Joshua 10 - 11

Joshua 10

The Sun Stands Still

Now when 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. That he and his people became greatly afraid, because Gibeon was an important city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were good fighters.

So Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem appealed to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish and Debir king of Eglon. “Come up and help me attack Gibeon,” he said, “because it has made peace with Joshua and the children of Israel.”

Then the five kings of the Amorites—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon gathered themselves together. They went up with all their armies and took up positions against Gibeon to attack it.

The 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 mountains have joined forces against us.”

So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including all the best fighting men. And the 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.”

After an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua took them by surprise. The LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, so that they slaughtered them completely at Gibeon. And they chased them along the road going up to Beth-hron and cut them down all the way to Azekah and Makkedah.

As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth-horon to Azekah, the LORD cast down great stones from heaven, and there were more that died from hailstones than those who were killed by the children of Israel with their sword.

On 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.”

So the sun stood still,

    and the moon stayed,

till the people avenged themselves

    on their enemies,

as it is written in the Book of Jashar.

And the sun stood still in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since that the LORD listened to the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel!

Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.

Five Amorite Kings Executed

Now the five kings of Amorite fled and hid in a cave at Makkedah. When Joshua was told that the five kings had been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah, he said, “Roll large rocks up to the mouth of the cave, and post some men there to guard it. But don’t stop; continue to 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.”

And it came to pass, that Joshua and the children of Israel defeated them completely, but a few survivors managed to reach their fortified cities. The whole army then returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah, and no one uttered a word against any of the children of Israel.

Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me.”

So they brought the five kings out of the cave, the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon. When they had brought these kings to Joshua, he called for all the men of Israel and said to the army captains 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.

Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and of good courage: for this is what the LORD shall do to all the enemies you are going to fight.”

Then Joshua put the kings to death and hanged them on five trees, and they were left hanging on the trees until evening.

At sunset Joshua gave the order and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hid, and at the mouth of the cave they placed large rocks, which are there to this day.

Southern Cities Conquered

So Joshua subdued the whole region, including the hill country, the south country, 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 God of Israel, had

commanded.

Joshua subdued them from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza and from the whole region of Goshen to Gibeon. All these kings and their lands Joshua took at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.

Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.

Joshua 11

Northern Cities Conquered

When Jabin king of Hazor heard of this, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon, to the kings of Shimron and Akshaph, and to the northern kings who were in the mountains, in the Arabah south of Kinnereth, in the western foothills and in Naphoth Dor on the west; to the Canaanites in the east and west; to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites and Jebusites in the mountains; and to the Hivites below Hermon in the region of Mizpah.

They came out with all their armies and a large number of horses and chariots, a huge army, as numerous as the sand on the seashore. All these kings joined forces and made camp together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.

The LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid because of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them, slain, over to Israel. You are to cripple their horses and burn their chariots.”

So Joshua and his whole army came against them suddenly at the waters of Merom and attacked them, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Israel. They defeated them and pursued them all the way to great Zidon, to Misrephoth-maim, and to the valley of Mizpah on the east, until no survivors were left. Joshua did to them as the Lord had directed him; he crippled their horses and burned their chariots.

At that time Joshua turned back and captured Hazor and put its king to the sword. (Hazor had been the head of all these kingdoms.) Everyone in it they put to the sword. They totally destroyed them, not sparing anyone that breathed, and he burned Hazor with fire.

Joshua took all these royal cities and their kings and put them to the sword. He totally destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded. Yet Israel did not burn any of the cities built on their mounds, except Hazor, which Joshua burned.

The children of Israel carried off for themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities, but all the people they put to the sword until they completely destroyed them, not sparing anyone that breathed.

As the Lord commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses.

So Joshua took this entire land: the hill country, all the south country, the whole region of Goshen, the valley, the plains, and the mountains of Israel, with their foothills, from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, to Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings and put them to death.

Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time. There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, except for the Hivites living in Gibeon, all others they took in battle.

For it was the LORD himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that He might destroy them totally, that they would have no favor, but that He would destroy them, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

At that time Joshua went and destroyed the Anakites from the mountains: from Hebron, Debir and Anab, from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel. Joshua totally destroyed them and their cities.

There were no Anakims lets in the land of the children of Israel; only in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod did any survive.

So Joshua took the entire land, just as the LORD had said to Moses, and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Then the land had rest from war.