The Day the Sun Stood Still

10 Now King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai and completely destroyed(A) it, treating Ai and its king as he had Jericho and its king, and that the inhabitants of Gibeon(B) had made peace with Israel and were living among them.(C) So Adoni-zedek and his people were[a] greatly alarmed because Gibeon was a large city like one of the royal cities;(D) it was larger than Ai, and all its men were warriors. Therefore King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent word to King Hoham of Hebron, King Piram of Jarmuth, King Japhia of Lachish, and King Debir of Eglon, saying, “Come up and help me. We will attack Gibeon, because they have made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.” So the five Amorite kings—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon—joined forces, advanced with all their armies, besieged Gibeon, and fought against it.

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Footnotes

  1. 10:2 One Hb ms, Syr, Vg read So he was

Israel Defeats an Amorite Coalition

10 Adoni-Zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua captured Ai and annihilated it and its king as he did Jericho and its king.[a] He also heard how[b] the people of Gibeon made peace with Israel and lived among them. All Jerusalem was terrified[c] because Gibeon was a large city, like one of the royal cities. It was larger than Ai and all its men were warriors. So King Adoni-Zedek of Jerusalem sent this message to King Hoham of Hebron, King Piram of Jarmuth, King Japhia of Lachish, and King Debir of Eglon: “Come to my aid[d] so we can attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.” So the five Amorite kings (the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon) and all their troops gathered together and advanced. They deployed their troops and fought against Gibeon.[e]

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Footnotes

  1. Joshua 10:1 tn Heb “as he had done to Jericho and to its king, so he did to Ai and to its king.”
  2. Joshua 10:1 tn Heb “and how.”
  3. Joshua 10:2 tn This statement is subordinated to v. 1 in the Hebrew text, which reads literally, “When Adoni-Zedek…they feared greatly.” The subject of the plural verb at the beginning of v. 2 is probably the residents of Jerusalem.
  4. Joshua 10:4 tn Heb “Come up to me and help me.”
  5. Joshua 10:5 tn Heb “and they camped against Gibeon and fought against it.”