Study Desk

The men said to her, "We made a promise to you. But you must do one thing, or we will not be responsible for our promise.

We will protect everyone who stays in this house. If anyone in your house is hurt, we will be responsible. But if they go out of your house and are killed, we will not be responsible. It will be their own fault.

We are making this agreement with you. But if you tell anyone about what we are doing, we will be free from this agreement."

But do not follow too closely. Stay about 1000 yards behind them. You have not been here before, but if you follow them, you will know where to go."

This is why Joshua circumcised the men: After the Israelites left Egypt, all the men who were able to serve in the army were circumcised. While in the desert, many of the fighting men did not listen to the Lord . So the Lord promised that they would not see the "land where much food grows." He promised our ancestors to give us that land, but because of those men, he forced the people to wander in the desert for 40 years. That way all those fighting men would die. So all the fighting men died, and their sons took their place. But none of the boys who were born in the desert on the trip from Egypt had been circumcised. So Joshua circumcised them.

Then the Lord said to Joshua, "You were slaves in Egypt, and this made you ashamed. But today I have taken away that shame." So Joshua named that place Gilgal. And that place is still named Gilgal today.

On the seventh day, they got up at dawn and marched around the city seven times. They marched in the same way they had marched on the days before, but on that day they marched around the city seven times.

But the Israelites did not obey God. There was a man from the tribe of Judah named Achan son of Carmi, grandson of Zimri, great-grandson of Zerah. Achan kept some of the things that should have been destroyed. So the Lord became very angry with the Israelites.

So about 3000 men went to Ai, but the people of Ai killed about 36 men of Israel. And the Israelites ran away. The people of Ai chased them from the city gates all the way to the quarries. The people of Ai beat them badly. When the people from Israel saw this, they became very frightened and lost their courage.

Then Joshua said, "You caused 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 and everything he owned.

Then Joshua sent them to their hiding place and waited. They went to a place west of Ai, between Bethel and Ai. But Joshua stayed the night with his people.

But the king of Ai was left alive. Joshua's men brought him to Joshua.

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

"Look at our bread. When we left home, it was warm and fresh. But now you can see that it is dry and old.

Look at our wineskins. When we left home, they were new and filled with wine. But now you can see that they are cracked and old. Look at our clothes and sandals. You can see that the long journey has almost destroyed the things we wear."

The men of Israel wanted to know if these men were telling the truth. So they tasted the bread—but they did not ask the Lord what they should do.

But the army of Israel did not try to fight against those cities. They had made a peace agreement with them. They had made a promise to them before the Lord , the God of Israel. All the people complained against the leaders who made the agreement.

But the leaders answered, "We have given our promise. We promised before the Lord , the God of Israel. We cannot fight against them now.

So let them live, but they will be our servants. They will cut wood for us and carry water for all our people." So the leaders did not break their promise of peace to them.

Joshua called the Gibeonites together. He said, "Why did you lie to us? Your land was near our camp. But you told us you were from a faraway country.