Joshua 10

Joshua's Response and Divine Aid Joshua 10:7–14

⁷Verse 7. So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he, and the whole army with him, including all the mighty men of valor. ⁸Verse 8. Yahweh said to Joshua, “Don’t fear them, for I have delivered them into your hands. Not a man of them will stand before you.” ⁹Verse 9. Joshua therefore came to them suddenly. He marched from Gilgal all night. ¹⁰Verse 10. Yahweh confused them before Israel. He killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth Horon, and struck them to Azekah and to Makkedah. ¹¹Verse 11. As they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth Horon, Yahweh hurled down great stones from the sky on them to Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the children of Israel killed with the sword.

¹²Verse 12. Then Joshua spoke to Yahweh in the day when Yahweh delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel. He said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still on Gibeon! You, moon, stop in the valley of Aijalon!” ¹³Verse 13. The sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies. Isn’t this written in the book of Jashar? The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and didn’t hurry to go down about a whole day. ¹⁴Verse 14. There was no day like that before it or after it, that Yahweh listened to the voice of a man; for Yahweh fought for Israel.

The Defeat and Execution of the Kings Joshua 10:15–27

¹⁵Verse 15. Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp to Gilgal. ¹⁶Verse 16. These five kings fled, and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah. ¹⁷Verse 17. Joshua was told, saying, “The five kings have been found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah.” ¹⁸Verse 18. Joshua said, “Roll large stones to cover the cave’s entrance, and set men by it to guard them; ¹⁹Verse 19. but don’t stay there. Pursue your enemies, and attack them from the rear. Don’t allow them to enter into their cities; for Yahweh your God has delivered them into your hand.” ²⁰Verse 20. When Joshua and the children of Israel had finished killing them with a very great slaughter until they were consumed, and the remnant which remained of them had entered into the fortified cities,

²¹Verse 21. all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace. None moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel. ²²Verse 22. Then Joshua said, “Open the cave entrance, and bring those five kings out of the cave to me.” ²³Verse 23. They did so, and brought those five kings out of the cave to him: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. ²⁴Verse 24. When they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the men of war who went with him, “Come near. Put your feet on the necks of these kings.” They came near, and put their feet on their necks.

²⁵Verse 25. Joshua said to them, “Don’t be afraid, nor be dismayed. Be strong and courageous, for Yahweh will do this to all your enemies against whom you fight.” ²⁶Verse 26. Afterward Joshua struck them, put them to death, and hanged them on five trees. They were hanging on the trees until the evening. ²⁷Verse 27. At the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and threw them into the cave in which they had hidden themselves, and laid great stones on the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day.

Further Conquests and Fulfillment of God's Promise Joshua 10:28–43

²⁸Verse 28. Joshua took Makkedah on that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword, with its king. He utterly destroyed it and all the souls who were in it. He left no one remaining. He did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho. ²⁹Verse 29. Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, to Libnah, and fought against Libnah. ³⁰Verse 30. Yahweh delivered it also, with its king, into the hand of Israel. He struck it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls who were in it. He left no one remaining in it. He did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.

³¹Verse 31. Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it. ³²Verse 32. Yahweh delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel. He took it on the second day, and struck it with the edge of the sword, with all the souls who were in it, according to all that he had done to Libnah. ³³Verse 33. Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua struck him and his people, until he had left him no one remaining. ³⁴Verse 34. Joshua passed from Lachish, and all Israel with him, to Eglon; and they encamped against it and fought against it.

³⁵Verse 35. They took it on that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword. He utterly destroyed all the souls who were in it that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish. ³⁶Verse 36. Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, to Hebron; and they fought against it. ³⁷Verse 37. They took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, with its king and all its cities, and all the souls who were in it. He left no one remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but he utterly destroyed it, and all the souls who were in it.

³⁸Verse 38. Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir, and fought against it. ³⁹Verse 39. He took it, with its king and all its cities. They struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls who were in it. He left no one remaining. As he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to its king; as he had done also to Libnah, and to its king. ⁴⁰Verse 40. So Joshua struck all the land, the hill country, the South, the lowland, the slopes, and all their kings. He left no one remaining, but he utterly destroyed all that breathed, as Yahweh, the God of Israel, commanded.

⁴¹Verse 41. Joshua struck them from Kadesh Barnea even to Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even to Gibeon. ⁴²Verse 42. Joshua took all these kings and their land at one time because Yahweh, the God of Israel, fought for Israel. ⁴³Verse 43. Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp to Gilgal.