The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Joshua 10
1 Now when Adoni-Zedek king of
Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken
Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he
had done to Jericho and her king, so he
had done to Ai and her king; and how
the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace
with Israel, and were among them,
2 they were very afraid, because Gibeon
was a great city, as one of the royal cities,
and because it was greater than Ai, and all
its men were mighty.
3 Therefore Adoni-Zedek king of
Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron,
Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of
Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying,
4 “Come up to me and help me. Let’s
strike 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 wentup,they and
all their armies, and encamped against
Gibeon, and made war against it.
6 The men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at
the 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 that dwell in the hill country
have gathered together against us.”
7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and
the whole army with him, including all the
mighty men of valor.
8 Yahweh said to Joshua, “Don’t fear
them, for I have delivered them into your
hands. Not amanof them will stand before
you. denly. He marched from Gilgal all night.
9 Joshua therefore came to them suddenly.
10 Yahweh confused them before Israel.
He killed them with a great slaughter at
Gibeon, and chased them by the way of the
ascent of Beth Horon, and struck them to
Azekah and to Makkedah.
11 As they fled from before Israel, while
they were at the descent of Beth Horon,
Yahweh hurled down great stones from
the sky on them to Azekah, and they died.
There were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the children of
Israel killed with the sword.
12 Then Joshua spoke to Yahweh in the
day when Yahweh delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel. He said
in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still on
Gibeon! You, moon, stop in the valley of
Aijalon!”
13 The sun stood still, and the moon
stayed, until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies. Isn’t this written
in the book of Jashar? The sun stayed in
the middle of the sky, and didn’t hurry to
go down about a whole day.
14 There was no day like that before it or
after it,that Yahweh listened to the voice of
a man; for Yahweh fought for Israel.
15 Joshua returned, and all Israel with
him, to the camp to Gilgal.
16 These five kings fled, and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.
17 Joshua was told, saying, “The five
kings have been found, hidden in the cave
at Makkedah.”
18 Joshua said, “Roll large stones to cover
the cave’s entrance, and set men by it to
guard them;
19 but don’t stay there. Pursue your enemies, and attack them from the rear. Don’t
allow them to enter into their cities; for
Yahweh your God has delivered them into
your hand.”
20 When Joshua and the children of Israel had finished killing them with a very
great slaughter until they were consumed,
and the remnant which remained of them
had entered into the fortified cities,
21 all the people returned to the camp to
Joshua atMakkedahinpeace. Nonemoved
his tongue against any of the children of
Israel.
22 Then Joshua said, “Open the cave entrance, and bring
thosefive kings out ofthe
cave to me.”
23 They did so, and brought those five
kings out of the cave to him: the king of
Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of
Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king
of Eglon.
24 When they brought those kings out to
Joshua, Joshua called for all the men of
Israel, and said to the chiefs of the men of
war who went with him, “Come near. Put
your feet on the necks of these kings.”
They came near, and put their feet on
their necks.
25 Joshua said to them, “Don’t be afraid,
nor be dismayed. Be strong and courageous, for Yahweh will do this to all your
enemies against whom you fight.”
26 Afterward Joshua struck them, put
them to death, and hanged them on five
trees. They were hanging on the trees until
the evening.
27 At the time of the going down of the
sun, Joshua commanded, and they took
them down off the trees, and threw them
into the cave in which they had hidden
themselves, and laid great stones on the
mouth of the cave, which remain to this
very day.
28 Joshua took Makkedah on that day,
and struck it with the edge of the sword,
with its king. He utterly destroyed it and
all the souls who were in it. He left no one
remaining. He did to the king of Makkedah
as he had done to the king of Jericho.
29 Joshua passed from Makkedah, and
all Israel with him, to Libnah, and fought
against Libnah.
30 Yahweh delivered it also, with its king,
into the hand of Israel. He struck it with
the edge ofthe sword, and allthe souls who
were in it. He left no one remaining in it.
He did to its king as he had done to the king
of Jericho.
31 Joshua passed from Libnah, and all
Israel with him, to Lachish, and encamped
against it, and fought against it.