Joshua 9-12

New International Version

The Gibeonite Deception

9 Now when all the kings west of the Jordan heard about these things—the kings in the hill country,^(A) in the western foothills, and along the entire coast of the Mediterranean Sea^(B) as far as Lebanon^(C) (the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites,^(D) Hivites^(E) and Jebusites)^(F)— ²they came together to wage war against Joshua and Israel.

³However, when the people of Gibeon^(G) heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,^(H) ⁴they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded^[a] with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. ⁵They put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy. ⁶Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal^(I) and said to him and the Israelites, “We have come from a distant country;^(J) make a treaty^(K) with us.”

⁷The Israelites said to the Hivites,^(L) “But perhaps you live near us, so how can we make a treaty^(M) with you?”

⁸“We are your servants,^(N)” they said to Joshua.

But Joshua asked, “Who are you and where do you come from?”

⁹They answered: “Your servants have come from a very distant country^(O) because of the fame of the Lord your God. For we have heard reports^(P) of him: all that he did in Egypt,^(Q) ¹⁰and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan—Sihon king of Heshbon,^(R) and Og king of Bashan,^(S) who reigned in Ashtaroth.^(T) ¹¹And our elders and all those living in our country said to us, ‘Take provisions for your journey; go and meet them and say to them, “We are your servants; make a treaty with us.”’ ¹²This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But now see how dry and moldy it is. ¹³And these wineskins that we filled were new, but see how cracked they are. And our clothes and sandals are worn out by the very long journey.”

¹⁴The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire^(U) of the Lord. ¹⁵Then Joshua made a treaty of peace^(V) with them to let them live,^(W) and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath.

¹⁶Three days after they made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites heard that they were neighbors, living near^(X) them. ¹⁷So the Israelites set out and on the third day came to their cities: Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth^(Y) and Kiriath Jearim.^(Z) ¹⁸But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath^(AA) to them by the Lord, the God of Israel.

The whole assembly grumbled^(AB) against the leaders, ¹⁹but all the leaders answered, “We have given them our oath by the Lord, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now. ²⁰This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that God’s wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath^(AC) we swore to them.” ²¹They continued, “Let them live,^(AD) but let them be woodcutters and water carriers^(AE) in the service of the whole assembly.” So the leaders’ promise to them was kept.

²²Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you deceive us by saying, ‘We live a long way^(AF) from you,’ while actually you live near^(AG) us? ²³You are now under a curse:^(AH) You will never be released from service as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”

²⁴They answered Joshua, “Your servants were clearly told^(AI) how the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and to wipe out all its inhabitants from before you. So we feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this. ²⁵We are now in your hands.^(AJ) Do to us whatever seems good and right^(AK) to you.”

²⁶So Joshua saved them from the Israelites, and they did not kill them. ²⁷That day he made the Gibeonites^(AL) woodcutters and water carriers^(AM) for the assembly, to provide for the needs of the altar of the Lord at the place the Lord would choose.^(AN) And that is what they are to this day.

The Sun Stands Still

10 Now Adoni-Zedek^(AO) king of Jerusalem^(AP) heard that Joshua had taken Ai^(AQ) and totally destroyed^[b]^(AR) it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and that the people of Gibeon^(AS) had made a treaty of peace^(AT) with Israel and had become their allies. ²He and his people were very much alarmed at this, because Gibeon was an important city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were good fighters. ³So Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem appealed to Hoham king of Hebron,^(AU) Piram king of Jarmuth,^(AV) Japhia king of Lachish^(AW) and Debir^(AX) king of Eglon.^(AY) ⁴“Come up and help me attack Gibeon,” he said, “because it has made peace^(AZ) with Joshua and the Israelites.”

⁵Then the five kings^(BA) of the Amorites^(BB)—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon—joined forces. They moved up with all their troops and took up positions against Gibeon and attacked it.

⁶The Gibeonites then sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal:^(BC) “Do not abandon your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, because all the Amorite kings from the hill country have joined forces against us.”

⁷So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army,^(BD) including all the best fighting men. ⁸The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid^(BE) of them; I have given them into your hand.^(BF) Not one of them will be able to withstand you.”^(BG)

⁹After an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua took them by surprise. ¹⁰The Lord threw them into confusion^(BH) before Israel,^(BI) so Joshua and the Israelites defeated them completely at Gibeon.^(BJ) Israel pursued them along the road going up to Beth Horon^(BK) and cut them down all the way to Azekah^(BL) and Makkedah.^(BM) ¹¹As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah, the Lord hurled large hailstones^(BN) down on them,^(BO) and more of them died from the hail than were killed by the swords of the Israelites.

¹²On the day the Lord gave the Amorites^(BP) over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel:

“Sun, stand still over Gibeon,
    and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.^(BQ)”
¹³So the sun stood still,^(BR)
    and the moon stopped,
    till the nation avenged itself on^[c] its enemies,

as it is written in the Book of Jashar.^(BS)

The sun stopped^(BT) in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. ¹⁴There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a human being. Surely the Lord was fighting^(BU) for Israel!

¹⁵Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.^(BV)

Five Amorite Kings Killed

¹⁶Now the five kings had fled^(BW) and hidden in the cave at Makkedah. ¹⁷When Joshua was told that the five kings had been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah, ¹⁸he said, “Roll large rocks up to the mouth of the cave, and post some men there to guard it. ¹⁹But don’t stop; pursue your enemies! Attack them from the rear and don’t let them reach their cities, for the Lord your God has given them into your hand.”

²⁰So Joshua and the Israelites defeated them completely,^(BX) but a few survivors managed to reach their fortified cities.^(BY) ²¹The whole army then returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah, and no one uttered a word against the Israelites.

²²Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me.” ²³So they brought the five kings out of the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon. ²⁴When they had brought these kings^(BZ) to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had come with him, “Come here and put your feet^(CA) on the necks of these kings.” So they came forward and placed their feet^(CB) on their necks.

²⁵Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous.^(CC) This is what the Lord will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.” ²⁶Then Joshua put the kings to death and exposed their bodies on five poles, and they were left hanging on the poles until evening.

²⁷At sunset^(CD) 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.^(CE)

Southern Cities Conquered

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

²⁹Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah^(CH) and attacked it. ³⁰The 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.

³¹Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Libnah to Lachish;^(CI) he took up positions against it and attacked it. ³²The 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. ³³Meanwhile, Horam king of Gezer^(CJ) had come up to help Lachish, but Joshua defeated him and his army—until no survivors were left.

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

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

³⁸Then Joshua and all Israel with him turned around and attacked Debir.^(CN) ³⁹They 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.^(CO)

⁴⁰So Joshua subdued the whole region, including the hill country, the Negev,^(CP) the western foothills and the mountain slopes,^(CQ) together with all their kings.^(CR) He left no survivors. He totally destroyed all who breathed, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded.^(CS) ⁴¹Joshua subdued them from Kadesh Barnea^(CT) to Gaza^(CU) and from the whole region of Goshen^(CV) to Gibeon. ⁴²All these kings and their lands Joshua conquered in one campaign, because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought^(CW) for Israel.

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

Northern Kings Defeated

11 When Jabin^(CY) king of Hazor^(CZ) heard of this, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon, to the kings of Shimron^(DA) and Akshaph,^(DB) ²and to the northern kings who were in the mountains, in the Arabah^(DC) south of Kinnereth,^(DD) in the western foothills and in Naphoth Dor^(DE) on the west; ³to the Canaanites in the east and west; to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites^(DF) and Jebusites in the hill country;^(DG) and to the Hivites^(DH) below Hermon^(DI) in the region of Mizpah.^(DJ) ⁴They came out with all their troops and a large number of horses and chariots—a huge army, as numerous as the sand on the seashore.^(DK) ⁵All these kings joined forces^(DL) and made camp together at the Waters of Merom^(DM) to fight against Israel.

⁶The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand^(DN) all of them, slain, over to Israel. You are to hamstring^(DO) their horses and burn their chariots.”^(DP)

⁷So Joshua and his whole army came against them suddenly at the Waters of Merom and attacked them, ⁸and the Lord gave them into the hand of Israel. They defeated them and pursued them all the way to Greater Sidon,^(DQ) to Misrephoth Maim,^(DR) and to the Valley of Mizpah on the east, until no survivors were left. ⁹Joshua did to them as the Lord had directed: He hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots.

¹⁰At that time Joshua turned back and captured Hazor and put its king to the sword.^(DS) (Hazor had been the head of all these kingdoms.) ¹¹Everyone in it they put to the sword. They totally destroyed^[d] them,^(DT) not sparing anyone that breathed,^(DU) and he burned^(DV) Hazor itself.

¹²Joshua took all these royal cities and their kings and put them to the sword. He totally destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded.^(DW) ¹³Yet Israel did not burn any of the cities built on their mounds—except Hazor, which Joshua burned. ¹⁴The Israelites carried off for themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities, but all the people they put to the sword until they completely destroyed them, not sparing anyone that breathed.^(DX) ¹⁵As the Lord commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses.^(DY)

¹⁶So Joshua took this entire land: the hill country,^(DZ) all the Negev,^(EA) the whole region of Goshen, the western foothills,^(EB) the Arabah and the mountains of Israel with their foothills, ¹⁷from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir,^(EC) to Baal Gad^(ED) in the Valley of Lebanon^(EE) below Mount Hermon.^(EF) He captured all their kings and put them to death.^(EG) ¹⁸Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time. ¹⁹Except for the Hivites^(EH) living in Gibeon,^(EI) not one city made a treaty of peace^(EJ) with the Israelites, who took them all in battle. ²⁰For it was the Lord himself who hardened their hearts^(EK) to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the Lord had commanded Moses.^(EL)

²¹At that time Joshua went and destroyed the Anakites^(EM) from the hill country: from Hebron, Debir^(EN) and Anab,^(EO) from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua totally destroyed them and their towns. ²²No Anakites were left in Israelite territory; only in Gaza,^(EP) Gath^(EQ) and Ashdod^(ER) did any survive.

²³So Joshua took the entire land,^(ES) just as the Lord had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance^(ET) to Israel according to their tribal divisions.^(EU) Then the land had rest^(EV) from war.^(EW)

List of Defeated Kings

12 These are the kings of the land whom the Israelites had defeated and whose territory they took^(EX) over east of the Jordan,^(EY) from the Arnon^(EZ) Gorge to Mount Hermon,^(FA) including all the eastern side of the Arabah:^(FB)

²Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon.^(FC)

He ruled from Aroer^(FD) on the rim of the Arnon Gorge—from the middle of the gorge—to the Jabbok River,^(FE) which is the border of the Ammonites.^(FF) This included half of Gilead.^(FG) ³He also ruled over the eastern Arabah from the Sea of Galilee^[e]^(FH) to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea^(FI)), to Beth Jeshimoth,^(FJ) and then southward below the slopes of Pisgah.^(FK)

⁴And the territory of Og king of Bashan,^(FL) one of the last of the Rephaites,^(FM) who reigned in Ashtaroth^(FN) and Edrei.

⁵He ruled over Mount Hermon, Salekah,^(FO) all of Bashan^(FP) to the border of the people of Geshur^(FQ) and Maakah,^(FR) and half of Gilead^(FS) to the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.

⁶Moses, the servant of the Lord, and the Israelites conquered them.^(FT) And Moses the servant of the Lord gave their land to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh to be their possession.^(FU)

⁷Here is a list of the kings of the land that Joshua and the Israelites conquered on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon^(FV) to Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir. Joshua gave their lands as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel according to their tribal divisions. ⁸The lands included the hill country, the western foothills, the Arabah, the mountain slopes, the wilderness and the Negev.^(FW) These were the lands of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. These were the kings:^(FX)

⁹the king of Jericho^(FY)	one
the king of Ai^(FZ) (near Bethel^(GA))	one
¹⁰the king of Jerusalem^(GB)	one
the king of Hebron	one
¹¹the king of Jarmuth	one
the king of Lachish^(GC)	one
¹²the king of Eglon^(GD)	one
the king of Gezer^(GE)	one
¹³the king of Debir^(GF)	one
the king of Geder	one
¹⁴the king of Hormah^(GG)	one
the king of Arad^(GH)	one
¹⁵the king of Libnah^(GI)	one
the king of Adullam^(GJ)	one
¹⁶the king of Makkedah^(GK)	one
the king of Bethel^(GL)	one
¹⁷the king of Tappuah^(GM)	one
the king of Hepher^(GN)	one
¹⁸the king of Aphek^(GO)	one
the king of Lasharon	one
¹⁹the king of Madon	one
the king of Hazor^(GP)	one
²⁰the king of Shimron Meron	one
the king of Akshaph^(GQ)	one
²¹the king of Taanach^(GR)	one
the king of Megiddo^(GS)	one
²²the king of Kedesh^(GT)	one
the king of Jokneam^(GU) in Carmel^(GV)	one
²³the king of Dor (in Naphoth Dor^(GW))	one
the king of Goyim in Gilgal	one
²⁴the king of Tirzah^(GX)	one
thirty-one kings in all.^(GY)

Footnotes

Joshua 9:4 Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts, Vulgate and Syriac (see also Septuagint) They prepared provisions and loaded their donkeys
Joshua 10:1 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verses 28, 35, 37, 39 and 40.
Joshua 10:13 Or nation triumphed over
Joshua 11:11 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verses 12, 20 and 21.
Joshua 12:3 Hebrew Kinnereth