Study Desk

Joshua said, "I don't know why you caused so much trouble for us, but now the Lord will bring trouble to you." Then all the people threw stones at Achan and his family until they died. Then the people burned them.

Joshua gave them these orders: "Listen carefully. You must set up an ambush behind the city. Don't go far from it, but continue to watch and be ready.

Then Joshua sent them to wait in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai. But Joshua stayed the night with his people.

Now when the king of Ai saw the army of Israel, he and his people got up early the next morning and hurried out to fight them. They went out to a place east of the city, but the king did not know soldiers were waiting in ambush behind the city.

The Hivites said to Joshua, "We are your servants." But Joshua asked, "Who are you? Where do you come from?"

"Look at our bread. On the day we left home to come to you it was warm and fresh, but now it is dry and moldy.

Look at our leather wine bags. They were new and filled with wine, but now they are cracked and old. Our clothes and sandals are worn out from the long journey."

The men of Israel tasted the bread, but they did not ask the Lord what to do.

But the Israelites did not attack those cities, because they had made a promise to them before the Lord , the God of Israel. All the Israelites grumbled against the leaders.

But the leaders answered, "We have given our promise before the Lord , the God of Israel, so we cannot attack them now.

So let them live, but they will cut wood and carry water for our people." So the leaders kept their promise to them.

Joshua called for the Gibeonites and asked, "Why did you lie to us? Your land was near our camp, but you told us you were from a far country.

but he made the Gibeonites slaves. They cut wood and carried water for the Israelites, and they did it for the altar of the Lord —wherever he chose it to be. They are still doing this today.

but someone found them hiding in the cave at Makkedah and told Joshua.

but don't stay there yourselves. Continue chasing the enemy and attacking them from behind. Don't let them get to their cities, because the Lord your God will hand them over to you."

So Joshua and the Israelites killed the enemy, but a few were able to get back to their strong, walled cities.

During this same time Horam king of Gezer came to help Lachish, but Joshua also defeated him and his army; no one was left alive.

But the Israelites did not burn any cities that were built on their mounds, except Hazor; only that city was burned by Joshua.

The people of Israel kept for themselves everything they found in the cities, including all the animals. But they killed all the people there; they left no one alive.

When Joshua was very old, the Lord said to him, "Joshua, you have grown old, but there is still much land for you to take.