those in the highlands, the lowlands, and along the entire coast of the Mediterranean Sea toward Lebanon. They were Hittites and Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 2They formed an alliance to fight Joshua and Israel. 3In contrast, when the population of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4they acted cleverly. They set out pretending to be messengers.k They took worn-out sacks for their donkeys and worn-out wineskins that were split and mended. 5They had worn-out, patched sandals on their feet and were wearing worn-out clothes. All the bread in their supplies was dry and crumbly.
6They went to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal. They said to him and to Israel, "We have come from a distant country. So now, make a treaty with us."
7Israel said to the Hivites, "Perhaps you live among us. How then could we make a treaty with you?"
8Then they said to Joshua, "We are your servants."
Joshua said to them, "Who are you? Where have you come from?"
9They said to him, "Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the reputation of the LORD your God. We have heard a report about him and everything he did in Egypt. 10We heard about everything he did to the two kings of the Amorites on the east side of the Jordan, Heshbon's King Sihon and Bashan's King Og, who was in Ashtaroth. 11Our elders and all the population of our land said to us, 'Take along supplies for the journey. Go meet them and say to them, "We are your servants. So now make a treaty with us."'12This is our bread. On the day we left to come to you we took it warm from our houses as supplies. But now here it is, dried up and crumbly. 13These wineskins were new when we filled them. But here they are, split open. These clothes and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey."14The Israelitesl took some of their supplies, but they didn't ask for any decision from the LORD. 15Joshua made peace with them. He made a treaty with them to protect their lives. The leaders of the community made a solemn pledge to them.
Israel discovers the trick
16Three days after the Israelites made a treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites heard that they were actually their neighbors and were living among them. 17So on the third day the Israelites marched out and came to their cities: Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. 18But the Israelites didn't strike at them. This was because the leaders of the community had made a solemn pledge to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. The entire community grumbled against the leaders. 19Then all the leaders said to the whole community, "We have made a solemn pledge to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. So we can't touch them now. 20This is what we'll do with them. We'll let them live so that wrath won't come down on us because of the solemn pledge that we made to them."21The leaders went on to say to them, "Let them live." So they became woodcutters and water haulers for the whole community, exactly as the leaders had intended for them.
22Joshua called for the Gibeonites and spoke to them: "Why have you deceived us by saying, 'We live very far away from you,' when actually you live among us?23So now you are cursed. Some of you will always serve as woodcutters and water haulers for my God's house."
24They answered Joshua, "Your servants had been told that the LORD your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you the entire land and to wipe out all its population on your account. So we feared for our very lives because of you and did this thing. 25Now, here we are in your power. Do to us whatever seems good and proper to you."26So Joshua treated them in this way. He spared them from the power of the Israelites, and they didn't kill them. 27That day Joshua assigned them as woodcutters and water haulers for the community and for the LORD's altar, located wherever Godm would choose. That is still the case today.
Gibeonites under attack
Joshua 10Jerusalem'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. 2Adoni-zedek and his peoplen 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. 3So 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: 4"Come up and help me. We will strike at Gibeon, because it has made peace with Joshua and with the Israelites."5Then 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. 6The 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."7So Joshua went up from Gilgal with the entire army and all the bravest soldiers.
The LORD fights for Israel
8Then 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."9Joshua quickly attacked them, having come up overnight from Gilgal. 10Then 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. 11When 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.
12On 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!"
13The 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. 14There hasn't been a day like it before or since, when the LORD responded to a human voice. The LORD fought for Israel. 15Then Joshua along with all Israel came back to the camp at Gilgal.
Israel executes five kings
16Then those five kings fled and hid in the cave at Makkedah. 17It was reported to Joshua, "The five kings have been found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah."
18Joshua said, "Roll large stones over the mouth of the cave. Station some men by it to guard them,19but 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."20Joshua and the Israelites finished dealing them a stunning blow until they were finished off. Some survivors among them escaped into the fortified cities. 21Then the whole people came back safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. Not a single person threatened the Israelites.
22Joshua said, "Open up the mouth of the cave. Bring those five kings out of the cave to me."23They did so. They brought the five kings out of the cave to him: the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. 24When 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. 25Then 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."26Next, Joshua struck them down. He put them to death and then hanged them on five trees. They were hanging on the trees until evening. 27At 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.
Victories