10 1 Five kings make war against Gibeon whom Joshua discomfiteth. 11 The Lord rained hailstones and slew many. 12 The Sun standeth at Joshua’s prayer. 26 The five kings are hanged. 29 Many more cities and kings are destroyed.
1 Now when Adoni Zedek king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai and had destroyed it, ((A)for as he had done to Jericho and to the king thereof, so he had done to (B)Ai and to the king thereof) and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them,
2 Then they feared exceedingly: for Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities: for it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty.
3 Wherefore Adoni Zedek king of Jerusalem sent 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 they have made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.
5 Therefore 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, gathered themselves together, and went up, they with all their hosts, and besieged Gibeon, and made war against it.
6 And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua, even to the host to Gilgal, saying, Withdraw not thine hand from thy servants: come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites, which dwell in the mountains, are gathered together against us.
7 So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the men of might.
8 ¶ And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have given them into thine hand: none of them shall stand against thee.
9 Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly: for he went up from Gilgal all the night.
10 And the Lord discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Beth Horon, and smote them to Azekah, and to Makkedah.
11 And as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Beth Horon, the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them, until Azekah, and they died: they were more that died with the hailstones, than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.
12 ¶ Then spake Joshua to the Lord, in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, (C)Sun, stay thou in Gibeon, and thou Moon, in the valley of Aijalon.
13 And the Sun abode, and the moon stood still, until the people avenged themselves upon their enemies: (is not this written in the book of Jasher?) so the Sun abode in the midst of the heaven, and hasted not to go down for a whole day.
14 And there was no day like that before it, nor after it, that the Lord heard the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel.
15 ¶ After, Joshua returned, and all Israel with him unto the camp to Gilgal:
16 But the five kings fled and were hid in a cave at Makkedah.
17 And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings are found hid in a cave at Makkedah.
18 Then Joshua said, Roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave, and set men by it for to keep them.
19 But stand ye not still: follow after your enemies, and smite all the hindmost, suffer them not to enter into their cities: for the Lord your God hath given them into your hand.
20 And when Joshua and the children of Israel had made an end of slaying them with an exceeding great slaughter till they were consumed, and the rest that remained of them were entered into walled cities,
21 Then all the people returned to the camp, to Joshua at Makkedah in peace: no man moved his tongue against the children of Israel.
22 After, Joshua said, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out these five kings unto me forth of the cave.
23 And they did so, and brought out those five kings unto him forth of the cave, even the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.
24 And when they had brought out those kings unto Joshua, Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the chief of the men of war, which went with him, Come near, set your feet upon the necks of these kings, and they came near, and set their feet upon their necks.
25 And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be faint hearted, but be strong and of a good courage: for thus will the Lord do to all your enemies, against whom ye fight.
26 So then Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees, and they hanged still upon the trees until the evening.
27 And at the going down of the sun, Joshua gave commandment, that they should take (D)them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave (wherein they had been hid) and they laid great stones upon the cave’s mouth, which remain until this day.
28 ¶ And that same day Joshua took Makkedah and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof destroyed he with them, and all the souls that were therein, he let none remain: for he did to the king of Makkedah, as he had done unto the king of Jericho.
29 Then Joshua went from Makkedah, and all Israel with him unto Libnah, and fought against Libnah.
30 And the Lord gave it also and the king thereof into the hand of Israel: and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein: he let none remain in it: for he did unto the king thereof, as he had done unto the king of Jericho.
31 ¶ And Joshua departed from Libnah, and all Israel with him unto Lachish, and besieged it, and assaulted it.
32 And the Lord gave Lachish into the hand of Israel, which took it the second day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein, according to all as he had done to Libnah.
33 ¶ Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish: but Joshua smote him and his people, until none of his remained.
34 ¶ And from Lachish Joshua departed unto Eglon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged it, and assaulted it.
35 And they took it the same day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein he utterly destroyed the same day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.
36 Then Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him unto Hebron, and they fought against it.
37 And when they had taken it, they smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof, and all the souls that were therein: he left none remaining, according to all as he had done to Eglon: for he destroyed it utterly, and all the souls that were therein.
38 ¶ So Joshua returned, and all Israel with him to Debir, and fought against it.
39 And when he had taken it, and the king thereof, and all the city thereof, they smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls that were therein, he let none remain: as he did to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to the king thereof, as he had also done to Libnah, and to the king thereof.
40 ¶ So Joshua smote all the hill countries, and the South countries, and the valleys, and the hillsides, and all their kings, and let none remain, but utterly destroyed every soul, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded.
41 And Joshua smote them from Kadesh Barnea even unto Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even unto Gibeon.
42 And all these kings, and their land did Joshua take at one time, because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel.
43 Afterward, Joshua and all Israel with him returned unto the camp in Gilgal.
Footnotes
- Joshua 10:3
- Joshua 10:5
- Joshua 10:8
- Joshua 10:11
- Joshua 10:13
- Joshua 10:14
- Joshua 10:19
- Joshua 10:21
- Joshua 10:24
- Joshua 10:28
- Joshua 10:30
- Joshua 10:40
- Joshua 10:42
- Joshua 10:43
Cross references
- Joshua 10:1 : Josh. 6:16,21
- Joshua 10:1 : Josh. 8:3,28,29
- Joshua 10:12 : Isa. 28:21
- Joshua 10:27 : Deut. 21:23; Josh. 8:29
