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WEBC: World English Bible, Catholic Edition

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Day 65 of 365

about 20 minutes

Joshua 8-10

Joshua Chapter 8

¹The LORD said to Joshua, “Don’t be afraid, and don’t be dismayed. Take all the warriors with you, and arise, go up to Ai. Behold, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, with his people, his city, and his land. ²You shall do to Ai and her king as you did to Jericho and her king, except you shall take its goods and its livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush for the city behind it.” ³So Joshua arose, with all the warriors, to go up to Ai. Joshua chose thirty thousand men, the mighty men of valor, and sent them out by night. ⁴He commanded them, saying, “Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city. Don’t go very far from the city, but all of you be ready. ⁵I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. It shall happen, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them. ⁶They will come out after us until we have drawn them away from the city; for they will say, ‘They flee before us, like the first time.’ So we will flee before them, ⁷and you shall rise up from the ambush, and take possession of the city; for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand. ⁸It shall be, when you have seized the city, that you shall set the city on fire. You shall do this according to the LORD’s word. Behold, I have commanded you.” ⁹Joshua sent them out; and they went to set up the ambush, and stayed between Bethel and Ai on the west side of Ai; but Joshua stayed among the people that night. ¹⁰Joshua rose up early in the morning, mustered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai. ¹¹All the people, even the men of war who were with him, went up and came near, and came before the city and encamped on the north side of Ai. Now there was a valley between him and Ai. ¹²He took about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city. ¹³So they set the people, even all the army who was on the north of the city, and their ambush on the west of the city; and Joshua went that night into the middle of the valley. ¹⁴When the king of Ai saw it, they hurried and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at the time appointed, before the Arabah; but he didn’t know that there was an ambush against him behind the city. ¹⁵Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness. ¹⁶All the people who were in the city were called together to pursue after them. They pursued Joshua, and were drawn away from the city. ¹⁷There was not a man left in Ai or Bethel who didn’t go out after Israel. They left the city open, and pursued Israel. ¹⁸The LORD said to Joshua, “Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city. ¹⁹The ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand and entered into the city and took it. They hurried and set the city on fire. ²⁰When the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way. The people who fled to the wilderness turned back on the pursuers. ²¹When Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned back and killed the men of Ai. ²²The others came out of the city against them, so they were in the middle of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side. They struck them, so that they let none of them remain or escape. ²³They captured the king of Ai alive, and brought him to Joshua. ²⁴When Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness in which they pursued them, and they had all fallen by the edge of the sword until they were consumed, all Israel returned to Ai and struck it with the edge of the sword. ²⁵All that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the people of Ai. ²⁶For Joshua didn’t draw back his hand, with which he stretched out the javelin, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. ²⁷Israel took for themselves only the livestock and the goods of that city, according to the LORD’s word which he commanded Joshua. ²⁸So Joshua burned Ai and made it a heap forever, even a desolation, to this day. ²⁹He hanged the king of Ai on a tree until the evening. At sundown, Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree and threw it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raised a great heap of stones on it that remains to this day. ³⁰Then Joshua built an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, ³¹as Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses: an altar of uncut stones, on which no one had lifted up any iron. They offered burnt offerings on it to the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings. ³²He wrote there on the stones a copy of Moses’ law, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel. ³³All Israel, with their elders, officers, and judges, stood on both sides of the ark before the Levitical priests, who carried the ark of the LORD’s covenant, the foreigner as well as the native; half of them in front of Mount Gerizim, and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded at the first, that they should bless the people of Israel. ³⁴Afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law. ³⁵There was not a word of all that Moses commanded which Joshua didn’t read before all the assembly of Israel, with the women, the little ones, and the foreigners who were among them.

1: The LORD said to Joshua, “Don’t be afraid, and don’t be dismayed. Take all the warriors with you, and arise, go up to Ai. Behold, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, with his people, his city, and his land.

2: You shall do to Ai and her king as you did to Jericho and her king, except you shall take its goods and its livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush for the city behind it.”

3: So Joshua arose, with all the warriors, to go up to Ai. Joshua chose thirty thousand men, the mighty men of valor, and sent them out by night.

4: He commanded them, saying, “Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city. Don’t go very far from the city, but all of you be ready.

5: I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. It shall happen, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them.

6: They will come out after us until we have drawn them away from the city; for they will say, ‘They flee before us, like the first time.’ So we will flee before them,

7: and you shall rise up from the ambush, and take possession of the city; for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand.

8: It shall be, when you have seized the city, that you shall set the city on fire. You shall do this according to the LORD’s word. Behold, I have commanded you.”

9: Joshua sent them out; and they went to set up the ambush, and stayed between Bethel and Ai on the west side of Ai; but Joshua stayed among the people that night.

10: Joshua rose up early in the morning, mustered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.

11: All the people, even the men of war who were with him, went up and came near, and came before the city and encamped on the north side of Ai. Now there was a valley between him and Ai.

12: He took about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.

13: So they set the people, even all the army who was on the north of the city, and their ambush on the west of the city; and Joshua went that night into the middle of the valley.

14: When the king of Ai saw it, they hurried and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at the time appointed, before the Arabah; but he didn’t know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.

15: Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

16: All the people who were in the city were called together to pursue after them. They pursued Joshua, and were drawn away from the city.

17: There was not a man left in Ai or Bethel who didn’t go out after Israel. They left the city open, and pursued Israel.

18: The LORD said to Joshua, “Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city.

19: The ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand and entered into the city and took it. They hurried and set the city on fire.

20: When the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way. The people who fled to the wilderness turned back on the pursuers.

21: When Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned back and killed the men of Ai.

22: The others came out of the city against them, so they were in the middle of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side. They struck them, so that they let none of them remain or escape.

23: They captured the king of Ai alive, and brought him to Joshua.

24: When Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness in which they pursued them, and they had all fallen by the edge of the sword until they were consumed, all Israel returned to Ai and struck it with the edge of the sword.

25: All that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the people of Ai.

26: For Joshua didn’t draw back his hand, with which he stretched out the javelin, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.

27: Israel took for themselves only the livestock and the goods of that city, according to the LORD’s word which he commanded Joshua.

28: So Joshua burned Ai and made it a heap forever, even a desolation, to this day.

29: He hanged the king of Ai on a tree until the evening. At sundown, Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree and threw it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raised a great heap of stones on it that remains to this day.

30: Then Joshua built an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal,

31: as Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses: an altar of uncut stones, on which no one had lifted up any iron. They offered burnt offerings on it to the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings.

32: He wrote there on the stones a copy of Moses’ law, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel.

33: All Israel, with their elders, officers, and judges, stood on both sides of the ark before the Levitical priests, who carried the ark of the LORD’s covenant, the foreigner as well as the native; half of them in front of Mount Gerizim, and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded at the first, that they should bless the people of Israel.

34: Afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law.

35: There was not a word of all that Moses commanded which Joshua didn’t read before all the assembly of Israel, with the women, the little ones, and the foreigners who were among them.

Joshua Chapter 9

¹When all the kings who were beyond the Jordan, in the hill country, and in the lowland, and on all the shore of the great sea in front of Lebanon, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard of it ²they gathered themselves together to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord. ³But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, ⁴they also resorted to a ruse, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks on their donkeys, and old, torn-up and bound up wineskins, ⁵and old and patched sandals on their feet, and wore old garments. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy. ⁶They went to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country. Now therefore make a covenant with us.” ⁷The men of Israel said to the Hivites, “What if you live among us? How could we make a covenant with you?” ⁸They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” Joshua said to them, “Who are you? Where do you come from?” ⁹They said to him, “Your servants have come from a very far country because of the name of the LORD your God; for we have heard of his fame, all that he did in Egypt, ¹⁰and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth. ¹¹Our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take supplies in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them. Tell them, “We are your servants. Now make a covenant with us.” ’ ¹²This our bread we took hot for our supplies out of our houses on the day we went out to go to you; but now, behold, it is dry, and has become moldy. ¹³These wineskins, which we filled, were new; and behold, they are torn. These our garments and our sandals have become old because of the very long journey.” ¹⁴The men sampled their provisions, and didn’t ask counsel from the LORD’s mouth. ¹⁵Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live. The princes of the congregation swore to them. ¹⁶At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors, and that they lived among them. ¹⁷The children of Israel traveled and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim. ¹⁸The children of Israel didn’t strike them, because the princes of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. All the congregation murmured against the princes. ¹⁹But all the princes said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. Now therefore we may not touch them. ²⁰We will do this to them, and let them live; lest wrath be on us, because of the oath which we swore to them.” ²¹The princes said to them, “Let them live.” So they became wood cutters and drawers of water for all the congregation, as the princes had spoken to them. ²²Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, “Why have you deceived us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you live among us? ²³Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you will never fail to be slaves, both wood cutters and drawers of water for the house of my God.” ²⁴They answered Joshua, and said, “Because your servants were certainly told how the LORD your 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 very afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing. ²⁵Now, behold, we are in your hand. Do to us as it seems good and right to you to do.” ²⁶He did so to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, so that they didn’t kill them. ²⁷That day Joshua made them wood cutters and drawers of water for the congregation and for the LORD’s altar to this day, in the place which he should choose.

1: When all the kings who were beyond the Jordan, in the hill country, and in the lowland, and on all the shore of the great sea in front of Lebanon, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard of it

2: they gathered themselves together to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.

3: But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,

4: they also resorted to a ruse, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks on their donkeys, and old, torn-up and bound up wineskins,

5: and old and patched sandals on their feet, and wore old garments. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy.

6: They went to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country. Now therefore make a covenant with us.”

7: The men of Israel said to the Hivites, “What if you live among us? How could we make a covenant with you?”

8: They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” Joshua said to them, “Who are you? Where do you come from?”

9: They said to him, “Your servants have come from a very far country because of the name of the LORD your God; for we have heard of his fame, all that he did in Egypt,

10: and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.

11: Our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take supplies in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them. Tell them, “We are your servants. Now make a covenant with us.” ’

12: This our bread we took hot for our supplies out of our houses on the day we went out to go to you; but now, behold, it is dry, and has become moldy.

13: These wineskins, which we filled, were new; and behold, they are torn. These our garments and our sandals have become old because of the very long journey.”

14: The men sampled their provisions, and didn’t ask counsel from the LORD’s mouth.

15: Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live. The princes of the congregation swore to them.

16: At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors, and that they lived among them.

17: The children of Israel traveled and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim.

18: The children of Israel didn’t strike them, because the princes of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. All the congregation murmured against the princes.

19: But all the princes said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. Now therefore we may not touch them.

20: We will do this to them, and let them live; lest wrath be on us, because of the oath which we swore to them.”

21: The princes said to them, “Let them live.” So they became wood cutters and drawers of water for all the congregation, as the princes had spoken to them.

22: Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, “Why have you deceived us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you live among us?

23: Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you will never fail to be slaves, both wood cutters and drawers of water for the house of my God.”

24: They answered Joshua, and said, “Because your servants were certainly told how the LORD your 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 very afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing.

25: Now, behold, we are in your hand. Do to us as it seems good and right to you to do.”

26: He did so to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, so that they didn’t kill them.

27: That day Joshua made them wood cutters and drawers of water for the congregation and for the LORD’s altar to this day, in the place which he should choose.

Joshua Chapter 10

¹Now when Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem 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, ²they were very afraid, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty. ³Therefore Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying, ⁴“Come up to me and help me. Let’s strike Gibeon; for they have made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.” ⁵Therefore 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 together and went up, they and all their armies, and encamped against Gibeon, and made war against it. ⁶The men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the 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 that dwell in the hill country have gathered together against us.” ⁷So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and the whole army with him, including all the mighty men of valor. ⁸The LORD said to Joshua, “Don’t fear them, for I have delivered them into your hands. Not a man of them will stand before you.” ⁹Joshua therefore came to them suddenly. He marched from Gilgal all night. ¹⁰The LORD confused them before Israel. He killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth Horon, and struck them to Azekah and to Makkedah. ¹¹As they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth Horon, the LORD hurled down great stones from the sky on them to Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the children of Israel killed with the sword. ¹²Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel. He said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still on Gibeon! You, moon, stop in the valley of Aijalon!” ¹³The sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies. Isn’t this written in the book of Jashar? The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and didn’t hurry to go down about a whole day. ¹⁴There was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD listened to the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel. ¹⁵Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp to Gilgal. ¹⁶These five kings fled, and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah. ¹⁷Joshua was told, saying, “The five kings have been found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah.” ¹⁸Joshua said, “Roll large stones to cover the cave’s entrance, and set men by it to guard them; ¹⁹but don’t stay there. Pursue your enemies, and attack them from the rear. Don’t allow them to enter into their cities; for the LORD your God has delivered them into your hand.” ²⁰When Joshua and the children of Israel had finished killing them with a very great slaughter until they were consumed, and the remnant which remained of them had entered into the fortified cities, ²¹all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace. None moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel. ²²Then Joshua said, “Open the cave entrance, and bring those five kings out of the cave to me.” ²³They did so, and brought those five kings out of the cave to him: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. ²⁴When they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the men of war who went with him, “Come near. Put your feet on the necks of these kings.” They came near, and put their feet on their necks. ²⁵Joshua said to them, “Don’t be afraid, nor be dismayed. Be strong and courageous, for the LORD will do this to all your enemies against whom you fight.” ²⁶Afterward Joshua struck them, put them to death, and hanged them on five trees. They were hanging on the trees until the evening. ²⁷At the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and threw them into the cave in which they had hidden themselves, and laid great stones on the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day. ²⁸Joshua took Makkedah on that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword, with its king. He utterly destroyed it and all the souls who were in it. He left no one remaining. He did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho. ²⁹Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, to Libnah, and fought against Libnah. ³⁰The LORD delivered it also, with its king, into the hand of Israel. He struck it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls who were in it. He left no one remaining in it. He did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho. ³¹Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it. ³²The LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel. He took it on the second day, and struck it with the edge of the sword, with all the souls who were in it, according to all that he had done to Libnah. ³³Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua struck him and his people, until he had left him no one remaining. ³⁴Joshua passed from Lachish, and all Israel with him, to Eglon; and they encamped against it and fought against it. ³⁵They took it on that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword. He utterly destroyed all the souls who were in it that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish. ³⁶Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, to Hebron; and they fought against it. ³⁷They took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, with its king and all its cities, and all the souls who were in it. He left no one remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but he utterly destroyed it, and all the souls who were in it. ³⁸Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir, and fought against it. ³⁹He took it, with its king and all its cities. They struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls who were in it. He left no one remaining. As he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to its king; as he had done also to Libnah, and to its king. ⁴⁰So Joshua struck all the land, the hill country, the South, the lowland, the slopes, and all their kings. He left no one remaining, but he utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD, the God of Israel, commanded. ⁴¹Joshua struck them from Kadesh Barnea even to Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even to Gibeon. ⁴²Joshua took all these kings and their land at one time because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel. ⁴³Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp to Gilgal.

1: Now when Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem 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: they were very afraid, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty.

3: Therefore Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying,

4: “Come up to me and help me. Let’s strike Gibeon; for they have 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, and the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together and went up, they and all their armies, and encamped against Gibeon, and made war against it.

6: The men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the 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 that dwell in the hill country have gathered together against us.”

7: So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and the whole army with him, including all the mighty men of valor.

8: The LORD said to Joshua, “Don’t fear them, for I have delivered them into your hands. Not a man of them will stand before you.”

9: Joshua therefore came to them suddenly. He marched from Gilgal all night.

10: The LORD confused them before Israel. He killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth Horon, and struck them to Azekah and to Makkedah.

11: As they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth Horon, the LORD hurled down great stones from the sky on them to Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the children of Israel killed with the sword.

12: Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel. He said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still on Gibeon! You, moon, stop in the valley of Aijalon!”

13: The sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies. Isn’t this written in the book of Jashar? The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and didn’t hurry to go down about a whole day.

14: There was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD listened to the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel.

15: Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp to Gilgal.

16: These five kings fled, and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.

17: Joshua was told, saying, “The five kings have been found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah.”

18: Joshua said, “Roll large stones to cover the cave’s entrance, and set men by it to guard them;

19: but don’t stay there. Pursue your enemies, and attack them from the rear. Don’t allow them to enter into their cities; for the LORD your God has delivered them into your hand.”

20: When Joshua and the children of Israel had finished killing them with a very great slaughter until they were consumed, and the remnant which remained of them had entered into the fortified cities,

21: 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 Joshua said, “Open the cave entrance, and bring those five kings out of the cave to me.”

23: They did so, and brought those five kings out of the cave to him: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.

24: When they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the men of war who went with him, “Come near. Put your feet on the necks of these kings.” They came near, and put their feet on their necks.

25: Joshua said to them, “Don’t be afraid, nor be dismayed. Be strong and courageous, for the LORD will do this to all your enemies against whom you fight.”

26: Afterward Joshua struck them, put them to death, and hanged them on five trees. They were hanging on the trees until the evening.

27: At the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and threw them into the cave in which they had hidden themselves, and laid great stones on the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day.

28: Joshua took Makkedah on that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword, with its king. He utterly destroyed it and all the souls who were in it. He left no one remaining. He did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.

29: Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, to Libnah, and fought against Libnah.

30: The LORD delivered it also, with its king, into the hand of Israel. He struck it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls who were in it. He left no one remaining in it. He did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.

31: Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it.

32: The LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel. He took it on the second day, and struck it with the edge of the sword, with all the souls who were in it, according to all that he had done to Libnah.

33: Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua struck him and his people, until he had left him no one remaining.

34: Joshua passed from Lachish, and all Israel with him, to Eglon; and they encamped against it and fought against it.

35: They took it on that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword. He utterly destroyed all the souls who were in it that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.

36: Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, to Hebron; and they fought against it.

37: They took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, with its king and all its cities, and all the souls who were in it. He left no one remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but he utterly destroyed it, and all the souls who were in it.

38: Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir, and fought against it.

39: He took it, with its king and all its cities. They struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls who were in it. He left no one remaining. As he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to its king; as he had done also to Libnah, and to its king.

40: So Joshua struck all the land, the hill country, the South, the lowland, the slopes, and all their kings. He left no one remaining, but he utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD, the God of Israel, commanded.

41: Joshua struck them from Kadesh Barnea even to Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even to Gibeon.

42: Joshua took all these kings and their land at one time because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.

43: Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp to Gilgal.

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Scripture text: World English Bible, Catholic Edition (WEBC) — public domain

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