Joshua 10
The Day the Sun Would Not Go Down
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The Five Kings March Against Gibeon
10:1Adoni-bezek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai and destroyed it. As they had done to Jericho and its king, so they had done to Ai and its king. He also heard that Gibeon’s inhabitants had gone over to Joshua and Israel.
10:2They were greatly afraid of them, for he knew that Gibeon was a great city, like one of the chief cities, and all its men were strong.
10:3Adoni-bezek king of Jerusalem sent to Ailam king of Hebron, Pheidon king of Jarmuth, Jephtha king of Lachish, and Debir king of Adullam, saying:
10:4“Come up to me and help me. Let us wage war on Gibeon, for they have gone over to Joshua and the sons of Israel.”
10:5The five kings of the Jebusites—of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Adullam—went up with all their people. They surrounded Gibeon and besieged it.
Joshua Marches Through the Night
10:6Gibeon’s inhabitants sent to Joshua at Israel’s camp in Gilgal: “Do not slacken your hands from your servants! Come up quickly, rescue us, and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites living in the hill country have gathered against us.”
10:7Joshua went up from Gilgal with all the fighting people, every mighty man of strength.
10:8The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have handed them into your hands. None of them shall remain before you.”
10:9Joshua arrived against them suddenly, having travelled from Gilgal the whole night.
Hailstones and the Sun Standing Still
10:10The Lord threw them into confusion before the sons of Israel, and the Lord crushed them with a great defeat at Gibeon. They pursued them along the ascent of Horonin and cut them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.
10:11As they fled before the sons of Israel down the descent of Horonin, the Lord hurled hailstones from heaven upon them as far as Azekah. More died from the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword in battle.
10:12Then Joshua spoke to the Lord on the day God handed the Amorites over to Israel, when He crushed them at Gibeon and they were crushed before the sons of Israel. Joshua said, “Let the sun stand over Gibeon, and the moon over the ravine of Aijalon.”
10:13The sun stood, and the moon remained still, until God repelled their enemies. The sun stood in the middle of heaven and did not advance toward sunset for the completion of one day.
10:14There was no such day before or afterward, when God listened to a human being, for the Lord fought alongside Israel.
The Five Kings in the Cave at Makkedah
10:16These five kings fled and hid in the cave at Makkedah.
10:17Joshua was informed, “The five kings have been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah.”
10:18Joshua said, “Roll stones against the mouth of the cave and station men over them to keep watch.
10:19Do not stop pursuing your enemies. Overtake their rear guard and do not let them enter their cities, for the Lord our God has handed them into our hands.”
10:20When Joshua and every son of Israel had finished cutting them down in a very great slaughter to the end, those who escaped reached the fortified cities.
10:21All the people returned safely to Joshua at Makkedah, and none of the sons of Israel muttered with his tongue.
10:22Joshua said, “Open the cave and bring these five kings out of it.”
10:23They brought the five kings out of the cave: the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Adullam.
10:24When they brought them to Joshua, he summoned all Israel and the leaders in battle who had accompanied him, saying, “Come forward and put your feet on their necks.” They came forward and put their feet on their necks.
10:25Joshua said to them, “Do not fear them or lose heart. Be courageous and strong, for the Lord will do this to all your enemies against whom you wage war.”
10:26Joshua killed them and hanged them on five trees. They remained hanging on the trees until evening.
10:27At sunset Joshua gave the command, and they took the bodies down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had fled. They rolled stones against the cave, which remain to this day.
The Cities of the South Taken
10:28That day they took Makkedah, slaughtered it with the edge of the sword, and destroyed everything breathing in it. No survivor or fugitive remained. They did to Makkedah’s king as they had done to Jericho’s king.
10:29Joshua and all Israel with him went from Makkedah to Libnah and besieged it.
10:30The Lord handed it into Israel’s hands. They took it and its king, struck it and everything breathing in it with the edge of the sword, and left no survivor or fugitive. They did to its king as they had done to Jericho’s king.
10:31Joshua and all Israel with him went from Libnah to Lachish, surrounded it, and besieged it.
10:32The Lord handed Lachish into Israel’s hands. He took it on the second day, and they struck it with the edge of the sword and destroyed it, as they had done to Libnah.
10:33Then Ailam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish. Joshua struck him and his people with the edge of the sword until no survivor or fugitive remained.
10:34Joshua and all Israel with him went from Lachish to Adullam, surrounded it, and besieged it.
10:35The Lord handed it into Israel’s hand. He took it that day and slaughtered it with the edge of the sword, and they slaughtered everything breathing in it, as they had done to Lachish.
10:36Joshua and all Israel with him went to Hebron and surrounded it.
10:37He struck it and everything breathing in it with the edge of the sword. No survivor remained. As they had done to Adullam, they destroyed it and everything in it.
10:38Joshua and all Israel turned toward Debir and surrounded it,
10:39and took it, its king, and its villages. They struck it with the edge of the sword and destroyed it and everything breathing in it, leaving no survivor. As they had done to Hebron and its king, so they did to Debir and its king.
The Whole Land Struck at One Time
10:40Joshua struck all the land of the hill country, the Negeb, the plain, and Asedoth, with its kings. They left no survivor, and he destroyed everything breathing with life, as the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded.
10:41From Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, all Gosom as far as Gibeon.
10:42Joshua struck all their kings and their land at one time, because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought alongside Israel.
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.