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.
Now when Adoni-Zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard that Joshua had captured Ai and had completely destroyed it (just as he had done to Jericho and its king), he also heard how the people of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were living among 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 afraid because Gibeon was a large city, like one of the royal cities. It was larger than Ai, and all its men were mighty warriors.
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, to Piram, king of Jarmuth, to Japhia, king of Lachish, and to Debir, king of Eglon:
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 up to me and help me. Let us attack Gibeon because they have made peace with Joshua and with the people of Israel.”
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.
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 came up, they and all their armies. They set up their positions against Gibeon, and they attacked it.
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 people of Gibeon sent a message to Joshua and to the army at Gilgal. They said, “Hurry! Do not withdraw your hands from your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us. Help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who live in the hill country have gathered together to attack us.”
7 So Joshua and all his army, including the soldiers who were his best fighting men, marched up from Gilgal.
Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the men of war with him, and all the fighting men.
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.”
Yahweh said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them. I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to stop your attack.”
9 Joshua’s army marched all night and arrived very early in the morning.
Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal.
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.
Yahweh confused the enemy before Israel, and Israel killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon and pursued them on the road going up to Beth Horon, and they killed them on the road 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 Israel, down the hill from Beth Horon, Yahweh threw large stones down from heaven upon them all the way to Azekah, and they died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than who were killed with the sword by the men of Israel.
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.”
Then Joshua spoke to Yahweh on the day Yahweh gave the men of Israel victory over the Amorites. This is what Joshua said to Yahweh before Israel, “Sun, be still at Gibeon, and moon, in 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 stood still, and the moon stopped moving until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stayed in the middle of the sky; it did not go down for about a whole 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 has been no other day like it before or after it, when Yahweh obeyed the voice of a human being. For Yahweh was waging war on behalf of Israel.
15 After Joshua’s army defeated their enemies, they all returned to their camp at Gilgal.
Joshua and all Israel with him 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].
Now the five kings had escaped and hidden themselves in the cave at Makkedah.
17 Then someone told Joshua, “We found those five kings, hiding in a cave at Makkedah!”
It was told to Joshua, “They have been found!—the five kings hidden in the 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.
Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave and place soldiers there to guard them.
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]”
Do not stay yourselves. Pursue your enemies and attack them from the rear. Do not permit them to enter into their cities, because Yahweh your God has given them into your hand.”
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.
Joshua and the sons of Israel had finished slaughtering them with a very great slaughter, until they were almost completely destroyed; only a few survivors who escaped reached the fortified cities.
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.
Then the whole army returned in peace to Joshua at the camp at Makkedah. No one dared to say one word against any of the people of Israel.
22 Then Joshua said, “Open the entrance of the cave, and bring out to me those five kings!”
Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and out of the cave bring to me these five kings.”
23 So the soldiers brought those five kings out of the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon.
They did as he said. They brought to him these five kings from the cave—the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of 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 brought the kings to Joshua, he summoned every man of Israel. He said to the commanders of the soldiers who had gone into battle with him, “Put your feet on their necks.” So they came up 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!”
Then he said to them, “Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Be strong and courageous. This is what Yahweh will do to all your enemies you are 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 attacked and killed the kings. He hung them on five trees. They hung on the trees until 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.
When it was sunset, Joshua gave orders, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves. They put large stones over the mouth of the cave. Those stones remain 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.
In this way, Joshua captured Makkedah on that day and killed everyone there with the sword, including its king. He completely destroyed everyone in it. He left no survivor in it. He did to the king of Makkedah just as he had done to the king of Jericho.
29 That same day, Joshua and his Israeli army went [southwest] from Makkedah to Libnah [city] and attacked it.
Joshua and all Israel passed on from Makkedah to Libnah. He went into battle against 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.
Yahweh also gave it into the hand of Israel—along with their king. Joshua struck it with the edge of the sword and every person in it. He left no survivor in it. He did to its king just as he had done to 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 all Israel with him passed on from Libnah to Lachish. He camped by it and waged war against 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.
Yahweh gave Lachish into the hand of Israel. Joshua captured it on the second day and struck it with the edge of the sword, and every person in it, just as he had done to 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 up to help Lachish. Joshua attacked him and his army until there was not even one survivor left.
34 Then Joshua and his army went [west] from Lachish to Eglon [city]. They surrounded the city and attacked it.
Then Joshua and all Israel passed on from Lachish to Eglon. They camped by it and waged war against it,
35 On that day, they captured the city and killed [MTY] everyone in it [DOU], just like they had done at Lachish.
and captured it that same day. They struck it with the edge of the sword and they completely destroyed everyone in it, as Joshua had done to Lachish.
36 Then Joshua and his army went [west from Eglon] up [into the hills] to Hebron [city]. They attacked the city
Then Joshua and all Israel passed on from Eglon to Hebron. They waged war against it.
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 it and struck it with the edge of the sword, and its king and its villages, and everyone in it. They left no survivor it, as they had done to Eglon, they totally destroyed it and every person in it.
38 Then Joshua and his army turned [south] and went to Debir [city] and attacked it.
Then Joshua turned, and all the army of Israel with him, and they passed on to Debir and waged war against it.
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.
They captured it, its king and all its nearby villages. They struck them with the edge of the sword and completely destroyed every person in it. They left no survivor. They did to Debir and its king as they had done to Libnah and its king and to Hebron.
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.
Joshua conquered all the land, the hill country, the Negev, the lowlands, and the foothills. Of all their kings he left not one survivor. He completely destroyed every living thing, just as Yahweh, 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 struck them from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza, and all the country of 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.
Joshua captured all these kings and their land at one time because Yahweh, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.
43 Then Joshua and his army returned to their camp at Gilgal.
Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, returned to the camp at Gilgal.
