Joshua 9–10

Chapter 9

Now when these things were heard of, all the kings beyond the Jordan, that dwelt in the mountains, and in the plains, in the places near the sea, and on the coasts of the great sea, they also that dwell by Libanus, the Hethite, and the Amorrhite, the Chanaanite, the Pherezite, and the Hevite, and the Jebusite,

²Gathered themselves together, to fight against Josue and Israel with one mind, and one resolution.

³But they that dwelt in Gabaon, hearing all that Josue had done to Jericho and Hai:

⁴Cunningly devising took for themselves provisions, laying old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles rent and sewed up again,

⁵And very old shoes, which for a show of age were clouted with patches, and old garments upon them: the loaves also, which they carried for provisions by the way, were hard, and broken into pieces:

⁶And they went to Josue, who then abode in the camp at Galgal, and said to him, and to all Israel with him: We are come from a far country, desiring to make peace with you. And the children of Israel answered them, and said:

⁷Perhaps you dwell in the land which falls to our lot; if so, we can make no league with you.

⁸But they said to Josue: We are thy servants. Josue said to them: Who are you? and whence came you?

⁹They answered: From a very far country thy servants are come in the name of the Lord thy God. For we have heard the fame of his power, all the things that he did in Egypt.

¹⁰And to the two kings of the Amorrhites, that were beyond the Jordan, Sehon, king of Hesebon, and Og, king of Basan, that was in Astaroth:

¹¹And our ancients, and all the inhabitants of our country, said to us: Take with you victuals for a long way, and go meet them, and say: We are your servants, make ye a league with us.

¹²Behold, these loaves we took hot, when we set out from our houses to come to you, now they are become dry, and broken in pieces by being exceeding old.

¹³These bottles of wine when we filled them were new, now they are rent and burst. These garments we have on, and the shoes we have on our feet, by reason of the very long journey, are worn out, and almost consumed.

¹⁴They took therefore of their victuals, and consulted not the mouth of the Lord.

¹⁵And Josue made peace with them, and entering into a league, promised that they should not be slain: the princes also of the multitude swore to them.

¹⁶Now three days after the league was made, they heard that they dwelt nigh, and they should be among them.

¹⁷And the children of Israel removed the camp, and came into their cities on the third day, the names of which are, Gabaon, and Caphira, and Beroth, and Cariathiarim.

¹⁸And they slew them not, because the princes of the multitude had sworn in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. Then all the common people murmured against the princes.

¹⁹And they answered them: We have sworn to them in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, and therefore we may not touch them.

²⁰But this we will do to them: Let their lives be saved, lest the wrath of the Lord be stirred up against us, if we should be forsworn:

²¹But so let them live, as to serve the whole multitude in hewing wood, and bringing in water. As they were speaking these things,

²²Josue called the Gabaonites, and said to them: Why would you impose upon us, saying: We dwell very far off from you, whereas you are in the midst of us?

²³Therefore you shall be under a curse, and your race shall always be hewers of wood, and carriers of water, into the house of my God.

²⁴They answered: It was told us, thy servants, that the Lord thy God had promised his servant Moses, to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants thereof. Therefore we feared exceedingly and provided for our lives, compelled by the dread we had of you, and we took this counsel.

²⁵And now we are in thy hand: deal with us as it seemeth good and right unto thee.

²⁶So Josue did as he had said, and delivered them from the hand of the children of Israel, that they should not be slain.

²⁷And he gave orders in that day, that they should be in the service of all the people, and of the altar of the Lord, hewing wood, and carrying water, until this present time, in the place which the Lord hath chosen.

Chapter 10

When Adonisedec, king of Jerusalem, had heard these things, to wit, that Josue had taken Hai, and had destroyed it, (for as he had done to Jericho and the king thereof, so did he to Hai and its king) and that the Gabaonites were gone over to Israel, and were their confederates,

²He was exceedingly afraid. For Gabaon was a great city, and one of the royal cities, and greater than the town of Hai, and all its fighting men were most valiant.

³Therefore Adonisedec, king of Jerusalem, sent to Oham, king of Hebron, and to Pharam, king of Jerimoth, and to Japhia, king of Lachis, and to Dabir, king of Eglon, saying:

⁴Come up to me, and bring help, that we may take Gabaon, because it hath gone over to Josue, and to the children of Israel.

⁵So the five kings of the Amorrhites being assembled together, went up: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jerimoth, the king of Lachis, the king of Eglon, they and their armies, and camped about Gabaon, laying siege to it.

⁶But the inhabitants of the city of Gabaon, which was besieged, sent to Josue, who then abode in the camp at Galgal, and said to him: Withdraw not thy hands from helping thy servants: come up quickly, and save us, and bring us succour: for all the kings of the Amorrhites, who dwell in the mountains, are gathered together against us.

⁷And Josue went up from Galgal, and all the army of the warriors with him, most valiant men.

⁸But the Lord said to Josue: Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thy hands: none of them shall be able to stand against thee.

⁹So Josue going up from Galgal all the night, came upon them suddenly.

¹⁰And the Lord troubled them, at the sight of Israel: and he slew them with a great slaughter, in Gabaon, and pursued them by the way of the ascent to Bethoron, and cut them off all the way to Azeca and Maceda.

¹¹And when they were fleeing from the children of Israel, and were in the descent of Bethoron, the Lord cast down upon them great stones from heaven, as far as Azeca: and many more were killed with the hailstones, than were slain by the swords of the children of Israel,

¹²Then Josue spoke to the Lord, in the day that he delivered the Amorrhite in the sight of the children of Israel, and he said before them: Move not, O sun, toward Gabaon, nor thou, O moon, toward the valley of Ajalon.

¹³And the sun and the moon stood still, till the people revenged themselves of their enemies. Is not this written in the book of the just? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down the space of one day.

¹⁴There was not before, nor after, so long a day, the Lord obeying the voice of a man, and fighting for Israel.

¹⁵And Josue returned, with all Israel, into the camp of Galgal.

¹⁶For the five kings were fled, and had hid themselves in a cave of the city of Maceda.

¹⁷And it was told Josue, that the five kings were found hid in a cave of the city of Maceda.

¹⁸And he commanded them that were with him, saying: Roll great stones to the mouth of the cave, and set careful men to keep them shut up:

¹⁹And stay you not, but pursue after the enemies, and kill all the hindermost of them as they flee, and do not suffer them whom the Lord God hath delivered into your hands, to shelter themselves in their cities.

²⁰So the enemies being slain with a great slaughter, and almost utterly consumed, they that were able to escape from Israel, entered into fenced cities.

²¹And all the army returned to Josue, in Maceda, where the camp then was, in good health, and without the loss of any one: and no man durst move his tongue against the children of Israel.

²²And Josue gave orders, saying: Open the mouth of the cave, and bring forth to me the five kings that lie hid therein.

²³And the ministers did as they were commanded: and they brought out to him the five kings out of the cave: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jerimoth, the king of Lachis, the king of Eglon.

²⁴And when they were brought out to him, he called all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the army that were with him: Go, and set your feet on the necks of these kings. And when they had gone, and put their feet upon the necks of them lying under them,

²⁵He said again to them: Fear not, neither be ye dismayed, take courage, and be strong: for so will the Lord do to all your enemies, against whom you fight.

²⁶And Josue struck, and slew them, and hanged them upon five gibbets; and they hung until the evening.

²⁷And when the sun was down, he commanded the soldiers to take them down from the gibbets. And after they were taken down, they cast them into the cave, where they had lain hid, and put great stones at the mouth thereof, which remain until this day.

²⁸The same day Josue took Maceda, and destroyed it with the edge of the sword, and killed the king and all the inhabitants thereof: he left not in it the least remains. And he did to the king of Maceda, as he had done to the king of Jericho.

²⁹And he passed from Maceda with all Israel to Lebna, and fought against it:

³⁰And the Lord delivered it with the king thereof into the hands of Israel: and they destroyed the city with the edge of the sword, and all the inhabitants thereof. They left not in it any remains. And they did to the king of Lebna, as they had done to the king of Jericho.

³¹From Lebna he passed unto Lachis, with all Israel: and investing it with his army, besieged it.

³²And the Lord delivered Lachis into the hands of Israel, and he took it the following day, and put it to the sword, and every soul that was in it, as he had done to Lebna.

³³At that time Horam, king of Gazer, came up to succour Lachis: and Josue slew him with all his people so as to leave none alive.

³⁴And he passed from…