Joshua 10:15-42

¹⁵Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal.

¹⁶Now the five kings had escaped and hidden themselves in the cave at Makkedah.

¹⁷It was told to Joshua, “They have been found!—the five kings hidden in the cave at Makkedah!”

¹⁸Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave and place soldiers there to guard them.

¹⁹Do not stay yourselves. Pursue your enemies and attack them from the rear. Do not permit them to enter into their cities, because Yahweh your God has given them into your hand.”

²⁰Joshua and the sons of Israel had finished slaughtering them with a very great slaughter, until they were almost completely destroyed; only a few survivors who escaped reached the fortified cities.

²¹Then the whole army returned in peace to Joshua at the camp at Makkedah. No one dared to say one word against any of the people of Israel.

²²Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and out of the cave bring to me these five kings.”

²³They did as he said. They brought to him these five kings from the cave—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 to Joshua, he summoned every man of Israel. He said to the commanders of the soldiers who had gone into battle with him, “Put your feet on their necks.” So they came up and put their feet on their necks.

²⁵Then he said to them, “Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Be strong and courageous. This is what Yahweh will do to all your enemies you are going to fight.”

²⁶Then Joshua attacked and killed the kings. He hung them on five trees. They hung on the trees until evening.

²⁷When it was sunset, Joshua gave orders, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves. They put large stones over the mouth of the cave. Those stones remain there to this very day.

²⁸In this way, Joshua captured Makkedah on that day and killed everyone there with the sword, including its king. He completely destroyed everyone in it. He left no survivor in it. He did to the king of Makkedah just as he had done to the king of Jericho.

²⁹Joshua and all Israel passed on from Makkedah to Libnah. He went into battle against Libnah.

³⁰Yahweh also gave it into the hand of Israel—along with their king. Joshua struck it with the edge of the sword and every person in it. He left no survivor in it. He did to its king just as he had done to the king of Jericho.

³¹Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Libnah to Lachish. He camped by it and waged war against it.

³²Yahweh gave Lachish into the hand of Israel. Joshua captured it on the second day and struck it with the edge of the sword, and every person in it, just as he had done to Libnah.

³³Then Horam, king of Gezer, came up to help Lachish. Joshua attacked him and his army until there was not even one survivor left.

³⁴Then Joshua and all Israel passed on from Lachish to Eglon. They camped by it and waged war against it,

³⁵and captured it that same day. They struck it with the edge of the sword and they completely destroyed everyone in it, as Joshua had done to Lachish.

³⁶Then Joshua and all Israel passed on from Eglon to Hebron. They waged war against it.

³⁷They captured it and struck it with the edge of the sword, and its king and its villages, and everyone in it. They left no survivor it, as they had done to Eglon, they totally destroyed it and every person in it.

³⁸Then Joshua turned, and all the army of Israel with him, and they passed on to Debir and waged war against it.

³⁹They captured it, its king and all its nearby villages. They struck them with the edge of the sword and completely destroyed every person in it. They left no survivor. They did to Debir and its king as they had done to Libnah and its king and to Hebron.

⁴⁰Joshua conquered all the land, the hill country, the Negev, the lowlands, and the foothills. Of all their kings he left not one survivor. He completely destroyed every living thing, just as Yahweh, the God of Israel, had commanded.

⁴¹Joshua struck them from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza, and all the country of Goshen to Gibeon.

⁴²Joshua captured all these kings and their land at one time because Yahweh, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.