The Book of Joshua

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 10 -

Now when Adoni-zedek King of Ierusalem had heard how Ioshua had taken Ai and had destroyed it, (for as he had done to Iericho and to the King thereof, so he had done to Ai and to the King thereof) and howe the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them,

Then they feared exceedingly: for Gibeon was a great citie, as one of the royall cities: for it was greater then Ai, and all the men thereof were mightie.

Wherefore Adoni-zedek King of Ierusalem sent vnto Hoham King of Hebron, and vnto Piram King of Iarmuth, and vnto Iapia King of Lachish, and vnto Debir King of Eglon, saying,

Come vp vnto me, and helpe me, that we may smite Gibeon: for they haue made peace with Ioshua and with the children of Israel.

Therefore the fiue Kings of the Amorites, the King of Ierusalem, the King of Hebron, the King of Iarmuth, the King of Lachish, and the King of Eglon gathered themselues together, and went vp, they with all their hostes, and besieged Gibeon, and made warre against it.

And the men of Gibeon sent vnto Ioshua, euen to the hoste to Gilgal, saying, Withdrawe not thine hand from thy seruants: come vp to vs quickly, and saue vs, and helpe vs: for all the Kings of the Amorites which dwell in the mountaines, are gathered together against vs.

So Ioshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of warre with him, and all the men of might.

And the Lord sayd vnto Ioshua, Feare them not: for I haue giuen them into thine hand: none of them shall stand against thee.

Ioshua therefore came vnto them suddenly: for he went vp from Gilgal all the night.

And the Lord discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth vp to Beth-horon, and smote them to Azekah and to Makkedah.

And as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going downe to Beth-horon, the Lord cast downe great stones from heauen vpon them, vntill Azekah, and they dyed: they were more that dyed with the hailestones, then they whom the children of Israel slewe with the sword.

Then spake Ioshua to the Lord, in the day when the Lord gaue the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he sayd in the sight of Israel, Sunne, stay thou in Gibeon, and thou moone, in the valley of Aialon.

And the Sunne abode, and the moone stood still, vntill the people auenged themselues vpon their enemies: (Is not this written in the booke of Iasher?) so the Sunne abode in the middes of the heauen, and hasted not to goe downe for a whole day.

And there was no day like that before it, nor after it, that the Lord heard the voyce of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel.

After, Ioshua returned, and all Israel with him vnto the campe to Gilgal:

The Victory at Makkedah

But the fiue Kings fled and were hid in a caue at Makkedah.

And it was tolde Ioshua, saying, The fiue Kings are found hid in a caue at Makkedah.

Then Ioshua said, Roule great stones vpon the mouth of the caue, and set men by it for to keepe them.

But stand ye not still: follow after your enemies, and smite all the hindmost, suffer them not to enter into their cities: for the Lord your God hath giuen them into your hand.

And when Ioshua and the children of Israel had made an ende of slaying them with an exceeding great slaughter till they were consumed, and the rest that remained of them were entred into walled cities,

Then all the people returned to the campe, to Ioshua at Makkedah in peace: no man mooued his tongue against the children of Israel.

After, Ioshua sayd, Open the mouth of the caue, and bring out these fiue Kings vnto me forth of the caue.

And they did so, and brought out those fiue Kings vnto him forth of the caue, euen the King of Ierusalem, the King of Hebron, ye King of Iarmuth, the King of Lachish, and the King of Eglon.

And when they had brought out those Kings vnto Ioshua, Ioshua called for all the men of Israel, and sayd vnto the chiefe of the men of warre, which went with him, Come neere, set your feete vpon the necks of these Kings: and they came neere and set their feete vpon their necks.

And Ioshua sayd vnto them, Feare not, nor be faint hearted, but be strong and of a good courage: for thus will the Lord doe to all your enemies, against whome ye fight.

So then Ioshua smote them, and slewe them, and hanged them on fiue trees, and they hanged still vpon the trees vntill the euening.

And at the going downe of the sunne, Ioshua gaue commandement, that they should take them downe off the trees, and cast them into the caue (wherein they had bene hid) and they layde great stones vpon the caues mouth, which remaine vntill this day.

And that same day Ioshua tooke Makkedah and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the King thereof destroyed he with them, and all the soules that were therein, he let none remaine: for hee did to the King of Makkedah as he had done vnto the King of Iericho.

Conquest of the Southern Cities

Then Ioshua went from Makkedah, and all Israel with him vnto Libnah, and fought against Libnah.

And the Lord gaue it also and the King thereof into the hand of Israel: and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the soules that were therein: he let none remaine in it: for he did vnto the King thereof, as he had done vnto the King of Iericho.

And Ioshua departed from Libnah, and all Israel with him vnto Lachish, and besieged it, and assaulted it.

And the Lord gaue Lachish into the hand of Israel, which tooke it the second day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the soules that were therein, according to all as he had done to Libnah.

Then Horam King of Gezer came vp to helpe Lachish: but Ioshua smote him and his people, vntill none of his remained.

And from Lachish Ioshua departed vnto Eglon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged it, and assaulted it,

And they tooke it the same day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the soules that were therein he vtterly destroyed the same day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.

Then Ioshua went vp from Eglon, and all Israel with him vnto Hebron, and they fought against it.

And when they had taken it, they smote it with the edge of the sword, and the King thereof, and all the cities thereof, and all the soules that were therein: he left none remaining, according to all as he had done to Eglon: for he destroyed it vtterly, and all the soules that were therein.

So Ioshua returned, and all Israel with him to Debir, and fought against it.

And when he had taken it, and the King thereof, and all the citie thereof, they smote them with the edge of the sword, and vtterly destroyed all the soules that were therein, he let none remaine: as he did to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to the King thereof, as he had also done to Libnah, and to the King thereof.

So Ioshua smote all the hill countreys, and the South countreys, and the valleys, and the hill sides, and all their Kings, and let none remaine, but vtterly destroyed euery soule, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded.

And Ioshua smote them from Kadesh-barnea euen vnto Azzah, and all the countrey of Goshen, euen vnto Gibeon.

And all these Kings, and their land did Ioshua take at one time, because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel.

Afterward, Ioshua and all Israel with him returned vnto the campe in Gilgal.

Now when Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them,

they were very afraid, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty.

Therefore Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying,

“Come up to me and help me. Let’s strike Gibeon; for they have made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.”

Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together and went up, they and all their armies, and encamped against Gibeon, and made war against it.

The men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Don’t abandon your servants! Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us; for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the hill country have gathered together against us.”

So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and the whole army with him, including all the mighty men of valor.

The LORD said to Joshua, “Don’t fear them, for I have delivered them into your hands. Not a man of them will stand before you.”

Joshua therefore came to them suddenly. He marched from Gilgal all night.

The LORD 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.

As they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth Horon, the LORD 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.

Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD 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!”

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.

There was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD listened to the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel.

Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp to Gilgal.

The Victory at Makkedah

These five kings fled, and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.

Joshua was told, saying, “The five kings have been found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah.”

Joshua said, “Roll large stones to cover the cave’s entrance, and set men by it to guard them;

but don’t stay there. Pursue your enemies, and attack them from the rear. Don’t allow them to enter into their cities; for the LORD your God has delivered them into your hand.”

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,

all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace. None moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel.

Then Joshua said, “Open the cave entrance, and bring those five kings out of the cave to me.”

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.

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.

Joshua said to them, “Don’t be afraid, nor be dismayed. Be strong and courageous, for the LORD will do this to all your enemies against whom you fight.”

Afterward Joshua struck them, put them to death, and hanged them on five trees. They were hanging on the trees until the evening.

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.

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.

Conquest of the Southern Cities

Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, to Libnah, and fought against Libnah.

The LORD 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.

Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it.

The LORD 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.

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.

Joshua passed from Lachish, and all Israel with him, to Eglon; and they encamped against it and fought against it.

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.

Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, to Hebron; and they fought against it.

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.

Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir, and fought against it.

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.

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 the LORD, the God of Israel, commanded.

Joshua struck them from Kadesh Barnea even to Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even to Gibeon.

Joshua took all these kings and their land at one time because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.

Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp to Gilgal.