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Now it
came to pass, when Adonizedec king of Jerusalem
had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had
utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho
and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king;
and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace
with Israel, and were among them;
02 That they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a
great city, as one of the royal cities, and
because it was greater than Ai, and all the men
thereof were mighty.
03 Wherefore Adonizedec king of Jerusalem, sent
unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of
Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and
unto Debir king of Eglon, saying,
04 Come up unto me, and help me, that we may
smite Gibeon: for it hath made peace with Joshua
and with the children of Israel.
05 Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the
king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king
of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of
Eglon, gathered themselves together, and went up,
they and all their hosts, and encamped before
Gibeon, and made war against it.
06 And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the
camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand from
thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us,
and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites
that dwell in the mountains are gathered together
against us.
07 So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all
the people of war with him, and all the mighty
men of valour.
08 And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear them not:
for I have delivered them into thine hand; there
shall not a man of them stand before thee.
09 Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and
went up from Gilgal all night.
10 And the Lord discomfited them before Israel,
and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon,
and chased them along the way that goeth up to
Bethhoron, and smote them to Azekah, and unto
Makkedah.
11 And it came to pass, as they fled from before
Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron,
that the Lord cast down great stones from heaven
upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were
more which died with hailstones than they whom
the children of Israel slew with the sword.
12 Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when
the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the
children of Israel, and he said in the sight of
Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and
thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed,
until the people had avenged themselves upon
their enemies. Is not this written in the book of
Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of
heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole
day.
14 And there was no day like that before it or
after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice
of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel.
15 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him,
unto the camp to Gilgal.
16 But these five kings fled, and hid themselves
in a cave at Makkedah.
17 And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings
are found hid in a cave at Makkedah.
18 And Joshua said, Roll great stones upon the
mouth of the cave, and set men by it for to keep
them:
19 And stay ye not, but pursue after your
enemies, and smite the hindmost of them; suffer
them not to enter into their cities: for the Lord
your God hath delivered them into your hand.
20 And it came to pass, when Joshua and the
children of Israel had made an end of slaying
them with a very great slaughter, till they were
consumed, that the rest which remained of them
entered into fenced cities.
21 And all the people returned to the camp to
Joshua at Makkedah in peace: none moved his
tongue against any of the children of Israel.
22 Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave,
and bring out those five kings unto me out of the
cave.
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23 And they did so, and brought forth those five
kings unto him out of the cave, the king of
Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of
Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of
Eglon.
24 And it came to pass, when they brought out
those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for
all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains
of the men of war which went with him, Come near,
put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And
they came near, and put their feet upon the necks
of them.
25 And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be
dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus
shall the Lord do to all your enemies against
whom ye fight.
26 And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew
them, and hanged them on five trees: and they
were hanging upon the trees until the evening.
27 And it came to pass at the time of the going
down of the sun, that Joshua commanded, and they
took them down off the trees, and cast them into
the cave wherein they had been hid, and laid
great stones in the cave's mouth, which remain
until this very day.
28 And that day Joshua took Makkedah, and smote
it with the edge of the sword, and the king
thereof he utterly destroyed, them, and all the
souls that were therein; he let none remain: and
he did to the king of Makkedah as he did unto the
king of Jericho.
29 Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all
Israel with him, unto Libnah, and fought against
Libnah:
30 And the Lord delivered it also, and the king
thereof, into the hand of Israel; and he smote it
with the edge of the sword, and all the souls
that were therein; he let none remain in it; but
did unto the king thereof as he did unto the king
of Jericho.
31 And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel
with him, unto Lachish, and encamped against it,
and fought against it:
32 And the Lord delivered Lachish into the hand
of Israel, which took it on the second day, and
smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the
souls that were therein, according to all that he
had done to Libnah.
33 Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help
Lachish; and Joshua smote him and his people,
until he had left him none remaining.
34 And from Lachish Joshua passed unto Eglon, and
all Israel with him; and they encamped against
it, and fought against it:
35 And they took it on that day, and smote it
with the edge of the sword, and all the souls
that were therein he utterly destroyed that day,
according to all that he had done to Lachish.
36 And Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel
with him, unto Hebron; and they fought against
it:
37 And they took it, and smote it with the edge
of the sword, and the king thereof, and all the
cities thereof, and all the souls that were
therein; he left none remaining, according to all
that he had done to Eglon; but destroyed it
utterly, and all the souls that were therein.
38 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him,
to Debir; and fought against it:
39 And he took it, and the king thereof, and all
the cities thereof; and they smote them with the
edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the
souls that were therein; he left none remaining:
as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and
to the king thereof; as he had done also to
Libnah, and to her king.
40 So Joshua smote all the country of the hills,
and of the south, and of the vale, and of the
springs, and all their kings: he left none
remaining, but utterly destroyed all that
breathed, as the Lord God of Israel commanded.
41 And Joshua smote them from Kadeshbarnea even
unto Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even
unto Gibeon.
42 And all these kings and their land did Joshua
take at one time, because the Lord God of Israel
fought for Israel.
43 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him,
unto the camp to Gilgal.
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