Open English Translation JOS Chapter 10

10 Once King Adoni-Tsedek of Yerushalem heard that Yehoshua had captured Ay and completely destroyed it, and that he’d treated the king of Ay the same as he had treated the king of Yericho, and he heard that the Gibeonites had made peace with Israel and were now working for them, 2 the people of Yerushalem were very afraid because Gibeon had been a powerful city, stronger than Ay, and all it’s warriors were powerful. 3 So King Adoni-Tsedek sent to King Hoham of Hebron, King Piram of Yarmut, King Yafia of Lakish, and King Debir of Eglon, saying, 4 “Come here and help me. We’ll attack Gibeon because they’ve made peace with Yehoshua and the Israelis.” 5 So those five Amorite kings (from Yerushalem, Hebron, Yarmut, Lakish, and Eglon) joined together to go to Gibeon and their armies camped there to fight against it.

6 The leaders of Gibeon hurriedly sent to Yehoshua in the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Don’t abandon your servants. Come quickly and help us, and save us because all the kings of the Amorites who live in the hill country have combined against us.” 7 So Yehoshua and his warriors and prize fighters headed off from Gilgal, 8 and Yahweh told him, “Don’t be afraid of them, because you’ll have the victory over them—none of them will be able to stand against you.”

9 Yehoshua and his men spent the night moving in, and then surprised the alliance, 10 and Yahweh confused them as the Israelis approached and caused them to be badly defeated at Gibeon. Then they chased them on the road going to Beyt-Horon and killed them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. 11 As they fled from the Israelis on the slope down from Beyt-Horon heading towards Azekah, Yahweh hurled large hailstones down on them from the sky and they died—actually more of them died from the hail than were killed with swords by the Israelis.

12 Then Yehoshua spoke to Yahweh on the day that he gave them victory over the Amorites, and in front of the Israelis he said,

“Sun, stay still over Gibeon,

≈and moon, over the Ayyalon Valley.

13 Then the sun stood still and the moon stood still until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies. (Isn’t that written about in the Jashar scroll? The sun stood still in the middle of the sky and it didn’t hurry to go around for almost a whole day.[ref] 14 There had never before been a day like that, and nothing like it since then, when Yahweh listened to a man’s voice, because he was fighting for Israel.)

15 Then Yehoshua and all Israel returned to their camp at Gilgal.

16 Meanwhile those five kings had fled away and hidden at Makkedah in a cave, 17 and Yehoshua was told, “The five kings have been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah.” 18 Yehoshua said, “Roll large rocks across the mouth of the cave and assign men to guard them there, 19 but the rest of you, don’t stay there. Chase after your enemies and attack them from behind. Don’t let them get into their cities, because your God Yahweh wants you all to defeat them. 20 So Yehoshua and the Israelis finished most of them off, although some did manage to escape and get back into their fortified cities. 21 Then all the people returned to Yehoshua in the camp at Makkedah. After that, no one dared to criticise the Israelis.

22 Then Yehoshua said, “Open up the cave and bring those five kings to me.” 23 They did it and brought the five kings out from the cave—the kings of Yerushalem, Hebron, Yarmut, Lakish, and Eglon. 24 When they took them to Yehoshua, he summoned all the warriors and told the commanders, “Come over here. Put your feet on the necks of these kings.” 25 Then he told them, “Don’t be afraid and don’t be dismayed. Be strong and courageous, because this is what Yahweh will do to all your enemies—including the ones that you all still have to fight.” 26 Then Yehoshua executed the five kings and hanged them on five trees, where their bodies were left until evening. 27 As the sun was going down, he commanded that the bodies be brought down and thrown into the cave where they had hidden, and they placed large rocks over the cave entrance again, which are still there to this day.

28 Then Yehoshua captured Makkedah that same day. They killed the king and everyone else in the city, leaving no survivors, and Yehoshua did the same to the king of Makkedah as he’d done to the king of Yericho.[fn]

29 Then Yehoshua and all Israel went southwest from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against it. 30 Yahweh also allowed Israel to conquer it and its king, and Yehoshua again killed everyone in the city, leaving no survivors, and he did the same to the king of Libnah as he’d done to the king of Yericho.

31 Then Yehoshua and all Israel went south from Libnah to Lakish, where they took a position against the city and fought against it. 32 On the second day of the battle, Yahweh helped Israel defeat Lakish, and they captured it and killed everyone in the city like they had done to Libnah. 33 King Horam of Gezer arrived to help Lakish, but Yehoshua defeated him and his men, leaving no survivors.

34 Then Yehoshua and the Israelis went west from Lakish to Eglon, where they took a position against the city and fought against it. 35 That day they captured it and killed everyone in the city like they had done to Lakish.

36 Then Yehoshua and the Israelis went west from Eglon up into the hills to Hebron, and fought against it. 37 They captured it and killed the king and everyone in all their towns, leaving no survivors the same as Eglon.

38 Then Yehoshua and and the Israelis went to the city of Debir and fought against it. 39 They captured the city and its king and all their towns, killing everyone and leaving no survivors. They treated Debir and its king just like they had to Libnah and Hebron and their kings.

40 So Yehoshua attacked and conquered the entire region—the hill country and the Negev, the lowlands and the slopes, and all their kings. He didn’t leave any survivors but destroyed everything living, just as Israel’s God Yahweh had commanded. 41 Yehoshua attacked and conquered them from Kadesh-Barnea and as far as Gaza, all the land of Goshen and as far as Gibeon. 42 In one swoop, Yehoshua captured all those kings and their land, because Israel’s God Yahweh had fought for Israel. 43 Then Yehoshua and his warriors returned to their camp at Gilgal.