| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1Now it came to pass when Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai and had utterly destroyed it—as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king—and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were 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. |
| 2that they feared greatly, 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. | 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. |
| 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, | 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 up to me and help me, that we may attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.” | 4"Come to my aid so we can attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites." |
| 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 together and went up, they and all their armies, and camped before Gibeon and made war against 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. |
| 6And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Do not forsake your servants; come up to us quickly, save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the mountains have gathered together against 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 ascended from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. | 7So Joshua and his whole army, including the bravest warriors, marched up from Gilgal. |
| 8And the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before 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." |
| 9Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal. | 9Joshua attacked them by surprise after marching all night from Gilgal. |
| 10So the LORD routed them before Israel, killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them along the road that goes to Beth Horon, and struck 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. |
| 11And it happened, as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, that the LORD cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword. | 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. |
| 12Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon; And Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” | 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 stood still, And the moon stopped, Till the people had revenge Upon their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole 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. |
| 14And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that the LORD heeded the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel. | 14There has not been a day like it before or since. The LORD obeyed a man, for the LORD fought for Israel! |
| 15Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal. | 15Then Joshua and all Israel returned to the camp at Gilgal. |
| 16But these five kings had fled and hidden themselves in a cave at Makkedah. | 16The five Amorite kings ran away and hid in the cave at Makkedah. |
| 17And it was told Joshua, saying, “The five kings have been found hidden in the cave at Makkedah.” | 17Joshua was told, "The five kings have been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah." |
| 18So Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to guard them. | 18Joshua said, "Roll large stones over the mouth of the cave and post guards in front of it. |
| 19And do not stay there yourselves, but pursue your enemies, and attack their rear guard. Do not allow them to enter their cities, for the LORD your God has delivered them into your hand.” | 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." |
| 20Then it happened, while Joshua and the children of Israel made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, till they had finished, that those who escaped entered fortified cities. | 20Joshua and the Israelites almost totally wiped them out, but some survivors did escape to the fortified cities. |
| 21And all the people returned to the camp, to Joshua at Makkedah, in peace. No one moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel. | 21Then the whole army safely returned to Joshua at the camp in Makkedah. No one dared threaten the Israelites. |
| 22Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those 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." |
| 23And they did so, and brought out those five kings 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. | 23They did as ordered; they brought the five kings out of the cave to him--the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. |
| 24So it was, when they brought out those kings to Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the captains of the men of war who went with him, “Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings.” And they drew 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. |
| 25Then Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage, for thus the LORD will do to all your enemies against 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. |
| 26And afterward Joshua struck them and killed them, and hanged them on five trees; and they were hanging on the trees until evening. | 26Then Joshua executed them and hung them on five trees. They were left hanging on the trees until evening. |
| 27So it was at the time of the going down of the sun that Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees, cast them into the cave where they had been hidden, and laid large stones against the cave’s mouth, which remain until 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.) |
| 28On that day Joshua took Makkedah, and struck it and its king with the edge of the sword. He utterly destroyed them—all the people who were in it. He let none remain. He also did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to 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. |
| 29Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, to Libnah; and they fought against Libnah. | 29Joshua and all Israel marched from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against it. |
| 30And the LORD also delivered it and its king into the hand of Israel; he struck it and all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword. He let none remain in it, but did to its king as he had done to 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 passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish; and they encamped against it and fought against it. | 31Joshua and all Israel marched from Libnah to Lachish. He deployed his troops and fought against it. |
| 32And the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, who took it on the second day, and struck it and all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword, according to all that he had done to 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 came up to help Lachish; and Joshua struck him and his people, until he left him none remaining. | 33Then King Horam of Gezer came up to help Lachish, but Joshua struck down him and his army until no survivors remained. |
| 34From Lachish Joshua passed to Eglon, and all Israel with him; and they encamped against it and fought against it. | 34Joshua and all Israel marched from Lachish to Eglon. They deployed troops and fought against it. |
| 35They took it on that day and struck it with the edge of the sword; all the people who were in it he utterly destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to 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. |
| 36So Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, to Hebron; and they fought against it. | 36Joshua and all Israel marched up from Eglon to Hebron and fought against it. |
| 37And they took it and struck it with the edge of the sword—its king, all its cities, and all the people who were in it; he left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon, but utterly destroyed it and all the people who were 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, and all Israel with him, to Debir; and they fought against it. | 38Joshua and all Israel turned to Debir and fought against it. |
| 39And he took it and its king and all its cities; they struck them with the edge of the sword and utterly destroyed all the people who were in it. He left none remaining; as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king, as he had done also to 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 all the land: the mountain country and the South and the lowland and the wilderness slopes, and all their kings; he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, 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. |
| 41And Joshua conquered them from Kadesh Barnea as far as Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even as far as Gibeon. | 41Joshua conquered the area between Kadesh Barnea and Gaza and the whole region of Goshen, all the way to Gibeon. |
| 42All these kings and their land Joshua took at one time, 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, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal. | 43Then Joshua and all Israel returned to the camp at Gilgal. |
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