The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

So Josue, and all Israel, seeing that the city was taken, and that the smoke of the city rose up, returned, and slew the men of Hai.

And they also that had taken and set the city on fire, issuing out of the city to meet their own men, began to cut off the enemies who were surrounded by them. So that the enemies being cut off on both sides, not one of so great a multitude was saved.

And they took the king of the city of Hai alive and brought him to Josue.

So all being slain that had pursued after Israel, in his flight to the wilderness, and falling by the sword in the same place, the children of Israel returned and laid waste the city.

And the number of them that fell that day, both of men and women, was twelve thousand persons, all of the city of Hai.

But Josue drew not back his hand, which he had stretched out on high, holding the shield, till all the inhabitants of Hai were slain.

And the children of Israel divided among them, the cattle and the prey of the city, as the Lord had commanded Josue.

And he burnt the city, and made it a heap forever:

And he hung the king thereof on a gibbet, until the evening and the going down of the sun. Then Josue commanded, and they took down his carcass from the gibbet: and threw it in the very entrance of the city, heaping upon it a great heap of stones, which remaineth until this present day.

Then Josue built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, in Mount Hebal,

As Moses, the servant of the Lord, had commanded the children of Israel, and it is written in the book of the law of Moses: an altar of unhewn stones, which iron had not touched: and he offered upon it holocausts to the Lord, and immolated victims of peace offerings.

And he wrote upon stones, the Deuteronomy of the law of Moses, which he had ordered before the children of Israel.

And all the people, and the ancients, and the princes, and judges, stood on both sides of the ark, before the priests that carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, both the stranger and he that was born among them, half of them by Mount Garizim, and half by Mount Hebal, as Moses the servant of the Lord, had commanded. And first he blessed the people of Israel.

After this, he read all the words of the blessing and the cursing, and all things that were written in the book of the law.

He left out nothing of those things which Moses had commanded, but he repeated all before all the people of Israel, with the women and children, and strangers, that dwelt among them.

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,

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

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

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

And 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:

And 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:

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

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

They 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.

And 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:

And 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.

Behold, 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.

These 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.

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

And 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.

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

And 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.

And 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.

And 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.

But 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:

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

Josue 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?

Therefore 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.

They 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.

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

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

And 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.

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,

He 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.

Therefore 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:

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

So 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.

But 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.

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

But 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.

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

And 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.

And 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,

Then 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.

And 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.

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

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

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

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

And 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:

And 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.

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

And 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.

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

And 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.

And 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,

He 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.

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

And 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.

The 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.

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

And 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.

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

And 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.

At 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.

And he passed from Lachis to Eglon, and surrounded it,

And took it the same day: and put to the sword all the souls that were in it, according to all that he had done to Lachis.

He went up also with all Israel from Eglon to Hebron, and fought against it:

Took it, and destroyed it with the edge of the sword: the king also thereof, and all the towns of that country, and all the souls that dwelt in it: he left not therein any remains: as he had done to Eglon, so did he also to Hebron, putting to the sword all that he found in it.

Returning from thence to Dabir,

He took it, and destroyed it: the king also thereof, and all the towns round about, he destroyed with the edge of the sword: he left not in it any remains: as he had done to Hebron and Lebna, and to their kings, so did he to Dabir, and to the king thereof.

So Josue conquered all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the plain, and of Asedoth, with their kings: he left not any remains therein, but slew all that breathed, as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded him.

From Cadesbarne even to Gaza. All the land of Gosen even to Gabaon,

And all their kings, and their lands he took and wasted at one onset: for the Lord the God of Israel fought for him.

And he returned with all Israel to the place of the camp in Galgal.

And when Jabin king of Asor had heard these things, he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Semeron, and to the king of Achsaph:

And to the kings of the north, that dwelt in the mountains and in the plains over against the south side of Ceneroth, and in the levels and the countries of Dor by the sea side:

To the Chanaanites also on the east and on the west, and the Amorrhite, and the Hethite, and the Pherezite, and the Jebusite in the mountains: to the Hevite also who dwelt at the foot of Hermon in the land of Maspha.

And they all came out with their troops, a people exceeding numerous as the sand that is on the sea shore, their horses also and chariots a very great multitude,

And all these kings assembled together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel.

And the Lord said to Josue: Fear them not: for to morrow at this same hour I will deliver all these to be slain in the sight of Israel: thou shalt hamstring their horses, and thou shalt burn their chariots with fire.

And Josue came, and all the army with him, against them to the waters of Merom on a sudden, and fell upon them.

And the Lord delivered them into the hands of Israel. And they defeated them, and chased them as far as the great Sidon and the waters of Maserophot, and the field of Masphe, which is on the east thereof. He slew them all, so as to leave no remains of them:

And he did as the Lord had commanded him, he hamstringed their horses and burned their chariots.

And presently turning back he took Asor: and slew the king thereof with the sword. Now Asor of old was the head of all these kingdoms.

And he cut off all the souls that abode there: he left not in it any remains, but utterly destroyed all, and burned the city itself with fire.

And he took and put to the sword and destroyed all the cities round about, and their kings, as Moses the servant of God had commanded him.

Except the cities that were on hills and high places, the rest Israel burned: only Asor that was very strong he consumed with fire.

And the children of Israel divided among themselves all the spoil of these cities and the cattle, killing all the men.

As the Lord had commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Josue, and he accomplished all: he left not one thing undone of all the commandments which the Lord had commanded Moses.