Joshua 10

Five Kings Attack Gibeon

1Now it came about when Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai, and had 1utterly destroyed it (just 2as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king), and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had 3made peace with Israel and were 4within their land, 2that 5he 6feared 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. 3Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word 7to 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 8attack Gibeon, for it has 9made peace with Joshua and with the sons of Israel.” 5So the five kings of 10the 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.

6Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Do not 11abandon 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.” 7So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and 12all the people of war with him and all the valiant warriors. 8The Lord said to Joshua, “13Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands; not 14one of them shall stand before you.” 9So Joshua came upon them suddenly 15by marching all night from Gilgal. 1016And the Lord confounded them before Israel, and He 17slew 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. 11As they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, 18the Lord threw large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died; there were more who died 19from the hailstones than those whom the sons of Israel killed with the sword.

12Then 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 20sun, stand still at Gibeon, And O moon in the valley of Aijalon.”1321So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, Until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies. Is it not written in 22the book of Jashar? And 23the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. 14There was no day like that before it or after it, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man; for 24the Lord fought for Israel.

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

Victory at Makkedah

16Now these 25five kings had fled and hidden themselves in the cave at Makkedah. 17It was told Joshua, saying, “The five kings have been found hidden in the cave at Makkedah.” 18Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and assign men by it to guard them, 19but do not stay there yourselves; pursue your enemies and 26attack them in the rear. Do not allow them to enter their cities, for the Lord your God has delivered them into your hand.” 20It came about when Joshua and the sons of Israel had finished 27slaying them with a very great slaughter, 28until they were destroyed, and the survivors who remained of them 29had entered the fortified cities, 21that all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace. No one 30uttered a word against any of the sons of Israel.

22Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring these five kings out to me from the cave.” 23They did so, and 31brought 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. 24When 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, 32put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came near and put their feet on their necks. 25Joshua then said to them, “33Do not fear or be dismayed! Be strong and courageous, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies with whom you fight.” 26So afterward Joshua struck them and put them to death, and he 34hanged them on five trees; and they hung on the trees until evening. 27It came about at 35sunset that Joshua gave a command, and 36they 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.

28Now Joshua captured Makkedah on that day, and struck it and its king with the edge of the sword; 37he 38utterly destroyed 39it and every 40person who was in it. He left no survivor. Thus he did to the king of Makkedah 41just as he had done to the king of Jericho.

Joshua’s Conquest of Southern Palestine

29Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Makkedah to 42Libnah, and fought against Libnah. 30The 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.

31And Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Libnah to Lachish, and they camped by it and fought against it. 32The 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.

33Then Horam king of 43Gezer came up to help Lachish, and Joshua 44defeated him and his people until he had left him no survivor.

34And Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Lachish to Eglon, and they camped by it and fought against it. 35They captured it on that day and struck it with the edge of the sword; and he 45utterly destroyed that day every person who was in it, according to all that he had done to Lachish.

36Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to 46Hebron, and they fought against it. 37They 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 47utterly destroyed it and every person who was in it.

38Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to 48Debir, and they fought against it. 39He captured it and its king and all its cities, and they struck them with the edge of the sword, and 49utterly 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.

40Thus Joshua struck all the land, 50the hill country and the 51Negev and the lowland and the slopes and 52all their kings. He left no survivor, but 53he 54utterly destroyed all who breathed, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded. 41Joshua struck them from Kadesh-barnea even as far as Gaza, and all the country of 55Goshen even as far as Gibeon. 42Joshua captured all these kings and their lands at one time, because 56the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel. 43So Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal.