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3 But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4 they acted craftily, and took old sacks on their donkeys, and old wineskins, torn and mended, 5 old and patched sandals on their feet, and old garments on themselves. All the bread of their provision was dry and crumbly. 6 They went to Joshua at the Gilgal settlement and said to him and the children of Israel, “We have come from a distant land. Now make a pact with us.”
7 Then the children of Israel said to these Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us, so how could we make a pact with you?”
8 Yet they said to Joshua, “We are your slaves.”
Joshua said to them, “Who are you, and where do you come from?”
9 They said to him, “We, your slaves, have come from a very distant land because of the name of the Lord your God, for we heard news of Him and all He did in Egypt 10 and all that He did to the two Amorite kings on the other side of the Jordan, King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan in Ashtaroth. 11 So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, ‘Take food provisions for the journey and go to meet them. Say to them, “We are your slaves. So now, make a pact with us.” ’ 12 This bread of ours was hot as we took it from our homes on the day we left to come to you, but now, see, it is dry and crumbly. 13 These wineskins that we filled were new, but see, they are ripped open. These clothes and sandals wore out due to the very long journey.”
14 So the men examined some of the food provisions, but they did not ask the Lord about it. 15 Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them.
16 Three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were neighbors to them and lived among them. 17 So the children of Israel set out and came to their cities on the third day. Their cities were Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim. 18 Now the children of Israel did not attack them, for the leaders of the congregation had sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, so the congregation murmured against the leaders.
19 Yet all the leaders said to the whole congregation, “We swore to them by the Lord God of Israel, so now we may not harm them. 20 This is what we will do to them. We will let them live so that wrath will not come upon us due to the oath that we swore to them.” 21 The leaders of the congregation also said to them, “Let them live!” So they became woodcutters and water carriers for the whole congregation, as the leaders told them.
22 Joshua met them and said, “Why did you trick us, saying, ‘We are very distant from you,’ but you are living in our midst? 23 Therefore now you are cursed, and you will always be slaves, cutting wood and carrying water for the house of my God.”
24 They answered Joshua, “It was told to your slaves that the Lord your God commanded Moses His servant 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, and we did this thing. 25 Now here we are, in your hands. Do to us whatever is good and right in your eyes.”
26 Thus he did to them, and delivered them from the hand of the children of Israel; and they did not kill them. 27 That day he made them woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation and the altar of the Lord, even to this day, at the place He would choose.
The Sun Stands Still
10 Now when King Adoni-Zedek of Jerusalem heard that Joshua captured Ai and destroyed it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, 2 he and his people were very afraid. Gibeon was a large city, like one of the royal cities. It was larger than Ai, and all its men were warriors. 3 So King Adoni-Zedek of Jerusalem sent this message to King Hoham of Hebron, King Piram of Jarmuth, King Japhia of Lachish, and King Debir of Eglon: 4 “Come and help me! Let us attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and all the children of Israel.”
5 So the five kings of the Amorites—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon—and all their armies gathered, advanced, and camped against Gibeon. Then they waged war against it.
6 The men of Gibeon sent this message to Joshua at the Gilgal settlement: “Do not abandon your slaves. Come up to us quickly. Save us! Help us! For all the Amorite kings 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 The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for I have given them into your hand. Not a single man can stand before you.”
9 Then Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal. 10 The Lord panicked them before Israel. They struck them with overwhelming force at Gibeon, then Israel pursued them on the road that rises to Beth Horon and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. 11 As they fled from Israel on the downslope from Beth Horon, the Lord hurled large hailstones down upon them from the sky as far as Azekah. They died, and in fact more died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword.
12 On the day the Lord gave over the Amorites to the children of Israel, Joshua spoke to the Lord and said in full view of Israel:
“Sun, stand still over Gibeon;
and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”
13 So the sun stood still,
and the moon stood in place
until the people brought vengeance on their enemies.
Is this not written in the book of Jashar?
The sun stood still in the middle of the sky and did not set for about a full day. 14 There has not been a day like this either before or after it, when the Lord obeyed a man, for the Lord waged war for Israel.
15 Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, returned to the settlement at Gilgal.
The Execution of Five Amorite Kings
16 Yet these five kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah. 17 Joshua was told, “The five kings have been found hiding themselves in the cave at Makkedah.” 18 So Joshua said, “Roll large stones over the mouth of the cave, and station men to stand guard over it. 19 As for you, do not stop pursuing your enemies, but attack them from behind. Do not let them go back to their cities, for the Lord your God has given them into your hand.”
20 When Joshua and the children of Israel had finished striking them with overwhelming force until they were completely defeated, the survivors escaped from them and went back to their fortified cities. 21 Then all the people returned safely to Joshua at the Makkedah settlement, and no one spoke against any of the children of Israel.
22 Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out to me those five kings from the cave.” 23 They did this, and they brought out those five kings from the cave: the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. 24 When they brought out those five kings to Joshua, he called out to all the men of Israel and the army commanders, “Come here and place your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came near and placed their feet on their necks.
25 Then Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or dismayed. Be strong and courageous! For this is what the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.” 26 After that, Joshua struck them down, killed them, and hung them on five trees. They were hanging on the trees until evening.
27 At sundown Joshua commanded men to take them down from the trees and throw them into the cave in which they had hidden themselves. Over the mouth of the cave he placed large stones, which remain to this day.
Southern Cities Conquered
28 Joshua took Makkedah that day and struck it and its king with the edge of the sword. He destroyed it and all life within it. He did not leave any survivors. He did to the king of Makkedah just as he did to the king of Jericho. 29 Then Joshua passed from Makkedah to Libnah with all of Israel, and they fought against Libnah. 30 The Lord gave Libnah and its king into the hand of Israel, and they struck all who lived in it with the edge of the sword. There were no survivors left. They did to its king what they had done to the king of Jericho.
31 Then Joshua passed from Libnah to Lachish with all of Israel, camped against it, and waged war against it. 32 The Lord gave Lachish into the hand of Israel. They captured it on the second day and struck all who lived in it with the edge of the sword, just as they had done to Libnah. 33 King Horam of Gezer came up to help Lachish, but Joshua attacked him and his people until he did not have a single survivor left.
34 From Lachish, Joshua and all of Israel passed to Eglon. They camped against it and waged war against it. 35 They captured it that day and struck it with the edge of the sword. All who lived in it were destroyed that day, just as Israel had done to Lachish.
36 Then Joshua and all of Israel went up from Eglon to Hebron and waged war against it. 37 They captured it and struck its king, and all who lived in it, and its surrounding towns with the edge of the sword. No survivor was left. Just as they had done to Eglon, they destroyed it and all who lived in it.
38 Then Joshua and all of Israel turned to Debir and waged war against it. 39 They captured it, its king, and all its surrounding towns and struck them with the edge of the sword. They destroyed all who lived in them, and no survivor was left. As he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king as they had done to Libnah and its king.
40 So Joshua attacked the whole land: the hill country, the Negev, the lowlands, the mountain slopes, and all their kings. No survivor was left. He destroyed all who breathed, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded. 41 Joshua attacked the land from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza and the land of Goshen as far as Gibeon. 42 Joshua captured all these kings and their land in one campaign because the Lord God of Israel waged war for Israel.
43 Then Joshua and all of Israel returned to the settlement at Gilgal.
The Rich Man and Lazarus
19 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 There was also a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores, who had been placed at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed the crumbs falling from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 “It came to pass that the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s presence. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham from a distance and Lazarus in his presence. 24 So he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. For I am tormented in this flame.’
25 “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things. But now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf, so that those who would pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’
27 “He said, ‘Then I pray you, father, to send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, to testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’
29 “Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets. Let them hear them.’
30 “He said, ‘No, father Abraham. But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’ ”
Some Sayings of Jesus(A)
17 Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible except that offenses will come. But woe to him through whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he was thrown into the sea, than to offend one of these little ones. 3 Take heed to yourselves.
“If your brother sins against you, rebuke him. And if he repents, forgive him. 4 If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
6 The Lord said, “If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
7 “Which of you, having a servant plowing or herding sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come now and sit down for dinner’? 8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare my supper, and dress yourself and serve me until I eat and drink. And afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? I think not. 10 So you also, when you have done everything commanded you, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done our duty.’ ”
Psalm 83
A Song. A Psalm of Asaph.
1 Do not keep Your silence, O God;
do not hold Your peace or be still, O God.
2 For, look, Your enemies make an uproar,
and those who hate You have lifted up their heads.
3 They have given crafty counsel against Your people,
and have consulted against Your treasured ones.
4 They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation,
that the name of Israel may be no more remembered.”
5 For they have conspired together;
they make a covenant against You—
6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
even Moab and the Hagrites;
7 Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,
the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre;
8 Assyria also is joined with them,
they are the strength of the descendants of Lot. Selah
9 Do to them as You did to the Midianites,
as to Sisera and Jabin at the river of Kishon,
10 who perished at Endor;
they became as dung for the ground.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb;
yes, all their princes as Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 who said, “Let us take for ourselves
the pastures of God as a possession.”
13 O my God, make them like a tumbleweed,
as stubble before the wind.
14 As fire burns a forest,
and as the flame sets the mountains ablaze,
15 so pursue them with Your storm,
and make them afraid with Your hurricane.
16 Fill their faces with shame,
that they may seek your name, O Lord.
17 Let them be confounded and troubled forever;
yes, let them be put to shame and perish,
18 that they may know that You, whose name alone is the Lord,
are the Most High over all the earth.
4 The soul of the sluggard desires, and has nothing;
but the soul of the diligent will be made fat.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.