12. On the day the lord gave the Israelites victory over the Amorites, Joshua prayed to the lord in front of all the people of Israel. He said, “Let the sun stand still over Gibeon,and the moon over the valley of Aijalon.”
13. So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies.Is this event not recorded in The Book of Jashar? The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and it did not set as on a normal day.
14. There has never been a day like this one before or since, when the lord answered such a prayer. Surely the lord fought for Israel that day!
15. Then Joshua and the Israelite army returned to their camp at Gilgal.
16. During the battle the five kings escaped and hid in a cave at Makkedah.
17. When Joshua heard that they had been found,
18. he issued this command: “Cover the opening of the cave with large rocks, and place guards at the entrance to keep the kings inside.
19. The rest of you continue chasing the enemy and cut them down from the rear. Don’t give them a chance to get back to their towns, for the lord your God has given you victory over them.”
20. So Joshua and the Israelite army continued the slaughter and completely crushed the enemy. They totally wiped out the five armies except for a tiny remnant that managed to reach their fortified towns.
21. Then the Israelites returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. After that, no one dared to speak even a word against Israel.
22. Then Joshua said, “Remove the rocks covering the opening of the cave, and bring the five kings to me.”
23. So they brought the five kings out of the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon.
24. When they brought them out, Joshua told the commanders of his army, “Come and put your feet on the kings’ necks.” And they did as they were told.
25. “Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged,” Joshua told his men. “Be strong and courageous, for the lord is going to do this to all of your enemies.”
26. Then Joshua killed each of the five kings and impaled them on five sharpened poles, where they hung until evening.
27. As the sun was going down, Joshua gave instructions for the bodies of the kings to be taken down from the poles and thrown into the cave where they had been hiding. Then they covered the opening of the cave with a pile of large rocks, which remains to this very day.