The Berean Pursuit
Now when news of this reached all the kings west of the Jordan-those in the hill country, the foothills, and all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon (the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites)- they came together to wage war against Joshua and Israel.
But the people of Gibeon, having heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, acted deceptively and set out as envoys, carrying on their donkeys worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. They put worn, patched sandals on their feet and threadbare clothing on their bodies, and their whole supply of bread was dry and moldy. They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, "We have come from a distant land; please make a treaty with us."
But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, "Perhaps you dwell near us. How can we make a treaty with you?"
"We are your servants," they said to Joshua.
Then Joshua asked them, "Who are you and where have you come from?"
"Your servants have come from a very distant land," they replied, "because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we have heard the reports about Him: all that He did in Egypt, and all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan-Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth. So the elders and inhabitants of our land told us, 'Take provisions for your journey; go to meet them and say to them: We are your servants. Please make a treaty with us.'
This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But take a look, it is now dry and moldy. These wineskins were new when we filled them, but look, they are cracked. And these clothes and sandals are worn out from our very long journey."
Then the men of Israel sampled their provisions, but did not seek the counsel of the LORD. And Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them.
Three days after they had made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites learned that they were neighbors, living among them. So the Israelites set out and on the third day arrived at their cities-Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. And the whole congregation grumbled against the leaders.
All the leaders answered, "We have sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them. 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." They continued, "Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers for the whole congregation." So the leaders kept their promise.
Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, "Why did you deceive us by telling us you live far away from us, when in fact you live among us? Now therefore you are under a curse and will perpetually serve as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God."
The Gibeonites answered, "Your servants were told clearly that the LORD your God had commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land and wipe out all its inhabitants before you. So we greatly feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we have done this. Now we are in your hands. Do to us whatever seems good and right to you."
So Joshua did this and delivered them from the hands of the Israelites, and they did not kill the Gibeonites. On that day he made them woodcutters and water carriers, as they are to this day for the congregation of the LORD and for the altar at the place He would choose.
Now Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai and devoted it to destruction -doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king-and that the people of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were living near them. So Adoni-zedek and his people were greatly alarmed, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were mighty.
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, "Come up and help me. We will attack Gibeon, because they have made peace with Joshua and the Israelites."
So the five kings of the Amorites-the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon-joined forces and advanced with all their armies. They camped before Gibeon and made war against it.
Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: "Do not abandon your servants. Come quickly and save us! Help us, because all the kings of the Amorites from the hill country have joined forces against us."
So Joshua and his whole army, including all the mighty men of valor, came from Gilgal.
The LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them, for I have delivered them into your hand. Not one of them shall stand against you."
After marching all night from Gilgal, Joshua caught them by surprise. And the LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great slaughter at Gibeon, pursued them along the ascent to Beth-horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. As they fled before Israel along the descent from Beth-horon to Azekah, the LORD cast down on them large hailstones from the sky, and more of them were killed by the hailstones than by the swords of the Israelites.
On the day that the LORD gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the LORD in the presence of Israel:
"O sun, stand still over Gibeon,
O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon."
So the sun stood still
and the moon stopped
until the nation took vengeance
upon its enemies.
Is this not written in the Book of Jashar?
"So the sun stopped
in the middle of the sky
and delayed going down
about a full day."
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.
Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.
Now the five kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah. And Joshua was informed: "The five kings have been found; they are hiding in the cave at Makkedah."
So Joshua said, "Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and post men there to guard them. But you, do not stop there. Pursue your enemies and attack them from behind. Do not let them reach their cities, for the LORD your God has delivered them into your hand."
So Joshua and the Israelites continued to inflict a terrible slaughter until they had finished them off, and the remaining survivors retreated to the fortified cities. The whole army returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah, and no one dared to utter a word against the Israelites.
Then Joshua said, "Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me." So they brought the five kings out of the cave-the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon.
When they had brought the kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army 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.
"Do not be afraid or discouraged," Joshua said. "Be strong and courageous, for the LORD will do this to all the enemies you fight."
After this, Joshua struck down and killed the kings, and he hung their bodies on five trees and left them there until evening. At sunset Joshua ordered that they be taken down from the trees and thrown into the cave in which they had hidden. Then large stones were placed against the mouth of the cave, and the stones are there to this day.
On that day Joshua captured Makkedah and put it to the sword, along with its king. He devoted to destruction everyone in the city, leaving no survivors. So he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.
Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against Libnah. And the LORD also delivered that city and its king into the hand of Israel, and Joshua put all the people to the sword, leaving no survivors. And he did to the king of Libnah as he had done to the king of Jericho.
And Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Libnah to Lachish. They laid siege to it and fought against it. And the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, and Joshua captured it on the second day. He put all the people to the sword, just as he had done to Libnah.
At that time Horam king of Gezer went to help Lachish, but Joshua struck him down along with his people, leaving no survivors.
So Joshua moved on from Lachish to Eglon, and all Israel with him. They laid siege to it and fought against it. That day they captured Eglon and put it to the sword, and Joshua devoted to destruction everyone in the city, just as he had done to Lachish.
Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron and fought against it. They captured it and put to the sword its king, all its villages, and all the people. Joshua left no survivors, just as he had done at Eglon; he devoted to destruction Hebron and everyone in it.
Finally Joshua and all Israel with him turned toward Debir and fought against it. And they captured Debir, its king, and all its villages. They put them to the sword and devoted to destruction everyone in the city, leaving no survivors. Joshua did to Debir and its king as he had done to Hebron and as he had done to Libnah and its king.
So Joshua conquered the whole region-the hill country, the Negev, the foothills, and the slopes, together with all their kings-leaving no survivors. He devoted to destruction everything that breathed, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded. Joshua conquered the area from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, and the whole region of Goshen as far as Gibeon.
And because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel, Joshua captured all these kings and their land in one campaign. Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.
Now when Jabin king of Hazor heard about these things, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon; to the kings of Shimron and Achshaph; to the kings of the north in the mountains, in the Arabah south of Chinnereth, in the foothills, and in Naphoth-dor to the west; to the Canaanites in the east and west; to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, and Jebusites in the hill country; and to the Hivites at the foot of Hermon in the land of Mizpah.
So these kings came out with all their armies, a multitude as numerous as the sand on the seashore, along with a great number of horses and chariots. All these kings joined forces and encamped at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.
Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them, for by this time tomorrow I will deliver all of them slain before Israel. You are to hamstring their horses and burn up their chariots."
So by the waters of Merom, Joshua and his whole army came upon them suddenly and attacked them, and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who struck them down and pursued them all the way to Greater Sidon and Misrephoth-maim, and eastward as far as the Valley of Mizpeh. They struck them down, leaving no survivors. Joshua treated them as the LORD had told him; he hamstrung their horses and burned up their chariots.
At that time Joshua turned back and captured Hazor and put its king to the sword, because Hazor was formerly the head of all these kingdoms. The Israelites put everyone in Hazor to the sword, devoting them to destruction. Nothing that breathed remained, and Joshua burned down Hazor itself.
Joshua captured all these kings and their cities and put them to the sword. He devoted them to destruction, as Moses the LORD's servant had commanded. Yet Israel did not burn any of the cities built on their mounds, except Hazor, which Joshua burned.
The Israelites took for themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities, but they put all the people to the sword until they had completely destroyed them, not sparing anyone who breathed. As the LORD had commanded His servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua. That is what Joshua did, leaving nothing undone of all that the LORD had commanded Moses.
So Joshua took this entire region: the hill country, all the Negev, all the land of Goshen, the western foothills, the Arabah, and the mountains of Israel and their foothills, from Mount Halak, which rises toward 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.
Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long period of time. No city made peace with the Israelites except the Hivites living in Gibeon; all others were taken in battle. For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts to engage Israel in battle, so that they would be set apart for destruction and would receive no mercy, being annihilated as the LORD had commanded Moses.
At that time Joshua proceeded to eliminate the Anakim from the hill country of Hebron, Debir, and Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah and of Israel. Joshua devoted them to destruction, along with their cities. No Anakim were left in the land of the Israelites; only in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod did any survive.
So Joshua took the entire land, in keeping with all that the LORD had spoken to Moses. And Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to the allotments to their tribes. Then the land had rest from war.
Now these are the kings of the land whom the Israelites struck down and whose lands they took beyond the Jordan to the east, from the Arnon Valley to Mount Hermon, including all the Arabah eastward:
Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon. He ruled from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley, along the middle of the valley, up to the Jabbok River (the border of the Ammonites), that is, half of Gilead, as well as the Arabah east of the Sea of Chinnereth to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea), eastward through Beth-jeshimoth, and southward below the slopes of Pisgah.
And Og king of Bashan, one of the remnant of the Rephaim, who lived in Ashtaroth and Edrei. He ruled over Mount Hermon, Salecah, all of Bashan up to the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites, and half of Gilead to the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.
Moses, the servant of the LORD, and the Israelites had struck them down and given their land as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
And these are the kings of the land that Joshua and the Israelites conquered beyond the Jordan to the west, from Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir (according to the allotments to the tribes of Israel, Joshua gave them as an inheritance the hill country, the foothills, the Arabah, the slopes, the wilderness, and the Negev-the lands of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites):
the king of Jericho, one;
the king of Ai, which is near Bethel, one;
the king of Jerusalem, one;
the king of Hebron, one;
the king of Jarmuth, one;
the king of Lachish, one;
the king of Eglon, one;
the king of Gezer, one;
the king of Debir, one;
the king of Geder, one;
the king of Hormah, one;
the king of Arad, one;
the king of Libnah, one;
the king of Adullam, one;
the king of Makkedah, one;
the king of Bethel, one;
the king of Tappuah, one;
the king of Hepher, one;
the king of Aphek, one;
the king of Lasharon, one;
the king of Madon, one;
the king of Hazor, one;
the king of Shimron-meron, one;
the king of Achshaph, one;
the king of Taanach, one;
the king of Megiddo, one;
the king of Kedesh, one;
the king of Jokneam in Carmel, one;
the king of Dor in Naphath-dor, one;
the king of Goiim in Gilgal, one;
and the king of Tirzah, one.
So there were thirty-one kings in all.
Now Joshua was old and well along in years, and the LORD said to him, "You are old and well along in years, but very much of the land remains to be possessed. This is the land that remains:
All the territory of the Philistines and the Geshurites, from the Shihor east of Egypt to the territory of Ekron on the north (considered to be Canaanite territory)-that of the five Philistine rulers of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, as well as that of the Avvites;
to the south, all the land of the Canaanites, from Mearah of the Sidonians to Aphek, as far as the border of the Amorites;
the land of the Gebalites;
and all Lebanon to the east, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo-hamath.
All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim-all the Sidonians-I Myself will drive out before the Israelites. Be sure to divide it by lot as an inheritance to Israel, as I have commanded you. Now therefore divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh."
The other half of Manasseh, along with the Reubenites and Gadites, had received the inheritance Moses had given them beyond the Jordan to the east, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had assigned to them:
The area from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley, along with the city in the middle of the valley, the whole plateau of Medeba as far as Dibon, and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the border of the Ammonites;
also Gilead and the territory of the Geshurites and Maacathites, all of Mount Hermon, and all Bashan as far as Salecah- the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan, who had reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei and had remained as a remnant of the Rephaim.
Moses had struck them down and dispossessed them, but the Israelites did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites. So Geshur and Maacath dwell among the Israelites to this day.
To the tribe of Levi, however, Moses had given no inheritance. The offerings made by fire to the LORD, the God of Israel, are their inheritance, just as He had promised them.
This is what Moses had given to the clans of the tribe of Reuben:
The territory from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley, along with the city in the middle of the valley, to the whole plateau beyond Medeba, to Heshbon and all its cities on the plateau, including Dibon, Bamoth-baal, Beth-baal-meon, Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth-shahar on the hill in the valley, Beth-peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth-jeshimoth- all the cities of the plateau and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon until Moses killed him and the chiefs of Midian (Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba), the princes of Sihon who lived in the land.
The Israelites also killed the diviner Balaam son of Beor along with the others they put to the sword. And the border of the Reubenites was the bank of the Jordan.
This was the inheritance of the clans of the Reubenites, including the cities and villages.
This is what Moses had given to the clans of the tribe of Gad:
The territory of Jazer, all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the Ammonites as far as Aroer, near Rabbah;
the territory from Heshbon to Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir;
and in the valley, Beth-haram, Beth-nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, with the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon (the territory on the east side of the Jordan up to the edge of the Sea of Chinnereth).
This was the inheritance of the clans of the Gadites, including the cities and villages.
This is what Moses had given to the clans of the half-tribe of Manasseh, that is, to half the tribe of the descendants of Manasseh:
The territory from Mahanaim through all Bashan-all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, including all the towns of Jair that are in Bashan, sixty cities; half of Gilead; and Ashtaroth and Edrei, the royal cities of Og in Bashan.
All this was for the clans of the descendants of Machir son of Manasseh, that is, half of the descendants of Machir.
These were the portions Moses had given them on the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho.
To the tribe of Levi, however, Moses had given no inheritance. The LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, just as He had promised them.
Jesus also said to His disciples, "There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. So he called him in to ask, 'What is this I hear about you? Turn in an account of your management, for you cannot be manager any longer.'
The manager said to himself, 'What shall I do, now that my master is taking away my position? I am too weak to dig and too ashamed to beg. I know what I will do, so that after my removal from management, people will welcome me into their homes.'
And he called in each one of his master's debtors. 'How much do you owe my master?' he asked the first.
'A hundred measures of olive oil,' he answered.
'Take your bill,' said the manager. 'Sit down quickly, and write fifty.'
Then he asked another, 'And how much do you owe?'
'A hundred measures of wheat,' he replied.
'Take your bill and write eighty,' he told him.
The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the sons of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the sons of light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, they will welcome you into eternal dwellings.
Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches? And if you have not been faithful with the belongings of another, who will give you belongings of your own?
No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."
The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all of this and were scoffing at Jesus. So He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God.
The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the gospel of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for a single stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.
Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Now there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, who lived each day in joyous splendor. And a beggar named Lazarus lay at his gate, covered with sores and longing to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
One day the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. And the rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham from afar, with Lazarus by his side.
So he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. For I am in agony in this fire.'
But Abraham answered, 'Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things. But now he is comforted here, while you are in agony. And besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that even those who wish cannot cross from here to you, nor can anyone cross from there to us.'
'Then I beg you, father,' he said, 'send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also end up in this place of torment.'
But Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let your brothers listen to them.'
'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone is sent to them from the dead, they will repent.'
Then Abraham said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.'?"