Joshua 10

Israel Defeats an Amorite Coalition

10:1 Adoni-Zedek, king of Jerusalem,¹ heard how Joshua captured Ai and annihilated it and its king as he did Jericho² and its king.³ He also heard how⁴ the people of Gibeon made peace with Israel and lived among them. 10:2 All Jerusalem was terrified⁵ because Gibeon was a large city, like one of the royal cities. It was larger than Ai and all its men were warriors. 10:3 So King Adoni-Zedek of Jerusalem sent this message to King Hoham of Hebron, King Piram of Jarmuth, King Japhia of Lachish, and King Debir of Eglon: 10:4 “Come to my aid⁶ so we can attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.” 10:5 So the five Amorite kings (the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon) and all their troops gathered together and advanced. They deployed their troops and fought against Gibeon.⁷

10:6 The men of Gibeon sent this message to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, “Do not abandon⁸ your subjects!⁹ Rescue us! Help us! For all the Amorite kings living in the hill country are attacking us.”¹⁰ 10:7 So Joshua and his whole army, including the bravest warriors, marched up from Gilgal.¹¹ 10:8 The Lord told Joshua, “Don’t be afraid of them, for I am handing them over to you.¹² Not one of them can resist you.”¹³ 10:9 Joshua attacked them by surprise after marching all night from Gilgal.¹⁴ 10:10 The Lord routed¹⁵ them before Israel. Israel¹⁶ thoroughly defeated them¹⁷ at Gibeon. They chased them up the road to the pass¹⁸ of Beth Horon and struck them down all the way to Azekah and Makkedah. 10:11 As they fled from Israel on the slope leading down from¹⁹ Beth Horon, the Lord threw down on them large hailstones from the sky,²⁰ all the way to Azekah. They died – in fact, more died from the hailstones than the Israelites killed with the sword.

10:12 The day the Lord delivered the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua prayed to the Lord before Israel:²¹

“O sun, stand still over Gibeon!

O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon!”

10:13 The sun stood still and the moon stood motionless while the nation took vengeance on its enemies. The event is recorded in the Scroll of the Upright One.²² The sun stood motionless in the middle of the sky and did not set for about a full day.²³ 10:14 There has not been a day like it before or since. The Lord obeyed²⁴ a man, for the Lord fought for Israel! 10:15 Then Joshua and all Israel returned to the camp at Gilgal.

10:16 The five Amorite kings²⁵ ran away and hid in the cave at Makkedah. 10:17 Joshua was told, “The five kings have been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah.” 10:18 Joshua said, “Roll large stones over the mouth of the cave and post guards in front of it.²⁶ 10:19 But don’t you delay! Chase your enemies and catch them!²⁷ Don’t allow them to retreat to²⁸ their cities, for the Lord your God is handing them over to you.”²⁹ 10:20 Joshua and the Israelites almost totally wiped them out, but some survivors did escape to the fortified cities.³⁰ 10:21 Then the whole army safely returned to Joshua at the camp in Makkedah.³¹ No one³² dared threaten the Israelites.³³ 10:22 Joshua said, “Open the cave’s mouth and bring the five kings³⁴ out of the cave to me.” 10:23 They did as ordered;³⁵ they brought the five kings³⁶ out of the cave to him – the kings of Jerusalem,³⁷ Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. 10:24 When they brought the kings out to Joshua, he³⁸ summoned all the men of Israel and said to the commanders of the troops who accompanied him, “Come here³⁹ and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came up⁴⁰ and put their feet on their necks. 10:25 Then Joshua said to them, “Don’t be afraid and don’t panic!⁴¹ Be strong and brave, for the Lord will do the same thing to all your enemies you fight. 10:26 Then Joshua executed them⁴² and hung them on five trees. They were left hanging on the trees until evening. 10:27 At sunset Joshua ordered his men to take them down from the trees.⁴³ They threw them into the cave where they had hidden and piled large stones over the mouth of the cave. (They remain to this very day.)⁴⁴

Joshua Launches a Southern Campaign

10:28 That day Joshua captured Makkedah and put the sword to it and its king. He annihilated everyone who lived in it; he left no survivors. He did to its king what he had done to the king of Jericho.⁴⁵

10:29 Joshua and all Israel marched from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against it.⁴⁶ 10:30 The Lord handed it and its king over to Israel, and Israel⁴⁷ put the sword to all who lived there; they⁴⁸ left no survivors. They⁴⁹ did to its king what they⁵⁰ had done to the king of Jericho.⁵¹

10:31 Joshua and all Israel marched from Libnah to Lachish. He deployed his troops⁵² and fought against it. 10:32 The Lord handed Lachish over to Israel and they⁵³ captured it on the second day. They put the sword to all who lived there, just as they had done to Libnah. 10:33 Then King Horam of Gezer came up to help Lachish, but Joshua struck down him and his army⁵⁴ until no survivors remained.

10:34 Joshua and all Israel marched from Lachish to Eglon. They deployed troops⁵⁵ and fought against it. 10:35 That day they captured it and put the sword to all who lived there. That day they⁵⁶ annihilated it just as they⁵⁷ had done to Lachish.

10:36 Joshua and all Israel marched up from Eglon to Hebron and fought against it. 10:37 They captured it and put the sword to its king, all its surrounding cities, and all who lived in it; they⁵⁸ left no survivors. As they⁵⁹ had done at Eglon, they⁶⁰ annihilated it and all who lived there.

10:38 Joshua and all Israel turned to Debir and fought against it. 10:39 They⁶¹ captured it, its king, and all its surrounding cities and put the sword to them. They annihilated everyone who lived there; they⁶² left no survivors. They⁶³ did to Debir and its king what they⁶⁴ had done to Libnah and its king and to Hebron.⁶⁵

10:40 Joshua defeated the whole land, including the hill country, the Negev, the lowlands,⁶⁶ the slopes, and all their kings. He left no survivors. He annihilated everything that breathed, just as the Lord God of Israel had commanded. 10:41 Joshua conquered the area between Kadesh Barnea and Gaza and the whole region of Goshen, all the way to Gibeon.⁶⁷ 10:42 Joshua captured in one campaign⁶⁸ all these kings and their lands, for the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel. 10:43 Then Joshua and all Israel returned to the camp at Gilgal.

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