Part 135 (2/2)

9:21. But so let them live, as to serve the whole mult.i.tude in hewing wood, and bringing in water. As they were speaking these things,

9;22. Josue called the Gabaonites, and said to them: Why would you impose upon us, saying: We dwell very far off from you, whereas you are in the midst of us?

9:23. 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 G.o.d.

9:24. They answered: It was told us, thy servants, that the Lord thy G.o.d 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.

9:25. And now we are in thy hand: deal with us as it seemeth good and right unto thee.

9:26. So Josue did as he had said, and delivered them from the hand of the children of Israel, that they should not be slain.

9:27. 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.

Josue Chapter 10

Five kings war against Gabaon. Josue defeateth them: many are slain with hailstones. At the prayer of Josue the sun and moon stand still the s.p.a.ce of one day. The five kings are hanged. Divers cities are taken.

10:1. When Adonisedec, king of Jerusalem, had heard these things, to wit, that Josue 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,

10:2. 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.

10:3. Therefore Adonisedec, king of Jerusalem, sent to Oham, king of Hebron, and to Pharam, king of Jerimoth, and to j.a.phia, king of Lachis, and to Dabir, king of Eglon, saying:

10:4. Come up to me, and bring help, that we may take Gabaon, because it hath gone over to Josue, and to the children of Israel.

10:5. So the five kings of the Amorrhites being a.s.sembled 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.

10:6. But the inhabitants of the city of Gabaon, which was besieged, sent to Josue, 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.

10:7. And Josue went up from Galgal, and all the army of the warriors with him, most valiant men.

10:8. But the Lord said to Josue: Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thy hands: none of them shall be able to stand against thee.

10:9. So Josue going up from Galgal all the night, came upon them suddenly.

10:10. 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.

10:11. 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,

10:12. Then Josue 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.

10:13. And the sun and the moon stood still, till the people revenged themselves of their enemies. Is not this written in the book of the just? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down the s.p.a.ce of one day.

The book of the just... In Hebrew Jasher: an ancient book long since lost.

10:14. There was not before, nor after, so long a day, the Lord obeying the voice of a man, and fighting for Israel.

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