¹Now when Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai , and had utterly destroyed it ; as he had done to Jericho and her king , so he had done to Ai and her king ; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel , and were amongst them ,

²they were very afraid , because Gibeon was a great city , as one of the royal cities , and because it was greater than Ai , and all its men were mighty .

³Therefore Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron , Piram king of Jarmuth , Japhia king of Lachish , and Debir king of Eglon , saying,

⁴“Come up to me and help me . Let’s strike Gibeon ; for they have made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel .”

⁵Therefore 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 themselves together and went up , they and all their armies , and encamped against Gibeon , and made war against it .

⁶The men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal , saying, “Don’t abandon your servants ! Come up to us quickly and save us ! Help us ; for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the hill country have gathered together against us .”

⁷So Joshua went up from Gilgal , he and the whole army with him , including all the mighty men of valour .

⁸The LORD said to Joshua , “Don’t fear them , for I have delivered them into your hands . Not a man of them will stand before you .”

⁹Joshua therefore came to them suddenly . He marched from Gilgal all night .

¹⁰The LORD confused them before Israel . He killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon , and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth Horon, and struck them to Azekah and to Makkedah .

¹¹As they fled from before Israel , while they were at the descent of Beth Horon, the LORD hurled down great stones from the sky on them to Azekah , and they died . There were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the children of Israel killed with the sword .

¹²Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel . He said in the sight of Israel , “Sun , stand still on Gibeon ! You , moon , stop in the valley of Aijalon!”

¹³The sun stood still , and the moon stayed , until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies. Isn’t this written in the book of Jashar ? The sun stayed in the middle of the sky , and didn’t hurry to go down about a whole day .

¹⁴There was no day like that before it or after it , that the LORD listened to the voice of a man ; for the LORD fought for Israel .

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

¹⁶These five kings fled , and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah .

¹⁷Joshua was told , saying, “The five kings have been found , hidden in the cave at Makkedah .”

¹⁸Joshua said , “Roll large stones to cover the cave ’s entrance, and set men by it to guard them ;

¹⁹but don’t stay there . Pursue your enemies , and attack them from the rear . Don’t allow them to enter into their cities ; for the LORD your God has delivered them into your hand .”

²⁰When Joshua and the children of Israel had finished killing them with a very great slaughter until they were consumed , and the remnant which remained of them had entered into the fortified cities ,

²¹all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace . None moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel .

²²Then Joshua said , “Open the cave entrance, and bring those five kings out of the cave to me .”

²³They did so , and brought those five kings out of the cave to him : the king of Jerusalem , the king of Hebron , the king of Jarmuth , the king of Lachish , and the king of Eglon .

²⁴When they brought those kings out to Joshua , Joshua called for all the men of Israel , and said to the chiefs of the men of war who went with him , “Come near . Put your feet on the necks of these kings .”

They came near , and put their feet on their necks .

²⁵Joshua said to them , “Don’t be afraid , nor be dismayed . Be strong and courageous , for the LORD will do this to all your enemies against whom you fight .”

²⁶Afterward Joshua struck them , put them to death , and hanged them on five trees . They were hanging on the trees until the evening .

²⁷At the time of the going down of the sun , Joshua commanded , and they took them down off the trees , and threw them into the cave in which they had hidden themselves , and laid great stones on the mouth of the cave , which remain to this very day .

²⁸Joshua took Makkedah on that day , and struck it with the edge of the sword , with its king . He utterly destroyed it and all the souls who were in it . He left no one remaining . He did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho .

²⁹Joshua passed from Makkedah , and all Israel with him , to Libnah , and fought against Libnah .

³⁰The LORD delivered it also , with its king , into the hand of Israel . He struck it with the edge of the sword , and all the souls who were in it . He left no one remaining in it . He did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho .

³¹Joshua passed from Libnah , and all Israel with him , to Lachish , and encamped against it , and fought against it .

³²The LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel . He took it on the second day , and struck it with the edge of the sword , with all the souls who were 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 he had left him no one remaining .

³⁴Joshua passed from Lachish , and all Israel with him , to Eglon ; and they encamped against it and fought against it .

³⁵They took it on that day , and struck it with the edge of the sword . He utterly destroyed all the souls who were in it that day , according to all that he had done to Lachish .

³⁶Joshua went up from Eglon , and all Israel with him , to Hebron ; and they fought against it .

³⁷They took it , and struck it with the edge of the sword , with its king and all its cities , and all the souls who were in it . He left no one remaining , according to all that he had done to Eglon ; but he utterly destroyed it , and all the souls who were in it .

³⁸Joshua returned , and all Israel with him , to Debir , and fought against it .

³⁹He took it , with its king and all its cities . They struck them with the edge of the sword , and utterly destroyed all the souls who were in it . He left no one remaining . As he had done to Hebron , so he did to Debir , and to its king ; as he had done also to Libnah , and to its king .

⁴⁰So Joshua struck all the land, the hill country , the South , the lowland , the slopes, and all their kings . He left no one remaining , but he utterly destroyed all that breathed , as the LORD , the God of Israel , commanded .

⁴¹Joshua struck them from Kadesh Barnea even to Gaza , and all the country of Goshen , even to Gibeon .

⁴²Joshua took all these kings and their land at one time because the LORD , the God of Israel , fought for Israel .

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