Defeat of the Five Kings

¹⁶ Meanwhile, the five kings had fled and hidden themselves inside a cave at Makkedah. ¹⁷ Joshua was informed, “The five kings have been discovered hiding in the cave at Makkedah.”

¹⁸ So Joshua gave an order, “Roll large stones up against the mouth of the cave and assign men to stand guard there, ¹⁹ but don’t stay there yourselves. Instead, pursue your enemies and attack them from behind. Don’t allow them to enter their cities, because the Lord your God has delivered them into your control.”

²⁰ Now it came about that after Joshua and the Israelis had finished the battle,^[a] destroying and scattering their survivors, who retreated into their fortified cities, ²¹ the entire army returned safely to Joshua’s encampment at Makkedah. No one could speak so much as a single word against any of the Israelis.

²² Then Joshua gave this order: “Unseal the mouth of the cave and bring out these five kings to me from the cave.”

²³ So they did. They brought out these five kings to him from within 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 had brought these kings out to Joshua, Joshua called for all the men of Israel and spoke to the leaders of the men who had gone out to war along with him, “Come close and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came near and put their feet on their necks.

²⁵ Joshua told the army,^[b] “Don’t fear or be dismayed! Be strong and courageous, because this is how the Lord will treat all of your enemies whom you fight.”

²⁶ After this, Joshua struck those kings^[c] down, executing them, and hanged them on five gallows^[d] until sunset. ²⁷ When evening had come, Joshua gave a command to remove the bodies^[e] from the gallows^[f] and bury them in the cave where they had hidden. The army^[g] sealed the mouth of the cave with large stones that remain there to this very day.