how they were their neighbours and that they dwelt among them.
17 And the sons of Israel journeyed and came unto their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon and Chephirah and Beeroth and Kirjathjearim.
18 And the sons of Israel did not smite them because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes.
19 But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel; therefore, now we may not touch them.
20 This we will do to them; we will let them live lest wrath come upon us because of the oath which we swore unto them.
21 And the princes said unto them, Let them live but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation, as the princes had said unto them.
22 ¶ And Joshua called for them, and spoke unto them saying, Why have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you, when ye dwell among us?
23 Now, therefore, ye are cursed, and ye shall always be slaves and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.
24 And they answered Joshua and said, Because it was certainly told thy slaves how the LORD thy God commanded his slave Moses that he was to give you the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; therefore, we feared greatly of our lives because of you and have done this thing.
25 And now, behold, we are in thy hand; as it seems good and right unto thee to do unto us, do.
26 And so did he unto them; he delivered them out of the hand of the sons of Israel, so that they did not slay them.
27 And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, in the place which he should choose; which they are even unto this day.
10 ¶ Now it came to pass when Adonizedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had taken Ai and that he had utterly 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 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 Adonizedek, king of Jerusalem, sent unto Hoham, king of Hebron, and unto Piram, king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia, king of Lachish, and unto Debir, king of Eglon, saying,
4 Come up unto me and help me that we may 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 before Gibeon and made war against it.
6 And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand from thy slaves; come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us.
7 ¶ So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him and all the mighty men of valour.
8 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Do not fear them; for I have delivered them into thy hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee.
9 Joshua, therefore, came unto them suddenly, for he went up from Gilgal all night.
10 And the LORD discomfited them before Israel and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon and chased them along the way that goes up to Bethhoron and smote them to Azekah and unto Makkedah.
11 And when they were fleeing from before Israel in the descent to Bethhoron, the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died; there were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the sons of Israel slew with the sword.
12 Then Joshua spoke unto the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed until the nation had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of righteousness? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven and hastened not to go down about a whole day.
14 And there was no day like that before it or after it that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel.
15 ¶ And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.
16 But the five kings fled and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah.
17 And it was told unto Joshua that the five kings had been found hidden in a cave at Makkedah.
18 Then Joshua said, Roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave and set men by it to guard them;
19 and do not stop, but pursue after your enemies and smite their rearguard without allowing them to enter into their cities; for the LORD your God has delivered them into your hand.
20 And it came to pass when Joshua and the sons of Israel had finished slaying them with a very great slaughter until they were consumed, that those who remained of them entered into strong cities.
21 And all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace; there was no one to move his tongue against any of the sons of Israel.
22 Then Joshua said, Open the mouth of the cave and bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave.
23 And they did so and brought forth those five kings unto him out of the cave: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.
24 And when they had brought those kings out unto Joshua, Joshua called for all the men of Israel and said unto the captains of the men of war who went with him, Come near; put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near and put their feet upon the necks of them.
25 And Joshua said unto them, Do not fear, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage; for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.
26 And afterward Joshua smote them and slew them and caused them to be hanged on five trees; and they hung upon the trees until the evening.
27 And at the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded that they take them down off the trees and cast them into the cave in which they had been hid, and they laid great stones in the cave’s mouth, which remain until this very day.
28 ¶ In that same day Joshua took Makkedah and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof he utterly destroyed, them and all the souls that were therein; he let no one remain; and he did to the king of Makkedah as he did unto the king of Jericho.
29 Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him unto Libnah and fought against Libnah;
30 and the LORD delivered it also, and the king thereof, into the hands of Israel; and he smote it with the edge of the sword and all the souls that were therein; he let no one remain in it, but did unto the king thereof as he did unto the king of Jericho.
31 And Joshua passed from Libnah and all Israel with him unto Lachish and encamped against it and fought against it;
32 and the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, who 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 none of them were left.
34 And from Lachish Joshua passed unto Eglon and all Israel with him, and they encamped against it and fought against it;
35 and they took it that same day and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were in it he utterly destroyed that same day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.
36 And Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, unto 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 in it; he left no one remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon, but destroyed it utterly 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 utterly destroyed all the souls that were in it; he left no one 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 her king.
40 So Joshua smote all the country of the hills and of the Negev and of the vale and of the springs and all their kings; he left no one remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel had commanded.
41 And Joshua smote them from Kadeshbarnea even unto Gaza and all the country of Goshen even unto Gibeon.
42 All these kings and their lands Joshua took at one time because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.
43 And Joshua returned and all Israel with him unto the camp to Gilgal.
11 ¶ Hearing of this, Jabin, king of Hazor, sent a message unto Jobab, king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron and to the king of Achshaph
2 and to the kings that were on the north of the mountains and in the plain southward of Chinneroth and in the valley and in the borders of Dor to the west
3 and to the Canaanite on the east and on the west and to the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Jebusite in the mountains and to the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpeh.
4 And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, many people even as the sand that is upon the sea shore in multitude, with a great multitude of horses and chariots.
5 All these kings united, and as they came they gathered together the camps near the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.
6 But the LORD said unto Joshua, Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow at this hour I will deliver them up all slain before Israel; thou shalt hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.
7 So Joshua came against them with all the people of war and fell upon them suddenly by the waters of Merom.
8 And the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote them and chased them unto great Zidon and unto the hot springs and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them, until they left them no one remaining.
9 And Joshua did unto them as the LORD had commanded him; he hamstrung their horses and burnt their chariots with fire.
10 ¶ And Joshua at that time returned and took Hazor and smote the king thereof with the sword because Hazor had been the head of all those kingdoms before.
11 And they smote all the souls that were in it with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them; there was not any left to breathe; and he burnt Hazor with fire.
12 Likewise, Joshua took all the cities of those kings and all their kings and smote them with the edge of the sword, and he utterly destroyed them as Moses the slave of the LORD had commanded him.
13 But of all the cities that stood on their hills, Israel burned none of them, excepting Hazor only, which Joshua burned.
14 And all the spoil of these cities and the beasts, the sons of Israel took for themselves; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them, without leaving any that breathed.
15 ¶ As the LORD had commanded Moses his slave, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD had commanded Moses.
16 So Joshua took all that land, the mountains and all the region of the Negev and all the land of Goshen and the valleys and the plains and the mountain of Israel and its valleys.
17 Even from Mount Halak that goes up unto Seir unto Baalgad in the plains of Lebanon at the roots of Mount Hermon; likewise he took all their kings and smote them and slew them.
18 Joshua made war many days with all those kings.
19 There was not a city that made peace with the sons of Israel except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon; they took all the others in battle.
20 For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly and that they might have no mercy, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
21 Also at the same time Joshua came and cut off the Anakims from the mountains, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel; Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities.
22 There were none of the Anakims left in the land of the sons of Israel; only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained.
23 So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war.
Copyright © 2013, 2020 by Ransom Press International