1 As soon as Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had captured Ai and had devoted it to destruction, 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 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 warriors.3 So Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying,4 “Come up to me and help me, and let us strike Gibeon. For it has made peace with Joshua and with the people of Israel.”5 Then the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered their forces and went up with all their armies and encamped against Gibeon and made war against it.6 And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, “Do not relax your hand from your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hill country are 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 And the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you.”9 So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal.10 And the LORD threw them into a panic before Israel, who struck them with a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah.11 And as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-horon, the LORD threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.12 At that time Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day.14 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.15 So Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.16 These five kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.17 And it was told to Joshua, “The five kings have been found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah.”18 And Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave and set men by it to guard them,19 but do not stay there yourselves. Pursue your enemies; attack their rear guard. Do not let them enter their cities, for the LORD your God has given them into your hand.”20 When Joshua and the sons of Israel had finished striking them with a great blow until they were wiped out, and when the remnant that remained of them had entered into the fortified cities,21 then all the people returned safe to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. Not a man moved his tongue against any of the people of Israel.22 Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me from the cave.”23 And they did so, and brought those five kings out to him from 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 when they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, “Come near; put your feet on the necks of these kings.” Then they came near and put their feet on their necks.25 And Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the LORD will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.”26 And afterward Joshua struck them and put them to death, and he hanged them on five trees. And they hung on the trees until evening.27 But at the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and they set large stones against the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day.28 As for Makkedah, Joshua captured it on that day and struck it, and its king, with the edge of the sword. He devoted to destruction every person in it; he left none remaining. And he did to the king of Makkedah just as he had done to the king of Jericho.29 Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against Libnah.30 And the LORD gave it also and its king into the hand of Israel. And he struck it with the edge of the sword, and every person in it; he left none remaining in it. And he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.31 Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Libnah to Lachish and laid siege to it and fought against it.32 And the LORD gave Lachish into the hand of Israel, and he captured it on the second day and struck it with the edge of the sword, and every person in it, as he had done to Libnah.33 Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish. And Joshua struck him and his people, until he left none remaining.34 Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Lachish to Eglon. And they laid siege to it and fought against it.35 And they captured it on that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword. And he devoted every person in it to destruction that day, as he had done to Lachish.36 Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron. And they fought against it37 and captured it and struck it with the edge of the sword, and its king and its towns, and every person in it. He left none remaining, as he had done to Eglon, and devoted it to destruction and every person in it.38 Then Joshua and all Israel with him turned back to Debir and fought against it39 and he captured it with its king and all its towns. And they struck them with the edge of the sword and devoted to destruction every person in it; he left none remaining. Just as he had done to Hebron and to Libnah and its king, so he did to Debir and to its king.40 So Joshua struck the whole land, the hill country and the Negeb and the lowland and the slopes, and all their kings. He left none remaining, but devoted to destruction all that breathed, just as the LORD God of Israel commanded.41 And Joshua struck them from Kadesh-barnea as far as Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, as far as Gibeon.42 And Joshua captured all these kings and their land at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.43 Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.
Numbers 23
1 And Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.”2 Balak did as Balaam had said. And Balak and Balaam offered on each altar a bull and a ram.3 And Balaam said to Balak, “Stand beside your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell you.” And he went to a bare height,4 and God met Balaam. And Balaam said to him, “I have arranged the seven altars and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.”5 And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”6 And he returned to him, and behold, he and all the princes of Moab were standing beside his burnt offering.7 And Balaam took up his discourse and said, “From Aram Balak has brought me, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains: ‘Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, denounce Israel!’8 How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?9 For from the top of the crags I see him, from the hills I behold him; behold, a people dwelling alone, and not counting itself among the nations!10 Who can count the dust of Jacob or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, and let my end be like his!”11 And Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have done nothing but bless them.”12 And he answered and said, “Must I not take care to speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?”13 And Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place, from which you may see them. You shall see only a fraction of them and shall not see them all. Then curse them for me from there.”14 And he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.15 Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here beside your burnt offering, while I meet the LORD over there.”16 And the LORD met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus shall you speak.”17 And he came to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the LORD spoken?”18 And Balaam took up his discourse and said, “Rise, Balak, and hear; give ear to me, O son of Zippor:19 God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?20 Behold, I received a command to bless: he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it.21 He has not beheld misfortune in Jacob, nor has he seen trouble in Israel. The LORD their God is with them, and the shout of a king is among them.22 God brings them out of Egypt and is for them like the horns of the wild ox.23 For there is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel; now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘What has God wrought!’24 Behold, a people! As a lioness it rises up and as a lion it lifts itself; it does not lie down until it has devoured the prey and drunk the blood of the slain.”25 And Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them at all, and do not bless them at all.”26 But Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell you, ‘All that the LORD says, that I must do’?”27 And Balak said to Balaam, “Come now, I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.”28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the desert.29 And Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me here seven altars and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.”30 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
Numbers 24
1 When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness.2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. And the Spirit of God came upon him,3 and he took up his discourse and said, “The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,4 the oracle of him who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down with his eyes uncovered:5 How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel!6 Like palm groves that stretch afar, like gardens beside a river, like aloes that the LORD has planted, like cedar trees beside the waters.7 Water shall flow from his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters; his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.8 God brings him out of Egypt and is for him like the horns of the wild ox; he shall eat up the nations, his adversaries, and shall break their bones in pieces and pierce them through with his arrows.9 He crouched, he lay down like a lion and like a lioness; who will rouse him up? Blessed are those who bless you, and cursed are those who curse you.”10 And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. And Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them these three times.11 Therefore now flee to your own place. I said, ‘I will certainly honor you,’ but the LORD has held you back from honor.”12 And Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not tell your messengers whom you sent to me,13 ‘If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the LORD, to do either good or bad of my own will. What the LORD speaks, that will I speak’?14 And now, behold, I am going to my people. Come, I will let you know what this people will do to your people in the latter days.”15 And he took up his discourse and said, “The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,16 the oracle of him who hears the words of God, and knows the knowledge of the Most High, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down with his eyes uncovered:17 I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth.18 Edom shall be dispossessed; Seir also, his enemies, shall be dispossessed. Israel is doing valiantly.19 And one from Jacob shall exercise dominion and destroy the survivors of cities!”20 Then he looked on Amalek and took up his discourse and said, “Amalek was the first among the nations, but its end is utter destruction.”21 And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his discourse and said, “Enduring is your dwelling place, and your nest is set in the rock.22 Nevertheless, Kain shall be burned when Asshur takes you away captive.”23 And he took up his discourse and said, “Alas, who shall live when God does this?24 But ships shall come from Kittim and shall afflict Asshur and Eber; and he too shall come to utter destruction.”25 Then Balaam rose and went back to his place. And Balak also went his way.
