| Holman Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Now Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai and completely destroyed it, treating Ai and its king as he had Jericho and its king, and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were 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 Adoni-zedek and his people were greatly alarmed because Gibeon was a large city like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were 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. |
| 3Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word 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: |
| 4Come up and help me. We will attack Gibeon, because they have 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." |
| 5So the five Amorite kings--the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon--joined forces, advanced with all their armies, besieged Gibeon, and fought 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. |
| 6Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: "Don't abandon your servants. Come quickly and save us! Help us, for all the Amorite kings living in 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 and his whole military force, including all the fighting men, came from Gilgal. | 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, for I have handed them over to you. Not one of them will be able to stand against 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 Joshua caught them by surprise, after marching all night from Gilgal. | 9Joshua attacked them by surprise after marching all night from Gilgal. |
| 10The LORD threw them into confusion before Israel. He defeated them in a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them through the ascent of 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. |
| 11As they fled before Israel, the LORD threw large hailstones on them from the sky along the descent of Beth-horon all the way to Azekah, and they died. More of them died from the hail 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 Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the LORD in the presence of Israel:" Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and 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!" |
| 13And the sun stood still and the moon stopped until the nation took vengeance on its enemies. Isn't this written in the Book of Jashar? So the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed its setting almost 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 been no day like it before or since, when the LORD listened to the voice of a man, because 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 and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal. | 15Then Joshua and all Israel returned to the camp at Gilgal. |
| 16Now the five defeated kings had fled and hidden themselves in the cave at Makkedah. | 16The five Amorite kings ran away and hid in the cave at Makkedah. |
| 17It was reported to Joshua: "The five kings have been found; they are hiding in the cave at Makkedah." | 17Joshua was told, "The five kings have been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah." |
| 18Joshua said, "Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and station men by it to guard the kings. | 18Joshua said, "Roll large stones over the mouth of the cave and post guards in front of it. |
| 19But as for the rest of you, don't stay there. Pursue your enemies and attack them from behind. Don't let them enter their cities, for the LORD your God has handed them over to you." | 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 finished inflicting a terrible slaughter on them until they were destroyed, although a few survivors ran away to the fortified cities. | 20Joshua and the Israelites almost totally wiped them out, but some survivors did escape to the fortified cities. |
| 21The people returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. And no one dared to threaten the Israelites. | 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 those five kings to me out of there." | 22Joshua said, "Open the cave's mouth and bring the five kings out of the cave to me." |
| 23That is what they did. They brought the five kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon to Joshua out of the cave. | 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 the kings to him, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the military commanders who had accompanied him, "Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings." So the commanders came forward 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 said to them, "Do not be afraid or discouraged. Be strong and courageous, for the LORD will do this to all the enemies 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 them down and executed them. He hung their bodies on five trees and they were there until evening. | 26Then Joshua executed them and hung them on five trees. They were left hanging on the trees until evening. |
| 27At sunset Joshua commanded that they be taken down from the trees and thrown into the cave where they had hidden. Then large stones were placed against the mouth of the cave, and the stones 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.) |
| 28On that day Joshua captured Makkedah and struck it down with the sword, including its king. He completely destroyed it and everyone in it, leaving no survivors. So he treated the king of Makkedah as he had 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. |
| 29Joshua and all Israel with him crossed from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against Libnah. | 29Joshua and all Israel marched from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against it. |
| 30The LORD also handed it and its king over to Israel. He struck it down, putting everyone in it to the sword, and left no survivors in it. He treated Libnah's king as he had 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 all Israel with him crossed to Lachish. They laid siege to it and attacked it. | 31Joshua and all Israel marched from Libnah to Lachish. He deployed his troops and fought against it. |
| 32The LORD handed Lachish over to Israel, and Joshua captured it on the second day. He struck it down, putting everyone in it 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. |
| 33At that time Horam king of Gezer went to help Lachish, but Joshua struck him down along with his people, leaving no survivors in it. | 33Then King Horam of Gezer came up to help Lachish, but Joshua struck down him and his army until no survivors remained. |
| 34Then Joshua crossed from Lachish to Eglon and all Israel with him. They laid siege to it and attacked it. | 34Joshua and all Israel marched from Lachish to Eglon. They deployed troops and fought against it. |
| 35On that day they captured it and struck it down, putting everyone in it to the sword. He completely destroyed it that day, just as 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. |
| 36Next, 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 captured it and struck down its king, all its villages, and everyone in it with the sword. He left no survivors, just as he had done at Eglon. He completely destroyed Hebron 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. |
| 38Finally, Joshua turned toward Debir and attacked it. And all Israel was with him. | 38Joshua and all Israel turned to Debir and fought against it. |
| 39He captured it--its king and all its villages. They struck them down with the sword and completely destroyed everyone in it, leaving no survivors. He treated Debir and its king as he had treated Hebron and as he had treated 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 hill country, the Negev, the Judean foothills, and the slopes--with all their kings, leaving no survivors. He completely destroyed every living being, 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 conquered everyone from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, and all the land 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 captured all these kings and their land 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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