Joshua 10 :: New Living Translation (NLT)

Israel Defeats the Southern Armies

Jos 10:1Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard that Joshua had captured and completely destroyed[fn] Ai and killed its king, just as he had destroyed the town of Jericho and killed its king. He also learned that the Gibeonites had made peace with Israel and were now their allies.

Jos 10:2

Jos 10:2He and his people became very afraid when they heard all this because Gibeon was a large town—as large as the royal cities and larger than Ai. And the Gibeonite men were strong warriors.

Jos 10:3

Jos 10:3So King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent messengers to several other kings: Hoham of Hebron, Piram of Jarmuth, Japhia of Lachish, and Debir of Eglon.

Jos 10:4

Jos 10:4“Come and help me destroy Gibeon,” he urged them, “for they have made peace with Joshua and the people of Israel.”

Jos 10:5

Jos 10:5So these five Amorite kings combined their armies for a united attack. They moved all their troops into place and attacked Gibeon.

Jos 10:6

Jos 10:6The men of Gibeon quickly sent messengers to Joshua at his camp in Gilgal. “Don’t abandon your servants now!” they pleaded. “Come at once! Save us! Help us! For all the Amorite kings who live in the hill country have joined forces to attack us.”

Jos 10:7

Jos 10:7So Joshua and his entire army, including his best warriors, left Gilgal and set out for Gibeon.

Jos 10:8

Jos 10:8“Do not be afraid of them,” the LORD said to Joshua, “for I have given you victory over them. Not a single one of them will be able to stand up to you.”

Jos 10:9

Jos 10:9Joshua traveled all night from Gilgal and took the Amorite armies by surprise.

Jos 10:10

Jos 10:10The LORD threw them into a panic, and the Israelites slaughtered great numbers of them at Gibeon. Then the Israelites chased the enemy along the road to Beth-horon, killing them all along the way to Azekah and Makkedah.

Jos 10:11

Jos 10:11As the Amorites retreated down the road from Beth-horon, the LORD destroyed them with a terrible hailstorm from heaven that continued until they reached Azekah. The hail killed more of the enemy than the Israelites killed with the sword.

Jos 10:12

Jos 10:12On 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.”

Jos 10:13

Jos 10:13So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies.
Is this event not recorded in The Book of Jashar[fn]? The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and it did not set as on a normal day.[fn]

Jos 10:14

Jos 10:14There has never been a day like this one before or since, when the LORD answered such a prayer. Surely the LORD fought for Israel that day!

Jos 10:15

Jos 10:15Then Joshua and the Israelite army returned to their camp at Gilgal.

Joshua Kills the Five Southern Kings

Jos 10:16

Jos 10:16During the battle the five kings escaped and hid in a cave at Makkedah.

Jos 10:17

Jos 10:17When Joshua heard that they had been found,

Jos 10:18

Jos 10:18he issued this command: “Cover the opening of the cave with large rocks, and place guards at the entrance to keep the kings inside.

Jos 10:19

Jos 10:19The rest of you continue chasing the enemy and cut them down from the rear. Don’t give them a chance to get back to their towns, for the LORD your God has given you victory over them.”

Jos 10:20

Jos 10:20So Joshua and the Israelite army continued the slaughter and completely crushed the enemy. They totally wiped out the five armies except for a tiny remnant that managed to reach their fortified towns.

Jos 10:21

Jos 10:21Then the Israelites returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. After that, no one dared to speak even a word against Israel.

Jos 10:22

Jos 10:22Then Joshua said, “Remove the rocks covering the opening of the cave, and bring the five kings to me.”

Jos 10:23

Jos 10:23So they brought the five kings out of the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon.

Jos 10:24

Jos 10:24When they brought them out, Joshua told the commanders of his army, “Come and put your feet on the kings’ necks.” And they did as they were told.

Jos 10:25

Jos 10:25“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.”

Jos 10:26

Jos 10:26Then Joshua killed each of the five kings and impaled them on five sharpened poles, where they hung until evening.

Jos 10:27

Jos 10:27As the sun was going down, Joshua gave instructions for the bodies of the kings to be taken down from the poles and thrown into the cave where they had been hiding. Then they covered the opening of the cave with a pile of large rocks, which remains to this very day.

Israel Destroys the Southern Towns

Jos 10:28

Jos 10:28That same day Joshua captured and destroyed the town of Makkedah. He killed everyone in it, including the king, leaving no survivors. He destroyed them all, and he killed the king of Makkedah as he had killed the king of Jericho.

Jos 10:29

Jos 10:29Then Joshua and the Israelites went to Libnah and attacked it.

Jos 10:30

Jos 10:30There, too, the LORD gave them the town and its king. He killed everyone in it, leaving no survivors. Then Joshua killed the king of Libnah as he had killed the king of Jericho.

Jos 10:31

Jos 10:31From Libnah, Joshua and the Israelites went to Lachish and attacked it.

Jos 10:32

Jos 10:32Here again, the LORD gave them Lachish. Joshua took it on the second day and killed everyone in it, just as he had done at Libnah.

Jos 10:33

Jos 10:33During the attack on Lachish, King Horam of Gezer arrived with his army to help defend the town. But Joshua’s men killed him and his army, leaving no survivors.

Jos 10:34

Jos 10:34Then Joshua and the Israelite army went on to Eglon and attacked it.

Jos 10:35

Jos 10:35They captured it that day and killed everyone in it. He completely destroyed everyone, just as he had done at Lachish.

Jos 10:36

Jos 10:36From Eglon, Joshua and the Israelite army went up to Hebron and attacked it.

Jos 10:37

Jos 10:37They captured the town and killed everyone in it, including its king, leaving no survivors. They did the same thing to all of its surrounding villages. And just as he had done at Eglon, he completely destroyed the entire population.

Jos 10:38

Jos 10:38Then Joshua and the Israelites turned back and attacked Debir.

Jos 10:39

Jos 10:39He captured the town, its king, and all of its surrounding villages. He completely destroyed everyone in it, leaving no survivors. He did to Debir and its king just what he had done to Hebron and to Libnah and its king.

Jos 10:40

Jos 10:40So Joshua conquered the whole region—the kings and people of the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills,[fn] and the mountain slopes. He completely destroyed everyone in the land, leaving no survivors, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded.

Jos 10:41

Jos 10:41Joshua slaughtered them from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza and from the region around the town of Goshen up to Gibeon.

Jos 10:42

Jos 10:42Joshua conquered all these kings and their land in a single campaign, for the LORD, the God of Israel, was fighting for his people.

Jos 10:43

Jos 10:43Then Joshua and the Israelite army returned to their camp at Gilgal.

See the NLT Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).

NLT Footnotes

(10:1)

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.

(10:13)

Or The Book of the Upright.

(10:13)

Or did not set for about a whole day.

(10:40)

Hebrew the Shephelah.

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For more information on this translation, see the NLT Preface.

Joshua Chapter 10 — Additional Translations:

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Joshua 10 :: New Living Translation (NLT)

NLT Footnotes

Joshua Chapter 10 — Additional Translations:

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