Joshua 10
1 Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, learned that Joshua had captured Ai and destroyed the town completely, as he had also done to Jericho, and had killed its king, just as he had the king of Jericho. He also heard that the Gibeonites had made peace with the Israelites and were allied with them.
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 The people of Jerusalem were very frightened by this because Gibeon was a large town—as large as any town ruled by the king, and larger than Ai, and its men were tough fighters.
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 So Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, sent a message to Hoham, king of Hebron, Piram, king of Jarmuth, Japhia, king of Lachish, and Debir, king of Eglon, saying,
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 and help me attack Gibeon because they have made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.”
“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 So these five Amorite kings (the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon) and their armies gathered and set off. They surrounded Gibeon and then began their attack.
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 Gibeonites sent a message to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, “Please don't abandon us, your servants! Come quickly and save us! We need your help for all the Amorite kings of the hill country have joined in attacking us.”
The men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Do not 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, all his fighting men and best fighters, set off from Gilgal.
So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and the whole army with him, including all the mighty men of valor.
8 The Lord had said to Joshua, “Don't be afraid of them, for you will defeat them. Not a single one will be able to stand against you.”
The LORD said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hands. Not a man of them will stand before you.”
9 By marching all night from Gilgal, Joshua arrived without warning.
Joshua therefore came to them suddenly. He marched from Gilgal all night.
10 The Lord threw the Amorite armies into a panic when they saw the Israelites. He struck them down with a great blow at Gibeon; he chased them all the way up to Beth-horon, cutting them down on the way to Azekah and Makkedah.
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 ran away from the Israelites down the slope from Beth-horon, the Lord hurled large hailstones down on them from the skies all the way to Azekah. More were killed by the hailstones than we killed by the swords of the Israelites.
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 On the day that the Lord handed the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke by the Lord in the presence of the Israelites, saying, “Sun, stand still over Gibeon! Moon, stand still over the Valley of Aijalon!”
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 stopped moving, and the moon stood still, until the nation of Israel had inflicted defeat on their enemies. (This is recorded in the Book of Jashar). The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not go down for around a full day.
The sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jashar? The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and did not hurry to go down about a whole day.
14 There wasn't a day like this ever before or since when the Lord listened to a human voice in such a way. It was because the Lord was fighting for Israel.
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 Then Joshua and all the army returned to the camp at Gilgal.
Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp to Gilgal.
16 The five kings had run away and hid in a cave at Makkedah.
These five kings fled, and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.
17 When Joshua was told that the five kings were hiding in a cave at Makkedah,
Joshua was told, saying, “The five kings have been found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah.”
18 he gave this order, “Roll some large stones to block the entrance to the cave and have some men guard it.
Joshua said, “Roll large stones to cover the cave’s entrance, and set men by it to guard them;
19 But don't you stay there. Chase the enemy down and attack them from the rear. Don't let them escape to their towns for the Lord has given them to you to defeat.”
but do not stay there. Pursue your enemies, and attack them from the rear. Do not allow them to enter into their cities; for the LORD your God has delivered them into your hand.”
20 So Joshua and the Israelites totally defeated them, striking them down and killing them. Only a few of them survived to escape back to their towns.
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 The army returned to Joshua at the camp at Makkedah, and no one dared even to threaten the Israelites.
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 out the five kings to me from the cave.”
Then Joshua said, “Open the cave entrance, and bring those five kings out of the cave to me.”
23 So they did, bringing out the five kings from the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon.
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 had brought the kings to Joshua, he summoned all the fighting men, and said to the commanders who had gone with him, “Come here, and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came over and put their feet on their necks.
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 ever be afraid or discouraged! Be strong and be brave! For the Lord is going to do the same thing to all your enemies that you're going to fight!”
Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed. Be strong and courageous, for the LORD will do this to all your enemies against whom you fight.”
26 Then Joshua killed the kings and hung their bodies on five trees and left them hanging there until the evening.
Afterward Joshua struck them, put them to death, and hanged them on five trees. They were hanging on the trees until the evening.
27 As the sun went down Joshua gave the order to take their bodies down from the trees and throw them into the cave where they had been hiding. Then the Israelites piled up stones over the entrance to the cave, and they are there to this very day.
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 That day Joshua captured Makkedah, killing all its inhabitants, including the king. He set it apart and completely destroyed it and everyone in it, leaving no survivors. He killed the king of Makkedah just as he had killed the king of Jericho.
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 Then Joshua and the Israelite army left Makkedah and went to attack Libnah,
Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, to Libnah, and fought against Libnah.
30 and the Lord gave the town and its king to the Israelites. Joshua had everyone in it killed, leaving no survivors. He killed its king just as he had killed the king of Jericho.
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 Then Joshua and the Israelite army moved on from Libnah to Lachish, surrounding the town and attacking it.
Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it.
32 The Lord gave the town to the Israelites who captured it on the second day. Joshua had everyone in it killed, just as he had done in Libnah.
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 with his army to help Lachish, but Joshua and his men killed them, leaving no survivors.
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 and the Israelite army moved on from Lachish to Eglon, surrounding the town and attacking it.
Joshua passed from Lachish, and all Israel with him, to Eglon; and they encamped against it and fought against it.
35 They captured it the same day. Joshua had everyone in it killed that very day. He set it apart and completely destroyed it, just as he had done in Lachish.
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 and the Israelite army left Eglon and went to attack Hebron.
Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, to Hebron; and they fought against it.
37 They captured the town, as well as the towns nearby. Joshua had all the inhabitants killed, leaving no survivors. Just as he had done in Eglon, he set it apart and completely destroyed it and everyone in it.
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 Then Joshua and the Israelite army turned and went to attack Debir.
Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir, and fought against it.
39 He captured it and its king and all the towns nearby. Joshua had all the inhabitants killed, leaving no survivors. Just as he had done in Hebron, he set it apart and completely destroyed it and everyone in it. He killed the king of Debir just as he had killed the king of Libnah.
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 conquered the whole land—the hill country, the Negev, the foothills, and the slopes—and all their kings. He didn't leave a single survivor. He killed everyone as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded.
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 destroyed them from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza and the whole of the land from Goshen to Gibeon.
Joshua struck them from Kadesh Barnea even to Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even to Gibeon.
42 All the kings and their lands were conquered by Joshua in one campaign because the Lord, the God of Israel, was fighting for the Israelites.
Joshua took all these kings and their land at one time because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.
43 Joshua and the Israelite army then returned to the camp at Gilgal.
Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp to Gilgal.
