of them were uncircumcised, being the children of those warriors who came out of the land of Egypt, who disobeyed the commands of God, and to whom he denounced, that they should not see the land which the Lord solemnly promised their fathers that he would give-a land flowing with milk and 7 honey; and instead of them he raised up these their children, whom Joshua circumcised, because, being born on the way, 8 they were uncircumcised. And being now circumcised, they

were to continue there at rest, in the camp, until they were 9 healed. And the Lord said to Joshua son of Nave, This day

I have taken away from you the reproach of Egypt. So he call10 ed the name of that place Galgala. And on the fourteenth of

the same month, towards evening, the children of Israel pre11 pared the passover, on the confines of Jericho, in the plain of

Jordan, and ate of the corn of the land, unleavened cakes and 12 parched corn. On that very day, after they had eaten the corn of the land, the manna ceased, and there was no more a supply of manna for the children of Israel. So they foraged the country of the Phoenicians that year.

13

Now when Joshua was by Jericho, he raised his eyes, and saw a man standing before him, with a drawn sword in his hand, 14 upon which Joshua, advancing, said to him, Art thou one of

us or of our enemies? And he said to him, I am the captain 15 general of the host of the Lord, just arrived. At this Joshua prostrated himself, with his face to the ground, and said to him, My lord, what dost thou command thy servant? And the Lord's captain general said to Joshua, Loose the sandals from thy feet, for the place on which thou didst stand is holy ground. (Now Jericho was shut up, and barricadoed, so 2 that none came out of it, nor went in.) Then the Lord said to

VI.

Joshua, Behold, I deliver into thy hand, Jericho, and the king 3 thereof, who is in it, and the mighty men of valour. Therefore 4 array thou the warriors around it. And when you blow the 5 trumpets, let all the people at the same time shout; and upon

7

their shouting, the walls of the city will fall of their own accord; and all the people shall enter, every one straight forward into the city.

Thereupon Joshua son of Nave went to the priests, and spoke to them, saying, Order the people to march round, and

encompass the city, and let the warriors march armed before 8 the Lord; and let the seven priests, who have the seven holy trumpets, march also before the Lord, and blow a long blast. 9 And let the ark of the covenant of the Lord accompany them. Let the warriors march before, and the priests follow in the rear, after the ark of the covenant of the Lord, blowing the 10 trumpets. Then Joshua gave a charge to the people, saying, Shout not, nor let any one hear your voice, till the day when 11 He shall command you to shout. Then you shall shout. So

when the ark of the covenant had gone round, it straightway 12 returned to the camp, and lodged there. And on the second

day Joshua arose, early in the morning, and the priests took up 13 the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the seven priests with the seven trumpets, marched on before the Lord and after them came the warriors, and all the rest of the multitude followed the ark of the covenant of the Lord. And the priests sounded 14 the trumpets; and all the multitude compassed the city six

times, very near, and returned again to the camp. Thus they 15 did six days. But on the seventh day-they arose very early, 16 and went round the city that day seven times. And, at the seventh round, the priests sounded the trumpets, and Joshua said to the Israelites, Shout, for the Lord hath delivered up the city 17 to you. And this city shall be an Anathema. It, and all that

are in it, shall be devoted to the Lord of Sabaoth; save Rahab the harlot. Her you shall save alive, and all that are in her house. 18 But be you very careful to abstain from the Anathema, lest

peradventure you through covetousness, take something of what is devoted, and make the camp of the Israelites an Ana19 thema, and destroy us. All the silver, and the gold, and the brass, and the iron, shall be consecrated to the Lord, and car20 ried to the Lord's treasury. Then the priests sounded the trumpets; and when the people heard the trumpets, all the people together uttered a great, loud, and continued shout, whereupon the whole wall round about fell, and all the people went up into the city.

21 Now when Joshua devoted it, and all that were in it, men

and women, young and old, ox and ass, to the edge of the 22 sword, he said to the two young men who had been sent as spies, Go to the house of the woman, and bring her out thence,

23 with all that she hath. And when the two young men, who had spied the city had gone to the house of the woman, and had brought out Rahab the harlot, and her father, and her mother, and her brothers, and her kindred, and all that were with 24 her, and placed them without the camp of Israel, the city was burned with fire, with all that were in it, save the silver, and gold, and the brass, and iron, which they gave to be carried 25 to the treasury of the Lord. So Joshua saved Rahab the harlot, and all her father's household alive. And at this day they dwell among Israel, because she concealed the spies whom Joshua 26 had sent to spy Jericho. And on that day Joshua uttered an imprecation before the Lord, saying, Cursed be the man who shall rebuild this city. With his first born let him lay the foundation, and with his youngest son erect its gates.

27 VII.

Thus the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread through all the land. But the children of Israel committed a great trespass. They set apart for themselves some of the Anathema. Achar son of Charmi, son of Zambri, son of Zara, of the tribe of Juda, had taken some of what was devoted, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of 2 Israel; so that when Joshua sent men to Gai, which is over 3 against Baithel, saying, Take a view of Gai; and the men had gone up, and viewed Gai, and returned to Joshua, and said to him, Let not the whole people go up, but let only about two or three thousand go up, and storm the city; thou needest not 4 lead the whole people thither, for they are few in number; and

about three thousand men had gone up, they fled before the 5 men of Gai; and the men of Gai slew of them about thirty six men, and pursued them from the gate, and drove them from 6 the steep. Whereupon the heart of the people was dismayed, and became like water; and Joshua rent his clothes. Now when Joshua had prostrated himself, with his face on the ground, before the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel, and they had put dust on their heads, Joshua said, Alas, 7 O Lord! Why hath thy servant caused this people to cross the Jordan, to deliver them up to the Amorite to destroy us? 8 Should we have tarried, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan? What can I say, seeing Israel hath turned back from 9 before his enemy? When the Chananite, and all the inhabit

ants of this land hear this, they will encompass us, and drive. 10 us from this land. What then wilt thou do in respect to thy great name? Thereupon the Lord said to Joshua, Arise; why 11 hast thou fallen on thy face? This people hath sinned, and transgressed the covenant which I made with them. They have stolen some of what was devoted, and put it among their 12 stuff: therefore the children of Israel cannot stand before the face of their enemies. They shall turn back before their enemies, because they are become devoted. I will no more be with you, unless you remove the Anathema from among 13 you. Arise, hallow the people, and order them to hallow themselves, against to-morrow. Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel, The Anathema is among you. You cannot stand before your enemies, until you remove the Anathema from 14 among you. You shall therefore all assemble to-morrow, by tribes; and whatever tribe the Lord shall point out, you shall present it by communities; and whatever community the Lord shall point out, you shall present it by houses; and whatever house the Lord shall point out, you shall present it man by 15 man; and whoever is pointed out, he shall be burned with fire, and all that he hath, because he hath transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and committed iniquity in Israel.

16

Accordingly Joshua arose early in the morning, and brought forward the people by tribes, and the tribe of Juda was pointed 17 out. And when it was presented by communities, the commu18 nity of the Zaraites was pointed out; and when it was presented

man by man, Achar son of Zambri, son of Zara, was pointed 19 out. Whereupon Joshua said to Achar, Give glory this day

to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession, and tell me 20 what thou hast done, and conceal it not from me. And Achar

answered Joshua, and said, I have indeed sinned before the 21 Lord, the God of Israel. Thus and thus have I done. I saw, among the spoil, a piece of tissue, and two hundred didrachms of silver, and an ingot of gold, of about fifty didrachms, and I coveted them, and took them, and behold they are hid in my 22 tent, and the silver is hid under them. Then Joshua sent messengers, who ran to the tent, in the camp, and the things were hid 23 in his tent, and the silver under them. So they took them out of

the tent and brought them to Joshua, and the elders of Israel,

24 who laid them before the Lord. Then Joshua took Achar, son of Zara, and led him up to the valley of Achor, with his sons, and his daughters, and his cattle, and his asses, and all his flocks, and his tent, and all his goods, and all the people ac25 companied him. And when he had led them up to EmekAchor, Joshua said to Achar, Why hast thou destroyed us? The Lord destroy thee, as at this day! Then all Israel stoned 26 him with stones. And when they had raised over him a great heap of stones, the Lord ceased from the fierceness of his anger. For this cause he called that place Emek-Achor, which is its name at this day. VIII. Then the Lord said to Joshua, Fear not, nor be dismayed. Take with thee all the men who are warriors, and arise, 2 and go up to Gai. Behold I have delivered into thy hands, the king of Gai, and his land; and thou shalt treat Gai, as thou hast treated Jericho, and its king; but the plunder of the cattle thou shalt take for thyself. Lay thee an ambush for the city, 3 behind it. So Joshua arose, and all the warriors, to go up

against Gai. And Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty 4 men of valour, and sent them away by night; and he gave them

orders, saying, Lie in ambush behind the city; be not at a great 5 distance from the city, and be all ready; and I, and all the people who are with me, will advance to the city, and when the inhabitants of Gai come out to meet us, as before, we will flee 6 from before them; and as they come after us we will draw them

off from the city; for they will say, They are fleeing from us, 7 as they did before. Then you will rise from the ambush, and 8 rush into the city. Act agreeably to these orders; behold I 9 have commanded you. So Joshua despatched them, and they

went to lie in ambush, and took their station, between Baithel 10 and Gai, on the west of Gai. And Joshua arose early next

morning and reviewed the people, and he and the elders went 11 up before the people to Gai. All the warriors went up with

him, and marching on, came before the city, on the east side, 12 now the ambush was on the west side of the city. And when 14 the king of Gai saw them, he hasted, and went out to meet

them, straight to battle, he and all his people with him; for he 15 did not know that there was an ambush behind the city. At 16 their appearance Joshua and Israel retreated before them, and