| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard that Joshua had captured and completely destroyed Ai and killed its king, just as he had destroyed the town of Jericho and killed its king. He also learned that the Gibeonites had made peace with Israel and were now 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 became very afraid when they heard all this because Gibeon was a large town—as large as the royal cities and larger than Ai. And the Gibeonite men were strong warriors. | 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 King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent messengers to several other kings: Hoham of Hebron, Piram of Jarmuth, Japhia of Lachish, and Debir 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 and help me destroy Gibeon,” he urged them, “for they have made peace with Joshua and the people of Israel.” | 4“Come up and help me. We will attack Gibeon, because they have made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.” |
| 5So these five Amorite kings combined their armies for a united attack. They moved all their troops into place and attacked Gibeon. | 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 men of Gibeon quickly sent messengers to Joshua at his camp in Gilgal. “Don’t abandon your servants now!” they pleaded. “Come at once! Save us! Help us! For all the Amorite kings who live in the hill country have joined forces to attack 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 and his entire army, including his best warriors, left Gilgal and set out for Gibeon. | 7So Joshua and his whole army, including all the mighty men of valor, came from Gilgal. |
| 8“Do not be afraid of them,” the LORD said to Joshua, “for I have given you victory over them. Not a single one of them will be able to stand up to 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.” |
| 9Joshua traveled all night from Gilgal and took the Amorite armies by surprise. | 9After marching all night from Gilgal, Joshua caught them by surprise. |
| 10The LORD threw them into a panic, and the Israelites slaughtered great numbers of them at Gibeon. Then the Israelites chased the enemy along the road to Beth-horon, killing them all along 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 the Amorites retreated down the road from Beth-horon, the LORD destroyed them with a terrible hailstorm from heaven that continued until they reached Azekah. The hail killed more of the enemy than the Israelites killed with the sword. | 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 Israelites victory over the Amorites, Joshua prayed to the LORD in front of all the people of Israel. He said, “Let the sun stand still over Gibeon, and the 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 stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies. Is this event not recorded in The Book of Jashar ? The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and it did not set as on a normal 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 this one before or since, when the LORD answered such a prayer. Surely the LORD fought for Israel that 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. |
| 15Then Joshua and the Israelite army returned to their camp at Gilgal. Joshua Kills the Five Southern Kings | 15Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal. |
| 16During the battle the five kings escaped and hid in a cave at Makkedah. | 16Now the five kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah. |
| 17When Joshua heard that they had been found, | 17And Joshua was informed: “The five kings have been found; they are hiding in the cave at Makkedah.” |
| 18he issued this command: “Cover the opening of the cave with large rocks, and place guards at the entrance to keep the kings inside. | 18So Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and post men there to guard them. |
| 19The rest of you continue chasing the enemy and cut them down from the rear. Don’t give them a chance to get back to their towns, for the LORD your God has given you victory over them.” | 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 Israelite army continued the slaughter and completely crushed the enemy. They totally wiped out the five armies except for a tiny remnant that managed to reach their fortified towns. | 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. |
| 21Then the Israelites returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. After that, no one dared to speak even a word against Israel. | 21The whole army returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah, and no one dared to utter a word against the Israelites. |
| 22Then Joshua said, “Remove the rocks covering the opening of the cave, and bring the five kings 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 brought them out, Joshua told the commanders of his army, “Come and put your feet on the kings’ necks.” And they did as they were told. | 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. |
| 25“Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged,” Joshua told his men. “Be strong and courageous, for the LORD is going to do this to all of your enemies.” | 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 killed each of the five kings and impaled them on five sharpened poles, where they hung 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. |
| 27As the sun was going down, Joshua gave instructions for the bodies of the kings to be taken down from the poles and thrown into the cave where they had been hiding. Then they covered the opening of the cave with a pile of large rocks, which remains to this very day. Israel Destroys the Southern Towns | 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 same day Joshua captured and destroyed the town of Makkedah. He killed everyone in it, including the king, leaving no survivors. He destroyed them all, and he killed the king of Makkedah as he had killed 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 the Israelites went to Libnah and attacked it. | 29Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against Libnah. |
| 30There, too, the LORD gave them the town and its king. He killed everyone in it, leaving no survivors. Then Joshua killed the king of Libnah as he had killed 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. |
| 31From Libnah, Joshua and the Israelites went to Lachish 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. |
| 32Here again, the LORD gave them Lachish. Joshua took it on the second day and killed everyone in it, just as he had done at 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. |
| 33During the attack on Lachish, King Horam of Gezer arrived with his army to help defend the town. But Joshua’s men killed him and his army, leaving no survivors. | 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 the Israelite army went on to Eglon 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 day and killed everyone in it. He completely destroyed everyone, just as he had done at 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. |
| 36From Eglon, Joshua and the Israelite army went up to Hebron and attacked it. | 36Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron and fought against it. |
| 37They captured the town and killed everyone in it, including its king, leaving no survivors. They did the same thing to all of its surrounding villages. And just as he had done at Eglon, he completely destroyed the entire population. | 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 the Israelites turned back and attacked Debir. | 38Finally Joshua and all Israel with him turned toward Debir and fought against it. |
| 39He captured the town, its king, and all of its surrounding villages. He completely destroyed everyone in it, leaving no survivors. He did to Debir and its king just what he had done to Hebron and to Libnah and its king. | 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 conquered the whole region—the kings and people of the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills, and the mountain slopes. He completely destroyed everyone in the land, leaving no survivors, 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 slaughtered them from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza and from the region around the town of Goshen up to Gibeon. | 41Joshua conquered the area from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, and the whole region of Goshen as far as Gibeon. |
| 42Joshua conquered all these kings and their land in a single campaign, for the LORD, the God of Israel, was fighting for his people. | 42And because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel, Joshua captured all these kings and their land in one campaign. |
| 43Then Joshua and the Israelite army returned to their camp at Gilgal. | 43Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal. |
|
