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Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai and had completely destroyed it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and that the people of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were living among them. 2 So Adoni-zedek 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 warriors. 3 Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem appealed to Hohan king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying, 4 “Come up and help me. We will attack Gibeon, because it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.”
5 So the five Amorite kings—the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon—joined their forces together. Then they and all the armies moved up, and took up positions against Gibeon, and made war against it.
6 Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal: “Do not abandon your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, for all the Amorite kings of the hill country have their joined forces together against us.”
7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal with all of his army, including his best warriors.
8 The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for I have delivered them into your hands. Not one of their men will be able to stand before you.”
9 So Joshua came upon them suddenly, after marching all night from Gilgal. 10 The Lord threw them into confusion before Israel, and He inflicted a great slaughter on them at Gibeon. Israel chased them along the road going up to Beth-horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. 11 As they fled before Israel, the Lord hurled down large hailstones from the sky on them while they were going down the descent of Beth-horon as far as Azekah, and they died. More of them died from the hailstones than the Israelites killed with the sword.
12 On the day when the Lord delivered the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel:
“O sun, stand still over Gibeon,
and moon in the Valley of Aijalon.”
13 And the sun stood still
and the moon stopped,
until the nation avenged themselves
on their enemies.
Is this not written in the Book of Jashar?
So the sun stopped in the middle of the sky, and did not go down for about a full day. 14 There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel.
15 Then Joshua returned with all of Israel to the camp at Gilgal.
16 Now the five kings had fled and hidden themselves in the cave at Makkedah. 17 And it was reported to Joshua: “The five kings have been found hidden in the cave at Makkedah.”
18 Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and post men by it to guard them. 19 But as for the rest of you, do not stay there yourselves. Pursue your enemies, and attack them from the rear. Don’t let them reach their cities, for the Lord your God has delivered them into your hands.”
20 So Joshua and the Israelites inflicted a great slaughter on them until they were wiped out. Only a few survived and escaped into their fortified cities. 21 All the people returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah, and no one dared to speak a word against any of the Israelites.
22 Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave, and bring those five kings out to me from the cave.” 23 They did so, and brought the five kings out to him from the cave—the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. 24 When they had brought out these kings to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the commanders of the warriors, “Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So the commanders came forward and they put their feet on the necks of the kings.
25 Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Be strong and courageous, for this is what the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.”
26 At that, Joshua struck them down and killed them. Then he hanged them on five trees, and they were left hanging on the trees until evening.
27 At sunset Joshua gave the command, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden. Then they placed large stones against the mouth of the cave, which remain there to this day.
28 On that day Joshua captured Makkedah. He struck down the city and its king with the sword. He completely destroyed it and every person in it; he left no survivors. And he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.
29 Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah, and they fought against Libnah. 30 The Lord also delivered that city and its king into the hand of Israel. He struck down the city and all the people in it with the sword; he left no survivors. And he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.
31 Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on to Lachish from Libnah. They laid siege to it and attacked it. 32 The Lord delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, and Joshua captured it on the second day. He struck down the city and everyone in it with the sword, just as he had done to Libnah. 33 At that time Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish, but Joshua defeated him and his people, for they were struck down until no one was left alive.
34 From Lachish Joshua and all Israel with him moved on to Eglon. They laid siege to it and attacked it. 35 They captured it on that day, and struck with the sword. That day he completely destroyed everyone in it, just as he had done to Lachish.
36 Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron, and they attacked it. 37 They captured it, and struck it down with the sword—its king, all its villages, and all the people in it. He left no one remaining, just as he had also done to Eglon. He completely destroyed it, and every person in it.
38 Then Joshua and all Israel turned around and they attacked Debir. 39 He captured it, along with its king and all its villages. They struck them down with the sword, and they completely destroyed all the people in it. He left no survivors. Joshua did to Debir and its king as he had done to Hebron, and as he had also done to Libnah and its king.
40 So Joshua conquered the whole region—the hill country, the Negev, the Judean foothills, and the mountain slopes, and all their kings. He left no survivors, but completely destroyed all who breathed, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded. 41 Joshua conquered them from Kadesh-barnea as far as Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, as far as Gibeon. 42 Joshua captured all these kings and their land in one campaign, because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.
43 Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.