The Day the Sun Stood Still

1And it came to pass, when Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai and devoted it to destruction† (as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king), and how those dwelling in Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, 2that 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.

3Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, and to Piram king of Jarmuth, and to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, 4“Come up to me and help me, that we may attack Gibeon. For it has made peace with Joshua and with the sons of Israel.”

5And five kings of the Amorite—the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon—gathered together and went up, they and all their armies, and they camped before Gibeon and made war against it.

6And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Do not forsake your servants. Come up to us quickly, and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorite who dwell in the hill country have gathered together against us.”

7And Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor.

8And YHWH said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for into your hand I have given them. Not a man of them shall stand before you.”

9And Joshua came upon them suddenly, having gone up all the night from Gilgal. 10And YHWH routed them before the face of Israel, and he struck them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and he pursued them along the road of the ascent of Beth-horon, and he struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. 11And it came to pass, as they fled before Israel (they were on the descent of Beth-horon), that YHWH cast down on them large hailstones from the heavens as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.

12Then Joshua spoke to YHWH in the day when YHWH delivered up the Amorite before the face of the sons of Israel, and he said in the eyes of Israel,

“O Sun over Gibeon stand still,

and O Moon in the Valley of Aijalon.†”

13And the sun stood still,

and the moon stood,

until the nation took vengeance upon its enemies.†

Is it not written in the Scroll of the Upright one?†

“And the sun stood still

in the midst of the heavens,

and did not hurry to go down

for about a whole day.†”

14And there has not been a day like it before it or after it, that YHWH heeded the voice of a man; for YHWH fought for Israel.

And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.

The Victory at Makkedah

16And these five kings had fled and hidden themselves in a cave at Makkedah. 17And it was told to Joshua, saying, “The five kings have been found hidden in the cave at Makkedah.”

18And Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and set by it men to guard them. 19And you⁺, do not stay there; pursue after your⁺ enemies and attack the rear of them. Do not allow them to enter into their cities, for YHWH your⁺ God has delivered them into your⁺ hands.”

20And it came to pass that Joshua and the sons of Israel made an end of striking them with a very great slaughter, until they had finished, and the remnant of them escaped and entered into the fortified cities. 21And all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace. Not a man sharpened his tongue against the sons of Israel.

22And Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out to me these five kings from the cave.” 23And they did so, and they brought out to him these five kings from the cave—the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.

24And it was, when they brought out these kings to Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and he said to the captains of the men of war who went with him, “Come near, put your⁺ feet on the necks of these kings.”

And they drew near and put their feet on their necks.

25And Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid nor be dismayed. Be strong and of good courage, for thus YHWH will do to all your⁺ enemies against whom you⁺ are fighting.”

26And Joshua struck them after this and killed them, and he hanged them on five trees,† and they were hanging on the trees until the evening. 27And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun that Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees and cast them into the cave where they had been hidden, and they put large stones against the mouth of the cave, until this very day.

28And Joshua took Makkedah on that day, and he struck it with the mouth of the sword, and its king. He devoted to destruction them and every person who was in it; he let none remain. And He did to the king of Makkedah as He had done to the king of Jericho.

Conquest of the Southern Cities

29And Joshua passed over, and all Israel with him, from Makkedah to Libnah, and they fought against Libnah. 30And YHWH also delivered it into the hand of Israel, and its king, and he struck it with the mouth of the sword, and every person who was in it. He let none in it remain, and he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.

31And Joshua passed over, and all Israel with him, from Libnah to Lachish, and they encamped against it and fought against it. 32And YHWH delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, and he took it on the second day and struck it with the mouth of the sword, and every soul who was in it, according to all that he had done to Libnah.

33Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish, and Joshua struck him and his people, until he did not have left to him a remnant.

34And Joshua passed over, and all Israel with him, from Lachish to Eglon, and they encamped against it and fought against it. 35And they took it on that day and struck it with the mouth of the sword. And every person who was in it that day he devoted to destruction, according to all that he had done to Lachish.

36And Joshua went up, and all Israel with him, from Eglon to Hebron, and they fought against it. 37And they took it and struck it with the mouth of the sword, and its king, and all its cities, and every person who was in it. He left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon. And he devoted to destruction it and every person who was in it.

38And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir, and they fought against it. 39And he took it, and its king, and all its cities, and they struck them with the mouth of the sword, and they devoted to destruction every person who was in it; he left none remaining. As he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king, and as he had done to Libnah and its king.

40And Joshua conquered all the land of the hill country, and the Negev, and the Shephelah,† and the slopes, and all their kings. He left none remaining, and all that breathed he devoted to destruction, as YHWH, God of Israel, had commanded. 41And Joshua conquered them from Kadesh-barnea and as far as Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, and as far as Gibeon.

42And all these kings and their land Joshua took at one time, because YHWH, God of Israel, fought for Israel. And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.

Footnotes:

1 Forms of the Hebrew cherem refer to the giving over of things or persons to YHWH, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering; also in verses 28, 35, 37, 39, and 40.
12 See Jasher 88:63.
13 Or triumphed over its enemies
13 Or the Book of the Upright One, commonly cited as Jasher
13 See Jasher 88:64.
26 Or impaled their bodies on five poles; similarly in verse 27
40 Or foothills or lowlands; that is, the western foothills of Judea