Joshua 10–12
1 Now when King Adoni-Zedek of Jerusalem heard that Joshua captured Ai and destroyed it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, 2 he and his people were very afraid. Gibeon was a large city, like one of the royal cities. It was larger than Ai, and all its men were warriors. 3 So King Adoni-Zedek of Jerusalem sent this message to King Hoham of Hebron, King Piram of Jarmuth, King Japhia of Lachish, and King Debir of Eglon: 4 “Come and help me! Let us attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and all the children of Israel.”
5 So the five kings of the Amorites—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon—and all their armies gathered, advanced, and camped against Gibeon. Then they waged war against it.
6 The men of Gibeon sent this message to Joshua at the Gilgal settlement: “Do not abandon your slaves. Come up to us quickly. Save us! Help us! For all the Amorite kings living in the hill country have gathered against us.”
7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. 8 The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for I have given them into your hand. Not a single man can stand before you.”
9 Then Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal. 10 The Lord panicked them before Israel. They struck them with overwhelming force at Gibeon, then Israel pursued them on the road that rises to Beth Horon and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. 11 As they fled from Israel on the downslope from Beth Horon, the Lord hurled large hailstones down upon them from the sky as far as Azekah. They died, and in fact more died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword.
12 On the day the Lord gave over the Amorites to the children of Israel, Joshua spoke to the Lord and said in full view of Israel:
“Sun, stand still over Gibeon;
and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”
13 So the sun stood still,
and the moon stood in place
until the people brought vengeance on their enemies.
Is this not written in the book of Jashar?
The sun stood still in the middle of the sky and did not set for about a full day. 14 There has not been a day like this either before or after it, when the Lord obeyed a man, for the Lord waged war for Israel.
15 Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, returned to the settlement at Gilgal.
16 Yet these five kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah. 17 Joshua was told, “The five kings have been found hiding themselves in the cave at Makkedah.” 18 So Joshua said, “Roll large stones over the mouth of the cave, and station men to stand guard over it. 19 As for you, do not stop pursuing your enemies, but attack them from behind. Do not let them go back to their cities, for the Lord your God has given them into your hand.”
20 When Joshua and the children of Israel had finished striking them with overwhelming force until they were completely defeated, the survivors escaped from them and went back to their fortified cities. 21 Then all the people returned safely to Joshua at the Makkedah settlement, and no one spoke against any of the children of Israel.
22 Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out to me those five kings from the cave.” 23 They did this, and they brought out those five kings from the cave: the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. 24 When they brought out those five kings to Joshua, he called out to all the men of Israel and the army commanders, “Come here and place your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came near and placed their feet on their necks.
25 Then Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or dismayed. Be strong and courageous! For this is what the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.” 26 After that, Joshua struck them down, killed them, and hung them on five trees. They were hanging on the trees until evening.
27 At sundown Joshua commanded men to take them down from the trees and throw them into the cave in which they had hidden themselves. Over the mouth of the cave he placed large stones, which remain to this day.
28 Joshua took Makkedah that day and struck it and its king with the edge of the sword. He destroyed it and all life within it. He did not leave any survivors. He did to the king of Makkedah just as he did to the king of Jericho. 29 Then Joshua passed from Makkedah to Libnah with all of Israel, and they fought against Libnah. 30 The Lord gave Libnah and its king into the hand of Israel, and they struck all who lived in it with the edge of the sword. There were no survivors left. They did to its king what they had done to the king of Jericho.
31 Then Joshua passed from Libnah to Lachish with all of Israel, camped against it, and waged war against it. 32 The Lord gave Lachish into the hand of Israel. They captured it on the second day and struck all who lived in it with the edge of the sword, just as they had done to Libnah. 33 King Horam of Gezer came up to help Lachish, but Joshua attacked him and his people until he did not have a single survivor left.
34 From Lachish, Joshua and all of Israel passed to Eglon. They camped against it and waged war against it. 35 They captured it that day and struck it with the edge of the sword. All who lived in it were destroyed that day, just as Israel had done to Lachish.
36 Then Joshua and all of Israel went up from Eglon to Hebron and waged war against it. 37 They captured it and struck its king, and all who lived in it, and its surrounding towns with the edge of the sword. No survivor was left. Just as they had done to Eglon, they destroyed it and all who lived in it.
38 Then Joshua and all of Israel turned to Debir and waged war against it. 39 They captured it, its king, and all its surrounding towns and struck them with the edge of the sword. They destroyed all who lived in them, and no survivor was left. As he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king as they had done to Libnah and its king.
40 So Joshua attacked the whole land: the hill country, the Negev, the lowlands, the mountain slopes, and all their kings. No survivor was left. He destroyed all who breathed, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded. 41 Joshua attacked the land from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza and the land of Goshen as far as Gibeon. 42 Joshua captured all these kings and their land in one campaign because the Lord God of Israel waged war for Israel.
43 Then Joshua and all of Israel returned to the settlement at Gilgal.
Chapter 11
1 When King Jabin of Hazor heard these things, he sent word to King Jobab of Madon, the king of Shimron, the king of Akshaph, 2 and the kings of the northern hill country, the Arabah south of Kinnereth, the low country, and the heights of Dor in the west, 3 to the Canaanites in the east and in the west, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites in the hill country, and the Hivites at Mount Hermon in the land of Mizpah. 4 So these kings went out with all their armies, people as numerous as grains of sand on the seashore, with a large number of horses and chariots. 5 These kings all met and camped together at the waters of Merom in order to wage war against Israel.
6 The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for about this time tomorrow I will make them dead before Israel. Hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.”
7 So Joshua and all his fighting forces came upon them by surprise at the waters of Merom and fell upon them. 8 The Lord gave them into the hand of Israel. They struck them down and pursued them all the way to Greater Sidon, Misrephoth Maim, and Mizpah Valley to the east. They struck them down until no survivor remained. 9 Joshua did to them as the Lord had said. He hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.
10 At that time Joshua turned, captured Hazor, and struck down its king with the sword. Hazor was formerly the head of all these kingdoms. 11 They struck all who lived in them with the edge of the sword, destroying them. No one who breathed was left, and he burned Hazor with fire.
12 Joshua captured all these kings and their towns. He struck with the edge of the sword, destroying them, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded. 13 However, Israel did not burn any of the cities that stood on mounds except Hazor. Joshua burned it. 14 The children of Israel plundered all the goods and the livestock of these cities, but they struck all the people with the edge of the sword until they destroyed them. They did not spare anyone who breathed. 15 As the Lord commanded Moses His servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it. He did not ignore a word of all that the Lord commanded Moses.
16 So Joshua took all that land: the hill country, the Negev, all the land of Goshen, the lowland, the Arabah, the hill country of Israel and its lowland. 17 From Mount Halak to Seir, and as far as Baal Gad in the Lebanon Valley under Mount Hermon: All their kings he captured, struck down, and killed. 18 Joshua engaged all those kings in battle for a long time. 19 There was no city that made peace with the children of Israel except the Hivites living in Gibeon. They conquered all of them 20 because the Lord hardened their hearts to engage Israel in battle. They destroyed them without mercy, to put them to death, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
21 At that time Joshua came and wiped out the Anakites from the hill country: from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua utterly destroyed them and their cities. 22 No Anakites were left in the land of the children of Israel, but they did remain in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod. 23 So Joshua took the whole land according to all that the Lord had said to Moses. Joshua gave it to Israel as an inheritance according to their allotted portions by their tribes. Then the land rested from war.
Chapter 12
1 These are the kings on the east side of the Jordan, from the River Arnon to Mount Hermon and all the eastern Arabah, whom the children of Israel struck down to take over their land: 2 Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon and ruled from Aroer, which is on the bank of River Arnon, and from the middle of the valley as far as the River Jabbok, which is the border of the Ammonites, that is, half of Gilead, 3 and the Arabah to the Sea of Galilee eastward, and toward Beth Jeshimoth, to the Sea of Arabah, the Dead Sea, southward below the slopes of Pisgah; 4 and Og king of Bashan, one of the remnant of the giants, who lived at Ashtaroth and at Edrei 5 and ruled over Mount Hermon, Salekah, and all of Bashan to the border of the Geshurites and the Maakathites, and over half of Gilead to the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.
6 Moses the servant of the Lord and the children of Israel struck them down, and the servant of the Lord Moses gave their land to Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
7 These are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the children of Israel defeated on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, that rises toward Seir. Joshua gave their land to the tribes of Israel according to their allotted portions as an inheritance, 8 in the hill country, in the lowland, in the Arabah, in the slopes, in the wilderness, and in the Negev—the land of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites:
9 The king of Jericho, one;
the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one;
10 the king of Jerusalem, one;
the king of Hebron, one;
11 the king of Jarmuth, one;
the king of Lachish, one;
12 the king of Eglon, one;
the king of Gezer, one;
13 the king of Debir, one;
the king of Geder, one;
14 the king of Hormah, one;
the king of Arad, one;
15 the king of Libnah, one;
the king of Adullam, one;
16 the king of Makkedah, one;
the king of Bethel, one;
17 the king of Tappuah, one;
the king of Hepher, one;
18 the king of Aphek, one;
the king of Lasharon, one;
19 the king of Madon, one;
the king of Hazor, one;
20 the king of Shimron Meron, one;
the king of Akshaph, one;
21 the king of Taanach, one;
the king of Megiddo, one;
22 the king of Kedesh, one;
the king of Jokneam in Carmel, one;
23 the king of Dor in Naphoth Dor, one;
the king of the people in Gilgal, one;
24 the king of Tirzah, one—thirty-one kings in all.
Luke 1:39–56
39 In those days Mary arose and quickly went into the hill country, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 She spoke out with a loud voice, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 Indeed, as soon as the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a completion to those things which were told her by the Lord.”
46 And Mary said:
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
48 For He has regarded
the low estate of His servant;
surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed.
49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is His name.
50 His mercy is on those who fear Him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He has pulled down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of low degree.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent away empty.
54 He has helped His servant Israel,
in remembrance of His mercy,
55 as He spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
56 Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her own house.