²³ you must not leave the body hanging on the pole overnight.^(A) Be sure to bury^(B) it that same day, because anyone who is hung on a pole is under God’s curse.^(C) You must not desecrate^(D) the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.

²⁹ He impaled the body of the king of Ai on a pole and left it there until evening. At sunset,^(A) Joshua ordered them to take the body from the pole and throw it down at the entrance of the city gate. And they raised a large pile of rocks^(B) over it, which remains to this day.

²⁶ Then Joshua put the kings to death and exposed their bodies on five poles, and they were left hanging on the poles until evening.

²⁷ At sunset^(A) Joshua gave the order and they took them down from the poles and threw them into the cave where they had been hiding. At the mouth of the cave they placed large rocks, which are there to this day.^(B)

Southern Cities Conquered

²⁸ That day Joshua took Makkedah. He put the city and its king to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it. He left no survivors.^(C) And he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.^(D)

²⁹ Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah^(E) and attacked it. ³⁰ The Lord also gave that city and its king into Israel’s hand. The city and everyone in it Joshua put to the sword. He left no survivors there. And he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.

³¹ Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Libnah to Lachish;^(F) he took up positions against it and attacked it. ³² The Lord gave Lachish into Israel’s hands, and Joshua took it on the second day. The city and everyone in it he put to the sword, just as he had done to Libnah. ³³ Meanwhile, Horam king of Gezer^(G) had come up to help Lachish, but Joshua defeated him and his army—until no survivors were left.

³⁴ Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Lachish to Eglon;^(H) they took up positions against it and attacked it. ³⁵ They captured it that same day and put it to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it, just as they had done to Lachish.

³⁶ Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron^(I) and attacked it. ³⁷ They took the city and put it to the sword, together with its king, its villages and everyone^(J) in it. They left no survivors. Just as at Eglon, they totally destroyed it and everyone in it.

³⁸ Then Joshua and all Israel with him turned around and attacked Debir.^{(K) 39} They took the city, its king and its villages, and put them to the sword. Everyone in it they totally destroyed. They left no survivors. They did to Debir and its king as they had done to Libnah and its king and to Hebron.^(L)

⁴⁰ So Joshua subdued the whole region, including the hill country, the Negev,^(M) the western foothills and the mountain slopes,^(N) together with all their kings.^(O) He left no survivors. He totally destroyed all who breathed, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded.^{(P) 41} Joshua subdued them from Kadesh Barnea^(Q) to Gaza^(R) and from the whole region of Goshen^(S) to Gibeon. ⁴² All these kings and their lands Joshua conquered in one campaign, because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought^(T) for Israel.

⁴³ Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.^(U)