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Now it came to pass, when Adonizedekking of Jerusalem had heardhowJoshua had takenAi, 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;
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That they fearedgreatly, because Gibeon was a greatcity, as one of the royal[a]cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty.
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Wherefore Adonizedekking of Jerusalemsent unto Hohamking of Hebron, and unto Piramking of Jarmuth, and unto Japhiaking of Lachish, and unto Debirking of Eglon,saying,
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Come up unto me, and help me, that we may smiteGibeon: for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.
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Therefore the fivekings 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 hosts, and encamped before Gibeon, and made war against it.
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And the men of Gibeonsent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal,saying, Slack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us.
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So Joshuaascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour.
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And the LORDsaid unto Joshua,Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them standbefore thee.
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Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all night.
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And the LORDdiscomfited them beforeIsrael, and slew them with a greatslaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Bethhoron, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah.
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And it came to pass, as they fled from beforeIsrael, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD cast downgreatstones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstonesthan they whom the children of Israelslew with the sword.
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Then spakeJoshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amoritesbefore the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
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And the sun stood still, and the moonstayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not thiswritten in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a wholeday.
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And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORDhearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORDfought for Israel.
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And Joshuareturned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.
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But these fivekingsfled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah.
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And it was toldJoshua,saying, The fivekings are foundhid in a cave at Makkedah.
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And Joshuasaid, Rollgreatstones upon the mouth of the cave, and setmen by it for to keep them:
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And stay ye not, but pursueafter your enemies, and smite the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities: for the LORD your God hath delivered them into your hand.
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And it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of Israel had made an end of slaying them with a verygreatslaughter, till they were consumed, that the rest which remained of them entered into fencedcities.
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And all the peoplereturned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace: none moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel.
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Then saidJoshua,Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those fivekings unto me out of the cave.
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And they did so, and brought forth those fivekings unto him out of the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.
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And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshuacalled for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them.
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And Joshuasaid unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORDdo to all your enemies against whom ye fight.
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And afterwardJoshuasmote them, and slew them, and hanged them on fivetrees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening.
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And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun, that Joshuacommanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they had been hid, and laidgreatstones in the cave'smouth, which remain until this veryday.
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And that dayJoshuatookMakkedah, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof he utterly destroyed, them, and all the souls that were therein; he let none remain: and he did to the king of Makkedah as he did unto the king of Jericho.
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Then Joshuapassed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, unto Libnah, and fought against Libnah:
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And the LORDdelivered it also, and the king thereof, into the hand of Israel; and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein; he let none remain in it; but did unto the king thereof as he did unto the king of Jericho.
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And Joshuapassed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, unto Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it:
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And the LORDdeliveredLachish into the hand of Israel, which took it on the secondday, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein, according to all that he had done to Libnah.
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Then Horamking of Gezer came up to helpLachish; and Joshuasmote him and his people, until he had left him none remaining.
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And from LachishJoshuapassed unto Eglon, and all Israel with him; and they encamped against it, and fought against it:
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And they took it on that day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein he utterly destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.
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And Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, unto Hebron; and they fought against it:
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And they took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof, and all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but destroyed it utterly, and all the souls that were therein.
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And Joshuareturned, and all Israel with him, to Debir; and fought against it:
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And he took it, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining: as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to the king thereof; as he had done also to Libnah, and to her king.
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So Joshuasmote all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORDGod of Israelcommanded.
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And Joshuasmote them from Kadeshbarnea even unto Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even unto Gibeon.
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And all these kings and their land did Joshuatake at onetime, because the LORDGod of Israelfought for Israel.
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And Joshuareturned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.