BiblePeace

Day 71: Joshua 8 - 10

Bible in a year reading for day 71.

Joshua 8

  1. 9 So Joshua sent them out, and they went to the place of ambush and lay in wait between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai. But Joshua spent that night among the people.
  2. 10 Joshua got up early the next morning and mobilized his men, and he and the elders of Israel marched before them up to Ai.
  3. 11 Then all the troops who were with him marched up and approached the city. They arrived in front of Ai and camped to the north of it, with the valley between them and the city.
  4. 12 Now Joshua had taken about five thousand men and set up an ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.
  5. 13 So the forces were stationed with the main camp to the north of the city and the rear guard to the west of the city. And that night Joshua went into the valley.
  6. 14 When the king of Ai saw the Israelites, he hurried out early in the morning with the men of the city to engage them in battle at an appointed place overlooking the Arabah. But he did not know that an ambush had been set up against him behind the city.
  7. 15 Joshua and all Israel let themselves be beaten back before them, and they fled toward the wilderness.
  8. 16 Then all the men of Ai were summoned to pursue them, and they followed Joshua and were drawn away from the city.
  9. 17 Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel, leaving the city wide open while they pursued Israel.
  10. 18 Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Hold out your battle lance toward Ai, for into your hand I will deliver the city.” So Joshua held out his battle lance toward Ai,
  11. 19 and as soon as he did so, the men in ambush rose quickly from their position. They rushed forward, entered the city, captured it, and immediately set it on fire.
  12. 20 When the men of Ai turned and looked back, the smoke of the city was rising into the sky. They could not escape in any direction, and the troops who had fled to the wilderness now became the pursuers.
  13. 21 When Joshua and all Israel saw that the men in ambush had captured the city and that smoke was rising from it, they turned around and struck down the men of Ai.
  14. 22 Meanwhile, those in the ambush came out of the city against them, and the men of Ai were trapped between the Israelite forces on both sides. So Israel struck them down until no survivor or fugitive remained.
  15. 23 But they took the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua.
  16. 24 When Israel had finished killing all the men of Ai who had pursued them into the field and wilderness, and when every last one of them had fallen by the sword, all the Israelites returned to Ai and put it to the sword as well.
  17. 25 A total of twelve thousand men and women fell that day—all the people of Ai.
  18. 26 Joshua did not draw back the hand that held his battle lance until he had devoted to destruction all who lived in Ai.
  19. 27 Israel took for themselves only the cattle and plunder of that city, as the LORD had commanded Joshua.
  20. 28 So Joshua burned Ai and made it a permanent heap of ruins, a desolation to this day.
  21. 29 He hung the king of Ai on a tree until evening, and at sunset Joshua commanded that they take down the body from the tree and throw it down at the entrance of the city gate. And over it they raised a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day.
  22. 30 At that time Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal to the LORD, the God of Israel,
  23. 31 just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: “an altar of uncut stones on which no iron tool has been used.” And on it they offered burnt offerings to the LORD, and they sacrificed peace offerings.
  24. 32 And there in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua inscribed on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written.
  25. 33 All Israel, foreigners and citizens alike, with their elders, officers, and judges, stood on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the LORD facing the Levitical priests who carried it. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded earlier, to bless the people of Israel.
  26. 34 Afterward, Joshua read aloud all the words of the law—the blessings and the curses—according to all that is written in the Book of the Law.
  27. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua failed to read before the whole assembly of Israel, including the women, the little ones, and the foreigners who lived among them.

Joshua 9

  1. 1 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)—
  2. 2 they came together to wage war against Joshua and Israel.
  3. 3 But the people of Gibeon, having heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,
  4. 4 acted deceptively and set out as envoys, carrying on their donkeys worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended.
  5. 5 They put worn, patched sandals on their feet and threadbare clothing on their bodies, and their whole supply of bread was dry and moldy.
  6. 6 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.”
  7. 7 But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you dwell near us. How can we make a treaty with you?”
  8. 8 “We are your servants,” they said to Joshua. Then Joshua asked them, “Who are you and where have you come from?”
  9. 9 “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,
  10. 10 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.
  11. 11 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.’
  12. 12 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.
  13. 13 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.”
  14. 14 Then the men of Israel sampled their provisions, but did not seek the counsel of the LORD.
  15. 15 And Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them.
  16. 16 Three days after they had made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites learned that they were neighbors, living among them.
  17. 17 So the Israelites set out and on the third day arrived at their cities—Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.
  18. 18 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.
  19. 19 All the leaders answered, “We have sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them.
  20. 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. 21 They continued, “Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers for the whole congregation.” So the leaders kept their promise.
  22. 22 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?
  23. 23 Now therefore you are under a curse and will perpetually serve as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”
  24. 24 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.
  25. 25 Now we are in your hands. Do to us whatever seems good and right to you.”
  26. 26 So Joshua did this and delivered them from the hands of the Israelites, and they did not kill the Gibeonites.
  27. 27 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.

Joshua 10

  1. 1 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.
  2. 2 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.
  3. 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. 4 “Come up and help me. We will attack Gibeon, because they have made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.”
  5. 5 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.
  6. 6 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.”
  7. 7 So Joshua and his whole army, including all the mighty men of valor, came from Gilgal.
  8. 8 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.”
  9. 9 After marching all night from Gilgal, Joshua caught them by surprise.
  10. 10 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.
  11. 11 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.
  12. 12 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.”
  13. 13 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.”
  14. 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. 15 Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.
  16. 16 Now the five kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah.
  17. 17 And Joshua was informed: “The five kings have been found; they are hiding in the cave at Makkedah.”
  18. 18 So Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and post men there to guard them.
  19. 19 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.”
  20. 20 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.
  21. 21 The whole army returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah, and no one dared to utter a word against the Israelites.
  22. 22 Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me.”
  23. 23 So they brought the five kings out of the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon.
  24. 24 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.
  25. 25 “Do not be afraid or discouraged,” Joshua said. “Be strong and courageous, for the LORD will do this to all the enemies you fight.”
  26. 26 After this, Joshua struck down and killed the kings, and he hung their bodies on five trees and left them there until evening.
  27. 27 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.
  28. 28 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.
  29. 29 Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against Libnah.
  30. 30 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.
  31. 31 And Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Libnah to Lachish. They laid siege to it and fought against it.

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