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1Adoni-Zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua captured Ai and annihilated it and its king as he did Jericho and its king. He also heard how the people of Gibeon made peace with Israel and lived among them.[#map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.; #map For location see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1.; #tn Heb “as he had done to Jericho and to its king, so he did to Ai and to its king.”; #tn Heb “and how.”]
2All Jerusalem was terrified because Gibeon was a large city, like one of the royal cities. It was larger than Ai and all its men were warriors.[#tn This statement is subordinated to v. 1 in the Hebrew text, which reads literally, “When Adoni-Zedek…they feared greatly.” The subject of the plural verb at the beginning of v. 2 is probably the residents of Jerusalem.]
3So King Adoni-Zedek of Jerusalem sent this message to King Hoham of Hebron, King Piram of Jarmuth, King Japhia of Lachish, and King Debir of Eglon:
4“Come to my aid so we can attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.”[#tn Heb “Come up to me and help me.”]
5So the five Amorite kings (the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon) and all their troops gathered together and advanced. They deployed their troops and fought against Gibeon.[#tn Heb “and they camped against Gibeon and fought against it.”]
6The men of Gibeon sent this message to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, “Do not abandon your subjects! Rescue us! Help us! For all the Amorite kings living in the hill country are attacking us.”[#tn Heb “do not let your hand drop from us.”; #tn Heb “your servants!”; #tn Heb “have gathered against us.”]
7So Joshua and his whole army, including the bravest warriors, marched up from Gilgal.[#tn Heb “And Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the brave warriors.”]
8The Lord told Joshua, “Don’t be afraid of them, for I am handing them over to you. Not one of them can resist you.”[#tn Heb “I have given them into your hand.” The verbal form is a perfect of certitude, emphasizing the certainty of the action.; #tn Heb “and not a man [or “one”] of them will stand before you.”]
9Joshua attacked them by surprise after marching all night from Gilgal.[#tn Heb “Joshua came upon them suddenly, all the night he went up from Gilgal.”]
10The Lord routed them before Israel. Israel thoroughly defeated them at Gibeon. They chased them up the road to the pass of Beth Horon and struck them down all the way to Azekah and Makkedah.[#tn Or “caused to panic.”; #tn Heb “he.” The referent is probably Israel (mentioned at the end of the previous sentence in the verse; cf. NIV, NRSV), but it is also possible that the Lord should be understood as the referent (cf. NASB “and He slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon”), or even Joshua (cf. NEB “and Joshua defeated them utterly in Gibeon”).; #tn Heb “struck them down with a great striking down.”; #tn Or “ascent.”]
11As they fled from Israel on the slope leading down from Beth Horon, the Lord threw down on them large hailstones from the sky, all the way to Azekah. They died – in fact, more died from the hailstones than the Israelites killed with the sword.[#tn Heb “on the descent of.”; #tn Or “heaven” (also in v. 13). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.]
12The day the Lord delivered the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua prayed to the Lord before Israel:[#tn Heb “Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day the Lord placed the Amorites before the sons of Israel and he said in the eyes of Israel.” It is uncertain whether the phrase “before the sons of Israel” modifies the verb “placed” (as in the present translation, “delivered the Amorites over to the Israelites”) or the verb “spoke” (“Joshua spoke to the Lord before the sons of Israel in the day the Lord delivered over the Amorites”).]
“O sun, stand still over Gibeon!
O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon!”
13The sun stood still and the moon stood motionless while the nation took vengeance on its enemies. The event is recorded in the Scroll of the Upright One. The sun stood motionless in the middle of the sky and did not set for about a full day.[#tn Heb “Is it not written down in the Scroll of the Upright One.” Many modern translations render, “the Scroll [or Book] of Jashar,” leaving the Hebrew name “Jashar” (which means “Upright One”) untranslated.sn The Scroll of the Upright One was apparently an ancient Israelite collection of songs and prayers (see also 2 Sam 1:18).; #tn Heb “and did not hurry to set [for] about a full day.”]
14There has not been a day like it before or since. The Lord obeyed a man, for the Lord fought for Israel![#tn Heb “listened to the voice of.”]
15Then Joshua and all Israel returned to the camp at Gilgal.
16The five Amorite kings ran away and hid in the cave at Makkedah.[#tn Heb “these five kings.”]
17Joshua was told, “The five kings have been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah.”
18Joshua said, “Roll large stones over the mouth of the cave and post guards in front of it.[#tn Heb “and appoint by it men to guard them.”]
19But don’t you delay! Chase your enemies and catch them! Don’t allow them to retreat to their cities, for the Lord your God is handing them over to you.”[#tn Heb “But [as for] you, don’t stand still, chase after your enemies and attack them from the rear.”; #tn Or “enter into.”; #tn Heb “has given them into your hand.” The verbal form is a perfect of certitude, emphasizing the certainty of the action.]
20Joshua and the Israelites almost totally wiped them out, but some survivors did escape to the fortified cities.[#tn Heb “When Joshua and the sons of Israel finished defeating them with a very great defeat until they were destroyed (now the survivors escaped to the fortified cities).” In the Hebrew text the initial temporal clause (“when Joshua…finished”) is subordinated to v. 21 (“the whole army returned”).]
21Then the whole army safely returned to Joshua at the camp in Makkedah. No one dared threaten the Israelites.[#tn Heb “all the people returned to the camp, to Joshua [at] Makkedah [in] peace.”; #tc Heb “No man.” The lamed (ל) prefixed to אִישׁ (’ish, “man”) is probably dittographic (note the immediately preceding יִשְׂרָאֵל [isra’el] which ends in lamed, ל); cf. the LXX.; #tn Heb “no man sharpened [or perhaps, “pointed”] his tongue against the sons of Israel.” Cf. NEB “not a man of the Israelites suffered so much as a scratch on his tongue,” which understands “sharpened” as “scratched” (referring to a minor wound). Most modern translations understand the Hebrew expression “sharpened his tongue” figuratively for opposition or threats against the Israelites.]
22Joshua said, “Open the cave’s mouth and bring the five kings out of the cave to me.”[#tn Heb “these five kings.”]
23They did as ordered; they brought the five kings out of the cave to him – the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon.[#tn Heb “they did so.”; #tn Heb “these five kings.”; #map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.]
24When they brought the kings out to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the commanders of the troops who accompanied him, “Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came up and put their feet on their necks.[#tn Heb “Joshua.” The translation has replaced the proper name with the pronoun (“he”) because a repetition of the proper name here would be redundant according to English style.; #tn Or “Draw near.”; #tn Or “drew near.”]
25Then Joshua said to them, “Don’t be afraid and don’t panic! Be strong and brave, for the Lord will do the same thing to all your enemies you fight.[#tn Or perhaps “and don’t get discouraged!”]
26Then Joshua executed them and hung them on five trees. They were left hanging on the trees until evening.[#tn Heb “struck them down and killed them.”]
27At sunset Joshua ordered his men to take them down from the trees. They threw them into the cave where they had hidden and piled large stones over the mouth of the cave. (They remain to this very day.)[#sn For the legal background of the removal of the corpses before sundown, see Deut 21:22-23.; #tn Heb “to this very day.” The words “They remain” are supplied in the translation for clarification.]
28That day Joshua captured Makkedah and put the sword to it and its king. He annihilated everyone who lived in it; he left no survivors. He did to its king what he had done to the king of Jericho.[#map For location see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1.]
29Joshua and all Israel marched from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against it.[#tn Heb “Libnah.” Repetition of the proper name here would be redundant according to English style, so the pronoun (“it”) has been employed in the translation.]
30The Lord handed it and its king over to Israel, and Israel put the sword to all who lived there; they left no survivors. They did to its king what they had done to the king of Jericho.[#tn Heb “he”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army).; #tn Heb “he”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army).; #tn Heb “He”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army).; #tn Heb “he”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army).; #map For location see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1.]
31Joshua and all Israel marched from Libnah to Lachish. He deployed his troops and fought against it.[#tn Heb “encamped against it.”]
32The Lord handed Lachish over to Israel and they captured it on the second day. They put the sword to all who lived there, just as they had done to Libnah.[#tn Heb “he”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army).]
33Then King Horam of Gezer came up to help Lachish, but Joshua struck down him and his army until no survivors remained.[#tn Heb “people.”]
34Joshua and all Israel marched from Lachish to Eglon. They deployed troops and fought against it.[#tn Heb “they encamped against it.”]
35That day they captured it and put the sword to all who lived there. That day they annihilated it just as they had done to Lachish.[#tn Heb “he”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army).; #tn Heb “he”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army).]
36Joshua and all Israel marched up from Eglon to Hebron and fought against it.
37They captured it and put the sword to its king, all its surrounding cities, and all who lived in it; they left no survivors. As they had done at Eglon, they annihilated it and all who lived there.[#tn Heb “he”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army).; #tn Heb “he”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army).; #tn Heb “he”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army).]
38Joshua and all Israel turned to Debir and fought against it.
39They captured it, its king, and all its surrounding cities and put the sword to them. They annihilated everyone who lived there; they left no survivors. They did to Debir and its king what they had done to Libnah and its king and to Hebron.[#tn Heb “He”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army).; #tn Heb “he”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army).; #tn Heb “He”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army).; #tn Heb “he”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army).; #tn Heb “as he did to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king, and as he did to Libnah and its king.” The clauses have been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.]
40Joshua defeated the whole land, including the hill country, the Negev, the lowlands, the slopes, and all their kings. He left no survivors. He annihilated everything that breathed, just as the Lord God of Israel had commanded.[#tn Or “foothills”; Heb “the Shephelah.”]
41Joshua conquered the area between Kadesh Barnea and Gaza and the whole region of Goshen, all the way to Gibeon.[#tn Heb “and Joshua struck them down, from Kadesh Barnea even to Gaza, and all the land of Goshen, even to Gibeon.”]
42Joshua captured in one campaign all these kings and their lands, for the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel.[#tn Heb “at one time.”]
43Then Joshua and all Israel returned to the camp at Gilgal.