CHAPTER 10
Now
Adoni-zedek
king
of Jerusalem
heard
that
Joshua
had captured
Ai
and completely destroyed it,
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 among them.
So Adoni-zedek and his people were gre
alarmed,
because
Gibeon
was a great
city,
like one
of the royal
cities;
it
was larger
than
Ai,
and all
its men
were warriors.
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,
“Come up
and help me.
We will attack
Gibeon,
because
they have made peace
with
Joshua
and the Israelites.”
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.
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."
The LORD
said
to
Joshua,
“Do not
be afraid
of them,
for
I have given them
into your hands.
Not
one
of them
shall stand
against you.”
The LORD
threw them into confusion
before
Israel,
who defeated
them in a great
slaughter
at Gibeon,
pursued
them through
the ascent
to Beth-horon,
and struck them down
as
far as Azekah
and Makkedah.
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.
On the day
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.”
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
almost a full
day."
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.
And Joshua
was informed:
“The five
kings
have been found;
they are hiding
in the cave
at Makkedah.”
So Joshua
said,
“Roll
large
stones
against
the mouth
of the cave,
and post
men
there
to guard them.
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.”
So Joshua
and the Israelites
finished
inflicting
a terrible
slaughter
until
they had finished them off,
and the remaining
survivors
retreated
to
the fortified
cities.
The whole
army
returned
safely
to
Joshua
in
the camp
at Makkedah;
no one
dared to utter
a word
against
the Israelites.
So
they
brought
the
five
kings
out of
the cave—
the kings
of Jerusalem,
Hebron,
Jarmuth,
Lachish,
and Eglon.
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.
“Do not
be afraid
or discouraged,”
Joshua
said.
“Be strong
and courageous,
for
the LORD
will do
this
to all
the enemies
you
fight.”
After
this,
Joshua
struck down
and killed the kings,
and he hung
their bodies on
five
trees
and left them
there
until
evening.
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.
On that
day
Joshua
captured
Makkedah
and struck it down
with the sword,
along with
its king.
He completely destroyed
it
and everyone
in it,
leaving
no
survivors.
So he did
to the king
of Makkedah
as
he had done
to the king
of Jericho.
And the LORD
also
delivered
that city
and its king
into the hands
of Israel,
and
Joshua struck down
all
the people
with the sword,
leaving
no
survivors.
And he did
to the king of Libnah
as
he had done
to the king
of Jericho.
And Joshua
and all
Israel
with him
moved on
from Libnah
to Lachish.
They laid siege
to it
and fought
against it.
And the LORD
delivered
Lachish
into the hands
of Israel,
and Joshua captured
it on the second
day.
He struck down
all
the people
with the sword,
just as
he had done
to Libnah.
At that time
Horam
king
of Gezer
went
to help
Lachish,
but Joshua
struck him down
along with his people,
leaving
no
survivors.
So Joshua
moved on
from Lachish
to Eglon,
and all
Israel
with him.
They laid siege
to it
and fought
against it.
That same
day
they captured Eglon
and struck down
all
the people
with the sword.
Joshua completely destroyed
it that
day,
just as
he had done
to Lachish.
They captured it
and struck down
with the sword
its king,
all
its villages,
and
all
the people.
Joshua left
no
survivors,
just as
he had done
at Eglon;
he completely destroyed
Hebron
and everyone
in it.
And they captured the city
and
its king
and
all
its villages.
They struck them down
with the sword
and completely destroyed
all
the people,
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.
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 completely destroyed
all
that breathed,
just as
the LORD,
the God
of Israel,
had commanded.
Joshua
conquered the area
from
Kadesh-barnea
to
Gaza,
and the whole
region
of Goshen
as far as
Gibeon.
And because
the LORD,
the God
of Israel,
fought
for Israel,
Joshua
captured
all
these
kings
and their land
in one
campaign.