太阳停止
1耶路撒冷王亚多尼·洗德听说约书亚夺取并毁灭了艾城，像对付耶利哥和耶利哥王一样对付艾城和艾城的王，又听说基遍人已经跟以色列人立了盟约，住在他们中间， 2便大为恐惧。因为基遍是一座大城，宏伟得像座都城，比艾城更大，城中的人都骁勇善战。 3耶路撒冷王亚多尼·洗德便派遣使者去见希伯仑王何咸、耶末王毗兰、拉吉王雅非亚和伊矶伦王底璧，说： 4“求你们上来帮助我攻打基遍，因为这城已经与约书亚和以色列人立了和约。” 5这五位亚摩利王便联合起来，率领他们所有的军队在基遍附近扎营，攻打基遍。
6基遍人派人去吉甲告诉约书亚说：“住在山区的亚摩利众王正联合起来攻打我们，求你赶快来救我们！不要不顾你的仆人。” 7于是，约书亚便率领他的全军，包括所有的精兵，从吉甲上去。 8耶和华对约书亚说：“不要害怕，我已经把他们交在你手中，他们没有一人能抵挡你。” 9约书亚从吉甲出发，连夜赶路，突袭敌人。 10耶和华使亚摩利联军阵脚大乱，以色列人就在基遍大败敌军，在去伯·和仑的上坡路上追杀他们，一直追到亚西加和玛基大。 11敌人在从伯·和仑到亚西加的下坡路上逃窜的时候，耶和华降下大冰雹，被冰雹砸死的人比以色列人用刀杀死的还要多。
12耶和华将亚摩利人交在以色列人手中，那天约书亚当众向耶和华祷告：
“太阳啊，停在基遍！
月亮啊，停在亚雅仑谷！”
13果然太阳停住了，
月亮也不动了，
直到以色列人杀败敌人。
《雅煞珥书》记载了这事。约有一天的时间，太阳停留在天空，没有西沉。 14耶和华这样垂听一个人的祈求是空前绝后的，这是因为耶和华要为以色列争战。
15后来，约书亚率领以色列军返回了吉甲的营地。
亚摩利五王被杀
16那五王逃进玛基大的山洞里，躲藏起来。 17有人告诉约书亚那五个王藏在玛基大的山洞里， 18约书亚便下令说：“滚几块大石头堵住洞口，派人看守。 19你们不可停下来，要继续追杀敌人，不要让他们逃回城，你们的上帝耶和华已经把他们交在你们手中了。” 20约书亚和以色列人把敌人杀得大败，几乎全军覆没，一些残余都逃进了坚固的城垒。 21以色列人都安然无恙地回到约书亚驻扎的玛基大营。再也没有人敢威胁以色列人了。
22约书亚说：“打开洞口，把里面的五个王押出来见我。” 23众人便把耶路撒冷王、希伯仑王、耶末王、拉吉王、伊矶伦王从洞里押出来，带到约书亚面前。 24约书亚召来全体以色列人，然后对那些跟他一起出征的将领说：“你们上前来，用脚踏在这些王的颈上。”各将领便照着约书亚的吩咐做了。 25约书亚对他们说：“你们不要害怕，也不要惊慌，应该刚强勇敢，因为耶和华要使你们所有的仇敌都落此下场。” 26随后约书亚将这五个王杀死，把尸体分别挂在五棵树上，直到傍晚。 27日落时，约书亚才下令把尸体放下，丢在他们先前躲藏的山洞里，用大石头堵住洞口，石头至今还在那里。
28约书亚在当天占领了玛基大，把玛基大王和所有的居民都杀了，一个没留。他对待玛基大王跟以前对待耶利哥王一样。
29约书亚和以色列军又从玛基大出发，去攻打立拿。 30耶和华将立拿城和立拿王交在以色列人手中，他们杀了全城的人，一个没留。他们对待立拿王跟以前对待耶利哥王一样。
31约书亚和以色列军从立拿前往拉吉，他们在城外扎营，攻打拉吉。 32耶和华将拉吉交在以色列人手中，第二天约书亚便攻占了拉吉，杀了全城的人，就像在立拿所行的一样。 33基色王何兰前来支持拉吉，结果也被约书亚杀得一个不剩。
34约书亚又率领以色列全军从拉吉前往伊矶伦，在城外扎营，攻打伊矶伦。 35他们当天就攻陷该城，杀了城内所有的人，就像在拉吉所行的一样。
36约书亚和全体以色列人又从伊矶伦去攻打希伯仑。 37他们攻陷该城及其附属城邑，杀了希伯仑王和城邑中的居民，一个没留，就像在伊矶伦所行的一样。
38然后，约书亚和全体以色列人再回兵攻打底璧， 39攻取了该城及其附属城邑，擒获底璧王，杀了城中所有的人，一个没留，就像对待希伯仑、立拿和立拿王一样。
40这样，约书亚征服了整个地区，包括山区、南地、丘陵和山坡，按照以色列的上帝耶和华的吩咐杀了当地的诸王和所有的居民，一个没留。 41约书亚征服了各地，从加低斯·巴尼亚到加萨，歌珊全境，直到基遍。 42约书亚能一鼓作气杀败诸王，征服他们的土地，都是因为有以色列的上帝耶和华为以色列人争战。 43之后，约书亚率领以色列人回到吉甲的营地。
The Sun Stands Still
1Adoni-Zedek was the king of Jerusalem. He heard that Joshua had captured Ai. He found out that the city had been set apart to the Lord in a special way to be destroyed. He heard that Joshua had done to Ai and its king the same thing he had done to Jericho and its king. Adoni-Zedek heard that the people of Gibeon had made a peace treaty with Israel. He also found out that they were living among the Israelites. 2The things he heard alarmed him and his people very much. That’s because Gibeon was an important city. It was like one of the royal cities. It was larger than Ai. All its men were good soldiers. 3So Adoni-Zedek, the king of Jerusalem, made an appeal to Hoham, the king of Hebron. He appealed to Piram, the king of Jarmuth. He appealed to Japhia, the king of Lachish. He also made an appeal to Debir, the king of Eglon. 4“Come up and help me attack Gibeon,” he said. “Its people have made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.”
5Then the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon gathered their armies together. Those five Amorite kings moved all their troops into position to fight against Gibeon. Then they attacked it.
6Joshua was in the camp at Gilgal. The people of Gibeon sent a message to him there. They said, “Don’t desert us. We serve you. Come up to us quickly! Save us! Help us! All the Amorite kings from the central hill country have gathered their armies together to fight against us.”
7So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his whole army. The army included all his best fighting men. 8The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them. I have handed them over to you. Not one of them will be able to fight against you and win.”
9Joshua marched all night from Gilgal. He took the Amorite armies by surprise. 10The Lord threw them into a panic as Israel marched toward them. Then Joshua and the Israelites won a complete victory over them at Gibeon. The Israelites chased them along the road that goes up to Beth Horon. They struck them down all the way to Azekah and Makkedah. 11The Amorites tried to escape as Israel marched toward them. They ran down the road from Beth Horon to Azekah. Then the Lord threw large hailstones down on them. The hailstones killed more of them than the swords of the Israelites did.
12So the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel. On that day Joshua spoke to the Lord while the Israelites were listening. He said,
“Sun, stand still over Gibeon.
And you, moon, stand still over the Valley of Aijalon.”
13So the sun stood still.
The moon stopped.
They didn’t move again until the nation won the battle over its enemies.
You can read about it in the Book of Jashar.
The sun stopped in the middle of the sky. It didn’t go down for about a full day. 14There has never been a day like it before or since. It was a day when the Lord listened to a mere human being. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!
15Joshua and his whole army returned to the camp at Gilgal.
Joshua Kills the Five Amorite Kings
16The five Amorite kings had run away. They had hidden in the cave at Makkedah. 17Joshua was told that the five kings had been found. He was also told that they were hiding in the cave at Makkedah. 18He said, “Roll some large rocks up to the opening of the cave. Put some men there to guard it. 19But keep on going! Chase your enemies! Attack them from behind. Don’t let them get back to their cities. The Lord your God has handed them over to you.”
20So Joshua and the men of Israel had complete victory over them. They killed almost every one of them. But a few escaped. They went back to their cities that had high walls around them. 21Then Israel’s whole army returned safely to Joshua. He was in the camp at Makkedah. No one in the land dared to say anything against the Israelites.
22Joshua said, “Open up the cave. Bring those five kings out to me.” 23So Joshua’s men brought the kings out of the cave. They were the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon. 24The men brought them to Joshua. Then he sent for all the men of Israel. He spoke to the army commanders who had come with him. He said, “Come here. Put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came forward and placed their feet on the necks of the kings.
25Joshua said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Don’t lose hope. Be strong and brave. This is what the Lord will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.” 26Joshua put the five kings to death. He stuck a pole through each of their bodies. Then he set the poles up where people could see the bodies. He left them there until evening.
27At sunset Joshua ordered his men to take down the bodies. So they took them down from the poles and threw them into the cave where the kings had been hiding. They placed large rocks at the opening of the cave. And the rocks are still there to this day.
The Campaign Against the Cities in the South
28That day Joshua captured Makkedah. He cut down its people and their king. He totally destroyed everyone in it. He didn’t leave anyone alive. He did to the king of Makkedah the same thing he had done to the king of Jericho.
29Joshua moved on from Makkedah to Libnah. Israel’s whole army went with him. They attacked Libnah. 30The Lord also handed that city and its king over to Israel. Joshua destroyed the city. He and his men killed everyone in it with their swords. He didn’t leave anyone alive there. He did to its king the same thing he had done to the king of Jericho.
31Joshua moved on from Libnah to Lachish. Israel’s whole army went with him. The men took up their battle positions. Then Joshua attacked Lachish. 32The Lord handed it over to Israel. Joshua captured the city on the second day of the battle. He destroyed the city. He and his men killed everyone in it with their swords. He had done the same thing to Libnah. 33While all that was happening, Horam had come up to help Lachish. He was the king of Gezer. But Joshua won the battle over him and his army. No one was left alive.
34Joshua moved on from Lachish to Eglon. Israel’s whole army went with him. They took up their battle positions. Then they attacked Eglon. 35They captured it that same day. They totally destroyed everyone in it with their swords. They had done the same thing to Lachish.
36Joshua went up from Eglon to Hebron. Israel’s whole army went with him. Then they attacked Hebron. 37They captured the city. They destroyed it and its villages. They killed all its people and their king with their swords. They didn’t leave anyone alive. They totally destroyed the city and everyone in it. They had done the same thing at Eglon.
38Joshua turned back and attacked Debir. Israel’s whole army went with him. 39They captured the city, its king and its villages. They totally destroyed everyone in Debir with their swords. They didn’t leave anyone alive. They did to Debir and its king the same thing they had done to Libnah and its king. They had also done the same thing to Hebron.
40So Joshua brought the whole area under his control. That included the central hill country and the Negev Desert. It included the western hills and the mountain slopes. It also included all the kings in that whole area. Joshua didn’t leave anyone alive. He totally destroyed everyone who breathed. He did just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded. 41Joshua brought everyone from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza under his control. He did the same thing to everyone from the whole area of Goshen to Gibeon. 42He won the battle over all those kings and their lands. He did it in one campaign. That’s because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.
43Then Joshua returned to the camp at Gilgal. Israel’s whole army went with him.
