Study Desk

Then the Lord said to Joshua, "Hold out the spear that is in your hand toward Ai. For I will give the city to you." So Joshua held out the spear that was in his hand toward the city.

Joshua and all Israel saw that the men who had been hiding had taken the city. They saw the smoke from the city, so they turned around and killed the men of Ai.

So Joshua burned Ai and destroyed it forever, as it is to this day.

So they went out to fool him, as men from another land. They took old bags on their donkeys, and skin bags of wine that were old and torn and mended.

So our leaders and all the people of our country said to us, ‘Take what you need for traveling. Go to meet them and tell them, "We are your servants. Now make an agreement with us.'"

So the men of Israel took some of their food. They did not ask the Lord what they should do.

And the leaders said to them, "Let them live." So they cut wood and brought water for all the people, as the leaders had told them.

So he did this to them. He saved them from the hands of the people of Israel. They did not kill them.

So Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon. He said to them,

So the five kings of the Amorites, the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon, gathered together with all their armies. And they went and set up their tents by Gibeon, to fight against it.

So Joshua went up from Gilgal. He took with him all the men of war and all the strong soldiers.

So Joshua came upon them by surprise by traveling all night from Gilgal.

So the sun stood still and the moon stopped, until the nation punished those who fought against them. Is it not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the center of the sky. It did not hurry to go down for about a whole day.

When they brought those kings out to Joshua, he called for all the men of Israel. He said to the leaders of the men of war who had gone with him, "Come near. Put your feet on the necks of these kings." So they came and put their feet on their necks.

The Lord gave it and its king into the hands of Israel also. Joshua destroyed it and every person in it with the sword. He left no one alive. So he did the same to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.

So Joshua won the war against the whole land, the hill country, the Negev, the valleys, the hill-sides, and all their kings. He left no one alive. He destroyed all who breathed, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had told him.

So Joshua with all the men of war came upon them by surprise at the waters of Merom, and fought against them.

So Joshua took all that land. He took the hill country, all the Negev, all the land of Goshen, the valleys, the Arabah, the hill country of Israel and its valleys.

For the Lord made their hearts hard to meet Israel in battle, so Israel might destroy all of them. They would not be shown pity but would be destroyed, just as the Lord had told Moses.

So Joshua took the whole land, just as the Lord had told Moses. And Joshua gave it as a gift to Israel, a share for each family group. Then the land had rest from war.