Conquest of Canaan

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

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

So Joshua 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 Joshua 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.