Joshua 10:3-27

3Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish and Debir king of Eglon saying:

4“Come up and help me! Let’s attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and Bnei-Yisrael.”

5So 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—gathered themselves and went up, they and all their armies, camped against Gibeon and attacked it.

6Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua in camp at Gilgal saying: “Don’t abandon your servants! Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, for all the kings of the Amorites living in the hill country have gathered against us.”

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

8Adonai said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will stand before you.”

9So Joshua came upon them suddenly by marching all night from Gilgal.

10Adonai threw them into confusion before Israel, defeated them with a crushing defeat at Gibeon, chased them by the road that goes up to Beth-horon, and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah.

11While they were fleeing before Israel down the descent of Beth-horon, Adonai cast down great stones from heaven on them all the way to Azekah so they died—more of them died from the hailstones than those Bnei-Yisrael killed with the sword.

12Then Joshua spoke to Adonai, on the day Adonai gave the Amorites over to Bnei-Yisrael, and said in the eyes of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, Moon, over the Aijalon Valley!”

13So the sun stood still and the moon stopped until the nation took vengeance on its enemies. (Is it not written in the Book of Jashar?) Thus the sun halted in the middle of the sky, and did not hurry to go down for about a full day.

14There was no day like that before it or after it, when Adonai listened to the voice of a man. For Adonai fought for Israel.

15Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal.

16Now these five kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.

17So it was reported to Joshua, “The five kings are found hidden in the cave at Makkedah.”

18Joshua said, “Roll large stones onto the mouth of the cave, assign men over it to guard them,

19but don’t stay there yourselves. Chase after your enemies and attack them at the rear. Don’t let them enter their cities, for Adonai your God has given them into your hand.”

20So it was that Joshua and Bnei-Yisrael finished striking them with a very great slaughter until they were wiped out, though some of their survivors escaped into the fortified cities.

21Then all the people returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. No one dared sharpen his tongue against Bnei-Yisrael.

22Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring out those five kings to me from the cave.”

23So they did so, and brought out those five kings to him from the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon.

24When they brought out those kings to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, “Come forward and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came forward and put their feet on their necks.

25Then Joshua said to them, “Never fear or be dismayed. Chazak! Be strong! For thus will Adonai do to all your enemies whom you will fight.”

26After this, Joshua struck them and put them to death, then hanged them on five trees, and they remained hanging on the trees until evening.

27It came about at sunset that Joshua commanded that they be taken down from the trees and thrown into the cave where they had hidden themselves. Then they placed large stones at the mouth of the cave which are there to this very day.