Joshua 10 - Introduction

[Gibeon besieged.]

1 Fiue Kings warre against Gibeon.

6 Ioshua rescueth it.

10 God fighteth against them with hailestones.

12 The Sunne and Moone stand still at the word of Ioshua.

16 The fiue Kings are mured in a caue.

21 They are brought forth,

24 scornefully vsed,

26 and hanged.

28 Seuen Kings more are conquered.

43 Ioshua returneth to Gilgal.

1 Now it came to passe when Adoni-zedek King of Ierusalem, had heard how Ioshua had taken Ai, and had vtterly destroyed it, ([Note: Joshua 6:15.] as he had done to Iericho, and her King, so hee had done to [Note: Joshua 8:3.] Ai, and her King) and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them,

2 That they feared greatly because Gibeon was a great citie, as [Note: Hebrew: cities of the kingdome.] one of the royall cities, and because it was greater then Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty.

3 Wherefore Adoni-zedek King of Ierusalem, sent vnto Hoham King of Hebron, and vnto Piram, king of Iarmuth, and vnto Iaphia king of Lachish, and vnto Debir king of Eglon, saying,

4 Come vp vnto me, and helpe me, that we may smite Gibeon: for it hath made peace with Ioshua, and with the children of Israel.

5 Therefore the fiue Kings of the Amorites, the king of Ierusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Iarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, gathered themselues together, and went vp, they, and all their hostes, and encamped before Gibeon, and made warre against it.

6 And the men of Gibeon sent vnto Ioshua to the campe to Gilgal, saying, Slacke not thy hand from thy seruants, come vp to vs quickly, and saue vs, and helpe vs: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountaines, are gathered together against vs.

7 So Ioshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of warre with him, and all the mighty men of valour.

8 And the Lord said vnto Ioshua, Feare them not: for I haue deliuered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee.

9 Ioshua therefore came vnto them

[The Sun standeth.]

suddenly, and went vp from Gilgal all night.

10 And the Lord discomfited them before Israel, and slewe them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth vp to Bethoron, and smote them to Azekah and vnto Makkedah.

11 And it came to passe as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going downe to Bethoron, that the Lord cast downe great stones from heauen vpon them, vnto Azekah, and they died: they were moe which died with hailestones, then they whome the children of Israel slew with the sword.

12 Then spake Ioshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord deliuered vp the Amorites before the children of Israel, and hee said in the sight of Israel, [Note: Isaiah 28:21 Sir 46:4.] Sunne, [Note: Hebrew: bee silent.] stand thou still vpon Gibeon, and thou Moone in the valley of Aialon.

13 And the Sunne stood still, and the Moone stayed, vntill the people had auenged themselues vpo their enemies. Is not this written in the booke of [Note: Or, the vpright?] Iasher? So the Sunne stood still in the midst of heauen, and hasted not to goe downe, about a whole day.

14 And there was no day like that, before it, or after it, that the Lord hearkened vnto the voyce of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel.

15 And Ioshua returned, and all Israel with him, vnto the campe to Gilgal.

16 But these fiue kings fled, and hid themselues in a caue at Makkedah.

17 And it was told Ioshua, saying, The fiue kings are found hid in a caue at Makkedah.

18 And Ioshua said, Roule great stones vpon the mouth of the caue, and set men by it, for to keepe them.

19 And stay you not, but pursue after your enemies, and [Note: Hebrew: cut off the taile.] smite the hindmost of them, suffer them not to enter into their cities: for the Lord your God hath deliuered them into your hand.

20 And it came to passe when Ioshua and the children of Israel had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, till they were consumed, that the rest which remained of them, entred into fenced cities.

21 And all the people returned to the campe to Ioshua at Makkedah in peace: none mooued his tongue against

[Fiue kings hanged.]

any of the children of Israel.

22 Then said Ioshua, Open the mouth of the caue, and bring out those fiue kings vnto me out of the caue.

23 And they did so, and brought forth those fiue kings vnto him out of the caue, the king of Ierusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Iarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.

24 And it came to passe when they brought out those kings vnto Ioshua, that Ioshua called for all the men of Israel, and saide vnto the captaines of the men of war which went with him, Come neere, put your feete vpon the neckes of these kings. And they came neere, and put their feet vpon the necks of them.

25 And Ioshua said vnto them, Feare not, nor be dismaid, bee strong, and of good courage: for thus shall the Lord doe to all your enemies against whom ye fight.

26 And afterward Ioshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on fiue trees: and they were hanging vpon the trees vntill the euening.

27 And it came to passe at the time of the going downe of the Sunne, that Ioshua commanded, and they [Note: Deuteronomy 21:23; Joshua 8:29.] tooke them downe off the trees, and cast them into the caue, wherein they had beene hid, and laid great stones in the caues mouth, which remain vntil this very day.

28 And that day Ioshua tooke Makkedah, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof hee vtterly destroyed, them, and all the soules that were therein, he let none remaine: and he did to the king of Makkedah, [Note: Joshua 6:21.] as hee did vnto the king of Iericho.

29 Then Ioshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, vnto Libnah, and fought against Libnah.

30 And the Lord deliuered it also and the king thereof, into the hand of Israel, and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the soules that were therein: He let none remaine in it, but did vnto the king therof, as he did vnto the king of Iericho.

31 And Ioshua passed from Libnah and all Israel with him, vnto Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it.

32 And the Lord deliuered Lachish into the hande of Israel, which tooke it on the second day, and smote it

[Ioshua conquereth diuers kings.]

with the edge of the sword, and all the soules that were therein, according to all that he had done to Libnah.

33 Then Horam king of Gezer, came vp to helpe Lachish, and Ioshua smote him and his people, vntill he had left him none remayning.

34 And from Lachish, Ioshua passed vnto Eglon, and all Israel with him, and they encamped against it, and fought against it.

35 And they tooke it on that day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the soules that were therein he vtterly destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.

36 And Ioshua went vp from Eglon, and all Israel with him, vnto Hebron, and they fought against it.

37 And they tooke it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof, and all the soules that were therein, he left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon: but destroyed it vtterly, and all the soules that were therein.

38 And Ioshua returned, and all Israel with him to Debir, and fought against it.

39 And hee tooke it, and the King thereof, and all the cities thereof, and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and vtterly destroyed all the soules that were therein, he left none remayning: as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to the king thereof, as he had done also to Libnah, and to her king.

40 So Ioshua smote all the countrey of the hils, and of the South, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings, hee left none remayning, but vtterly destroyed all that breathed, as the Lord God of Israel [Note: Deuteronomy 26:16-17.] commanded.

41 And Ioshua smote them from Kadesh-Barnea, euen vnto Gaza, and all the countrey of Goshen, euen vnto Gibeon.

42 And all these Kings and their land did Ioshua take at one time: because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel.

43 And Ioshua returned & al Israel with him, vnto the campe to Gilgal.