CHAPTER 10

1 When Adoni-zedec king of Jerusalem had heard that Joshua had taken Hai and destroyed it, (that as he had done to Jericho and its king, so had he done to Hai and its king,) and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them;

2 Then they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a large city, (citizenship or territory,) as one of the Royal cities, inasmuch as. it was greater than Hai, and all its men brave.

3 Therefore Adoni-zedec king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, and to Piram king of Jarmuth, and to Japhiam king of Lachis, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying,

4 Come up to me, and bring reinforcements to me, that we may smite Gibeon who has made peace with Joshua, and the children of Israel.

5 Accordingly, the five Amorite kings, — the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachis, the king of Eglon, they and all their armies assembled, and went up and encamped near Gibeon, and fought against it.

6 Therefore the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua to the camp in Gilgal, saying, Do not keep back thy hands from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and assist us, for all the Amorite kings, dwelling in the mountain, have assembled against us.

7 Joshua therefore came up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, all the men of might.

8 And Jehovah said to Joshua, Be not afraid of them; for I have delivered them into thy hand, nor shall any one of them stand in thy presence.

9 And Joshua came upon them suddenly; for during the whole night he went up from Gilgal

10 And Jehovah crushed them before Israel, and smote them with a great overthrow in Gibeon, and pursued them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon, and smote them even to Azecah, and even to Malzeda.

11 And when they were fleeing from the face of Israel, and were on the descent of Beth-horon, Jehovah sent down upon them great stones from heaven even to Azecah, and they died; more died by the hailstones than those whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.

12 Then Joshua spoke to Jehovah on the day on which Jehovah delivered up the Amorite before the children of Israel. And he said in the eyes of Israel, Sun, wait in Gibeon, and Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.

13 And the sun waited, and the moon stood until the people avenged themselves on their enemies. Has this not been written in the book of Jasar? (or, of right.) The sun therefore stood in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to set for about one entire day.

14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, on which Jehovah hearkened to the voice of a man; for Jehovah was fighting for Israel.

15 And Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp in Gilgal.

16 But the kings themselves had fled, and hid themselves in a cave in Malzeda.

17 And it was told to Joshua in these words, The five kings have been found hidden in a cave in Malzeda.

18 Then Joshua said, Roll great stones to the mouth of the cave, and set men near it to guard them.

19 But do you follow after your enemies, and cut off their tail, (or, rear,) and allow them not to enter their cities; for Jehovah your God has delivered them into your hand.

20 And when Joshua and the children of Israel had made an end of smiting them with a very great overthrow till they were consumed, and the survivors who had escaped had entered into fortified cities,

21 The whole people returned to the camp to Joshua in Malzeda in peace; no one moved his tongue against the children of Israel.

22 Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring me those five kings from the cave.

23 And they did so, namely, they brought to him those five kings from the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachis, the king of Eglon.

24 And when they had brought out those five kings to Joshua, Joshua called all the men of Israel, and he said to the leaders of the men of war who had accompanied him Come near, put your feet upon the necks of those kings. And they came near and put their feet upon their necks.

25 Then Joshua said to them, Fear not and dread not, be strong and of good courage; for Jehovah will do thus to all your enemies against whom you fight.

26 After this Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hung them on five gibbets; and they were suspended on the gibbets till evening.

27 Moreover, at the time when the sun goes down, Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the gibbets, and cast them into the cave in which they had hid themselves, and they placed great stones at the mouth of the cave until this day.

28 But Joshua on that day took Malzeda, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and slew their king along with them, and left no soul which was in it surviving; and did to the king Malzeda as he had done to the king of Jericho.

29 Thereafter, Joshua, and all Israel with him, passed over from Malzeda to Libna, and besieged Libna.

30 And Jehovah delivered it also, and its king, into the hand of Israel, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and did not leave surviving a single soul which was in it; and did to its king in like manner as he had done to the king of Jericho.

31 Joshua afterwards passed, and all Israel with him, from Libna to Lachis, and encamped near it, and besieged it.

32 And Jehovah gave Lachis into the hand of Israel, and he took it on the second day, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and every soul which was in it, exactly as he had done to Libna.

33 And Horam king of Gezer, went up to give assistance to Lachis, and Joshua smote him and his people, so that he did not leave a survivor.

34 Joshua, moreover, and all Israel with him, passed from Lachis to Eglon, and they encamped against it, and besieged it.

35 And they took it on that day and smote it with the edge of the sword; and every soul which was there Joshua slew on that day exactly as he had done to Lachis.

36 Joshua thereafter went up, and all Israel with him, from Eglon to Hebron, and besieged it.

37 And they took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and its king, and all its towns, and he did not leave surviving a single soul which was in it, exactly as he had done to Eglon. He accordingly destroyed it, and every soul which was in it.

38 Afterwards Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir, and besieged it.

39 And they took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and its king and all its towns, and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and slew every soul which was there; he did not leave a survivor; as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king, as he had done to Libna and its king.

40 And thus Joshua smote all the land of the mountain, and the south, and the plain, and the slopes, and all their kings; he did not leave a survivor; he slew every soul, as Jehovah the God of Israel had commanded.

41 Wherefore, Joshua smote from Cades-Barne even to Asa, and the whole land of Gosen even to Gibeon.

42 And all those kings and their land Joshua took at the same time, for Jehovah the God of Israel was fighting for Israel.

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