< Joshua 10 >
1 And it came to pass, when Adonizedec, king of Jerusalem, heard that Joshua had captured Ai, and devoted it to destruction, as he had done unto Jericho and her king, so, had he done unto Ai and her king, —and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and had come into their midst,
2 then feared they 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:
3 therefore sent Adonizedec, king of Jerusalem, unto Hoham, king of Hebron, and unto Piram, king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia, king of Lachish, and unto Debir, king of Eglon, saying:
4 Come up unto me and help me, that we may smite Gibeon, —for it hath made peace with Joshua, and with the sons of Israel.
5 So they gathered themselves together and came up, even 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, —they, and all their hosts, —and encamped near Gibeon, and made war against it.
6 So the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua, unto the camp at Gilgal, saying, Do not withhold thy hand from thy servants, —Come up unto us quickly, and save us, and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the hill-country, are gathered together against us.
7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, even all the mighty men of valour.
8 And Yahweh said unto Joshua: Do not fear because of them, for, into thy hand, have I delivered them, —not a man of them shall stand before thee.
9 So then Joshua came in unto them, suddenly, —all the night, came he up, from Gilgal.
10 And Yahweh confused them before Israel, and smote them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, —and chased them along the way that goeth up Beth-horon, and smote them as far as Azekah and as far as Makkedah.
11 And it came to pass, when they fled from before Israel, they, being on the slope of Beth-horon, that, Yahweh, cast down upon them great stones out of the heavens, as far as Azekah, and they died, —more, were they who died by the hailstones, than they whom the sons of Israel slew with the sword.
12 Then, spake Joshua unto Yahweh, on the day when Yahweh delivered up the Amorites before the sons of Israel, —yea he said, in the presence of Israel—Thou Sun! in Gibeon, be still, and thou Moon! in the vale of Aijalon.
13 So the sun, was still, and, the moon, stayed, until a nation should be avenged on its foes. Is not, that, written in the Book of the Upright? So then the sun stayed in the middle of the heavens, and hastened not to go in, about a whole day.
14 And there was no day like that—before it or after it, when Yahweh hearkened unto the voice of a man, —in that, Yahweh, himself fought for Israel.
15 So Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp at Gilgal.
16 So these five kings fled, —and hid themselves in a cave, at Makkedah.
17 And it was told Joshua, saying, —The five kings are found, hid in a cave at Makkedah.
18 And Joshua said, Roll ye great stones against the mouth of the cave, —and set over it men, to watch them;
19 but do not, ye, stay, chase after your enemies, so shall ye attack them in the rear, —do not suffer them to enter into their cities, for Yahweh your God hath delivered them into your hand.
20 And it came to pass, when Joshua and the sons of Israel had made an end of smiting them with a very great slaughter, until they were spent, then did, the remainder that were left of them, enter into the fortified cities.
21 And all the people returned unto the camp, unto Joshua at Makkedah, in peace, —none sharpened his tongue at any man of the sons of Israel.
22 Then said Joshua, Open ye the mouth of the cave, —and bring out unto me, these five kings, out of the cave.
23 And they did so, and brought out unto him, these five kings, out of the cave, —namely, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon.
24 And it came to pass, when they brought out these kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war who had been with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. So they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them.
25 Then said Joshua unto them: Do not fear, nor be alarmed, —be firm and bold, for, thus and thus, will Yahweh do unto all your enemies, against whom ye do fight.
26 And Joshua smote them after this, and put them to death, and hanged them upon five trees, —and they remained hung on the trees, until the evening,
27 And it came to pass, at the time of the going in of the sun, that Joshua gave command, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave, where they had hid themselves, —and put great stones upon the mouth of the cave, [which remain], until this very day.
28 And Joshua captured, Makkedah, on that day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and, the king thereof, devoted he to destruction, them and all the souls that were therein, he left no survivor, —but did unto the king of Makkedah, as he had done unto the king of Jericho.
29 And Joshua passed over, and all Israel with him, from Makkedah unto Libnah, —and fought against Libnah;
30 and Yahweh delivered, it also, into the hand of Israel, with the king thereof, and he smote it with the edge of the sword, with all the souls that were therein, he left therein no survivor, —but did unto the king thereof, as he had done unto the king of Jericho.
31 And Joshua passed over, and all Israel with him, from Libnah unto Lachish, —and encamped against it, and fought against it;
32 and Yahweh delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, and he captured it on the second day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, with all the souls that were therein, —according to all that he had done unto Libnah.
33 Then, came up Horam, king of Gezer, to help Lachish, —and Joshua smote him and his people, until he had not left him a survivor.
34 And Joshua passed over, and all Israel with him, from Lachish unto Eglon, —and they encamped against it, and fought against it;
35 and captured it on the same day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and, all the souls that were therein, on that day, devoted he to destruction, —according to all that he had done to Lachish.
36 And Joshua went up, and all Israel with him, from Eglon unto Hebron, —and they fought against it;
37 and captured it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof, with all the souls that were therein—he left not a survivor, according to all that he had done to Eglon, —he devoted it to destruction, and all the souls that were therein.
38 Then Joshua turned back, and all Israel with him, unto Debir, —and fought against it;
39 and captured it, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof, and smote them with the edge of the sword, and devoted to destruction every soul that was therein, he left not a survivor, —as he had done unto Hebron, so, did he unto Debir, and unto the king thereof, as also he had done unto Libnah, and unto her king.
40 So Joshua smote all the land—the hill country, and the south, and the lowland, and the slopes, and all their kings, he left not a survivor, —but, every breathing thing, devoted he to destruction, as Yahweh, God of Israel, had commanded.
41 Yea Joshua smote them, from Kadesh-barnea, even as far as Gaza, —and all the land of Goshen, even as far as Gibeon.
42 Yea, all these kings and their land, did Joshua capture at one time, —because, Yahweh, God of Israel, fought for Israel.
43 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp at Gilgal.