ThenJoshuaspoketo the LORDin the daywhen the LORDdeliveredup the Amoritesbeforethe sonsof Israel,and he saidin the sightof Israel,"O sun,standstillat Gibeon,And O moonin the valleyof Aijalon."
Sun[and] moonstoodin their places;They wentaway at the lightof Your arrows,At the radianceof Your gleamingspear.
"Behold,I will causethe shadowon the stairway,whichhas gonedownwith the sunon the stairwayof Ahaz,to gobacktensteps."So the sun's[shadow] wentbacktenstepson the stairwayon whichit had gonedown.
"Your sunwill nolongerset,Norwill your moonwane;For you will havethe LORDfor an everlastinglight,And the daysof your mourningwill be over.
For the LORDwill riseup as [at] MountPerazim,He will be stirredup as in the valleyof Gibeon,To doHis task,His unusualtask,And to workHis work,His extraordinarywork.
Their linehas goneout through allthe earth,And their utterancesto the endof the world.In them He has placeda tentfor the sun,
So the sunstoodstill,and the moonstopped,Untilthe nationavengedthemselves of their enemies.Is it not writtenin the bookof Jashar?And the sunstoppedin the middleof the skyand did not hastento go[down] for about a wholeday.
PraiseHim, sunand moon;PraiseHim, allstarsof light!
Who commandsthe sunnot to shine,And setsa sealupon the stars;
"And [beware] not to liftup your eyesto heavenand seethe sunand the moonand the stars,allthe hostof heaven,and be drawnawayand worshipthem and servethem, those whichthe LORDyour Godhas allottedto allthe peoplesunderthe wholeheaven.
"Be silent,allflesh,beforethe LORD;for He is arousedfrom His holyhabitation."
"But the LORDis in His holytemple.Let allthe earthbe silentbeforeHim."
Yours is the day,Yours alsois the night;You have preparedthe lightand the sun.
and Shaalabbinand Aijalonand Ithlah,
and has goneand servedothergodsand worshipedthem, or the sunorthe moonoranyof the heavenlyhost,whichI have not commanded,
"It will comeabout in that day,"declaresthe LordGOD,"That I will make the sungodown at noonAnd makethe earthdarkin broaddaylight.
Then Elonthe Zebulunitediedand was buriedat Aijalonin the landof Zebulun.
"The starsfoughtfrom heaven,From their coursesthey foughtagainstSisera.
They struckamong the Philistinesthat dayfrom Michmashto Aijalon.And the peoplewere veryweary.
Now Abnerthe sonof Ner,wentout from Mahanaimto Gibeonwith the servantsof Ish-bosheththe sonof Saul.
Isaiahthe prophetcriedto the LORD,and He broughtthe shadowon the stairwaybacktenstepsby whichit had gonedownon the stairwayof Ahaz.
Now in the sameyear,in the beginningof the reignof Zedekiahkingof Judah,in the fourthyear,in the fifthmonth,Hananiahthe sonof Azzur,the prophet,whowas from Gibeon,spoketo me in the houseof the LORDin the presenceof the priestsand allthe people,saying,
"Yet it was I who destroyedthe Amoritebeforethem, Though his height[was] like the heightof cedarsAnd he [was] strongas the oaks;I even destroyedhis fruitaboveand his rootbelow.
Aijalonwith its pasturelands,Gath-rimmonwith its pasturelands;fourcities.
So Samuelcalledto the LORD,and the LORDsentthunderand rainthat day;and allthe peoplegreatlyfearedthe LORDand Samuel.
Isaiahsaid,"Thisshall be the signto you from the LORD,that the LORDwill dothe thingthat He has spoken:shall the shadowgoforward tenstepsorgobacktensteps?"
So Hezekiahanswered,"It is easyfor the shadowto declinetensteps;no,but let the shadowturnbackwardtensteps."
and Beriahand Shema,whowere headsof fathers'[households] of the inhabitantsof Aijalon,whoputto flightthe inhabitantsof Gath;
Zorah,Aijalonand Hebron,whichare fortifiedcitiesin Judahand in Benjamin.
