O Dia em que o Sol Parou
1Sucedeu que Adoni-Zedeque, rei de Jerusalém, soube que Josué tinha conquistado Ai e a tinha destruído totalmente, fazendo com Ai e seu rei o que fizera com Jericó e seu rei, e que o povo de Gibeom tinha feito a paz com Israel e estava vivendo no meio deles. 2Ele e o seu povo ficaram com muito medo, pois Gibeom era tão importante como uma cidade governada por um rei; era maior do que Ai, e todos os seus homens eram bons guerreiros. 3Por isso Adoni-Zedeque, rei de Jerusalém, fez o seguinte apelo a Hoão, rei de Hebrom, a Piram, rei de Jarmute, a Jafia, rei de Laquis, e a Debir, rei de Eglom: 4“Venham para cá e ajudem-me a atacar Gibeom, pois ela fez a paz com Josué e com os israelitas”.
5Então os cinco reis dos amorreus, os reis de Jerusalém, de Hebrom, de Jarmute, de Laquis e de Eglom reuniram-se e vieram com todos os seus exércitos. Cercaram Gibeom e a atacaram.
6Os gibeonitas enviaram esta mensagem a Josué, no acampamento de Gilgal: “Não abandone os seus servos. Venha depressa! Salve-nos! Ajude-nos, pois todos os reis amorreus que vivem nas montanhas se uniram contra nós!”
7Josué partiu de Gilgal com todo o seu exército, inclusive com os seus melhores guerreiros. 8E disse o Senhor a Josué: “Não tenha medo desses reis; eu os entreguei nas suas mãos. Nenhum deles conseguirá resistir a você”.
9Depois de uma noite inteira de marcha desde Gilgal, Josué os apanhou de surpresa. 10O Senhor os lançou em confusão diante de Israel, que lhes impôs grande derrota em Gibeom. Os israelitas os perseguiram na subida para Bete-Horom e os mataram por todo o caminho até Azeca e Maquedá. 11Enquanto fugiam de Israel na descida de Bete-Horom para Azeca, do céu o Senhor lançou sobre eles grandes pedras de granizo, que mataram mais gente do que as espadas dos israelitas.
12No dia em que o Senhor entregou os amorreus aos israelitas, Josué exclamou ao Senhor, na presença de Israel:
“Sol, pare sobre Gibeom!
E você, ó lua, sobre o vale de Aijalom!”
13O sol parou,
e a lua se deteve,
até a nação vingar-se dos10.13 Ou derrotar os seus inimigos,
como está escrito no Livro de Jasar.
O sol parou no meio do céu e por quase um dia inteiro não se pôs. 14Nunca antes nem depois houve um dia como aquele, quando o Senhor atendeu a um homem. Sem dúvida o Senhor lutava por Israel!
15Então Josué voltou com todo o Israel ao acampamento em Gilgal.
Os Cinco Reis Amorreus São Mortos
16Os cinco reis fugiram e se esconderam na caverna de Maquedá. 17Avisaram a Josué que eles tinham sido achados numa caverna em Maquedá. 18Disse ele: “Rolem grandes pedras até a entrada da caverna, e deixem ali alguns homens de guarda. 19Mas não se detenham! Persigam os inimigos. Ataquem-nos pela retaguarda e não os deixem chegar às suas cidades, pois o Senhor, o seu Deus, os entregou em suas mãos”.
20Assim Josué e os israelitas os derrotaram por completo, quase exterminando-os. Mas alguns conseguiram escapar e se refugiaram em suas cidades fortificadas. 21O exército inteiro voltou então em segurança a Josué, ao acampamento de Maquedá, e, depois disso, ninguém mais ousou abrir a boca para provocar os israelitas.
22Então disse Josué: “Abram a entrada da caverna e tragam-me aqueles cinco reis”. 23Os cinco reis foram tirados da caverna. Eram os reis de Jerusalém, de Hebrom, de Jarmute, de Laquis e de Eglom. 24Quando os levaram a Josué, ele convocou todos os homens de Israel e disse aos comandantes do exército que o tinham acompanhado: “Venham aqui e ponham o pé no pescoço destes reis”. E eles obedeceram.
25Disse-lhes Josué: “Não tenham medo! Não desanimem! Sejam fortes e corajosos! É isso que o Senhor fará com todos os inimigos que vocês tiverem que combater”. 26Depois Josué matou os reis e mandou pendurá-los em cinco árvores, onde ficaram até a tarde.
27Ao pôr do sol, sob as ordens de Josué, eles foram tirados das árvores e jogados na caverna onde haviam se escondido. Na entrada da caverna colocaram grandes pedras, que lá estão até hoje.
28Naquele dia Josué tomou Maquedá. Atacou a cidade e matou o seu rei à espada e exterminou todos os que nela viviam, sem deixar sobreviventes. E fez com o rei de Maquedá o que tinha feito com o rei de Jericó.
A Conquista das Cidades do Sul
29Então Josué, e todo o Israel com ele, avançou de Maquedá para Libna e a atacou. 30O Senhor entregou também aquela cidade e seu rei nas mãos dos israelitas. Josué atacou a cidade e matou à espada todos os que nela viviam, sem deixar nenhum sobrevivente ali. E fez com o seu rei o que fizera com o rei de Jericó.
31Depois Josué, e todo o Israel com ele, avançou de Libna para Laquis, cercou-a e a atacou. 32O Senhor entregou Laquis nas mãos dos israelitas, e Josué tomou-a no dia seguinte. Atacou a cidade e matou à espada todos os que nela viviam, como tinha feito com Libna. 33Nesse meio-tempo Horão, rei de Gezer, fora socorrer Laquis, mas Josué o derrotou, a ele e ao seu exército, sem deixar sobrevivente algum.
34Josué, e todo o Israel com ele, avançou de Laquis para Eglom, cercou-a e a atacou. 35Eles a conquistaram naquele mesmo dia, feriram-na à espada e exterminaram os que nela viviam, como tinham feito com Laquis.
36Então Josué, e todo o Israel com ele, foi de Eglom para Hebrom e a atacou. 37Tomaram a cidade e a feriram à espada, como também o seu rei, os seus povoados e todos os que nela viviam, sem deixar sobrevivente algum. Destruíram totalmente a cidade e todos os que nela viviam, como tinham feito com Eglom.
38Depois Josué, e todo o Israel com ele, voltou e atacou Debir. 39Tomaram a cidade, seu rei e seus povoados e os mataram à espada. Exterminaram os que nela viviam, sem deixar sobrevivente algum. Fizeram com Debir e seu rei o que tinham feito com Libna e seu rei e com Hebrom.
40Assim Josué conquistou a região toda, incluindo a serra central, o Neguebe, a Sefelá e as vertentes, e derrotou todos os seus reis, sem deixar sobrevivente algum. Exterminou tudo o que respirava, conforme o Senhor, o Deus de Israel, tinha ordenado. 41Josué os derrotou desde Cades-Barneia até Gaza, e toda a região de Gósen, e de lá até Gibeom. 42Também subjugou todos esses reis e conquistou suas terras numa única campanha, pois o Senhor, o Deus de Israel, lutou por Israel.
43Então Josué retornou com todo o Israel ao acampamento em Gilgal.
The Sun Stands Still
1Adoni-Zedek was the king of Jerusalem. He heard that Joshua had captured Ai. He found out that the city had been set apart to the Lord in a special way to be destroyed. He heard that Joshua had done to Ai and its king the same thing he had done to Jericho and its king. Adoni-Zedek heard that the people of Gibeon had made a peace treaty with Israel. He also found out that they were living among the Israelites. 2The things he heard alarmed him and his people very much. That’s because Gibeon was an important city. It was like one of the royal cities. It was larger than Ai. All its men were good soldiers. 3So Adoni-Zedek, the king of Jerusalem, made an appeal to Hoham, the king of Hebron. He appealed to Piram, the king of Jarmuth. He appealed to Japhia, the king of Lachish. He also made an appeal to Debir, the king of Eglon. 4“Come up and help me attack Gibeon,” he said. “Its people have made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.”
5Then the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon gathered their armies together. Those five Amorite kings moved all their troops into position to fight against Gibeon. Then they attacked it.
6Joshua was in the camp at Gilgal. The people of Gibeon sent a message to him there. They said, “Don’t desert us. We serve you. Come up to us quickly! Save us! Help us! All the Amorite kings from the central hill country have gathered their armies together to fight against us.”
7So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his whole army. The army included all his best fighting men. 8The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them. I have handed them over to you. Not one of them will be able to fight against you and win.”
9Joshua marched all night from Gilgal. He took the Amorite armies by surprise. 10The Lord threw them into a panic as Israel marched toward them. Then Joshua and the Israelites won a complete victory over them at Gibeon. The Israelites chased them along the road that goes up to Beth Horon. They struck them down all the way to Azekah and Makkedah. 11The Amorites tried to escape as Israel marched toward them. They ran down the road from Beth Horon to Azekah. Then the Lord threw large hailstones down on them. The hailstones killed more of them than the swords of the Israelites did.
12So the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel. On that day Joshua spoke to the Lord while the Israelites were listening. He said,
“Sun, stand still over Gibeon.
And you, moon, stand still over the Valley of Aijalon.”
13So the sun stood still.
The moon stopped.
They didn’t move again until the nation won the battle over its enemies.
You can read about it in the Book of Jashar.
The sun stopped in the middle of the sky. It didn’t go down for about a full day. 14There has never been a day like it before or since. It was a day when the Lord listened to a mere human being. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!
15Joshua and his whole army returned to the camp at Gilgal.
Joshua Kills the Five Amorite Kings
16The five Amorite kings had run away. They had hidden in the cave at Makkedah. 17Joshua was told that the five kings had been found. He was also told that they were hiding in the cave at Makkedah. 18He said, “Roll some large rocks up to the opening of the cave. Put some men there to guard it. 19But keep on going! Chase your enemies! Attack them from behind. Don’t let them get back to their cities. The Lord your God has handed them over to you.”
20So Joshua and the men of Israel had complete victory over them. They killed almost every one of them. But a few escaped. They went back to their cities that had high walls around them. 21Then Israel’s whole army returned safely to Joshua. He was in the camp at Makkedah. No one in the land dared to say anything against the Israelites.
22Joshua said, “Open up the cave. Bring those five kings out to me.” 23So Joshua’s men brought the kings out of the cave. They were the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon. 24The men brought them to Joshua. Then he sent for all the men of Israel. He spoke to the army commanders who had come with him. He said, “Come here. Put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came forward and placed their feet on the necks of the kings.
25Joshua said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Don’t lose hope. Be strong and brave. This is what the Lord will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.” 26Joshua put the five kings to death. He stuck a pole through each of their bodies. Then he set the poles up where people could see the bodies. He left them there until evening.
27At sunset Joshua ordered his men to take down the bodies. So they took them down from the poles and threw them into the cave where the kings had been hiding. They placed large rocks at the opening of the cave. And the rocks are still there to this day.
The Campaign Against the Cities in the South
28That day Joshua captured Makkedah. He cut down its people and their king. He totally destroyed everyone in it. He didn’t leave anyone alive. He did to the king of Makkedah the same thing he had done to the king of Jericho.
29Joshua moved on from Makkedah to Libnah. Israel’s whole army went with him. They attacked Libnah. 30The Lord also handed that city and its king over to Israel. Joshua destroyed the city. He and his men killed everyone in it with their swords. He didn’t leave anyone alive there. He did to its king the same thing he had done to the king of Jericho.
31Joshua moved on from Libnah to Lachish. Israel’s whole army went with him. The men took up their battle positions. Then Joshua attacked Lachish. 32The Lord handed it over to Israel. Joshua captured the city on the second day of the battle. He destroyed the city. He and his men killed everyone in it with their swords. He had done the same thing to Libnah. 33While all that was happening, Horam had come up to help Lachish. He was the king of Gezer. But Joshua won the battle over him and his army. No one was left alive.
34Joshua moved on from Lachish to Eglon. Israel’s whole army went with him. They took up their battle positions. Then they attacked Eglon. 35They captured it that same day. They totally destroyed everyone in it with their swords. They had done the same thing to Lachish.
36Joshua went up from Eglon to Hebron. Israel’s whole army went with him. Then they attacked Hebron. 37They captured the city. They destroyed it and its villages. They killed all its people and their king with their swords. They didn’t leave anyone alive. They totally destroyed the city and everyone in it. They had done the same thing at Eglon.
38Joshua turned back and attacked Debir. Israel’s whole army went with him. 39They captured the city, its king and its villages. They totally destroyed everyone in Debir with their swords. They didn’t leave anyone alive. They did to Debir and its king the same thing they had done to Libnah and its king. They had also done the same thing to Hebron.
40So Joshua brought the whole area under his control. That included the central hill country and the Negev Desert. It included the western hills and the mountain slopes. It also included all the kings in that whole area. Joshua didn’t leave anyone alive. He totally destroyed everyone who breathed. He did just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded. 41Joshua brought everyone from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza under his control. He did the same thing to everyone from the whole area of Goshen to Gibeon. 42He won the battle over all those kings and their lands. He did it in one campaign. That’s because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.
43Then Joshua returned to the camp at Gilgal. Israel’s whole army went with him.
