1 Now it came to pass, when Adonizedec 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 Adonizedec 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 valor.
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 Bethhoron, 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 Bethhoron, 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 Kadeshbarnea 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.
The Book of Joshua is the sixth book of the Hebrew Bible and the first book of the Deuteronomistic History. It is believed to have been written by Joshua himself or by someone closely associated with him. The book tells the story of the conquest and division of the land of Canaan by the Israelites under the leadership of Joshua, after the death of Moses.
Chapter 10 of the Book of Joshua continues the narrative of the Israelites' conquest of the land of Canaan. It describes the defeat of five Amorite kings who joined forces to fight against the Israelites. This chapter is significant as it showcases God's faithfulness to His promise to give the land of Canaan to the Israelites and the importance of trusting in Him.
1. God's Faithfulness and Promises
The main theme of Chapter 10 is God's faithfulness and His fulfillment of His promises to the Israelites. In the previous chapter, the Israelites had conquered the city of Jericho, and the Canaanites were filled with fear and dread. However, in Chapter 10, we see the Canaanite kings joining forces to fight against the Israelites, believing that together, they could defeat them. But God had promised the Israelites that He would give them the land of Canaan, and He remained faithful to His promise by helping them defeat their enemies.
In verse 8, God tells Joshua, "Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not one of them shall stand before you." This verse shows that God is in control of the situation, and He will ensure that His promises are fulfilled. Despite the odds against them, the Israelites were able to defeat the five Amorite kings, and God's faithfulness was evident to all.
2. The Importance of Trusting in God
Another theme in Chapter 10 is the importance of trusting in God. The Israelites were facing a formidable enemy, and the odds were against them. However, they trusted in God and His promises, and they were victorious. This chapter teaches us that when we trust in God, He will fight our battles for us, and we will emerge victorious.
Verse 14 says, "There has been no day like it before or since when the Lord heeded the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel." This verse highlights the significance of trusting in God and how He can do the impossible when we put our faith in Him.
3. The Power of Prayer
Chapter 10 also emphasizes the power of prayer. When the five Amorite kings joined forces against the Israelites, Joshua knew that they needed God's help to defeat them. So, he called upon the Lord, and God answered his prayer. In verse 12, we see that Joshua prayed to the Lord, and the sun stood still in the middle of the sky for almost a whole day. This miracle allowed the Israelites to defeat their enemies, and it was a direct result of Joshua's prayer.
This chapter teaches us that prayer is a powerful tool, and when we pray to God, He hears us and answers our prayers. It also shows us that prayer can bring about miraculous outcomes, and we should never underestimate its power.
Chapter 10 of the Book of Joshua is a reminder of God's faithfulness and His promises to His people. It shows us that even when we face seemingly insurmountable challenges, God is always with us, and He will help us overcome them. The defeat of the five Amorite kings is a testament to God's power and His ability to do the impossible.
This chapter also teaches us the importance of trusting in God and putting our faith in Him. The Israelites were greatly outnumbered, but they trusted in God, and He gave them the victory. It is a reminder that when we trust in God, He will fight our battles for us, and we will emerge victorious.
Furthermore, Chapter 10 highlights the power of prayer. Joshua's prayer to God resulted in a miraculous event that allowed the Israelites to defeat their enemies. It shows us that prayer is a powerful tool, and we should never underestimate its significance in our lives.
This chapter also serves as a warning against pride and arrogance. The five Amorite kings thought that they could defeat the Israelites by joining forces, but they underestimated the power of God. This serves as a reminder that we should never become too confident in our own abilities and should always acknowledge God's role in our lives.
Lastly, Chapter 10 shows us that God is in control of all things. He can make the sun stand still, and He can do the impossible. It is a reminder that we should have faith in God and trust in His plans for us, even when we cannot see the way forward.
Chapter 10 of the Book of Joshua is a powerful testament to God's faithfulness, His promises, and His power. It teaches us the importance of trusting in God, the power of prayer, and the danger of pride and arrogance. This chapter serves as a reminder that God is in control of all things, and we should always put our faith in Him. May we learn from the lessons in this chapter and apply them in our lives, trusting in God and His plans for us.
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