Old/New Testament

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.

Conquering the North

11 Now when Jabin king of Hazor heard about it, he sent word 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 Arabah south of Chinneroth, in the lowland and in the regions of Dor to the west, ³ the Canaanites in the east and west, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites in the hill country and the Hivites at the foot of Hermon in the land of Mizpah. ⁴ So they came out, they and all their armies with them, a multitude with as many people as the sand on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots. ⁵ All these kings joined forces, came and camped together at the waters of Merom to fight with Israel.

⁶ But Adonai said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow at this time I will give all of them slain before Israel. You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.” ⁷ So Joshua and all the people of war with him attacked them suddenly at the waters of Merom and fell upon them. ⁸ Then Adonai gave them into the hand of Israel, so they defeated them and chased them as far as Great Zidon and Misrephoth-maim, and up to the Valley of Mizpeh eastward. They struck them down until they left them no survivors. ⁹ Joshua did to them as Adonai had instructed him—he hamstrung their horses and burnt their chariots with fire.

¹⁰ At that time Joshua turned back and captured Hazor and struck its king with the sword, because Hazor had formerly been the head of all those kingdoms. ¹¹ They struck down every single soul in it with the edge of the sword, putting them to the ban. There was none left that breathed after he burned Hazor with fire. ¹² Thus Joshua captured all the cities of those kings and all their kings, and he struck them with the edge of the sword, putting them to the ban, just as Moses the servant of Adonai had commanded. ¹³ But as for the cities that stood on their mounds, Israel did not burn any of them, except Hazor alone, which Joshua did burn. ¹⁴ All the spoil of these cities and the cattle, Bnei-Yisrael took as their booty, but they struck down every person with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them, not sparing anyone who breathed.

¹⁵ Just as Adonai had commanded Moses His servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that Adonai had commanded Moses. ¹⁶ So Joshua captured all this land: the hill country, the Negev, all the land of Goshen, the lowland, the Arabah, the hill country of Israel and its lowland, ¹⁷ from the Mount Halak^[a] that ascends to Seir all the way to Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon at the foot of Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings, struck them down and put them to death. ¹⁸ For a long time Joshua made war with all those kings. ¹⁹ There was not a city that made peace with Bnei-Yisrael except the Hivites who inhabited Gibeon. All the rest they took in battle. ²⁰ For it was of Adonai to harden their hearts to encounter Israel in battle, that they might be put to the ban, that they might receive no mercy, in order to destroy them as Adonai had commanded Moses.

²¹ At that time Joshua went and cut off the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, Debir, Anab, and from the entire hill country of Judah and from the entire hill country of Israel. Joshua put a ban on them with their cities. ²² There was none of the Anakim left in the land of Bnei-Yisrael, except some were left in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod.

²³ So Joshua captured the whole country, according to all that Adonai had spoken to Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Then the land had rest from war.

The Conquered Kings

12 Now these are the kings of the land whom Bnei-Yisrael defeated and possessed their land beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise, from the valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon, and all the Arabah eastward: ² King Sihon of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon and ruled from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and the middle of the valley, and half Gilead, even up to the Jabbok River, the border of the children of Ammon; ³ and the Arabah up to the Sea of Chinneroth eastward, and as far as the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, eastward the way to Beth-jeshimoth, and on the south, at the foot of the slopes of Pisgah. ⁴ Also the territory of King Og of Bashan, one of the remnant of the Rephaim, who lived at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, ⁵ and ruled over Mount Hermon and Salcah and all Bashan, as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and half of Gilead, as far as the border of King Sihon of Heshbon. ⁶ Moses the servant of Adonai and Bnei-Yisrael defeated them, then Moses the servant of Adonai gave it as a possession to the Reubenites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh.

⁷ Now these are the kings of the land whom Joshua and Bnei-Yisrael defeated beyond the Jordan westward, from Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak that goes up to Seir (Joshua gave it to the tribes of Israel for a possession according to their divisions: ⁸ in the hill country, in the lowland, in the Arabah, on the slopes, in the wilderness, and in the Negev, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites): ⁹ one king of Jericho, one king of Ai which was near Bethel, ¹⁰ one king of Jerusalem, one king of Hebron, ¹¹ one king of Jarmuth, one king of Lachish, ¹² one king of Eglon, one king of Gezer, ¹³ one king of Debir, one king of Geder, ¹⁴ one king of Hormah, one king of Arad, ¹⁵ one king of Libnah, one king of Adullam, ¹⁶ one king of Makkedah, one king of Bethel, ¹⁷ one king of Tappuah, one king of Hepher, ¹⁸ one king of Aphek, one king of Sharon, ¹⁹ one king of Madon, one king of Hazor, ²⁰ one king of Shimron-meron, one king of Achshaph, ²¹ one king of Taanach, one king of Megiddo, ²² one king of Kedesh, one king of Jokneam in Carmel, ²³ one king of Dor in the region of Dor, one king of Goiim in the Gilgal, ²⁴ one king of Tirzah, for a total of 31 kings.

Elizabeth Greets Miriam with Joy

³⁹ Now in those days, Miriam got up and quickly traveled into the hill country, to a town in Judah. ⁴⁰ She entered Zechariah’s home and happily greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Miriam’s greeting, the unborn child leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was completely filled with the Ruach ha-Kodesh. ⁴² She then cried out with a great shout, saying, “You are blessed among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. ⁴³ Who am I, that the mother of my Master should come to me? ⁴⁴ For even when I just heard the sound of your greeting in my ear, the unborn child leaped with joy in my womb. ⁴⁵ Blessed is she who trusted that there would be a fulfillment of those things spoken to her by Adonai.”

⁴⁶ Then Miriam said,

Zechariah Breaks His Silence

⁵⁶ Miriam stayed with her for three months and then returned to her home.