A Reminder of the Crossing 4 1 The whole nation finished crossing the Jordan River. Yahweh had told Joshua, 2 "Choose one man from each of the 12 tribes. 3 Order them to pick up 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan, where the priests' feet stood firmly. Take the stones along with you, and set them down where you will camp tonight."

4 Joshua called the 12 men whom he had selected (one from each tribe). 5 He said to them, "Go to the middle of the Jordan River in front of the ark of Yahweh your Elohim. Each man must take a stone on his shoulder, one for each tribe of Israel. 6 This will be a sign for you. In the future your children will ask, 'What do these stones mean to you?' 7 You should answer, 'The water of the Jordan River was cut off in front of the ark of Yahweh's promise. When the ark crossed the Jordan, the river stopped flowing. These stones are a permanent reminder for the people of Israel.'"

8 The people of Israel did as Joshua had ordered. They took 12 stones, one for each of the tribes of Israel. They took them from the middle of the Jordan as Yahweh had told Joshua. They carried them to the camp and set them down there.

9 Joshua also set 12 stones in the middle of the Jordan River, where the priests who carried the ark of the promise had stood. The stones are still there today.

10 The priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan. They stood there until everything Yahweh had ordered Joshua to tell the people had been carried out. This was as Moses had told Joshua. The people hurried to the other side. 11 As soon as everyone had crossed, the priests with Yahweh's ark crossed and went ahead of them.

12 The men of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh did as Moses had told them. They marched across in battle formation ahead of the people of Israel. 13 About 40,000 armed men crossed the river in front of Yahweh to the plains of Jericho for battle.

14 On that day Yahweh honored Joshua in the presence of all the Israelites. As long as Joshua lived, the Israelites respected him in the same way they had respected Moses.

15 Yahweh said to Joshua, 16 "Order the priests who carry the ark of the testimony to come out of the Jordan River."

17 So Joshua ordered the priests, "Come out of the Jordan."

18 The priests who carried the ark of Yahweh's promise came out of the middle of the Jordan. When their feet stepped onto dry land, the water of the Jordan returned to its seasonal flood level.

19 On the tenth day of the first month, the people came out of the Jordan River. They made their camp at Gilgal, just east of Jericho. 20 At Gilgal Joshua set up the 12 stones they had taken from the Jordan. 21 He said to the people of Israel, "In the future when children ask their parents, 'What do these stones mean?' 22 the children should be told that Israel crossed the Jordan River on dry ground. 23 Yahweh your Elohim dried up the Jordan ahead of you until you had crossed, as he did to the Red Sea until we had crossed. 24 Yahweh did this so that everyone in the world would know his mighty power and that you would fear Yahweh your Elohim every day of your life."

EL CHAY.

LIVING GOD.

Scripture constantly warns against the worship of false gods. The first of the Ten Commandments is itself a proscription against idol worship. The title El Chay (EL CHAY), the Living God, emphasizes God's role as Creator of all that is, in contrast with idols made of metal, wood, or stone, which are merelythe creations of human hands. This title sets Israel's God apart from the false gods of surrounding nations.

Jeremiah paints a vivid picture, saying, "The religion of the people is worthless. Woodcutters cut down trees from the forest. The hands of craftsmen prepare them with axes. Craftsmen decorate them with silver and gold and fasten them together with hammersand nails so that they won't fall over. These trees are like scarecrows in cucumber gardens. They aren't able to speak. They have to be carried, because they can't walk. Don't be afraid of them. They can't harm you. They can't do you any good either" (Jeremiah 10:3-5).

Unlike idols of wood and stone made by human hands, the Living God is himself maker of heaven and earth. He alone is the source of our life. We live because he lives.

Praying to El Chay Have you ever had the experience of talking on the phone with someone for several moments before realizing there's nobody on the line? I did this recently when a friend called me on her cell phone. I was making a point, pitching an idea, but there was no response. The silence felt awkward until I realized the line had gone dead. Even though I was alone at the time, I felt embarrassed, talking so enthusiastically into thin air.

The prophet Jeremiah says that's what it's like when you pray to an idol. You're addressing your concerns to a block of wood or a piece of stone or a fashioning of metal. You might as well be worshiping a bottle of soda for all the good it will do you. In one translation, Jeremiah calls idol worshipers "complete idiots"!

Fortunately, we're modern people. We know better than to worship idols, to bow down to statues as though some god is hidden beneath the plaster. But do we? Look at the celebrity idols who fascinate us. I remember attending a Michael Bolton concert several years ago. It was a steamy August night. In the middle of the concert, Michael wiped his sweaty brow with a tissue and then handed it lovingly, with a flourish, to one of his screaming, adoring fans, who must have cherished it forever. I don't know about you, but that sounds like worship to me.

Our idols take an infinite variety of forms-people, health, education, money, success, shopping. They are golden and beautiful, and we think that if only we can attain them, then we will be happy, then we will be safe. But they never quite deliver. People disappoint. We fall ill. The stock market refuses to answer our most fervent prayers. Fortunately, we don't have to live that way, chasing every little god that comes along. Instead, we can fulfill our need for worship by bowing down before the one Scripture calls El Chay, the Living God who transcends culture and time and who yet is present with us. This is the God who made heaven and earth and who fashioned each of us inside our mothers' wombs. He is not the work of our hands. We are the work of his hands.

Lord, you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother's womb. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. Truly, I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I praise you, O Living God.

Promises Associated with the Name EL CHAY.

I decree that in every part of my kingdom people should tremble with terror in front of Daniel's Elah, the living Elah who continues forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed. His power lasts to the end of time. He saves, rescues, and does miraculous signs and amazing things in heaven and on earth. (Daniel 6:26-27) Clearly, we are the temple of the living God. As God said, "I will live and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people." (2 Corinthians 6:16)

Preparations for the First Passover in Canaan 5 1 All the Amorite kings west of the Jordan River and all the Canaanite kings along the Mediterranean Sea heard that Yahweh had dried up the Jordan River so that the Israelites could cross. So they lost heart and had no courage left to face the people of Israel.

2 At that time Yahweh spoke to Joshua, "Make flint knives, and circumcise the men of Israel." 3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the men of Israel at the Hill of Circumcision.a 4 This is the reason Joshua circumcised them: All the soldiers had died on the way through the desert after they left Egypt. 5 The men who left Egypt had been circumcised. However, the men born later, on the way through the desert, were not circumcised. 6 For 40 years the Israelites wandered through the desert until all their soldiers who left Egypt died. They died because they disobeyed Yahweh. Yahweh swore that he would not let them see this land flowing with milk and honey which Yahweh had sworn to give our ancestors.

7 The sons who took their place had not been circumcised on the way. So Joshua circumcised them. 8 When all the men had been circumcised, they remained in the camp until they recovered.

9 Yahweh said to Joshua, "Today I have removed the disgrace of Egypt from you." So Joshua named the place Gilgal,a the name it still has today.

10 The people of Israel camped at Gilgal in the Jericho plain. There they celebrated the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month. 11 On the day after the Passover, they ate some of the produce of the land, unleavened bread and roasted grain. 12 The day after that, the manna stopped. The people of Israel never had manna again. That year they began to eat the crops that grew in Canaan.

The Commander of the LORD'S Army Speaks with Joshua 13 When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are you one of us or one of our enemies?" 14 He answered, "Neither one! I am here as the commander of Yahweh's army." Immediately, Joshua bowed with his face touching the ground and worshiped. He asked, "Sir, what do you want to tell me?" 15 The commander of Yahweh's army said to Joshua, "Take off your sandals because this place where you are standing is holy." So Joshua did as he was told.

Jericho Is Destroyed 6 1 Jericho was bolted and barred shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one could enter or leave.

2 Yahweh said to Joshua, "I am about to hand Jericho, its king, and its warriors over to you. 3 All the soldiers will march around the city once a day for six days. 4 Seven priests will carry rams' horns ahead of the ark. But on the seventh day you must march around the city seven times while the priests blow their horns. 5 When you hear a long blast on the horn, all the troops must shout very loudly. The wall around the city will collapse. Then the troops must charge straight ahead into the city."

6 Joshua, son of Nun, summoned the priests. He said to them, "Pick up the ark of the promise, and have seven priests carry seven rams' horns ahead of Yahweh's ark."

7 He told the troops, "March around the city. Let the armed men march ahead of Yahweh's ark."

8 After Joshua had given orders to the troops, the seven priests carrying the seven rams' horns ahead of Yahweh marched off as they blew their horns. The ark of Yahweh's promise followed them. 9 The armed men went ahead of the priests, who blew their horns. The rear guard followed the ark while the priests continued to blow their horns.

10 Joshua ordered the troops, "Don't shout, make any noise, or let one word come out of your mouth until I tell you to shout. Then shout!" 11 So Yahweh's ark went around the city once. Then they went back to the camp and stayed there for the night.

12 Joshua got up early in the morning. The priests carried Yahweh's ark. 13 The seven priests carrying the seven rams' horns were ahead of it. The priests blew their horns as they went. The armed men were ahead of them, and the rear guard followed Yahweh's ark while the horns blew continually. 14 They went around the city once on the second day and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.

15 On the seventh day they got up at dawn. They marched around the city seven times the same way they had done it before. That was the only day they marched around it seven times. 16 When they went around the seventh time, the priests blew their rams' horns.

Joshua said to the troops, "Shout, because Yahweh has given you the city! 17 The city has been claimed by the LORD. Everything in it belongs to Yahweh. Only the prostitute Rahab and all who are in the house with her will live because she hid the messengers we sent. 18 But stay away from what has been claimed by the LORD for destruction, or you, too, will be destroyed by the LORD. If you take anything that is claimed by the LORD, you will bring destruction and disaster on the camp of Israel. 19 All the silver and gold and everything made of bronze and iron are holy and belong to Yahweh. They must go into Yahweh's treasury."

20 So the troops shouted very loudly when they heard the blast of the rams' horns, and the wall collapsed. The troops charged straight ahead and captured the city. 21 They claimed everything in it for the LORD. With their swords they killed men and women, young and old, as well as cattle, sheep, and donkeys.

22 But Joshua said to the two spies, "Go to the prostitute's house. Bring the woman out, along with everything she has, as you swore you would do for her."

23 The spies went and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, everything she had, and even all of her relatives. They gave them a place outside the camp of Israel. 24 Then Israel burned the city and everything in it. But they put the silver and gold and everything made of bronze and iron into Yahweh's treasury. 25 Joshua spared the prostitute Rahab, her father's family, and everything she had. She still lives in Israel today because she hid the messengers Joshua had sent to look at Jericho.

26 At that time Joshua pronounced this curse: "Yahweh will curse whoever comes to rebuild the city of Jericho.

It will cost him his firstborn son to lay the foundation.

It will cost him his youngest son to set up the city doors."

27 So Yahweh was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.

Achan's Sin and Its Consequences 7 1 The people of Israel proved to be disloyal about the things claimed by the LORD. Achan, son of Carmi, grandson of Zabdi, greatgrandson of Zerah, and a member of the tribe of Judah, took something that had been claimed by the LORD. So Yahweh became angry with the people of Israel.

2 Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai. Ai is near Beth Aven, east of Bethel. He said to them, "Go, look at that country." So the men went and looked at Ai.

3 They came back to Joshua and told him, "You don't need to send all the troops. Only about two or three thousand men are needed to destroy Ai. Don't tire the troops out by sending all of them. There are only a few troops in Ai."

4 So about three thousand men were sent. However, they fled from the men of Ai. 5 The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them, chasing them from the city gate to the slope of the stone quarries. Israel's troops lost heart and were scared stiff.

6 Joshua and the leaders of Israel tore their clothes in grief. They put dust on their heads and bowed down to the ground in front of Yahweh's ark. They stayed there until evening. 7 Joshua said, "Adonay Yahweh , why did you bring these people across the Jordan River? Was it to hand us over to the Amorites so that they could destroy us? I wish we had been content to live on the other side of the Jordan! 8 Adonay , what else can I say after Israel ran away from its enemy? 9 When the Canaanites and everyone who lives in the land hears about it, they will surround us and remove every memory of us from the earth. What will you do then so that your great name will be remembered?"

10 Yahweh said to Joshua, "Get up! What are you doing bowing on the ground? 11 Israel has sinned. They have ignored the requirementsa that I have placed on them. They have taken what I claimed for myself and put it among their own goods. They have not only stolen, but they have also lied.

12 "The people of Israel will not be able to defend themselves against their enemies. They will run away from their enemies because the people of Israel are now claimed for destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy what I have claimed for myself.

13 "Get up! Tell the people, 'Get ready for tomorrow by performing the ceremonies to make yourselves holy. This is what Yahweh Elohim of Israel says: You have what I claimed for myself, Israel. You will not be able to defend yourselves against your enemies until you get rid of what I have claimed. 14 In the morning come forward by tribes to the tent of meeting. The tribe Yahweh selects will come forward by families. Then the family Yahweh selects will come forward by households, and the household Yahweh selects will come forward man by man. 15 The man who is selected, along with everything he has, must be burned because he has stolen what the LORD has claimed. He has ignored Yahweh's requirements and done a godless thing in Israel.'"

16 Joshua got up early in the morning. He had Israel come forward by tribes. The tribe of Judah was selected. 17 Then he had the families of Judah come forward, and the family of Zerah was selected. Then he had the family of Zerah come forward man by man, and Zabdi was selected. 18 Then he had Zabdi's household come forward man by man, and Achan was selected. Achan from the tribe of Judah was the son of Carmi, grandson of Zabdi, and greatgrandson of Zerah.

19 Joshua said to Achan, "Son, give honor and praise to Yahweh Elohim of Israel! Tell me what you have done. Don't hide anything from me."

20 Then Achan answered Joshua, "It's true. I have sinned against Yahweh Elohim of Israel. This is what I did: 21 I saw a fine robe from Babylonia, five pounds of silver, and a bar of gold weighing about one pound among the loot. I wanted them, so I took them. You will find them buried inside my tent with the silver beneath them."

22 Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent. The loot was buried inside with the silver beneath it. 23 They took the loot from the tent and brought it to Joshua and all the people of Israel. Then they laid it out in the presence of Yahweh.

24 Joshua and all Israel took Achan (son of Zerah), the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons and daughters, his cattle, his donkeys, his sheep, and his tent-everything he had-and brought them to the valley of Achor [Disaster].

25 Then Joshua said, "Why did you bring this disaster on us? Yahweh will bring disaster on you today!" And all Israel stoned Achan and his family to death. Then they burned the bodies and piled stones over them. 26 They made such a large pile of stones over Achan that it is still there today. Then Yahweh withdrew his burning anger. For this reason that place is still called the valley of Achor today.

Israel's Victory at Ai 8 1 Yahweh said to Joshua, "Don't be terrified or afraid. Take all the troops with you, and march against Ai. I am about to hand the king of Ai, his people, city, and land over to you. 2 You will do the same thing to Ai and its king that you did to Jericho and its king. However, you may take its loot and livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the city."

3 So Joshua and all the soldiers started to march against Ai. Joshua picked 30,000 of his best soldiers and sent them out at night 4 with these orders: "Set an ambush behind the city. Don't go very far away from the city. Everyone must be ready. 5 I'll approach the city with the rest of the troops. When they come out to attack us as they did the first time, we will run away from them. 6 They'll come out after us, and we will lure them away from the city. They'll say, 'They're running away from us just like the first time.' As we run away from them, 7 you come out of hiding and capture the city. Yahweh your Elohim will hand it over to you. 8 When you have captured the city, set it on fire. Do what Yahweh says. These are your orders."

9 So Joshua sent them out, and they hid. They took their position west of Ai, between Bethel and Ai. Joshua spent the night with the troops.

10 Joshua got up early in the morning and assembled the troops. Then he and the leaders of Israel led the army to Ai. 11 All the troops with him marched until they were near the city. They camped north of Ai with the ravine between them and Ai.

12 Joshua had taken about five thousand men and had them hide between Bethel and Ai, west of the city. 13 All the troops were positioned. The main camp was north of the city, and the other troops were hiding west of the city. That night Joshua went down into the middle of the valley.

14 When the king of Ai saw the main camp, he and all his troops got up early in the morning. They rushed out toward the plains to meet Israel for battle, just where Joshua expected. However, the king didn't know there were troops behind the city waiting to attack him.

15 Joshua and all Israel pretended to be defeated. They ran away toward the desert. 16 All the troops in the city were called out to chase them. As they chased Joshua, they were lured away from the city. 17 Not one man was left in Ai or Bethel; they all went after Israel. So the city was left unprotected as they chased Israel.

18 Then Yahweh said to Joshua, "Hold out the spear in your hand toward the city, because I am handing Ai over to you." So Joshua held out his spear. 19 The men who were hiding got up as soon as he stretched out his hand. They entered the city, captured it, and quickly set it on fire. 20 When the men of Ai looked back, they could see the city going up in smoke. They had no place to go, since the Israelites, who had been running toward the desert, had now turned back on them. 21 When Joshua and all Israel saw that the men who had been hiding had captured the city and that it was going up in smoke, they turned and attacked the men of Ai. 22 The men who had captured the city also came out and attacked them. The men of Ai were caught between the battle lines of Israel. So Israel attacked them on both sides. None of them survived or escaped. 23 But they captured the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua.

24 Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the fields and in the desert where they had been pursued. They put them all to death; not one person survived. Then the Israelites went back to Ai and killed everyone left there. 25 Twelve thousand men and women from Ai died that day. 26 Joshua did not lower his hand holding the spear until he had completely destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. 27 Israel took the loot and the livestock of that city for themselves, as Yahweh had commanded Joshua. 28 So Joshua burned Ai and made it a deserted mound of ruins.a It is still in ruins today.

29 Joshua hung the king of Ai's dead body on a pole and left him there until evening. When the sun went down, Joshua gave the order to take his body down. They threw it in the entrance of the city and made a large pile of stones over it. That pile is still there today.

The LORD Renews His Promise with Israel 30 At that time Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal to Yahweh Elohim of Israel. 31 He built an altar with uncut stones on which no iron chisels had been used. This was as Yahweh's servant Moses had commanded the people of Israel in the Book of Moses' Teachings. They made burnt offerings to Yahweh and sacrificed fellowship offerings on the altar. 32 There in front of the people of Israel he wrote on stone slabs a copy of the Teachings which Moses had written down.

33 All the people of Israel, whether foreigners or native Israelites, the leaders, officers, and judges were standing on opposite sides of the ark. They faced the Levitical priests who carried the ark of Yahweh's promise. Half of the people were in front of Mount Gerizim and the other half in front of Mount Ebal. Right from the beginning, Yahweh's servant Moses had commanded the priests to bless the people of Israel this way. 34 Afterwards, Joshua read all the Teachings-the blessings and curses-as they had all been written down by Moses. 35 Joshua read Moses' Teachings in front of the whole assembly of Israel, including women, children, and foreigners living among them. He did not leave out one word from everything Moses had commanded.

The People from Gibeon Deceive Joshua 9 1 When all the kings west of the Jordan River heard about these events, 2 they joined together to fight Joshua and Israel. (They were the kings in the mountains, the foothills, and along the whole Mediterranean coast as far as Lebanon, the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.)b 3 When the people living in Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4 they devised a scheme. They posed as messengers. They took worn-out sacks on their donkeys. Their wineskins were old, split, and patched. 5 Their sandals were worn-out and repaired, and their clothes were tattered. All their bread was dried out and crumbling. 6 They came to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal. They told Joshua and the men of Israel, "We have come from a distant country. Make a treaty with us right now."

7 The men of Israel said to the Hivites, "What if you're living in this area? We wouldn't be able to make a treaty with you."

8 They responded to Joshua, "We're at your mercy."

Joshua asked them, "Who are you, and where did you come from?"

9 They answered him, "We came from a country very far away because Yahweh your Elohim has become famous. We heard stories about him and everything he did in Egypt. 10 We also heard everything he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan in Ashtaroth. 11 Our leaders and everyone who lives in our country told us, 'Take what you need for the trip, and go meet them. Tell them, "We're at your mercy. Make a treaty with us right now."' 12 Our bread was warm when we left home to meet with you. Look at it now! It's dry and crumbling. 13 These were new wineskins when we filled them. Look at them now! See how they are splitting! Our clothes and sandals are also worn-out because we have come such a long way."

14 The men believed the evidence they were shown, but they did not ask Yahweh about it. 15 So Joshua made peace with them by making a treaty which allowed them to live. The leaders of the congregation swore to it with an oath.

16 But three days after the treaty was made, the Israelites heard that these people were their neighbors and lived with them. 17 The Israelites broke camp. They came to the cities of Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim two days later. 18 The Israelites didn't destroy these other people, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn an oath about them to Yahweh Elohim of Israel. The whole congregation complained about the leaders. 19 But all the leaders said to them, "We have sworn an oath about them to Yahweh Elohim of Israel, so we cannot touch them now. 20 We must let them live to avoid the LORD'S anger because of the oath we swore." 21 The leaders said that they should be allowed to live. So they became woodcutters and water carriers for the whole congregation, as the leaders had said.

22 Joshua sent for the people of Gibeon and asked, "Why did you deceive us by saying, 'We live very far away from you,' when you live here with us? 23 You are under a curse now. You will always be servants. You will be woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my Elohim."

24 They answered Joshua, "We were told that Yahweh your Elohim commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and destroy all who live there. We deceived you because we feared for our lives. 25 Now we're at your mercy. Do to us what you think is good and right."

26 So Joshua rescued them and did not let the people of Israel kill them. 27 But that day Joshua made them woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation. They served Yahweh's altar, wherever he chose to put it. They still serve today.

The Day the Sun Stood Still 10 1 King Adoni Zedek of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai and claimed it for the LORD the same way he had destroyed Jericho and its king. He also heard that the people of Gibeon had made peace with the people of Israel and were living with them. 2 He and his people were terribly afraid because Gibeon was a large city. It was like one of the royal cities, larger than Ai. All its men were warriors. 3 So King Adoni Zedek of Jerusalem sent this message to King Hoham of Hebron, King Piram of Jarmuth, King Japhia of Lachish, and King Debir of Eglon: 4 "Come, help me destroy Gibeon because it has made peace with Joshua and the people of Israel." 5 So the five Amorite kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon combined their armies. They marched to Gibeon, camped there, and attacked it.

6 The men of Gibeon sent this message to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal: "Don't abandon us! Come quickly, and save us. Help us because all the Amorite kings who live in the mountains have united against us."

7 So Joshua, with all his soldiers and best warriors, set out from Gilgal. 8 Yahweh told Joshua, "Don't be afraid of them. I have handed them over to you. None of them can stand up to you." 9 So Joshua marched all night from Gilgal and took them by surprise. 10 The LORD threw the enemy into disorder in front of Israel and defeated them decisively at Gibeon. He chased them along the road that goes to the slope of Beth Horon and continued to defeat them all the way to Azekah and Makkedah.

11 As they fled from the Israelites down the slope of Beth Horon toward Azekah, Yahweh threw huge hailstones on them. More died from the hailstones than from Israelite swords.

12 The day Yahweh handed the Amorites over to the people of Israel, Joshua spoke to Yahweh while Israel was watching, "Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and moon, stand still over the valley of Aijalon!"

13 The sun stood still, and the moon stopped until a nation got revenge on its enemies.

Isn't this recorded in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the middle of the sky, and for nearly a day the sun was in no hurry to set. 14 Never before or after this day was there anything like it. Yahweh did what a man told him to do, because Yahweh fought for Israel.