Part 240

8:24. 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.

8:25. And the number of them that fell that day, both of men and women, was twelve thousand persons, all of the city of Hai.

8:26. 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.

8:27. And the children of Israel divided among them, the cattle and the prey of the city, as the Lord had commanded Josue.

8:28. And he burnt the city, and made it a heap forever:

8:29. 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.

8:30. Then Josue built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, in Mount Hebal,

8:31. 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.

8:32. And he wrote upon stones, the Deuteronomy of the law of Moses, which he had ordered before the children of Israel.

8:33. 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.

8:34. 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.

8:35. 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.

Josue Chapter 9

Josue is deceived by the Gabaonites: who being detected are condemned to be perpetual servants.

9:1. 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,

9:2. Gathered themselves together, to fight against Josue and Israel with one mind, and one resolution.

9:3. But they that dwelt in Gabaon, hearing all that Josue had done to Jericho and Hai:

9:4. Cunningly devising took for themselves provisions, laying old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles rent and sewed up again,

9:5. 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:

9:6. 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:

9:7. Perhaps you dwell in the land which falls to our lot; if so, we can make no league with you.

9:8. But they said to Josue: We are thy servants. Josue said to them: Who are you? and whence came you?

9:9. 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.

9:10. 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:

9:11. 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.

9:12. 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.

9:13. 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.

9:14. They took therefore of their victuals, and consulted not the mouth of the Lord.