Chapter 10

Five Kings Attack Gibeon

1 Now it came about when Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai, and had 1utterly destroyed it (just aas he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king), and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had bmade peace with Israel and were 2within their land,

2 that 1he afeared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty.

3 Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word ato Hoham king of Hebron and to Piram king of Jarmuth and to Japhia king of Lachish and to Debir king of Eglon, saying,

4 “Come up to me and help me, and let us 1attack Gibeon, for it has amade peace with Joshua and with the sons of Israel.”

5 So the five kings of athe Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they with all their armies, and camped by Gibeon and fought against it.

6 Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Do not 1abandon your servants; come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites that live in the hill country have assembled against us.”

7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and aall the people of war with him and all the valiant warriors.

8 The Lord said to Joshua, “aDo not fear them, for I have given them into your hands; not 1one of them shall stand before you.”

9 So Joshua came upon them suddenly 1by marching all night from Gilgal.

10 aAnd the Lord confounded them before Israel, and He 1slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and pursued them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah.

11 As they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, athe Lord threw large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died; there were more who died 1from the hailstones than those whom the sons of Israel killed with the sword.

12 Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,

“O asun, stand still at Gibeon,

And O moon in the valley of Aijalon.”

13 aSo the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,

Until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies.

Is it not written in bthe book of Jashar? And cthe sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day.

14 There was no day like that before it or after it, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man; for athe Lord fought for Israel.

15 Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp to Gilgal.

Victory at Makkedah

16 Now these afive kings had fled and hidden themselves in the cave at Makkedah.

17 It was told Joshua, saying, “The five kings have been found hidden in the cave at Makkedah.”

18 Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and assign men by it to guard them,

19 but do not stay there yourselves; pursue your enemies and 1attack them in the rear. Do not allow them to enter their cities, for the Lord your God has delivered them into your hand.”

20 It came about when Joshua and the sons of Israel had finished 1slaying them with a very great slaughter, auntil they were destroyed, and the survivors who remained of them 2had entered the fortified cities,

21 that all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace. No one 1uttered a word against any of the sons of Israel.

22 Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring these five kings out to me from the cave.”

23 They did so, and abrought these five kings out to him from the cave: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.

24 When they brought these kings out to Joshua, Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, “Come near, aput your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came near and put their feet on their necks.

25 Joshua then said to them, “aDo not fear or be dismayed! Be strong and courageous, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies with whom you fight.”

26 So afterward Joshua struck them and put them to death, and he ahanged them on five trees; and they hung on the trees until evening.

27 It came about at 1sunset that Joshua gave a command, and athey took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and put large stones over the mouth of the cave, to this very day.

28 Now Joshua captured Makkedah on that day, and struck it and its king with the edge of the sword; ahe 1utterly destroyed 2it and every 3person who was in it. He left no survivor. Thus he did to the king of Makkedah bjust as he had done to the king of Jericho.

Joshua’s Conquest of Southern Palestine

29 Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Makkedah to aLibnah, and fought against Libnah.

30 The Lord gave it also with its king into the hands of Israel, and he struck it and every person who was in it with the edge of the sword. He left no survivor in it. Thus he did to its king just as he had done to the king of Jericho.

31 And Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Libnah to Lachish, and they camped by it and fought against it.

32 The Lord gave Lachish into the hands of Israel; and he captured it on the second day, and struck it and every person who was in it with the edge of the sword, according to all that he had done to Libnah.

33 Then Horam king of aGezer came up to help Lachish, and Joshua 1defeated him and his people until he had left him no survivor.

34 And Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Lachish to Eglon, and they camped by it and fought against it.

35 They captured it on that day and struck it with the edge of the sword; and he 1utterly destroyed that day every person who was in it, according to all that he had done to Lachish.

36 Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to aHebron, and they fought against it.

37 They captured it and struck it and its king and all its cities and all the persons who were in it with the edge of the sword. He left no survivor, according to all that he had done to Eglon. And he 1utterly destroyed it and every person who was in it.

38 Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to aDebir, and they fought against it.

39 He captured it and its king and all its cities, and they struck them with the edge of the sword, and 1utterly destroyed every person who was in it. He left no survivor. Just as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king, as he had also done to Libnah and its king.

40 Thus Joshua struck all the land, athe hill country and the 1Negev and the lowland and the slopes and ball their kings. He left no survivor, but che 2utterly destroyed all who breathed, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded.

41 Joshua struck them from Kadesh-barnea even as far as Gaza, and all the country of aGoshen even as far as Gibeon.

42 Joshua captured all these kings and their lands at one time, because athe Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.

43 So Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal.