Joshua

Now it came to pass, when Adonizedec king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them;

1Adonizedec was the king of Jerusalem. He heard what Joshua had done. Joshua had captured the city of Ai and destroyed it completely. He had done the same thing to Jericho and its king. Adonizedec also heard that the people of Gibeon had made peace with Israel. They were now living close to Israel.

2That they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty.

2This news made the king and his people very afraid. Gibeon was a big city, like a city where a king lives. It was bigger than Ai. All its men were strong fighters.

3Wherefore Adonizedec king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying,

3So Adonizedec, king of Jerusalem, sent a message to four other kings. They were Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon. He said to them,

4Come up unto me, and help me, that we may smite Gibeon: for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.

4"Come up here and help me. Let us attack Gibeon. Gibeon has made peace with Joshua and with the people of Israel."

5Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together, and went up, they and all their hosts, and encamped before Gibeon, and made war against it.

5So the five kings of the Amorites joined together. They were the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. They came with all their armies. They set up camp near Gibeon and started fighting the city.

6And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us.

6The men of Gibeon sent a message to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal. They said, "Do not leave us alone. We are your servants. Come quickly and save us. Help us! All the Amorite kings from the hills have joined together against us."

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

7So Joshua went up from Gilgal. He took his whole army with him, including his bravest fighters.

8And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee.

8The LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them. I have handed them over to you. Not one of them will be able to stand against you."

9Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all night.

9Joshua and his army marched all night from Gilgal. So they came upon the enemy suddenly.

10And the LORD discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Bethhoron, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah.

10The LORD made the enemy soldiers panic when Israel came. Israel beat them badly at Gibeon. Israel chased them up the road toward Bethhoron. They kept fighting them all the way to Azekah and Makkedah.

NoteThe old word "discomfited" does not mean uncomfortable. It means the enemy soldiers were thrown into panic.

11And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.

11The enemy ran away down the hill from Bethhoron. As they ran, the LORD threw big hailstones down on them from the sky. This went on all the way to Azekah, and many of them died. More of them died from the hailstones than from Israel's swords.

12Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.

12That was the day the LORD handed the Amorites over to Israel. Joshua spoke to the LORD while all Israel listened. He said, "Sun, stand still over Gibeon. Moon, stand still over the valley of Ajalon."

13And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.

13So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped too. They stayed until the people had paid their enemies back. This is written in a book called the Book of Jasher. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky. It did not go down for about a whole day.

NoteThe Book of Jasher was another old book of songs and stories. We do not have a copy of it today.

14And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.

14There has never been another day like that one, before or since. On that day the LORD did what a man asked. The LORD was fighting for Israel.

15And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.

15Then Joshua went back to the camp at Gilgal. All Israel went back with him.

16But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah.

16The five kings had run away. They hid in a cave at Makkedah.

17And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings are found hid in a cave at Makkedah.

17Someone told Joshua, "We have found the five kings. They are hiding in a cave at Makkedah."

18And Joshua said, Roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave, and set men by it for to keep them:

18Joshua said, "Roll big stones over the opening of the cave. Put men there to guard it.

19And stay ye not, but pursue after your enemies, and smite the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities: for the LORD your God hath delivered them into your hand.

19But do not stop there yourselves. Chase your enemies and attack the ones at the back. Do not let them get back to their cities. The LORD your God has handed them over to you."

NoteIn old English, "suffer them not" means "do not let them." It is not about pain.

20And it came to pass, when Joshua 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 entered into fenced cities.

20Joshua and the people of Israel kept fighting until almost all the enemies were dead. A few of them got away. They reached cities with strong walls.

21And all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace: none moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel.

21Then the whole army came back safely to Joshua at the camp at Makkedah. Nobody said a word against the people of Israel.

Note"None moved his tongue against" is an old way of saying nobody said a word against them.

22Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave.

22Then Joshua said, "Open the mouth of the cave. Bring those five kings out to me."

23And they did so, and brought forth those five kings unto him out of the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.

23So they did. They brought the five kings out of the cave. They were the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon.

24And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them.

24When the kings were brought to Joshua, he called all the men of Israel together. He said to the leaders of his army, "Come here. Put your feet on the necks of these kings." So they came and put their feet on their necks.

25And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.

25Joshua said to them, "Do not be afraid. Do not lose hope. Be strong and brave. The LORD will do this to every enemy you fight."

26And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening.

26Then Joshua killed the five kings. He hung their bodies on five trees. Their bodies stayed there until evening.

27And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun, that Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they had been hid, and laid great stones in the cave’s mouth, which remain until this very day.

27When the sun went down, Joshua gave an order. His men took the bodies off the trees. They threw them into the cave where the kings had hidden. They piled big stones over the mouth of the cave. Those stones are still there today.

28And that day Joshua took Makkedah, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof he utterly destroyed, them, and all the souls that were therein; he let none remain: and he did to the king of Makkedah as he did unto the king of Jericho.

28That same day Joshua captured Makkedah. He and his men killed the king and everyone in the city with swords. He left nobody alive. He did to the king of Makkedah what he had done to the king of Jericho.

29Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, unto Libnah, and fought against Libnah:

29Then Joshua left Makkedah and went to Libnah. All Israel went with him. They fought against Libnah.

30And the LORD delivered it also, and the king thereof, into the hand of Israel; and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein; he let none remain in it; but did unto the king thereof as he did unto the king of Jericho.

30The LORD handed that city and its king over to Israel too. Joshua and his men killed everyone in it with swords. He left nobody alive. He did to its king what he had done to the king of Jericho.

31And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, unto Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it:

31Then Joshua left Libnah and went to Lachish. All Israel went with him. They camped around the city and fought against it.

32And the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, which took it on the second day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein, according to all that he had done to Libnah.

32The LORD handed Lachish over to Israel. They captured it on the second day. They killed everyone in it with swords, just as they had done at Libnah.

33Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua smote him and his people, until he had left him none remaining.

33Then Horam, the king of Gezer, came to help Lachish. But Joshua struck him down along with his people. Not one of them was left.

34And from Lachish Joshua passed unto Eglon, and all Israel with him; and they encamped against it, and fought against it:

34From Lachish, Joshua went on to Eglon. All Israel went with him. They camped around the city and fought against it.

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

35They captured it that same day. They killed everyone in it with swords. Joshua destroyed the whole city, just as he had done at Lachish.

36And Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, unto Hebron; and they fought against it:

36Then Joshua went up from Eglon to Hebron. All Israel went with him. They fought against the city.

37And they took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof, and all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but destroyed it utterly, and all the souls that were therein.

37They captured it. They killed the king, the people of its towns, and everyone in it with swords. Joshua left nobody alive, just as he had done at Eglon. He destroyed the city and everyone in it.

38And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir; and fought against it:

38Then Joshua turned back toward Debir. All Israel went with him. They fought against the city.

39And he took it, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining: 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.

39They captured Debir, its king, and all its towns. They killed everyone there with swords. Joshua left nobody alive. He did to Debir and its king what he had done to Hebron, and to Libnah and its king.

40So Joshua smote all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel commanded.

40So Joshua took the whole land. He took the hills, the dry land in the south, the low hills, and the slopes. He beat all their kings. He left nobody alive. He destroyed every living person, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had told him to do.

41And Joshua smote them from Kadeshbarnea even unto Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even unto Gibeon.

41Joshua beat them from Kadeshbarnea all the way to Gaza. He also took the whole area of Goshen, as far as Gibeon.

42And all these kings and their land did Joshua take at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.

42Joshua took all these kings and their land in one campaign. He could do it because the LORD, the God of Israel, was fighting for Israel.

43And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.

43Then Joshua went back to the camp at Gilgal. All Israel went back with him.