| New International Version | NET Bible |
| 1Now Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai and totally destroyed it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and that the people of Gibeon had made a treaty of peace with Israel and had become 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 were very much alarmed at this, because Gibeon was an important city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were good fighters. | 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 Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem appealed to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish and Debir king 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 up and help me attack Gibeon," he said, "because it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites." | 4"Come to my aid so we can attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites." |
| 5Then the five kings of the Amorites--the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon--joined forces. They moved up with all their troops and took up positions against Gibeon and attacked 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 then sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: "Do not abandon your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, because all the Amorite kings from the hill country have joined forces 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 marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including all the best fighting men. | 7So Joshua and his whole army, including the bravest warriors, marched up from Gilgal. |
| 8The LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to 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." |
| 9After an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua took them by surprise. | 9Joshua attacked them by surprise after marching all night from Gilgal. |
| 10The LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, so Joshua and the Israelites defeated them completely at Gibeon. Israel pursued them along the road going up to Beth Horon and cut them down all 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 they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah, the LORD hurled large hailstones down on them, and more of them died from the hail than were killed by the swords of the Israelites. | 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 Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel: "Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, 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 stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full 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, a day when the LORD listened to a human being. Surely the LORD was fighting 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 with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal. | 15Then Joshua and all Israel returned to the camp at Gilgal. |
| 16Now the five kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah. | 16The five Amorite kings ran away and hid in the cave at Makkedah. |
| 17When Joshua was told that the five kings had been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah, | 17Joshua was told, "The five kings have been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah." |
| 18he said, "Roll large rocks up to the mouth of the cave, and post some men there to guard it. | 18Joshua said, "Roll large stones over the mouth of the cave and post guards in front of it. |
| 19But don't stop; pursue your enemies! Attack them from the rear and don't let them reach their cities, for the LORD your God has given 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." |
| 20So Joshua and the Israelites defeated them completely, but a few survivors managed to reach their fortified cities. | 20Joshua and the Israelites almost totally wiped them out, but some survivors did escape to the fortified cities. |
| 21The whole army then returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah, and no one uttered a word against the Israelites. | 21Then the whole army safely returned to Joshua at the camp in Makkedah. No one dared threaten the Israelites. |
| 22Joshua said, "Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out 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 had brought these kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had come with him, "Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings." So they came forward and placed 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 said to them, "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the LORD will do to all the enemies you are going to 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. |
| 26Then Joshua put the kings to death and exposed their bodies on five poles, and they were left hanging on the poles until evening. | 26Then Joshua executed them and hung them on five trees. They were left hanging on the trees until evening. |
| 27At sunset Joshua gave the order and they took them down from the poles and threw them into the cave where they had been hiding. At the mouth of the cave they placed large rocks, which are there to this 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.) |
| 28That day Joshua took Makkedah. He put the city and its king to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it. He left no survivors. And he 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 and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah and attacked it. | 29Joshua and all Israel marched from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against it. |
| 30The LORD also gave that city and its king into Israel's hand. The city and everyone in it Joshua put to the sword. He left no survivors there. And he 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 and all Israel with him moved on from Libnah to Lachish; he took up positions against 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 Israel's hands, and Joshua took it on the second day. The city and everyone in it he put to the sword, just as 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. |
| 33Meanwhile, Horam king of Gezer had come up to help Lachish, but Joshua defeated him and his army--until no survivors were left. | 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 all Israel with him moved on from Lachish to Eglon; they took up positions against it and attacked it. | 34Joshua and all Israel marched from Lachish to Eglon. They deployed troops and fought against it. |
| 35They captured it that same day and put it to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it, just as they 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. |
| 36Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron and attacked it. | 36Joshua and all Israel marched up from Eglon to Hebron and fought against it. |
| 37They took the city and put it to the sword, together with its king, its villages and everyone in it. They left no survivors. Just as at Eglon, they totally destroyed it and 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 and all Israel with him turned around and attacked Debir. | 38Joshua and all Israel turned to Debir and fought against it. |
| 39They took the city, its king and its villages, and put them to the sword. Everyone in it they totally destroyed. They left no survivors. They did to Debir and its king as they had done to Libnah and its king and to Hebron. | 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 subdued the whole region, including the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills and the mountain slopes, together with all their kings. He left no survivors. He totally destroyed all who breathed, 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 subdued them from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza and from the whole region of Goshen to 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 lands Joshua conquered in one campaign, because the LORD, the 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 with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal. | 43Then Joshua and all Israel returned to the camp at Gilgal. |
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