Study Desk

For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall gather together against us, and cut off our name from the face of the earth; and what wilt thou do to thy great name?

Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed the commandment which I commanded them; for they have even taken some of the devoted things, and have also stolen, and lied, and they have hidden them among their own stuff.

Up, summon this people, and say, Be ready tomorrow; for thus says the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of you, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies any more until you remove the accursed thing from among you.

And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king; only the spoil and the cattle shall you take as a prey for yourselves; lay an ambush against the city, from behind it.

For they will come out after us, and drive us away from the city, and they will say, They are fleeing before us, as at first; and behold, as we flee before them,

Then you shall rise up from your ambush, and seize upon the city; for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hands.

And the LORD said to Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in your hand toward Ai; for I have delivered it into your hands. And Joshua stretched out the spear that was in his hand toward the city.

For Joshua did not draw his hand back, wherewith he stretched out the spear until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.

Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for a prey for themselves, according to the word of the LORD which he commanded Joshua.

And Joshua burned Ai, and made it a heap of ruins for ever to this day.

And they said to him, From a very far country your servants have come because of the name of the LORD your God; for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt.

Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, Take provisions with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them, We are your servants; therefore now make a treaty with us.

Moreover, they also said to Joshua, This bread we took hot out of our houses for our provisions on the day we came forth to go to you; but now, behold, it is dry, and is mouldy.

And Joshua called for them, and he said to them, Why have you deceived us, saying, We are very far from you, when you dwell among us?

Now therefore you are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being gatherers of wood and drawers of water for the house of God.

And they answered and said to Joshua, Because it was certainly told your servants that the LORD your God commanded Moses his servant to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you, therefore we were exceedingly afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing.

And Joshua made them that day gatherers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, even to this day, in the place which he should choose.

Come up to me and help me, and let us fight against Gibeon; for it has made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.

And the LORD said to Joshua, Fear them not; for I have delivered them into your hands; and there shall not a man of them stand before you.

And there was no day like that before it or after it, when the LORD hearkened to the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel.