< Joshua 10 >

1 And it came to pass when Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai and had utterly destroyed it, that he had done to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them,
Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, learned that Joshua had captured Ai and destroyed the town completely, as he had also done to Jericho, and had killed its king, just as he had the king of Jericho. He also heard that the Gibeonites had made peace with the Israelites and were allied with them.
2 that they feared greatly; for Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty.
The people of Jerusalem were very frightened by this because Gibeon was a large town—as large as any town ruled by the king, and larger than Ai, and its men were tough fighters.
3 And Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, and to Piream king of Jarmuth, and to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying,
So Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, sent a message to Hoham, king of Hebron, Piram, king of Jarmuth, Japhia, king of Lachish, and Debir, king of Eglon, saying,
4 Come up to me, and help me, that we may smite Gibeon; for it has made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.
“Come and help me attack Gibeon because they have made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.”
5 And 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, gathered themselves together, and went up, they and all their armies, and they encamped before Gibeon, and made war against it.
So these five Amorite kings (the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon) and their armies gathered and set off. They surrounded Gibeon and then began their attack.
6 And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua, to the camp at Gilgal, saying, Withdraw 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 hill-country are gathered against us.
The Gibeonites sent a message to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, “Please don't abandon us, your servants! Come quickly and save us! We need your help for all the Amorite kings of the hill country have joined in attacking us.”
7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, even all the valiant men.
So Joshua, all his fighting men and best fighters, set off from Gilgal.
8 And Jehovah said to Joshua, Fear them not; for into thy hand have I given them: not a man of them shall stand before thee.
The Lord had said to Joshua, “Don't be afraid of them, for you will defeat them. Not a single one will be able to stand against you.”
9 And Joshua came upon them suddenly; he went up from Gilgal all night.
By marching all night from Gilgal, Joshua arrived without warning.
10 And Jehovah discomfited them before Israel, and smote them [with] a great slaughter at Gibeon; and he chased them on the way of the ascent of Beth-horon, and smote them up to Azekah and Makkedah.
The Lord threw the Amorite armies into a panic when they saw the Israelites. He struck them down with a great blow at Gibeon; he chased them all the way up to Beth-horon, cutting them down on the way to Azekah and Makkedah.
11 And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, — they were at the descent of Beth-horon, — that Jehovah cast down great stones from heaven upon them up to Azekah, and they died. They were more who died with the hailstones than they whom the children of Israel had slain with the sword.
As they ran away from the Israelites down the slope from Beth-horon, the Lord hurled large hailstones down on them from the skies all the way to Azekah. More were killed by the hailstones than we killed by the swords of the Israelites.
12 Then spoke Joshua to Jehovah in the day when Jehovah gave up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand still upon Gibeon; And thou, moon, in the valley of Ajalon!
On the day that the Lord handed the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke by the Lord in the presence of the Israelites, saying, “Sun, stand still over Gibeon! Moon, stand still over the Valley of Aijalon!”
13 And the sun stood still, and the moon remained where it was, until the nation had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? And the sun remained standing in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a full day.
The sun stopped moving, and the moon stood still, until the nation of Israel had inflicted defeat on their enemies. (This is recorded in the Book of Jashar). The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not go down for around a full day.
14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that Jehovah hearkened to the voice of a man; for Jehovah fought for Israel.
There wasn't a day like this ever before or since when the Lord listened to a human voice in such a way. It was because the Lord was fighting for Israel.
15 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp, to Gilgal.
Then Joshua and all the army returned to the camp at Gilgal.
16 And these five kings fled, and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.
The five kings had run away and hid in a cave at Makkedah.
17 And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings have been found, hid in the cave at Makkedah.
When Joshua was told that the five kings were hiding in a cave at Makkedah,
18 And Joshua said, Roll great stones before the mouth of the cave, and set men before it to keep them.
he gave this order, “Roll some large stones to block the entrance to the cave and have some men guard it.
19 And ye, stay not, pursue after your enemies, and smite the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities; for Jehovah your God has given them into your hand.
But don't you stay there. Chase the enemy down and attack them from the rear. Don't let them escape to their towns for the Lord has given them to you to defeat.”
20 And it came to pass when Joshua and the children of Israel had ended smiting them with a very great slaughter, until they were consumed, that the remnant which remained of them entered into fortified cities;
So Joshua and the Israelites totally defeated them, striking them down and killing them. Only a few of them survived to escape back to their towns.
21 and all the people returned to the camp to Joshua, at Makkedah, in peace; none moved his tongue against the children of Israel.
The army returned to Joshua at the camp at Makkedah, and no one dared even to threaten the Israelites.
22 And Joshua said, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring forth to me those five kings out of the cave.
Then Joshua said, “Open the cave entrance and bring out the five kings to me from the cave.”
23 And they did so, and brought forth to him those five kings out of the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon.
So they did, bringing out the five kings from the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon.
24 And it came to pass when they had brought forth those kings to Joshua, that Joshua called to all the men of Israel, and said to the captains of the men of war who went with him, Come forward, put your feet on the necks of these kings. And they came forward and put their feet on their necks.
When they had brought the kings to Joshua, he summoned all the fighting men, and said to the commanders who had gone with him, “Come here, and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came over and put their feet on their necks.
25 And Joshua said to them, Fear not, neither be dismayed; be strong and courageous, for thus will Jehovah do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.
Joshua said to them, “Don't ever be afraid or discouraged! Be strong and be brave! For the Lord is going to do the same thing to all your enemies that you're going to fight!”
26 And afterwards Joshua smote them, and put them to death, and hanged them on five trees; and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening.
Then Joshua killed the kings and hung their bodies on five trees and left them hanging there until the evening.
27 And 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 where they had been hid, and laid great stones before the cave's mouth, [which remain] to this very day.
As the sun went down Joshua gave the order to take their bodies down from the trees and throw them into the cave where they had been hiding. Then the Israelites piled up stones over the entrance to the cave, and they are there to this very day.
28 And Joshua took Makkedah on that day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof, him and all the souls that were therein he utterly destroyed; he let none remain; and he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.
That day Joshua captured Makkedah, killing all its inhabitants, including the king. He set it apart and completely destroyed it and everyone in it, leaving no survivors. He killed the king of Makkedah just as he had killed the king of Jericho.
29 And Joshua passed, and all Israel with him, from Makkedah to Libnah, and fought against Libnah.
Then Joshua and the Israelite army left Makkedah and went to attack Libnah,
30 And Jehovah gave 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: and he did to the king thereof as he had done to the king of Jericho.
and the Lord gave the town and its king to the Israelites. Joshua had everyone in it killed, leaving no survivors. He killed its king just as he had killed the king of Jericho.
31 And Joshua passed, and all Israel with him, from Libnah to Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it.
Then Joshua and the Israelite army moved on from Libnah to Lachish, surrounding the town and attacking it.
32 And Jehovah gave Lachish into the hand of Israel; and they 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.
The Lord gave the town to the Israelites who captured it on the second day. Joshua had everyone in it killed, just as he had done in Libnah.
33 Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua smote him and his people, until he had left him none remaining.
Then Horam, king of Gezer, came with his army to help Lachish, but Joshua and his men killed them, leaving no survivors.
34 And Joshua, and all Israel with him, passed from Lachish to Eglon; and they encamped against it, and fought against it.
Joshua and the Israelite army moved on from Lachish to Eglon, surrounding the town and attacking it.
35 And 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 on that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.
They captured it the same day. Joshua had everyone in it killed that very day. He set it apart and completely destroyed it, just as he had done in Lachish.
36 And Joshua went up, and all Israel with him, from Eglon to Hebron; and they fought against it.
Joshua and the Israelite army left Eglon and went to attack Hebron.
37 And 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 let none remain, according to all that he had done to Eglon; and he utterly destroyed it, and all the souls that were therein.
They captured the town, as well as the towns nearby. Joshua had all the inhabitants killed, leaving no survivors. Just as he had done in Eglon, he set it apart and completely destroyed it and everyone in it.
38 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir; and fought against it.
Then Joshua and the Israelite army turned and went to attack Debir.
39 And 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 let none remain: as he had done to Hebron, and as he had done to Libnah, and to the king thereof, so he did to Debir and to the king thereof.
He captured it and its king and all the towns nearby. Joshua had all the inhabitants killed, leaving no survivors. Just as he had done in Hebron, he set it apart and completely destroyed it and everyone in it. He killed the king of Debir just as he had killed the king of Libnah.
40 And Joshua smote the whole country, the mountain, and the south, and the lowland, and the hill-slopes, and all their kings: he let none remain, but he utterly destroyed all that breathed, as Jehovah the God of Israel had commanded.
So Joshua conquered the whole land—the hill country, the Negev, the foothills, and the slopes—and all their kings. He didn't leave a single survivor. He killed everyone as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded.
41 And Joshua smote them from Kadesh-barnea even to Gazah, and all the country of Goshen, even to Gibeon;
Joshua destroyed them from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza and the whole of the land from Goshen to Gibeon.
42 and all these kings and their land did Joshua take at one time; for Jehovah the God of Israel fought for Israel.
All the kings and their lands were conquered by Joshua in one campaign because the Lord, the God of Israel, was fighting for the Israelites.
43 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp, to Gilgal.
Joshua and the Israelite army then returned to the camp at Gilgal.

< Joshua 10 >