Joshua 10
10
The Sun Stands Still
1Now when King Adoni-Zedek of Jerusalem heard that Joshua captured Ai and destroyed it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, 2he and his people were very afraid. # Ex 15:14–16; Dt 11:25 Gibeon was a large city, like one of the royal cities. It was larger than Ai, and all its men were warriors. 3So King Adoni-Zedek of Jerusalem sent this message to King Hoham of Hebron, # Ge 13:18; 2Sa 2:1 King Piram of Jarmuth, King Japhia of Lachish, # Jer 34:7; Mic 1:13 and King Debir of Eglon: 4“Come and help me! Let us attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and all the Israelites.” # Jos 9:15; 10:1
5So the five kings of the Amorites—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon—and all their armies gathered, advanced, and camped against Gibeon. Then they waged war against it.
6The men of Gibeon sent this message to Joshua at the Gilgal # Jos 5:10; 9:6 settlement: “Do not abandon your slaves. Come up to us quickly. Save us! Help us! For all the Amorite kings living in the hill country have gathered against us.”
7So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, # Jos 8:1 and all the mighty men of valor. 8The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for I have given them into your hand. Not a single man can stand before you.” # Dt 3:2; Jos 11:6
9Then Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal. 10The Lord panicked them before Israel. They struck them with overwhelming force at Gibeon, then Israel pursued them on the road that rises to Beth-horon # Jos 16:3, 5 and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. 11As they fled from Israel on the downslope from Beth-horon, the Lord hurled large hailstones down upon # Ps 18:12–14; Isa 28:2 them from the sky as far as Azekah. They died, and in fact more died from the hailstones than the Israelites killed with the sword.
12On the day the Lord gave over the Amorites to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the Lord and said in full view of Israel:
“Sun, stand still # Hab 3:11 over Gibeon;
and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” # Jdg 12:12
13So the sun stood still,
and the moon stood in place
until the people brought vengeance on their enemies.
Is this not written in the book of Jashar? # 2Sa 1:18
The sun stood still in the middle of the sky # Isa 38:8 and did not set for about a full day. 14There has not been a day like this either before or after it, when the Lord obeyed a man, for the Lord waged war for Israel. # Dt 1:30; Jos 10:42
15Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, returned to the settlement at Gilgal. # Jos 10:43
The Execution of Five Amorite Kings
16Yet these five kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah. 17Joshua was told, “The five kings have been found hiding themselves in the cave at Makkedah.” 18So Joshua said, “Roll large stones over the mouth of the cave, and station men to stand guard over it. 19As for you, do not stop pursuing your enemies, but attack them from behind. Do not let them go back to their cities, for the Lord your God has given them into your hand.”
20When Joshua and the Israelites had finished striking them with overwhelming force until they were completely defeated, # Jos 8:24 the survivors escaped from them and went back to their fortified cities. 21Then all the people returned safely to Joshua at the Makkedah settlement, and no one spoke against any of the Israelites. # Ex 11:7
22Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out to me those five kings from the cave.” 23They did this, and they brought out those five kings from the cave: the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. 24When they brought out those five kings to Joshua, he called out to all the men of Israel and the army commanders, “Come here and place your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came near and placed their feet on their necks. # Ps 110:1; Mal 4:3
25Then Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or dismayed. Be strong and courageous! # Dt 31:6–8 For this is what the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.” # Dt 7:19 26After that, Joshua struck them down, killed them, and hung them on five trees. They were hanging on the trees until evening. # Jos 8:29
27At sundown Joshua commanded men to take them down from the trees and throw them into the cave in which they had hidden themselves. Over the mouth of the cave he placed large stones, which remain to this day.
Southern Cities Conquered
28Joshua took Makkedah that day and struck it and its king with the edge of the sword. He destroyed it and all life within it. He did not leave any survivors. # Jos 6:21 He did to the king of Makkedah just as he did to the king of Jericho. 29Then Joshua passed from Makkedah to Libnah with all of Israel, and they fought against Libnah. # Jos 21:13; Isa 37:8 30The Lord gave Libnah and its king into the hand of Israel, and they struck all who lived in it with the edge of the sword. There were no survivors left. They did to its king what they had done to the king of Jericho.
31Then Joshua passed from Libnah to Lachish # Jos 10:3 with all of Israel, camped against it, and waged war against it. 32The Lord gave Lachish into the hand of Israel. They captured it on the second day and struck all who lived in it with the edge of the sword, just as they had done to Libnah. 33King Horam of Gezer # Jos 16:10; Jdg 1:29 came up to help Lachish, but Joshua attacked him and his people until he did not have a single survivor left.
34From Lachish, Joshua and all of Israel passed to Eglon. # Jos 10:3 They camped against it and waged war against it. 35They captured it that day and struck it with the edge of the sword. All who lived in it were destroyed that day, just as Israel had done to Lachish.
36Then Joshua and all of Israel went up from Eglon to Hebron # Jos 15:13; Jdg 1:10 and waged war against it. 37They captured it and struck its king, and all who lived in it, and its surrounding towns with the edge of the sword. No survivor was left. Just as they had done to Eglon, they destroyed it and all who lived in it.
38Then Joshua and all of Israel turned to Debir # Jos 15:15 and waged war against it. 39They captured it, its king, and all its surrounding towns and struck them with the edge of the sword. They destroyed all who lived in them, and no survivor was left. As he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king as they had done to Libnah and its king.
40So Joshua attacked the whole land: the hill country, the Negev, the lowlands, the mountain slopes, and all their kings. No survivor was left. He destroyed all who breathed, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded. 41Joshua attacked the land from Kadesh Barnea # Nu 34:4; Dt 1:2 to Gaza # Ge 10:19 and the land of Goshen # Jos 11:16; 15:51 as far as Gibeon. 42Joshua captured all these kings and their land in one campaign because the Lord God of Israel waged war for Israel. # Jos 10:14
43Then Joshua and all of Israel returned to the settlement at Gilgal. # Jos 10:15
Currently Selected:
Joshua 10: MEV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version
Copyright © 2024, 2017, 2014 by United Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House. All rights reserved.