Old/New Testament
The Sun Stands Still
10 King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem eventually heard how Joshua had conquered Ai, utterly destroying it, doing to Ai and its king the same thing that he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were now living among them. 2 So they[a] were terrified, since Gibeon was a large city, comparable to one of the royal cities, was larger than Ai, and all of its men had been warriors.
3 So King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent word to King Hoham of Hebron, King Piram of Jarmuth, King Japhia of Lachish, and King Debir of Eglon. He told them, 4 “Come over and help me, and let’s attack Gibeon, because it made a peace treaty with Joshua and the Israelis.” 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 their armies together and advanced with all of their armies toward Gideon, camped there, and laid siege to it.
6 The Gibeonites sent word to Joshua at his camp in Gilgal: “Don’t abandon your servants. Come quickly, save us, and help us, because all of the kings of the Amorites who live in the hill country have attacked us.” 7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, along with his entire fighting force of mighty warriors with him.
8 The Lord told Joshua, “Don’t fear them, because I have handed them over to you. Not one of them will withstand you.” 9 So after an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua attacked them by surprise. 10 The Lord threw the Amorites[b] into a panic right in front of the army[c] of Israel, which then slaughtered many of them at Gibeon. The Israeli army[d] chased them along the road that goes up to Beth-horon, striking them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. 11 While they were fleeing in front of Israel and descending the slope of Beth-horon, the Lord rained down huge hailstones on them as far as Azekah, and they died. More died because of the hailstones than were killed by the Israelis in battle.[e] 12 Later that day, Joshua spoke to the Lord while the Lord was delivering the Amorites to the Israelis. This is what he said in the presence of Israel:
“Sun, be still over Gibeon!
Moon, stand in place[f] in the Aijalon Valley!”
13 So the sun remained still
and the moon stood in place
until the nation settled their score with their enemies.
This is recorded, is it not, in the book of Jashar?[g]
The sun stood in place
in the middle of the sky
and seemed not to be in a hurry
to set for nearly an entire day.
14 There has never been a day like it before or since, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man, because the Lord was fighting on behalf of Israel.
15 After this, Joshua returned to the camp at Gilgal with the entire fighting force of[h] Israel.
Defeat of the Five Kings
16 Meanwhile, the five kings had fled and hidden themselves inside a cave at Makkedah. 17 Joshua was informed, “The five kings have been discovered hiding in the cave at Makkedah.”
18 So Joshua gave an order, “Roll large stones up against the mouth of the cave and assign men to stand guard there, 19 but don’t stay there yourselves. Instead, pursue your enemies and attack them from behind. Don’t allow them to enter their cities, because the Lord your God has delivered them into your control.”
20 Now it came about that after Joshua and the Israelis had finished the battle,[i] destroying and scattering their survivors, who retreated into their fortified cities, 21 the entire army returned safely to Joshua’s encampment at Makkedah. No one could speak so much as a single word against any of the Israelis.
22 Then Joshua gave this order: “Unseal the mouth of the cave and bring out these five kings to me from the cave.”
23 So they did. They brought out these five kings to him from within the cave: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. 24 When they had brought these kings out to Joshua, Joshua called for all the men of Israel and spoke to the leaders of the men who had gone out to war along with him, “Come close and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came near and put their feet on their necks.
25 Joshua told the army,[j] “Don’t fear or be dismayed! Be strong and courageous, because this is how the Lord will treat all of your enemies whom you fight.”
26 After this, Joshua struck those kings[k] down, executing them, and hanged them on five gallows[l] until sunset. 27 When evening had come, Joshua gave a command to remove the bodies[m] from the gallows[n] and bury them in the cave where they had hidden. The army[o] sealed the mouth of the cave with large stones that remain there to this very day.
The Southern Campaign
28 Joshua captured Makkedah that very day, and attacked both it and its king with swords, utterly destroying it along with every person in it, leaving no survivors. He dealt with the king of Makkedah the same way he had dealt with the king of Jericho.
29 Afterward, Joshua and all of Israel passed on from Makkedah to Libnah, where they fought against Libnah. 30 The Lord gave both it and its king into the control of Israel, and Joshua[p] executed both its king[q] and every person in it with swords, leaving no survivors. He dealt with the king the same way he had dealt with the king of Jericho.
31 Then Joshua and all of Israel passed from Libnah to Lachish, camped near it, and attacked it. 32 The Lord gave Lachish into the control of Israel, and Joshua captured it the next day. He declared war on the city and executed[r] everyone in it, the same way he had treated Libnah.
33 Then Horam king of Gezer appeared to help Lachish. So Joshua attacked him and his army, until he left no one remaining. 34 After this, Joshua, accompanied by all of Israel, proceeded from Lachish to Eglon, laid siege to it, and attacked it. 35 They captured it on that day, attacking it in battle. Then Joshua completely destroyed it that day, the same way he had dealt with Lachish.
36 Then Joshua, accompanied by all of Israel, left Eglon for Hebron, where they attacked it, 37 captured it, and executed its inhabitants—its king, all of its cities, and every person in it, leaving no one remaining, the same way he had dealt with Eglon. He completely destroyed it, along with everyone in it.
38 Then Joshua returned, accompanied by the entire fighting force of[s] Israel, to Debir, where they attacked it, 39 captured it, its king, and all of its villages. They executed them, totally destroying it and everyone in it, leaving no one remaining. He dealt with Debir and its king just as he had dealt with Hebron, treating them the same way he had dealt with Libnah and its king.
40 So Joshua conquered the entire land, the hill country, the Negev,[t] the Shephelah,[u] and the wilderness highlands, along with all of their kings. He left none of them remaining, but completely destroyed every living person, just as the Lord God of Israel had commanded. 41 Joshua conquered them from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, including the entire territory of Goshen as far as Gibeon. 42 Joshua conquered all of these kings and their territories in one campaign, because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel. 43 Then Joshua returned to the camp at Gilgal, along with the entire fighting force of[v] Israel.
The Northern Campaign
11 When King Jabin of Hazor heard all of this,[w] he sent word[x] to Jobab king of Madon, to the king of Shimron, to the king of Achshaph, 2 and to the kings in the north, in the hill country, in the plain south of Chinnereth, in the Shephelah, and in the hills of Dor toward the west, 3 to the eastern and western Canaanites—the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites in the hill country, and the Hivites below Hermon in the territory of Mizpah. 4 So they went out, they and all of their armies with them—a multitude as numerous as the sand on the seashore—accompanied by many horses and chariots. 5 After all these kings had gathered together, they went out and camped together at the waters of Merom to fight Israel.
6 But the Lord told Joshua, “Don’t be afraid of them, because tomorrow about this time I am giving them all to you—dead—in the presence of Israel. Hamstring their horses and incinerate their chariots.”
7 So Joshua and his entire fighting force approached them suddenly by the waters of Merom and attacked them. 8 The Lord handed them over to the control of Israel, who defeated them and chased them as far as Greater Sidon and east as far as the Mizpah Valley. They attacked them until none remained. 9 Joshua dealt with them just as the Lord had told him: he hamstrung their horses and incinerated their chariots.
10 Joshua then turned back and captured Hazor, executing its king, because Hazor used to be the head of all of those kingdoms. 11 They executed all of the people who lived in it, completely destroying it and leaving no one alive. Then he burned Hazor in fire.
12 So Joshua captured and annihilated all of these cities, along with their kings, completely destroying them, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded. 13 However, Israel did not burn any of the cities that had been built on mounds of ruins,[y] except for Hazor only, which Joshua burned. 14 The Israelis took the spoils of war from these cities, along with their livestock, but they executed every human being until they had completely destroyed them, leaving no one alive. 15 Joshua did just what the Lord had commanded his servant Moses and just what Moses had commanded him, leaving nothing unfinished.
Summary of Joshua’s Victory
16 So Joshua conquered all of these territories: the hill country, all of the Negev,[z] the entire land of Goshen with its foothills, the plains of Jordan, and the mountains of Israel with its foothills 17 from Mount Halak and the ascent toward Seir, including as far as Baal-gad in the Lebanon Valley that lies at the foot of Mount Hermon. Joshua captured all of their kings, struck them down, and put them to death. 18 Joshua fought an extended campaign against all those kings. 19 There wasn’t a single[aa] city that made a peace accord with the Israelis, except the Hivites who lived in Gibeon. The Israelis[ab] captured all the rest[ac] in battle, 20 because the Lord had hardened their hearts so they would fight Israel in war, be completely destroyed without mercy, and be completely wiped out, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
21 At that time Joshua came and annihilated the Anakim[ad] from the hill country, that is, from Hebron, Debir, and Anab, as well as from all the hill country of Judah and Israel. Joshua completely destroyed them along with their cities. 22 None of the Anakim[ae] remained in the land belonging to the Israelis—they remained only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod. 23 Joshua conquered the entire land, in accordance with everything that the Lord had told Moses. Joshua presented it as an inheritance to Israel, dividing it according to tribal allotments. Then the land enjoyed rest from war.
Kingdoms Conquered by Israel
12 This is a list of the kings who ruled the land that the Israelis conquered, and whose territories they took on the other side of the Jordan River toward the east, from the Arnon River to Mount Hermon, along with the entire eastern Jordan plain.[af] 2 Sihon king of the Amorites lived in Heshbon and ruled from Aroer, which is located on the edge of the Arnon River[ag] from the middle of the valley, including half of Gilead as far as Wadi[ah] Jabbok, the border of the Ammonites, 3 and toward the Arabah as far as the Sea of Galilee[ai] to the east, as far as the Arabah Sea (that is, the Dead Sea) to the east as one travels in the direction[aj] of Beth-jeshimoth, and to the south as far as the foothills of Pisgah.[ak] 4 The territory of Og king of Bashan was conquered. He was[al] one of the last of the Rephaim,[am] and lived at Ashtaroth and Edrei, 5 ruling over Mount Hermon, Salecah, and all of Bashan as far as the border of the descendants of Geshur, the descendants of Maacath, and half of Gilead to the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.
6 Moses, the servant of the Lord, and the Israelis defeated them. Then Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave it to the descendants of Reuben, the descendants of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh as their inheritance.[an] 7 This is a list of the kings of the land whom Joshua and the Israelis defeated beyond the Jordan River toward the west, from Baal-gad in the Lebanon valley as far as Mount Halak, which rises in the direction of Seir. Joshua gave it to Israel, distributing it according to their tribal divisions as their inheritance, 8 in the mountain regions, in the Arabah, on the foothills, in the wilderness, in the Negev;[ao] that is, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites:
9 The king of Jericho: 1
The king of Ai, which is near Bethel: 1
10 The king of Jerusalem: 1
The king of Hebron: 1
11 The king of Jarmuth: 1
The king of Lachish: 1
12 The king of Eglon: 1
The king of Gezer: 1
13 The king of Debir: 1
The king of Geder: 1
14 The king of Hormah: 1
The king of Arad: 1
15 The king of Libnah: 1
The king of Adullam: 1
16 The king of Makkedah: 1
The king of Bethel: 1
17 The king of Tappuach: 1
The king of Hepher: 1
18 The king of Aphek: 1
The king of Lasharon: 1
19 The king of Madon: 1
The king of Hazor: 1
20 The king of Shimron-meron: 1
The king of Achshaph: 1
21 The king of Taanach: 1
The king of Megiddo: 1
22 The king of Kedesh: 1
The king of Jokneam in Carmel: 1
23 The king of Dor in the Dor heights: 1
The king of various[ap] gentiles in Gilgal:[aq] 1
24 The king of Tirzah: 1
Total number of all kings: 31
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 Later on,[a] Mary set out for a Judean city in the hill country. 40 She went into Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby jumped in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and she loudly exclaimed, “How blessed are you among women, and how blessed is the infant in[b] your womb! 43 Why should this happen to me, to have the mother of my Lord visit me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. 45 How blessed is this woman who believed that what the Lord told her would be fulfilled!”
Mary’s Song of Praise
46 Then Mary said,
“My soul praises the greatness of the Lord!
47 My spirit exults in God, my Savior,
48 because he has looked favorably on his humble servant.
From now on, all generations will call me blessed,
49 because the Almighty has done great things for me.
His name is holy.
50 His mercy lasts from generation to generation
for those who fear him.
51 He displayed his mighty power with his arm.
He scattered people who were proud in mind and heart.[c]
52 He pulled powerful rulers from their thrones
and lifted up humble people.
53 He filled hungry people with good things
and sent rich people away with nothing.
54 He helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful,
55 according to the promise he made[d] to our ancestors—
to Abraham and his descendants forever.”
56 Now Mary stayed with Elizabeth[e] about three months and then went back home.
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