Joshua 10

1When 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 inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were living among them,

2they were terrified, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities. It was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty warriors.

3So 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:

4“Come up to me and help me, and let us attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.”

5Then 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—joined forces and went up, they and all their armies. They camped against Gibeon and made war on it.

6The men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal: “Do not abandon your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who live in the hill country have gathered against us.”

7So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the fighting men with him, including all the mighty warriors.

8Yahweh said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to stand against you.”

9Joshua came upon them suddenly, after marching all night from Gilgal.

10Yahweh threw them into panic before Israel and struck them with a great slaughter at Gibeon. He chased them along the road that goes up to Beth-horon and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.

11As they fled before Israel down the slope from Beth-horon, Yahweh hurled great stones down on them from the sky all the way to Azekah, and they died. More died from the hailstones than the Israelites killed with the sword.

12On the day Yahweh gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to Yahweh. He said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”

13So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on its enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hurry to set for about a whole day.

14There has been no day like it before or since, when Yahweh listened to the voice of a man, for Yahweh fought for Israel.

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

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

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

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

19But as for you, do not stop. Pursue your enemies and attack them from the rear. Do not let them get into their cities, for Yahweh your God has given them into your hand.”

20When Joshua and the Israelites had finished striking them with a very great slaughter, until they were wiped out, and the survivors who escaped had gone into the fortified cities,

21all the people returned safely to Joshua at the camp at Makkedah. No one dared say a word against any of the Israelites.

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

23They 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.

24When they had brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the commanders of the fighting men who had gone with him, “Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came forward and put their feet on their necks.

25Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or dismayed. Be strong and courageous, for this is what Yahweh will do to all the enemies you fight.”

26After that Joshua struck them down and put them to death, and he hung them on five trees. They hung on the trees until evening.

27At sunset Joshua gave the command, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden. They placed large stones against the mouth of the cave, which are there to this very day.

28That day Joshua captured Makkedah and struck it with the edge of the sword. He devoted its king and every person in it to destruction; he left no survivor. He did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.

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

30Yahweh gave it also, with its king, into the hand of Israel. He struck it and every person in it with the edge of the sword; he left no survivor in it. He did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.

31Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Libnah to Lachish. He camped against it and fought against it.

32Yahweh gave Lachish into the hand of Israel, and he captured it on the second day. He struck it and every person in it with the edge of the sword, just as he had done to Libnah.

33Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish, but Joshua struck him and his people down until he had left him no survivor.

34Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Lachish to Eglon. They camped against it and fought against it.

35They captured it that same day and struck it with the edge of the sword. He devoted every person in it to destruction that day, just as he had done to Lachish.

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

37They captured it and struck it with the edge of the sword, together with its king, all its towns, and every person in it. He left no survivor, just as he had done to Eglon. He devoted it and every person in it to destruction.

38Then Joshua and all Israel with him turned back to Debir and fought against it.

39He captured it, with its king and all its towns. They struck them with the edge of the sword and devoted every person in it to destruction. He left no survivor. As he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king, just as he had done to Libnah and its king.

40So Joshua struck the whole land—the hill country, the Negev, the lowland, and the slopes—and all their kings. He left no survivor, but devoted everything that breathed to destruction, as Yahweh, the God of Israel, had commanded.

41Joshua struck them from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, and all the land of Goshen as far as Gibeon.

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

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