The Scriptures (ISR 1998) 1And it came to be when Aḏoni-Tseḏeq sovereign of Yerushalayim heard that Yehoshua had captured Ai and had put it under the ban, that he had done to Ai and its sovereign as he had done to Yeriḥo and its sovereign, and that the inhabitants of Giḇ‛on had made peace with Yisra’ĕl and were in their midst, 2that they feared greatly, because Giḇ‛on was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty. 3And Aḏoni-Tseḏeq sovereign of Yerushalayim sent to Hoham sovereign of Ḥeḇron, and to Piram sovereign of Yarmuth, and to Yaphiya sovereign of Laḵish, and to Deḇir sovereign of Eg̅lon, saying, 4“Come up to me and help me, and let us smite Giḇ‛on, for it has made peace with Yehoshua and with the children of Yisra’ĕl.” 5So the five sovereigns of the Amorites – the sovereign of Yerushalayim, the sovereign of Ḥeḇron, the sovereign of Yarmuth, the sovereign of Laḵish, the sovereign of Eg̅lon – gathered together and went up, they and all their armies, and camped before Giḇ‛on and fought against it. 6And the men of Giḇ‛on sent to Yehoshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Do not withdraw your hand from your servants. Come up to us quickly, and save us and help us, for all the sovereigns of the Amorites who dwell in the mountains have assembled against us.” 7And Yehoshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the soldiers with him, and all the mighty brave men. 8And יהוה said to Yehoshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hand. Not one of them does stand before you.” 9So then Yehoshua came upon them suddenly, having gone up all night from Gilgal. 10And יהוה threw them into confusion before Yisra’ĕl, and they smote them with a great slaughter at Giḇ‛on, and pursued them along the way that goes to Bĕyth Ḥoron, and smote them as far as Azĕqah and Maqqĕḏah. 11And it came to be, as they fled before Yisra’ĕl and were on the descent of Bĕyth Ḥoron, that יהוה threw down large hailstones from the heavens on them as far as Azĕqah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the sons of Yisra’ĕl had slain with the sword. 12Then Yehoshua spoke to יהוה in the day when יהוה gave the Amorites over to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and he said before the eyes of Yisra’ĕl, “Sun, stand still over Giḇ‛on; and moon, in the Valley of Ayalon.” 13So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself upon their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Yashar? Thus the sun stopped in the midst of the heavens, and did not hasten to go down for an entire day. 14And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that יהוה listened to the voice of a man, because יהוה fought for Yisra’ĕl. 15So Yehoshua returned, and all Yisra’ĕl with him, to the camp at Gilgal. 16Now these five sovereigns had fled and hidden themselves in a cave at Maqqĕḏah. 17And it was reported to Yehoshua, saying, “The five sovereigns have been found hidden in the cave at Maqqĕḏah.” 18And Yehoshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to guard them. 19“And you, do not stand still, but pursue your enemies. And you shall smite them in the rear. Do not allow them to enter their cities, for יהוה your Elohim has given them into your hand.” 20And it came to be, when Yehoshua and the children of Yisra’ĕl had ended smiting them with a very great slaughter, till they had finished – but those who escaped went into walled cities – 21that all the people returned to the camp, to Yehoshua at Maqqĕḏah, in peace. No one moved his tongue against any of the sons of Yisra’ĕl. 22Then Yehoshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five sovereigns to me from the cave.” 23And they did so, and brought those five sovereigns to him from the cave: the sovereign of Yerushalayim, the sovereign of Ḥeḇron, the sovereign of Yarmuth, the sovereign of Laḵish, the sovereign of Eg̅lon. 24And it came to be, when they brought out those sovereigns to Yehoshua, that Yehoshua called for all the men of Yisra’ĕl, and said to the chiefs of the men of battle who went with him, “Come near, put your feet on the necks of these sovereigns.” And they drew near and put their feet on their necks. 25Then Yehoshua said to them, “Do not be afraid nor be discouraged, be strong and courageous, for this is what יהוה is going to do to all your enemies whom you are fighting.” 26And afterward Yehoshua smote them and killed them, and hanged them on five trees. And they were hanging on the trees until evening. 27And it came to be, at the time of the going down of the sun, that Yehoshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees, and threw them into the cave where they had been hidden, and laid large stones against the cave’s mouth, to this day. 28And on that day Yehoshua captured Maqqĕḏah, and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and he put its sovereign under the ban – them and all the people who were in it, he left no survivor. And he did to the sovereign of Maqqĕḏah as he had done to the sovereign of Yeriḥo. 29Then Yehoshua passed over, and all Yisra’ĕl with him, from Maqqĕḏah to Liḇnah. And they fought against Liḇnah. 30And יהוה also gave it and its sovereign into the hand of Yisra’ĕl. And he smote it and all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword, he left no survivor in it. And he did to its sovereign as he had done to the sovereign of Yeriḥo. 31Then Yehoshua passed over, and all Yisra’ĕl with him, from Liḇnah to Laḵish, and encamped against it and fought against it. 32And יהוה gave Laḵish into the hand of Yisra’ĕl, who captured it on the second day, and smote it and all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword, according to all that he had done to Liḇnah. 33Then Horam sovereign of Gezer came up to help Laḵish. And Yehoshua smote him and his people, until he left him no survivor. 34Then Yehoshua passed over, and all Yisra’ĕl with him, from Laḵish to Eg̅lon. And they encamped against it and fought against it, 35and captured it on that day and smote it with the edge of the sword. And all the beings who were in it he put under the ban that day, according to all that he had done to Laḵish. 36Then Yehoshua went up, and all Yisra’ĕl with him, from Eg̅lon to Ḥeḇron, and they fought against it, 37and captured it and smote it with the edge of the sword, and its sovereign, and all its cities, and all the people who were in it. He left no survivor, according to all that he had done to Eg̅lon, but put it and all the people who were in it under the ban. 38Then Yehoshua returned, and all Yisra’ĕl with him, to Deḇir, and fought against it, 39and captured it and its sovereign and all its cities. And they smote them with the edge of the sword and put all the people who were in it under the ban, he left no survivor. As he had done to Ḥeḇron, so he did to Deḇir and its sovereign, as he had done also to Liḇnah and its sovereign. 40Thus Yehoshua smote all the land: the mountain country and the South and the low country and the wilderness slopes, and all their sovereigns. He left no survivor, but put all that breathed under the ban, as יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl had commanded. 41And Yehoshua smote them from Qaḏĕsh Barnĕa as far as Azzah, and all the land of Goshen, even as far as Giḇ‛on. 42And Yehoshua captured all these sovereigns and their land at one time, because יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl fought for Yisra’ĕl. 43And Yehoshua returned, and all Yisra’ĕl with him, to the camp at Gilgal. |