were consumed, that all the Israelites returned unto Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword.
[25] And
so it was, that all that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of
Ai.
[26] For Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly
destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.
[27] Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for a prey unto
themselves, according unto the word of the LORD which he commanded Joshua.
[28] And Joshua burnt
Ai, and made it an heap for ever, even a desolation unto this day.
[29] And the king of Ai he hanged
on a tree until eventide: and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take
his carcase down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a
great heap of stones, that remaineth unto this day.
[30] Then Joshua built an altar unto the LORD God
of Israel in mount Ebal,
[31] As Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as
it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up
any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings.
[32]
And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the
children of Israel.
[33] And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side
the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD,
as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and
half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that
they should bless the people of Israel.
[34] And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings
and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law.
[35] There was not a word of all that
Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and
the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them.
Josh.9
[1] And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this side Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys,
and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite,
the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard thereof;
[2] That they gathered themselves together, to
fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.
[3] And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what
Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai,
[4] They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been
ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up;
[5]
And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision
was dry and mouldy.
[6] And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the
men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us.
[7] And the men
of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with
you?
[8] And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye?
and from whence come ye?
[9] And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come
because of the name of the LORD thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in
Egypt,
[10] And all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king
of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth.
[11] Wherefore our elders and all the
inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet
them, and say unto them, We are your servants: therefore now make ye a league with us.
[12] This our
bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now,
behold, it is dry, and it is mouldy:
[13] And these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and, behold,
they be rent: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey.
[14]
And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.
[15] And Joshua
made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation
sware unto them.
[16] And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with
them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them.
[17] And the
children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon,
and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim.
[18] And the children of Israel smote them not, because
the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel. And all the congregation
murmured against the princes.
[19] But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn
unto them by the LORD God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them.
[20] This we will do to them; we
will even let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we sware unto them.
[21] And