| New International Version | Berean Study 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. | 1Now Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai and devoted it to destruction—doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king—and that the people of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were living near 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. | 2So Adoni-zedek and his people were greatly alarmed, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were mighty. |
| 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. | 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, |
| 4"Come up and help me attack Gibeon," he said, "because it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites." | 4“Come up and help me. We will attack Gibeon, because they have 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 kings of the Amorites—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon—joined forces and advanced with all their armies. They camped before Gibeon and made war against it. |
| 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." | 6Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: “Do not abandon your servants. Come quickly and save us! Help us, because all the kings of the Amorites from the hill country have joined forces against us.” |
| 7So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including all the best fighting men. | 7So Joshua and his whole army, including all the mighty men of valor, came 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 said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for I have delivered them into your hand. Not one of them shall stand against you.” |
| 9After an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua took them by surprise. | 9After marching all night from Gilgal, Joshua caught them by surprise. |
| 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. | 10And the LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great slaughter at Gibeon, pursued them along the ascent to Beth-horon, and struck them down as far as 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 before Israel along the descent from Beth-horon to Azekah, the LORD cast down on them large hailstones from the sky, and more of them were killed by the hailstones than by the swords of the Israelites. |
| 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." | 12On the day that the LORD gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the LORD in the presence of 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. | 13So the sun stood still and the moon stopped until the nation took vengeance upon its enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? “So the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down 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 been no day like it before or since, when the LORD listened to the voice of a man, because the LORD fought for Israel. |
| 15Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal. | 15Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal. |
| 16Now the five kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah. | 16Now the five kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah. |
| 17When Joshua was told that the five kings had been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah, | 17And Joshua was informed: “The five kings have been found; they are 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. | 18So Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and post men there to guard them. |
| 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 you, do not stop there. Pursue your enemies and attack them from behind. Do not let them reach their cities, for the LORD your God has delivered them into your hand.” |
| 20So Joshua and the Israelites defeated them completely, but a few survivors managed to reach their fortified cities. | 20So Joshua and the Israelites continued to inflict a terrible slaughter until they had finished them off, and the remaining survivors retreated 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. | 21The whole army returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah, and no one dared to utter a word against the Israelites. |
| 22Joshua said, "Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me." | 22Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me.” |
| 23So they brought the five kings out of the cave--the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon. | 23So they brought the five kings out of the cave—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 had brought the kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army 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. |
| 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." | 25“Do not be afraid or discouraged,” Joshua said. “Be strong and courageous, for the LORD will do this to all the 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. | 26After this, Joshua struck down and killed the kings, and he hung their bodies on five trees and left them there 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 that they be taken down from the trees and thrown into the cave in which they had hidden. Then large stones were placed against the mouth of the cave, and the stones are there to this 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. | 28On that day Joshua captured Makkedah and put it to the sword, along with its king. He devoted to destruction everyone in the city, leaving no survivors. So he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho. |
| 29Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah and attacked it. | 29Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against Libnah. |
| 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. | 30And the LORD also delivered that city and its king into the hand of Israel, and Joshua put all the people to the sword, leaving no survivors. And he did to the king of Libnah as he 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. | 31And Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Libnah to Lachish. They laid siege to it 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. | 32And the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, and Joshua captured it on the second day. He put all the people to the sword, just as he 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. | 33At that time Horam king of Gezer went to help Lachish, but Joshua struck him down along with his people, leaving no survivors. |
| 34Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Lachish to Eglon; they took up positions against it and attacked it. | 34So Joshua moved on from Lachish to Eglon, and all Israel with him. They laid siege to it 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 Eglon and put it to the sword, and Joshua devoted to destruction everyone in the city, just as he had done to Lachish. |
| 36Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron and attacked it. | 36Then Joshua and all Israel with him went 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 to the sword its king, all its villages, and all the people. Joshua left no survivors, just as he had done at Eglon; he devoted to destruction Hebron and everyone in it. |
| 38Then Joshua and all Israel with him turned around and attacked Debir. | 38Finally Joshua and all Israel with him turned toward 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. | 39And they captured Debir, its king, and all its villages. They put them to the sword and devoted to destruction everyone in the city, leaving no survivors. Joshua did to Debir and its king as he had done to Hebron and as he had done to Libnah and its king. |
| 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. | 40So Joshua conquered the whole region—the hill country, the Negev, the foothills, and the slopes, together with all their kings—leaving no survivors. He devoted to destruction everything that breathed, just as the LORD, the 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 from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, and the whole region of Goshen as far as Gibeon. |
| 42All these kings and their lands Joshua conquered in one campaign, because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel. | 42And because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel, Joshua captured all these kings and their land in one campaign. |
| 43Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal. | 43Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal. |
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