Joshua 10
1 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 among them.
2 They were greatly afraid, because Gibeon was a large city, like one of the royal cities, larger than Ai, and all its men were warriors.
3 Adoni-Zedek, king of Jerusalem, sent word to Hoham, king of Hebron, to Piram, king of Jarmuth, to Japhia, king of Lachish, and to Debir, king of Eglon:
4 “Come up to me and help me, and let us attack Gibeon, because it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.”
5 The five kings of the Amorites joined forces and went up with all their armies: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. They camped before Gibeon and fought against it.
6 The people of Gibeon sent word to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal: “Do not abandon your servants. Come up to us quickly, save us, and help us, because all the Amorite kings who live in the hill country have gathered against us.”
7 Joshua went up from Gilgal with his entire army and all his best warriors.
8 The LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will stand against you.”
9 Joshua came upon them suddenly, marching up from Gilgal through the night.
10 The LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, and Israel inflicted a great defeat on them at Gibeon. They pursued them along the road up to Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah.
11 As they fled from Israel down the slope of Beth-horon, the LORD hurled large stones from the sky at them all the way to Azekah, and they died. More died from the hailstones than the Israelites killed with the sword.
12 Then Joshua spoke to the LORD on the day the LORD handed the Amorites over to the Israelites, and he said in Israel’s presence: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon; moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”
13 The sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation had taken 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 nearly a whole day.
14 There has never been a day like it, before or since, when the LORD listened to the voice of a man, because the LORD was fighting for Israel.
15 Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal.
16 Those five kings fled and hid in the cave at Makkedah.
17 Joshua was told, “The five kings have been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah.”
18 Joshua said, “Roll large stones to the mouth of the cave and post men there to guard them.
19 But you, do not stop. Pursue your enemies and attack their rear. Do not let them enter their cities, because the LORD your God has handed them over to you.”
20 When Joshua and the Israelites had finished inflicting a very great defeat on them, wiping them out, the few survivors who escaped entered the fortified cities.
21 All the people returned safely to Joshua at the camp in Makkedah. No one dared say a word against the Israelites.
22 Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me.”
23 They did so and brought the 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.
24 When they brought the kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the commanders of the warriors who had gone with him, “Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” They came forward and put their feet on their necks.
25 Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or dismayed. Be strong and courageous, for this is what the LORD will do to all the enemies you fight.”
26 Afterward Joshua struck them down and killed them, then hanged them on five trees. They remained hanging on the trees until evening.
27 At sunset Joshua gave the order, and they took them down from the trees, threw them into the cave where they had hidden, and placed large stones at the mouth of the cave. They are there to this very day.
28 That day Joshua captured Makkedah and struck it with the sword, along with its king. He devoted to destruction everyone in it and left no survivor. He did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.
29 Joshua and all Israel with him went from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against Libnah.
30 The LORD also handed it over to Israel, along with its king. Israel struck it with the sword, along with everyone in it, and left no survivor there. Joshua did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.
31 Joshua and all Israel with him went from Libnah to Lachish. They camped against it and fought against it.
32 The LORD handed Lachish over to Israel. Israel captured it on the second day and struck it with the sword, along with everyone in it, just as they had done to Libnah.
33 Then Horam, king of Gezer, came up to help Lachish, but Joshua struck him and his people down, leaving him no survivor.
34 Joshua and all Israel with him went from Lachish to Eglon. They camped against it and fought against it.
35 They captured it that day and struck it with the sword. That day Joshua devoted everyone in it to destruction, just as he had done to Lachish.
36 Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron and fought against it.
37 They captured it and struck it with the sword, along with its king, all its towns, and everyone in it. He left no survivor, doing to it as he had done to Eglon. He devoted it and everyone in it to destruction.
38 Joshua and all Israel with him turned toward Debir and fought against it.
39 He captured it, along with its king and all its towns. They struck them with the sword and devoted everyone in it to destruction, leaving no survivor. As he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king, and as he had done to Libnah and its king.
40 Joshua struck the whole land—the hill country, the Negev, the Shephelah, and the slopes—and all its kings. He left no survivor and devoted every living creature to destruction, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded.
41 Joshua struck them from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, and the whole land of Goshen as far as Gibeon.
42 Joshua captured all these kings and their lands at one time, because the LORD, the God of Israel, was fighting for Israel.
43 Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal.
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