| New Living Translation | NET Bible |
| 1Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard that Joshua had captured and completely destroyed Ai and killed its king, just as he had destroyed the town of Jericho and killed its king. He also learned that the Gibeonites had made peace with Israel and were now their allies. | 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. |
| 2He and his people became very afraid when they heard all this because Gibeon was a large town—as large as the royal cities and larger than Ai. And the Gibeonite men were strong 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 messengers to several other kings: Hoham of Hebron, Piram of Jarmuth, Japhia of Lachish, and Debir of Eglon. | 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 and help me destroy Gibeon,” he urged them, “for they have made peace with Joshua and the people of Israel.” | 4"Come to my aid so we can attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites." |
| 5So these five Amorite kings combined their armies for a united attack. They moved all their troops into place and attacked Gibeon. | 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 men of Gibeon quickly sent messengers to Joshua at his camp in Gilgal. “Don’t abandon your servants now!” they pleaded. “Come at once! Save us! Help us! For all the Amorite kings who live in the hill country have joined forces to attack 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 and his entire army, including his best warriors, left Gilgal and set out for Gibeon. | 7So Joshua and his whole army, including the bravest warriors, marched up from Gilgal. |
| 8“Do not be afraid of them,” the LORD said to Joshua, “for I have given you victory over them. Not a single one of them will be able to stand up to 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 traveled all night from Gilgal and took the Amorite armies by surprise. | 9Joshua attacked them by surprise after marching all night from Gilgal. |
| 10The LORD threw them into a panic, and the Israelites slaughtered great numbers of them at Gibeon. Then the Israelites chased the enemy along the road to Beth-horon, killing them all along the way to 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. |
| 11As the Amorites retreated down the road from Beth-horon, the LORD destroyed them with a terrible hailstorm from heaven that continued until they reached Azekah. The hail killed more of the enemy than the Israelites 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. |
| 12On the day the LORD gave the Israelites victory over the Amorites, Joshua prayed to the LORD in front of all the people of Israel. He said, “Let the sun stand still over Gibeon, and the moon over 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 stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies. Is this event not recorded in The Book of Jashar ? The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and it did not set as on a normal 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 this one before or since, when the LORD answered such a prayer. Surely the LORD fought for Israel that day! | 14There has not been a day like it before or since. The LORD obeyed a man, for the LORD fought for Israel! |
| 15Then Joshua and the Israelite army returned to their camp at Gilgal. Joshua Kills the Five Southern Kings | 15Then Joshua and all Israel returned to the camp at Gilgal. |
| 16During the battle the five kings escaped and hid in a cave at Makkedah. | 16The five Amorite kings ran away and hid in the cave at Makkedah. |
| 17When Joshua heard that they had been found, | 17Joshua was told, "The five kings have been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah." |
| 18he issued this command: “Cover the opening of the cave with large rocks, and place guards at the entrance to keep the kings inside. | 18Joshua said, "Roll large stones over the mouth of the cave and post guards in front of it. |
| 19The rest of you continue chasing the enemy and cut them down from the rear. Don’t give them a chance to get back to their towns, for the LORD your God has given you victory over 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." |
| 20So Joshua and the Israelite army continued the slaughter and completely crushed the enemy. They totally wiped out the five armies except for a tiny remnant that managed to reach their fortified towns. | 20Joshua and the Israelites almost totally wiped them out, but some survivors did escape to the fortified cities. |
| 21Then the Israelites returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. After that, no one dared to speak even a word against Israel. | 21Then the whole army safely returned to Joshua at the camp in Makkedah. No one dared threaten the Israelites. |
| 22Then Joshua said, “Remove the rocks covering the opening of the cave, and bring the five kings to me.” | 22Joshua said, "Open the cave's mouth and bring the five kings out of the cave to me." |
| 23So they brought the five kings out of the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and 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 brought them out, Joshua told the commanders of his army, “Come and put your feet on the kings’ necks.” And they did as they were told. | 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. |
| 25“Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged,” Joshua told his men. “Be strong and courageous, for the LORD is going to do this to all of your enemies.” | 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. |
| 26Then Joshua killed each of the five kings and impaled them on five sharpened poles, where they hung until evening. | 26Then Joshua executed them and hung them on five trees. They were left hanging on the trees until evening. |
| 27As the sun was going down, Joshua gave instructions for the bodies of the kings to be taken down from the poles and thrown into the cave where they had been hiding. Then they covered the opening of the cave with a pile of large rocks, which remains to this very day. Israel Destroys the Southern Towns | 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.) |
| 28That same day Joshua captured and destroyed the town of Makkedah. He killed everyone in it, including the king, leaving no survivors. He destroyed them all, and he killed the king of Makkedah as he had killed 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 and the Israelites went to Libnah and attacked it. | 29Joshua and all Israel marched from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against it. |
| 30There, too, the LORD gave them the town and its king. He killed everyone in it, leaving no survivors. Then Joshua killed the king of Libnah as he had killed 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. |
| 31From Libnah, Joshua and the Israelites went to Lachish and attacked it. | 31Joshua and all Israel marched from Libnah to Lachish. He deployed his troops and fought against it. |
| 32Here again, the LORD gave them Lachish. Joshua took it on the second day and killed everyone in it, just as he had done at 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. |
| 33During the attack on Lachish, King Horam of Gezer arrived with his army to help defend the town. But Joshua’s men killed him and his army, leaving no survivors. | 33Then King Horam of Gezer came up to help Lachish, but Joshua struck down him and his army until no survivors remained. |
| 34Then Joshua and the Israelite army went on to Eglon and attacked it. | 34Joshua and all Israel marched from Lachish to Eglon. They deployed troops and fought against it. |
| 35They captured it that day and killed everyone in it. He completely destroyed everyone, just as he had done at 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. |
| 36From Eglon, Joshua and the Israelite army went up to Hebron and attacked it. | 36Joshua and all Israel marched up from Eglon to Hebron and fought against it. |
| 37They captured the town and killed everyone in it, including its king, leaving no survivors. They did the same thing to all of its surrounding villages. And just as he had done at Eglon, he completely destroyed the entire population. | 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 and the Israelites turned back and attacked Debir. | 38Joshua and all Israel turned to Debir and fought against it. |
| 39He captured the town, its king, and all of its surrounding villages. He completely destroyed everyone in it, leaving no survivors. He did to Debir and its king just what he had done to Hebron and 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 the whole region—the kings and people of the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills, and the mountain slopes. He completely destroyed everyone in the land, leaving no survivors, just as the LORD, the 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 slaughtered them from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza and from the region around the town of Goshen up to Gibeon. | 41Joshua conquered the area between Kadesh Barnea and Gaza and the whole region of Goshen, all the way to Gibeon. |
| 42Joshua conquered all these kings and their land in a single campaign, for the LORD, the God of Israel, was fighting for his people. | 42Joshua captured in one campaign all these kings and their lands, for the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel. |
| 43Then Joshua and the Israelite army returned to their camp at Gilgal. | 43Then Joshua and all Israel returned to the camp at Gilgal. |
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