Joshua 10:1-27

Common English Bible

Gibeonites under attack

10 Jerusalem’s King Adoni-zedek heard that Joshua had captured Ai and had wiped it out as something reserved for God. Joshua did the same thing to Ai and its king that he had done to Jericho and its king. He also heard that the population of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were living among them. ² Adoni-zedek and his people^[a] were very afraid, because Gibeon was a large city, like one of the royal cities. It was larger than Ai. All its men were soldiers. ³ So Jerusalem’s King Adoni-zedek sent word to Hebron’s King Hoham, Jarmuth’s King Piram, Lachish’s King Japhia, and Eglon’s King Debir: ⁴ “Come up and help me. We will strike at Gibeon, because it has made peace with Joshua and with the Israelites.” ⁵ Then the five kings of the Amorites gathered. These were the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. They went up with all their armies, camped against Gibeon, and attacked it. ⁶ The people of Gibeon sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: “Don’t desert your servants! Come to us quickly. Rescue us! Help us! All the Amorite kings from the highlands have assembled together against us.” ⁷ So Joshua went up from Gilgal with the entire army and all the bravest soldiers.

The Lord fights for Israel

⁸ Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Don’t be afraid of them. I have given them into your power. Not a single one of them can stand up against you.” ⁹ Joshua quickly attacked them, having come up overnight from Gilgal. ¹⁰ Then the Lord threw them into a panic before Israel. Joshua struck a mighty blow against them at Gibeon. He chased them on the way up to Beth-horon and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. ¹¹ When they were fleeing from Israel and were on the slope of Beth-horon, the Lord threw down large stones from the sky all the way to Azekah. So they died. More died from the hailstones than the Israelites killed with the sword.

¹² On the day the Lord gave the Amorites into the power of Israel, Joshua spoke to the Lord in the presence of the Israelites:

Isn’t this written in the Jashar scroll? So the sun stood motionless in the middle of the sky. For a whole day, it was in no hurry to go down. ¹⁴ There hasn’t been a day like it before or since, when the Lord responded to a human voice. The Lord fought for Israel. ¹⁵ Then Joshua along with all Israel came back to the camp at Gilgal.

Israel executes five kings

¹⁶ Then those five kings fled and hid in the cave at Makkedah. ¹⁷ It was reported to Joshua, “The five kings have been found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah.”

¹⁸ Joshua said, “Roll large stones over the mouth of the cave. Station some men by it to guard them, ¹⁹ but don’t you stay there. Chase after your enemies and attack them from the rear. Don’t let them enter their cities, because the Lord your God has given them into your power.” ²⁰ Joshua and the Israelites finished dealing them a stunning blow until they were finished off. Some survivors among them escaped into the fortified cities. ²¹ Then the whole people came back safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. Not a single person threatened the Israelites.

²² Joshua said, “Open up the mouth of the cave. Bring those five kings out of the cave to me.” ²³ They did so. They brought the five kings out of the cave to him: the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. ²⁴ When they brought these kings out to Joshua, Joshua called for every Israelite. He said to the military commanders who had gone out with him, “Come forward. Put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they went forward and put their feet on their necks. ²⁵ Then Joshua said to them, “Don’t be afraid or terrified. Be brave and strong, because this is how the Lord will deal with all the enemies you fight.” ²⁶ Next, Joshua struck them down. He put them to death and then hanged them on five trees. They were hanging on the trees until evening. ²⁷ At sundown, Joshua gave an order, and they took them down from the trees. They threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and they set large stones over the mouth of the cave. The stones are still there to this very day.