Hello, this is Father Paul and I'm glad we're taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year.
Today's reading is from Joshua chapters 9 through 11.
Chapter 9.
And it came to pass when all the kings who were on this side of the Jordan, in the hills
and in the low land and in all the coasts of the great sea toward Lebanon, the Hittite,
the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, heard about it,
and they gathered together to fight with Joshua and Israel with one accord.
But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and I, they worked
craftily and went and pretended to be ambassadors, and they took old sacks on their donkeys,
old wine-skins torn and mended, old and patched sandals on their feet, and old garments on
themselves, and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy.
And they went to Joshua to 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.
Then the men of Israel said to the Hivites, Perhaps you dwell among us, so how can we
make a covenant with you?
But they said to Joshua, We are your servants.
And Joshua said to them, Who are you and where do you come from?
So they said to him, From a very far country your servants have come, because of the name
of the Lord your God, for we have heard of his fame, and all that he did in Egypt, and
all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king
of Hezbon and all king of Bashan who was at Ashtaroth.
Therefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, Take provisions
with you for the journey, and go to meet them and say to them, We are your servants, now
therefore make a covenant with us.
This bread of ours we took hot for our provision from our houses on the day we departed to
come to you, but now look it is dry and moldy, and these wine skins which we filled were
new and see they are torn, and these our garments and our sandals have become old because of
the very long journey.
Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions, but they did not take counsel
of the Lord.
So Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them to let them live, and the
rulers of the congregation swore to them.
And it happened at the end of three days, after they had made a covenant with them,
that they heard that they were their neighbors who dwelt near them.
Then the children of Israel journeyed and came to their cities on the third day.
Now their cities were Gibeon, Kephira, Beirat, and Kiryat Jerim.
But the children of Israel did not attack them, because the rulers of the congregation
had sworn to them by the Lord God of Israel, and all the congregation complained against
the rulers.
Then all the rulers said to all the congregation, We have sworn to them by the Lord God of Israel,
now therefore we may not touch them.
This we will do to them.
We will let them live, lest wrath be upon us because of the oath which we swore to them.
And the rulers said to them, Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers
for all the congregation, as the rulers had promised them.
Then Joshua called for them and he spoke to them, saying, Why have you deceived us, saying
we are very far from you, when you dwell near us?
Now therefore you are cursed, and none of you shall be freed from being slaves, woodcutters
and water carriers for the house of my God.
So they answered Joshua and said, Because your servants were clearly told that 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 much afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing.
And now here we are in your hands, do with us as it seems good and right to do to us.
So he did to them and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, so that
they did not kill them.
And that day Joshua made them woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation and
for the altar of the Lord, in a place which he would choose even to this day.
Chapter 10
Now it came to pass when Adonai-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai
and had utterly destroyed it, as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to
Ai and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were
among them, that they feared greatly because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal
cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty.
Therefore Adonai-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jermus,
Japhia king of Lashish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying, Come up to me and help me,
that we may attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and with the children of
Israel.
Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron,
the king of Jermus, the king of Lashish, and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went
up, they and all their armies, and camped before Gibeon and made war against it.
And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, Do not forsake your
servants, come up to us quickly, save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites
who dwell in the mountains have gathered together against us.
So Joshua ascended from Gilgal he and all the people of war with him and all the mighty
men of valor.
And the Lord said to Joshua, Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand.
Not a man of them shall stand before you.
Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal.
So the Lord routed them before Israel, killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased
them along the road that goes to Beth Horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and
Makeda.
And it happened as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, that
the Lord cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died.
There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the
sword.
Then Joshua spoke 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, Son, stand still over Gibeon,
and moon in the valley of Ayalon.
So the sun stood still and the moon stopped till the people had revenge upon their enemies.
Is this not written in the book of Jasher?
So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a
whole day.
And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that the Lord heeded the voice
of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel.
Then Joshua returned and all Israel with him to the camp at Gilgal.
But these five kings had fled and hidden themselves in a cave at Makkeda.
And it was told Joshua saying the five kings have been found hidden in a cave at Makkeda.
So Joshua said, Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave and set men by it to
guard them.
And do not stay there yourselves but pursue your enemies and attack their rear guard.
Do not allow them to enter their cities, for the Lord your God has delivered them into
your hand.
Then it happened while Joshua and the children of Israel made an end of slaying them with
a very great slaughter till they had finished, that those who escaped entered fortified cities,
and all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkeda in peace.
No one moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel.
Then Joshua said, Open the mouth of the cave and bring out those five kings to me from
the cave.
And they did so, and brought out those five kings to him from the cave, the king of Jerusalem,
the king of Hebron, the king of Yarmouz, the king of Lashish, and the king of Aglon.
So it was when they brought out those kings to Joshua, that Joshua called for all the
men of Israel and said to the captains of the men of war who went with him, Come near,
put your feet on the necks of these kings.
And they drew near and put their feet on their necks.
Then Joshua said to them, Do not be afraid nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage,
for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.
And afterward Joshua struck them and killed them, and hanged them on five trees, and they
were hanging on the trees until evening.
So it was at the time of the going down of the sun that Joshua commanded, and they took
them down from the trees, cast them into the cave where they had been hidden, and laid
large stones against the cave's mouth which remained until this very day.
On that day Joshua took Makkeda and struck it and its king with the edge of the sword.
He utterly destroyed them, all the people who were in it.
He let none remain.
He also did to the king of Makkeda as he had done to the king of Jericho.
Then Joshua passed from Makkeda and all Israel with him to Libnah, and they fought against
Libnah, and the Lord also delivered it and its king into the hand of Israel.
He struck it and all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword.
He let none remain in it, but did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.
Then Joshua passed from Libnah and all Israel with him to Lashish, and they encamped against
it and fought against it.
Then the Lord delivered Lashish into the hand of Israel, who took it on the second day and
struck it and all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword according to all
that he had done to Libnah.
Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lashish, and Joshua struck him and his people until
he left him none remaining.
From Lashish Joshua passed to Eglon and all Israel with him, and they encamped against
it and fought against it.
They took it on that day and struck it with the edge of the sword.
All the people who were in it he utterly destroyed that day according to all that he had done
to Lashish.
So Joshua went up from Eglon and all Israel with him to Hebron, and they fought against
it and they took it and struck it with the edge of the sword.
Its king, all its cities, and all the people who were in it.
He left none remaining according to all that he had done to Eglon, but utterly destroyed
it and all the people who were in it.
Then Joshua returned and all Israel with him to Debir, and they fought against it, and
he took it and its king and all its cities.
They struck them with the edge of the sword and utterly destroyed all the people who were
in it.
He left none remaining as he had done to Hebron so he did to Debir and its king as he had
done also to Libnah and its king.
So Joshua conquered all the land, the mountain country and the south and the lowland and
the wilderness slopes and all their kings.
He left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed as the Lord God of Israel
had commanded.
Then Joshua conquered them from Kadesh Barnea as far as Gaza and all the country of Goshen
even as far as Gibeon.
All these kings and their land Joshua took at one time because the Lord God of Israel
fought for Israel.
Then Joshua returned and all Israel with him to the camp at Gilgal.
Chapter 11 And it came to pass when Jabin king of Hazor
heard these things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madan, to the king of Shimran, to
the king of Akshaf, and to the kings who were from the north in the mountains, in the plains
south of Shinroth, in the lowland and in the heights of Dor on the west, to the Canaanites
in the east and in the west, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites
in the mountains and the Hevites below Hermon in the land of Misbah.
So they went out they and all their armies with them, as many people as the sand that
is on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses and chariots, and when all these
kings had met together, they came and camped together at the waters of Merom to fight against
Israel.
But the Lord said to Joshua, Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow about this time
I will deliver all of them slain before Israel.
You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.
So Joshua and all the people of war with him came against them, suddenly by the waters
of Merom, and they attacked them.
And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel, who defeated them and chased them
to greater Sidon, to the brook Misrapot and to the valley of Misbah eastward.
They attacked them until they left none of them remaining.
So Joshua did to them as the Lord had told him, he hamstrung their horses and burned
their chariots with fire.
Joshua turned back at that time and took Hazor and struck its king with the sword, for Hazor
was formerly the head of all those kingdoms, and he struck all the people who were in it
with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them.
There was none left breathing, then he burned Hazor with fire.
So all the cities of those kings and all their kings, Joshua took and struck with the edge
of the sword, he utterly destroyed them as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded.
But as for the cities that stood on their mounds, Israel burned none of them, except
Hazor only which Joshua burned.
And all the spoil of these cities and the livestock the children of Israel took as booty
for themselves.
But they struck every man with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them, and
they left none breathing.
As the Lord had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua and so Joshua did.
He left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses.
Thus Joshua took all this land, the mountain country, all the south, all the land of Goshen,
the lowland and the Jordan plain, the mountains of Israel and its lowlands, from Mount Halak
and the ascent to Seir, even as far as Beelgad in the valley of Lebanon, below Mount Hermon.
He captured all their kings and struck them down and killed them.
Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.
There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel except the Hevites,
the inhabitants of Gibeon, all the others they took in battle.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle,
that he might utterly destroy them, and that they might receive no mercy, but that he might
destroy them as the Lord had commanded Moses.
And at that time Joshua came and cut off the Anakim from the mountains, from Hebron, from
Debir, from Anab, from all the mountains of Judah and from all the mountains of Israel.
Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities.
None of the Anakim were left in the land of the children of Israel.
They remained only in Gaza, in Gath and in Ashdod.
So Joshua took the whole land according to all that the Lord had said to Moses, and Joshua
gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions, by their tribes.
But in the land rested from war.
I hope you enjoyed today's reading as much as I did, and I look forward to seeing you
again tomorrow to continue on our journey.
God bless you and have a great day.