The Gibeonite Deception
1 As soon as all the kings who were beyond the Jordan jin the hill country and in the lowland all along the coast kof the Great Sea toward Lebanon, lthe Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, heard of this, 2 they gathered together as one to fight against Joshua and Israel.
3 But when the inhabitants of mGibeon heard what Joshua had done nto Jericho and oto Ai, 4 they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, 5 with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes. And all their provisions were dry and crumbly. 6 And they went to Joshua in pthe camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us.” 7 But the men of Israel said to qthe Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us; then rhow can we make a covenant with you?” 8 They said to Joshua, s“We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where do you come from?” 9 They said to him, t“From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God. uFor we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, 10 vand all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who lived in wAshtaroth. 11 So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey and go to meet them and say to them, “We are your servants. Come now, make a covenant with us.”’ 12 Here is our bread. It was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey on the day we set out to come to you, but now, behold, it is dry and crumbly. 13 These wineskins were new when we filled them, and behold, they have burst. And these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.” 14 So the men took some of their provisions, but xdid not ask counsel from the Lord. 15 And Joshua ymade peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.
16 At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors zand that they lived among them. 17 And the people of Israel set out and reached their cities on the third day. aNow their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. 18 But the people of Israel did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders. 19 But all the leaders said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them. 20 This we will do to them: let them live, lest bwrath be upon us, cbecause of the oath that we swore to them.” 21 And the leaders said to them, “Let them live.” So they became dcutters of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, just as the leaders ehad said of them.
22 Joshua summoned them, and he said to them, “Why did you deceive us, saying, f‘We are very far from you,’ when gyou dwell among us? 23 Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall never be anything but servants, hcutters of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.” 24 They answered Joshua, “Because it was told to your servants for a certainty that the Lord your God had icommanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you—so jwe feared greatly for our lives because of you and did this thing. 25 And now, behold, we are in your hand. Whatever seems good and right in your sight to do to us, do it.” 26 So he did this to them and delivered them out of the hand of the people of Israel, and they did not kill them. 27 But Joshua made them that day kcutters of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, to this day, lin the place that he should choose.
The Sun Stands Still
1 As soon as Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had captured Ai and had devoted it to destruction,1 mdoing to Ai and its king nas he had done to Jericho and its king, and ohow the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, 2 phe2 feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were warriors. 3 So Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, 4 “Come up to me and help me, and let us strike Gibeon. For qit has made peace with Joshua and with the people of Israel.” 5 Then the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, rgathered their forces and went up with all their armies and encamped against Gibeon and made war against it.
6 And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua sat the camp in Gilgal, saying, “Do not relax your hand from your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hill country are gathered against us.” 7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and tall the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. 8 And the Lord said to Joshua, u“Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. vNot a man of them shall stand before you.” 9 So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal. 10 wAnd the Lord threw them into a panic before Israel, who3 struck them with a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by the way of xthe ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. 11 And as they fled before Israel, while they were xgoing down the ascent of Beth-horon, ythe Lord threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.
12 At that time Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,
z“Sun, stand still at Gibeon,
and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”
13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,
until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.
Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. 14 aThere has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded the voice of a man, for bthe Lord fought for Israel.
Five Amorite Kings Executed
16 These five kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at dMakkedah. 17 And it was told to Joshua, “The five kings have been found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah.” 18 And Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave and set men by it to guard them, 19 but do not stay there yourselves. Pursue your enemies; eattack their rear guard. Do not let them enter their cities, for the Lord your God has given them into your hand.” 20 When Joshua and the sons of Israel had finished striking them with a great blow funtil they were wiped out, and when the remnant that remained of them had entered into the fortified cities, 21 then all the people returned safe to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. gNot a man moved his tongue against any of the people of Israel.
22 Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me from the cave.” 23 And they did so, and brought those five kings out to him from 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 when they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, “Come near; put your feet on the necks of these kings.” Then they came near and put their feet on their necks. 25 And Joshua said to them, h“Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. iFor thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.” 26 And afterward Joshua struck them and put them to death, and he hanged them on five trees. And jthey hung on the trees until evening. 27 But at the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and kthey took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and they set large stones against the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day.
28 As for lMakkedah, Joshua captured it on that day and struck it, and its king, with the edge of the sword. He devoted to destruction every person in it; he left none remaining. And he did to the king of Makkedah mjust as he had done to the king of Jericho.
Conquest of Southern Canaan
29 Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Makkedah to nLibnah and fought against Libnah. 30 And the Lord gave it also and its king into the hand of Israel. And he struck it with the edge of the sword, and every person in it; he left none remaining in it. And he did to its king mas he had done to the king of Jericho.
31 Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Libnah to oLachish and laid siege to it and fought against it. 32 And the Lord gave Lachish into the hand of Israel, and he captured it on the second day and struck it with the edge of the sword, and every person in it, as he had done to Libnah.
33 Then Horam king of pGezer came up to help Lachish. And Joshua struck him and his people, until he left none remaining.
34 Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Lachish to qEglon. And they laid siege to it and fought against it. 35 And they captured it on that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword. And he devoted every person in it to destruction that day, as he had done to Lachish.
36 Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to rHebron. And they fought against it 37 and captured it and struck it with the edge of the sword, and its king and its towns, and every person in it. He left none remaining, as he had done to Eglon, and devoted it to destruction and every person in it.
38 Then Joshua and all Israel with him turned back to sDebir and fought against it 39 and he captured it with its king and all its towns. And they struck them with the edge of the sword and devoted to destruction every person in it; he left none remaining. Just as he had done to Hebron and to Libnah and its king, so he did to Debir and to its king.
40 So Joshua struck the whole land, the hill country and the Negeb and the lowland tand the slopes, and all their kings. He left none remaining, ubut devoted to destruction all that breathed, just as the Lord God of Israel commanded. 41 And Joshua struck them from vKadesh-barnea as far as Gaza, and all the country of wGoshen, as far as Gibeon. 42 And Joshua captured all these kings and their land at one time, xbecause the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel. 43 yThen Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.
Conquests in Northern Canaan
1 When Jabin, king of Hazor, heard of this, he zsent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph, 2 and to the kings who were in the northern hill country, and in the aArabah south of bChinneroth, and in the lowland, and cin Naphoth-dor on the dwest, 3 to the Canaanites in the east and the west, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, and the eJebusites in the hill country, and the fHivites under gHermon in the land of hMizpah. 4 And they came out with all their troops, a great horde, in number ilike the sand that is on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots. 5 And all these kings joined their forces and came and encamped together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.
6 And the Lord said to Joshua, j“Do not be afraid of them, for tomorrow at this time I will give over all of them, slain, to Israel. You shall khamstring their horses and burn their lchariots with fire.” 7 So Joshua and all his warriors came msuddenly against them by the waters of Merom and fell upon them. 8 And the Lord gave them into the hand of Israel, who struck them and chased them as far as nGreat Sidon and oMisrephoth-maim, and eastward as far as the Valley of pMizpeh. And they struck them until he left none remaining. 9 And Joshua did to them qjust as the Lord said to him: he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.
10 And Joshua turned back at that time and captured rHazor and struck its king with the sword, for Hazor formerly was the head of all those kingdoms. 11 And they struck with the sword all who were in it, devoting them to destruction;1 sthere was none left that breathed. And he burned Hazor with fire. 12 And all the cities of those kings, and all their kings, Joshua captured, and struck them with the edge of the sword, devoting them to destruction, tjust as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded. 13 But none of the cities that stood on mounds did Israel burn, except Hazor alone; that Joshua burned. 14 And all the spoil of these cities and the livestock, the people of Israel took for their plunder. But every person they struck with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them, and they did not leave any who breathed. 15 uJust as the Lord had commanded Moses his servant, vso Moses commanded Joshua, wand so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses.
16 So Joshua took all that land, xthe hill country and all the Negeb and yall the land of Goshen zand the lowland zand the Arabah aand the hill country of Israel and its lowland 17 bfrom Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, as far as cBaal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon below dMount Hermon. And he captured eall their kings and struck them and put them to death. 18 Joshua made war fa long time with all those kings. 19 There was not a city that made peace with the people of Israel except gthe Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. They took them all in battle. 20 For it was the Lord’s doing hto harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle, in order that they should be devoted to destruction and should receive no mercy but be destroyed, ijust as the Lord commanded Moses.
21 And Joshua came at that time and cut off jthe Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua devoted them to destruction with their cities. 22 There was none of the Anakim left in the land of the people of Israel. Only in Gaza, kin Gath, and in Ashdod did some remain. 23 So Joshua took the whole land, laccording to all that the Lord had spoken to Moses. mAnd Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel naccording to their tribal allotments. And the land had rest from war.
Kings Defeated by Moses
1 Now these are the kings of the land whom the people of Israel defeated and took possession of their land beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise, from othe Valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon, with all pthe Arabah eastward: 2 qSihon king of the Amorites who lived at Heshbon and ruled from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, and rfrom the middle of the valley as far as the sriver Jabbok, the boundary of the Ammonites, that is, half of Gilead, 3 and pthe Arabah tto the Sea of Chinneroth eastward, and in the direction of Beth-jeshimoth, to the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, southward to the foot of uthe slopes of Pisgah; 4 and vOg2 king of Bashan, one of the remnant of wthe Rephaim, xwho lived at Ashtaroth and at Edrei 5 and ruled over yMount Hermon and zSalecah and all Bashan ato the boundary of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and over half of Gilead to the boundary of Sihon king of Heshbon. 6 bMoses, the servant of the Lord, and the people of Israel defeated them. And Moses the servant of the Lord cgave their land for a possession to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
Kings Defeated by Joshua
7 And these are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the people of Israel defeated on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon to dMount Halak, that rises toward Seir (and Joshua gave their land to the tribes of Israel as a possession eaccording to their allotments, 8 fin the hill country, in the lowland, in the Arabah, in the slopes, in the wilderness, and in the Negeb, the land of gthe Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites): 9 hthe king of Jericho, one; ithe king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one; 10 jthe king of Jerusalem, one; jthe king of Hebron, one; 11 jthe king of Jarmuth, one; jthe king of Lachish, one; 12 jthe king of Eglon, one; kthe king of Gezer, one; 13 lthe king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one; 14 the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one; 15 mthe king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one; 16 nthe king of Makkedah, one; othe king of Bethel, one; 17 the king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one; 18 the king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one; 19 pthe king of Madon, one; qthe king of Hazor, one; 20 pthe king of Shimron-meron, one; pthe king of Achshaph, one; 21 rthe king of Taanach, one; rthe king of Megiddo, one; 22 the king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam in Carmel, one; 23 rthe king of Dor in sNaphath-dor, one; the king of Goiim in Galilee,3 one; 24 the king of Tirzah, one: in all, thirty-one kings.
