Chapter 10
1
When Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai and had devoted it to destruction just as he had done to Jericho and to its king—so he had done to Ai and to its king—and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and they were among them.
2
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
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:
4
Come up to me and help me, and we will strike Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and the sons of Israel.
5
So they gathered and went up—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—with all their camps. They encamped at Gibeon and fought against it.
6
And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, "Do not let your hands slack from your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who live in the hill country have gathered against us."
7
Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him and all the mighty men of the army.
8
The LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hand. Not one man of them shall stand before you."
9
And Joshua came upon them suddenly; he had marched up from Gilgal all night.
10
And the LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, and he struck them with a great plague at Gibeon, and he pursued them along the ascent to the house of Choron, and he struck them down to Azekah and down to Makkedah.
11
As they fled before Israel on the way down from Beth-horon, the LORD hurled great stones from the heavens on them as far as Azekah, and many died. More died from the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.
12
Then Joshua spoke to the LORD on the day when the LORD gave the Amorites before the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: "Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the valley of Aijalon."
13
And the sun stood still, and the moon stood still, until a nation avenged itself on its enemies. Is it not written in the Book of the Righteous that the sun stood in half the heavens and did not hasten to come for a complete day?
14
There was no day like that before it or after it, when the LORD responded to the voice of a man, for the LORD fought for Israel.
15
Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.