evening. And now they began to enjoy the good things of the land of Canaan, the delicious productions of the promised inheritance: for on the next day after the Passover they eat of the corn of the land, which they parched, and of which they made unleavened cakes; and on the morrow, the manna ceased.

15. All things being now ready for approaching the city of Jericho, at the word of Joshua, the army moved forward towards it. The place was very strong, and the inhabitants having shut themselves up in it, seemed resolved to defend themselves to the last. Joshua therefore approached the walls of the city, that he might take a view of it, and see which would be the most advantageous means of taking it.

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While he was making his observations, there suddenly stood before him a man with his sword drawn in his hand. Joshua immediately went up to him and said, “ Art thou for us or for our adversaries?" The answer he received was, 66 Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come." On hearing this, Joshua fell on his face to the ground and worshipped, saying, "What saith my lord unto his servant?" The captain of the Lord's host replied, "Loose thy shoes from off thy feet, for the

place whereon thou standest is holy." He instantly obeyed the command, and then received directions, by following which he was assured they should take the city.

16. Joshua faithfully observed these instructions. He first ordered the priests to take up the ark of the covenant, seven of them being commanded to go before it, carrying in their hands seven trumpets of rams' horns. All the men of war were then ordered to go before the priests who carried the trumpets, and the rest of the people were to follow the ark. In this order they were to march round the city once every day for six days. Before they started he said to them, "Ye shall not shout, nor make your voice to be heard, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout: then shall ye shout."

17. In this manner the ark of the Lord and all the people compassed the city, going round it once, the seven priests blowing with the trumpets they then came into the camp, and lodged there till the next day.

On the second day they went round the city again, once; and so on for six days. When the seventh day arrived, they rose early, about the dawning of the day and compassed the city seven times: and while they

were doing so the seventh time, the priests blew the trumpets and Joshua cried out to the people, "Shout; for the Lord hath given you the city." Upon this, the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat; so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him; and they took it, and destroyed utterly all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword. Only Rahab, and her father's household were saved alive, and all that she had: for Joshua had given a strict charge beforehand to the two spies whom she had concealed when they went to view the city:

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Go," said he, "into the harlot's house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her." The spies did so, knowing where she was, by the scarlet cord which she had tied in her window for that purpose, and brought her out in safety, together with her father, and mother, and brethren, and all her kindred, and all that she had, and left them without the camp.

18. Then setting fire to the city they destroyed every thing in it, except, the silver and gold, and the vessels of brass and iron, which were put into the treasury of the house of

the Lord as had been commanded. And lest any one should attempt to rebuild the city, Joshua said, “Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it."

CHAPTER II.

1. Achan disobeys the command of Joshua. 2. Joshua sends men to view Ai. 3. The Israelites are smitten by the men of Ai. 4. Joshua complains to God. 5. God's answer to Joshua. 6. Achan is taken by lot, and confesses his sin. 7. He and all his family and goods are destroyed. 8. God encourages Joshua to attack Ai again. 9. Joshua smites the inhabitants and burns the city. 10. He offers sacrifices on an altar on mount Ebal. 11. The kings of Canaan combine together against the Israelites. 12. The Gibeonites by deception obtain a league with the Israelites. 13. Joshua condemns them to a perpetual bondage. 14. Five of the kings of Canaan go to war against Gibeon. 15. The Gibeonites send to Joshua to succour them. 16. Joshua rescues them and slays their enemies. 17. The five

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kings are taken, and after being degraded, are hanged.

EFORE the city of Jericho was taken, Joshua had spoken these words in the ears of the children of Israel: "The city shall be accursed, and all that are therein, to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated to the Lord."

Notwithstanding the strictness of this injunction against meddling with anything that was either devoted to destruction or consecrated to the Lord, a man of the name of Achan, belonging to the tribe of Judah, was tempted wickedly to disobey it, by taking something of both sorts of the spoil and hiding them. But the consequence was very sad and distressing to all the children of Israel, because the anger of the Lord was kindled against them on account of it, as was shewn in what followed.

2. Joshua being desirous to take a little city named Ai, near Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, sent some men to reconnoitre the country, which they did. On their return they advised Joshua not to send all the army; for as the inhabitants of

Ai were but few in number, about two or three thousand would be sufficient to take it.

3. Joshua therefore chose out about three thousand men and sent them against Ai. But they had no sooner approached the city, than the inhabitants sallied out and repulsed them, and chased them back to the camp of the Israelites, killing great numbers. Those that escaped returned to the camp in so much terror that the hearts of the people melted with fear.

4. This defeat so afflicted Joshua that he rent his clothes and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord, where he lay till the evening, both he and the elders of Israel, casting dust on their heads, in token of extreme sorrow and humiliation.

Joshua, also, being quite ignorant of the offence that had been committed, and desirous to know the cause of their being thus forsaken of God, addressed Him in these words:

the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round and cut off our name from the earth; and and what wilt thou do unto thy great Name?"

5. The Lord, not willing to let His servant Joshua languish under the melancholy thought of being deserted by Him, immediately answered his complaint; saying, "Get thee up wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant, which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before them, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed thing from among you. Up; sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to-morrow: for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you. In the morning, therefore, ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which

to the families thereof; and the family which the Lord shall take, shall come by households; and the household which the Lord shall take, shall come, man by man. And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel."

6. Early the next morning Joshua summoned all the tribes before the Lord; and the lot being cast upon the tribes, the tribe of Judah was that to which the guilty person belonged. Then casting the lot upon the families of Judah, it fell the family of the Zarhites. It was next cast upon the men of this family, and fell upon Zabdi. Zabdi then brought his household man by man, and the lot fell upon Achan.

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shekels weight, then I coveted them and took them; and behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it."

When Joshua heard this, he sent messengers to Achan's tent to search it. They found the garment, and the gold and silver, where Achan had hidden it, and carried them to Joshua, laying them out before the Lord.

7. Joshua then, and the children of Israel with him, took Achan, and the silver, and the garment and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had; and brought them to the valley of Achor, which took its name from this event, signifying, trouble. When they were arrived at the place, Joshua said to him, "Why hast thou troubled us? the Lord shall trouble thee this day." The children of Israel then stoned them with stones till they died, and afterwards burned them, together with all their goods. A great heap of stones was then raised over their remains, to perpetuate the memory of Achan's covetousness and disobedience.

8. The anger of God being appeased by this execution, He encou