Long Day of Victory and Inheritance

1. Now when Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them, 2. they were very afraid, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty. 3. Therefore Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying, 4. “Come up to me and help me. Let us strike Gibeon; for they have made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.” 5. Therefore 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 themselves together and went up, they and all their armies, and encamped against Gibeon, and made war against it. 6. The men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Don’t abandon your servants! Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us; for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the hill country have gathered together against us.” 7. So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he, and the whole army with him, including all the mighty men of valor. 8. Yahweh said to Joshua, “Don’t fear them, for I have delivered them into your hands. Not a man of them will stand before you.” 9. Joshua therefore came to them suddenly. He marched from Gilgal all night. 10. Yahweh confused them before Israel. He killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth Horon, and struck them to Azekah and to Makkedah. 11. As they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth Horon, Yahweh hurled down great stones from the sky on them to Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the children of Israel killed with the sword. 12. Then Joshua spoke to Yahweh in the day when Yahweh delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel. He said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still on Gibeon! You, moon, stop in the valley of Aijalon!” 13. The sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies. Isn’t this written in the book of Jashar? The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and didn’t hurry to go down about a whole day. 14. There was no day like that before it or after it, that Yahweh listened to the voice of a man; for Yahweh fought for Israel. 15. Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp to Gilgal. 16. These five kings fled, and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah. 17. Joshua was told, saying, “The five kings have been found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah.” 18. Joshua said, “Roll large stones to cover the cave’s entrance, and set men by it to guard them; 19. but don’t stay there. Pursue your enemies, and attack them from the rear. Don’t allow them to enter into their cities; for Yahweh your God has delivered them into your hand.” 20. When Joshua and the children of Israel had finished killing them with a very great slaughter until they were consumed, and the remnant which remained of them had entered into the fortified cities, 21. all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace. None moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel. 22. Then Joshua said, “Open the cave entrance, and bring those five kings out of the cave to me.” 23. They did so, and brought those five kings out of the cave to him: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. 24. When they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the men of war who went with him, “Come near. Put your feet on the necks of these kings.” They came near, and put their feet on their necks. 25. Joshua said to them, “Don’t be afraid, nor be dismayed. Be strong and courageous, for Yahweh will do this to all your enemies against whom you fight.” 26. Afterward Joshua struck them, put them to death, and hanged them on five trees. They were hanging on the trees until the evening. 27. At the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and threw them into the cave in which they had hidden themselves, and laid great stones on the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day. 28. Joshua took Makkedah on that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword, with its king. He utterly destroyed it and all the souls who were in it. He left no one remaining. He did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho. 29. Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, to Libnah, and fought against Libnah. 30. Yahweh delivered it also, with its king, into the hand of Israel. He struck it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls who were in it. He left no one remaining in it. He did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho. 31. Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it. 32. Yahweh delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel. He took it on the second day, and struck it with the edge of the sword, with all the souls who were in it, according to all that 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 had left him no one remaining. 34. Joshua passed from Lachish, and all Israel with him, to Eglon; and they encamped against it and fought against it. 35. They took it on that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword. He utterly destroyed all the souls who were in it that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish. 36. Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, to Hebron; and they fought against it. 37. They took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, with its king and all its cities, and all the souls who were in it. He left no one remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but he utterly destroyed it, and all the souls who were in it. 38. Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir, and fought against it. 39. He took it, with its king and all its cities. They struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls who were in it. He left no one remaining. As he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to its king; as he had done also to Libnah, and to its king. 40. So Joshua struck all the land, the hill country, the South, the lowland, the slopes, and all their kings. He left no one remaining, but he utterly destroyed all that breathed, as Yahweh, the God of Israel, commanded. 41. Joshua struck them from Kadesh Barnea even to Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even to Gibeon. 42. Joshua took all these kings and their land at one time because Yahweh, the God of Israel, fought for Israel. 43. Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp to Gilgal. 1. When Jabin king of Hazor heard of it, he sent to Jobab king of Madon, to the king of Shimron, to the king of Achshaph, 2. and to the kings who were on the north, in the hill country, in the Arabah south of Chinneroth, in the lowland, and in the heights of Dor on the west, 3. to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite in the hill country, and the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpah. 4. They went out, they and all their armies with them, many people, even as the sand that is on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses and chariots. 5. All these kings met together; and they came and encamped together at the waters of Merom, to fight with Israel. 6. Yahweh said to Joshua, “Don’t be afraid because of them; for tomorrow at this time, I will deliver them up all slain before Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.” 7. So Joshua came suddenly, with all the warriors, against them by the waters of Merom, and attacked them. 8. Yahweh delivered them into the hand of Israel, and they struck them, and chased them to great Sidon, and to Misrephoth Maim, and to the valley of Mizpah eastward. They struck them until they left them no one remaining. 9. Joshua did to them as Yahweh told him. He hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire. 10. Joshua turned back at that time, and took Hazor, and struck its king with the sword: for Hazor used to be the head of all those kingdoms. 11. They struck all the souls who were in it with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them. There was no one left who breathed. He burned Hazor with fire. 12. Joshua captured all the cities of those kings, with their kings, and he struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed them; as Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded. 13. But as for the cities that stood on their mounds, Israel burned none of them, except Hazor only. Joshua burned that. 14. The children of Israel took all the plunder of these cities, with the livestock, as plunder for themselves; but every man they struck with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them. They didn’t leave any who breathed. 15. As Yahweh commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua. Joshua did so. He left nothing undone of all that Yahweh commanded Moses. 16. So Joshua captured all that land, the hill country, all the South, all the land of Goshen, the lowland, the Arabah, the hill country of Israel, and the lowland of the same; 17. from Mount Halak, that goes up to Seir, even to Baal Gad in the valley of Lebanon under Mount Hermon. He took all their kings, struck them, and put them to death. 18. Joshua made war a long time with all those kings. 19. There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. They took all in battle. 20. For it was of Yahweh to harden their hearts, to come against Israel in battle, that he might utterly destroy them, that they might have no favor, but that he might destroy them, as Yahweh commanded Moses. 21. Joshua came at that time, and cut off the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel: Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities. 22. There were none of the Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel. Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, did some remain. 23. So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that Yahweh spoke to Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. The land had rest from war. 1. Now these are the kings of the land, whom the children of Israel struck, and possessed their land beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise, from the valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon, and all the Arabah eastward: 2. Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and the middle of the valley, and half Gilead, even to the river Jabbok, the border of the children of Ammon; 3. and the Arabah to the sea of Chinneroth, eastward, and to the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt Sea, eastward, the way to Beth Jeshimoth; and on the south, under the slopes of Pisgah: 4. and the border of Og king of Bashan, of the remnant of the Rephaim, who lived at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, 5. and ruled in Mount Hermon, and in Salecah, and in all Bashan, to the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and half Gilead, the border of Sihon king of Heshbon. 6. Moses the servant of Yahweh and the children of Israel struck them. Moses the servant of Yahweh gave it for a possession to the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. 7. These are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the children of Israel struck beyond the Jordan westward, from Baal Gad in the valley of Lebanon even to Mount Halak, that goes up to Seir. Joshua gave it to the tribes of Israel for a possession according to their divisions; 8. in the hill country, and in the lowland, and in the Arabah, and in the slopes, and in the wilderness, and in the South; the Hittite, the Amorite, and the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite: 9. the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one; 10. the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one; 11. the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one; 12. the king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one; 13. the king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one; 14. the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one; 15. the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one; 16. the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one; 17. the king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one; 18. the king of Aphek, one; the king of Lassharon, one; 19. the king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one; 20. the king of Shimron Meron, one; the king of Achshaph, one; 21. the king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one; 22. the king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam in Carmel, one; 23. the king of Dor in the height of Dor, one; the king of Goiim in Gilgal, one; 24. the king of Tirzah, one: all the kings thirty-one.

1. But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a bondservant, though he is lord of all; 2. but is under guardians and stewards until the day appointed by the father. 3. So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental principles of the world. 4. But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law, 5. that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of children. 6. And because you are children, God sent out the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!” 7. So you are no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. 8. However at that time, not knowing God, you were in bondage to those who by nature are not gods. 9. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, why do you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental principles, to which you desire to be in bondage all over again? 10. You observe days, months, seasons, and years. 11. I am afraid for you, that I might have wasted my labor for you. 12. I beg you, brothers, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong, 13. but you know that because of weakness in the flesh I preached the Good News to you the first time. 14. That which was a temptation to you in my flesh, you didn’t despise nor reject; but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. 15. What was the blessing you enjoyed? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me. 16. So then, have I become your enemy by telling you the truth? 17. They zealously seek you in no good way. No, they desire to alienate you, that you may seek them. 18. But it is always good to be zealous in a good cause, and not only when I am present with you. 19. My little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ is formed in you— 20. but I could wish to be present with you now, and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you. 21. Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, don’t you listen to the law? 22. For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the servant, and one by the free woman. 23. However, the son by the servant was born according to the flesh, but the son by the free woman was born through promise. 24. These things contain an allegory, for these are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children to bondage, which is Hagar. 25. For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to the Jerusalem that exists now, for she is in bondage with her children. 26. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27. For it is written, “Rejoice, you barren who don’t bear. Break out and shout, you that don’t travail. For more are the children of the desolate than of her who has a husband.” 28. Now we, brothers, as Isaac was, are children of promise. 29. But as then, he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. 30. However what does the Scripture say? “Throw out the servant and her son, for the son of the servant will not inherit with the son of the free woman.” 31. So then, brothers, we are not children of a servant, but of the free woman. 1. Stand firm therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and don’t be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 2. Behold, I, Paul, tell you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing. 3. Yes, I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. 4. You are alienated from Christ, you who desire to be justified by the law. You have fallen away from grace. 5. For we, through the Spirit, by faith wait for the hope of righteousness. 6. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision amounts to anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith working through love. 7. You were running well! Who interfered with you that you should not obey the truth? 8. This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 9. A little yeast grows through the whole lump. 10. I have confidence toward you in the Lord that you will think no other way. But he who troubles you will bear his judgment, whoever he is. 11. But I, brothers, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been removed. 12. I wish that those who disturb you would cut themselves off. 13. For you, brothers, were called for freedom. Only don’t use your freedom for gain to the flesh, but through love be servants to one another. 14. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15. But if you bite and devour one another, be careful that you don’t consume one another. 16. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, that you may not do the things that you desire. 18. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19. Now the deeds of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, 20. idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, 21. envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s Kingdom. 22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, 23. gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24. Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. 25. If we live by the Spirit, let’s also walk by the Spirit. 26. Let’s not become conceited, provoking one another, and envying one another. 1. Brothers, even if a man is caught in some fault, you who are spiritual must restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to yourself so that you also aren’t tempted. 2. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3. For if a man thinks himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4. But let each man examine his own work, and then he will have reason to boast in himself, and not in someone else. 5. For each man will bear his own burden. 6. But let him who is taught in the word share all good things with him who teaches. 7. Don’t be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8. For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. But he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9. Let us not be weary in doing good, for we will reap in due season, if we don’t give up. 10. So then, as we have opportunity, let’s do what is good toward all men, and especially toward those who are of the household of the faith. 11. See with what large letters I write to you with my own hand. 12. As many as desire to make a good impression in the flesh compel you to be circumcised; just so they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13. For even they who receive circumcision don’t keep the law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised, that they may boast in your flesh. 14. But far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15. For in Christ Jesus neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. 16. As many as walk by this rule, peace and mercy be on them, and on God’s Israel. 17. From now on, let no one cause me any trouble, for I bear the marks of the Lord Jesus branded on my body. 18. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.

1. God, you have rejected us. You have broken us down. You have been angry. Restore us, again. 2. You have made the land tremble. You have torn it. Mend its fractures, for it quakes. 3. You have shown your people hard things. You have made us drink the wine that makes us stagger. 4. You have given a banner to those who fear you, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah. 5. So that your beloved may be delivered, save with your right hand, and answer us. 6. God has spoken from his sanctuary: “I will triumph. I will divide Shechem, and measure out the valley of Succoth. 7. Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine. Ephraim also is the defense of my head. Judah is my scepter. 8. Moab is my wash basin. I will throw my shoe on Edom. I shout in triumph over Philistia.” 9. Who will bring me into the strong city? Who has led me to Edom? 10. Haven’t you, God, rejected us? You don’t go out with our armies, God. 11. Give us help against the adversary, for the help of man is vain. 12. Through God we shall do valiantly, for it is he who will tread down our adversaries.