Holman Christian Standard Bible (69 page)

Gibeon's Deception Discovered

16
 Three days after making the treaty with them, they heard that the Gibeonites were their neighbors, living among them.
17
 So the Israelites set out and reached the Gibeonite cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. 
18
 But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the community had sworn an oath to them by the
Lord
, the God of Israel. Then the whole community grumbled against the leaders.

19
 All the leaders answered them, “We have sworn an oath to them by the
Lord
, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them.
20
 This is how we will treat them: we will let them live, so that no wrath will fall on us because of the oath we swore to them.”
21
 They also said, “Let them live.” So the Gibeonites became woodcutters and water carriers for the whole community, as the leaders had promised them.

22
 Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said to them, “Why did you deceive us by telling us you live far away from us, when in fact you live among us?
23
 Therefore you are cursed and will always be slaves — woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”

24
 The Gibeonites answered him, “It was clearly communicated to your servants that the
Lord
your God had commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before you. We greatly feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this.
25
 Now we are in your hands. Do to us whatever you think is right.” 
26
 This is what Joshua did to them: he delivered them from the hands of the Israelites, and they did not kill them.
27
 On that day he made them woodcutters and water carriers — as they are today — for the community and for the
Lord
's altar at the place He would choose. 

Joshua

The Day the Sun Stood Still

10
Now Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai and
•completely
destroyed it, treating Ai and its king as he had Jericho and its king, and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were living among them. 
2
 So Adoni-zedek and his people were greatly alarmed because Gibeon was a large city like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were warriors.
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. We will attack Gibeon, because they have made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.”
5
 So the five Amorite kings — the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon — joined forces, advanced with all their armies, besieged Gibeon, and fought against it.

6
 Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: “Don't abandon your servants. Come quickly and save us! Help us, for all the Amorite kings living in the hill country have joined forces against us.”
7
 So Joshua and his whole military force, including all the fighting men, came from Gilgal. 

8
 The
Lord
said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for I have handed them over to you. Not one of them will be able to stand against you.”

9
 So Joshua caught them by surprise, after marching all night from Gilgal.
10
 The
Lord
threw them into confusion before Israel. He defeated them in a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them through the ascent of Beth-horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.
11
 As they fled before Israel, the
Lord
threw large hailstones on them from the sky along the descent of Beth-horon all the way to Azekah, and they died. More of them died from the hail than the Israelites killed with the sword.

12
 On the day the
Lord
gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the
Lord
in the presence of Israel:

Isn't this written in the Book of Jashar? 

14
 There has been no day like it before or since, when the
Lord
listened to the voice of a man, because the
Lord
fought for Israel. 
15
 Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal.

Execution of the Five Kings

16
 Now the five defeated kings had fled and hidden themselves in the cave at Makkedah.
17
 It was reported to Joshua: “The five kings have been found; they are hiding in the cave at Makkedah.”

18
 Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and station men by it to guard the kings.
19
 But as for the rest of you, don't stay there. Pursue your enemies and attack them from behind. Don't let them enter their cities, for the
Lord
your God has handed them over to you.”
20
 So Joshua and the Israelites finished inflicting a terrible slaughter on them until they were destroyed, although a few survivors ran away to the fortified cities.
21
 The people returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. And no one dared to threaten the Israelites.

22
 Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave, and bring those five kings to me out of there.”
23
 That is what they did. They brought the five kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon to Joshua out of the cave.
24
 When they had brought the kings to him, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the military commanders who had accompanied him, “Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So the commanders came forward and put their feet on their necks.
25
 Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Be strong and courageous, for the
Lord
will do this to all the enemies you fight.”

26
 After this, Joshua struck them down and executed them. He hung their bodies on five trees and they were there until evening. 
27
 At sunset Joshua commanded that they be taken down from the trees and thrown into the cave where they had hidden. Then large stones were placed against the mouth of the cave, and the stones are there to this day. 

Conquest of Southern Cities

28
 On that day Joshua captured Makkedah and struck it down with the sword, including its king. He completely destroyed it and everyone in it, leaving no survivors. So he treated the king of Makkedah as he had the king of Jericho. 

29
 Joshua and all Israel with him crossed from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against Libnah. 
30
 The
Lord
also handed it and its king over to Israel. He struck it down, putting everyone in it to the sword, and left no survivors in it. He treated Libnah's king as he had the king of Jericho.

31
 From Libnah, Joshua and all Israel with him crossed to Lachish. They laid siege to it and attacked it.
32
 The
Lord
handed Lachish over to Israel, and Joshua captured it on the second day. He struck it down, putting everyone in it to the sword, just as he had done to Libnah.
33
 At that time Horam king of Gezer went to help Lachish, but Joshua struck him down along with his people, leaving no survivors in it.

34
 Then Joshua crossed from Lachish to Eglon and all Israel with him. They laid siege to it and attacked it.
35
 On that day they captured it and struck it down, putting everyone in it to the sword. He completely destroyed it that day, just as he had done to Lachish.

36
 Next, Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron and attacked it.
37
 They captured it and struck down its king, all its villages, and everyone in it with the sword. He left no survivors, just as he had done at Eglon. He completely destroyed Hebron and everyone in it.

38
 Finally, Joshua turned toward Debir and attacked it. And all Israel was with him.
39
 He captured it — its king and all its villages. They struck them down with the sword and completely destroyed everyone in it, leaving no survivors. He treated Debir and its king as he had treated Hebron and as he had treated Libnah and its king.

40
 So Joshua conquered the whole region — the hill country, the
•Negev
, the Judean foothills, and the slopes — with all their kings, leaving no survivors. He completely destroyed every living being, as the
Lord
, the God of Israel, had commanded. 
41
 Joshua conquered everyone from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, and all the land of Goshen as far as Gibeon.
42
 Joshua captured all these kings and their land in one campaign, because the
Lord
, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.
43
 Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.

Joshua

Conquest of Northern Cities

11
When Jabin king of Hazor heard this news, he sent a message to:

4
 They went out with all their armies — a multitude as numerous as the sand on the seashore — along with a vast number of horses and chariots.
5
 All these kings joined forces; they came together and camped at the waters of Merom to attack Israel. 

6
 The
Lord
said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for at this time tomorrow I will cause all of them to be killed before Israel. You are to hamstring their horses and burn up their chariots.” 
7
 So Joshua and his whole military force surprised them at the waters of Merom and attacked them.
8
 The
Lord
handed them over to Israel, and they struck them down, pursuing them as far as Great Sidon and Misrephoth-maim, and to the east as far as the Valley of Mizpeh. They struck them down, leaving no survivors.
9
 Joshua treated them as the
Lord
had told him; he hamstrung their horses and burned up their chariots.

10
 At that time Joshua turned back, captured Hazor, and struck down its king with the sword, because Hazor had formerly been the leader of all these kingdoms.
11
 They struck down everyone in it with the sword,
•completely
destroying them; he left no one alive. Then he burned down Hazor.

12
 Joshua captured all these kings and their cities and struck them down with the sword. He completely destroyed them, as Moses the
Lord
's servant had commanded.
13
 However, Israel did not burn any of the cities that stood on their mounds except Hazor, which Joshua burned.
14
 The Israelites plundered all the spoils and cattle of these cities for themselves. But they struck down every person with the sword until they had annihilated them, leaving no one alive.
15
 Just as the
Lord
had commanded His servant Moses, Moses commanded Joshua. That is what Joshua did, leaving nothing undone of all that the
Lord
had commanded Moses.

Summary of Conquests

16
 So Joshua took all this land — the hill country, all the
•Negev
, all the land of Goshen, the foothills, the Arabah, and the hill country of Israel with its foothills  —
17
 from Mount Halak, which ascends to Seir, as far as Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon at the foot of Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings and struck them down, putting them to death. 
18
 Joshua waged war with all these kings for a long time.
19
 No city made peace with the Israelites except the Hivites who inhabited Gibeon; all of them were taken in battle.
20
 For it was the
Lord
's intention to harden their hearts, so that they would engage Israel in battle, be completely destroyed without mercy, and be annihilated, just as the
Lord
had commanded Moses.

21
 At that time Joshua proceeded to exterminate the Anakim from the hill country — Hebron, Debir, Anab — all the hill country of Judah and of Israel. Joshua completely destroyed them with their cities.
22
 No Anakim were left in the land of the Israelites, except for some remaining in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod.

23
 So Joshua took the entire land, in keeping with all that the
Lord
had told Moses. Joshua then gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. After this, the land had rest from war. 

Joshua