Joshua 10 – NIVUK & OL

New International Version – UK

Joshua 10:1-43

The sun stands still

1Now Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai and totally destroyed10:1 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verses 28, 35, 37, 39 and 40. it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and that the people of Gibeon had made a treaty of peace with Israel and had become their allies. 2He and his people were very much alarmed at this, because Gibeon was an important city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were good fighters. 3So Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem appealed to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish and Debir king of Eglon. 4‘Come up and help me attack Gibeon,’ he said, ‘because it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.’

5Then the five kings of the Amorites – the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon – joined forces. They moved up with all their troops and took up positions against Gibeon and attacked it.

6The Gibeonites then sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: ‘Do not abandon your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, because all the Amorite kings from the hill country have joined forces against us.’

7So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including all the best fighting men. 8The Lord said to Joshua, ‘Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you.’

9After an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua took them by surprise. 10The Lord threw them into confusion before Israel, so Joshua and the Israelites defeated them completely at Gibeon. Israel pursued them along the road going up to Beth Horon and cut them down all the way to Azekah and Makkedah. 11As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah, the Lord hurled large hailstones down on them, and more of them died from the hail than were killed by the swords of the Israelites.

12On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel:

‘Sun, stand still over Gibeon,

and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.’

13So the sun stood still,

and the moon stopped,

till the nation avenged itself on10:13 Or nation triumphed over its enemies,

as it is written in the Book of Jashar.

The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. 14There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a human being. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!

15Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.

Five Amorite kings killed

16Now the five kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah. 17When Joshua was told that the five kings had been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah, 18he said, ‘Roll large rocks up to the mouth of the cave, and post some men there to guard it. 19But don’t stop; pursue your enemies! Attack them from the rear and don’t let them reach their cities, for the Lord your God has given them into your hand.’

20So Joshua and the Israelites defeated them completely, but a few survivors managed to reach their fortified cities. 21The whole army then returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah, and no-one uttered a word against the Israelites.

22Joshua said, ‘Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me.’ 23So they brought the five kings out of the cave – the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon. 24When they had brought these kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had come with him, ‘Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings.’ So they came forward and placed their feet on their necks.

25Joshua said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the Lord will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.’ 26Then Joshua put the kings to death and exposed their bodies on five poles, and they were left hanging on the poles until evening.

27At sunset Joshua gave the order and they took them down from the poles and threw them into the cave where they had been hiding. At the mouth of the cave they placed large rocks, which are there to this day.

Southern cities conquered

28That day Joshua took Makkedah. He put the city and its king to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it. He left no survivors. And he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.

29Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah and attacked it. 30The Lord also gave that city and its king into Israel’s hand. The city and everyone in it Joshua put to the sword. He left no survivors there. And he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.

31Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Libnah to Lachish; he took up positions against it and attacked it. 32The Lord gave Lachish into Israel’s hands, and Joshua took it on the second day. The city and everyone in it he put to the sword, just as he had done to Libnah. 33Meanwhile, Horam king of Gezer had come up to help Lachish, but Joshua defeated him and his army – until no survivors were left.

34Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Lachish to Eglon; they took up positions against it and attacked it. 35They captured it that same day and put it to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it, just as they had done to Lachish.

36Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron and attacked it. 37They took the city and put it to the sword, together with its king, its villages and everyone in it. They left no survivors. Just as at Eglon, they totally destroyed it and everyone in it.

38Then Joshua and all Israel with him turned round and attacked Debir. 39They took the city, its king and its villages, and put them to the sword. Everyone in it they totally destroyed. They left no survivors. They did to Debir and its king as they had done to Libnah and its king and to Hebron.

40So Joshua subdued the whole region, including the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills and the mountain slopes, together with all their kings. He left no survivors. He totally destroyed all who breathed, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded. 41Joshua subdued them from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza and from the whole region of Goshen to Gibeon. 42All these kings and their lands Joshua conquered in one campaign, because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.

43Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.

O Livro

Josué 10:1-43

Josué socorre Gibeão e o Sol para

1Quando Adoni-Zedeque, rei de Jerusalém, soube que Josué tinha capturado e destruído Ai, e morto o seu rei, e como atuara contra Jericó, e que o povo de Gibeão fizera a paz com os israelitas e cooperava agora com eles, 2ficou extremamente atemorizado. Porque Gibeão era uma grande cidade, como as cidades reais, muito maior do que Ai, e os seus habitantes eram conhecidos como aguerridos combatentes. 3Por isso, o rei Adoni-Zedeque, de Jerusalém, mandou embaixadores a alguns reis: a Hoão de Hebrom, a Piram de Jarmute, a Jafia de Laquis e Debir de Eglom com esta mensagem: 4“Venham ajudar-me a destruir Gibeão, visto que fizeram a paz com Josué e com o povo de Israel.” 5Assim, aqueles cinco reis amorreus aliaram os seus exércitos com vista a um ataque conjunto a Gibeão.

6O povo de Gibeão mandou urgentemente mensageiros a Josué, em Gilgal, com este pedido: “Vem depressa ajudar os teus servos! Todos os reis amorreus que vivem nas colinas estão já aqui com os seus exércitos.”

7O exército israelita, sob o comando de Josué, deixou Gilgal para ir salvar os gibeonitas. 8“Não tenham medo deles”, disse o Senhor a Josué. “Estão já praticamente derrotados. Sou eu quem os entrega para que os destruam. Nenhum deles será capaz de vos resistir.”

9Josué marchou toda a noite com os seus soldados, desde Gilgal, e atacou de surpresa sobre os exércitos inimigos. 10O Senhor fez cair sobre estes um grande pânico, de forma que os israelitas puderam matar um grande número deles, ali mesmo em Gibeão, e perseguir outros por todo o caminho que vai para Bete-Horom e para Azeca e Maqueda, acabando também por liquidar esses. 11Numa altura em que os adversários estavam a fugir pela ladeira de Bete-Horom, o Senhor começou a destruí-los com uma saraivada violentíssima que os seguiu até Azeca. Na realidade, foram mais os que morreram dessa chuva de pedras do que pelas armas dos israelitas.

12Aconteceu que, quando Israel estava a perseguir e a aniquilar os seus inimigos, Josué fez este pedido em voz alta:

“Que o Sol se mantenha sobre Gibeão,

e a Lua sobre o vale de Aijalom!”

13Na verdade, tanto o Sol como a Lua pararam, enquanto o exército israelita destruía os seus inimigos. Isto, aliás, está escrito no Livro do Justo. Foi assim que o Sol parou no firmamento quase um dia inteiro. 14Nunca houve um dia semelhante, anteriormente, e nunca mais tornou a dar-se outro fenómeno igual a esse em que o Senhor fez parar o Sol e a Lua em resposta à oração de um homem. Porque era o Senhor quem lutava por Israel. 15Depois disso, Josué e os israelitas regressaram a Gilgal.

A morte de cinco reis amorreus

16Durante a batalha os cinco reis conseguiram escapar e esconderam-se numa caverna em Maqueda. 17Quando vieram trazer a Josué a notícia de que tinham sido encontrados, 18ele mandou que uma grande pedra fosse posta contra a entrada da caverna e que fossem postos guardas para não os deixar escapar dali. 19Josué deu ordens ao resto do exército para continuar a perseguir os adversários e matá-los: “Não os deixem regressar às suas cidades, porque o Senhor, vosso Deus, vos ajudará a destruí-los completamente.”

20Assim, Josué e o exército israelita continuaram a matar e a castigar duramente os cinco exércitos inimigos, exceto um pequeno resto que conseguiu chegar às suas cidades fortificadas. 21Os israelitas voltaram para o seu acampamento em Maqueda, sem ter perdido um só homem. Depois disso, mais ninguém ousou atacar Israel.

22Josué deu então ordens aos seus homens para que fossem remover a pedra da boca da caverna e trouxessem para fora 23os cinco reis: o rei de Jerusalém, o de Hebrom, o de Jarmute, o de Laquis e o de Eglom. 24Mandou formar todo o exército e disse aos generais para porem os pés nos pescoços daqueles reis.

25“Nunca tenham medo nem desanimem!”, disse Josué aos seus homens. “Sejam fortes e corajosos, porque é desta forma que o Senhor desfará todos os vossos inimigos.” 26Depois Josué matou com a espada cada um desses reis e pendurou-os em cinco árvores até ao anoitecer.

27Quando o Sol se pôs, deu ordens para que descessem os corpos e os pusessem na caverna onde se tinham escondido, tendo levantado uma grande pilha de pedregulhos à entrada, a qual ainda hoje lá está.

A conquista de cidades do sul

28-30Nesse mesmo dia, Josué destruiu a cidade de Maqueda, matando o seu rei e toda a gente que ali vivia. Nem uma só pessoa foi deixada com vida em toda a cidade. Depois os israelitas foram atacar Libna. Também ali o Senhor lhes entregou a cidade e o rei. Não foi deixado ninguém com vida, como acontecera em Jericó.

31Dali dirigiram-se a Laquis e atacaram-na. 32Ao segundo dia de ataque o Senhor deu-a aos israelitas. E também aqui a população inteira foi morta, como acontecera em Libna. 33Durante o ataque a Laquis, o rei Horão de Gezer apareceu com o seu exército, para tentar defender a cidade, mas os homens de Josué mataram-no e liquidaram os seus homens.

34-35As tropas israelitas capturaram Eglom logo no primeiro dia e tal como em Laquis abateram toda a população. Não foi deixada uma só pessoa com vida.

36-37Após Eglom, foram para Hebrom e conquistaram-na, assim como as localidades dos arredores, matando toda a gente.

38-39Então voltaram para Debir que capturaram muito rapidamente, com todas as aldeias circunvizinhas, e mataram os habitantes como acontecera em Libna.

40Assim, Josué e o seu exército conquistaram toda a região; as nações e os reis da zona das colinas, do Negueve, da área das planícies costeiras e das montanhas escarpadas. Liquidaram toda a gente da terra, segundo a ordem do Senhor, Deus de Israel; 41desde Cades-Barneia até Gaza e desde a terra de Gosen até Gibeão. 42Tudo realizado numa só campanha, porque o Senhor, o Deus de Israel, estava a lutar pelo seu povo. 43Só depois disso é que as tropas de Israel, sob a chefia de Josué, regressaram ao seu acampamento em Gilgal.