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Narrator
This is an iHeart podcast.
Ryan Seacrest
Guaranteed Human hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway is stock up savings time now through March 31st. Spring in for storewide deals and earn four times the points. Look for in store tags to earn on eligible items from Hunts, Nerds, Pillsbury, Lowry's, Breyers, Quaker and Culture Pop. Then clip the offer in the app for automatic event long savings. Stack up those rewards to save even more. Enjoy savings on top of savings when you shop in store or online for easy drive up and go pick up or delivery restrictions apply. See website for full terms and conditions.
Narrator/Storyteller
Previously on the Chosen People I have
Narrator
heard concerning reports from the reaches of our kingdoms. Even here, closer to home, the men who took the promised land are grandfathers and great grandfathers. Now children we raised are starting to lead their own families, and those families are starting to entertain the customs and cultures of the land. The very people we subdued are tempting us with their gods. And I am hearing too many stories confirming that those invitations are being accepted. They are welcoming the gods of our neighbors with open arms. In short, God's people are yet again flirting with their own destruction.
Narrator/Storyteller
Emboldened by the memory of all the wonders he had seen firsthand, Joshua charged forward to the heart of their gathering. The covenant renewal.
Narrator
Therefore, fear the Lord and worship him in sincerity and truth. Rid yourselves of the gods of your ancestors, the gods they worship beyond the Euphrates river and in Egypt, and worship the Lord. As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord. How do you answer Israel? We will worship the Lord.
Narrator/Storyteller
Joshua nodded. He had expected as much, but he pressed them further.
Narrator
Remember, our God is a holy God, a jealous God. If you abandon the Lord and worship foreign gods, he will turn against you and utterly destroy you. No will worship the Lord. You are witnesses against yourselves that you
Narrator/Storyteller
yourselves have chosen to worship the Lord under His leadership. Israel worshipped the Lord throughout Joshua's lifetime because of his commitment to the next generation and to renewing the covenant. Israel worshipped the Lord during the lifetimes of the elders who outlived Joshua and all those who had experienced the works the Lord had done for Israel.
Narrator
Foreign
Ryan Seacrest
hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway. It's Stock Up Savings time now through March 31st. Spring in for store wide deals and earn four times the points look for in store tags to earn on eligible items from Lindor, Chips Ahoy, Gatorade, Post Ziploc and Zoa. Then clip the offer in the app for automatic event long savings. Stack up those rewards to save even more, enjoy savings on top of savings. When you shop in store or online for easy drive up and go pick up or delivery, make restrictions apply. See website for full terms and conditions.
Narrator
Come on.
Hyundai Salesperson
No.
Narrator/Storyteller
Oh, boy. Yeah, I know. My golf swing is off today. It's just a lesson. Who said up, champ? Can't I. I think I might have gotten away with something I shouldn't have. The heck are you talking about?
God
Okay.
Narrator/Storyteller
You see that brand new Hyundai Santa Fe over there?
Narrator
Yeah. Well, I only paid
Hyundai Salesperson
deals, so right. It almost feels wrong. Get the Hyundai you've always wanted plus America's best warranty at the Hyundai Getaw Play sales event.
Narrator/Storyteller
Finish that bucket of balls on your own. I gotta run.
Narrator
Los Santa Fe's come in green, right?
Narrator/Storyteller
I love green.
Narrator
What? No to come back.
Narrator/Storyteller
I paid for the full hour.
Hyundai Salesperson
It's a great day for a new Hyundai at the Hyundai Getaway sales event. Going on now. Get 0% APR for 60 months plus 0 payments for 90 days on the Hyundai Tucson, Tucson Hybrid, Santa Fe or Santa Fe Hybrid. Now during the Hyundai Getaway sales event.
Ryan Seacrest
Hurry.
Hyundai Salesperson
Offer ends March 31st. Call 562-314-4603 for details.
Malcolm Gladwell
Hello.
Narrator/Storyteller
Hello.
Malcolm Gladwell
I'm Malcolm Gladwell, host of Smart Talks with IBM. I recently spoke with IBM's new director of research, Jake Gambetta. We discussed his vision for the future of quantum computing at IBM Research.
Jake Gambetta
What we always do is answer what is the future of computing? Whether it's coming up with new algorithms, coming up with better AI, coming up with quantum, or coming up with just how do different accelerators go together? It's our DNA. To answer the question of what is the future?
Malcolm Gladwell
Isn't it a perfect problem for IBM because you kind of need to have a legacy of building stuff.
Jake Gambetta
Yes.
Malcolm Gladwell
Building actual physical machines. Yeah.
Jake Gambetta
It's why I came to IBM. I wanted the experience, the culture of building hard things that others have not done before.
Malcolm Gladwell
Where do you imagine we are in the timeline of this technology? There will come a point when it will mature, right?
Jake Gambetta
Yeah.
Malcolm Gladwell
My cell phone is a mature technology at this point. How far are we from that point with quantum?
Jake Gambetta
By 2029, we'll build the first fault tolerant quantum computer. That is one that can run a very, very large, large problem.
Malcolm Gladwell
To learn how IBM is building the future of computing, visit IBM.com quantum.
Narrator/Storyteller
The land lay before them like an unveiled bride Radiant and wild, overflowing with promise. The land of milk and honey. Canaan hills rolled in verdant splendor Swathed in a living green so Deep. It seemed as if the very earth had bled emeralds. The air was thick with the scent of wildflowers. Honeysuckle and jasmine twining together. And the rivers carved deep silver veins through the valley floor. The soil was dark and damp with life. Fruit hung heavy on every branch, the trees groaning with their burden. And the grain fields bowed like subjects before an unseen king. It was a land filled fit for kings, though no king ruled it. Not yet. It had been promised to Abraham. A dream born beneath the canvas of a desert sky. And sealed with the stars as witnesses.
God
Look around you. Behold the land to not only the east, but also the north, south and west. As I told you before, this is the land I will give to you and your offspring. And it will be yours forever.
Narrator/Storyteller
Yes, my God.
Narrator
I remember what you told me.
God
Do you believe it, though? I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth. If there was ever anyone who could count up all the dust of the earth, and there is not, then your offspring could also be counted. You are to get up and walk around this land. I will show you where to go. And what's more, I will give it to you. You will need not take it. I would provide you with everything you need.
Narrator/Storyteller
For centuries, that promise had echoed in the bones of his descendants. Passed from father to son of like an heirloom too valuable to sell, too powerful to forget. Now, at long last, they stood at the border of that dream made flesh. They were a generation born not in Egypt's bondage. But in the wild uncertainty of the wilderness. Where every meal was a miracle and every night carried the scent of sand and dew. Their parents had spotted, spoken of a land of milk and honey. But they had only seen sand and stone until now. But beauty is a treacherous thing. Just as the serpent once lay coiled in the heart of Eden. So too did darkness dwell in Canaan. Its fields and pastures were rich, but the roots of its cities were tangled with rot. Every stone wall hid cruelty. And every high place stank of burnt flesh and blood. Laid at the altars of lesser gods. The Canaanites lived as kings in this land. But their thrones were built on corpses. Children burned on their altars. Women were taken, broken and discarded. Kings carved their glory from the marrow of their subjects. Beneath all its beauty, the land groaned beneath the weight of its own corruption. The children of Israel gathered at the edge of this land. 12 tribes bound by blood, by law. And by a promise older than any of them. Their new high priest, Phinehas. Cloaked in dust and worn leather, came before the Ark of the Covenant and bowed with his forehead pressed to the ground. Phinehas had always been a man of few words, a better listener than a speaker. Now, as the appointed high priest after his father Eleazar, he was determined to listen well. How shall we take this land, Lord? How shall we claim what you have given us? The answer came not as a whisper, but as a roar from the heart of heaven. A voice like a furnace made of thunder and steel declared, judah shall go first. A shudder passed through the tribes of the name Judah. The lion's tribe, largest and strongest, as full of pride as it was of courage. There was no one more fit to lead. Their warriors, led by the aged but still strong Caleb were weathered as old oak, their swords sharp and well tested. It would be Judas spirit spear that first pierced the heart of Canaan. Their first target was the Perizzites and their king, Adoni Bezek, A man whose name was a curse and a warning. He was a butcher king, infamous for cutting the thumbs and toes from his vanquished foes, leaving them to crawl like dogs beneath his table, Scavenging scraps of bread from the dirt. He dined on their humiliation. Such a man did not deserve a king's death. Caleb marched with his men. Although his bones were weary and his arm could no longer swing with fervor, he still led his people well. He was a master tactician, having learned every trick of the trade from Joshua.
Narrator
Men of Judah, remember the promise. Together. Forward. Hak hazak. Hamaz.
Narrator/Storyteller
Adorn. The ram's horns shattered the quiet. The men of Judah moved like the breaking tide, pouring from the hills in a rush of bronze and steel. The tribe of Simeon followed close behind, a second wave to crush whatever remained. The walls of Bezel loomed before them, Jagged stone and timber drenched in shadow. Arrows rained down from above, Black streaks like sharp winged crows. Shields locked together. The ram's horn blew again, and Judah surged forward. Axes crashed into gates. Ladders clawed their way up the walls. Stone cracked. Wood splintered. Then came Adoni Bezek himself. He rode a black charger through the city streets, his mace a star of iron. And wherever it fell, men died. Not just died.
Narrator
They were broken Hebrew dogs. Come at me and taste the might of my skulls.
Narrator/Storyteller
Split. Jaws unhinged. His laughter echoed over the din of war, a sound sharp as the shriek of a dying animal. His soldiers, emboldened by his presence, pushed back with desperate fury. Judah stumbled. Fear swept through them like a plague. Some fell back. Others hesitated. The dark king left carnage in his wake. Until Caleb chose to stand and face him. The aged warrior of Judah strode forward with the veracity of a man half his age. He missed Joshua. Caleb charged, but his stride was abruptly cut off by another, a youth named Othniel, son of Caleb's brother Kenaz. The young man jolted in front of his general and leaped into the king's shield. Adon Bezek stumbled backward, then returned with a swift downward swing of his mace. Caleb wasn't insulted by the young man. He shouted from behind, being Othniel's eyes.
Narrator
Othniel, find the high ground.
Narrator/Storyteller
Othniel leaped onto a crate and then scaled the wall beside the king. Adonibezek's eyes followed the young man.
Narrator
Come down and fight me, coward.
Narrator/Storyteller
Caleb took the opportunity and hurled a spear at the king. It barely grazed Adonibezek's shoulder, but provided the perfect distraction for Othniel to pounce. He leaped off the wall and tackled the king to the ground. The two men wrestled. Blood stained the dirt. Odoni Bezek was a head taller than Othniel, and his grin was a red line of teeth as he drove his knee down on Othniel's throat. The young man choked and clawed at the ground.
Narrator
Quickly, men, to Othniel's aim.
Narrator/Storyteller
Caleb and the others surged forward with the wrath of men whose brother was about to D. 10 spears and 6 swords found Adoni Bezek, pinning him like a beast caught in a hunter's snare. He roared, cursed, spat. But no man escapes the judgment of the lord. After the king was captured, the tides of battle quickly shifted. Bound in iron, Adoni Bezek was dragged before Caleb. He spat blood and curses, laughing all the while. His words were venom.
Narrator
You think you have me? I have dined on the pride of kings greater than you. I have bound seventy kings beneath my table, and they begged me for crumbs. You will do the same.
Narrator/Storyteller
Caleb, voice, horse and weary, placed a hand on the hilt of his sword.
God
Our people have done enough begging.
Narrator/Storyteller
A sword flashed quick as lightning. His big toe rolled in the dust. Another flash, his thumb joined it. Adoni Bezek screamed. But it was not the pain that broke him. It was justice. The man laughed even as he wept.
Narrator
70 kings. 70 kings. I may crawl in the dirt. I kiss your God has repaid me.
God
I guess he has.
Narrator/Storyteller
With one final slash of steel, Caleb ended Adoni Bezek.
Ryan Seacrest
Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway. It's stock up savings time now through March 31st. Spring in for storewide deals and earn four times the points. Look for in store tags to earn on eligible items from Lindor, Chips Ahoy, Gatorade host, Ziploc and Zoa. Then clip the offer in the app for automatic event long savings. Stack up those rewards to save even more. Enjoy savings on top of savings when you shop in store or online for easy drive up and go pick up or delivery restrictions apply. See website for full terms and conditions.
Narrator/Storyteller
Come on.
Hyundai Salesperson
No.
Narrator/Storyteller
Oh, boy. Yeah, I know. My golf swing is off today. It's just a lesson. Who sent up Champ? Can't. I think I might have gotten away with something I shouldn't have. The heck are you talking about? Okay. You see that brand new Hyundai Santa Fe over there?
Narrator
Yeah. Well, I only paid
Hyundai Salesperson
deal. So right. It almost feels wrong. Get the Hyundai you've always wanted plus America's best warranty at the Hyundai getaway sales event.
Narrator/Storyteller
Finish that bucket of balls on your own. I gotta run.
Narrator
Well, Santa Fe's come in green, right?
Narrator/Storyteller
I love green.
Narrator
What?
Narrator/Storyteller
No, to come back, I paid for the full hour.
Hyundai Salesperson
It's a great day for a new Hyundai at the Hyundai getaway sales event. Going on now. Get 0% APR for 60 months plus 0 payments for 90 days on the Hyundai Tucson, Tucson hybrid, Santa Fe or Santa Fe hybrid. Now during the Hyundai getaway sales event. Hurry. Offer ends March 31st. Call 562-314-4603 for details.
Narrator
Hello.
Malcolm Gladwell
Hello, I'm Malcolm Gladwell, host of Smart Talks with IBM. I recently spoke with IBM's new director of research, Jake Mbada. We discussed his vision for the future of quantum computing at IBM Research.
Jake Gambetta
What we always do is answer what is the future of computing? Whether it's coming up with new algorithms, coming up with better AI, coming up with quantum, or coming up with just how do different accelerators go together? It's our DNA. To answer the question of what is the future?
Malcolm Gladwell
Isn't it a perfect problem for IBM because you kind of need to have a legacy of building stuff, building actual physical machines. Yeah.
Jake Gambetta
It's why I came to IBM. I wanted the experience, the culture of building hard things that others have not done before.
Malcolm Gladwell
Where do you imagine we are in the timeline of this technology? There will come a point when it will mature, right?
Jake Gambetta
Yeah.
Malcolm Gladwell
My cell phone is a mature technology at this point. How far are we from that point?
Jake Gambetta
With Quantum, by 2029, we'll build the first fault tolerant Quantum computer that is one that can run a very, very large, large problem.
Malcolm Gladwell
To learn how IBM is building the future of computing, visit IBM.com quantum.
Narrator/Storyteller
Judah's Conquest was only the beginning. City after city fell before them. Jerusalem's walls crumbled to the kings of Hebron. Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai were struck down in the hills. The land of Negeb, the lowlands, the valley, all of it fell. Blood soaked the roots of ancient trees. The lion of Judah had roared, and none could stand before it. But not every tribe was a lion. Manasseh, Ephraim and Zebulun grew tired. Their swords dulled and their spirits dulled faster. The Canaanites were cunning. They offered gifts, daughters in marriage, and alliances whispered in the night. The men of Israel took them. They had forsaken the promises made before Joshua.
Narrator
Remember, our God is a holy God. A jealous God. If you abandon the Lord and worship foreign gods, he would turn against you and utterly destroy you. No. We will worship the Lord. You are witnesses against yourselves that you yourselves have chosen to worship the Lord.
Narrator/Storyteller
We are witnesses?
Narrator
Then listen. Rid yourselves of those foreign gods that are among you. And turn your hearts to the Lord God of Israel alone. We will worship the Lord our God and obey him.
Narrator/Storyteller
The gods of Canaan were patient. Each compromise was a stone in the foundation of Israel's downfall. Women bore children who were sacrificed at foreign altars. Elders allowed the worship of BAAL in secret places. Ephraim took Giza, but let its people live. Asher settled among the Canaanites instead of driving them out. The blood of the covenant grew thin in their veins. One night, as the tribes gathered by a great fire, the wind grew sharp. Thunder rolled like a drum beat from the heights. The fire died. Silence fell. In that silence, an angel of the Lord appeared. No footsteps had brought him. He was not a man, but something more. A figure in flame. His face was fire, his eyes brighter still. His voice was a storm made word.
Narrator
You have done this to yourselves.
Narrator/Storyteller
I gave you the land.
Narrator
I made you a people. But you made covenants with my enemies. You lay with them. Now there shall be thorns in your side.
Narrator/Storyteller
The fire swelled and his presence vanished. The silence left behind was louder than war. They fell to their knees, weeping and tearing their clothes. But the tears of men could not drown their sins. They thought they could be kings. But they were still slaves. Slaves to their own sin and ruin. And now the kings of Canaan would teach them that lesson. But there was a promise that remained. One that echoed from the depths of Eden. One day, from the tribe of Judah, a lion would rise. A king like no other. A king to break all chains. Before the breaker of chains came, the Lord would send lesser heroes, fractured and broken images of the Deliverer to come. They would be imperfect vessels in God's hands, crafted to lead Israel out of its self inflicted destruction.
Production Announcer
This pray.com production is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Catena, Max Bard, Zach Shellevaga, and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of the Chosen People. Narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Steven Ringwald, Sylvia zaradoc, Thomas Copeland Jr. Rosanna Pilcher, and Mitch Leschinsky. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith. Written by Aaron Salvato, Bree Rosely and Chris Baig. You can hear more prey.com productions on the prey.com app available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed the Chosen People, please rate and leave a review.
Narrator
This is an iHeart podcast guest guaranteed human.
Host/Production: Pray.com
Date: March 25, 2026
This episode of The Chosen People offers a vivid, narrative-driven retelling of the Israelites’ conquest of Canaan, highlighting their victories, failures, and the abiding tension between faithfulness and compromise. The story masterfully blends biblical drama with personal reflection, immersing listeners in the challenges of upholding God’s covenant amid a corrupt world. The episode focuses on Joshua’s legacy, Judah’s charge to battle, the violent justice enacted upon King Adoni Bezek, and the spiritual consequences of Israel's compromises with Canaanite culture.
“The very people we subdued are tempting us with their gods. And I am hearing too many stories confirming that those invitations are being accepted. They are welcoming the gods of our neighbors with open arms. In short, God's people are yet again flirting with their own destruction.” ([00:38])
“Therefore, fear the Lord and worship him in sincerity and truth... As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord.” ([01:33])
“We will worship the Lord.” ([01:44])
“Remember, our God is a holy God, a jealous God. If you abandon the Lord and worship foreign gods, he will turn against you and utterly destroy you.” ([02:07])
“The land lay before them like an unveiled bride... overflowing with promise. The land of milk and honey.... But beauty is a treacherous thing. Just as the serpent once lay coiled in the heart of Eden, so too did darkness dwell in Canaan.” ([05:54]–[07:52])
“I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth... I will give it to you. You will need not take it. I would provide you with everything you need.” (God, [07:20])
“Broken Hebrew dogs. Come at me and taste the might of my skulls.” ([12:27])
“I have bound seventy kings beneath my table, and they begged me for crumbs. You will do the same.” ([14:59])
“Our people have done enough begging.” ([15:31])
“Seventy kings... I may crawl in the dirt, I kiss—your God has repaid me.” ([15:53])
“Rid yourselves of those foreign gods that are among you. And turn your hearts to the Lord God of Israel alone.” ([20:40])
“One day, from the tribe of Judah, a lion would rise—a king like no other, a king to break all chains. Before the breaker of chains came, the Lord would send lesser heroes, fractured and broken images of the Deliverer to come. They would be imperfect vessels in God's hands, crafted to lead Israel out of its self-inflicted destruction.” ([22:53])
“As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord.”
“I have bound seventy kings beneath my table, and they begged me for crumbs. You will do the same.”
“Our people have done enough begging.”
“You have done this to yourselves... Now there shall be thorns in your side.”
The narration is dramatic and cinematic, blending poetic language, direct historical references, and moments of raw intensity. It maintains an air of solemnity, warning, and hope, giving listeners a sense of both the grandeur and danger of God’s promises and the all-too-human failures of Israel.
The Conquest of Canaan retells the pivotal moment when the Israelites wrested the Promised Land from its corrupt kings, led by Joshua and later Caleb. Triumph is juxtaposed with recurrent warnings about faithlessness—centralized in the chilling fate of Adoni Bezek—and the sobering reality that true conquest involves not just vanquishing enemies but remaining steadfast in covenant. The episode closes with a promise: despite cycles of sin and judgment, God’s greater King—and deliverance—awaits in Israel’s future.