Joshua

But they answered Y'hoshua, "We are your servants." Y'hoshua asked, "Who are you, and where do you come from?"

so Y'hoshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them to spare their lives, and the leading officials of the community swore to them.

Y'hoshua summoned them and said this to them: "Why have you deceived us by saying, 'We come from a place very far away,' when in fact you are living right here with us?

They answered Y'hoshua, "It is because we heard the reports that ADONAI your God had ordered his servant Moshe to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from ahead of you. So we were terrified for our lives on account of you; that's why we did this.

But he did that same day make them choppers of wood and drawers of water for the community and for the altar of ADONAI in the place which he would choose; and they remain so to this day.

When Adoni-Tzedek king of Yerushalayim heard how Y'hoshua had taken 'Ai and utterly destroyed it - he had done the same to 'Ai and its king as he had done to Yericho and its king - and how the inhabitants of Giv'on had made peace with Isra'el and were living among them,

"Come up and help me, and we'll attack Giv'on, because it has made peace with Y'hoshua and the people of Isra'el."

The people of Giv'on sent a message to Y'hoshua at their camp in Gilgal that said, "Don't ignore your servants! Come up to us quickly, and save us! Help us, because all the kings of the Emori living in the hills have gotten together to fight us."

Y'hoshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the fighting men with him, including all the bravest ones.

ADONAI said to Y'hoshua, "Don't be afraid of them, for I have handed them over to you; not one of their men will stand against you."

Having spent the entire night marching up from Gilgal, Y'hoshua fell upon them, taking them by surprise.

Then, on the day ADONAI handed over the Emori to the people of Isra'el, Y'hoshua spoke to ADONA I; in the sight of Isra'el he said, "Sun, stand motionless over Giv'on! Moon, you too, over Ayalon Valley!"

Y'hoshua returned with all Isra'el to the camp at Gilgal.

and it was reported to Y'hoshua that the five kings had been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah.

Y'hoshua said, "Roll big stones to the mouth of the cave, and put men there to guard them.

After Y'hoshua and the people of Isra'el had finished killing them off in a very great slaughter, till they had been destroyed, and the remaining remnant had entered the fortified cities,

all the people returned safely to Y'hoshua at the camp in Makkedah; and no one said a word against any of the people of Isra'el.

Then Y'hoshua said, "Open up the mouth of the cave, and bring those five kings out of the cave to me.

After they had brought the five kings to Y'hoshua, he summoned all the men of Isra'el and said to the commanders of the soldiers who had gone with him, "Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings." They came and put their feet on their necks.

Y'hoshua said to them, "Don't be afraid or confused, but be strong and bold, because this is what ADONAI will do to all your enemies that you fight against."

With that, Y'hoshua struck them and put them to death, hanging them on five trees, where they remained hanging until evening.

At sunset Y'hoshua gave an order, and they lowered them from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, then laid big stones at the mouth of the cave; and there they remain to this day.

Y'hoshua captured Makkedah that day, defeating it and its king by the sword. He completely destroyed them, everyone there - he left no one; and he did to the king of Makkedah what he had done to the king of Yericho.

Y'hoshua went on from Makkedah, and all Isra'el with him, to Livnah; and he fought against Livnah.

Y'hoshua went on from Livnah, and all Isra'el with him, to Lakhish; and he pitched camp against it and fought against it.