Joshua 10
10
The Day the Sun Stood Still
1Now Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai and completely destroyed # Jos 8:26; 10:28,35-40; 11:11-12,20-21; 24:20; Jdg 1:17; 21:11 it, treating Ai and its king as he had Jericho and its king, and that the inhabitants of Gibeon # Jos 8:22 had made peace with Israel and were living among them. # Jos 9:15 2So Adoni-zedek and his people were # One Hb ms, Syr, Vg read So he was greatly alarmed because Gibeon was a large city like one of the royal cities; # Jos 13:31; 1Sm 27:5 it was larger than Ai, and all its men were warriors. 3Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying, 4“Come up and help me. We will attack Gibeon, because they have made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.” 5So the five Amorite kings — the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon — joined forces, advanced with all their armies, besieged Gibeon, and fought against it.
6Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: “Don’t abandon # Lit Don’t let your hand go from your servants. Come quickly and save us! Help us, for all the Amorite kings living in the hill country have joined forces against us.” 7So Joshua and his whole military force, including all the fighting men, came from Gilgal. # Jos 8:1
8The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, # Jos 1:5 for I have handed them over to you. # Gn 14:20; Nm 21:34; Dt 2:30; 7:24 Not one of them will be able to stand against you.” # Dt 7:24; 11:25; Jos 1:5; 21:44; 23:9
9So Joshua caught them by surprise, after marching all night from Gilgal. 10The Lord threw them into confusion # Ex 14:24; 23:27; 1Sm 7:10 before Israel. He defeated them in a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them through the ascent of Beth-horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. 11As they fled before Israel, the Lord threw large hailstones on them # Ps 18:12-14 from the sky along the descent of Beth-horon all the way to Azekah, and they died. More of them died from the hail than the Israelites killed with the sword.
12On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the Lord in the presence of Israel:
“Sun, # Hab 3:11 stand still over Gibeon,
and moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”
13And the sun stood still
and the moon stopped
until the nation took vengeance on its enemies.
Isn’t this written in the Book of Jashar? # Or of the Upright
So the sun stopped
in the middle of the sky
and delayed its setting
almost a full day.
14There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man, because the Lord fought for Israel. # Ex 14:14,25; Dt 1:30; 3:22; 20:4; Jos 10:42; 23:3,10; 2Ch 20:29; 32:8; Ps 35:1; Zch 14:3 15Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal.
Execution of the Five Kings
16Now the five defeated kings had fled and hidden themselves in the cave at Makkedah. 17It was reported to Joshua: “The five kings have been found; they are hiding in the cave at Makkedah.”
18Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and station men by it to guard the kings. 19But as for the rest of you, don’t stay there. Pursue your enemies and attack them from behind. Don’t let them enter their cities, for the Lord your God has handed them over to you.” 20So Joshua and the Israelites finished inflicting a terrible slaughter on them until they were destroyed, although a few survivors ran away to the fortified cities. 21The people returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. And no one dared to threaten # Lit No one sharpened his tongue against the Israelites.
22Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave, and bring those five kings to me out of there.” 23That is what they did. They brought the five kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon to Joshua out of the cave. 24When they had brought the kings to him, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the military commanders who had accompanied him, “Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So the commanders came forward and put their feet on their necks. 25Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Be strong and courageous, # Dt 31:7; Jos 1:6-7,9,18 for the Lord will do this to all the enemies you fight.”
26After this, Joshua struck them down and executed them. He hung # Or impaled their bodies on five trees # Or wooden stakes and they were there until evening. # Jos 8:29 27At sunset Joshua commanded that they be taken down from the trees # Or wooden stakes # Dt 21:22-23 and thrown into the cave where they had hidden. Then large stones were placed against the mouth of the cave, and the stones are there to this day. # Jos 6:25
Conquest of Southern Cities
28On that day Joshua captured Makkedah and struck it down with the sword, including its king. He completely destroyed it # Some Hb mss read them and everyone in it, leaving no survivors. So he treated the king of Makkedah as he had the king of Jericho. # Jos 6:21
29Joshua and all Israel with him # Jos 7:24; 10:15,31,36 crossed from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against Libnah. # Jos 21:13 30The Lord also handed it and its king over to Israel. He struck it down, putting everyone in it to the sword, and left no survivors in it. He treated Libnah’s king as he had the king of Jericho.
31From Libnah, Joshua and all Israel with him crossed to Lachish. They laid siege to it and attacked it. 32The Lord handed Lachish over to Israel, and Joshua captured it on the second day. He struck it down, putting everyone in it to the sword, just as he had done to Libnah. 33At that time Horam king of Gezer went to help Lachish, # Jos 16:10; Jdg 1:29; 1Kg 9:16-17 but Joshua struck him down along with his people, leaving no survivors in it.
34Then Joshua crossed from Lachish to Eglon and all Israel with him. They laid siege to it and attacked it. 35On that day they captured it and struck it down, putting everyone in it to the sword. He completely destroyed it that day, just as he had done to Lachish.
36Next, Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron # Jdg 1:10 and attacked it. 37They captured it and struck down its king, all its villages, and everyone in it with the sword. He left no survivors, just as he had done at Eglon. He completely destroyed Hebron and everyone in it.
38Finally, Joshua turned toward Debir # Jos 15:15; Jdg 1:11 and attacked it. And all Israel was with him. 39He captured it — its king and all its villages. They struck them down with the sword and completely destroyed everyone in it, leaving no survivors. He treated Debir and its king as he had treated Hebron and as he had treated Libnah and its king.
40So Joshua conquered the whole region # Dt 19:8; 34:1; Jos 2:24; 9:24; 11:16,23; 21:43 — the hill country, the Negev, the Judean foothills, # Or the Shephelah and the slopes — with all their kings, leaving no survivors. He completely destroyed every living being, as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded. # Dt 20:16 41Joshua conquered everyone from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, and all the land of Goshen # Jos 15:50 as far as Gibeon. 42Joshua captured all these kings and their land in one campaign, # Lit land at one time because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel. # Jos 10:14 43Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.
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Joshua 10: HCSB
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Joshua 10
10
Sun Stands Still
1Now it came to pass that Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it—just as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king—and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and remained among them.
2So he feared greatly, because Gibeon was a large city, as one of the royal cities—in fact, larger than Ai—and all its men were mighty.
3Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish and Debir king of Eglon saying:
4“Come up and help me! Let’s attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and Bnei-Yisrael.”
5So 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 and went up, they and all their armies, camped against Gibeon and attacked it.
6Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua in camp at Gilgal saying: “Don’t abandon your servants! Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, for all the kings of the Amorites living in the hill country have gathered against us.”
7So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him and all the mighty men of valor.
8Adonai said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will stand before you.”
9So Joshua came upon them suddenly by marching all night from Gilgal.
10Adonai threw them into confusion before Israel, defeated them with a crushing defeat at Gibeon, chased them by the road that goes up to Beth-horon, and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah.
11While they were fleeing before Israel down the descent of Beth-horon, Adonai cast down great stones from heaven on them all the way to Azekah so they died—more of them died from the hailstones than those Bnei-Yisrael killed with the sword.
12Then Joshua spoke to Adonai, on the day Adonai gave the Amorites over to Bnei-Yisrael, and said in the eyes of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, Moon, over the Aijalon Valley!”
13So the sun stood still and the moon stopped until the nation took vengeance on its enemies. (Is it not written in the Book of Jashar?) Thus the sun halted in the middle of the sky, and did not hurry to go down for about a full day.
14There was no day like that before it or after it, when Adonai listened to the voice of a man. For Adonai fought for Israel.
15Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal.
16Now these five kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.
17So it was reported to Joshua, “The five kings are found hidden in the cave at Makkedah.”
18Joshua said, “Roll large stones onto the mouth of the cave, assign men over it to guard them,
19but don’t stay there yourselves. Chase after your enemies and attack them at the rear. Don’t let them enter their cities, for Adonai your God has given them into your hand.”
20So it was that Joshua and Bnei-Yisrael finished striking them with a very great slaughter until they were wiped out, though some of their survivors escaped into the fortified cities.
21Then all the people returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. No one dared sharpen his tongue against Bnei-Yisrael.
22Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring out those five kings to me from the cave.”
23So they did so, and brought out those five kings to him from the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon.
24When they brought out those kings to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, “Come forward and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came forward and put their feet on their necks.
25Then Joshua said to them, “Never fear or be dismayed. Chazak! Be strong! For thus will Adonai do to all your enemies whom you will fight.”
26After this, Joshua struck them and put them to death, then hanged them on five trees, and they remained hanging on the trees until evening.
27It came about at sunset that Joshua commanded that they be taken down from the trees and thrown into the cave where they had hidden themselves. Then they placed large stones at the mouth of the cave which are there to this very day.
28On that day Joshua captured Makkedah and struck it and its king with the edge of the sword, putting it and every single soul in it under a ban of destruction, leaving no survivors. So he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.
29Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against Libnah.
30 Adonai also gave it with its king into the hand of Israel. So he struck it and every single soul in it with the edge of the sword, leaving no survivors in it. So he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.
31Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Libnah to Lachish, camped against it and fought against it.
32Adonai delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, so he captured it on the second day, and struck it and every single soul in it with the edge of the sword, just as he had done to Libnah.
33Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish, but Joshua defeated him and his people until he had left him no survivors.
34Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Lachish to Eglon, camped against it and fought against it.
35They captured it on that day and struck it and every single soul in it with the edge of the sword, putting them under the ban that day, just as he had done to Lachish.
36Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron, and they fought against it.
37They captured it and struck it, its king, all its towns, and every single soul that was in it with the edge of the sword, leaving no survivors, just as he had done to Eglon, putting it and every single soul in it under the ban.
38Then Joshua and all Israel with him turned back to Debir and fought against it.
39He captured it and its king, and all its towns, struck them with the edge of the sword and put every single soul in it under the ban, leaving no survivors. Just as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king, as he had also done to Libnah and its king.
40So Joshua conquered the entire country—the hill country, the Negev, the lowland and the slopes—with all their kings. He left no survivors, but he put everything that breathed under the ban, just as Adonai God of Israel had commanded.
41Thus Joshua defeated them from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, all the country of Goshen as far as Gibeon.
42Thus Joshua captured all those kings and their lands at a single stroke, because Adonai God of Israel fought for Israel.
43Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal.
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