Common English Bible CEB
The Message Bible MSG
1 Jerusalem's King Adoni-zedek heard that Joshua had captured Ai and had wiped it out as something reserved for God. Joshua did the same thing to Ai and its king that he had done to Jericho and its king. He also heard that the population of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were living among them.
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It wasn't long before My-Master-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai and destroyed it and its king under a holy curse, just as he had done to Jericho and its king. He also learned that the people of Gibeon had come to terms with Israel and were living as neighbors.
2 Adoni-zedek and his people were very afraid, because Gibeon was a large city, like one of the royal cities. It was larger than Ai. All its men were soldiers.
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He and his people were alarmed: Gibeon was a big city - as big as any with a king and bigger than Ai - and all its men were seasoned fighters.
3 So Jerusalem's King Adoni-zedek sent word to Hebron's King Hoham, Jarmuth's King Piram, Lachish's King Japhia, and Eglon's King Debir:
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Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon:
4 "Come up and help me. We will strike at Gibeon, because it has made peace with Joshua and with the Israelites."
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"Come and help me. Let's attack Gibeon; they've joined up with Joshua and the People of Israel."
5 Then the five kings of the Amorites gathered. These were the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. They went up with all their armies, camped against Gibeon, and attacked it.
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So the five Amorite (Western) kings - the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon - combined their armies and set out to attack Gibeon.
6 The people of Gibeon sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: "Don't desert your servants! Come to us quickly. Rescue us! Help us! All the Amorite kings from the highlands have assembled together against us."
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The men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua camped at Gilgal, "Don't let us down now! Come up here quickly! Save us! Help us! All the Amorite kings who live up in the hills have ganged up on us."
7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal with the entire army and all the bravest soldiers.
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So Joshua set out from Gilgal, his whole army with him - all those tough soldiers!
8 Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Don't be afraid of them. I have given them into your power. Not a single one of them can stand up against you."
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God told him, "Don't give them a second thought. I've put them under your thumb - not one of them will stand up to you."
9 Joshua quickly attacked them, having come up overnight from Gilgal.
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Joshua marched all night from Gilgal and took them by total surprise.
10 Then the LORD threw them into a panic before Israel. Joshua struck a mighty blow against them at Gibeon. He chased them on the way up to Beth-horon and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.
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God threw them into total confusion before Israel, a major victory at Gibeon. Israel chased them along the ridge to Beth Horon and fought them all the way down to Azekah and Makkedah.
11 When they were fleeing from Israel and were on the slope of Beth-horon, the LORD threw down large stones from the sky all the way to Azekah. So they died. More died from the hailstones than the Israelites killed with the sword.
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As they ran from the People of Israel, down from the Beth Horon ridge and all the way to Azekah, God pitched huge stones on them out of the sky and many died. More died from the hailstones than the People of Israel killed with the sword.
12 On the day the LORD gave the Amorites into the power of Israel, Joshua spoke to the LORD in the presence of the Israelites: “Sun, stand still at Gibeon! and Moon, at the Aijalon Valley!”
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The day God gave the Amorites up to Israel, Joshua spoke to God, with all Israel listening: "Stop, Sun, over Gibeon; Halt, Moon, over Aijalon Valley."
13 The sun stood still and the moon stood motionless until a nation took revenge on its enemies. Isn't this written in the Jashar scroll? So the sun stood motionless in the middle of the sky. For a whole day, it was in no hurry to go down.
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And Sun stopped, Moon stood stock still Until he defeated his enemies.
14 There hasn't been a day like it before or since, when the LORD responded to a human voice. The LORD fought for Israel.
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There's never been a day like that before or since - God took orders from a human voice! Truly, God fought for Israel.
15 Then Joshua along with all Israel came back to the camp at Gilgal.
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Then Joshua returned, all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.
16 Then those five kings fled and hid in the cave at Makkedah.
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Meanwhile the five kings had hidden in the cave at Makkedah.
17 It was reported to Joshua, "The five kings have been found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah."
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Joshua was told, "The five kings have been found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah."
18 Joshua said, "Roll large stones over the mouth of the cave. Station some men by it to guard them,
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Joshua said, "Roll big stones against the mouth of the cave and post guards to keep watch.
19 but don't you stay there. Chase after your enemies and attack them from the rear. Don't let them enter their cities, because the LORD your God has given them into your power."
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But don't you hang around - go after your enemies. Cut off their retreat. Don't let them back into their cities. God has given them to you."
20 Joshua and the Israelites finished dealing them a stunning blow until they were finished off. Some survivors among them escaped into the fortified cities.
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Joshua and the People of Israel then finished them off, total devastation. Only a few got away to the fortified towns.
21 Then the whole people came back safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. Not a single person threatened the Israelites.
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The whole army then returned intact to the camp and to Joshua at Makkedah. There was no criticism that day from the People of Israel!
22 Joshua said, "Open up the mouth of the cave. Bring those five kings out of the cave to me."
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Then Joshua said, "Open the mouth of the cave and bring me those five kings."
23 They did so. They brought the five kings out of the cave to him: the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon.
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They did it. They brought him the five kings from the cave: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.
24 When they brought these kings out to Joshua, Joshua called for every Israelite. He said to the military commanders who had gone out with him, "Come forward. Put your feet on the necks of these kings." So they went forward and put their feet on their necks.
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When they had them all there in front of Joshua, he called up the army and told the field commanders who had been with him, "Come here. Put your feet on the necks of these kings." They stepped up and put their feet on their necks.
25 Then Joshua said to them, "Don't be afraid or terrified. Be brave and strong, because this is how the LORD will deal with all the enemies you fight."
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Joshua told them, "Don't hold back. Don't be timid. Be strong! Be confident! This is what God will do to all your enemies when you fight them."
26 Next, Joshua struck them down. He put them to death and then hanged them on five trees. They were hanging on the trees until evening.
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Then Joshua struck and killed the kings. He hung them on five trees where they remained until evening.
27 At sundown, Joshua gave an order, and they took them down from the trees. They threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and they set large stones over the mouth of the cave. The stones are still there to this very day.
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At sunset Joshua gave the command. They took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden. They put large stones at the mouth of the cave. The kings are still in there.
28 On that day, Joshua captured Makkedah. With a sword, he struck it and its king without mercy. He wiped them out, treating everyone in the city as something reserved for God. He left no survivors. He did to the king of Makkedah exactly as he had done to the king of Jericho.
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That same day Joshua captured Makkedah, a massacre that included the king. He carried out the holy curse. No survivors. Makkedah's king got the same treatment as Jericho's king.
29 Then Joshua along with all Israel moved on from Makkedah to Libnah. They attacked Libnah.
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Joshua, all Israel with him, moved on from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against Libnah.
30 The LORD also gave it and its king into the power of Israel. With a sword, he struck it and everyone in it without mercy. He left no survivors in it. He did to its king exactly as he had done to the king of Jericho.
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God gave Libnah to Israel. They captured city and king and massacred the lot. No survivors. Libnah's king got the same treatment as Jericho's king.
31 Joshua along with all Israel moved on from Libnah to Lachish. They camped near it and attacked it.
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Joshua, all Israel with him, moved on from Libnah to Lachish. He set up camp nearby and attacked.
32 The LORD gave Lachish into the power of Israel. Joshua captured it on the second day. With a sword, he struck it and everyone in it without mercy, just exactly as he had done to Libnah.
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God gave Lachish to Israel. Israel took it in two days and killed everyone. He carried out the holy curse, the same as with Libnah.
33 Then Gezer's King Horam came up to help Lachish. But Joshua struck him and his people down, until no survivors were left.
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Horam, king of Gezer, arrived to help Lachish. Joshua attacked him and his army until there was nothing left of them. No survivors.
34 Joshua along with all Israel moved on from Lachish to Eglon. They camped against it and attacked it.
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Joshua, all Israel with him, moved on from Lachish to Eglon. They set up camp and attacked.
35 They captured it on the same day and struck it down without mercy. On that day, he wiped out everyone in it as something reserved for God, just exactly as he had done to Lachish.
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They captured it and killed everyone, carrying out the holy curse, the same as they had done with Lachish.
36 Joshua along with all Israel went up from Eglon to Hebron and attacked it.
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Joshua, all Israel with him, went up from Eglon to Hebron. He attacked
37 They captured it and struck it down without mercy, along with its king, all its towns, and everyone in it. He left no survivors, just exactly as he had done to Eglon. He wiped out the city and everyone in it as something reserved for God.
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and captured it. They killed everyone, including its king, its villages, and their people. No survivors, the same as with Eglon. They carried out the holy curse on city and people.
38 Joshua along with all Israel turned back to Debir and attacked it.
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Then Joshua, all Israel with him, turned toward Debir and attacked it.
39 He captured it along with its king and all its cities. They struck them down without mercy and wiped out everyone in it as something reserved for God. He left no survivors. Exactly as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king—exactly as he had done to Libnah and its king.
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He captured it, its king, and its villages. They killed everyone. They put everyone and everything under the holy curse. No survivors. Debir and its king got the same treatment as Hebron and its king, and Libnah and its king.
40 So Joshua struck at the whole land: the highlands, the arid southern plains, the lowlands, the slopes, and all their kings. He left no survivors. He wiped out everything that breathed as something reserved for God, exactly as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded.
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Joshua took the whole country: hills, desert, foothills, and mountain slopes, including all kings. He left no survivors. He carried out the holy curse on everything that breathed, just as God, the God of Israel, had commanded.
41 Joshua struck them down from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, and the whole land of Goshen as far as Gibeon.
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Joshua's conquest stretched from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza and from the entire region of Goshen to Gibeon.
42 Joshua captured all these kings and their land all at the same time. This was because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.
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Joshua took all these kings and their lands in a single campaign because God, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.
43 Then Joshua along with all Israel came back to the camp at Gilgal.
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Then Joshua, all Israel with him, went back to the camp at Gilgal.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.