Joshua 10 Today's Daily Bread

Joshua 10
Israel Defeats the Southern Kings
1Now Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard that Joshua had captured and completely destroyed F30 Ai and killed its king, just as he had destroyed the city of Jericho and killed its king. He also learned that the Gibeonites had made peace with Israel and were now their allies. 2He and his people became very afraid when they heard all this because Gibeon was a large city—as large as the royal cities and larger than Ai. And the Gibeonite men were mighty warriors. 3So King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent messengers to several other kings: Hoham of Hebron, Piram of Jarmuth, Japhia of Lachish, and Debir of Eglon. 4"Come and help me destroy Gibeon," he urged them, "for they have made peace with Joshua and the people of Israel." 5So these five Amorite kings combined their armies for a united attack. They moved all their troops into place and attacked Gibeon.
6The men of Gibeon quickly sent messengers to Joshua at Gilgal, "Don't abandon your servants now!" they pleaded. "Come quickly and save us! For all the Amorite kings who live in the hill country have come out against us with their armies."
7So Joshua and the entire Israelite army left Gilgal and set out to rescue Gibeon. 8"Do not be afraid of them," the LORD said to Joshua, "for I will give you victory over them. Not a single one of them will be able to stand up to you."
9Joshua traveled all night from Gilgal and took the Amorite armies by surprise. 10The LORD threw them into a panic, and the Israelites slaughtered them in great numbers at Gibeon. Then the Israelites chased the enemy along the road to Beth-horon and attacked them at Azekah and Makkedah, killing them along the way. 11As the Amorites retreated down the road from Beth-horon, the LORD destroyed them with a terrible hailstorm that continued until they reached Azekah. The hail killed more of the enemy than the Israelites killed with the sword.
12On the day the LORD gave the Israelites victory over the Amorites, Joshua prayed to the LORD in front of all the people of Israel. He said,
"Let the sun stand still over Gibeon,
and the moon over the valley of Aijalon."
13So the sun and moon stood still until the Israelites had defeated their enemies. Is this event not recorded in The Book of Jashar F31 ? The sun stopped in the middle of the sky, and it did not set as on a normal day. 14The LORD fought for Israel that day. Never before or since has there been a day like that one, when the LORD answered such a request from a human being.
15Then Joshua and the Israelite army returned to their camp at Gilgal.
Joshua Kills the Five Southern Kings
16During the battle, the five kings escaped and hid in a cave at Makkedah. 17When Joshua heard that they had been found, 18he issued this command: "Cover the opening of the cave with large rocks and place guards at the entrance to keep the kings inside. 19The rest of you continue chasing the enemy and cut them down from the rear. Don't let them get back to their cities, for the LORD your God has given you victory over them."
20So Joshua and the Israelite army continued the slaughter and wiped out the five armies except for a tiny remnant that managed to reach their fortified cities. 21Then the Israelites returned safely to their camp at Makkedah. After that, no one dared to speak a word against Israel.
22Then Joshua said, "Remove the rocks covering the opening of the cave and bring the five kings to me." 23So they brought the five kings out of the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. 24Joshua told the captains of his army, "Come and put your feet on the kings' necks." And they did as they were told.
25"Don't ever be afraid or discouraged," Joshua told his men. "Be strong and courageous, for the LORD is going to do this to all of your enemies." 26Then Joshua killed each of the five kings and hung them on five trees until evening.
27As the sun was going down, Joshua gave instructions for the bodies of the kings to be taken down from the trees and thrown into the cave where they had been hiding. Then they covered the opening of the cave with a large pile of stones, which remains to this very day.
Israel Destroys the Southern Cities
28That same day Joshua completely destroyed the city of Makkedah, killing everyone in it, including the king. Not one person in the city was left alive. He killed the king of Makkedah as he had killed the king of Jericho. 29Then Joshua and the Israelites went to Libnah and attacked it. 30There, too, the LORD gave them the city and its king. They slaughtered everyone in the city and left no survivors. Then Joshua killed the king of Libnah just as he had killed the king of Jericho.
31From Libnah, Joshua and the Israelites went to Lachish and attacked it. 32And the LORD gave it to them on the second day. Here, too, the entire population was slaughtered, just as at Libnah. 33During the attack on Lachish, King Horam of Gezer had arrived with his army to help defend the city. But Joshua's men killed him and destroyed his entire army.
34Then Joshua and the Israelite army went to Eglon and attacked it. 35They captured it in one day, and as at Lachish, they completely destroyed everyone in the city. 36After leaving Eglon, they attacked Hebron, 37capturing it and all of its surrounding towns. And just as they had done at Eglon, they completely destroyed the entire population. Not one person was left alive. 38Then they turned back and attacked Debir. 39They captured the city, its king, and all of its surrounding villages. And they killed everyone in it, leaving no survivors. They completely destroyed Debir just as they had destroyed Libnah and Hebron.
40So Joshua conquered the whole region—the kings and people of the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills, F32 and the mountain slopes. He completely destroyed everyone in the land, leaving no survivors, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded. 41Joshua slaughtered them from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza and from Goshen to Gibeon. 42In a single campaign Joshua conquered all these kings and their land, for the LORD, the God of Israel, was fighting for his people. 43Then Joshua and the Israelite army returned to their camp at Gilgal.
FOOTNOTES:
F30: The Hebrew term used here refers to the complete consecration of things or people to the LORD, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering; also in 10:28, 35, 37, 39, 40.
F31: Or The Book of the Upright.
F32: Hebrew the Shephelah.