Joshua

“We are your servants,” they said to Joshua. Then Joshua asked them, “Who are you and where have you come from?”

And Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them.

Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you deceive us by telling us you live far away from us, when in fact you live among us?

The Gibeonites answered, “Your servants were told clearly that the LORD your God had commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land and wipe out all its inhabitants before you. So we greatly feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we have done this.

On that day he made them woodcutters and water carriers, as they are to this day for the congregation of the LORD and for the altar at the place He would choose.

Now Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai and devoted it to destruction—doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king—and that the people of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were living near them.

“Come up and help me. We will attack Gibeon, because they have made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.”

Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: “Do not abandon your servants. Come quickly and save us! Help us, because all the kings of the Amorites from the hill country have joined forces against us.”

So Joshua and his whole army, including all the mighty men of valor, came from Gilgal.

The LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for I have delivered them into your hand. Not one of them shall stand against you.”

After marching all night from Gilgal, Joshua caught them by surprise.

On the day that the LORD gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the LORD in the presence of Israel: “O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”

Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.

And Joshua was informed: “The five kings have been found; they are hiding in the cave at Makkedah.”

So Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and post men there to guard them.

So Joshua and the Israelites continued to inflict a terrible slaughter until they had finished them off, and the remaining survivors retreated to the fortified cities.

The whole army returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah, and no one dared to utter a word against the Israelites.

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

When they had brought the kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had accompanied him, “Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So the commanders came forward and put their feet on their necks.

“Do not be afraid or discouraged,” Joshua said. “Be strong and courageous, for the LORD will do this to all the enemies you fight.”

After this, Joshua struck down and killed the kings, and he hung their bodies on five trees and left them there until evening.

At sunset Joshua ordered that they be taken down from the trees and thrown into the cave in which they had hidden. Then large stones were placed against the mouth of the cave, and the stones are there to this day.

On that day Joshua captured Makkedah and put it to the sword, along with its king. He devoted to destruction everyone in the city, leaving no survivors. So he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.

Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against Libnah.

And Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Libnah to Lachish. They laid siege to it and fought against it.