elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying, Take provision in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your 12 servants: and now make ye a covenant with us. This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, and is become mouldy: and these wine-skins, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they be rent: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey. And the men took of their provision, and asked not 15 counsel at the mouth of the LORD. And Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them. And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them. And the children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and 18 Kiriath-jearim. And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the LORD, the God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes. But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them by the LORD, the God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them. This we will do to them, and let them live; lest wrath 21 be upon us, because of the oath which we sware unto them. And the princes said unto them, Let them live: so they became hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation; as the princes had spoken unto them. And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying, Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you; when ye dwell among us? Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall never fail to be of you bondmen, both hewers of wood and drawers of 24 water for the house of my God. And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that the LORD thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; therefore we were sore afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing. And now, behold, we are in thine hand: as it seemeth good and right unto 26 thee to do unto us, do. And so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slew them not. And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the LORD, unto this day, in the place which he should choose.

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Story of the League of the Five Kings

Now it came to pass, when Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them; that they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the 3 men thereof were mighty. Wherefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying, Come up unto me, and help me, and let us smite Gibeon: for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel. Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together, and went up, they and all their hosts, and encamped against Gibeon, 6 and made war against it. And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the hill country are gathered together against us. So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour. And the LORD said unto Joshua,

Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hands; there shall not a man of them stand before thee. Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly; for he went up 9 from Gilgal all the night. And the LORD discomfited them before Israel, and he slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah. And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, while they were in the going down of Beth-horon, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with the hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.

Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the 12 Amorites before the children of Israel; and he said in the sight of Israel,

Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon;

And thou, Moon, in the valley of Aijalon.

And the sun stood still,

And the moon stayed,

Until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies.*

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And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal. And these five kings fled, and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah. And it 16 was told Joshua, saying, The five kings are found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah. And Joshua said, Roll great stones unto the mouth of the cave, and set men by it for to keep them: but stay not ye; pursue after your enemies, and smite the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities: for the LORD your God hath delivered them into your hand. And it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of Israel 20 had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, till they were consumed, and the remnant which remained of them had entered into the fenced cities, that all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace: none moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel. Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring forth those five kings unto me out of the cave. And they did so, 23 and brought forth those five kings unto him out of the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon. And it came to pass, when they brought forth those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the chiefs of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them. And Joshua said unto them, Fear 25 not, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight. And afterward Joshua smote them, and put them to death, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening. And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun, that Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they had hidden themselves, and laid great stones on the mouth of the cave, unto this very day.

And Joshua took Makkedah on that day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof; he utterly destroyed them and all the souls that History were therein, he left none remaining: and he did to the king of Mak- continued kedah as he had done unto the king of Jericho.

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And Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, unto Libnah, and 29 fought against Libnah: and the LORD delivered it also, and the king thereof, into the hand of Israel; and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were

*Is not this written in the book of Jashar? "And the sun stayed in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it, 14 that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel."

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therein; he left none remaining in it; and he did unto the king thereof as he had done unto the king of Jericho.

And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, unto Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it: and the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, and he took it on the second day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein, according to all that he had done to Libnah.

Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua smote him and his people, until he had left him none remaining.

34 And Joshua passed from Lachish, and all Israel with him, unto Eglon; and they encamped against it, and fought against it; and they took it on that day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein he utterly destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.

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38

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And Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, unto Hebron; and they fought against it, and they took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof, and all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but he utterly destroyed it, and all the souls that were therein.

And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir; and fought against it: and he took it, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining: as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to the king thereof; as he had done also to Libnah, and to the king thereof.

So Joshua smote all the land, the hill country, and the South, and the lowland, and the slopes, and all their kings; he left none remaining: but he utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD, the God of Israel, commanded. And Joshua smote them from Kadesh-barnea even unto Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even unto Gibeon. And all these kings and their land did Joshua take at one time, because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel. And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.

And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor heard thereof, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph, and to the kings that were on the north, in the hill country, and in the Arabah south of Chinneroth, and in the lowland, and in the heights of Dor on the west, to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebu4 site in the hill country, and the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpah. And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, much people, even as the sand that is upon the sea shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many. And all these kings met together; and they came and pitched together at the waters of Merom, to fight with Israel. And the LORD said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to-morrow at this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt 7 hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire. So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly, and fell upon them. And the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, and they smote them, and chased them unto great Zidon, and unto Misrephoth-maim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them, until they left them none remaining. And Joshua did unto them as the LORD bade him: he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire.

ΙΟ

And Joshua turned back at that time, and took Hazor, and smote the king thereof with the sword: for Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms. And they smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them: there was none left that breathed: and he burnt Hazor with fire. And all the cities of those kings, and all the kings of them, did Joshua take, and he smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed them; as Moses the servant of the

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LORD commanded. But as for the cities that stood on their mounds, Israel burned 13 none of them, save Hazor only; that did Joshua burn. And all the spoil of these cities, and the cattle, the children of Israel took for a prey unto themselves; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, neither left they any that breathed. As the LORD commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua: and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses.

So Joshua took all that land, the hill country, and all the South, and all the land 16 of Goshen, and the lowland, and the Arabah, and the hill country of Israel, and the lowland of the same; from mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir, even unto Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon under mount Hermon: and all their kings he took, and smote them, and put them to death. Joshua made war a long time with all those kings. There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites the 19 inhabitants of Gibeon: they took all in battle. For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, to come against Israel in battle, that he might utterly destroy them, that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses. And Joshua came at that time, and cut off the Anakim from the hill country, 21 from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel: Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities. There was none of the Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, did some remain. So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD spake unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land had rest from war.

Now these are the kings of the land, whom the children of Israel smote, and possessed their land beyond Jordan toward the sunrising, from the valley of Arnon unto mount Hermon, and all the Arabah east2 ward: Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and half Gilead, even unto the river Jabbok, the border of the children of Am3 mon; and the Arabah unto the sea of Chinneroth, eastward, and unto the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt Sea, eastward, the way to Beth-jeshimoth; and on the south, under the slopes of Pisgah: and the border of Og king of Bashan, of the remnant of the Rephaim, who dwelt at Ash5 taroth and at Edrei, and ruled in mount Hermon, and in Salecah, and in all Bashan, unto the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and half Gilead, the border 6 of Sihon king of Heshbon. Moses the servant of the LORD and the children of Israel smote them: and Moses the servant of the LORD gave it for a possession unto the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh.

in the valley of Lebanon even unto mount
Halak, that goeth up to Seir; and Joshua
gave it unto the tribes of Israel for a pos-
session according to their divisions; in the 8
hill country, and in the lowland, and in the
Arabah, and in the slopes, and in the wilder-
ness, and in the South; the Hittite, the
Amorite, and the Canaanite, the Perizzite,
the Hivite, and the Jebusite: the king of 9
Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is
beside Beth-el, one; the king of Jerusalem,
one; the king of Hebron, one; the king of
Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one;
the king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer,
one; the king of Debir, one; the king of 13
Geder, one; the king of Hormah, one; the
king of Arad, one; the king of Libnah, one;
the king of Adullam, one; the king of
Makkedah, one; the king of Beth-el, one;
the king of Tappuah, one; the king of 17
Hepher, one; the king of Aphek, one; the
king of Lassharon, one; the king of Madon,
one; the king of Hazor, one; the king of
Shimron-meron, one; the king of Ach-
shaph, one; the king of Taanach, one; 21
the king of Megiddo, one; the king of
Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam in
Carmel, one; the king of Dor in the height
of Dor, one; the king of Goiim in Gilgal,
one; the king of Tirzah, one: all the kings
thirty and one.