9. (a) What crisis next arose? (b) How did Joshua respond, and with what assurance?

⁹ When Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, got to hear that the Gibeonites had made peace with Israel, “he became very much afraid, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, . . . and all its men were mighty ones.” He joined forces with four other kings, and they laid siege to Gibeon. Immediately, the Gibeonites appealed to Joshua: “Come up to us quickly and do save us and help us.” At once, Joshua responded, and Jehovah reassured him, saying: “Do not be afraid of them, for into your hand I have given them. Not a man of them will stand against you.” Joshua and his valiant mighty men marched up “all night long” so as to take the enemy completely by surprise.​—Joshua 10:1-9.

12. What miracles does Jehovah perform in fighting for Israel in defense of the Gibeonites? (Compare Habakkuk 3:1, 2, 11, 12.)

¹² But look, now, at Gibeon. Jehovah is throwing those enemy forces into confusion. Israel is pursuing them with a mighty slaughter. And what do we see hurled down from the heavens? Great chunks of ice! More are being killed by these huge hailstones than by the warriors of Israel. Now, listen. Joshua is speaking to Jehovah, and what does he say “before the eyes of Israel”? This: “Sun, be motionless over Gibeon, and, moon, over the low plain of Aijalon.” Another awesome miracle! “For about a whole day,” the sun illuminates that battlefield, until God’s vengeance is completely executed. It is not for us to debate how Jehovah performed that miracle, any more than we question how he ‘made’ two great luminaries to shine through on his fourth creative “day.” (Genesis 1:16-19; Psalm 135:5, 6) The record is conclusive: “No day has proved to be like that one, either before it or after it, in that Jehovah listened to the voice of a man, for Jehovah himself was fighting for Israel.”​—Joshua 10:10-14.

13. How does Joshua further encourage his commanders, and with what final result?

¹³ Mop-up operations are climaxed by the slaying of the five kings, at which time Joshua says to his commanders: “Do not be afraid or be terrified. Be courageous and strong, for it is like this that Jehovah will do to all your enemies against whom you are warring.” This has already proved to be true with regard to seven kings of Canaan, and it continues to be true as another complete number of 24 kingdoms are overthrown.