Study Desk

Then Joshua said, "You will not be able to continue serving the Lord . God is holy. And God hates his people worshiping other gods. He will not forgive you if you turn against him like that.

Then Joshua told the people to go home. So everyone went back to his own land.

Joshua was buried on his own land at Timnath Serah, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

The ruler of Bezek tried to escape, but the men of Judah chased him and caught him. When they caught him, they cut off his thumbs and big toes.

Caleb had a younger brother named Kenaz. Kenaz had a son named Othniel. Othniel captured the city of Kiriath Sepher. So Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to Othniel to be his wife.

The man showed the spies the secret way into the city. The men of Joseph used their swords to kill the people of Bethel. But they did not hurt the man who helped them or anyone in his family. The man and his family were allowed to go free.

Eglon got help from the Ammonites and the Amalekites. They joined him and attacked the Israelites. Eglon and his army defeated the Israelites and forced them to leave the City of Palm Trees.

The Israelites cried to the Lord for help, so he sent a man named Ehud son of Gera to save them. Ehud was from the tribe of Benjamin and was trained to fight with his left hand. The Israelites sent Ehud with a gift to King Eglon of Moab.

Ehud made himself a sword with two sharp edges that was about 12 inches long. He tied the sword to his right thigh and hid it under his uniform.

Ehud went to King Eglon. The king was sitting all alone in the upper room of his palace. Then Ehud said, "I have a message from God for you." The king stood up from his throne. He was very close to Ehud.

As the king was getting up from his throne, Ehud reached with his left hand and took out the sword that was tied to his right thigh. Then he pushed the sword into the king's belly.

The sword went into Eglon's belly so far that even the handle sank in and the fat closed around it. The point of the blade came out his back. Ehud left the sword inside Eglon.

Ehud then left the main room, and the servants went back in. The servants found the doors to the upper room locked, so they said, "The king must be relieving himself in his private toilet."

I will make Sisera, the commander of King Jabin's army, come to you. I will make Sisera, his chariots, and his army come to the Kishon River. I will help you defeat Sisera there.'"

There was a man named Heber who was from the Kenites. The Kenites were descendants of Moses' father-in-law, Hobab. Heber had left the other Kenites and had made his home by the oak tree in Zaanannim, near the city of Kedesh.

So Sisera gathered his 900 iron chariots and all the men with him, and they marched from the city of Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River.

Barak and his men attacked Sisera. During the battle, the Lord confused Sisera and his army and chariots. They did not know what to do. Barak and his men defeated Sisera's army, but Sisera left his chariot and ran away on foot.

Barak continued fighting Sisera's army. He and his men chased Sisera's chariots and army all the way to Harosheth Haggoyim. They used their swords to kill all of Sisera's men. Not one of Sisera's men was left alive.

But Sisera ran away to the tent where a woman named Jael lived. Jael was the wife of Heber the Kenite. His family was at peace with King Jabin of Hazor. That is why Sisera ran to Jael's tent.

But Jael found a tent peg and a hammer. She quietly went to Sisera. Sisera was very tired, so he was sleeping. She put the tent peg to the side of Sisera's head and hit it with a hammer. The tent peg went through the side of his head and into the ground. Sisera died.