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.

⁴⁰ So Joshua struck the whole land, the hill country and the Negeb and the lowland ^(A)and the slopes, and all their kings. He left none remaining, ^(B)but devoted to destruction all that breathed, just as the Lord God of Israel commanded. ⁴¹ And Joshua struck them from ^(C)Kadesh-barnea as far as Gaza, and all the country of ^(D)Goshen, as far as Gibeon. ⁴² And Joshua captured all these kings and their land at one time, ^(E)because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel. ^43 (F)Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.