1Now it happened, when Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai and devoted it to destruction—that as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king—and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them,
2that they were greatly afraid, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty warriors.
3So Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying,
4“Come up to me and help me, and let us strike Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and with the sons of Israel.”
5So 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 together and went up, they and all their camps, and encamped against Gibeon and made war against it.
6Then the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Do not let your hands slack from your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hill country have gathered against us.”
7So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the fighting people with him, and all the mighty warriors.
8And Yahweh said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hand. Not a man of them will stand before you.”
9So Joshua came upon them suddenly; all night he had gone up from Gilgal.
10And Yahweh threw them into confusion before Israel, and he struck them with a great blow at Gibeon, and pursued them along the road of the ascent of Beth-horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.
11And it happened, as they fled before Israel—they being on the descent of Beth-horon—that Yahweh threw down on them great stones from the heavens, as far as Azekah, and they died. More died from the hailstones than those the sons of Israel killed with the sword.
12Then Joshua spoke to Yahweh, in the day Yahweh gave over the Amorites before the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: “Sun, at Gibeon be still, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”
13And the sun was still, and the moon stood, until a nation took vengeance on its enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? And the sun stood in the middle of the heavens and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day.
14And there has been no day like that one before it or after it, when Yahweh heeded the voice of a man, for Yahweh fought for Israel.
15Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.
16Now these five kings had fled and hidden themselves in the cave at Makkedah.
17And it was reported to Joshua, saying, “The five kings have been found hidden in the cave at Makkedah.”
18And Joshua said, “Roll great stones against the mouth of the cave, and station men over it to guard them.
19But as for you, do not stand still; pursue your enemies and cut off their rear. Do not allow them to enter their cities, for Yahweh your God has given them into your hand.”
20And it happened, when Joshua and the sons of Israel had finished striking them with a very great blow, until they were finished, that the survivors who survived from them entered the fortified cities.
21Then all the people returned to the camp, to Joshua at Makkedah, in peace. No one sharpened his tongue against any of the sons of Israel—against any man.
22Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring out to me these five kings from the cave.”
23And they did so, and brought out to him these five kings from the cave: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon.
24And it happened, when they brought out these kings to Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the commanders of the fighting men who had gone with him, “Come near; set your feet on the necks of these kings.” And they came near and set their feet on their necks.
25And Joshua said to them, “Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Be strong and courageous, for thus will Yahweh do to all your enemies against whom you fight.”
26And afterward Joshua struck them and put them to death, and he hung them on five trees; and they hung on the trees until evening.
27And it happened, at the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden, and set great stones over the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day.
28And Makkedah Joshua captured on that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword; and its king he devoted to destruction, along with every person who was in it. He left no survivor. And he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.
29Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, passed on from Makkedah to Libnah, and fought against Libnah.
30And Yahweh gave it also into the hand of Israel, along with its king, and he struck it with the edge of the sword, and every person who was in it. He left no survivor in it. And he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.
31Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Libnah to Lachish, and he encamped against it and fought against it.
32And Yahweh gave Lachish into the hand of Israel, and he captured it on the second day and struck it with the edge of the sword, along with every living soul that was in it, according to all that he had done to Libnah.
33Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish, and Joshua struck him and his people until no survivor was left to him.
34Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Lachish to Eglon, and they encamped against it and fought against it.
35And they captured it on that day and struck it with the edge of the sword, and every living soul that was in it he devoted to destruction on that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.
36Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron, and they fought against it.
37And they captured it and struck it with the edge of the sword—its king, and all its towns, and every living soul that was in it; he left no survivor, according to all that he had done to Eglon. He devoted it to destruction, along with every living soul that was in it.
38Then Joshua and all Israel with him turned back to Debir, and he fought against it.
39And he captured it, and its king, and all its towns, and they struck them with the edge of the sword and devoted to destruction every soul that was in it; he left no survivor. As he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king, and as he had done to Libnah and its king.
40So Joshua struck all the land—the hill country, the Negev, the Shephelah, and the slopes—and all their kings; he left no survivor, and every breathing thing he devoted to destruction, as Yahweh, the God of Israel, had commanded.
41And Joshua struck them from Kadesh-barnea as far as Gaza, and all the land of Goshen, as far as Gibeon.
42And all these kings and their land Joshua captured at one stroke, because Yahweh, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.
43Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal.
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