Book of Jasher, Chapter 89 — Joshua's Song of Praise; The Wars of Israel
1Then spoke Joshua this song, on the day that the Lord had given the Amorites into the hand of Joshua and the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of all Israel,
2You have done mighty things, O Lord, you have performed great deeds; who is like to you? My lips shall sing to your name.
3My goodness and my fortress, my high tower, I will sing a new song to you, with thanksgiving will I sing to you, you are the strength of my salvation.
4All the kings of the earth shall praise you, the princes of the world shall sing to you, the children of Israel shall rejoice in your salvation, they shall sing and praise your power.
5To you, O Lord, did we confide; we said you are our God, for you were our shelter and strong tower against our enemies.
6To you we cried and were not ashamed, in you we trusted and were delivered; when we cried to you, you heard our voice, you delivered our souls from the sword, you showed to us your grace, you gave to us your salvation, you rejoiced our hearts with your strength.
7You did go forth for our salvation, with your arm you redeemed your people; you answered us from the heavens of your holiness, you saved us from ten thousands of people.
8The sun and moon stood still in heaven, and you stood in your wrath against our oppressors and did command your judgments over them.
9All the princes of the earth stood up, the kings of the nations had gathered themselves together, they were not moved at your presence, they desired your battles.
10You did rise against them in your anger, and did bring down your wrath upon them; you destroyed them in your anger, and cut them off in your heart.
11Nations have been consumed with your fury, kingdoms have declined because of your wrath, you wounded kings in the day of your anger.
12You did pour out your fury upon them, your wrathful anger took hold of them; you turned their iniquity upon them, and did cut them off in their wickedness.
13They did spread a trap, they fell therein, in the net they hid, their foot was caught.
14Your hand was ready for all your enemies who said, Through their sword they possessed the land, through their arm they dwelt in the city; you filled their faces with shame, you brought their horns down to the ground, you terrified them in your wrath, and destroyed them in your anger.
15The earth trembled and shook at the sound of your storm over them, you did not withhold their souls from death, and did bring down their lives to the grave.
16You did pursue them in your storm, you consumed them in your whirlwind, you turned their rain into hail, they fell in deep pits so that they could not rise.
17Their carcasses were like rubbish cast out in the middle of the streets.
18They were consumed and destroyed in your anger, you saved your people with your might.
19Therefore our hearts rejoice in you, our souls exalt in your salvation.
20Our tongues shall relate your might, we will sing and praise your wondrous works.
21For you saved us from our enemies, you delivered us from those who rose up against us, you destroyed them from before us and depress them beneath our feet.
22Thus shall all your enemies perish O Lord, and the wicked shall be like chaff driven by the wind, and your beloved shall be like trees planted by the waters.
23So Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp in Gilgal, after having struck all the kings, so that not a remnant was left of them.
24And the five kings fled alone on foot from battle, and hid themselves in a cave, and Joshua sought for them in the field of battle, and did not find them.
25And it was afterward told to Joshua, saying, The kings are found and behold they are hidden in a cave.
26And Joshua said, Appoint men to be at the mouth of the cave, to guard them, lest they take themselves away; and the children of Israel did so.
27And Joshua called to all Israel and said to the officers of battle, Place your feet upon the necks of these kings, and Joshua said, So shall the Lord do to all your enemies.
28And Joshua commanded afterward that they should slay the kings and cast them into the cave, and to put great stones at the mouth of the cave.
29And Joshua went afterward with all the people that were with him on that day to Makkedah, and he struck it with the edge of the sword.
30And he utterly destroyed the souls and all belonging to the city, and he did to the king and people thereof as he had done to Jericho.
31And he passed from there to Libnah and he fought against it, and the Lord delivered it into his hand, and Joshua struck it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls thereof, and he did to it and to the king thereof as he had done to Jericho.
32And from there he passed on to Lachish to fight against it, and Horam king of Gaza went up to assist the men of Lachish, and Joshua struck him and his people until there was none left to him.
33And Joshua took Lachish and all the people thereof, and he did to it as he had done to Libnah.
34And Joshua passed from there to Eglon, and he took that also, and he struck it and all the people thereof with the edge of the sword.
35And from there he passed to Hebron and fought against it and took it and utterly destroyed it, and he returned from there with all Israel to Debir and fought against it and struck it with the edge of the sword.
36And he destroyed every soul in it, he left none remaining, and he did to it and the king thereof as he had done to Jericho.
37And Joshua struck all the kings of the Amorites from Kadesh-barnea to Azah, and he took their country at once, for the Lord had fought for Israel.
38And Joshua with all Israel came to the camp to Gilgal.
39When at that time Jabin king of Chazor heard all that Joshua had done to the kings of the Amorites, Jabin sent to Jobat king of Midian, and to Laban king of Shimron, to Jephal king of Achshaph, and to all the kings of the Amorites, saying,
40Come quickly to us and help us, that we may smite the children of Israel, before they come upon us and do to us as they have done to the other kings of the Amorites.
41And all these kings listened to the words of Jabin, king of Chazor, and they went forth with all their camps, seventeen kings, and their people were as numerous as the sand on the sea shore, together with horses and chariots innumerable, and they came and pitched together at the waters of Merom, and they were met together to fight against Israel.
42And the Lord said to Joshua, Fear them not, for tomorrow about this time I will deliver them up all slain before you, you shall hough their horses and burn their chariots with fire.
43And Joshua with all the men of war came suddenly upon them and struck them, and they fell into their hands, for the Lord had delivered them into the hands of the children of Israel.
44So the children of Israel pursued all these kings with their camps, and struck them until there was none left of them, and Joshua did to them as the Lord had spoken to him.
45And Joshua returned at that time to Chazor and struck it with the sword and destroyed every soul in it and burned it with fire, and from Chazor, Joshua passed to Shimron and struck it and utterly destroyed it.
46From there he passed to Achshaph and he did to it as he had done to Shimron.
47From there he passed to Adulam and he struck all the people in it, and he did to Adulam as he had done to Achshaph and to Shimron.
48And he passed from them to all the cities of the kings which he had struck, and he struck all the people that were left of them and he utterly destroyed them.
49Only their booty and cattle the Israelites took to themselves as a prey, but every human being they struck, they did not allow a soul to live.
50As the Lord had commanded Moses so did Joshua and all Israel, they failed not in anything.
51So Joshua and all the children of Israel struck the whole land of Canaan as the Lord had commanded them, and struck all their kings, being thirty and one kings, and the children of Israel took their whole country.
52Besides the kingdoms of Sihon and Og which are on the other side Jordan, of which Moses had struck many cities, and Moses gave them to the Reubenites and the Gadites and to half the tribe of Manasseh.
53And Joshua struck all the kings that were on this side Jordan to the west, and gave them for an inheritance to the nine tribes and to the half tribe of Israel.
54For five years did Joshua carry on the war with these kings, and he gave their cities to the Israelites, and the land became tranquil from battle throughout the cities of the Amorites and the Canaanites.