< Joshua 10 >
1 Now when Adoni-zedek King of Ierusalem had heard how Ioshua had taken Ai and had destroyed it, (for as he had done to Iericho and to the King thereof, so he had done to Ai and to the King thereof) and howe the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them,
Later, Adonizedek, the king of Jerusalem, heard that Joshua’s army had captured Ai [town] and had destroyed everything in the town. He heard that they had done to the people of Ai and to their king the same thing that they had done to the people of Jericho and their king. He also heard that the people of Gibeon [city] had made a peace treaty with the Israeli people, and that the people of Gibeon were now living near the Israelis and being protected by them.
2 Then they feared exceedingly: for Gibeon was a great citie, as one of the royall cities: for it was greater then Ai, and all the men thereof were mightie.
Because of that, he and the people whom he ruled became very afraid, because Gibeon was an important city, like the other cities that had kings. And [even though] Gibeon was a larger city than Ai and all its soldiers were good fighters, [they thought Joshua’s army might defeat them].
3 Wherefore Adoni-zedek King of Ierusalem sent vnto Hoham King of Hebron, and vnto Piram King of Iarmuth, and vnto Iapia King of Lachish, and vnto Debir King of Eglon, saying,
So King Adonizedek sent a message to Hosham the king of Hebron [city], to Piram the king of Jarmuth [city], to Jarmuth the king of Lachish [city], and to Debir the king of Eglon [city].
4 Come vp vnto me, and helpe me, that we may smite Gibeon: for they haue made peace with Ioshua and with the children of Israel.
In the message he said, “Please come up with your armies and help me to attack Gibeon, because the people of Gibeon have made a peace treaty with Joshua and the Israelis.”
5 Therefore the fiue Kings of the Amorites, the King of Ierusalem, the King of Hebron, the King of Iarmuth, the King of Lachish, and the King of Eglon gathered themselues together, and went vp, they with all their hostes, and besieged Gibeon, and made warre against it.
So those five kings who ruled all the groups who were descendants of Amor—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Debir—came up with all of their soldiers and surrounded the city. Then they prepared to attack it.
6 And the men of Gibeon sent vnto Ioshua, euen to the hoste to Gilgal, saying, Withdrawe not thine hand from thy seruants: come vp to vs quickly, and saue vs, and helpe vs: for all the Kings of the Amorites which dwell in the mountaines, are gathered together against vs.
So the people of Gibeon sent a message to Joshua while he was in the camp at Gilgal. They said, “We are your servants. So do not forsake us. Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, because the kings of all of the groups descended from Amor and their armies have joined their forces and have come from the hilly area to attack us!”
7 So Ioshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of warre with him, and all the men of might.
So Joshua and all his army, including the soldiers who were his best fighting men, marched up from Gilgal.
8 And the Lord sayd vnto Ioshua, Feare them not: for I haue giuen them into thine hand: none of them shall stand against thee.
Then Yahweh said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of those armies! I will enable your army to defeat them [IDM]. None of them will be able to (resist/fight and defeat) your army.”
9 Ioshua therefore came vnto them suddenly: for he went vp from Gilgal all the night.
Joshua’s army marched all night and arrived very early in the morning.
10 And the Lord discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth vp to Beth-horon, and smote them to Azekah and to Makkedah.
They attacked their enemies before anyone knew that they had come. Yahweh caused their enemies to (become very confused/start running in all directions) when they saw the Israeli army. As a result, the Israeli army defeated them very severely at Gibeon [and killed many of them]. The rest of them fled along the road that goes up to Beth-Horon. But the Israeli army pursued them and killed them all along the road that goes to Azekah and Makkedah towns.
11 And as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going downe to Beth-horon, the Lord cast downe great stones from heauen vpon them, vntill Azekah, and they dyed: they were more that dyed with the hailestones, then they whom the children of Israel slewe with the sword.
As they fled in front of the Israeli army, Yahweh threw down huge hailstones from the sky. As a result, more of them died from hailstones falling on them than died as a result of the Israeli army killing them with swords.
12 Then spake Ioshua to the Lord, in the day when the Lord gaue the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he sayd in the sight of Israel, Sunne, stay thou in Gibeon, and thou moone, in the valley of Aialon.
On the day that Yahweh enabled the Israeli army to defeat the groups who were descendants of Amor, Joshua said to Yahweh while the Israeli people were listening, “Yahweh, cause the sun to stand still over Gibeon, and cause the moon to not move when it is over Aijalon Valley.”
13 And the Sunne abode, and the moone stood still, vntill the people auenged themselues vpon their enemies: (Is not this written in the booke of Iasher?) so the Sunne abode in the middes of the heauen, and hasted not to goe downe for a whole day.
And that is what happened. The sun stood still, and the moon did not move, until the Israeli army defeated their enemies. That is what has been written in the book that Jashar wrote. The sun stopped while it was in the middle of the sky, and did not (set/go down) for about a whole day.
14 And there was no day like that before it, nor after it, that the Lord heard the voyce of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel.
On that day Yahweh did a great miracle that someone asked him to do. There was never a day like that previously, and there has never been a day like that since. Yahweh was certainly fighting for the Israeli people!
15 After, Ioshua returned, and all Israel with him vnto the campe to Gilgal:
After Joshua’s army defeated their enemies, they all returned to their camp at Gilgal.
16 But the fiue Kings fled and were hid in a caue at Makkedah.
While the enemy soldiers were fleeing from Joshua’s army, their five kings also fled and hid in a cave at Makkedah [town].
17 And it was tolde Ioshua, saying, The fiue Kings are found hid in a caue at Makkedah.
Then someone told Joshua, “We found those five kings, hiding in a cave at Makkedah!”
18 Then Ioshua said, Roule great stones vpon the mouth of the caue, and set men by it for to keepe them.
When Joshua heard that, he said, “Roll some very large rocks to the entrance of the cave so that the kings cannot escape, and leave some soldiers there to guard it.
19 But stand ye not still: follow after your enemies, and smite all the hindmost, suffer them not to enter into their cities: for the Lord your God hath giuen them into your hand.
But do not stay there! Pursue our enemies! Attack them from behind! Do not allow them to escape to their cities, because Yahweh, our God, will enable you to defeat/kill them. [IDM]”
20 And when Ioshua and the children of Israel had made an ende of slaying them with an exceeding great slaughter till they were consumed, and the rest that remained of them were entred into walled cities,
So Joshua’s army did what he told them to do. They killed almost all of the enemy soldiers, but a few of them were able to reach their cities and be safe inside the walls of the cities.
21 Then all the people returned to the campe, to Ioshua at Makkedah in peace: no man mooued his tongue against the children of Israel.
Then Joshua’s army returned to Joshua, who was still in their camp at Makkedah. No one in the land dared to criticize [MTY] the Israelis.
22 After, Ioshua sayd, Open the mouth of the caue, and bring out these fiue Kings vnto me forth of the caue.
Then Joshua said, “Open the entrance of the cave, and bring out to me those five kings!”
23 And they did so, and brought out those fiue Kings vnto him forth of the caue, euen the King of Ierusalem, the King of Hebron, ye King of Iarmuth, the King of Lachish, and the King of Eglon.
So the soldiers brought those five kings out of the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon.
24 And when they had brought out those Kings vnto Ioshua, Ioshua called for all the men of Israel, and sayd vnto the chiefe of the men of warre, which went with him, Come neere, set your feete vpon the necks of these Kings: and they came neere and set their feete vpon their necks.
When they brought those kings to Joshua [and forced them to lie on the ground], he summoned all the Israeli soldiers, and then he said to the army commanders, “Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings!” So the commanders did that.
25 And Ioshua sayd vnto them, Feare not, nor be faint hearted, but be strong and of a good courage: for thus will the Lord doe to all your enemies, against whome ye fight.
Then Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid of any of our enemies! Never be discouraged! Be strong and courageous. This is what Yahweh will do to all the enemies you will fight!”
26 So then Ioshua smote them, and slewe them, and hanged them on fiue trees, and they hanged still vpon the trees vntill the euening.
Then Joshua killed each of the five kings with his sword, and told his soldiers to hang the bodies of the five kings on trees. So they did that, and they left the bodies hanging on the trees until sunset.
27 And at the going downe of the sunne, Ioshua gaue commandement, that they should take them downe off the trees, and cast them into the caue (wherein they had bene hid) and they layde great stones vpon the caues mouth, which remaine vntill this day.
At sunset, Joshua told them to take the bodies down from the trees and throw them into the cave where they had been hiding. So the soldiers did that, and then they put those large rocks at the entrance of the cave again. Those rocks are still there.
28 And that same day Ioshua tooke Makkedah and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the King thereof destroyed he with them, and all the soules that were therein, he let none remaine: for hee did to the King of Makkedah as he had done vnto the King of Iericho.
That is how Joshua’s army attacked and captured Makkedah. They killed the king and everyone else in the town. They did not leave anyone alive. They did to the king of Makkedah the same thing that they had done to the king of Jericho.
29 Then Ioshua went from Makkedah, and all Israel with him vnto Libnah, and fought against Libnah.
That same day, Joshua and his Israeli army went [southwest] from Makkedah to Libnah [city] and attacked it.
30 And the Lord gaue it also and the King thereof into the hand of Israel: and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the soules that were therein: he let none remaine in it: for he did vnto the King thereof, as he had done vnto the King of Iericho.
Yahweh enabled the Israelis to conquer [MTY] that city and its king. They killed everyone in the city; they did not (spare anyone/allow anyone to remain alive). They killed the king of Libnah just like they had killed the king of Jericho.
31 And Ioshua departed from Libnah, and all Israel with him vnto Lachish, and besieged it, and assaulted it.
Then Joshua and his army went [south] from Libnah to Lachish [city]. They surrounded the city and attacked it.
32 And the Lord gaue Lachish into the hand of Israel, which tooke it the second day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the soules that were therein, according to all as he had done to Libnah.
On the second day of the battle, Yahweh enabled the Israelis to conquer [MTY] the city. And like they had done at Libnah, they killed everyone [DOU] in the city.
33 Then Horam King of Gezer came vp to helpe Lachish: but Ioshua smote him and his people, vntill none of his remained.
King Horam from Gezer [city and his army] came to help [the soldiers of] Lachish, but Joshua’s [army] defeated Horam and his army, and did not allow any of them to remain alive.
34 And from Lachish Ioshua departed vnto Eglon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged it, and assaulted it,
Then Joshua and his army went [west] from Lachish to Eglon [city]. They surrounded the city and attacked it.
35 And they tooke it the same day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the soules that were therein he vtterly destroyed the same day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.
On that day, they captured the city and killed [MTY] everyone in it [DOU], just like they had done at Lachish.
36 Then Ioshua went vp from Eglon, and all Israel with him vnto Hebron, and they fought against it.
Then Joshua and his army went [west from Eglon] up [into the hills] to Hebron [city]. They attacked the city
37 And when they had taken it, they smote it with the edge of the sword, and the King thereof, and all the cities thereof, and all the soules that were therein: he left none remaining, according to all as he had done to Eglon: for he destroyed it vtterly, and all the soules that were therein.
and captured it. They killed the king and everyone else, just like they had done at Eglon. They did not allow anyone to remain alive.
38 So Ioshua returned, and all Israel with him to Debir, and fought against it.
Then Joshua and his army turned [south] and went to Debir [city] and attacked it.
39 And when he had taken it, and the King thereof, and all the citie thereof, they smote them with the edge of the sword, and vtterly destroyed all the soules that were therein, he let none remaine: as he did to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to the King thereof, as he had also done to Libnah, and to the King thereof.
They captured the city and its king, and also captured the nearby towns. Then they killed everyone [DOU]; they did to the people there the same thing that they had done at Hebron and Libnah.
40 So Ioshua smote all the hill countreys, and the South countreys, and the valleys, and the hill sides, and all their Kings, and let none remaine, but vtterly destroyed euery soule, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded.
That is how Joshua [and his army] conquered the entire southern part of Canaan. They defeated the kings [who ruled] the hilly area, the dry southern area, the [western] foothills, and the [eastern] slopes. They killed everyone [DOU] in those areas; they did not allow anyone to remain alive.
41 And Ioshua smote them from Kadesh-barnea euen vnto Azzah, and all the countrey of Goshen, euen vnto Gibeon.
Joshua’s soldiers captured all the cities from Kadesh-Barnea [city] in the far south to Gaza [city] near the coast, including all the Goshen area, and north to Gibeon [city].
42 And all these Kings, and their land did Ioshua take at one time, because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel.
At that one time, Joshua’s army conquered all the kings and captured all the territory that they [ruled]. They were able to do that because Yahweh, the God whom the Israeli people [worship], was fighting for them.
43 Afterward, Ioshua and all Israel with him returned vnto the campe in Gilgal.
Then Joshua and his army returned to their camp at Gilgal.