| International Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem eventually heard how Joshua had conquered Ai, utterly destroying it, doing to Ai and its king the same thing that he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were now living among them. | 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. |
| 2So they were terrified, since Gibeon was a large city, comparable to one of the royal cities, was larger than Ai, and all of its men had been warriors. | 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. |
| 3So King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent word to King Hoham of Hebron, King Piram of Jarmuth, King Japhia of Lachish, and King Debir of Eglon. He told them, | 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 over and help me, and let's attack Gibeon, because it made a peace treaty with Joshua and the Israelis." | 4"Come to my aid so we can attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites." |
| 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 their armies together and advanced with all of their armies toward Gideon, camped there, and laid siege to it. | 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. |
| 6The Gibeonites sent word to Joshua at his camp in Gilgal: "Don't abandon your servants. Come quickly, save us, and help us, because all of the kings of the Amorites who live in the hill country have attacked us." | 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." |
| 7So Joshua went up from Gilgal, along with his entire fighting force of mighty warriors with him. | 7So Joshua and his whole army, including the bravest warriors, marched up from Gilgal. |
| 8The LORD told Joshua, "Don't fear them, because I have handed them over to you. Not one of them will withstand you." | 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." |
| 9So after an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua attacked them by surprise. | 9Joshua attacked them by surprise after marching all night from Gilgal. |
| 10The LORD threw the Amorites into a panic right in front of the army of Israel, which then slaughtered many of them at Gibeon. The Israeli army chased them along the road that goes up to Beth-horon, striking them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. | 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. |
| 11While they were fleeing in front of Israel and descending the slope of Beth-horon, the LORD rained down huge hailstones on them as far as Azekah, and they died. More died because of the hailstones than were killed by the Israelis in battle. | 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. |
| 12Later that day, Joshua spoke to the LORD while the LORD was delivering the Amorites to the Israelis. This is what he said in the presence of Israel: "Sun, be still over Gibeon Moon, stand in place in the Aijalon Valley" | 12The day the LORD delivered the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua prayed to the LORD before Israel: "O sun, stand still over Gibeon! O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon!" |
| 13So the sun remained still and the moon stood in place until the nation settled their score with their enemies. This is recorded, is it not, in the book of Jashar? The sun stood in place in the middle of the sky and seemed not to be in a hurry to set for nearly an entire day. | 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. |
| 14There has never been a day like it before or since, when the LORD listened to the voice of a man, because the LORD was fighting on behalf of Israel. | 14There has not been a day like it before or since. The LORD obeyed a man, for the LORD fought for Israel! |
| 15After this, Joshua returned to the camp at Gilgal with the entire fighting force of Israel. | 15Then Joshua and all Israel returned to the camp at Gilgal. |
| 16Meanwhile, the five kings had fled and hidden themselves inside a cave at Makkedah. | 16The five Amorite kings ran away and hid in the cave at Makkedah. |
| 17Joshua was informed, "The five kings have been discovered hiding in the cave at Makkedah." | 17Joshua was told, "The five kings have been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah." |
| 18So Joshua gave an order, "Roll large stones up against the mouth of the cave and assign men to stand guard there, | 18Joshua said, "Roll large stones over the mouth of the cave and post guards in front of it. |
| 19but don't stay there yourselves. Instead, pursue your enemies and attack them from behind. Don't allow them to enter their cities, because the LORD your God has delivered them into your control." | 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." |
| 20Now it came about that after Joshua and the Israelis had finished the battle, destroying and scattering their survivors, who retreated into their fortified cities, | 20Joshua and the Israelites almost totally wiped them out, but some survivors did escape to the fortified cities. |
| 21the entire army returned safely to Joshua's encampment at Makkedah. No one could speak so much as a single word against any of the Israelis. | 21Then the whole army safely returned to Joshua at the camp in Makkedah. No one dared threaten the Israelites. |
| 22Then Joshua gave this order: "Unseal the mouth of the cave and bring out these five kings to me from the cave." | 22Joshua said, "Open the cave's mouth and bring the five kings out of the cave to me." |
| 23So they did. They brought out these five kings to him from within the cave: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. | 23They did as ordered; they brought the five kings out of the cave to him--the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. |
| 24When they had brought these kings out to Joshua, Joshua called for all the men of Israel and spoke to the leaders of the men who had gone out to war along with him, "Come close and put your feet on the necks of these kings." So they came near and put their feet on their necks. | 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. |
| 25Joshua told the army, "Don't fear or be dismayed! Be strong and courageous, because this is how the LORD will treat all of your enemies whom you fight." | 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. |
| 26After this, Joshua struck those kings down, executing them, and hanged them on five gallows until sunset. | 26Then Joshua executed them and hung them on five trees. They were left hanging on the trees until evening. |
| 27When evening had come, Joshua gave a command to remove the bodies from the gallows and bury them in the cave where they had hidden. The army sealed the mouth of the cave with large stones that remain there to this very day. | 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.) |
| 28Joshua captured Makkedah that very day, and attacked both it and its king with swords, utterly destroying it along with every person in it, leaving no survivors. He dealt with the king of Makkedah the same way he had dealt with the king of Jericho. | 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. |
| 29Afterward, Joshua and all of Israel passed on from Makkedah to Libnah, where they fought against Libnah. | 29Joshua and all Israel marched from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against it. |
| 30The LORD gave both it and its king into the control of Israel, and Joshua executed both its king and every person in it with swords, leaving no survivors. He dealt with the king the same way he had dealt with the king of Jericho. | 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. |
| 31Then Joshua and all of Israel passed from Libnah to Lachish, camped near it, and attacked it. | 31Joshua and all Israel marched from Libnah to Lachish. He deployed his troops and fought against it. |
| 32The LORD gave Lachish into the control of Israel, and Joshua captured it the next day. He declared war on the city and executed everyone in it, the same way he had treated Libnah. | 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. |
| 33Then Horam king of Gezer appeared to help Lachish. So Joshua attacked him and his army, until he left no one remaining. | 33Then King Horam of Gezer came up to help Lachish, but Joshua struck down him and his army until no survivors remained. |
| 34After this, Joshua, accompanied by all of Israel, proceeded from Lachish to Eglon, laid siege to it, and attacked it. | 34Joshua and all Israel marched from Lachish to Eglon. They deployed troops and fought against it. |
| 35They captured it on that day, attacking it in battle. Then Joshua completely destroyed it that day, the same way he had dealt with Lachish. | 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. |
| 36Then Joshua, accompanied by all of Israel, left Eglon for Hebron, where they attacked it, | 36Joshua and all Israel marched up from Eglon to Hebron and fought against it. |
| 37captured it, and executed its inhabitants—its king, all of its cities, and every person in it, leaving no one remaining, the same way he had dealt with Eglon. He completely destroyed it, along with everyone in 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. |
| 38Then Joshua returned, accompanied by the entire fighting force of Israel, to Debir, where they attacked it, | 38Joshua and all Israel turned to Debir and fought against it. |
| 39captured it, its king, and all of its villages. They executed them, totally destroying it and everyone in it, leaving no one remaining. He dealt with Debir and its king just as he had dealt with Hebron, treating them the same way he had dealt with Libnah and its king. | 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. |
| 40So Joshua conquered the entire land, the hill country, the Negev, the Shephelah, and the wilderness highlands, along with all of their kings. He left none of them remaining, but completely destroyed every living person, just as the LORD God of Israel had commanded. | 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. |
| 41Joshua conquered them from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, including the entire territory of Goshen as far as Gibeon. | 41Joshua conquered the area between Kadesh Barnea and Gaza and the whole region of Goshen, all the way to Gibeon. |
| 42Joshua conquered all of these kings and their territories in one campaign, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel. | 42Joshua captured in one campaign all these kings and their lands, for the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel. |
| 43Then Joshua returned to the camp at Gilgal, along with the entire fighting force of Israel. | 43Then Joshua and all Israel returned to the camp at Gilgal. |
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