Joshua 10
1 When Adonizedek, the king of Jerusalem, had heard these things, specifically, that Joshua had seized Ai, and had overthrown it, (for just as he had done to Jericho and its king, so did he do to Ai and its king, ) and that the Gibeonites had fled over to Israel, and were now their confederates,
Now when it came to the ears of Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, that Joshua had taken Ai, and had given it up to the curse (for as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king); and that the people of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were living among them;
2 he was very afraid. For Gibeon was a great city, and was one of the royal cities, and was greater than the town of Ai, and all its warriors were very strong.
He was in great fear, because Gibeon was a great town, like one of the king's towns, greater than Ai, and all the men in it were men of war.
3 Therefore, Adonizedek, the king of Jerusalem, sent to Hoham, the king of Hebron, and to Piram, the king of Jarmuth, and also to Japhia, the king of Lachish, and to Debir, the king of Eglon, saying:
So Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, sent to Hoham, king of Hebron, and to Piram, king of Jarmuth, and to Japhia, king of Lachish, and to Debir, king of Eglon, saying,
4 “Ascend to me, and bring troops, so that we may fight against Gibeon. For it has fled over to Joshua and the sons of Israel.”
Come up to me and give me help, and let us make an attack on Gibeon: for they have made peace with Joshua and the children of Israel.
5 And so, having assembled, the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, together with their armies, went up and encamped around Gibeon, laying siege to it.
So 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, were banded together, and went up with all their armies and took up their position before Gibeon and made war against it.
6 But the inhabitants of the city of Gibeon, when it was besieged, sent to Joshua, who was then staying in the camp at Gilgal. And they said to him: “May you not draw back your hands from helping your servants. Come quickly, and free us, and bring troops. For all the kings of the Amorites, who live in the mountains, have gathered together against us.”
And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua to the tent-circle at Gilgal, saying, Be not slow to send help to your servants; come up quickly to our support and keep us safe: for all the kings of the Amorites from the hill-country have come together against us.
7 And Joshua ascended from Gilgal, and the entire army of warriors with him, very strong men.
So Joshua went up from Gilgal with all his army and all his men of war.
8 And the Lord said to Joshua: “You should not fear them. For I have delivered them into your hands. None of them will be able to withstand you.”
And the Lord said to Joshua, Have no fear of them, for I have given them into your hands; they will all give way before you.
9 And so Joshua, ascending from Gilgal throughout the night, rushed upon them suddenly.
So Joshua, having come up from Gilgal all night, made a sudden attack on them.
10 And the Lord set them in disarray before the face of Israel. And he crushed them in a great defeat at Gibeon, and he pursued them along the way of the ascent to Beth-horon, and he struck them down, even as far as Azekah and Makkedah.
And the Lord made them full of fear before Israel, and they put great numbers of them to death at Gibeon, and went after them by the way going up to Beth-horon, driving them back to Azekah and Makkedah
11 And while they were fleeing from the sons of Israel, and were on the descent of Beth-horon, the Lord cast great stones from heaven upon them, as far as Azekah. And many more were killed by the hailstones, than were struck down by the swords of the sons of Israel.
And in their flight before Israel, on the way down from Beth-horon, the Lord sent down great stones from heaven on them all the way to Azekah, causing their death: those whose death was caused by the stones were more than those whom the children of Israel put to death with the sword.
12 Then Joshua spoke to the Lord, on the day that he handed over the Amorite in the sight of the sons of Israel, and he said before them: “O sun, you shall not move toward Gibeon! O moon, you shall not move toward the valley of Aijalon!”
It was on the day when the Lord gave up the Amorites into the hands of the children of Israel that Joshua said to the Lord, before the eyes of Israel, Sun, be at rest over Gibeon; and you, O moon, in the valley of Aijalon.
13 And the sun and the moon stood still, until the people had avenged themselves of their enemies. Has this not been written in the book of the just? And so the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and it did not hurry to its rest for the space of one day.
And the sun was at rest and the moon kept its place till the nation had given punishment to their attackers. (Is it not recorded in the book of Jashar?) So the sun kept its place in the middle of the heavens, and was waiting, and did not go down, for the space of a day.
14 Never before and never after was there so long a day, as when the Lord obeyed the voice of a man, and fought for Israel.
And there was no day like that, before it or after it, when the Lord gave ear to the voice of a man; for the Lord was fighting for Israel.
15 And Joshua returned, with all of Israel, into the camp of Gilgal.
And Joshua, with all Israel, went back to the tent-circle at Gilgal.
16 For the five kings had fled, and had hidden themselves in a cave, near the city of Makkedah.
But these five kings went in flight secretly to a hole in the rock at Makkedah.
17 And it was reported to Joshua that the five kings had been found hidden in a cave, near the city of Makkedah.
And word was given to Joshua that the five kings had been taken in a hole in the rock at Makkedah.
18 And he instructed his companions and said: “Roll vast stones to the mouth of the cave, and station attentive men who will keep them closed.
And Joshua said, Let great stones be rolled against the mouth of the hole, and let men keep watch by it:
19 But as for you, do not stay here; instead, pursue the enemies, and cut down the lattermost of those who are fleeing. You shall not permit those whom the Lord God has delivered into your hands to enter into the protection of their cities.”
But do you, without waiting, go after their army, attacking them from the back; do not let them get into their towns, for the Lord your God has given them into your hands.
20 Thus, the adversaries were struck down in a great defeat, and having been nearly consumed, even to utter annihilation, those who were able to escape from Israel entered into fortified cities.
Now when Joshua and the children of Israel had come to the end of their war of complete destruction, and had put to death all but a small band who had got safely into the walled towns,
21 And the entire army returned to Joshua at Makkedah, where they were then encamped, in good health and in their full numbers. And no one dared to move his tongue against the sons of Israel.
All the people went back to Joshua to the tent-circle at Makkedah in peace: and no one said a word against the children of Israel.
22 And Joshua instructed, saying, “Open the mouth of the cave, and bring forward to me the five kings, who are hidden within it.”
Then Joshua said, Take away the stones from the mouth of the hole in the rock, and make those five kings come out to me.
23 And the ministers did just as they had been ordered. And they led out to him the five kings from the cave: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon.
And they did so, and made those five kings come out of the hole to him, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.
24 And when they had been led out to him, he called all the men of Israel, and he said to the leaders of the army who were with him, “Go, and place your feet upon the necks of these kings.” And when they had gone and had tread their feet upon the necks of those who were thrown down,
And when they had made those kings come out to Joshua, Joshua sent for all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, Come near and put your feet on the necks of these kings. So they came near and put their feet on their necks.
25 he spoke to them again: “Do not be afraid, and do not dread. Be strengthened and be steadfast. For so will the Lord do to all your enemies, against whom you fight.”
And Joshua said to them, Have no fear and do not be troubled; be strong and take heart: for so will the Lord do to all against whom you make war.
26 And Joshua struck them down and killed them, and he suspended them on five gallows. And they hung there until evening.
Then Joshua had them put to death, hanging them on five trees, where they were till evening.
27 And when the sun had set, he instructed his assistants that they should take them down from the gallows. And having been taken down, they cast them into the cave, where they had lain hidden, and they set vast stones at its mouth, which remain, even to the present.
And when the sun went down, they were taken down from the trees, by Joshua's orders, and put into the hole where they had gone to be safe; and great stones were placed at the mouth of the hole, where they are to this day.
28 Also on the same day, Joshua seized Makkedah, and he struck it with the edge of the sword, and he put to death its king and all its inhabitants. He did not leave in it even the smallest remains. And he did to the king of Makkedah, just as he had done to the king of Jericho.
That day Joshua took Makkedah, and put it and its king to the sword; every soul in it he gave up to the curse without mercy: and he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.
29 Then he went on, with all of Israel, from Makkedah to Libnah, and he fought against it.
Then Joshua and all Israel with him went on from Makkedah and came to Libnah, and made an attack on it;
30 And the Lord delivered it, with its king, into the hands of Israel. And they struck the city with the edge of the sword, and all its inhabitants. They did not leave in it any remains. And they did to the king of Libnah, just as they had done to the king of Jericho.
And again the Lord gave it and its king into the hands of Israel; and he put it and every person in it to the sword, till their destruction was complete; and he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.
31 From Libnah, with all of Israel, he went on to Lachish. And taking positions around it with his army, he besieged it.
Then Joshua and all Israel with him went on from Libnah to Lachish, and took up their position against it and made an attack on it,
32 And the Lord delivered Lachish into the hands of Israel, and he seized it on the following day, and he struck it with the edge of the sword, and every soul that was in it, just as he had done to Libnah.
And the Lord gave Lachish into the hands of Israel, and on the second day he took it, putting it and every person in it to the sword without mercy, as he had done to Libnah.
33 At that time, Horam, the king of Gezer, went up so that he might assist Lachish. And Joshua struck him with all his people, even unto utter annihilation.
Then Horam, king of Gezer, came up to the help of Lachish; and Joshua overcame him and his people, putting all of them to death.
34 And he went on from Lachish to Eglon, and he surrounded it.
And Joshua and all Israel with him went on from Lachish to Eglon: and they took up their position against it and made an attack on it;
35 And he also defeated it on the same day. And he struck all the souls that were in it with the edge of the sword, in accord with all that he had done to Lachish.
And that day they took it, putting it and every person in it to the sword, as he had done to Lachish.
36 He also ascended, with all of Israel, from Eglon into Hebron, and he fought against it.
And Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron, and made an attack on it;
37 He seized it and struck it with the edge of the sword, likewise with its king, and all the towns of that region, and all the souls that were staying in it. He did not leave any remains in it. Just as he had done to Eglon, so also did he do to Hebron, consuming with the sword all that he found within it.
And took it, overcoming it and putting it and its king and its towns and every person in it to the sword: as he had done to Eglon, he put them all to death, and gave it up to the curse with every person in it.
38 Returning from there to Debir,
And Joshua and all Israel with him went on to make an attack on Debir;
39 he seized it and laid waste to it, likewise with its king. And all the surrounding towns, he struck with the edge of the sword. He did not leave in it any remains. Just as he had done to Hebron and Libnah, and to their kings, so did he do to Debir and to its king.
And he took it, with its king and all its towns: and he put them to the sword, giving every person in it to the curse; all were put to death: as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king.
40 And so Joshua struck the entire land, the mountains, and the south, and the plains, and the descending slopes, with their kings. He did not leave in it any remains, but he put to death all that was able to breathe, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had instructed him,
So Joshua overcame all the land, the hill-country and the South and the lowland and the mountain slopes, and all their kings; all were put to death: and every living thing he gave up to the curse, as the Lord, the God of Israel, had given him orders.
41 from Kadesh-barnea, as far as Gaza, with all the land of Goshen, as far as Gibeon.
Joshua overcame them from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, and all the land of Goshen as far as Gibeon.
42 And all their kings and their regions, he seized and destroyed with a single attack. For the Lord, the God of Israel, fought on his behalf.
And all these kings and their land Joshua took at the same time, because the Lord, the God of Israel, was fighting for Israel.
43 And he returned, with all of Israel, to the place of the encampment at Gilgal.
Then Joshua and all Israel with him went back to their tents at Gilgal.
