Joshua 10:1-18 ▼

1 And it came to pass, when Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai and devoted it to destruction (as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king), and how those dwelling in Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them,

2 that they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men 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, that we may attack Gibeon. For it has made peace with Joshua and with the sons of Israel.”

5 And five kings of the Amorite—the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon—gathered together and went up, they and all their armies, and they camped before Gibeon and made war against it.

6 And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Do not forsake your servants. Come up to us quickly, and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorite who dwell in the hill country have gathered together against us.”

7 And Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor.

8 And YHWH said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for into your hand I have given them. Not a man of them shall stand before you.”

9 And Joshua came upon them suddenly, having gone up all the night from Gilgal.

10 And YHWH routed them before the face of Israel, and he struck them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and he pursued them along the road of the ascent of Beth-horon, and he struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah.

11 And it came to pass, as they fled before Israel (they were on the descent of Beth-horon), that YHWH cast down on them large hailstones from the heavens as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.

12 Then Joshua spoke to YHWH in the day when YHWH delivered up the Amorite before the face of the sons of Israel, and he said in the eyes of Israel, “O Sun over Gibeon stand still, and O Moon in the Valley of Aijalon.”

13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stood, until the nation took vengeance upon its enemies. Is it not written in the Scroll of the Upright one? “And the sun stood still in the midst of the heavens, and did not hurry to go down for about a whole day.”

14 And there has not been a day like it before it or after it, that YHWH heeded the voice of a man; for YHWH fought for Israel.

15 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.

16 And these five kings had fled and hidden themselves in a cave at Makkedah.

17 And it was told to Joshua, saying, “The five kings have been found hidden in the cave at Makkedah.”

18 And Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and set by it men to guard them.