Joshua 10

Israel Defeats the Southern Armies

10Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard that Joshua had captured and completely destroyed

Ai and killed its king, just as he had destroyed the town of Jericho and killed its king. He also learned that the Gibeonites had made peace with Israel and were now their allies.H139H4428H3389H8085H3588H3091H3920H5857H2763H6213H3405H4428H6213H5857H4428H3427H1391H7999H3478H71302He and his people became very afraid when they heard all this because Gibeon was a large town—as large as the royal cities and larger than Ai. And the Gibeonite men were strong warriors.H3372H3966H1391H1419H5892H259H4467H5892H1419H5857H582H13683So King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent messengers to several other kings: Hoham of Hebron, Piram of Jarmuth, Japhia of Lachish, and Debir of Eglon.H139H4428H3389H7971H1944H4428H2275H6502H4428H3412H3309H4428H3923H1688H4428H5700H5594"Come and help me destroy Gibeon," he urged them, "for they have made peace with Joshua and the people of Israel."H5927H5826H5221H1391H7999H3091H1121H34785So these five Amorite kings combined their armies for a united attack. They moved all their troops into place and attacked Gibeon.H2568H4428H567H4428H3389H4428H2275H4428H3412H4428H3923H4428H5700H622H5927H4264H2583H1391H38986The men of Gibeon quickly sent messengers to Joshua at his camp in Gilgal. "Don't abandon your servants now!" they pleaded. "Come at once! Save us! Help us! For all the Amorite kings who live in the hill country have joined forces to attack us."H582H1391H7971H3091H4264H1537H559H7503H3027H5650H5927H4120H3467H5826H4428H567H3427H2022H69087So Joshua and his entire army, including his best warriors, left Gilgal and set out for Gibeon.H3091H5927H1537H5971H4421H1368H24288"Do not be afraid of them," the LORD said to Joshua, "for I have given you victory over them. Not a single one of them will be able to stand up to you."H3068H559H3091H3372H5414H3027H376H5975H64409Joshua traveled all night from Gilgal and took the Amorite armies by surprise.H3091H935H6597H5927H1537H391510The LORD threw them into a panic, and the Israelites slaughtered great numbers of them at Gibeon. Then the Israelites chased the enemy along the road to Beth-horon, killing them all along the way to Azekah and Makkedah.H3068H2000H6440H3478H5221H1419H4347H1391H7291H1870H4608H1032H5221H5825H471911As the Amorites retreated down the road from Beth-horon, the LORD destroyed them with a terrible hailstorm from heaven that continued until they reached Azekah. The hail killed more of the enemy than the Israelites killed with the sword.H5127H6440H3478H4174H1032H3068H7993H1419H68H8064H5825H4191H7227H4191H1259H68H834H1121H3478H2026H271912On the day the LORD gave the Israelites victory over the Amorites, Joshua prayed to the LORD in front of all the people of Israel. He said, "Let the sun stand still over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Aijalon."H1696H3091H3068H3117H3068H5414H567H6440H1121H3478H559H5869H3478H8121H1826H1391H3394H6010H35713So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies. Is this event not recorded in The Book of Jashar

? The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and it did not set as on a normal day.H8121H1826H3394H5975H1471H5358H341H1931H3789H5612H3477H8121H5975H2677H8064H213H935H8549H311714There has never been a day like this one before or since, when the LORD answered such a prayer. Surely the LORD fought for Israel that day!H3117H6440H310H3068H8085H6963H376H3068H3898H347815Then Joshua and the Israelite army returned to their camp at Gilgal.H3091H7725H3478H4264H1537

Joshua Kills the Five Southern Kings

16During the battle the five kings escaped and hid in a cave at Makkedah.H2568H4428H5127H2244H4631H471917When Joshua heard that they had been found,H5046H3091H559H2568H4428H4672H2244H4631H471918he issued this command: "Cover the opening of the cave with large rocks, and place guards at the entrance to keep the kings inside.H3091H559H1556H1419H68H6310H4631H6485H582H810419The rest of you continue chasing the enemy and cut them down from the rear. Don't give them a chance to get back to their towns, for the LORD your God has given you victory over them."H5975H7291H310H341H2179H5414H935H5892H3068H430H5414H302720So Joshua and the Israelite army continued the slaughter and completely crushed the enemy. They totally wiped out the five armies except for a tiny remnant that managed to reach their fortified towns.H3091H1121H3478H3615H5221H3966H1419H4347H8552H8300H8277H935H4013H589221Then the Israelites returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. After that, no one dared to speak even a word against Israel.H5971H7725H4264H3091H4719H7965H2782H3956H376H1121H347822Then Joshua said, "Remove the rocks covering the opening of the cave, and bring the five kings to me."H559H3091H6605H6310H4631H3318H2568H4428H463123So they brought the five kings out of the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon.H6213H3318H2568H4428H4631H4428H3389H4428H2275H4428H3412H4428H3923H4428H570024When they brought them out, Joshua told the commanders of his army, "Come and put your feet on the kings' necks." And they did as they were told.H3318H4428H3091H3091H7121H376H3478H559H7101H582H4421H1980H7126H7760H7272H6677H4428H7126H7760H7272H667725"Don't ever be afraid or discouraged," Joshua told his men. "Be strong and courageous, for the LORD is going to do this to all of your enemies."H3091H559H3372H2865H2388H553H3068H6213H341H389826Then Joshua killed each of the five kings and impaled them on five sharpened poles, where they hung until evening.H310H3091H5221H4191H8518H2568H6086H8518H6086H615327As the sun was going down, Joshua gave instructions for the bodies of the kings to be taken down from the poles and thrown into the cave where they had been hiding. Then they covered the opening of the cave with a pile of large rocks, which remains to this very day.H6256H935H8121H3091H6680H3381H6086H7993H4631H2244H7760H1419H68H4631H6310H6106H3117

Israel Destroys the Southern Towns

28That same day Joshua captured and destroyed the town of Makkedah. He killed everyone in it, including the king, leaving no survivors. He destroyed them all, and he killed the king of Makkedah as he had killed the king of Jericho.H3117H3091H3920H4719H5221H6310H2719H4428H2763H5315H7604H8300H6213H4428H4719H6213H4428H340529Then Joshua and the Israelites went to Libnah and attacked it.H3091H5674H4719H3478H3841H3898H384130There, too, the LORD gave them the town and its king. He killed everyone in it, leaving no survivors. Then Joshua killed the king of Libnah as he had killed the king of Jericho.H3068H5414H4428H3027H3478H5221H6310H2719H5315H7604H8300H6213H4428H6213H4428H340531From Libnah, Joshua and the Israelites went to Lachish and attacked it.H3091H5674H3841H3478H3923H2583H389832Here again, the LORD gave them Lachish. Joshua took it on the second day and killed everyone in it, just as he had done at Libnah.H3068H5414H3923H3027H3478H3920H8145H3117H5221H6310H2719H5315H6213H384133During the attack on Lachish, King Horam of Gezer arrived with his army to help defend the town. But Joshua's men killed him and his army, leaving no survivors.H2036H4428H1507H5927H5826H3923H3091H5221H5971H7604H830034Then Joshua and the Israelite army went on to Eglon and attacked it.H3923H3091H5674H5700H3478H2583H389835They captured it that day and killed everyone in it. He completely destroyed everyone, just as he had done at Lachish.H3920H3117H5221H6310H2719H5315H2763H3117H6213H392336From Eglon, Joshua and the Israelite army went up to Hebron and attacked it.H3091H5927H5700H3478H2275H389837They captured the town and killed everyone in it, including its king, leaving no survivors. They did the same thing to all of its surrounding villages. And just as he had done at Eglon, he completely destroyed the entire population.H3920H5221H6310H2719H4428H5892H5315H7604H8300H6213H5700H2763H531538Then Joshua and the Israelites turned back and attacked Debir.H3091H7725H3478H1688H389839He captured the town, its king, and all of its surrounding villages. He completely destroyed everyone in it, leaving no survivors. He did to Debir and its king just what he had done to Hebron and to Libnah and its king.H3920H4428H5892H5221H6310H2719H2763H5315H7604H8300H6213H2275H6213H1688H4428H6213H3841H442840So Joshua conquered the whole region—the kings and people of the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills

, and the mountain slopes. He completely destroyed everyone in the land, leaving no survivors, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded.H3091H5221H776H2022H5045H8219H794H4428H7604H8300H2763H5397H3068H430H3478H668041Joshua slaughtered them from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza and from the region around the town of Goshen up to Gibeon.H3091H5221H6947H5804H776H1657H139142Joshua conquered all these kings and their land in a single campaign, for the LORD, the God of Israel, was fighting for his people.H4428H776H3091H3920H259H6471H3068H430H3478H3898H347843Then Joshua and the Israelite army returned to their camp at Gilgal.H3091H7725H3478H4264H1537