Five kings war against Gibeon.

1 ¶ Now it came to pass,² when Adonizedekº kingº of Jerusalemº had heardºª howº Joshuaº had takenºª² Ai,º and had utterly destroyedºª it; as² he had doneºª to Jerichoº and her king,º so² he had doneºª to Aiº and her king;º and how² the inhabitantsºª of Gibeonº had made peaceºª with² Israel,º and were² amongº them; 2 That they fearedºª greatly,º because² Gibeonº [was] a greatº city,º as oneº of the royalº cities,º and because² it² [was] greaterº than² Ai,º and all² the men¹² thereof [were] mighty.º 3 Wherefore Adonizedekº kingº of Jerusalemº sentºª unto² Hohamº kingº of Hebron,º and unto² Piramº kingº of Jarmuth,º and unto² Japhiaº kingº of Lachish,º and unto² Debirº kingº of Eglon,º saying,ºª 4 Come upºª unto² me, and helpºª me, that we may smiteºª² Gibeon:º for² it hath made peaceºª with² Joshuaº and with² the childrenº of Israel.º 5 Therefore the fiveº kingsº of the Amorites,º the kingº of Jerusalem,º the kingº of Hebron,º the kingº of Jarmuth,º the kingº of Lachish,º the kingº of Eglon,º gathered themselves together,ºª and went up,ºª they² and all² their hosts,º and encampedºª before² Gibeon,º and made warºª against² it.

Joshua rescueth it.

6 ¶ And the men¹² of Gibeonº sentºª unto² Joshuaº to² the campº to Gilgal,º saying,ºª Slackºª not² thy handº from thy servants;º² come upºª to² us quickly,º and saveºª us, and helpºª us: for² all² the kingsº of the Amoritesº that dwellºª in the mountainsº are gathered togetherºª against² us. 7 So Joshuaº ascendedºª from² Gilgal,º he,² and all² the peopleº of warº with² him, and all² the mighty¹ men² of valour.º

8 ¶ And the LORDº saidºª unto² Joshua,º Fearºª them not:² for² I have deliveredºª them into thine hand;º there shall not² a manº of² them standºª beforeº thee. 9 Joshuaº therefore cameºª unto² them suddenly,º [and] went upºª from² Gilgalº all² night.º 10 And the LORDº discomfitedºª them beforeº Israel,º and slewºª them with a greatº slaughterº at Gibeon,º and chasedºª them along the wayº that goeth upº to Bethhoron,º and smoteºª them to² Azekah,º and unto² Makkedah.º

God fighteth against them with hailstones.

11 And it came to pass,² as they fledºª from beforeº² Israel,º [and] were in the going downº to Bethhoron,º that the LORDº cast downºª greatº stonesº from² heavenº upon² them unto² Azekah,º and they died:ºª [they were] moreº which² diedºª with hailstonesºº than [they] whomº² the childrenº of Israelº slewºª with the sword.º

The sun and moon stand still at the word of Joshua.

12 ¶ Then² spakeºª Joshuaº to the LORDº in the dayº when the LORDº delivered upºª² the Amoritesº beforeº the childrenº of Israel,º and he saidºª in the sightº of Israel,º Sun,º stand thou stillºª upon Gibeon;º and thou, Moon,º in the valleyº of Ajalon.º 13 And the sunº stood still,ºª and the moonº stayed,ºª until² the peopleº had avengedºª themselves upon their enemies.ºª [Is] not² thisº writtenºª in² the bookº of Jasher?º So the sunº stood² still¹ª in the midstº of heaven,º and hastedºª not² to go downºª about a wholeº day.º 14 And there was² no² dayº like that² beforeº it or afterº it, that the LORDº hearkenedºª unto the voiceº of a man:º for² the LORDº foughtºª for Israel.º

15 ¶ And Joshuaº returned,ºª and all² Israelº with² him, unto² the campº to Gilgal.º

The five kings are mured in a cave.

16 But these² fiveº kingsº fled,ºª and hid¹ª themselves² in a caveº at Makkedah.º 17 And it was toldºª Joshua,º saying,ºª The fiveº kingsº are foundºª hidºª in a caveº at Makkedah.º 18 And Joshuaº said,ºª Rollºª greatº stonesº upon² the mouthº of the cave,º and setºª men¹² by² it for to keepºª them: 19 And stayºª ye² not,² [but] pursueºª afterº your enemies,ºª and smite the hindmostºª of them; sufferºª them not² to enterºª into² their cities:º for² the LORDº your Godº hath deliveredºª them into your hand.º 20 And it came to pass,² when Joshuaº and the childrenº of Israelº had made an endºª of slayingºª them with a veryº greatº slaughter,º till² they were consumed,ºª that the restº [which] remainedºª of² them enteredºª into² fencedº cities.º 21 And all² the peopleº returnedºª to² the campº to² Joshuaº at Makkedahº in peace:º none² movedºª² his tongueº against anyº of the childrenº of Israel.º 22 Then saidºª Joshua,º Openºª² the mouthº of the cave,º and bring outºª² those² fiveº kingsº unto² me out of² the cave.º

They are brought forth,

23 And they didºª so,² and brought forthºª² those² fiveº kingsº unto² him out of² the cave,º² the kingº of Jerusalem,º² the kingº of Hebron,º² the kingº of Jarmuth,º² the kingº of Lachish,º [and]² the kingº of Eglon.º

scornfully used,

24 And it came to pass,² when they brought outºª² those² kingsº unto² Joshua,º that Joshuaº calledºª for² all² the menº of Israel,º and saidºª unto² the captainsº of the men¹² of warº which wentºª with² him, Come near,ºª putºª² your feetº upon² the necksº of these² kings.º And they came near,ºª and putºª² their feetº upon² the necksº of them. 25 And Joshuaº saidºª unto² them, Fearºª not,² nor² be dismayed,ºª be strongºª and of good courage:ºª for² thus² shall the LORDº doºª to all² your enemiesºª against whom²² ye² fight.ºª

and hanged.

26 And afterwardº² Joshuaº smoteºª them, and slewºª them, and hangedºª them on² fiveº trees:º and they were² hangingºª upon² the treesº until² the evening.º 27 And it came to pass² at the timeº of the going downºª of the sun,º [that] Joshuaº commanded,ºª and they took them downºª off the trees,º²² and castºª them into² the caveº wherein²² they had been hid,ºª and laidºª greatº stonesº in² the cave'sº mouth,º [which remain] until² this² veryº day.º

Seven kings more are conquered.

28 ¶ And that² dayº Joshuaº tookºª Makkedah,º and smoteºª it with the edgeº of the sword,º and the kingº thereof he utterly destroyed,ºª them, and all² the soulsº that² [were] therein; he letºª none² remain:º and he didºª to the kingº of Makkedahº as² he didºª unto the kingº of Jericho.º 29 Then Joshuaº passedºª from Makkedah,º² and all² Israelº with² him, unto Libnah,º and foughtºª against² Libnah:º 30 And the LORDº deliveredºª it also,² and the kingº thereof, into the handº of Israel;º and he smoteºª it with the edgeº of the sword,º and all² the soulsº that² [were] therein; he letºª none² remainº in it; but didºª unto the kingº thereof as² he didºª unto the kingº of Jericho.º

31 ¶ And Joshuaº passedºª from Libnah,º² and all² Israelº with² him, unto Lachish,º and encampedºª against² it, and foughtºª against it: 32 And the LORDº deliveredºª² Lachishº into the handº of Israel,º which tookºª it on the secondº day,º and smoteºª it with the edgeº of the sword,º and all² the soulsº that² [were] therein, according to all² that² he had doneºª to Libnah.º

33 ¶ Then² Horamº kingº of Gezerº came upºª to helpºª² Lachish;º and Joshuaº smoteºª him and his people,º until² he had leftºª him none² remaining.º

34 ¶ And from Lachishº² Joshuaº passedºª unto Eglon,º and all² Israelº with² him; and they encampedºª against² it, and foughtºª against² it: 35 And they tookºª it on that² day,º and smoteºª it with the edgeº of the sword,º and all² the soulsº that² [were] therein he utterly destroyedºª that² day,º according to all² that² he had doneºª to Lachish.º 36 And Joshuaº went upºª from Eglon,º² and all² Israelº with² him, unto Hebron;º and they foughtºª against² it: 37 And they tookºª it, and smoteºª it with the edgeº of the sword,º and the kingº thereof, and all² the citiesº thereof, and all² the soulsº that² [were] therein; he leftºª none² remaining,º according to all² that² he had doneºª to Eglon;º but destroyedºª it utterly, and all² the soulsº that² [were] therein.

38 ¶ And Joshuaº returned,ºª and all² Israelº with² him, to Debir;º and foughtºª against² it: 39 And he tookºª it, and the kingº thereof, and all² the citiesº thereof; and they smoteºª them with the edgeº of the sword,º and utterly destroyedºª² all² the soulsº that² [were] therein; he leftºª none² remaining:º as² he had doneºª to Hebron,º so² he didºª to Debir,º and to the kingº thereof; as² he had doneºª also to Libnah,º and to her king.º

40 ¶ So Joshuaº smoteºª² all² the countryº of the hills,º and of the south,º and of the vale,º and of the springs,º and all² their kings:º he leftºª none² remaining,º but utterly destroyedºª all² that breathed,º as² the LORDº Godº of Israelº commanded.ºª 41 And Joshuaº smoteºª them from Kadeshbarneaº² even unto² Gaza,º and all² the countryº of Goshen,º even unto² Gibeon.º 42 And all² these² kingsº and their landº did Joshuaº takeºª at oneº time,º because² the LORDº Godº of Israelº foughtºª for Israel.º

Joshua returneth to Gilgal.

43 And Joshuaº returned,ºª and all² Israelº with² him, unto² the campº to Gilgal.º