³ But when the inhabitants of ^(A)Gibeon heard what Joshua had done ^(B)to Jericho and ^(C)to Ai, ⁴ they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, ⁵ with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes. And all their provisions were dry and crumbly. ⁶ And they went to Joshua in ^(D)the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us.” ⁷ But the men of Israel said to ^(E)the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us; then ^(F)how can we make a covenant with you?” ⁸ They said to Joshua, ^(G)“We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where do you come from?” ⁹ They said to him, ^(H)“From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God. ^(I)For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, ^10 (J)and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who lived in ^(K)Ashtaroth. ¹¹ So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey and go to meet them and say to them, “We are your servants. Come now, make a covenant with us.”’ ¹² Here is our bread. It was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey on the day we set out to come to you, but now, behold, it is dry and crumbly. ¹³ These wineskins were new when we filled them, and behold, they have burst. And these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.” ¹⁴ So the men took some of their provisions, but ^(L)did not ask counsel from the Lord. ¹⁵ And Joshua ^(M)made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.

¹⁶ At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors ^(N)and that they lived among them. ¹⁷ And the people of Israel set out and reached their cities on the third day. ^(O)Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. ¹⁸ But the people of Israel did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders. ¹⁹ But all the leaders said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them. ²⁰ This we will do to them: let them live, lest ^(P)wrath be upon us, ^(Q)because of the oath that we swore to them.” ²¹ And the leaders said to them, “Let them live.” So they became ^(R)cutters of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, just as the leaders ^(S)had said of them.

²² Joshua summoned them, and he said to them, “Why did you deceive us, saying, ^(T)‘We are very far from you,’ when ^(U)you dwell among us? ²³ Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall never be anything but servants, ^(V)cutters of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.” ²⁴ They answered Joshua, “Because it was told to your servants for a certainty that the Lord your God had ^(W)commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you—so ^(X)we feared greatly for our lives because of you and did this thing. ²⁵ And now, behold, we are in your hand. Whatever seems good and right in your sight to do to us, do it.” ²⁶ So he did this to them and delivered them out of the hand of the people of Israel, and they did not kill them. ²⁷ But Joshua made them that day ^(Y)cutters of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, to this day, ^(Z)in the place that he should choose.

The Sun Stands Still

10 As soon as Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had captured Ai and had devoted it to destruction,^{[a] (AA)}doing to Ai and its king ^(AB)as he had done to Jericho and its king, and ^(AC)how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, ^2 (AD)he^[b] 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 ^(AE)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, ^(AF)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 ^(AG)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 ^(AH)all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. ⁸ And the Lord said to Joshua, ^(AI)“Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. ^(AJ)Not a man of them shall stand before you.” ⁹ So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal. ^10 (AK)And the Lord threw them into a panic before Israel, who^[c] struck them with a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by the way of ^(AL)the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. ¹¹ And as they fled before Israel, while they were ^(AM)going down the ascent of Beth-horon, ^(AN)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,

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 (AP)There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded the voice of a man, for ^(AQ)the Lord fought for Israel.

¹⁵ So ^(AR)Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.

Five Amorite Kings Executed

¹⁶ These five kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at ^(AS)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; ^(AT)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 ^(AU)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. ^(AV)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, ^(AW)“Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. ^(AX)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 ^(AY)they hung on the trees until evening. ²⁷ But at the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and ^(AZ)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 ^(BA)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 ^(BB)just as he had done to the king of Jericho.

Conquest of Southern Canaan

²⁹ Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Makkedah to ^(BC)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 ^(BD)as he had done to the king of Jericho.

³¹ Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Libnah to ^(BE)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 ^(BF)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 ^(BG)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 ^(BH)Hebron. And they fought against it ³⁷ 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 ^(BI)Debir and fought against it ³⁹ 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 ^(BJ)and the slopes, and all their kings. He left none remaining, ^(BK)but devoted to destruction all that breathed, just as the Lord God of Israel commanded. ⁴¹ And Joshua struck them from ^(BL)Kadesh-barnea as far as Gaza, and all the country of ^(BM)Goshen, as far as Gibeon. ⁴² And Joshua captured all these kings and their land at one time, ^(BN)because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel. ^43 (BO)Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.

The Rich Man and Lazarus

¹⁹ “There was a rich man who was clothed in ^(A)purple and fine linen and ^(B)who feasted sumptuously every day. ²⁰ And at his gate ^(C)was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, ²¹ who desired to be fed with ^(D)what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. ²² The poor man died and was carried by ^(E)the angels ^(F)to Abraham's side.^[a] The rich man also died and was buried, ²³ and in ^(G)Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and ^(H)saw Abraham far off and Lazarus ^(I)at his side. ²⁴ And he called out, ^(J)‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and ^(K)cool my tongue, for ^(L)I am in anguish in this flame.’ ²⁵ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that ^(M)you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ ²⁷ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house— ²⁸ for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ ²⁹ But Abraham said, ‘They have ^(N)Moses and the Prophets; ^(O)let them hear them.’ ³⁰ And he said, ‘No, ^(P)father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ ³¹ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear ^(Q)Moses and the Prophets, ^(R)neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”

Temptations to Sin

17 And he said to his disciples, ^(S)“Temptations to sin^[b] are ^(T)sure to come, but ^(U)woe to the one through whom they come! ^2 (V)It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.^{[c] 3} Pay attention to yourselves! ^(W)If your brother sins, ^(X)rebuke him, and if he repents, ^(Y)forgive him, ⁴ and if he sins against you ^(Z)seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

Increase Our Faith

^5 (AA)The apostles said to the Lord, ^(AB)“Increase our faith!” ⁶ And the Lord said, ^(AC)“If you had faith like ^(AD)a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this ^(AE)mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

Unworthy Servants

⁷ “Will any one of you who has a servant^[d] plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? ⁸ Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and ^(AF)dress properly,^[e] and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? ⁹ Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? ¹⁰ So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are ^(AG)unworthy servants;^[f] we have only done what was our duty.’”

O God, Do Not Keep Silence

A Song. A Psalm of ^(A)Asaph.