Joshua 9-10

Complete Jewish Bible

9 When all the kings on the west side of the Yarden in the hills, in the Sh’felah and all along the shore of the Great Sea that fronts the L’vanon — the Hitti, Emori, Kena‘ani, P’rizi, Hivi and Y’vusi — heard what had happened, ² they joined forces to fight together against Y’hoshua and Isra’el. ³ But when the inhabitants of Giv‘ah heard what Y’hoshua had done to Yericho and ‘Ai, ⁴ they developed a clever deception: they made themselves look as if they had been on a long journey by putting old sacks on their donkeys and taking used wineskins that had burst and been mended back together. ⁵ They put old, patched sandals on their feet and dressed in worn-out clothes; and took as provisions nothing but dried-up bread that was crumbling to pieces. ⁶ Then they went to Y’hoshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Isra’el, “We have come from a country far away. Now, make a covenant with us.” ⁷ The men of Isra’el said to the Hivi, “How do we know that you don’t live here among us? If you do, we don’t want to make a covenant with you.” ⁸ But they answered Y’hoshua, “We are your servants.” Y’hoshua asked, “Who are you, and where do you come from?” ⁹ They answered him, “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the reputation of Adonai your God. We have heard reports about him — everything he did in Egypt, ¹⁰ and everything he did to the two kings of the Emori across the Yarden, Sichon king of Heshbon and ‘Og king of Bashan at ‘Ashtarot. ¹¹ So our leaders and all the people living in our country said to us, “Take provisions with you for the journey, go to meet them, and say to them, ‘We are your servants, and now make a covenant with us.’ ¹² Here is the bread which we took for our provisions. It was still warm when we took it out of our homes the day we left to come to you. Now look at it! It’s dry and turned to crumbs! ¹³ And these wineskins were new when we filled them, but look, now they’re torn. Likewise these clothes of ours and our shoes are worn out because of the very long journey.”

¹⁴ The men sampled some of their food but didn’t seek the advice of Adonai, ¹⁵ 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. ¹⁶ But three days later, after they had made the covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors, that they lived there with them.

¹⁷ The people of Isra’el traveled and arrived at their cities on the third day. Their cities were Giv‘on, K’firah, Be’erot and Kiryat-Ye‘arim. ¹⁸ The people of Isra’el did not attack them, because the leading officials of the community had sworn to them by Adonai, the God of Isra’el; but all the community grumbled against the leaders. ¹⁹ However, the leaders replied to the whole community, “We have sworn to them by Adonai, the God of Isra’el; so we can’t touch them. ²⁰ Here is what we will do to them: we will let them live, so that God’s anger will not be on us because of the oath we swore to them. ²¹ Yes, let them live,” the leaders continued, “but let them chop wood and draw water for the whole community.” This is what the leaders said.

²² 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? ²³ Now you have a curse on you: you will be slaves forever, supplying people to chop wood and draw water for the house of my God.” ²⁴ 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. ²⁵ Now, as you see, we are in your hands; do to us whatever seems good and right to you.” ²⁶ So Y’hoshua did exactly that: he saved them from the power of the people of Isra’el, so that they didn’t kill them. ²⁷ 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.

10 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, ² his people became greatly alarmed; because Giv‘on was as large as one of the royal cities, larger than ‘Ai, and all its men were courageous. ³ So Adoni-Tzedek king of Yerushalayim sent this message to Hoham king of Hevron, Pir’am king of Yarmut, Yafia king of Lakhish and D’vir king of ‘Eglon: ⁴ “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.” ⁵ So the five kings of the Emori — the kings of Yerushalayim, Hevron, Yarmut, Lakhish and ‘Eglon — got together, went up with all their armies, pitched camp against Giv‘on and made war against it.

⁶ 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.” ⁷ Y’hoshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the fighting men with him, including all the bravest ones. ⁸ 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.”

⁹ Having spent the entire night marching up from Gilgal, Y’hoshua fell upon them, taking them by surprise. ¹⁰ Adonai threw them into confusion before Isra’el and defeated them in a great slaughter at Giv‘on, pursuing them along the road that goes up from Beit-Horon, and beating them back to ‘Azekah and all the way to Makkedah. ¹¹ As they fled before Isra’el down the road to Beit-Horon, Adonai threw huge hailstones down on them all the way to ‘Azekah, and they died; more died because of the hail than because Isra’el had killed them with the sword.

¹² 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,

This is written in the book of Yashar. The sun stood still in the sky and was in no rush to set for nearly a whole day. ¹⁴ There has never been a day like that before or since, when Adonai listened to the voice of a man; it happened because Adonai was fighting on Isra’el’s behalf.

¹⁵ Y’hoshua returned with all Isra’el to the camp at Gilgal. ¹⁶ But those five kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah, ¹⁷ and it was reported to Y’hoshua that the five kings had been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah. ¹⁸ Y’hoshua said, “Roll big stones to the mouth of the cave, and put men there to guard them. ¹⁹ However, you, don’t wait, but keep chasing your enemies, and attack those farthest in the rear. Don’t allow them to return to their cities, because Adonai has handed them over to you.” ²⁰ 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, ²¹ 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.

²² Then Y’hoshua said, “Open up the mouth of the cave, and bring those five kings out of the cave to me. ²³ They did it; they brought the five kings out to him — the kings of Yerushalayim, Hevron, Yarmut, Lakhish and ‘Eglon. ²⁴ 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. ²⁵ 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.” ²⁶ With that, Y’hoshua struck them and put them to death, hanging them on five trees, where they remained hanging until evening. ²⁷ 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.

²⁸ 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.

²⁹ Y’hoshua went on from Makkedah, and all Isra’el with him, to Livnah; and he fought against Livnah. ³⁰ Adonai also handed it and its king over to Isra’el. He defeated it with the sword, everyone there — he left no one, and he did to its king what he had done to the king of Yericho.

³¹ Y’hoshua went on from Livnah, and all Isra’el with him, to Lakhish; and he pitched camp against it and fought against it. ³² Adonai handed it over to Isra’el; he captured it the second day. He defeated it with the sword, everyone there, exactly as he had done to Livnah. ³³ But then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lakhish; so Y’hoshua attacked him and his people, until he had no one left with him.

³⁴ Y’hoshua went on from Lakhish, and all Isra’el with him, to ‘Eglon; and he pitched camp against it and fought against it. ³⁵ They captured it that very day. He defeated it with the sword, completely destroying everyone there, exactly as he had done to Lakhish.

³⁶ Y’hoshua went up from ‘Eglon, and all Isra’el with him, to Hevron; and they fought against it. ³⁷ They captured it, defeating it with the sword, including its king, its villages and everyone there; he left no one, exactly as he had done to ‘Eglon; but he completely destroyed it and everyone there.

³⁸ Y’hoshua turned back, and all Isra’el with him, to D’vir and fought against it. ³⁹ They captured it, its king and all its villages, defeating them with the sword and utterly destroying everyone there; he left no one. He did to D’vir and it king as he had done to Hevron and as he had done to Livnah and its king.

⁴⁰ So Y’hoshua attacked all the land — the hills, the Negev, the Sh’felah and the mountain slopes — and all their kings; he left none but completely destroyed everything that breathed, as Adonai the God of Isra’el had ordered. ⁴¹ Y’hoshua attacked them from Kadesh-Barnea to ‘Azah and all the land of Goshen, as far as Giv‘on. ⁴² Y’hoshua captured all these kings and their land all at the same time, because Adonai the God of Isra’el fought on Isra’el’s behalf. ⁴³ Then Y’hoshua returned, and all Isra’el with him, to the camp at Gilgal.