1 And it happened, when Adoni-Zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard that Joshua had captured Ai and had put it under the ban{haram: total devotion}, just as he had done to Jericho and to its king, so he did to Ai and to its king, and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace{hishlimu: accepted peace terms} with Israel and were in their midst.
2 And they feared greatly because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities{arey hamamlakhah: royal centers}; and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty{gibborim: proven warriors}.
3 Then Adoni-Zedek {Adoni-tsedeq: my lord is righteousness}, king of Jerusalem, sent to Hoham king of Hebron, and to Piram king of Jarmuth, and to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying {leemor: introducing direct speech}
4 Go up to me and help me, and let us strike{nakkēh: overthrowing by force} Gibeon, because it has made peace{shalem: formal covenant agreement} with Joshua and with the sons of Israel.
5 And the five kings of the Amorites—the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon—gathered together with all their armies {maḥănê: military camps}, went up, and camped at Gibeon. Then they waged war against it.
6 And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Do not slack your hand {yad: strength or action} from your servants; come up to us quickly and save us and help us, because all the kings of the Amorites {Emori: hill-dwellers} who dwell in the hill country have assembled against us.”
7 And Joshua {Yehoshuaʿ: Deliverer} went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor {gibborê: warriors of strength}.
8 And the LORD {YHWH, Warrior-Deliverer} said to Joshua, “Do not fear {tira: be afraid} them, for I have given them into your hand; not a man of them will stand before you.”
9 Joshua came upon them suddenly, having ascended from Gilgal {ha-gilgal: Israelite camp} all night {hallayla: nocturnal period}.
10 And the LORD {YHWH, Divine Warrior} routed them before Israel and struck them with a great blow {makkah: decisive defeat} at Gibeon, pursued them along the road up to the ascent of Beth Horon, and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah.
11 And it came to pass, as they fled before Israel and reached the descent of Beth-Horon, that the LORD {YHWH, Divine Warrior} threw down great stones {’ăvānîm: heavy missiles} upon them from heaven to Azekah, and more died by the stones of hail than were killed by the sword of the sons of Israel.
12 Then Joshua spoke to the LORD {YHWH, Ruler of Creation} on the day when the LORD gave the Amorites before the sons of Israel, and he said in the presence of Israel, “Sun, stand still {dom: cease movement} over Gibeon, and moon in the valley of Aijalon.”
13 And the sun stopped {vayyidom: sudden halt} and the moon stood still until the people had avenged themselves on their enemies. Is it not written in the Book of the Upright {hayashar: righteous register}? Then the sun stood in the middle of the heavens and did not hasten to set for a full day.
14 And there has not been a day like that one before it or after it, when the LORD {YHWH, Divine Warrior} listened to the voice of a man, for the LORD was fighting {nilcham: waged war} for Israel.
15 And Joshua {Yehoshua: God saves} returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp {machaneh: military base} at Gilgal.
16 But these five kings {melakhim: rulers} fled and hid themselves in the cave {ma’arah: cave refuge} at Makkedah.
17 And it was told to Joshua, saying, “Five of the kings have been found hiding {nekhbeim: concealed state} in the cave {mearah: narrow cavern} at Makkedah.”
18 And Joshua said, “Roll {gollu: forceful roll} large stones to the mouth of the cave, and appoint men over it to guard {shomram: vigilant watch} them.”
19 But you do not stand still; pursue your enemies and strike the hindmost {vezinavtem: strike hindmost}. Do not let them enter their cities, for the LORD your God {YHWH Eloheichem, Divine Victor} has given them into your hand.
20 And it happened that when Joshua and the sons of Israel had finished striking them with a very great blow until complete destruction {tummam: utter destruction}, the survivors {seridim: remnant} escaped and entered the fortified cities.
21 Then all the people returned to the camp to Joshua {yehoshua: YHWH Deliverer} at Makkedah in peace {beshalom: complete safety}. Not one sharpened his tongue against any of the sons of Israel.
22 And Joshua {yehoshua: YHWH Delivers} said, “Open the mouth {pi: entrance} of the cave, and bring out to me these five kings from the cave.”
23 So they did so and brought out {yotzi’u: extracted forcibly} to him the five kings from the cave {me’arah: subterranean chamber}: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.
24 And it came to pass when they brought out these kings to Joshua {Yehoshua: Moses’ successor}, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel and said to the commanders of the men of war who had gone with him, “Draw near; place your feet upon the necks {tzav’ar: sign of subjugation} of these kings.” And they drew near and placed their feet upon their necks.
25 And Joshua said to them, “Do not fear or be dismayed. Be strong and courageous, for thus the LORD {YHWH, Divine Warrior} will act against all your enemies {oyev: adversaries opposing} whom you fight.”
26 Joshua {yehoshua: Conquest Leader} struck them down after this, put them to death, and hanged them on five trees; and they were hanging on the trees until the evening {arev: day’s end}.
27 And it happened at the time when the sun went down that Joshua {Yehoshua: appointed leader} commanded, and they brought them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves. Then they placed large stones {avanim: memorial markers} over the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day.
28 And Joshua captured Makkedah on that day, and he struck it and its king with the edge of the sword {cherev: instrument of judgment}. He put them under the ban {hecherim: total destruction}—all the lives that were in it—he left no survivors. And he did to the king of Makkedah just as he had done to the king of Jericho.
29 Then Joshua {Yehoshua: divinely appointed leader} and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah {Livnah: fortified town}, and he fought against Libnah.
30 And the LORD {YHWH, Supreme Deliverer} also gave the city and its king into the hand of Israel; then Joshua struck it with the edge of the sword {cherev: instrument of judgment} and left no survivor in it. And Joshua treated its king just as he had treated the king of Jericho.
31 Joshua {Yehoshua, Faithful Leader} and all Israel with him moved from Libnah to Lachish {Lakhishah: strategic stronghold}, and he camped against it and fought against it.
32 And the LORD {YHWH, Divine Victor} gave Lachish into the hand of Israel, and he captured it on the second day and struck it with the edge of the sword {cherev: instrument of judgment}, and killed all the souls in it, according to all that he had done to Libnah.
33 Then Horam the king of Gezer went up to help {la’azor: military support} Lachish, but Joshua struck him and his people until he left no survivor {sarid: remnant} for him.
34 And Joshua and all Israel with him passed from Lachish {laḵish: fortified city} to Eglon, and they encamped against it and fought against it {lāḥam: waged battle}.
35 And on that day they captured it, struck it down by the edge of the sword, and devoted every living soul in it to destruction {hecherim: set apart for utter destruction}, according to all that he had done to Lachish {Lakhish: fortified Canaanite city}.
36 And Joshua went up {wayyaal: ascended strategically} with all Israel from Eglon to Hebron, and they fought against the city {ʿāleha: fortified place}.
37 And they captured it and struck it with the edge of the sword, together with its king, all its towns, and all the living beings that were in it; he left no survivor {sarid: one who escapes}, in accordance with all that he had done to Eglon. Then he devoted it wholly to destruction {cherem: total destruction}, along with every living being inside.
38 And Joshua and all Israel with him returned to Debir {dvirah: fortified city}, and he fought {lacham: engaged combat} against it.
39 And he captured Debir and its king and all its cities, and they struck them down by the edge of the sword {cherev: instrument of judgment}, and devoted to destruction every soul {nefesh: life essence} that was in it; he left no survivor. Just as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and to its king, and just as he had done to Libnah and to its king.
40 And Joshua struck down all the land: the hill country, the Negev, the lowland, and the slopes; and he struck down all their kings. He left no survivor {sarid: spared remnant}, but devoted to destruction all that breathed, just as the LORD the God of Israel {YHWH Elohei Yisrael, Holy War Commander} commanded.
41 Joshua {Yehoshua: appointed leader} struck them down from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza and all the land of Goshen as far as Gibeon {Gibʿon: strategic city}.
42 All these kings and their land Joshua captured in one campaign, because the LORD {YHWH, Warrior King}, the God {Elohei Yisrael, Faithful Defender} of Israel fought for Israel.
43 Then Joshua returned, and all Israel {kol-yisrael: entire assembly} with him, to the camp {maḥaneh: military encampment} at Gilgal.