< Joshua 10 >

1 Now it came to pass, when Adonizedec king of Jerusalem had 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;
Now Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai and devoted it to destruction —doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king—and that the people of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were living near them.
2 That they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty.
So Adoni-zedek and his people were greatly alarmed, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were mighty.
3 Wherefore Adonizedec king of Jerusalem, sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying,
Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying,
4 Come up unto me, and help me, that we may strike Gibeon: for it has made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.
“Come up and help me. We will attack Gibeon, because they have made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.”
5 Therefore 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, gathered themselves together, and went up, they and all their hosts, and encamped before Gibeon, and made war against it.
So the five kings of the Amorites—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon—joined forces and advanced with all their armies. They camped before Gibeon and made war against it.
6 And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not your hand from your servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us.
Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: “Do not abandon your servants. Come quickly and save us! Help us, because all the kings of the Amorites from the hill country have joined forces against us.”
7 So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour.
So Joshua and his whole army, including all the mighty men of valor, came from Gilgal.
8 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into your hand; there shall not a man of them stand before you.
The LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for I have delivered them into your hand. Not one of them shall stand against you.”
9 Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all night.
After marching all night from Gilgal, Joshua caught them by surprise.
10 And the LORD humiliated them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goes up to Bethhoron, and stroke them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah.
And the LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great slaughter at Gibeon, pursued them along the ascent to Beth-horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.
11 And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.
As they fled before Israel along the descent from Beth-horon to Azekah, the LORD cast down on them large hailstones from the sky, and more of them were killed by the hailstones than by the swords of the Israelites.
12 Then spoke Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand you still upon Gibeon; and you, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
On the day that the LORD gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the LORD in the presence of Israel: “O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”
13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
So the sun stood still and the moon stopped until the nation took vengeance upon its enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? “So the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day.”
14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.
There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD listened to the voice of a man, because the LORD fought for Israel.
15 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.
Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.
16 But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah.
Now the five kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah.
17 And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings are found hid in a cave at Makkedah.
And Joshua was informed: “The five kings have been found; they are hiding in the cave at Makkedah.”
18 And Joshua said, Roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave, and set men by it in order to keep them:
So Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and post men there to guard them.
19 And stay all of you not, but pursue after your enemies, and strike the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities: for the LORD your God has delivered them into your hand.
But you, do not stop there. Pursue your enemies and attack them from behind. Do not let them reach their cities, for the LORD your God has delivered them into your hand.”
20 And it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of Israel had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, till they were consumed, that the rest which remained of them entered into fenced cities.
So Joshua and the Israelites continued to inflict a terrible slaughter until they had finished them off, and the remaining survivors retreated to the fortified cities.
21 And all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace: none moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel.
The whole army returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah, and no one dared to utter a word against the Israelites.
22 Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave.
Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me.”
23 And they did so, and brought forth those five kings unto him out of the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.
So they brought the five kings out of the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon.
24 And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them.
When they had brought the kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had accompanied him, “Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So the commanders came forward and put their feet on their necks.
25 And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom all of you fight.
“Do not be afraid or discouraged,” Joshua said. “Be strong and courageous, for the LORD will do this to all the enemies you fight.”
26 And afterward Joshua stroke them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening.
After this, Joshua struck down and killed the kings, and he hung their bodies on five trees and left them there until evening.
27 And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun, that Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they had been hid, and laid great stones in the cave's mouth, which remain until this very day.
At sunset Joshua ordered that they be taken down from the trees and thrown into the cave in which they had hidden. Then large stones were placed against the mouth of the cave, and the stones are there to this day.
28 And that day Joshua took Makkedah, and stroke it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof he utterly destroyed, them, and all the souls that were therein; he let none remain: and he did to the king of Makkedah as he did unto the king of Jericho.
On that day Joshua captured Makkedah and put it to the sword, along with its king. He devoted to destruction everyone in the city, leaving no survivors. So he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.
29 Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, unto Libnah, and fought against Libnah:
Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against Libnah.
30 And the LORD delivered it also, and the king thereof, into the hand of Israel; and he stroke it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein; he let none remain in it; but did unto the king thereof as he did unto the king of Jericho.
And the LORD also delivered that city and its king into the hand of Israel, and Joshua put all the people to the sword, leaving no survivors. And he did to the king of Libnah as he had done to the king of Jericho.
31 And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, unto Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it:
And Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Libnah to Lachish. They laid siege to it and fought against it.
32 And the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, which took it on the second day, and stroke it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein, according to all that he had done to Libnah.
And the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, and Joshua captured it on the second day. He put all the people to the sword, just as he had done to Libnah.
33 Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua stroke him and his people, until he had left him none remaining.
At that time Horam king of Gezer went to help Lachish, but Joshua struck him down along with his people, leaving no survivors.
34 And from Lachish Joshua passed unto Eglon, and all Israel with him; and they encamped against it, and fought against it:
So Joshua moved on from Lachish to Eglon, and all Israel with him. They laid siege to it and fought against it.
35 And they took it on that day, and stroke it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein he utterly destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.
That day they captured Eglon and put it to the sword, and Joshua devoted to destruction everyone in the city, just as he had done to Lachish.
36 And Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, unto Hebron; and they fought against it:
Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron and fought against it.
37 And they took it, and stroke it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof, and all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but destroyed it utterly, and all the souls that were therein.
They captured it and put to the sword its king, all its villages, and all the people. Joshua left no survivors, just as he had done at Eglon; he devoted to destruction Hebron and everyone in it.
38 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir; and fought against it:
Finally Joshua and all Israel with him turned toward Debir and fought against it.
39 And he took it, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof; and they stroke them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining: as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to the king thereof; as he had done also to Libnah, and to her king.
And they captured Debir, its king, and all its villages. They put them to the sword and devoted to destruction everyone in the city, leaving no survivors. Joshua did to Debir and its king as he had done to Hebron and as he had done to Libnah and its king.
40 So Joshua stroke all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel commanded.
So Joshua conquered the whole region—the hill country, the Negev, the foothills, and the slopes, together with all their kings—leaving no survivors. He devoted to destruction everything that breathed, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded.
41 And Joshua stroke them from Kadeshbarnea even unto Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even unto Gibeon.
Joshua conquered the area from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, and the whole region of Goshen as far as Gibeon.
42 And all these kings and their land did Joshua take at the same, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.
And because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel, Joshua captured all these kings and their land in one campaign.
43 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.
Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.

< Joshua 10 >