Jos 10 | NASB1995 | STEP | Now it came about when Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai , and had utterly destroyed it (just as he had done to Jericho and its king , so he had done to Ai and its king ), and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were within their land ,

Joshua 10

Five Kings Attack Gibeon

1 Now it came about when Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai, and had ^{▼▼ Or put under the ban}utterly destroyed it (just ^bas he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king), and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had ^cmade peace with Israel and were ^{▼▼ Lit among them}within their land, 2 that ^{▼▼ Lit they}he ^ffeared 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 ^gto 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 ^{▼▼ Lit smite}attack Gibeon, for it has ⁱmade peace with Joshua and with the sons of Israel.” 5 So the five kings of ^jthe 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 ^{▼▼ Lit slacken your hands from}abandon 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 ^lall the people of war with him and all the valiant warriors. 8 The Lord said to Joshua, ^m“Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands; not ^{▼▼ Lit a man}one of them shall stand before you.” 9 So Joshua came upon them suddenly ^{▼▼ Lit he went up}by marching all night from Gilgal. 10 ^pAnd the Lord confounded them before Israel, and He ^{▼▼ Lit struck}slew 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, ^rthe Lord threw large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died; there were more who died ^{▼▼ Lit with}from 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 ^tsun, stand still at Gibeon,
And O moon in the valley of Aijalon.”
13 ^uSo the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,
Until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies.
Is it not written in ^vthe book of Jashar? And ^wthe 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 ^xthe Lord fought for Israel.

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

Victory at Makkedah

16 Now these ^yfive 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 ^{▼▼ Lit smite their tail}attack 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 ^{▼▼ Lit striking}slaying them with a very great slaughter, ^abuntil they were destroyed, and the survivors who remained of them ^{▼▼ Lit and had}had entered the fortified cities, 21 that all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace. No one ^{▼▼ Lit sharpened his tongue}uttered 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 ^aebrought 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, ^afput 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, ^ag“Do 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 ^ahhanged them on five trees; and they hung on the trees until evening. 27 It came about at ^{▼▼ Lit the time of the going of the sun}sunset that Joshua gave a command, and ^ajthey 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; ^akhe ^{▼▼ Or put under the ban}utterly destroyed ^{▼▼ Some mss read them}it and every ^{▼▼ Lit soul, and so throughout the ch}person who was in it. He left no survivor. Thus he did to the king of Makkedah ^aojust 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 ^apLibnah, 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 ^aqGezer came up to help Lachish, and Joshua ^{▼▼ Lit smote}defeated 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 ^{▼▼ Or put under the ban}utterly 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 ^atHebron, 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 ^{▼▼ Or put it under the ban}utterly destroyed it and every person who was in it.

38 Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to ^avDebir, 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 ^{▼▼ Or put it under the ban}utterly 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, ^axthe hill country and the ^{▼▼ I.e. South country}Negev and the lowland and the slopes and ^azall their kings. He left no survivor, but ^bahe ^{▼▼ Or put it under the ban}utterly 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 ^bcGoshen even as far as Gibeon. 42 Joshua captured all these kings and their lands at one time, because ^bdthe Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel. 43 So Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal.