Joshua 10:3-23
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,“ Come up to me and help me. Let’s strike Gibeon; for they have made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.”Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together and went up, they and all their armies, and encamped against Gibeon, and made war against it.The men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying,“ Don’t abandon your servants! Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us; for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the hill country have gathered together against us.”So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he, and the whole army with him, including all the mighty men of valor.Yahweh said to Joshua,“ Don’t fear them, for I have delivered them into your hands. Not a man of them will stand before you.”Joshua therefore came to them suddenly. He marched from Gilgal all night.Yahweh confused them before Israel. He killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth Horon, and struck them to Azekah and to Makkedah.As they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth Horon, Yahweh hurled down great stones from the sky on them to Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the children of Israel killed with the sword.Then Joshua spoke to Yahweh in the day when Yahweh delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel. He said in the sight of Israel,“ Sun, stand still on Gibeon! You, moon, stop in the valley of Aijalon!”The sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies. Isn’t this written in the book of Jashar? The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and didn’t hurry to go down about a whole day.There was no day like that before it or after it, that Yahweh listened to the voice of a man; for Yahweh fought for Israel.Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp to Gilgal.These five kings fled, and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.Joshua was told, saying,“ The five kings have been found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah.”Joshua said,“ Roll large stones to cover the cave’s entrance, and set men by it to guard them;but don’t stay there. Pursue your enemies, and attack them from the rear. Don’t allow them to enter into their cities; for Yahweh your God has delivered them into your hand.”When Joshua and the children of Israel had finished killing them with a very great slaughter until they were consumed, and the remnant which remained of them had entered into the fortified cities,all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace. None moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel.Then Joshua said,“ Open the cave entrance, and bring those five kings out of the cave to me.”They did so, and brought those five kings out of the cave to him: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.
