¹ Now it happened after the death of Moses the servant of Yahweh, that Yahweh spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' servant, saying,

² "Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you, and all this people, to the land which I give to them, even to the children of Israel.

³ I have given you every place that the sole of your foot will tread on, as I told Moses.

⁴ From the wilderness, and this Lebanon, even to the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your border.

⁵ No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not fail you nor forsake you.

⁶ "Be strong and courageous; for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.

⁷ Only be strong and very courageous, to observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded you. Don't turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.

⁸ This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.

⁹ Haven't I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Don't be afraid, neither be dismayed: for Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go."

¹⁰ Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,

¹¹ "Pass through the midst of the camp, and command the people, saying, 'Prepare food; for within three days you are to Pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which Yahweh your God gives you to possess it.'"

¹² Joshua spoke to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, saying,

¹³ "Remember the word which Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded you, saying, 'Yahweh your God gives you rest, and will give you this land.

¹⁴ Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock, shall live in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan; but you shall pass over before your brothers armed, all the mighty men of valor, and shall help them

¹⁵ until Yahweh has given your brothers rest, as he has given you, and they have also possessed the land which Yahweh your God gives them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession, and possess it, which Moses the servant of Yahweh gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.'"

¹⁶ They answered Joshua, saying, "All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.

¹⁷ Just as we listened to Moses in all things, so will we listen to you. Only may Yahweh your God be with you, as he was with Moses.

¹⁸ Whoever rebels against your commandment, and doesn't listen to your words in all that you command him, he shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous."

¹ Now it happened when Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem 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;

² that they were very afraid, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty.

³ Therefore Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying,

⁴ "Come up to me, and help me, and let us strike Gibeon; for it has made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel."

⁵ Therefore 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 armies, and encamped against Gibeon, and made war against it.

⁶ The men of Gibeon sent to Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, "Don't abandon your servants! Come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us; for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the hill country have gathered together against us."

⁷ So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor.

⁸ Yahweh said to Joshua, "Don't fear them, for I have delivered them into your hands. Not a man of them will stand before you."

⁹ Joshua therefore came on them suddenly. He went up from Gilgal all night.

¹⁰ Yahweh confused them before Israel, and he killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth Horon, and struck them to Azekah and to Makkedah.

¹¹ It happened, as they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth Horon, that Yahweh cast down great stones from the sky on them to Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than who the children of Israel killed with the sword.

¹² Then Joshua spoke to Yahweh in the day when Yahweh delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel; and he said in the sight of Israel, "Sun, stand still on Gibeon! You, moon, stop in the valley of Aijalon!"

¹³ The sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies. Isn't this written in the book of Jashar? The sun stayed in the midst of the sky, and didn't hurry to go down about a whole day.

¹⁴ There was no day like that before it or after it, that Yahweh listened to the voice of a man; for Yahweh fought for Israel.

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

¹⁶ These five kings fled, and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.

¹⁷ Joshua was told, saying, "The five kings are found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah."

¹⁸ Joshua said, "Roll large stones to the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to guard them;

¹⁹ but don't stay. Pursue your enemies, and them from the rear. Don't allow them to enter into their cities; for Yahweh your God has delivered them into your hand."

²⁰ It happened, when Joshua and the children of Israel had finished killing them with a very great slaughter until they were consumed, and the remnant which remained of them had entered into the fortified cities,

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

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

²³ They did so, and brought those five kings out of the cave to him: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.

²⁴ It happened, when they brought those kings out to Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the men of war who went with him, "Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings." They came near, and put their feet on their necks.

²⁵ Joshua said to them, "Don't be afraid, nor be dismayed. Be strong and courageous, for Yahweh will do this to all your enemies against whom you fight."

²⁶ Afterward Joshua struck them, put them to death, and hanged them on five trees. They were hanging on the trees until the evening.

²⁷ It happened 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 in which they had hidden themselves, and laid great stones on the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day.

²⁸ Joshua took Makkedah on that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword, with its king. He utterly destroyed them and all the souls who were in it. He left none remaining. He did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.

²⁹ Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, to Libnah, and fought against Libnah.

³⁰ Yahweh delivered it also, with its king, into the hand of Israel. He struck it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls who were in it. He left none remaining in it. He did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.

³¹ Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it.

³² Yahweh delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel. He took it on the second day, and struck it with the edge of the sword, with all the souls who were in it, according to all that he had done to Libnah.

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

³⁴ Joshua passed from Lachish, and all Israel with him, to Eglon; and they encamped against it fought against it.

³⁵ They took it on that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword. He utterly destroyed all the souls who were in it that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.

³⁶ Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, to Hebron; and they fought against it.

³⁷ They took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, with its king and all its cities, and all the souls who were in it. He left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but he utterly destroyed it, and all the souls who were in it.

³⁸ Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir, and fought against it.

³⁹ He took it, with its king and all its cities. They struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls who were in it. He left none remaining. As he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to its king; as he had done also to Libnah, and to its king.

⁴⁰ So Joshua struck all the land, the hill country, and the South, and the lowland, and the slopes, and all their kings. He left none remaining, but he utterly destroyed all that breathed, as Yahweh, the God of Israel, commanded.

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

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

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