As soon as Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had
captured Ai and had devoted it to destruction, doing to Ai and its
king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the
inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among
them, he 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 warriors. So Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent to
Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of
Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, “Come up to me and
help me, and let us strike Gibeon. For it has made peace with
Joshua and with the people of Israel.” Then 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 their
forces and went up with all their armies and encamped against
Gibeon and made war against it.

  And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal,
saying, “Do not relax your hand from your servants. Come up to us
quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites
who dwell in the hill country are gathered against us.” So Joshua
went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all
the mighty men of valor. And the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not fear
them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them
shall stand before you.” So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having
marched up all night from Gilgal. And the LORD threw them into a
panic before Israel, who struck them with a great blow at Gibeon
and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck
them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. And as they fled before Israel,
while they were going down the ascent of Beth-horon, the LORD threw
down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they
died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the
sons of Israel killed with the sword.

  At that time Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD
gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the
sight of Israel,

    “Sun, stand still at Gibeon,
        and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”
    And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,
        until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.


      Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in
the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day.
There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD heeded
the voice of a man, for the LORD fought for Israel.

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

  These five kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.
And it was told to Joshua, “The five kings have been found, hidden
in the cave at Makkedah.” And Joshua said, “Roll large stones
against the mouth of the cave and set men by it to guard them, but
do not stay there yourselves. Pursue your enemies; attack their
rear guard. Do not let them enter their cities, for the LORD your
God has given them into your hand.” When Joshua and the sons of
Israel had finished striking them with a great blow until they were
wiped out, and when the remnant that remained of them had entered
into the fortified cities, then all the people returned safe to
Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. Not a man moved his tongue against
any of the people of Israel.

  Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those
five kings out to me from the cave.” And they did so, and brought
those five kings out to him from the cave, the king of Jerusalem,
the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and
the king of Eglon. And when they brought those kings out to Joshua,
Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the chiefs of the
men of war who had gone with him, “Come near; put your feet on the
necks of these kings.” Then they came near and put their feet on
their necks. And Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or
dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the LORD will do to
all your enemies against whom you fight.” And afterward Joshua
struck them and put them to death, and he hanged them on five
trees. And they hung on the trees until evening. But at the time of
the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took them
down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had
hidden themselves, and they set large stones against the mouth of
the cave, which remain to this very day.

  As for Makkedah, Joshua captured it on that day and struck it,
and its king, with the edge of the sword. He devoted to destruction
every person in it; he left none remaining. And he did to the king
of Makkedah just as he had done to the king of Jericho.

  Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Makkedah to
Libnah and fought against Libnah. And the LORD gave it also and its
king into the hand of Israel. And he struck it with the edge of the
sword, and every person in it; he left none remaining in it. And he
did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.

  Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Libnah to
Lachish and laid siege to it and fought against it. And the LORD
gave Lachish into the hand of Israel, and he captured it on the
second day and struck it with the edge of the sword, and every
person in it, as he had done to Libnah.

  Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish. And Joshua
struck him and his people, until he left none remaining.

  Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Lachish to
Eglon. And they laid siege to it and fought against it. And they
captured it on that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword.
And he devoted every person in it to destruction that day, as he
had done to Lachish.

  Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron.
And they fought against it and captured it and struck it with the
edge of the sword, and its king and its towns, and every person in
it. He left none remaining, as he had done to Eglon, and devoted it
to destruction and every person in it.

  Then Joshua and all Israel with him turned back to Debir and
fought against it and he captured it with its king and all its
towns. And they struck them with the edge of the sword and devoted
to destruction every person in it; he left none remaining. Just as
he had done to Hebron and to Libnah and its king, so he did to
Debir and to its king.

  So Joshua struck the whole land, the hill country and the Negeb
and the lowland and the slopes, and all their kings. He left none
remaining, but devoted to destruction all that breathed, just as
the LORD God of Israel commanded. And Joshua struck them from
Kadesh-barnea as far as Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, as far
as Gibeon. And Joshua captured all these kings and their land at
one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel. Then
Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001
by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by
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