Joshua 10

1 When Adoni-bezek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai and destroyed it — as they had done to Jericho and its king, so they did to Ai and its king — and that the people living in Gibeon had gone over to Joshua and to Israel, 2 they were greatly afraid of them; for he knew that Gibeon was a great city, like one of the chief cities, and that all its men were mighty. 3 So Adoni-bezek king of Jerusalem sent to Elam king of Hebron, and to Phidon king of Jarmuth, and to Jephthah king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Adullam, saying, 4 “Come up to me and help me, and let us make war on Gibeon; for they have gone over to Joshua and to the children of Israel.” 5 And the five kings of the Jebusites went up — the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish and the king of Adullam — they and all their people; and they camped around Gibeon and laid siege to it. [a]

6 And the people living in Gibeon sent word to Joshua, into the camp of Israel at Gilgal: “Do not let your hands go slack toward your servants. Come up to us quickly, and rescue us, and help us; for all the kings of the Amorites who live in the hill country have gathered against us.” 7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the men of war with him, every one mighty in strength. 8 And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for I have handed them over into your hands; not one of them will be left before you.” 9 And Joshua came upon them suddenly; he had been marching the whole night from Gilgal. 10 And the Lord threw them into confusion before the children of Israel, and the Lord crushed them with a great crushing at Gibeon; and they chased them along the road that goes up to Beth-horon, and cut them down as far as Azekah and as far as Makkedah. [b] 11 And as they fled from before the children of Israel, on the descent from Beth-horon, the Lord threw hailstones down on them out of heaven as far as Azekah; and more of them died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword in the battle.

12 Then Joshua spoke to the Lord, on the day when God handed the Amorite over into the power of Israel, when he crushed them at Gibeon and they were crushed before the children of Israel; and Joshua said:

And the sun stood in the middle of heaven; it did not go on toward its setting until the end of one day. 14 And there was no day like that one, either before it or after it, when God listened to a man in that way; because the Lord fought alongside Israel. [d]

16 And these five kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah. 17 And it was reported to Joshua that the five kings had been found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah. 18 And Joshua said, “Roll stones over the mouth of the cave, and set men to keep watch over them; 19 but you, do not stand still. Chase after your enemies and take their rear guard, and do not let them get into their cities; for the Lord our God has handed them over into our hands.” 20 And when Joshua and every son of Israel had finished cutting them down — a very great slaughter, right to the end — and those who came through it safe had got away into the fortified cities, 21 then all the people came back safe to Joshua at Makkedah, and not one of the children of Israel so much as growled with his tongue.

22 And Joshua said, “Open the cave and bring these five kings out of the cave.” 23 And they brought the five kings out of the cave: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish and the king of Adullam. 24 And when they had brought them out to Joshua, Joshua called together all Israel and the men who had led the fighting, who marched with him, and said to them, “Come forward and put your feet on their necks.” And they came forward and put their feet on their necks. 25 And Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid of them and do not lose your nerve. Be brave and strong, for this is what the Lord will do to all your enemies whom you are fighting.” 26 And Joshua killed them and hanged them on five trees; and they hung on the trees until evening. 27 And toward sunset Joshua gave the order, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave they had run to for refuge; and they rolled stones over the cave, and they are there to this day.

28 And that day they took Makkedah and killed everyone in it with the edge of the sword; they destroyed everything that breathed in it, and no one was left in it who came through safe and got away. And they did to the king of Makkedah as they had done to the king of Jericho. 29 Then Joshua and all Israel with him went on from Makkedah to Libnah, and laid siege to Libnah. 30 And the Lord handed it over into the hands of Israel; and they took it and its king, and killed everyone in it with the edge of the sword, and everything that breathed in it; not one was left in it who came through safe and got away. And they did to its king as they had done to the king of Jericho.

31 Then Joshua and all Israel with him went on from Libnah to Lachish, and camped around it and laid siege to it. 32 And the Lord handed Lachish over into the hands of Israel, and he took it on the second day; and they killed everyone in it with the edge of the sword and destroyed it, just as they had done to Libnah. 33 Then Elam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua struck him down with the edge of the sword, him and his people, until not one of them was left alive or got away.

34 Then Joshua and all Israel with him went on from Lachish to Adullam, and camped around it and laid siege to it. 35 And the Lord handed it over into the hand of Israel, and he took it that day and killed everyone in it with the edge of the sword; and everything that breathed in it they killed, just as they had done to Lachish. 36 Then Joshua and all Israel with him went on to Hebron, and camped around it, 37 and he struck it with the edge of the sword, and everything that breathed, all that was in it; there was no one who came through it safe. Just as they had done to Adullam, they destroyed it and everything in it. 38 Then Joshua and all Israel turned back to Debir, and they camped around it 39 and took it, and its king, and its villages; and they struck it with the edge of the sword and destroyed it, and everything that breathed in it, and left no one in it alive. As they had done to Hebron and its king, so they did to Debir and its king.

40 And Joshua struck all the land of the hill country, and the Nageb, and the lowland, and the slopes, and its kings. They left none of them alive, and he destroyed everything that had the breath of life, just as the Lord God of Israel had commanded — [e] 41 from Kadesh-barnea as far as Gaza, all Goshen, as far as Gibeon. 42 And Joshua struck all their kings and their land at one stroke, because the Lord God of Israel fought alongside Israel.