³ But when the inhabitants of ^(A)Gibeon heard what Joshua had done ^(B)to Jericho and ^(C)to Ai, ⁴ they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, ⁵ with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes. And all their provisions were dry and crumbly. ⁶ And they went to Joshua in ^(D)the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us.” ⁷ But the men of Israel said to ^(E)the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us; then ^(F)how can we make a covenant with you?” ⁸ They said to Joshua, ^(G)“We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where do you come from?” ⁹ They said to him, ^(H)“From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God. ^(I)For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, ^10 (J)and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who lived in ^(K)Ashtaroth. ¹¹ So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey and go to meet them and say to them, “We are your servants. Come now, make a covenant with us.”’ ¹² Here is our bread. It was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey on the day we set out to come to you, but now, behold, it is dry and crumbly. ¹³ These wineskins were new when we filled them, and behold, they have burst. And these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.” ¹⁴ So the men took some of their provisions, but ^(L)did not ask counsel from the Lord. ¹⁵ And Joshua ^(M)made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.

¹⁶ At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors ^(N)and that they lived among them. ¹⁷ And the people of Israel set out and reached their cities on the third day. ^(O)Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. ¹⁸ But the people of Israel did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders. ¹⁹ But all the leaders said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them. ²⁰ This we will do to them: let them live, lest ^(P)wrath be upon us, ^(Q)because of the oath that we swore to them.” ²¹ And the leaders said to them, “Let them live.” So they became ^(R)cutters of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, just as the leaders ^(S)had said of them.

²² Joshua summoned them, and he said to them, “Why did you deceive us, saying, ^(T)‘We are very far from you,’ when ^(U)you dwell among us? ²³ Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall never be anything but servants, ^(V)cutters of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.” ²⁴ They answered Joshua, “Because it was told to your servants for a certainty that the Lord your God had ^(W)commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you—so ^(X)we feared greatly for our lives because of you and did this thing. ²⁵ And now, behold, we are in your hand. Whatever seems good and right in your sight to do to us, do it.” ²⁶ So he did this to them and delivered them out of the hand of the people of Israel, and they did not kill them. ²⁷ But Joshua made them that day ^(Y)cutters of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, to this day, ^(Z)in the place that he should choose.

²⁴ After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about ^(A)faith ^(B)in Christ Jesus. ²⁵ And as he reasoned ^(C)about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. ^(D)When I get an opportunity I will summon you.” ²⁶ At the same time he hoped ^(E)that money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often and conversed with him. ²⁷ When two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius ^(F)Festus. And ^(G)desiring to do the Jews a favor, ^(H)Felix left Paul in prison.

Paul Appeals to Caesar

25 Now three days after Festus had arrived in ^(I)the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. ² And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews ^(J)laid out their case against Paul, and they urged him, ³ asking as a favor against Paul^[a] that he summon him to Jerusalem—because ^(K)they were planning an ambush to kill him on the way. ⁴ Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea and that he himself intended to go there shortly. ⁵ “So,” said he, “let the men of authority among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them bring charges against him.”

⁶ After he stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day he took his seat on ^(L)the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. ⁷ When he had arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him ^(M)that they could not prove. ⁸ Paul argued in his defense, “Neither ^(N)against ^(O)the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor ^(P)against Caesar have I committed any offense.” ⁹ But Festus, ^(Q)wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me?” ¹⁰ But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar's ^(R)tribunal, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well. ¹¹ If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. ^(S)I appeal to Caesar.” ¹² Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered, “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.”

The Sun Stands Still

10 As soon as Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had captured Ai and had devoted it to destruction,^{[a] (A)}doing to Ai and its king ^(B)as he had done to Jericho and its king, and ^(C)how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, ^2 (D)he^[b] 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. ³ 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, ⁴ “Come up to me and help me, and let us strike Gibeon. For ^(E)it has made peace with Joshua and with the people of Israel.” ⁵ 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, ^(F)gathered their forces and went up with all their armies and encamped against Gibeon and made war against it.

⁶ And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua ^(G)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.” ⁷ So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and ^(H)all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. ⁸ And the Lord said to Joshua, ^(I)“Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. ^(J)Not a man of them shall stand before you.” ⁹ So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal. ^10 (K)And the Lord threw them into a panic before Israel, who^[c] struck them with a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by the way of ^(L)the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. ¹¹ And as they fled before Israel, while they were ^(M)going down the ascent of Beth-horon, ^(N)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.

¹² 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,

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. ^14 (P)There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded the voice of a man, for ^(Q)the Lord fought for Israel.

¹⁵ So ^(R)Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.

Paul Before Agrippa and Bernice

¹³ Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus. ¹⁴ And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying, ^(A)“There is a man left prisoner by Felix, ¹⁵ and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid out their case ^(B)against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. ^16 (C)I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone ^(D)before the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him. ^17 (E)So when they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on ^(F)the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought. ¹⁸ When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed. ¹⁹ Rather they ^(G)had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about ^(H)a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive. ²⁰ Being at a loss how to investigate these questions, I ^(I)asked whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding them. ²¹ But ^(J)when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of ^(K)the emperor, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar.” ²² Then ^(L)Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” said he, “you will hear him.”

²³ So on the next day ^(M)Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. ²⁴ And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom ^(N)the whole Jewish people petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, ^(O)shouting that he ought not to live any longer. ²⁵ But I found that ^(P)he had done nothing deserving death. And ^(Q)as he himself appealed to ^(R)the emperor, I decided to go ahead and send him. ²⁶ But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that, after we have examined him, I may have something to write. ²⁷ For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him.”