A reading from the book of Joshua.

As soon as Adonai Zedek, King of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had captured AI and had devoted it to destruction,

doing to AI and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibbon had made peace with Israel and were among them, he feared greatly, because

Gibbon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than A.I.I.

And all its men were warriors. So Adonai Zedak, king of Jerusalem, sent to Hoham, king of Ibron,

to Pyrrim, king of Jarmath, to Jafaya, King of Lakish, and to Deber, King of Eglon, saying,

Come up to me and help me, and let us strike Gibian, for it has made peace with Joshua, and with the

people of Israel. Then the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron,

the king of Jarmouth, the king of Lakh, and the King of Eglon, gathered their

forces and went up with all their armies, and encamped against Gibian, and made war against

it.

And the men of Gibbon sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgall, saying, Do not relax

your hand from your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the

Amorites who dwell in the hill country are gathered against us. So Joshua went up from Gilgau,

he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor, and the Lord said to Joshua,

do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you.

So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgau, and the Lord

threw them into a panic before Israel, who struck them with a great blow at Gibbon, and chased

them by the way of the ascent of Beth Horan, and struck them as far as Azika and Makita,

and as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth Horan and shook them as far as Azika and Makita, and as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth Horan, the Lord threw down large

stones from heaven on them as far as Azika, and they died. There were more who died because of the

hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword. At that time, Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel killed with the sword. At that time, Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when

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