The Sun Stands Still
1 Now it came to pass when Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalemheard how Joshua had takenAi and had utterly destroyed it—as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done toAi and its king—andhow the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them,
2 that theyfeared greatly, because Gibeonwasa great city, like one of the royal cities, and because itwasgreater than Ai, and all its menweremighty.
3 Therefore Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying,
4 “Come up to me and help me, that we may attack Gibeon, forit has made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.”
5 Therefore the five kings of theAmorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish,andthe king of Eglon,gathered together and went up, they and all their armies, and camped before Gibeon and made war against it.
6 And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the campat Gilgal, saying, “Do not forsake your servants; come up to us quickly, save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the mountains have gathered together against us.”
7 So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he andall the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor.
8 And theLordsaid to Joshua,“Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand;not a man of them shallstand before you.”
9 Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal.
10 So theLordrouted them before Israel, killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them along the road that goesto Beth Horon, and struck them down as far asAzekah and Makkedah.
11 And it happened, as they fled before Israelandwere on the descent of Beth Horon,that theLordcast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died.Thereweremore who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword.
12 Then Joshua spoke to theLordin the day when theLorddelivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel:
# “Sun, stand still over Gibeon;
# And Moon, in the Valley ofAijalon.”
13 So the sun stood still,
And the moon stopped,
Till the people had revenge
Upon their enemies.
# Isthis not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to godownfor about a whole day.
14 And there has beenno day like that, before it or after it, that theLordheeded the voice of a man; fortheLordfought for Israel.
15 Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.
The Amorite Kings Executed
16 But these five kings had fled and hidden themselves in a cave at Makkedah.
17 And it was told Joshua, saying, “The five kings have been found hidden in the cave at Makkedah.”
18 So Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to guard them.
19 And do not staythereyourselves,butpursue your enemies, and attack their rearguard.Do not allow them to enter their cities, for theLordyour God has delivered them into your hand.”
20 Then it happened, while Joshua and the children of Israel made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, till they had finished, that those who escaped entered fortified cities.
21 And all the people returned to the camp, to Joshua at Makkedah, in peace.
# No one moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel.
22 Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings to me from the cave.”
23 And they did so, and brought out those five kings to him from the cave: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish,andthe king of Eglon.
24 So it was, when they brought out those kings to Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the captains of the men of war who went with him, “Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings.” And they drew near andput their feet on their necks.
25 Then Joshua said to them,“Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage, forthus theLordwill do to all your enemies against whom you fight.”
26 And afterward Joshua struck them and killed them, and hanged them on five trees; and theywere hanging on the trees until evening.
27 So it was at the time of the going down of the sunthatJoshua commanded, and theytook them down from the trees, cast them into the cave where they had been hidden, and laid large stones against the cave’s mouth,whichremainuntil this very day.
Conquest of the Southland
28 On that day Joshua took Makkedah, and struck it and its king with the edge of the sword. He utterlydestroyed them—all the people whowerein it. He let none remain. He also did to the king of Makkedahas he had done to the king of Jericho.
29 Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, toLibnah; and they fought against Libnah.
30 And theLordalso delivered it and its king into the hand of Israel; he struck it and all the people whowerein it with the edge of the sword. He let none remain in it, but did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.
31 Then Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish; and they encamped against it and fought against it.
32 And theLorddelivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, who took it on the second day, and struck it and all the people whowerein it with the edge of the sword, according to all that he had done to Libnah.
33 Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua struck him and his people, until he left him none remaining.
34 From Lachish Joshua passed to Eglon, and all Israel with him; and they encamped against it and fought against it.
35 They took it on that day and struck it with the edge of the sword; all the people whowerein it he utterly destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.
36 So Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, toHebron; and they fought against it.
37 And they took it and struck it with the edge of the sword—its king, all its cities, and all the people whowerein it; he left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon, but utterly destroyed it and all the people whowerein it.
38 Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, toDebir; and they fought against it.
39 And he took it and its king and all its cities; they struck them with the edge of the sword and utterly destroyed all the people whowerein it. He left none remaining; as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king, as he had done also to Libnah and its king.
40 So Joshua conquered all the land: themountain country and the South and the lowland and the wilderness slopes, andall their kings; he left none remaining, bututterly destroyed all that breathed, as theLordGod of Israel had commanded.
41 And Joshua conquered them fromKadesh Barnea as far asGaza,and all the country of Goshen, even as far as Gibeon.
42 All these kings and their land Joshua took at one time,because theLordGod of Israel fought for Israel.
43 Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.