1 Adoni-Zedeque, rei de Jerusalém, soube que Josué havia capturado e destruído completamente a cidade de Ai e matado seu rei, assim como tinha destruído a cidade de Jericó e matado seu rei. Também soube que os gibeonitas haviam feito um tratado de paz com Israel e agora viviam no meio deles. 2 Ele e seu povo tiveram muito medo, pois Gibeom era uma cidade grande como as cidades reais, ainda maior que a cidade de Ai, e os gibeonitas eram guerreiros valentes.
3 Por isso, Adoni-Zedeque, rei de Jerusalém, enviou mensageiros a vários outros reis: a Hoão, rei de Hebrom, a Piram, rei de Jarmute, a Jafia, rei de Laquis, e a Debir, rei de Eglom. 4 "Venham e ajudem-me a destruir Gibeom, pois seu povo fez um tratado de paz com Josué e os israelitas", pediu ele. 5 Então os cinco reis amorreus uniram seus exércitos para atacar juntos. Posicionaram suas tropas perto de Gibeom e avançaram contra ela.
6 Os homens de Gibeom enviaram mensageiros a Josué em seu acampamento em Gilgal. "Não abandone seus servos!", suplicaram. "Venha depressa e salve-nos! Ajude-nos, pois todos os reis amorreus que vivem na região montanhosa uniram forças para nos atacar!"
7 Josué e todo o seu exército, incluindo seus melhores guerreiros, partiram de Gilgal para Gibeom. 8 "Não tenha medo desses reis", disse o Senhor a Josué. "Eu os entreguei em suas mãos. Nenhum deles será capaz de resistir a você."
9 Josué marchou a noite toda desde Gilgal e pegou os exércitos amorreus de surpresa. 10 O Senhor trouxe pânico sobre os amorreus, e o exército de Israel massacrou muitos deles em Gibeom. Perseguiram o inimigo ao longo da subida para Bete-Horom, matando os amorreus até Azeca e Maquedá. 11 Enquanto os amorreus recuavam pelo caminho de Bete-Horom, o Senhor os destruiu com uma terrível chuva de pedras de granizo que ele enviou do céu e que continuou até chegarem a Azeca. As pedras eliminaram mais inimigos do que os israelitas mataram à espada.
12 No dia em que o Senhor deu aos israelitas vitória sobre os amorreus, Josué orou ao Senhor diante do povo e disse:
"Que o sol pare sobre Gibeom,
e a lua, sobre o vale de Aijalom!".
13 O sol parou e a lua ficou onde estava, até que o povo tivesse derrotado seus inimigos.
Acaso esse acontecimento não está registrado no Livro de Jasar? O sol parou no meio do céu e não se pôs por cerca de um dia inteiro. 14 Nunca antes nem depois houve um dia semelhante, quando o Senhor respondeu a uma oração como essa. Certamente o Senhor lutou por Israel naquele dia!
15 Então Josué e todo o exército de Israel voltaram ao acampamento em Gilgal.
16 Durante a batalha, os cinco reis fugiram e se esconderam numa caverna em Maquedá. 17 Quando Josué soube que eles haviam sido encontrados, 18 deu a seguinte ordem: "Fechem a entrada da caverna com pedras grandes e ponham guardas ali, para que os reis não saiam. 19 Quanto aos demais soldados, continuem a perseguir os inimigos e matem os da retaguarda. Não deixem que voltem às suas cidades, pois o Senhor, seu Deus, lhes deu vitória sobre eles".
20 Assim, Josué e o exército israelita continuaram a aniquilar o inimigo. Exterminaram os cinco exércitos, com exceção de uns poucos sobreviventes que conseguiram chegar às cidades fortificadas. 21 As tropas voltaram em segurança para Josué, no acampamento de Maquedá. Depois disso, ninguém se atreveu a dizer uma palavra contra o povo de Israel.
22 Então Josué ordenou: "Removam as pedras que estão na entrada da caverna e tragam os cinco reis para cá". 23 Eles tiraram da caverna os cinco reis das cidades de Jerusalém, Hebrom, Jarmute, Laquis e Eglom. 24 Os reis foram trazidos para fora, diante de Josué, e ele ordenou aos comandantes de seu exército: "Venham e coloquem o pé sobre o pescoço dos reis". E eles obedeceram.
25 "Não tenham medo nem desanimem", disse Josué. "Sejam fortes e corajosos, pois é isso que o Senhor fará com todos os inimigos que vocês enfrentarem." 26 Então Josué matou os cinco reis e os pendurou em cinco árvores, onde ficaram até a tarde.
27 Ao entardecer, Josué ordenou que os corpos fossem tirados das árvores e lançados na caverna onde os reis haviam se escondido. A entrada da caverna foi fechada com pedras grandes, que estão lá até hoje.
28 Naquele mesmo dia, Josué tomou a cidade de Maquedá e a destruiu. Matou todos os seus habitantes, incluindo o rei, sem deixar sobreviventes. Destruiu todos eles e matou o rei de Maquedá, como havia feito com o rei de Jericó. 29 Então Josué e todo o exército de Israel avançaram para Libna e a atacaram. 30 O Senhor entregou a cidade e seu rei nas mãos dos israelitas, que mataram todos os seus habitantes, sem deixar sobreviventes. Depois Josué matou o rei de Libna, como havia feito com o rei de Jericó.
31 De Libna, Josué e todo o exército israelita avançaram para Laquis e a atacaram. 32 O Senhor também entregou Laquis nas mãos de Israel. Josué a tomou no segundo dia e matou todos os seus habitantes, como havia feito com Libna. 33 Durante o ataque a Laquis, Horão, rei de Gezer, chegou com seu exército para ajudar a defender a cidade, mas os homens de Josué mataram o rei e seu exército, sem deixar sobreviventes.
34 Em seguida, Josué e todo o exército israelita avançaram para Eglom e a atacaram. 35 Tomaram a cidade naquele dia e mataram todos os seus habitantes. Destruíram todos, como haviam feito com Laquis. 36 De Eglom, Josué e todo o exército de Israel subiram para Hebrom e a atacaram. 37 Tomaram a cidade e mataram todos os seus habitantes, incluindo o rei, sem deixar sobreviventes. Fizeram o mesmo com todos os povoados vizinhos. Destruíram toda a população, como haviam feito com Eglom.
38 Então Josué e todo o exército israelita voltaram e atacaram Debir. 39 Tomaram a cidade, o rei e todos os povoados vizinhos. Destruíram todos, sem deixar sobreviventes. Fizeram com Debir e seu rei o mesmo que haviam feito com Hebrom, Libna e seus reis.
40 Assim, Josué conquistou toda a região: a região montanhosa, o Neguebe, as colinas do oeste e as encostas dos montes, derrotando todos os seus reis. Destruiu todos na terra, sem deixar sobreviventes, conforme o Senhor, o Deus de Israel, havia ordenado. 41 Josué os massacrou de Cades-Barneia a Gaza, e da região ao redor de Gósen até Gibeom. 42 Conquistou todos esses reis e suas terras numa só campanha, pois o Senhor, o Deus de Israel, lutou por Israel.
43 Então Josué e todo o exército israelita voltaram ao acampamento em Gilgal.
1 Now it came to pass, 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 m
2 that they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men of it were mighty.
3 Therefore Adoni-zedek 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,
4 Come up to me, and help me, and let us smite Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and with the sons 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 ag
6 And the men of Gibeon sent to 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 who dwell in the hill-country are gathered
7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor.
8 And LORD said to Joshua, Fear them not, for I have delivered them into thy hands. There shall not a man of them stand before thee.
9 Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly, [for] he went up from Gilgal all the night.
10 And LORD discomfited 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 smote them to Azekah, and to Makkedah.
11 And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, that LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them to Azekah, and they died. More died with the hailstones than those whom the
12 Then Joshua spoke to LORD in the day when LORD delivered up the Amorites before the sons of Israel. And he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon, and thou, Moon, in the valley of Aijalon.
13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stayed in the midst of heaven, and hastened not to go down about a whole
14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that LORD hearkened to the voice of a man, for LORD fought for Israel.
15 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.
16 And these five kings fled, and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.
17 And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings are found hidden in the cave at Makkedah.
18 And Joshua said, Roll great stones to the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to keep them,
19 but stay ye not. Pursue after your enemies, and smite the hindmost of them. Do not allow them to enter into their cities, for LORD your God has delivered them into your hand.
20 And it came to pass, when Joshua and the sons of Israel had made an end of killing them with a very great slaughter, till 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. No man moved his tongue against any of the sons of Israel.
22 Then Joshua said, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring forth those five kings to me out of the cave.
23 And they did so, and brought forth those five kings to him out of the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon.
24 And it came to pass, when they brought forth those kings 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 upon the necks of these kings. A
25 And Joshua said to them, Fear not, nor be dismayed. Be strong and of good courage, for thus shall LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.
26 And afterward Joshua smote them, and put them to death, and hanged them on five trees. And they were hanging upon the trees until the evening.
27 And it came to pass 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
28 And Joshua took Makkedah on that day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king of it. He utterly destroyed them and all the souls that were in it. He left none remaining, and he did to the king of Makkedah as he had do
29 And Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, to Libnah, and fought against Libnah.
30 And LORD delivered it also, and the king of it, into the hand of Israel. And he smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were in it. He left none remaining in it, and he did to the king of it as he had done to th
31 And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it.
32 And LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel. And he took it on the second day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that 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 smote him and his people until he had left him none remaining.
34 And Joshua passed from Lachish, and all Israel with him, to Eglon. And they encamped against it, and fought against it.
35 And they took it on that day, and smote it with the edge of the sword. And all the souls that were in it he utterly destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.
36 And Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, to Hebron. And they fought against it,
37 and they took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king of it, and all the cities of it, and all the souls that were in it. He left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon, but he utterly destroye
38 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir, and fought against it.
39 And he took it, and the king of it, and all the cities of it. And they smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls that were in it. He left none remaining. As he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir
40 So Joshua smote 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 LORD, the God of Israel, commanded.
41 And Joshua smote them from Kadesh-barnea even to Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even to Gibeon.
42 And all these kings and their land Joshua took at one time, because LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.
43 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp to Gilgal.