Joshua Chapter 10

Joshua Chapter 10
1 Now when Adoni-zedec king of
Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had
taken Ai and had destroyed it, ( for as he
had done to Jericho and to the king
thereof, so he had done to 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 then Ai,
and all the men thereof were mighty. 3
Wherefore Adoni-zedec 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
Bethhoron, and smote them to Azekah
and to Makkedah. 11 And as they fled
from before Israel, and were in the
going down to Bethhoron, the Lord cast
down great stones from heaven upon
them, until Azekah, and they died: they
were more that died with the hailstones,
then 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, Sun, stay thou in
Gibeon, and thou moon, in the valley of
Ajalon.
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 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 cities 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 Kadeshbarnea
even unto Azzah, 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.