Chapter 10

The Siege of Gibeon. ¹ Now when Adonizedek, king of Jerusalem, heard that Joshua had captured Ai and put it under the ban, and had done to that city and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king,^(A) and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made their peace with Israel, remaining among them, ² there was great fear abroad, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, greater even than Ai, and all its men were warriors. ³ So Adonizedek, king of Jerusalem, sent to Hoham, king of Hebron, Piram, king of Jarmuth, Japhia, king of Lachish, and Debir, king of Eglon, with this message: ⁴ “Come and help me attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.”^{(B) 5} The five Amorite kings, of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon,^[a] gathered with all their forces, and marched against Gibeon to make war on it. ⁶ Thereupon, the Gibeonites sent an appeal to Joshua in his camp at Gilgal: “Do not abandon your servants. Come up here quickly and save us. Help us, because all the Amorite kings of the mountain country have joined together against us.”^(C)

Joshua’s Victory. ⁷ So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with all his army and all his warriors. ⁸ The Lord said to Joshua: Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your power. Not one of them will be able to withstand you. ⁹ After an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua made a surprise attack upon them, ¹⁰ and the Lord threw them into disorder before Israel. The Israelites inflicted a great slaughter on them at Gibeon and pursued them down the Beth-horon slope, attacking them as far as Azekah and Makkedah.

¹¹ While they fled before Israel along the descent of Beth-horon, the Lord hurled great stones from the heavens^[b] above them all the way to Azekah, killing many.^(D) More died from these hailstones than the Israelites killed with the sword. ¹² It was then, when the Lord delivered up the Amorites to the Israelites, that Joshua prayed to the Lord, and said in the presence of Israel:

This is recorded^[c] in the Book of Jashar. The sun halted halfway across the heavens; not for an entire day did it press on. ¹⁴ Never before or since was there a day like this, when the Lord obeyed the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel. ¹⁵ Then Joshua and all Israel returned to the camp at Gilgal.

Execution of Amorite Kings. ¹⁶ The five kings who had fled hid in the cave at Makkedah. ¹⁷ When Joshua was told, “The five kings have been found, hiding in the cave at Makkedah,” ¹⁸ he said, “Roll large stones to the mouth of the cave and post guards over it. ¹⁹ But do not remain there yourselves. Pursue your enemies, and harry them in the rear. Do not allow them to reach their cities, for the Lord, your God, has delivered them into your power.”

²⁰ Once Joshua and the Israelites had finally inflicted the last blows in this very great slaughter, and the survivors had escaped from them into the fortified cities, ²¹ all the army returned to Joshua and the camp at Makkedah in victory; no one uttered a sound against the Israelites. ²² Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring me those five kings from the cave.” ²³ They did so; they brought out to him from the cave the five kings, of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. ²⁴ When they brought the five kings out to Joshua, he summoned all the army of Israel and said to the commanders of the soldiers who had marched with him, “Come forward and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” They came forward and put their feet upon their necks. ^25 (F)Then Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or dismayed, be firm and steadfast. This is what the Lord will do to all the enemies against whom you fight.” ^26 (G)Thereupon Joshua struck and killed the kings, and hanged them on five trees, where they remained hanging until evening. ²⁷ At sunset Joshua commanded that they be taken down from the trees and be thrown into the cave where they had hidden; over the mouth of the cave large stones were placed, which remain until this very day.

^6 (A)Then the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites who inhabited the land. They told David, “You shall not enter here: the blind and the lame will drive you away!” which was their way of saying, “David shall not enter here.”^{(B) 7} David nevertheless captured the fortress of Zion, which is the City of David. ⁸ On that day David said: “All who wish to strike at the Jebusites must attack through the water shaft. The lame and the blind shall be the personal enemies of David.” That is why it is said, “The blind and the lame shall not enter the palace.”^{(C) 9} David took up residence in the fortress which he called the City of David. David built up the city on all sides, from the Millo toward the center.^(D)