[1] When Ado'ni-ze'dek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and
had utterly destroyed it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to
Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with
Israel and were among them, [2] he feared greatly, because Gibeon was a
great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than
Ai, and all its men were mighty. [3] So Ado'ni-ze'dek king of Jerusalem
sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhi'a king of
Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, [4] "Come up to me, and help
me, and let us smite Gibeon; for it has made peace with Joshua and with the
people of Israel." [5] Then 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 their forces, and went up with all their
armies and encamped against Gibeon, and made war against it. [6] And the
men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, "Do not relax
your hand from your servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help
us; for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the hill country are
gathered against us." [7] So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the
people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. [8] And the LORD
said to Joshua, "Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands;
there shall not a man of them stand before you." [9] So Joshua came upon
them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal. [10] And the LORD
threw them into a panic before Israel, who slew them with a great slaughter
at Gibeon, and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-hor'on, and
smote them as far as Aze'kah and Makke'dah. [11] And as they fled before
Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-hor'on, the LORD
threw down great stones from heaven upon them as far as Aze'kah, and they
died; there were more who died because of the hailstones than the men of
Israel killed with the sword. [12] Then spoke Joshua to the LORD in the day
when the LORD gave the Amorites over to the men of Israel; and he said in
the sight of Israel,  "Sun, stand thou still at Gibeon, and thou Moon in
the valley of Ai'jalon." [13] And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed,
until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in
the Book of Jashar? The sun stayed in the midst of heaven, and did not
hasten to go down for about a whole day. [14] There has been no day like it
before or since, when the LORD hearkened to the voice of a man; for the
LORD fought for Israel. [15] Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him,
to the camp at Gilgal. [16] These five kings fled, and hid themselves in
the cave at Makke'dah. [17] And it was told Joshua, "The five kings have
been found, hidden in the cave at Makke'dah." [18] And Joshua said, "Roll
great stones against the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to guard
them; [19] but do not stay there yourselves, pursue your enemies, fall upon
their rear, do not let them enter their cities; for the LORD your God has
given them into your hand." [20] When Joshua and the men of Israel had
finished slaying them with a very great slaughter, until they were wiped
out, and when the remnant which remained of them had entered into the
fortified cities, [21] all the people returned safe to Joshua in the camp
at Makke'dah; not a man moved his tongue against any of the people of
Israel. [22] Then Joshua said, "Open the mouth of the cave, and bring those
five kings out to me from the cave." [23] And they did so, and brought
those five kings out to him from the cave, 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 brought those kings out 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 near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings." Then
they came near, and put their feet on their necks. [25] And Joshua said to
them, "Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and of good courage; for
thus the LORD will do to all your enemies against whom you fight." [26] And
afterward Joshua smote them and put them to death, and he hung them on five
trees. And they hung upon the trees until evening; [27] but at the time of
the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took them down from
the trees, and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves,
and they set great stones against the mouth of the cave, which remain to
this very day. [28] And Joshua took Makke'dah on that day, and smote it and
its king with the edge of the sword; he utterly destroyed every person in
it, he left none remaining; and he did to the king of Makke'dah as he had
done to the king of Jericho. [29] Then Joshua passed on from Makke'dah, and
all Israel with him, to Libnah, and fought against Libnah; [30] and the
LORD gave it also and its king into the hand of Israel; and he smote it
with the edge of the sword, and every person in it; he left none remaining
in it; and he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho. [31]
And Joshua passed on from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish, and
laid siege to it, and assaulted it: [32] and the LORD gave Lachish into the
hand of Israel, and he took it on the second day, and smote it with the
edge of the sword, and every person in it, as he had done to Libnah. [33]
Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua smote him and
his people, until he left none remaining. [34] And Joshua passed on with
all Israel from Lachish to Eglon; and they laid siege to it, and assaulted
it; [35] and they took it on that day, and smote it with the edge of the
sword; and every person in it he utterly destroyed that day, as he had done
to Lachish. [36] Then Joshua went up with all Israel from Eglon to Hebron;
and they assaulted it, [37] and took it, and smote it with the edge of the
sword, and its king and its towns, and every person in it; he left none
remaining, as he had done to Eglon, and utterly destroyed it with every
person in it. [38] Then Joshua, with all Israel, turned back to Debir and
assaulted it, [39] and he took it with its king and all its towns; and they
smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed every person
in it; he left none remaining; as he had done to Hebron and to Libnah and
its king, so he did to Debir and to its king. [40] So Joshua defeated the
whole land, the hill country and the Negeb and the lowland and the slopes,
and all their kings; he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that
breathed, as the LORD God of Israel commanded. [41] And Joshua defeated
them from Ka'desh-bar'nea to Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, as far as
Gibeon. [42] And Joshua took all these kings and their land at one time,
because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel. [43] Then Joshua
returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.