Joshua 10
1 Later, Adonizedek, the king of Jerusalem, heard that Joshua’s army had captured Ai [town] and had destroyed everything in the town. He heard that they had done to the people of Ai and to their king the same thing that they had done to the people of Jericho and their king. He also heard that the people of Gibeon [city] had made a peace treaty with the Israeli people, and that the people of Gibeon were now living near the Israelis and being protected by 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 Because of that, he and the people whom he ruled became very afraid, because Gibeon was an important city, like the other cities that had kings. And [even though] Gibeon was a larger city than Ai and all its soldiers were good fighters, [they thought Joshua’s army might defeat them].
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 So King Adonizedek sent a message to Hosham the king of Hebron [city], to Piram the king of Jarmuth [city], to Jarmuth the king of Lachish [city], and to Debir the king of Eglon [city].
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 In the message he said, “Please come up with your armies and help me to attack Gibeon, because the people of Gibeon have made a peace treaty with Joshua and the Israelis.”
“Come and help me attack Gibeon because they have made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.”
5 So those five kings who ruled all the groups who were descendants of Amor—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Debir—came up with all of their soldiers and surrounded the city. Then they prepared to attack 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 So the people of Gibeon sent a message to Joshua while he was in the camp at Gilgal. They said, “We are your servants. So do not forsake us. Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, because the kings of all of the groups descended from Amor and their armies have joined their forces and have come from the hilly area to attack 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 and all his army, including the soldiers who were his best fighting men, marched up from Gilgal.
So Joshua, all his fighting men and best fighters, set off from Gilgal.
8 Then Yahweh said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of those armies! I will enable your army to defeat them [IDM]. None of them will be able to (resist/fight and defeat) your army.”
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 Joshua’s army marched all night and arrived very early in the morning.
By marching all night from Gilgal, Joshua arrived without warning.
10 They attacked their enemies before anyone knew that they had come. Yahweh caused their enemies to (become very confused/start running in all directions) when they saw the Israeli army. As a result, the Israeli army defeated them very severely at Gibeon [and killed many of them]. The rest of them fled along the road that goes up to Beth-Horon. But the Israeli army pursued them and killed them all along the road that goes to Azekah and Makkedah towns.
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 As they fled in front of the Israeli army, Yahweh threw down huge hailstones from the sky. As a result, more of them died from hailstones falling on them than died as a result of the Israeli army killing them with swords.
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 On the day that Yahweh enabled the Israeli army to defeat the groups who were descendants of Amor, Joshua said to Yahweh while the Israeli people were listening, “Yahweh, cause the sun to stand still over Gibeon, and cause the moon to not move when it is over Aijalon Valley.”
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 that is what happened. The sun stood still, and the moon did not move, until the Israeli army defeated their enemies. That is what has been written in the book that Jashar wrote. The sun stopped while it was in the middle of the sky, and did not (set/go down) for about a whole 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 On that day Yahweh did a great miracle that someone asked him to do. There was never a day like that previously, and there has never been a day like that since. Yahweh was certainly fighting for the Israeli people!
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 After Joshua’s army defeated their enemies, they all returned to their camp at Gilgal.
Then Joshua and all the army returned to the camp at Gilgal.
16 While the enemy soldiers were fleeing from Joshua’s army, their five kings also fled and hid in a cave at Makkedah [town].
The five kings had run away and hid in a cave at Makkedah.
17 Then someone told Joshua, “We found those five kings, hiding in a cave at Makkedah!”
When Joshua was told that the five kings were hiding in a cave at Makkedah,
18 When Joshua heard that, he said, “Roll some very large rocks to the entrance of the cave so that the kings cannot escape, and leave some soldiers there to guard it.
he gave this order, “Roll some large stones to block the entrance to the cave and have some men guard it.
19 But do not stay there! Pursue our enemies! Attack them from behind! Do not allow them to escape to their cities, because Yahweh, our God, will enable you to defeat/kill them. [IDM]”
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 So Joshua’s army did what he told them to do. They killed almost all of the enemy soldiers, but a few of them were able to reach their cities and be safe inside the walls of the 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 Then Joshua’s army returned to Joshua, who was still in their camp at Makkedah. No one in the land dared to criticize [MTY] the Israelis.
The army returned to Joshua at the camp at Makkedah, and no one dared even to threaten the Israelites.
22 Then Joshua said, “Open the entrance of the cave, and bring out to me those five kings!”
Then Joshua said, “Open the cave entrance and bring out the five kings to me from the cave.”
23 So the soldiers brought those five kings out of the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon.
So they did, bringing out the five kings from the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon.
24 When they brought those kings to Joshua [and forced them to lie on the ground], he summoned all the Israeli soldiers, and then he said to the army commanders, “Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings!” So the commanders did that.
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 Then Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid of any of our enemies! Never be discouraged! Be strong and courageous. This is what Yahweh will do to all the enemies you will 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 Then Joshua killed each of the five kings with his sword, and told his soldiers to hang the bodies of the five kings on trees. So they did that, and they left the bodies hanging on the trees until sunset.
Then Joshua killed the kings and hung their bodies on five trees and left them hanging there until the evening.
27 At sunset, Joshua told them to take the bodies down from the trees and throw them into the cave where they had been hiding. So the soldiers did that, and then they put those large rocks at the entrance of the cave again. Those rocks are still there.
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 That is how Joshua’s army attacked and captured Makkedah. They killed the king and everyone else in the town. They did not leave anyone alive. They did to the king of Makkedah the same thing that they 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 That same day, Joshua and his Israeli army went [southwest] from Makkedah to Libnah [city] and attacked it.
Then Joshua and the Israelite army left Makkedah and went to attack Libnah,
30 Yahweh enabled the Israelis to conquer [MTY] that city and its king. They killed everyone in the city; they did not (spare anyone/allow anyone to remain alive). They killed the king of Libnah just like they had killed 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 Then Joshua and his army went [south] from Libnah to Lachish [city]. They surrounded the city and attacked it.
Then Joshua and the Israelite army moved on from Libnah to Lachish, surrounding the town and attacking it.
32 On the second day of the battle, Yahweh enabled the Israelis to conquer [MTY] the city. And like they had done at Libnah, they killed everyone [DOU] in the city.
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 King Horam from Gezer [city and his army] came to help [the soldiers of] Lachish, but Joshua’s [army] defeated Horam and his army, and did not allow any of them to remain alive.
Then Horam, king of Gezer, came with his army to help Lachish, but Joshua and his men killed them, leaving no survivors.
34 Then Joshua and his army went [west] from Lachish to Eglon [city]. They surrounded the city and attacked it.
Joshua and the Israelite army moved on from Lachish to Eglon, surrounding the town and attacking it.
35 On that day, they captured the city and killed [MTY] everyone in it [DOU], just like they had done at 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 Then Joshua and his army went [west from Eglon] up [into the hills] to Hebron [city]. They attacked the city
Joshua and the Israelite army left Eglon and went to attack Hebron.
37 and captured it. They killed the king and everyone else, just like they had done at Eglon. They did not allow anyone to remain alive.
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 Then Joshua and his army turned [south] and went to Debir [city] and attacked it.
Then Joshua and the Israelite army turned and went to attack Debir.
39 They captured the city and its king, and also captured the nearby towns. Then they killed everyone [DOU]; they did to the people there the same thing that they had done at Hebron and Libnah.
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 That is how Joshua [and his army] conquered the entire southern part of Canaan. They defeated the kings [who ruled] the hilly area, the dry southern area, the [western] foothills, and the [eastern] slopes. They killed everyone [DOU] in those areas; they did not allow anyone to remain alive.
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 Joshua’s soldiers captured all the cities from Kadesh-Barnea [city] in the far south to Gaza [city] near the coast, including all the Goshen area, and north to Gibeon [city].
Joshua destroyed them from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza and the whole of the land from Goshen to Gibeon.
42 At that one time, Joshua’s army conquered all the kings and captured all the territory that they [ruled]. They were able to do that because Yahweh, the God whom the Israeli people [worship], was fighting for them.
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 Then Joshua and his army returned to their camp at Gilgal.
Joshua and the Israelite army then returned to the camp at Gilgal.
