Joshua 10
1Now
it came to pass, when Adonizedec king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he
had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with
Israel, and were among them;
2That they feared
greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men
thereof were mighty.
3Wherefore Adonizedec
king of Jerusalem, sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto
Debir king of Eglon, saying,
4Come up unto
me, and help me, that we may smite Gibeon: for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.
5Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron,
the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together, and went up, they and all their
hosts, and encamped before Gibeon, and made war against it.
6And
the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly,
and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us.
7So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all
the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour.
8And
the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before
thee.
9Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly,
and went up from Gilgal all night.
10And the
LORD discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth
up to Bethhoron, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah.
11And
it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD cast down great stones
from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of
Israel slew with the sword.
12Then spake Joshua
to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of
Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
13And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their
enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down
about a whole day.
14And there was no day
like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.
15And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.
16But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah.
17And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings are found hid in a cave at Makkedah.
18And Joshua said, Roll great stones upon
the mouth of the cave, and set men by it for to keep them:
19And
stay ye not, but pursue after your enemies, and smite the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities: for
the LORD your God hath delivered them into your hand.
20And
it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of Israel had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, till
they were consumed, that the rest which remained of them entered into fenced cities.
21And all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace: none
moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel.
22Then
said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave.
23And they did so, and brought forth those five kings unto him out of the cave,
the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.
24And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua
called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet
upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them.
25And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage:
for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.
26And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging
upon the trees until the evening.
27And it
came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun, that Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast
them into the cave wherein they had been hid, and laid great stones in the cave's mouth, which remain until this very day.
28And that day Joshua took Makkedah, and smote
it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof he utterly destroyed, them, and all the souls that were therein; he let
none remain: and he did to the king of Makkedah as he did unto the king of Jericho.
29Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, unto Libnah, and fought against Libnah:
30And the LORD delivered it also, and the
king thereof, into the hand of Israel; and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein; he
let none remain in it; but did unto the king thereof as he did unto the king of Jericho.
31And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, unto Lachish, and encamped
against it, and fought against it:
32And the
LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, which took it on the second day, and smote it with the edge of the sword,
and all the souls that were therein, according to all that he had done to Libnah.
33Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua smote him and his people, until he had
left him none remaining.
34And from Lachish
Joshua passed unto Eglon, and all Israel with him; and they encamped against it, and fought against it:
35And they took it on that day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all
the souls that were therein he utterly destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.
36And Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, unto Hebron; and they
fought against it:
37And they took it, and
smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof, and all the souls that were therein;
he left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but destroyed it utterly, and all the souls that were
therein.
38And Joshua returned, and all Israel
with him, to Debir; and fought against it:
39And
he took it, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly
destroyed all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining: as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to the
king thereof; as he had done also to Libnah, and to her king.
40So
Joshua smote all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings: he
left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel commanded.
41And Joshua smote them from Kadeshbarnea even unto Gaza, and all the country of
Goshen, even unto Gibeon.
42And all these
kings and their land did Joshua take at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.
43And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.