10
1 Now
when Adoni-Zedek king
of Jerusalem heard
how Joshua had
taken Ai, and
had utterly
destroyed it; as
he had done
to Jericho and
her king, so
he had done
to Ai and
her king; and
how the
inhabitants of
Gibeon had made
peace with Israel,
and were among
them,
2 they
were very afraid,
because Gibeon was
a great city,
as one of
the royal cities,
and because it
was greater than
Ai, and all
its men were
mighty.
3 Therefore Adoni-Zedek king
of Jerusalem sent
to Hoham king
of Hebron, Piram
king of Jarmuth,
Japhia king of
Lachish, and Debir
king of Eglon,
saying,
4 “Come
up to me
and help me. Let’s
strike Gibeon; for
they have made
peace with Joshua
and with the
children of
Israel.”
5 Therefore
the five kings
of the Amorites,
the king of
Jerusalem, the
king of Hebron,
the king of
Jarmuth, the king
of Lachish, and
the king of
Eglon, gathered themselves
together and went
up, they and
all their armies,
and encamped
against Gibeon,
and made war
against it.
6 The
men of Gibeon
sent to Joshua
at the camp
at Gilgal, saying, “Don’t
abandon your
servants! Come up
to us quickly
and save us!
Help us; for
all the kings
of the Amorites
that dwell in
the hill country
have gathered
together against
us.”
7 So
Joshua went up
from Gilgal, he
and the whole
army with him,
including all the
mighty men of
valor.
8 The
LORD said to
Joshua, “Don’t fear
them, for I
have delivered
them into your
hands. Not a
man of them
will stand before
you.”
9 Joshua
therefore came to
them suddenly. He
marched from
Gilgal all night.
10 The
LORD confused them
before Israel. He
killed them with
a great slaughter
at Gibeon, and
chased them by
the way of
the ascent of Beth Horon,
and struck them
to Azekah and
to Makkedah.
11 As
they fled from
before Israel,
while they were
at the descent
of Beth Horon, the
LORD hurled down
great stones from
the sky on
them to Azekah,
and they died.
There were more
who died from
the hailstones
than those whom
the children of
Israel killed with
the sword.
12 Then
Joshua spoke to
the LORD in
the day when
the LORD delivered
up the Amorites
before the
children of Israel.
He said in
the sight of
Israel, “Sun,
stand still on
Gibeon! You, moon,
stop in the valley
of Aijalon!”
13 The
sun stood still,
and the moon
stayed, until the
nation had avenged
themselves of
their enemies. Isn’t this
written in the
book of Jashar?
The sun stayed
in the middle
of the sky,
and didn’t hurry to
go down about
a whole day.
14 There
was no day
like that before
it or after
it, that the
LORD listened to
the voice of
a man; for
the LORD fought
for Israel.
15 Joshua
returned, and all
Israel with him,
to the camp
to Gilgal.
16 These
five kings fled,
and hid themselves
in the cave
at Makkedah.
17 Joshua
was told, saying, “The
five kings have
been found, hidden
in the cave
at Makkedah.”
18 Joshua
said, “Roll
large stones to cover
the cave’s entrance,
and set men
by it to
guard them;
19 but don’t
stay there. Pursue
your enemies, and
attack them from
the rear. Don’t
allow them to
enter into their
cities; for the
LORD your God
has delivered them
into your hand.”
20 When
Joshua and the
children of Israel
had finished
killing them with
a very great
slaughter until
they were consumed,
and the remnant
which remained of
them had entered
into the fortified
cities,
21 all
the people
returned to the
camp to Joshua
at Makkedah in
peace. None moved
his tongue against
any of the
children of Israel.
22 Then
Joshua said, “Open
the cave entrance,
and bring those
five kings out
of the cave
to me.”
23 They
did so, and
brought those five
kings out of
the cave to
him: the king
of Jerusalem, the
king of Hebron,
the king of
Jarmuth, the king
of Lachish, and
the king of
Eglon.
24 When
they brought those
kings out to
Joshua, Joshua
called for all
the men of
Israel, and said
to the chiefs
of the men
of war who
went with him, “Come
near. Put your
feet on the
necks of these
kings.”
They came near,
and put their
feet on their
necks.
25 Joshua said
to them, “Don’t be
afraid, nor be
dismayed. Be
strong and
courageous, for
the LORD will
do this to
all your enemies
against whom you
fight.”
26 Afterward
Joshua struck them,
put them to
death, and hanged
them on five
trees. They were
hanging on the
trees until the
evening.
27 At
the time of
the going down
of the sun,
Joshua commanded,
and they took
them down off
the trees, and
threw them into
the cave in
which they had
hidden themselves,
and laid
great stones on
the mouth of
the cave, which
remain to this
very day.
28 Joshua
took Makkedah on
that day, and
struck it with
the edge of
the sword, with
its king. He
utterly destroyed
it and all
the souls who
were in it.
He left no
one remaining. He
did to the
king of Makkedah
as he had
done to the
king of Jericho.
29 Joshua
passed from
Makkedah, and all
Israel with him,
to Libnah, and
fought against
Libnah.
30 The
LORD delivered it
also, with its
king, into the
hand of Israel.
He struck it
with the edge
of the sword,
and all the
souls who were
in it. He
left no one
remaining in it.
He did to
its king as
he had done
to the king
of Jericho.
31 Joshua
passed from Libnah,
and all Israel
with him, to
Lachish, and
encamped against
it, and fought
against it.
32 The
LORD delivered
Lachish into the
hand of Israel.
He took it
on the second
day, and struck
it with the
edge of the
sword, with all
the souls who
were in it,
according to all
that he had
done to Libnah.
33 Then
Horam king of
Gezer came up
to help Lachish;
and Joshua struck
him and his
people, until he
had left him
no one remaining.
34 Joshua
passed from
Lachish, and all
Israel with him,
to Eglon; and
they encamped
against it and
fought against it.
35 They
took it on
that day, and
struck it with
the edge of
the sword. He
utterly destroyed
all the souls
who were in
it that day,
according to all
that he had
done to Lachish.
36 Joshua
went up from
Eglon, and all
Israel with him,
to Hebron; and
they fought
against it.
37 They
took it, and
struck it with
the edge of
the sword, with
its king and
all its cities,
and all the
souls who were
in it. He
left no one
remaining, according
to all that
he had done
to Eglon; but
he utterly
destroyed it, and
all the souls
who were in
it.
38 Joshua
returned, and all
Israel with him,
to Debir, and
fought against it.
39 He
took it, with
its king and
all its cities.
They struck them
with the edge
of the sword,
and utterly
destroyed all the
souls who were
in it. He
left no one
remaining. As he
had done to
Hebron, so he
did to Debir,
and to its
king; as he
had done also
to Libnah, and
to its king.
40 So
Joshua struck all
the land, the hill
country, the South,
the lowland,
the slopes, and
all their kings.
He left no
one remaining, but
he utterly
destroyed all that
breathed, as the
LORD, the God
of Israel,
commanded.
41 Joshua
struck them
from Kadesh Barnea even
to Gaza, and
all the country of
Goshen, even to
Gibeon.
42 Joshua
took all these
kings and
their land at one
time because the
LORD, the God
of Israel, fought
for Israel.
43 Joshua
returned, and all
Israel with him,
to the camp
to Gilgal.