1Now, when Adoni-Zedek, the king of Jerusalem, heard that Joshua had captured Ai and completely destroyed it—just as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king—and that the people of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were living among them,
2they became very afraid. This was because Gibeon was a large city, like one of the royal cities, and it was larger than Ai, and all its men were strong warriors.
3So King Adoni-Zedek of Jerusalem sent messages to Hoham, king of Hebron; Piram, king of Jarmuth; Japhia, king of Lachish; and Debir, king of Eglon, saying,
4“Come up and help me! Let’s attack Gibeon, because they have made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.”
5So the five Amorite kings—the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon—gathered themselves and marched up with all their armies. They set up camp against Gibeon and prepared for war against it.
6The men of Gibeon sent a message to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal. They said, “Don’t abandon your servants! Come quickly to us and save us! Help us, because all the Amorite kings who live in the hill country have joined forces against us.”
7So Joshua went up from Gilgal, along with his entire army and all his best fighting men.
8Yahweh said to Joshua, “Don’t be afraid of them, because I have given them into your power. Not one of them will be able to stand against you.”
9Joshua therefore came upon them by surprise, marching all night from Gilgal.
10Yahweh caused confusion among them before Israel. He defeated them in a great battle at Gibeon, chased them along the road that goes up to Beth Horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.
11As they fled from Israel, while they were on the downhill slope of Beth Horon, Yahweh threw large hailstones on them from the sky all the way to Azekah, and they died. More people died from the hailstones than the Israelites killed with their swords.
12Then Joshua spoke to Yahweh on the day Yahweh handed the Amorites over to the Israelites. In the presence of Israel he said, “Sun, stand still over Gibeon! And moon, stop in the Valley of Aijalon!”
13The sun stood still and the moon stopped until the nation had taken revenge on its enemies. This event is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stayed in the middle of the sky and did not set for about a full day.
14There had never been a day like it before or since, when Yahweh listened to a human voice, because Yahweh fought for Israel.
15Then Joshua and all of Israel returned to the camp at Gilgal.
16These five kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.
17Joshua was told, “The five kings have been found, hiding in the cave at Makkedah.”
18Joshua said, “Roll large stones to cover the entrance of the cave, and station men there to guard them.
19But don’t stay there. Pursue your enemies and attack them from behind. Don’t let them enter their cities, for Yahweh your God has given them into your power.”
20When Joshua and the Israelites had finished killing them in a massive slaughter until they were completely wiped out, and only a few survivors had managed to escape into the fortified cities,
21all the people returned safely to Joshua at the camp in Makkedah. No one dared to say a word against any of the Israelites.
22Then Joshua said, “Open the entrance of the cave and bring those five kings out to me.”
23They did so, and brought those five kings out of the cave to him: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.
24When they brought the kings out to Joshua, Joshua called for all the men of Israel and told the commanders of the soldiers who had gone with him, “Come here. Put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came forward and put their feet on their necks.
25Joshua said to them, “Don’t be afraid or discouraged. Be strong and brave, for Yahweh will do this to all your enemies against whom you fight.”
26Afterward, Joshua attacked them, killed them, and hanged them on five trees. They stayed hanging on the trees until evening.
27At sunset, Joshua gave a command, and the men took the bodies down from the trees and threw them into the cave where the kings had hidden. They placed large stones over the mouth of the cave, and those stones are still there today.
28That day, Joshua captured Makkedah and killed everyone in it with his sword, including its king. He completely destroyed the city and everyone living there; he left no one alive. He did to the king of Makkedah what he had done to the king of Jericho.
29Then Joshua and all the Israelites with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah and attacked it.
30Yahweh also handed Libnah and its king over to Israel. Joshua attacked it with his sword, and completely destroyed everyone living there; he left no one alive. He did to its king what he had done to the king of Jericho.
31Joshua and all the Israelites with him then moved on from Libnah to Lachish, set up camp there, and attacked it.
32Yahweh handed Lachish over to Israel. Joshua captured it on the second day and killed everyone in it with his sword, just as he had done to Libnah.
33Then King Horam of Gezer came to help Lachish, but Joshua attacked him and his army, leaving no one alive.
34Joshua and all the Israelites with him then moved on from Lachish to Eglon; they set up camp there and attacked it.
35They captured Eglon that day and killed everyone in it with their swords. Joshua completely destroyed everyone living there that day, just as he had done to Lachish.
36Joshua and all the Israelites with him then went up from Eglon to Hebron and attacked it.
37They captured Hebron and killed everyone in it with their swords, along with its king and all its surrounding towns. Joshua left no one alive, just as he had done to Eglon; he completely destroyed the city and everyone in it.
38Joshua then returned, and all the Israelites with him, to Debir, and attacked it.
39He captured Debir, along with its king and all its surrounding towns. They killed everyone in them with their swords and completely destroyed them; he left no one alive. He did to Debir and its king what he had done to Hebron. He also did the same to Libnah and its king.
40So Joshua conquered the entire land—the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills, and the eastern slopes—and all their kings. He left no one alive; he completely destroyed everyone who breathed, just as Yahweh, the God of Israel, had commanded.
41Joshua conquered the land from Kadesh Barnea all the way to Gaza, and all the region of Goshen all the way to Gibeon.
42Joshua captured all these kings and their lands at once, because Yahweh, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.
43Then Joshua and all the Israelites with him returned to their camp at Gilgal.