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10 And when Adonizedek, king of Jerusalem, had heard these things, that is, that Joshua had taken Ai, and had destroyed it; for as Joshua had done to Jericho and to the king thereof, so he did to Ai and to the king thereof; and that (the) men of Gibeon had fled (over) to Israel, and were bound in peace with them (and had made a covenant with them),

Adonizedek dreaded greatly (Adonizedek greatly feared); for Gibeon was a great city, and one of the king’s cities, and greater than the city of Ai, and all the fighters thereof were most strong.

Therefore Adonizedek, king of Jerusalem, sent to Hoham, king of Hebron, and to Piram, king of Jarmuth, and to Japhia, king of Lachish, and to Debir, king of Eglon, and said,

Ascend ye to me, and help me (Come ye up to me, and help me), (so) that we (can) fight against Gibeon, for it was yielded to Joshua, and to the sons of Israel.

Therefore (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, were gathered (together), and ascended together with their hosts; and setted tents against Gibeon (and pitched their tents opposite Gibeon), and fought against it.

Soothly the dwellers of the city of Gibeon sent to Joshua, that dwelled then in tents at Gilgal, and said to him, Withdraw not thine hands from the help of thy servants; go up soon, and deliver us, and [bring] help; for all the kings of Amorites, that dwelled in the hilly places, came together against us. (And the inhabitants of the city of Gibeon sent to Joshua, who then lived in the camp at Gilgal, and said to him, Do not thou withdraw thy hands from helping thy slaves; come up soon, and help us, and rescue us; for all the kings of the Amorites, who live in the hill country, have come up together against us.)

And Joshua went up from Gilgal, (he) and all the host of fighters with him, the most strong men.

And the Lord said to Joshua, Dread thou not them (Do not thou fear them), for I have given them into thine hands; and none of them shall be able to against-stand thee.

Therefore Joshua felled suddenly on them, and went up all that night from Gilgal; (And so Joshua fell suddenly upon them, after going up all that night from Gilgal;)

10 and the Lord troubled them from the face of Israel, and all-brake (them) with great vengeance in Gibeon. And Joshua pursued them by the way of the ascending of Bethhoron, and smote till to Azekah and Makkedah. (and the Lord confounded them before the Israelites, and destroyed them with great vengeance in Gibeon. And Joshua pursued them by way of the ascent to Bethhoron, and struck them down unto Azekah and Makkedah.)

11 And when they fled the sons of Israel, and were in the going down of Bethhoron, the Lord sent great stones upon them from heaven, till they came to Azekah; and many more were dead by the hailstones, than they which the sons of Israel killed with sword. (And when they fled from the Israelites, and were on the descent from Bethhoron, the Lord sent great hailstones upon them from the heavens, until they came to Azekah; and many more died from the hailstones, than they whom the Israelites killed with their swords.)

12 Then Joshua spake to the Lord, in the day in which he betook Amorites in the sight of the sons of Israel; and Joshua said before the people, Sun, be thou not moved against Gibeon, and the moon, against the valley of Ajalon. (And Joshua spoke to the Lord, on the day in which he delivered the Amorites into the hands of the Israelites; and Joshua said before the people, Sun, stand thou still over Gibeon, and Moon, stand thou still over the Ajalon Valley.)

13 And the sun and the moon stood, unto the time the folk of God had venged themselves of their enemies. Whether this is not written in the book of just men? And so the sun stood in the midst of heaven, and it hasted not to go down in the space of a day; (And so the sun and the moon stood still, until the time that the people of God had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? And so the sun stood still in the midst of the heavens, and it hastened not to go down in the space of a day;)

14 so long a day was not before and afterward (there was never so long a day, before or afterward); for the Lord obeyed to the voice of a man, and he fought for Israel.

15 And Joshua turned again, with all Israel, into the tents of Gilgal. (And then Joshua, and all Israel, returned to their tents in Gilgal.)

16 For the five kings fled, and hid themselves in the den of the city of Makkedah. (But those five kings had escaped, and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.)

17 And it was told to Joshua, that the five kings were found hid in the den of the city of Makkedah. (And Joshua was told that the five kings were found hiding in the cave of Makkedah.)

18 And Joshua commanded to fellows, and said, Wallow ye great stones to the mouth of the den, and put ye witting men, that shall keep the (en)closed kings; (And Joshua commanded to his men, and said, Roll ye some great stones to the mouth of the cave, and put ye some able men there who shall keep the kings enclosed;)

19 soothly do not ye stand, but pursue ye the enemies, and slay ye all the last of (the) fleers; and suffer ye not them to enter into the strongholds of their cities (and do not allow them to enter into the strongholds of their cities), the which enemies your Lord God hath betaken in(to) your hands.

20 Then when the adversaries were beaten with great vengeance, and were almost wasted unto the death, they that might flee Israel, entered into the strengthened cities. (And so when their adversaries were beaten with a great vengeance, and were almost destroyed unto the death, the few who escaped from the Israelites, entered into their strengthened cities.)

21 And all the host turned again whole, and in whole number to Joshua, into Makkedah, where the tents were then; and no man was hardy to grouch against the sons of Israel (and no one was fool-hardy enough to grumble against the Israelites).

22 And Joshua commanded, and said, Open ye the mouth of the den (Open ye the mouth of the cave), and bring forth to me the five kings that be hid(den) therein.

23 And the servants did, as it was commanded to them; and they brought forth to Joshua the five kings from the den; the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.

24 And when they were led out to Joshua, he called all the men of Israel, and said to the princes of the host, that were with him, Go ye, and set your feet on the necks of these kings. And when they had gone, and treaded the necks of the kings subject to their feet (And when they had come, and put their feet on the necks of those kings),

25 again Joshua said to Israel, Do not ye dread, neither be ye afeared, be ye comforted, and be ye strong; for so the Lord shall do to all your enemies, against which ye shall fight. (Joshua said to the people of Israel, Fear ye not, nor be ye afraid, but be ye encouraged, and be ye strong; for so shall the Lord do to all of your enemies, whom ye shall fight against.)

26 And Joshua smote those kings (And Joshua struck those kings), and killed them, and he hanged them (up) on five trees; and they were hanged unto the eventide.

27 And when the sun went down, he commanded to fellows, that they should put them down from the gibbets; and when they were put down, they casted forth them into the den, in which they were hid; and they putted great stones on the mouth thereof, which stones dwell till to [the] present time. (And when the sun went down, he commanded to his men, that they should take them down from the gallows, or the trees; and when they had taken them down, they threw them forth into the cave in which they were hidden; and they put great stones on the mouth of it, which stones remain there unto this present time.)

28 In the same day, Joshua took Makkedah, and smote by the sharpness of sword, and killed the king thereof, and all the dwellers thereof; he left not therein, namely, (any) little relics; and he did to the king of Makkedah, as he had done to the king of Jericho. (On the same day, Joshua took Makkedah, and struck it with the sharpness of their swords, and killed its king, and all of its inhabitants; he left nothing of value, or any remnant, there; and so he did to the king of Makkedah, as he had done to the king of Jericho.)

29 And Joshua passed (forth) with all Israel from Makkedah into Libnah, and he fought against it,

30 which city the Lord betook, with the king thereof, in the hand of Israel; and men of Israel smote that city by the sharpness of sword, and all the dwellers thereof, and they left not therein anything of value, or relics; and they did to the king of Libnah as they had done to the king of Jericho. (which city the Lord delivered, with its king, into the hands of the Israelites; and the men of Israel struck that city, and all its inhabitants, with the sharpness of their swords, and they left nothing of value, or any remnant, there; and so they did to the king of Libnah as they had done to the king of Jericho.)

31 From Libnah, Joshua passed (forth) with all Israel, into Lachish; and when the host was ordained by compass, he fought against it.

32 And the Lord betook Lachish in the hand of the sons of Israel; and Joshua took Lachish in the second day, and smote (it) by the sharpness of sword, and each man, that was therein, as he had done to Libnah. (And the Lord delivered Lachish into the hands of the Israelites; and Joshua took Lachish on the second day, and struck it with the sharpness of their swords, and killed every person who was there, as he had done in Libnah.)

33 In that time (At that time), Horam, king of Gezer, went up to help Lachish; whom Joshua smote, with all his people, till to [the] death.

34 And Joshua passed from Lachish into Eglon, and compassed it, and overcame it in the same day; (And then Joshua went forth from Lachish into Eglon, and surrounded it, and overcame it on the same day;)

35 and he smote by the sharpness of sword all men that were therein, (as) by all things that he had done to Lachish. (and he struck all who were there with the sharpness of their swords, just as he had done in Lachish.)

36 Also Joshua went up with all Israel from Eglon into Hebron, and he fought against Hebron,

37 and he took (it), and smote it by the sharpness of (the) sword; and the king thereof, and all the cities of that country, and all men that dwelled therein; he left not any things of value, or relics, therein (he left nothing of value, or any remnant, there); as he had done to Eglon so he did also to Hebron, and wasted by (the) sword all things that were therein.

38 From thence Joshua turned (again) into Debir, and took, and wasted it; (From there Joshua returned to Debir, and took it, and destroyed it;)

39 and he smote by (the) sharpness of (the) sword the king thereof, and all the towns about it; and he left not any things of value, or relics, therein (and he left nothing of value, or any remnant, there); as he had done to Hebron, and to Libnah, and to their kings, so he did to Debir, and to the king thereof.

40 And so Joshua smote all the land of the hills, and of the south, and of the field, and Ashdod, with their kings; he left not therein any relics, (or anything of value), but he killed all thing(s) that might breath, as the Lord God of Israel commanded to him; (And so Joshua struck down all the people of the hill country, and of the lands of the south, and of the plains, and of the springs, and all their kings; he left nothing of value, or any remnant, there, but he killed everything that lived, as the Lord God of Israel commanded to him;)

41 from Kadeshbarnea unto Gaza, and all the land of Goshen, unto Gibeon,

42 Joshua took, and wasted with one fierceness all the kings, and their countries; for the Lord God of Israel fought for him. (Joshua took, and destroyed all the kings, and their lands, with one fierceness; for the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel.)

43 And Joshua turned again with all Israel to the place of (their) tents in Gilgal. (And then Joshua returned with all the Israelites to their camp in Gilgal.)

The Sun Stands Still

10 Now Adoni-Zedek(A) king of Jerusalem(B) heard that Joshua had taken Ai(C) and totally destroyed[a](D) it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and that the people of Gibeon(E) had made a treaty of peace(F) with Israel and had become their allies. He and his people were very much alarmed at this, because Gibeon was an important city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were good fighters. So Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem appealed to Hoham king of Hebron,(G) Piram king of Jarmuth,(H) Japhia king of Lachish(I) and Debir(J) king of Eglon.(K) “Come up and help me attack Gibeon,” he said, “because it has made peace(L) with Joshua and the Israelites.”

Then the five kings(M) of the Amorites(N)—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon—joined forces. They moved up with all their troops and took up positions against Gibeon and attacked it.

The Gibeonites then sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal:(O) “Do not abandon your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, because all the Amorite kings from the hill country have joined forces against us.”

So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army,(P) including all the best fighting men. The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid(Q) of them; I have given them into your hand.(R) Not one of them will be able to withstand you.”(S)

After an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua took them by surprise. 10 The Lord threw them into confusion(T) before Israel,(U) so Joshua and the Israelites defeated them completely at Gibeon.(V) Israel pursued them along the road going up to Beth Horon(W) and cut them down all the way to Azekah(X) and Makkedah.(Y) 11 As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah, the Lord hurled large hailstones(Z) down on them,(AA) and more of them died from the hail than were killed by the swords of the Israelites.

12 On the day the Lord gave the Amorites(AB) over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel:

“Sun, stand still over Gibeon,
    and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.(AC)
13 So the sun stood still,(AD)
    and the moon stopped,
    till the nation avenged itself on[b] its enemies,

as it is written in the Book of Jashar.(AE)

The sun stopped(AF) in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. 14 There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a human being. Surely the Lord was fighting(AG) for Israel!

15 Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.(AH)

Five Amorite Kings Killed

16 Now the five kings had fled(AI) and hidden in the cave at Makkedah. 17 When Joshua was told that the five kings had been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah, 18 he said, “Roll large rocks up to the mouth of the cave, and post some men there to guard it. 19 But don’t stop; pursue your enemies! Attack them from the rear and don’t let them reach their cities, for the Lord your God has given them into your hand.”

20 So Joshua and the Israelites defeated them completely,(AJ) but a few survivors managed to reach their fortified cities.(AK) 21 The whole army then returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah, and no one uttered a word against the Israelites.

22 Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me.” 23 So they brought the five kings out of the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon. 24 When they had brought these kings(AL) to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had come with him, “Come here and put your feet(AM) on the necks of these kings.” So they came forward and placed their feet(AN) on their necks.

25 Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous.(AO) This is what the Lord will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.” 26 Then Joshua put the kings to death and exposed their bodies on five poles, and they were left hanging on the poles until evening.

27 At sunset(AP) Joshua gave the order and they took them down from the poles and threw them into the cave where they had been hiding. At the mouth of the cave they placed large rocks, which are there to this day.(AQ)

Southern Cities Conquered

28 That day Joshua took Makkedah. He put the city and its king to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it. He left no survivors.(AR) And he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.(AS)

29 Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah(AT) and attacked it. 30 The Lord also gave that city and its king into Israel’s hand. The city and everyone in it Joshua put to the sword. He left no survivors there. And he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.

31 Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Libnah to Lachish;(AU) he took up positions against it and attacked it. 32 The Lord gave Lachish into Israel’s hands, and Joshua took it on the second day. The city and everyone in it he put to the sword, just as he had done to Libnah. 33 Meanwhile, Horam king of Gezer(AV) had come up to help Lachish, but Joshua defeated him and his army—until no survivors were left.

34 Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Lachish to Eglon;(AW) they took up positions against it and attacked it. 35 They captured it that same day and put it to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it, just as they had done to Lachish.

36 Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron(AX) and attacked it. 37 They took the city and put it to the sword, together with its king, its villages and everyone(AY) in it. They left no survivors. Just as at Eglon, they totally destroyed it and everyone in it.

38 Then Joshua and all Israel with him turned around and attacked Debir.(AZ) 39 They took the city, its king and its villages, and put them to the sword. Everyone in it they totally destroyed. They left no survivors. They did to Debir and its king as they had done to Libnah and its king and to Hebron.(BA)

40 So Joshua subdued the whole region, including the hill country, the Negev,(BB) the western foothills and the mountain slopes,(BC) together with all their kings.(BD) He left no survivors. He totally destroyed all who breathed, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded.(BE) 41 Joshua subdued them from Kadesh Barnea(BF) to Gaza(BG) and from the whole region of Goshen(BH) to Gibeon. 42 All these kings and their lands Joshua conquered in one campaign, because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought(BI) for Israel.

43 Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.(BJ)

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 10:1 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verses 28, 35, 37, 39 and 40.
  2. Joshua 10:13 Or nation triumphed over