Protecting David

89 – Protecting David

1 Samuel 19:1-24

Saul wanted David dead. So he told his servants and Jonathan to find him and kill him. Jonathan rushed and told David, “Go and hide. I’ll talk to my father and see if I can reason with him. I’ll let you know if I’m successful.”

Jonathan talked to his father and told him that David was a loyal servant and would do nothing to harm the king. Saul listened to his son and promised to let David live. So David went back into the king’s courts and served him. War once again broke out with the Philistines and David led the army to victory against them.

Once again the Lord allowed an evil spirit to enter the king. As David played the harp, Saul grabbed a spear and threw it at him. He jumped out of the way and ran from the room.

Saul called his guards and told them to go to David’s house in the morning and kill him. Michal heard about this and warned her husband. “You must leave tonight. They’ll be here in the morning to kill you.”

He went out the window and she helped lower him down to the ground. She placed an image in his bed and put goat hair on top of it. She then covered it with a blanket. In the morning, she told the guards, “He’s sick in bed.”

They went and told the king. He said, “Go! Bring me the bed with David in it, and I’ll kill him myself.”

When they went to the bed, they found the image with the goat hair. Saul yelled at Michal. “How could you lie to me and let my enemy get away?”

She said, “He forced me to do it. He said he would kill me if I didn’t.”

David went to Samuel and told him everything that had happened. Saul found out that David was with Samuel, so he sent guards to go get him. When they got there, they saw Samuel sitting with some prophets. Suddenly the guards sat down and started prophesying.

Saul heard about this, so he sent more guards. The same thing happened to them. They sat down and started prophesying. So Saul sent a third set of guards, and again they sat down and started prophesying.

Finally Saul went himself. When he got close to where they were, the Spirit of God came on him and he started prophesying as he walked along. When he entered the house, the king took off his clothes as he was prophesying. He then collapsed and lay naked the rest of that day, and all night.

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Goliath

87 – Goliath

1 Samuel 17:1-58

The Philistines once again invaded Israel. Both armies faced one another across a ravine. Suddenly a large Philistine stepped forward. His name was Goliath, and he was 9 feet, 9 inches tall.

He yelled, “Why are you preparing for battle? Let two of us settle this. Send someone out and we’ll fight. If your man kills me, we’ll be your slaves. But if I kill your man, you’ll be our slaves. Come on, send someone out and let’s fight.”

No one accepted his challenge, so he came out and yelled at Israel every morning and evening. This went on for forty days. Saul offered a reward to anyone who could defeat this giant. He said, “I’ll make him wealthy and he can marry my daughter.”

While this was happening, Jesse said to David, “Go visit your brothers and take them some food. Bring back word of how the battle is going.”

So David got up early and went to the battle site. He saw the men lined up in battle formations. He gave the food to the quartermaster and ran to see what was going on.

Suddenly, Goliath started shouting his challenge. “Come on. Send someone out here and let’s fight—man to man. Winner takes all.” Everyone backed away.

David was shocked. He said, “Who does this ungodly Philistine think he is? He’s defying the armies of the living God.”

David’s oldest brother got angry. “Why are you here? Go back to your sheep. War is for men.”

David answered him. “I didn’t do anything wrong. I just asked a question.” He turned and asked the question again. “Who does this ungodly Philistine think he is?”

Saul heard about David’s question and sent for him. David said, “Don’t worry about this Philistine. I’ll fight him.”

The king said, “He’s a warrior—a seasoned fighter. You’re young, with no experience.”

David said, “I watch my father’s sheep. Every time a bear or a lion has come and tried to take a lamb, I grabbed the beast and killed it. The Lord was always with me and gave me victory. This ungodly Philistine is just another lion or bear. The Lord will give him to me.”

Saul said, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”

He then gave David his suit of armor, but he couldn’t walk because it was too heavy. He said, “I can’t wear these. They’ll hold me back.”

David got his shepherd’s staff and a sling. He went down to the brook and selected five smooth rocks and put them in his shepherd’s bag. Then he started walking toward the giant.

Goliath saw David coming. He yelled, “Am I a dog that you come to me with sticks? Come, and I will give your flesh to the birds.”

David yelled back, “You come to me with a sword and a spear, but I come to you in the name of the Lord. You’ve insulted him. Therefore I’m going to cut off your head and give your body to the birds. This battle is the Lord’s, and he has given you to me.”

Goliath started walking toward David, but David ran toward the giant. He reached into his shepherd’s bag and put a rock into his sling. With deadly accuracy, the rock hit Goliath and sank into his forehead. He fell to the ground face forward. David ran up, pulled out Goliath’s sword, and cut off the giant’s head.

Both armies were shocked when they saw this. The Philistines turned and ran. The Israelites shouted a victory cry and chased after them. Many Philistines died that day.

Saul asked Abner, his general, “Who is that young man?”

“I don’t know.”

Saul sent for David. He came and stood before the king with the giant’s head still in his hands. Saul said, “Who are you? Who is your father?”

David said, “I am the son of Jesse of Bethlehem.”

Saul didn’t let David go back home, but made him a commander in the army. David was successful in everything Saul had him do.

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Elah brook with students picking smooth stones, from the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands, a valuable teaching resource produced by BiblePlaces.com

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Elah Valley aerial from the west, from the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands, a valuable teaching resource produced by BiblePlaces.com

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Ruth & Boaz

76 – Ruth & Boaz

Ruth 3:1 – 4:22

Continued from the previous story

At the end of harvest, Naomi said to Ruth, “I am going to make sure you’re cared for. Here’s what you’re to do. Take a bath and put on some perfume. Dress in your best clothes. Boaz and his men will be working late tonight at the threshing floor. When they’re done, they’ll eat and drink, and then sleep on the threshing floor to protect the grain.

“Go there, but don’t let the men see you. Watch carefully and note where Boaz lies down. Once everyone is asleep, uncover his feet, and lie down next to them. When he wakes up, he’ll explain what you’re to do.”

So Ruth went to where the men were working and hid in the shadows. She watched carefully until she saw Boaz and the others lie down on the threshing floor. Their heads were towards the grain with their feet pointing out. Once they were asleep, she quietly uncovered the feet of Boaz, and lay down.

During the night, Boaz realized there was a woman lying at his feet. He said, “Who are you?”

She said, “I’m Ruth. Spread your protection over me, because you’re my closest relative.”

He said, “The Lord bless you! You didn’t come to our village looking for a husband, rich or poor. Instead you proved yourself to be a woman of integrity.

“Still, there is a next-of-kin who is closer than me. In the morning I’ll talk to him and give him an opportunity to redeem you. If he doesn’t, I will. For now, it’s not safe to go home in the night. I’ll send you there in the morning.”

She lay at his feet until morning, and then got up while it was still dark. Boaz gave her grain to take to Naomi.

Ruth told her mother-in-law everything that happened. Naomi said, “Now you’re to wait. Boaz won’t rest until this matter is settled.”

That day, Boaz arranged a meeting with the next-of-kin and the elders of the city. He said, “Naomi has come back from Moab and is selling her husband’s land. You’re the closest relative. Buy it in the presence of these elders. And if you don’t, I’ll buy it.”

The man was quick to answer. “I’ll buy it!”

Boaz went on to explain, “Well, when you buy it, you must also marry Ruth, the Moabite woman. This will keep the family name with the property.”

The man said, “I can’t marry this woman. It would ruin my own family name. You have my permission to buy the property.” With that, the man took off one of his sandals and handed it to Boaz. That made the deal legally binding.

Boaz held the sandal out toward the elders. “You are witnesses that I just bought the property that belonged to Naomi’s husband and sons. And because of that, Ruth will become my wife.”

People had gathered around and were watching all of this. The elders said, “Yes, we’ve seen the whole thing. May the Lord bless you, and may the Lord bless this woman who will become your wife.”

So Boaz took Ruth as his wife, and in the course of time, she gave birth to a son named Obed. He had a son named Jesse, who became the father of a shepherd boy named David. He became the great king of Israel!

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Brides for Benjamin

74 – Brides for Benjamin

Judges 20:1 – 21:25

Continued from the previous story
The entire nation of Israel prepared for civil war. All the tribes united against the tribe of Benjamin. They declared that no city was exempt from this war. Any that violated this would be destroyed. They also swore an oath that no man would give his daughter to marry a Benjaminite.

Both sides gathered massive armies. The commanders of Israel went to Bethel and sought God’s leadership. In the morning, the war started. By the end of the day, the Benjaminites had killed many Israelites and had won the battle.

The commanders of Israel went before the Lord in anguish. They said, “Should we continue this battle against our brothers?”

The Lord said, “Fight them.”

The next day, the Benjaminites once again killed many Israelites and won the battle. This time, the entire army went before the Lord at Bethel. They made sacrifices and cried out in anguish. They said, “Should we go up against Benjamin again, or should we stop?”

The Lord said, “Go and fight them. I’ll give you victory tomorrow.”

The Israelite army prepared to fight in the morning, but this time they hid some of their men behind the city. The Benjaminites came out to fight, and once again it seemed like they were winning. The Israelites pulled back and the Benjaminites ran after them. They shouted, “We always win every battle!”

Soon the city was unprotected. Those in hiding entered the city and totally destroyed it, killing everyone. When the army of Israel saw the smoke coming from the city, they turned and charged back into battle. The army of Benjamin also saw the smoke and knew they’d been tricked.

The Lord fought against Benjamin, and soon they were terrified and tried to run, but Israel had them surrounded. The only ones to survive were 600 men who hid in a fortress. Everyone else in the tribe was killed, and their cities destroyed.

Once it was over, the people of Israel realized what they had done. They went to Bethel and sat before the Lord. They sobbed and mourned. “Oh Lord God. What have we done? Now we’re missing one of our twelve tribes.”

They stayed before the Lord all day and made sacrifices. They said, “What can we do? We only have 600 men from Benjamin and all their women are dead.” They knew it was important that the tribe repopulate.

They couldn’t give them their daughters because of the oath they had taken. Suddenly they got an idea. “Was there a city that didn’t come to battle as they were commanded?”

One city had disobeyed the order to fight. So the army of Israel went and killed everyone there. The only exception was virgin women. When the battle was over, they had 400 virgins from that city.

Israel made peace with the 600 men in the fortress, and gave them the 400 women to be their wives. They still needed 200 women.

Then they had another idea. They said to the Benjaminites, “Shiloh has an annual festival. At one point, young women come dancing out of the city. Hide in the vineyard next to the road. When the time is right, each of you jump out and grab a wife for yourself. Take them back to your own land. Don’t worry about their fathers and brothers. They’ll complain to us, but we’ll explain the situation.”

So the Benjaminites hid in the vineyard next to the road. They waited until the young women came dancing out of Shiloh. At the right moment, they jumped up and grabbed wives for themselves.

The fathers and brothers of the women complained, but the men of Israel said, “Be kind and let them keep your daughters. They need wives, and we don’t have enough to give them. Don’t worry about the curse because you didn’t actually give them your daughters. They took them!”

The men of Benjamin went back to their cities and rebuilt them. They settled down with their new wives and raised families. Once again, all was peaceful in the land.

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Israel Battles Benjamin

Used with Permission from Bible Mapper Blog

Foxes and a Jawbone

70 – Foxes and a Jawbone

Judges 15:1-20

Samson’s father-in-law gave his daughter to a man who attended the wedding party. He figured Samson didn’t want her any more since he went home without her.

Later, Samson went back to visit his wife with a gift. His father-in-law said, “What do you want?”

“I’ve come to visit my wife in her room.”

The man said, “Oh, you can’t do that. I thought you hated my daughter, so I gave her to another man. But don’t worry. I have a younger daughter. You can have her. Everyone knows that she’s more beautiful than her sister.”

Samson became angry and said, “I’m going to hurt some Philistines—a lot of them—and I’m going to enjoy it.”

He caught 300 foxes and put them in pairs, and tied a torch to the tails of each pair. He then lit the torches as he set the foxes loose in different Philistine fields.

The foxes ran, burning everything they came across. This not only destroyed standing grain, but also piles of grain that had already been harvested. They even destroyed vineyards and olive groves. The Philistines found out that it was Samson who did this. They blamed his father-in-law because he had made Samson angry by giving away his wife.

They took him and his daughter and burned them to death. This made Samson even more furious. He found each man who had a part in this and tore him apart, limb-by-limb. Many people died. Once he was done, he left Philistia, and went back and hid in a cave in Israel.

The Philistines invaded Israel with an army. The Israelites said, “Why are you attacking us?”

“You’re protecting Samson. He must be punished for what he’s done.”

3,000 Israelites went to the cave where Samson was hiding. They said, “We’re taking you back to the Philistines. They have ruled over us in peace, but now you’ve stirred them up.”

He said, “I’ll go with you if you swear you won’t kill me.”

They said, “We won’t kill you, but we will tie you up.” They tied him with two new ropes and led him away. Once the Philistines had him, they shouted with joy.

Instantly the Spirit of the Lord filled him and he tore the ropes off his hands. He grabbed the jawbone of a donkey and ran into the Philistine crowd, killing 1,000 of them.

After his victory, he threw away the jawbone. He looked up and shouted, “Lord, you gave me victory. I’ve killed 1,000 men. Now, are you going to let me die of thirst?”

Suddenly a rock cracked open and water gushed out. Samson drank until he was refreshed.

He was a judge over Israel for 20 years, even though the Philistines still ruled over the land.

One time, he went to a Philistine city to sleep with a prostitute. Once they heard he was in their city, they closed the gates so they could capture him at sunrise.

Around midnight, Samson got up to go home. When he got to the gate, he pulled it out of the ground and carried it away. He took it to the top of an Israeli hill and left it there, still closed and locked.

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Strong & Sweet

69 – Strong and Sweet

Judges 14:1-20

When Samson was a young man, he saw a particular Philistine woman. He went to his parents and said, “Arrange a marriage between me and that woman.”

They were shocked. “The Philistines are pagan. You need to find a woman from the people of Israel.”

“No. She is the one I want. Go make the arrangements.” His parents didn’t know that the Lord wanted this to happen in order to cause an offense against the Philistines.

Samson and his father went to make the final arrangements. Along the way, Samson stepped off the path by himself. Suddenly a young lion attacked him. The Spirit of God filled Samson and he grabbed the lion and ripped him apart as if it were a small animal. Afterwards, he went back to his parents but didn’t tell them about the lion. They continued their trip and together finalized the wedding plans.

When the big day came, Samson and his parents went back along the same route. When they got to a place where he killed the lion, Samson once again stepped aside without his parents.

He found the dead lion and was amazed to see that honeybees had made a hive in it. He reached in and grabbed some honey and ate it. He then took some to his parents, but didn’t tell them where he had gotten it.

Thirty young Philistine men came to the wedding party, which lasted seven days. Samson said, “I have a riddle. If you can figure it out during these seven days, I’ll give you thirty changes of clothes, including undergarments. But if you can’t figure it out, you must give me thirty changes of clothes, including undergarments.”

They said, “We agree. Tell us the riddle.”

He said, “From the eater, came something to eat. From the strong came something sweet.”

For three days the young men worked on the riddle. On the fourth day, they went to Samson’s wife and said, “You brought us here to rob us. We won’t stand for it. You’re his wife. Get the answer to his riddle, or we will burn down everything that belongs to your father.”

So she went to Samson and asked him for its meaning. He said, “I’m not going to tell you. I haven’t even told my parents.”

She started to cry. “You don’t love me.” She kept crying and begging until he couldn’t stand it anymore. On the last day of the feast, he told her the meaning of the riddle. She immediately ran and told the men.

That night, just before the time was up, the men said to Samson, “What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?”

He immediately knew what they had done. He said, “You wouldn’t have been able to plow that field without my young cow.”

He went to a Philistine town nearby and God gave him the power to kill thirty men. He took their clothes and gave them to the wedding guests. He was so angry that he went back to his father’s house without his wife.

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Three Hundred Men

65 – Three Hundred Men

Judges 7:1 – 8:35

Gideon gathered a troop of 32,000 men. He took them and camped south of the Midianites. The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men with you. If I give the Midianites to you now, Israel will say, ‘We won this victory by our own power.’ Tell them, ‘If you’re afraid, go home.’ ”

Gideon said this to the people, and 22,000 people left, leaving 10,000 men.

The Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water. Watch carefully. Notice those who use their hands to bring the water to their mouth. Separate them from those who kneel down and drink like a dog.”

There were 300 men who drank, using their hands. The Lord said, “I’ll give you victory over the Midianites using these 300 men. Send the rest of them home.” So Gideon sent them home.

Those who were left made camp above where the Midianites were in the valley. The people of Midian were like a swarm of locusts, and their camels were like the sand by the sea.

That night the Lord said to Gideon, “Sneak into the Midianite camp. If you’re afraid, take your servant with you. Listen to what the soldiers say.” So Gideon took his servant and went into the Midianite camp.

He heard a man telling a friend about a dream. He said, “I saw a loaf of bread rolling into our camp. It struck a tent and totally destroyed it.”

His friend answered: “I know what it means. That loaf of bread is the sword of Gideon the Israelite. God has handed the entire Midianite camp over to him.”

Gideon returned to Israel’s camp and said, “Get up, for the Lord has given the Midianites to you.” He divided the 300 men into three companies of 100. He gave each man a trumpet and a jar with a torch inside it.

He said, “Watch me and follow my lead. When we’re all at the edge of their camp, our group will blow our trumpets. You’re to do the same. Everyone shout, ‘The sword of the Lord and Gideon!’ ”

Then he placed them on three sides of the camp. When they were all in place, Gideon’s group blew their trumpets and broke the jars. The other two groups did the same. They held their torches in their left hands, their trumpets in their right hands, and shouted, “The sword of the Lord and Gideon!”

This totally shocked the Midianite army! They panicked and started to run, yelling as they ran. Gideon’s men blew their 300 trumpets. With this, the Midianite soldiers drew their swords and started killing one another.

Gideon then sent for the rest of the men of Israel. Together they ran after the Midianites as they tried to leave Israel. God gave a great victory that day over Midian, and they were no longer a threat to Israel.

After the battle, the people wanted to make Gideon their king, but he refused. He simply went back to live at his house. Then Israel was at peace for forty years.

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Omar telling this story at Gideon’s spring (Ein Harod) in the Jezreel Valley, from the March 2019 BibleTelling Seminar in Israel

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Cave of Gideon’s spring, Ein Harod in the Jezreel Valley, from the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands, a valuable teaching resource produced by BiblePlaces.com

Deborah & Barak

63 – Deborah and Barak

Judges 4:1 – 5:31

After Ehud died, Israel once again sinned against God. So the Lord sold them to a Canaanite king. This king ruled over them for twenty years. He was harsh and cruel. His army had 900 iron chariots, and his commander’s name was Sisera.

The person who judged Israel at the time was a prophet named Deborah. When the people had problems among themselves, they went to a place called the “Palm Tree of Deborah.” She would sit there and hear their complaints and then settle their disagreements.

One day she called for a man named Barak and said to him, “The Lord has a message for you. He says, ‘Take 10,000 men and go to Mount Tabor. I’ll cause Sisera to come to you with his chariots and his army. He’ll come to fight you, but I’ll give him to you.’ ”

Barak said to Deborah, “I’ll go and do as the Lord says, but only if you go with me. If you don’t go, I won’t go.”

She said, “I’ll go with you, but if I do, you won’t get the credit for killing Sisera. The Lord will give that honor to a woman.” Barak agreed, so Deborah went with him.

Barak gathered 10,000 men and went up Mount Tabor. Sisera heard about this, so he took his 900 chariots and his army and headed toward Mount Tabor. Deborah said to Barak, “Now’s the time! Take your men and attack Sisera.”

So Barak moved his men down the mountain and attacked the Canaanite army. The Lord was with him, and caused Sisera’s men to be confused. They turned and ran. When Sisera saw this, he left his chariot and tried to escape on foot. Barak chased the army until every man was killed.

Sisera ran until he came to the tent of Jael. Her husband was in alliance with the Canaanite king. She saw Sisera coming, so she went out and said, “Come in here, and you’ll be safe.”

He went in and she hid him under a rug. He said, “Please, give me water to drink.” She gave him milk, and he sat up and drank it. He said, “Stand at the door of the tent. If anyone asks if there is a man in here, tell them ‘No.’ ”

She then covered him again, and since he was exhausted, he fell into a deep sleep.

Jael went and got a tent peg and a hammer. She quietly knelt down next to Sisera and put the tent peg on the temple of his head. Then with solid blows, she nailed it through his head and into the ground.

Soon Barak came by her tent in search of Sisera. She went out and said, “Come and I’ll show you the man you’re looking for.” Barak went into her tent and saw Sisera lying dead on the floor with a tent peg through his temple.

Israel continued to fight the Canaanite king until they were victorious. Then they lived in peace for forty years.

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Drone sweep around Tel Hazor, where the Canaanite king lived, from www.ibiblestock.org

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Mt. Tabor from the north, from the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands, a valuable teaching resource produced by BiblePlaces.com

Jezreel Valley from Mt. Tabor, from the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands, a valuable teaching resource produced by BiblePlaces.com

Othniel & Ehud

62 – Othniel & Ehud

Judges 2:1 – 3:31

After Joshua died, the people continued to serve God. But eventually, another generation grew up that didn’t know the Lord, and they started worshiping Baal.

The Lord was angry with his people, so he allowed a foreign king to come and rule over them for eight years.

The people finally begged God for help, and he had mercy on them. He sent them Othniel to be their judge. The Spirit of the Lord was on him, and he was able to go into battle and kill the foreign king. God delivered his people and they lived in peace for forty years.

After Othniel died, the people of Israel once again made the Lord angry with all of their sin. This time God gave them to Eglon, the king of Moab who was extremely fat. He enlisted the help of other nations, and together they defeated Israel. Moab ruled over the people for eighteen years.

Once again they begged the Lord to have mercy and help them. This time God sent a judge named Ehud, who was left-handed.

When it was time for the people of Israel to send money to king Eglon, Ehud decided to take it to him. He made a double-edged sword that was only eighteen inches long. He strapped it under his clothes on his right side. He took several men with him and presented the money to the king.

After making their presentation to the king, they turned to leave. Ehud then told his men to go on without him, and he returned to the court. He said, “King Eglon, I have a secret message for you.”

The king was pleased so he sent his guards away and took Ehud up the stairs to an enclosed porch where it was cool. There, he sat on his throne.

Ehud said, “The message I am bringing you is from the Lord.” The king stood up, and Ehud reached his left hand into his clothes and pulled the sword from his right side. He plunged it into Eglon’s stomach. The king’s fat closed around it, so Ehud wasn’t able to pull it out. As the king fell to the ground, his stomach split open and his insides spilled out.

Ehud went out the door and locked it behind him. When the servants came, they saw that the door was locked, so they assumed that the king had locked it so he could use the toilet.

They waited until they finally realized something was wrong. They found a key and opened the door and found their master dead on the floor.

This delay gave Ehud time to escape. He crossed over the Jordan River and sounded the alarm. The Israelites came ready to fight. He said, “Follow me! The Lord has given us the Moabites.”

With Ehud in the lead, they attacked the Moabites, killing over 10,000 warriors. Because of that battle, the Moabites had to serve Israel, and the people lived in peace for eighty years.

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Sun Standing Still

59 – Sun Standing Still

Joshua 9:1 – 10:43

The news of the destruction of Jericho and Ai spread throughout Canaan. Most of the cities formed alliances in order to protect themselves from Israel. But one city decided to do something different.

A group of men from the city of Gibeon dressed up in old clothes and worn-out sandals. They put old sacks on their donkeys, packed stale dry bread, and carried old wineskins.

They went to Joshua and said, “We live far away, but we heard what the Lord your God has done for you. Our elders sent us on this long journey. They said, ‘Go and make a treaty with them.’ Look, we took our bread right out of the oven. It is now dry and stale. The journey was so long that our clothes and sandals have become worn and old.”

The men of Israel looked at their provisions, but didn’t seek guidance from the Lord. So Joshua made a treaty with them. The elders of Israel vowed that the two nations would be allies.

Three days after the treaty, Israel found out that the Gibeonites lived in Canaan, close by. Joshua sent for them and said, “Why did you deceive us?”

They said, “We heard God gave you all of this land. He told Moses to kill everyone who lives here. We feared for our lives, so we deceived you. Now you can do whatever seems right to you. We will accept it.”

Joshua said, “You’ll live because of our promise to you. We can’t touch you, but from now on, you’re our slaves. You’ll cut wood and carry water for us and you’ll serve the House of the Lord.”

The other kings of the land heard that the people of Gibeon had made peace with Israel. They joined together and marched against their city. The men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua saying, “We’re your slaves. Come quickly and help us!”

So Joshua marched his army through the night and surprised those fighting against Gibeon. They tried to fight back, but the Israelite army was too strong for them. The Lord also sent large hailstones on them, and more people were killed by hail than by the sword.

Joshua needed more time, so he looked up and said, “Sun, stand still over Gibeon!” The Lord heard his command and honored it. The sun stopped moving across the sky. Never in the past, nor since, has there been a day like that.

Five kings ran and hid in a cave, but someone told Joshua. He said, “Roll a stone across the entrance of the cave.” He then stationed men to guard it. Once Israel had sealed their victory, Joshua brought the kings out of the cave. He told his commanders to put their feet on the necks of the kings. He said, “Be strong and courageous. The Lord will do this to all your enemies.” He then executed the five kings.

Joshua led his army from city to city, and the Lord gave him victory wherever he went.