Conquest of Canaan

and Joshua maketh with them peace, and maketh with them a covenant, to keep them alive; and swear to them do the princes of the company.

And it cometh to pass, at the end of three days after that they have made with them a covenant, that they hear that they are their neighbours--that in their midst they are dwelling.

And the sons of Israel journey and come in unto their cities on the third day--and their cities are Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath-Jearim--

and the sons of Israel have not smitten them, for sworn to them have the princes of the company by Jehovah God of Israel, and all the company murmur against the princes.

And all the princes say unto all the company, `We--we have sworn to them by Jehovah, God of Israel; and now, we are not able to come against them;

this we do to them, and have kept them alive, and wrath is not upon us, because of the oath which we have sworn to them.'

And the princes say unto them, `They live, and are hewers of wood and drawers of water for all the company, as the princes spake to them.'

And Joshua calleth for them, and speaketh unto them, saying, `Why have ye deceived us, saying, We are very far from you, and ye in our midst dwelling?

and now, cursed are ye, and none of you is cut off from being a servant, even hewers of wood and drawers of water, for the house of my God.'

And they answer Joshua and say, `Because it was certainly declared to thy servants, that Jehovah thy God commanded Moses His servant to give to you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; and we fear greatly for ourselves because of you, and we do this thing;

and now, lo, we are in thy hand, as it is good, and as it is right in thine eyes to do to us--do.'

And he doth to them so, and delivereth them from the hand of the sons of Israel, and they have not slain them;

and Joshua maketh them on that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the company, and for the altar of Jehovah, unto this day, at the place which He doth choose.

And it cometh to pass, when Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heareth that Joshua hath captured Ai, and doth devote it (as he had done to Jericho and to her king so he hath done to Ai and to her king), and that the inhabitants of Gibeon have made peace with Israel, and are in their midst, --

that they are greatly afraid, because Gibeon is a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it is greater than Ai, and all its men--heroes.

And Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sendeth 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 we smite Gibeon, for it hath made peace with Joshua, and with the sons of Israel.'

And five kings of the Amorite (the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon) are gathered together, and go up, they and all their camps, and encamp against Gibeon, and fight against it.

And the men of Gibeon send unto Joshua, unto the camp at Gilgal, saying, `Let not thy hand cease from thy servants; come up unto us with haste, and give safety to us, and help us; for all the kings of the Amorite, dwelling in the hill-country, have been assembled against us.'

And Joshua goeth up from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, even all the mighty men of valour.

And Jehovah saith unto Joshua, `Be not afraid of them, for into thy hand I have given them, there doth not stand a man of them in thy presence.'

And Joshua cometh in unto them suddenly (all the night he hath gone up from Gilgal),

and Jehovah doth crush them before Israel, and it smiteth them--a great smiting--at Gibeon, and pursueth them the way of the ascent of Beth-Horon, and smiteth them unto Azekah, and unto Makkedah.

And it cometh to pass, in their fleeing from the face of Israel--they are in the descent of Beth-Horon--and Jehovah hath cast upon them great stones out of the heavens, unto Azekah, and they die; more are they who have died by the hailstones than they whom the sons of Israel have slain by the sword.

Then speaketh Joshua to Jehovah in the day of Jehovah's giving up the Amorites before the sons of Israel, and he saith, before the eyes of Israel, `Sun--in Gibeon stand still; and moon--in the valley of Ajalon;'