⁶ The Gibeonites sent word to Joshua at his camp in Gilgal: “Don’t abandon your servants. Come quickly, save us, and help us, because all of the kings of the Amorites who live in the hill country have attacked us.” ⁷ So Joshua went up from Gilgal, along with his entire fighting force of mighty warriors with him.

⁸ The Lord told Joshua, “Don’t fear them, because I have handed them over to you. Not one of them will withstand you.” ⁹ So after an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua attacked them by surprise. ¹⁰ The Lord threw the Amorites^[a] into a panic right in front of the army^[b] of Israel, which then slaughtered many of them at Gibeon. The Israeli army^[c] chased them along the road that goes up to Beth-horon, striking them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. ¹¹ While they were fleeing in front of Israel and descending the slope of Beth-horon, the Lord rained down huge hailstones on them as far as Azekah, and they died. More died because of the hailstones than were killed by the Israelis in battle.^[d]