Joshua 10:10-25

¹⁰The Lord threw the Amorite armies into a panic when they saw the Israelites. He struck them down with a great blow at Gibeon; he chased them all the way up to Beth-horon, cutting them down on the way to Azekah and Makkedah.

¹¹As they ran away from the Israelites down the slope from Beth-horon, the Lord hurled large hailstones down on them from the skies all the way to Azekah. More were killed by the hailstones than we killed by the swords of the Israelites.

¹²On the day that the Lord handed the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke by the Lord in the presence of the Israelites, saying, “Sun, stand still over Gibeon! Moon, stand still over the Valley of Aijalon!”

¹³The sun stopped moving, and the moon stood still, until the nation of Israel had inflicted defeat on their enemies. (This is recorded in the Book of Jashar). The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not go down for around a full day.

¹⁴There wasn't a day like this ever before or since when the Lord listened to a human voice in such a way. It was because the Lord was fighting for Israel.

¹⁵Then Joshua and all the army returned to the camp at Gilgal.

¹⁶The five kings had run away and hid in a cave at Makkedah.

¹⁷When Joshua was told that the five kings were hiding in a cave at Makkedah,

¹⁸he gave this order, “Roll some large stones to block the entrance to the cave and have some men guard it.

¹⁹But don't you stay there. Chase the enemy down and attack them from the rear. Don't let them escape to their towns for the Lord has given them to you to defeat.”

²⁰So Joshua and the Israelites totally defeated them, striking them down and killing them. Only a few of them survived to escape back to their towns.

²¹The army returned to Joshua at the camp at Makkedah, and no one dared even to threaten the Israelites.

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

²³So they did, bringing out the five kings from the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon.

²⁴When they had brought the kings to Joshua, he summoned all the fighting men, and said to the commanders who had gone with him, “Come here, and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came over and put their feet on their necks.

²⁵Joshua said to them, “Don't ever be afraid or discouraged! Be strong and be brave! For the Lord is going to do the same thing to all your enemies that you're going to fight!”