1 And it came to
pass, when all the kings which were on this side Jordan, in
the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the
great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite,
the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite,
heard thereof;
2 That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua
and with Israel, with one accord.
3 And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done
unto Jericho and to Ai,
4 They did work wilily, 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 shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments
upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and
mouldy.
6 And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said
unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country:
now therefore make ye a league with us.
7 And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure
ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you?
8 And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua
said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?
9 And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants
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 beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king
of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth.
11 Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country
spake to us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journey,
and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your servants:
therefore now make ye a league with us.
12 This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses
on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it
is dry, and it is mouldy:
13 And these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and,
behold, they be rent: and these our garments and our shoes are
become old by reason of the very long journey.
14 And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel
at the mouth of the LORD.
15 And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them,
to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware
unto them.
16 And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had
made a league with them, that they heard that they were their
neighbours, and that they dwelt among them.
17 And the children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their
cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah,
and Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim.
18 And the children of Israel smote them not, 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: now therefore we
may not touch them.
20 This we will do to them; we will even let them live, lest
wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we sware 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 promised them.
22 And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying,
Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from
you; when ye dwell among us?
23 Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall none of you
be freed from being bondmen, 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 servants, how that the LORD thy God commanded his servant
Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants
of the land from before you, therefore we were sore afraid of
our lives because of you, and have done this thing.
25 And now, behold, we are in thine hand: as it seemeth good
and right unto thee to do unto us, do.
26 And so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the hand
of the children of Israel, that they slew them not.
27 And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers
of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the LORD,
even unto this day, in the place which he should choose.
Chapter 10
1 Now it came to
pass, when Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua
had taken Ai, and 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 That 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 Wherefore Adoni-zedek 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 hath made peace with Joshua and with the children 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 servants; 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, Fear them not: for I have delivered
them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before
thee.
9 Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and 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 goeth up to Beth-horon, and smote them to Azekah, and
unto Makkedah.
11 And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and
were in the going down to Beth-horon, that the LORD cast down
great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died:
they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the
children of Israel slew with the sword.
12 Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered
up the Amorites before the children 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 people
had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written
in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of
heaven, and hasted 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 these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at
Makkedah.
17 And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings are found
hid in a cave at Makkedah.
18 And Joshua said, Roll great stones upon the mouth of the
cave, and set men by it for to keep them:
19 And stay ye not, but pursue after your enemies, and smite
the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities:
for the LORD your God hath delivered them into your hand.
20 And it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of Israel
had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter,
till they were consumed, that the rest which remained of them
entered into fenced cities.
21 And all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah
in peace: none moved his tongue against any of the children
of Israel.
22 Then said Joshua, 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 it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto
Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said
unto the captains of the men of war which 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, Fear not, 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 hanged
them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until
the evening.
27 And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the
sun, that Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the
trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they had been hid,
and laid great stones in the cave's mouth, which remain until
this very day.
28 And that 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 none 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 hand of Israel; and he smote it with the edge of the sword,
and all the souls that were therein; he let none 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, which
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 he had left him none remaining.
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 on that day, and smote it with the edge
of the sword, and all the souls that were therein he utterly
destroyed that 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 therein; he left none 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 therein; he left none
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
south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings:
he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed,
as the LORD God of Israel commanded.
41 And Joshua smote them from Kadesh-barnea even unto Gaza,
and all the country of Goshen, even unto Gibeon.
42 And all these kings and their land did Joshua take 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.
Chapter 11
1 And it came to
pass, when Jabin king of Hazor had heard those things, that
he sent to 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 of the plains south of Chinneroth, and in the valley, and
in the borders of Dor on 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, much
people, even as the sand that is upon the sea shore in multitude,
with horses and chariots very many.
5 And when all these kings were met together, they came and
pitched together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel.
6 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them:
for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain
before Israel: thou shalt hough their horses, and burn their
chariots with fire.
7 So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against
them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them.
8 And the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote
them, and chased them unto great Zidon, and unto Misrephoth-maim,
and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them,
until they left them none remaining.
9 And Joshua did unto them as the LORD bade him: he houghed
their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire.
10 And Joshua at that time turned back, and took Hazor, and
smote the king thereof with the sword: for Hazor beforetime
was the head of all those kingdoms.
11 And they smote all the souls that were therein with the edge
of the sword, utterly destroying them: there was not any left
to breathe: and he burnt Hazor with fire.
12 And all the cities of those kings, and all the kings of them,
did Joshua take, and smote them with the edge of the sword,
and he utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the LORD
commanded.
13 But as for the cities that stood still in their strength,
Israel burned none of them, save Hazor only; that did Joshua
burn.
14 And all the spoil of these cities, and the cattle, the children
of Israel took for a prey unto themselves; but every man they
smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them,
neither left they any to breathe.
15 As the LORD commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command
Joshua, and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that
the LORD commanded Moses.
16 So Joshua took all that land, the hills, and all the south
country, and all the land of Goshen, and the valley, and the
plain, and the mountain of Israel, and the valley of the same;
17 Even from the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir, even unto
Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon under mount Hermon: and all
their kings he took, and smote them, and slew them.
18 Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.
19 There was not a city that made peace with the children of
Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon: all other
they took 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 favour, but that he
might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses.
21 And at that time came Joshua, 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 was none of the Anakims left in the land of the children
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 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. |