And it came to pass, when all the kings that were beyond the Jordan, in the hill-country, and in the lowland, and on all the shore of the great sea in front of Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard thereof;
that they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.
But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai,
they also did work wilily, and went and {According to Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac, took provisions. See verse 12.}made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine-skins, old and rent and bound up,
and old and patched shoes upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and was become mouldy.
And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We are come from a far country: now therefore make ye a covenant with us.
And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a covenant with you?
And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?
And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of Jehovah thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,
and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.
And our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying, Take provision in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your servants: and now make ye a covenant with us.
This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, and is become mouldy:
and these wine-skins, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they are rent: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey.
And the men took of their provision, and asked not counsel at the mouth of Jehovah.
And Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them.
And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors, and that they dwelt among them.
And the children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.
And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by Jehovah, the God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes.
But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them by Jehovah, the God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them.
This we will do to them, and let them live; lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we sware unto them.
And the princes said unto them, Let them live: so they became hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation, as the princes had spoken unto them.
And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying, Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you; when ye dwell among us?
Now therefore ye are cursed, and there {Hebrew: shall not be cut off from you.}shall never fail to be of you bondmen, both hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.
And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that Jehovah thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; therefore we were sore afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing.
And now, behold, we are in thy hand: as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do.
And so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slew them not.
And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of Jehovah, unto this day, in the place which he should choose.
Querverweise zu Josua 9,2 Jos 9,2
And it came to pass after this, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them some of the {Perhaps an error for Meunim. See chapter 26:7.}Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.
Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea from Syria; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar (the same is En-gedi).
And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek unto Jehovah; and he proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
And Judah gathered themselves together, to seek help of Jehovah: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek Jehovah.
And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of Jehovah, before the new court;
and he said, O Jehovah, the God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and art not thou ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? and in thy hand is power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee.
Didst not thou, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and give it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?
And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying,
If evil come upon us, {Or, the sword of judgement}the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house, and before thee, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, and thou wilt hear and save.
And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned aside from them, and destroyed them not;
behold, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.
O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.
And all Judah stood before Jehovah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.
Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite, of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of Jehovah in the midst of the assembly;
and he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat: Thus saith Jehovah unto you, Fear not ye, neither be dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.
To-morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the ascent of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel.
Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of Jehovah with you, O Judah and Jerusalem; fear not, nor be dismayed: to-morrow go out against them: for Jehovah is with you.
And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before Jehovah, worshipping Jehovah.
And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites, stood up to praise Jehovah, the God of Israel, with an exceeding loud voice.
And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem: believe in Jehovah your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed them that should sing unto Jehovah, and give praise {Or, in the beauty of holiness}in holy array, as they went out before the army, and say, Give thanks unto Jehovah; for his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
And when they began to sing and to praise, Jehovah set liers-in-wait against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, that were come against Judah; and they were smitten.
For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.
And when Judah came to the watch-tower of the wilderness, they looked upon the multitude; and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and there were none that escaped.
And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches and {According to Vulgate, garments.}dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in taking the spoil, it was so much.
And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of {That is, Blessing.}Beracah; for there they blessed Jehovah: therefore the name of that place was called The valley of Beracah unto this day.
Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for Jehovah had made them to rejoice over their enemies.
And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of Jehovah.
And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of the countries, when they heard that Jehovah fought against the enemies of Israel.
So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet; for his God gave him rest round about.
Why do the nations {Or, tumultuously assemble}rage,And the peoples meditate a vain thing?
The kings of the earth set themselves,And the rulers take counsel together,Against Jehovah, and against his anointed, saying,
For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult;And they that hate thee have lifted up the head.
They take crafty counsel against thy people,And consult together against thy hidden ones.
They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation;That the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
For they have consulted together with one consent;Against thee do they make a covenant:
The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites;Moab, and the {Or, Hagrites See 1 Chronicles 5:10.}Hagarenes;
Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek;Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre:
Assyria also is joined with them;They have {Hebrew: been an arm to the children of Lot.}helped the children of Lot. [Selah
{Or, My hand upon it! Hebrew: Hand to hand.}Though hand join in hand, the evil man shall not be unpunished;But the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.
{Or, Break, O ye}Make an uproar, O ye peoples, and be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and be broken in pieces.
Take counsel together, and it shall be brought to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for {Hebrw: immanu El.}God is with us.
Say ye not, A conspiracy, concerning all whereof this people shall say, A conspiracy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be in dread thereof.
Behold, they may {Or, stir up strife}gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall {Or, stir up strife}gather together against thee {Or, shall fall away to thee}shall fall because of thee.
Proclaim ye this among the nations; {Hebrew: sanctify.}prepare war; stir up the mighty men; let all the men of war draw near, let them come up.
Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning-hooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.
{Or, Assemble yourselves}Haste ye, and come, all ye nations round about, and gather yourselves together: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Jehovah.
Let the nations bestir themselves, and come up to the valley of {That is, Jehovah judgeth.}Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit to judge all the nations round about.
Put ye in the sickle; for the {Or, vintage}harvest is ripe: come, {Or, get you down}tread ye; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great.
The kings of the earth set themselves in array,And the rulers were gathered together,Against the Lord, and against his {Greek: Christ.}Anointed:
for of a truth in this city against thy holy {Or, Child See marginal note on chapter 3:13.}Servant Jesus, whom thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the {Greek: nations.}Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, were gathered together,
to do whatsoever thy hand and thy council foreordained to come to pass.
for they are spirits of demons, working signs; which go forth {Or, upon}unto the kings of the whole {Greek: inhabited earth.}world, to gather them together unto the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.
and shall come forth to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
And they went up over the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down {Some ancient authorities insert from God.}out of heaven, and devoured them.