Conquest of Canaan

So Ioshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, that he would suffer them to liue: also the Princes of the Congregation sware vnto them.

But at the end of three dayes, after they had made a league with them, they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them.

And the children of Israel tooke their iourney, and came vnto their cities the third day, and their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth and Kiriath-iearim.

And the children of Israel slewe them not, because the Princes of the Congregation had sworne vnto them by the Lord God of Israel: wherefore all the Congregation murmured against the Princes.

Then all the Princes said vnto all the Congregation, We haue sworne vnto them by the Lord God of Israel: nowe therefore we may not touch them.

But this we wil doe to them, and let them liue, least the wrath be vpon vs because of the othe which we sware vnto them.

And the Princes sayd vnto them againe, Let them liue, but they shall hewe wood, and drawe water vnto all the Congregation, as the Princes appoint them.

Ioshua then called them, and talked with them, and sayd, Wherefore haue ye beguiled vs, saying, We are very farre from you, when ye dwel among vs?

Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen, and hewers of wood, and drawers of water for the house of my God.

And they answered Ioshua, and sayd, Because it was tolde thy seruants, that the Lord thy God had commanded his seruant Moses to giue you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land out of your sight, therefore we were exceeding sore afraid for our liues at the presence of you, and haue done this thing:

And beholde nowe, we are in thine hand: doe as it seemeth good and right in thine eyes to doe vnto vs.

Euen so did he vnto them, and deliuered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slewe them not.

And Ioshua appointed them that same day to be hewers of wood, and drawers of water for the Congregation, and for the altar of the Lord vnto this day, in the place which he should chuse.

Now when Adoni-zedek King of Ierusalem had heard how Ioshua had taken Ai and had destroyed it, (for as he had done to Iericho and to the King thereof, so he had done to Ai and to the King thereof) and howe the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them,

Then they feared exceedingly: for Gibeon was a great citie, as one of the royall cities: for it was greater then Ai, and all the men thereof were mightie.

Wherefore Adoni-zedek King of Ierusalem sent vnto Hoham King of Hebron, and vnto Piram King of Iarmuth, and vnto Iapia King of Lachish, and vnto Debir King of Eglon, saying,

Come vp vnto me, and helpe me, that we may smite Gibeon: for they haue made peace with Ioshua and with the children of Israel.

Therefore the fiue Kings of the Amorites, the King of Ierusalem, the King of Hebron, the King of Iarmuth, the King of Lachish, and the King of Eglon gathered themselues together, and went vp, they with all their hostes, and besieged Gibeon, and made warre against it.

And the men of Gibeon sent vnto Ioshua, euen to the hoste to Gilgal, saying, Withdrawe not thine hand from thy seruants: come vp to vs quickly, and saue vs, and helpe vs: for all the Kings of the Amorites which dwell in the mountaines, are gathered together against vs.

So Ioshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of warre with him, and all the men of might.

And the Lord sayd vnto Ioshua, Feare them not: for I haue giuen them into thine hand: none of them shall stand against thee.

Ioshua therefore came vnto them suddenly: for he went vp from Gilgal all the night.

And the Lord discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth vp to Beth-horon, and smote them to Azekah and to Makkedah.

And as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going downe to Beth-horon, the Lord cast downe great stones from heauen vpon them, vntill Azekah, and they dyed: they were more that dyed with the hailestones, then they whom the children of Israel slewe with the sword.

Then spake Ioshua to the Lord, in the day when the Lord gaue the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he sayd in the sight of Israel, Sunne, stay thou in Gibeon, and thou moone, in the valley of Aialon.