SIEGE AND CAPTURE OF JERICHO.How the Walls of the City Fell Down.
And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went to him, and said to him, "Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?"
And he said, "Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come."
And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and worshiped, and said to him, "What saith my Lord to his servant?" And the captain of the Lord's host said to Joshua, "Put off thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy."
And Joshua did so.
(Now Jericho was closely besieged by the children{288}of Israel: none went out, and none came in.) And the Lord said to Joshua, "See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor. And ye shall march around the city, all the men of war, going about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark: and the seventh day ye shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. And it shall be, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall go up every man straight before him."
And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord."
And they said unto the people, "Pass on, and march around the city, and let the armed men pass on before the ark of the Lord."
And it was so, that when Joshua had spoken unto the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the Lord passed on, and blew the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed them. And the armed men went before the priests that blew the trumpets, and the rear guard went after the ark, the priests blowing the trumpets as they went.
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THE PLAIN OF JERICHO, LOOKING TOWARD THE JORDAN FROM THE HILLS TO THE WEST.From a photograph taken by Prof. H. G. Mitchell and used by his kind permission.
A view of the Jordan plain, showing the desolate nature of the country.
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And Joshua commanded the people, saying, "Ye shall not shout, nor let your voice be heard, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout."
So he caused the ark of the Lord to pass around the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp.
And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord went on continually, and blew the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; and the rear guard came after the ark of the Lord, the priests blowing the trumpets as they went.
And the second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days. And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early at the dawning of the day, and marched around the city after the same manner seven times. And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, "Shout! for the Lord hath given you the city. And the city shall be devoted, even it and all that is therein, to the Lord: only Rahab shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. And ye, be sure to keep yourselves from the devoted thing, lest when ye have devoted it, ye take of the devoted thing; so should ye make the camp of Israel accursed, and trouble it. But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are holy{292}unto the Lord: they shall come into the treasury of the Lord."
So the people shouted, and the priests blew the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, that 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 the city. And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, both young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.
And Joshua said unto the two men that had spied out the land, "Go into Rahab's house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye swore unto her." And the young men who were the spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had, all her kindred also they brought out; and they set them without the camp of Israel.
And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord.
But Rahab and her father's household, and all that she had, did Joshua save alive; and she dwelt in the midst of Israel, to this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
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Sound, sound for ever, Clarions of Thought!When Joshua 'gainst the high-walled city fought,He marched around it with his banners high.His troops in serried order following nigh.But not a sword was drawn, no shaft outsprang,Only the trumpets the shrill onset rang.At the first blast, smiled scornfully the king,And at the second sneered, half wonderingly:"Hop'st thou with noise my stronghold to break down?"At the third round, the ark of old renownSwept forward, still the trumpets sounding loud,And then the troops with ensigns waving proud.Stepped out upon the old walls children darkWith horns to mock the notes and hoot the ark.At the fourth turn, braving the Israelites,Women appeared upon the crenelated heights--Those battlements embrowned with age and rust--And hurled upon the Hebrews stones and dust,And spun and sang when weary of the game.At the fifth circuit came the blind and lame,And with wild uproar clamorous and highRailed at the clarion ringing to the sky.At the sixth time, upon a tower's tall crest,So high that there the eagle built his nest,So hard that on it lightning lit in vain,Appeared in merriment the king again:"These Hebrew Jews musicians are, me-seems!"He scoffed, loud laughing, "but they live on dreams."The princes laughed, submissive to the king,Laughed all the courtiers in their glittering ring,And thence the laughter spread through all the town.At the seventh blast--the city walls fell down.
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THE ATTACK UPON AI.The Story of a Rout and an Ambush. Defeat Turned to Victory.
(The spoil of the city of Jericho was "devoted," that is offered to the Lord, and could be the private property of no person. How the greed of one soldier got the better of him, the evil consequences, the execution of the guilty soldier for disobedience of military orders, and the subsequent victory of the Israelites are told in the following chapter.)
But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the devoted thing: for Achan, of the tribe of Judah, took of the devoted thing: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel.
And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el, and spoke unto them, saying, "Go up and spy out the land." And the men went up and spied out Ai.
And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, "Let not all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; make not all the people to toil thither; for they are but few."
So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai. And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: and they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them at the descent: and the hearts of the people melted, and became as water. And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust upon their heads.
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And Joshua said, "Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to cause us to perish? would that we had been content and dwelt beyond Jordan! O Lord, what shall I say, after Israel hath turned their backs before their enemies! For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall surround us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do for thy great name?"
And the Lord said unto Joshua, "Get thee up; wherefore art thou thus fallen upon thy face? Israel hath sinned; yea, they have even transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: yea, they have even taken of the devoted thing; and have also stolen, and lied also, and they have even put it among their own goods. Therefore the children of Israel cannot stand before their enemies, they turn their backs before their enemies, because they are become accursed: I will not be with you any more, except ye destroy the devoted thing from among you. Up, sanctify the people, and say, 'Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow: for thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, There is a devoted thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the devoted thing from among you. In the morning therefore ye shall be brought near by your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the Lord taketh shall come near by families; and the family which the Lord shall take shall come near by households; and the household which the Lord shall take shall come near man by man. And it{296}shall be, that he that is taken with the devoted 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.'"
So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel near by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken: and he brought near the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zerahites: and he brought near the family of the Zerahites man by man; and Zabdi was taken: and he brought near his household man by man; and Achan was taken. And Joshua said unto Achan, "My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and make confession to him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me."
And Achan answered Joshua, and said, "Of a truth I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: when I saw among the spoil a goodly Babylonish mantle, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty 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."
So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it. And they took them from the midst of the tent, and brought them to Joshua, and to all the children of Israel; and they laid them down before the Lord. And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the mantle, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his{297}sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them up unto the valley of Achor.
And Joshua said, "Why hast thou troubled us? the Lord shall trouble thee this day."
And all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire, and stoned them with stones. And they raised over him a great heap of stones, to this day; and the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor (that is, troubling), unto this day.
And the Lord said unto Joshua, "Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land: and thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: set thee an ambush for the city behind it."
So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up to Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand men, the mighty men of valor, and sent them forth by night. And he commanded them, saying, "Behold, ye shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready: and I, and all the people that are with me, will approach unto the city: and it shall come to pass, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them; and they will come out after us, till we have drawn them away from the city; for they will say, 'They flee before us, as at the first'; so we will{298}flee before them: and ye shall rise up from the ambush, and take possession of the city: for the Lord your God will deliver it into your hand. And it shall be, when ye have seized upon the city, that ye shall set the city on fire; according to the word of the Lord shall ye do: see, I have commanded you."
And Joshua sent them forth: and they went to the ambushment, and took their place between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of Ai: but Joshua camped that night among the people.
And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and mustered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai. And all the people, even the men of war that were with him, went up, and drew nigh, and came before the city, to the north side of Ai: now there was a valley between him and Ai. And he took about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of the city. So they set the people, even all the host that was on the north of the city, and their liers in wait that were on the west of the city; and Joshua went that night into the midst of the vale. And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hasted and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at the time appointed, before the valley; but he knew not that there was an ambush against him behind the city.
And Joshua and all Israel pretended that they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the{299}wilderness. And all the people that were in the city were called together to pursue after them: and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city. And there was not a man left in Ai or Beth-el, that went not out after Israel: and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel. And the Lord said unto Joshua, "Stretch out the javelin that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thine hand."
And Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city. And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand, and entered into the city, and took it; and they hasted and set the city on fire. And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way: and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers. And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned again and slew the men of Ai. And the others came forth out of the city against them; so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side: and they smote them, so that they let none of them remain or escape.
And the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua. And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein they pursued them, and they were all fallen by the edge of the sword, until they were{300}consumed, that all Israel returned unto Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword. And all that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai. For Joshua drew not back his hand, wherewith he stretched out the javelin, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for a prey to themselves, according to the word of the Lord which he commanded Joshua. So Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever, even a desolation, unto this day.
THE SUBMISSION OF GIBEON.How a Timid People Used a Successful Trick.
And it came to pass, when all the kings which were beyond Jordan, in the hill country, and in the lowland, and on all the shore of the great sea in front of Lebanon, heard of this, they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.
But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai, they were very cunning, and they pretended to be ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine skins, old and rent and bound up; and shoes old and patched upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and was become mouldy. And they went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him, and to the men of Israel, "We are come from a far country: now therefore make ye a covenant with us."
And the men of Israel said unto the Gibeonites, "Perhaps{301}ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a covenant with you?"
And they said to Joshua, "We are thy servants."
And Joshua said to them, "Who are ye? and from whence come ye?"
And they said unto him, "From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the Lord thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan. And our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, 'Take provision in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your servants: and now make ye a covenant with us.' This bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go to you; but now, behold, it is dry, and is become mouldy: and these wine skins, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they are rent: and these garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey."
And the men took of their provision, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord.
And Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation swore unto them. And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors, and that they dwelt among them. And the children of Israel{302}journeyed, and came to their cities on the third day. And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the host had sworn unto them by the Lord, the God of Israel. And all the host murmured against the princes. But all the princes said unto all the host, "We have sworn unto them by the Lord, the God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them. This we will do to them, and let them live; lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we swore unto them." And the princes said unto them, "Let them live: so they become hewers of wood and drawers of water to all the people;" as the princes had spoken unto them.
And Joshua called for them, and he spoke unto them, saying, "Wherefore have ye tricked us, saying, 'We are very far from you'; when ye dwell among us? Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall never fail to be of you bondmen, both hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God."
And they answered Joshua, and said, "Because it was certainly told thy servants how that the Lord thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; therefore we were sore afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing. And now, behold, we are in thine hand: as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do to us, do."
And so did he to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slew them not. And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the people, and for the altar of the Lord, to this day, in the place which he should choose.
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A PORTION OF THE RIDGE BY WHICH THE ROAD RAN EASTWARD FROM UPPER BETH-HORONFrom a photograph taken by Prof. H. G. Mitchell and used by his kind permission.
This road along the ridge was one of the important highways of the East. Throughout history we see hosts swarming up this avenue or swept down it in flight. Here Joshua fought his famous fight with the five kings. Here Judas Maccabaeus won a great battle with the Syrians (see Tales of the Maccabees, Vol. III.). Joshua in his battle drove the Canaanites over the ridge and then cut them to pieces in the ravine on the other side.
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THE BATTLE WITH THE FIVE KINGS.How Joshua Won a Great Fight.
Now it came to pass, when Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them; that they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty. Wherefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying, "Come up to me, and help me, and let us smite Gibeon: for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel."
Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together, and went up, they and all their hosts, and encamped against Gibeon, and made war against it. And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, "Desert not thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the hill country are gathered together against us."
So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he, and all the people{306}of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. And the Lord said to Joshua, "Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hands; there shall not a man of them stand before thee."
Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly; for he went up from Gilgal, marching all the night. And the Lord discomfited them before Israel, and he slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them by the way of the ascent to Beth-horon, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah. And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, while they were in the descent of Beth-horon, that the Lord cast down great hailstones from heaven upon them, and they died: they were more who died with the hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.
Then spoke Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel; and he said in the sight of Israel,--
"Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon;And thou, Moon, in the valley of Aijalon."And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed,Until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies.
Is not this written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stayed in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel.
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And these five kings fled, and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah. And it was told Joshua, saying, "The five kings are found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah." And Joshua said, "Roll great stones unto the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to keep them: but stay not ye; pursue after your enemies, and smite the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities: for the Lord your God hath delivered them into your hand."
And it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of Israel had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, till they were consumed, and the remnant which remained of them had entered into the fortified cities, that all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace: none moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel. Then said Joshua, "Open the mouth of the cave, and bring forth those five kings to me out of the cave."
And they did so, and brought forth those five kings to him out of the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon. And it came to pass, when they brought forth those kings to Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the men of war which went with him, "Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings."
And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them.
And Joshua said unto them, "Fear not, nor be{308}dismayed; be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the Lord do to all your enemies against whom ye fight."
And afterward Joshua smote them and put them to death, and hung them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening. And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun, that Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they had hidden themselves, and laid great stones on the mouth of the cave, to this very day.
THE LAST ADDRESSES OF JOSHUA TO THE PEOPLE.Words of Warning and Advice.
And it came to pass after many days, when the Lord had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, and Joshua was old; that Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders and for their heads, and for their judges and for their officers, and said to them, "I am old and well stricken in years: and we have seen all that the Lord your God hath done unto all these nations because of you; for the Lord your God, he it is that hath fought for you.
"Therefore be ye very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left; that ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow down yourselves to them; but be loyal to the Lord your God, as ye have done unto this day.
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AN OLD TOMB AT TIMNEH, CALLED THE TOMB OF JOSHUAFrom a photograph of the Palestine Exploration Fund and used by special permission.
This is a good example of the rock-hewn tombs of Palestine. It is tradition only which calls it the resting place of the great captain.
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"For the Lord hath driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath stood before you unto this day. One man of you shall chase a thousand; for the Lord your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he spoke unto you. Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your God."
And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.
And Joshua said unto all the people, "Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, 'Fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.' And if it seem evil to you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
And the people answered and said, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other gods; for the Lord our God, he it is that brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and that did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in an the way wherein we went, and among all the peoples through the midst of whom we passed; and the Lord drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites that dwelt in the land: therefore we also will serve the Lord; for he is our God."
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And Joshua said unto the people, "Ye are not able to serve the Lord; for he is a holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgression nor your sins. If ye forsake the Lord, and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you evil, and consume you, after that he hath done you good."
And the people said unto Joshua, "Nay; but we will serve the Lord."
And Joshua said unto the people, "Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the Lord, to serve him."
And they said, "We are witnesses."
THE DEATH OF JOSHUA.The Great Captain Is Laid at Rest.
And after many years of fighting, and many victories, Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being an hundred and ten years old. And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-serah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash. And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, and had known all the work of the Lord, that he had wrought for Israel.
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The Judges
After the death of Joshua there followed a long period of unrest and fighting. The land was by no means conquered. Many times the Israelites were opposed by the neighboring people, and all but wiped out of existence. But each time a hero arose who overthrew the oppressor, and became the leader or judge, as the office was called, of the people. These leaders were not all of the highest character, but they served to hold the nation together, and to preserve it from extinction, during this period of trouble and unrest.
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EHUDThe Story of the Young Man Who Killed a King.
And the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. And he gathered to him the children of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and smote Israel, and they possessed the city of palm trees (that is, Jericho). And the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. But when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised them up a saviour, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man: and the children of Israel sent a present by him unto Eglon the king of Moab. And Ehud made him a sword which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he girded it under his raiment upon his right thigh. And he offered the present unto Eglon king of Moab: now Eglon was a very fat man. And when he had made an end of offering the present, he sent away the people that bore the present. But he himself turned back from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, "I have a secret errand unto thee, O king."
And he said, "Keep silence." And all that stood by him went out from him. And Ehud came to him; and he was sitting by himself alone in his summer room.{316}And Ehud said, "I have a message from God to thee." And he arose out of his seat.
And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his body: and the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, for he drew not the sword out of his body; and it came out behind. Then Ehud went forth into the porch, and shut the doors of the room upon him, and locked them. Now when he was gone out, his servants came; and they saw, and, behold, the doors of the room were locked.
And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the room; therefore they took the key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.
And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped to Seirah.
And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he before them. And he said unto them, "Follow after me: for the Lord hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand."
And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan against the Moabites, and suffered not a man to pass over. And they smote of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, every strong man, and every man of valor; and there escaped not a man. So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years.
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A CAMP IN THE DESERTThe black tents of the Arabs on the desert sands.From a photograph belonging to Mr. S. E. Bridgman and used by his kind permission.
"The Midianites came up with their cattle and their tents, they came in as locusts for multitude; both they and their camels were without number: and they came into the land to destroy it." This is no doubt just the way in which the camps of the Midianites looked in the old days when they raided the farms of the Israelites.
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GIDEONThe Story of a Brave Man Who Freed His People from Oppression.
(There was a time when every year one of the tribes of the desert which lies south and east of Palestine raided the farms and pastures of the Israelites, plundering and burning, and carrying off the crops and herds.)
The Midianites came up with their cattle and their tents, they came in as locusts for multitude; both they and their camels were without number: and they came into the land to destroy it. And Israel was brought very low because of Midian; and the children of Israel cried unto the Lord.
And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord because of Midian, that the Lord sent a prophet to the children of Israel: and he said unto them, "Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, 'I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drove them out from before you, and gave you their land; and I said to you, I am the Lord your God; ye shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not hearkened unto my voice.'"
And the angel of the Lord came, and sat under the{320}oak which was in Ophrah, which was on the land of Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press, to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, "The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor."
And Gideon said to him, "O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where are all his wondrous works of which our fathers told us, saying, 'Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?' but now the Lord hath cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian."
And the Lord looked upon him, and said, "Go in thy might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian: have not I sent thee?"
And he said to him, "O Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house."
And the Lord said unto him, "Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man."
And he said unto him, "If now I have found grace in thy sight, then show me a sign that it is thou that talkest with me. Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come to thee, and bring forth my present, and lay it before thee."
And he said, "I will tarry until thou come again."
And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of meal: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out to him under the oak, and presented it. And the angel of God said unto him, "Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth."
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DESERT WARRIORS
Riding thus on their camels the hosts of Midian came out of the desert like locusts and swarmed over the fair fields of Palestine.
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And he did so. Then the angel of the Lord put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there went up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and the angel of the Lord departed out of his sight. And Gideon saw that he was the angel of the Lord; and Gideon said, "Alas, O Lord God! because I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face."
And the Lord said unto him, "Peace be to thee; fear not: thou shalt not die."
Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord, and called it "Jehovah is Peace": to this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said to him, "Take thy father's bullock, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the pillar that is by it: and build an altar to the Lord thy God upon the top of this stronghold, in the proper manner, and take a bullock, and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the pillar which thou shalt cut down." Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the Lord had spoken to him: and it came to pass, because he feared his father's household and the men of the city, so that he dared not do it by day, that he did it by night. And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the pillar was cut down that was by it, and the bullock was offered upon{324}the altar that was built. And they said one to another, "Who hath done this thing?" And when they inquired and asked, they said, "Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing."
Then the men of the city said to Joash, "Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath broken down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the pillar that was by it."
And Joash said to all that stood against him, "Will ye plead for Baal? or will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath broken down his altar."
Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, that is, "Let Baal plead."
How a Few Brave Men Saved the Nation.
Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east assembled themselves together; and they passed over, and camped in the valley of Jezreel. But the spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon; and he blew a trumpet; and the men of Abiezer were gathered together after him. And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; and they also were gathered together after him: and he sent messengers to Asher, and to Zebulun, and to Naphtali; and they came up to meet them. And Gideon said to God, "If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast spoken, behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing-floor; if there be dew on the fleece only, and it{325}be dry upon all the ground, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast spoken."
And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and pressed the fleece together, and wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water.
And Gideon said to God, "Let not thine anger be kindled against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew."
And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.
Then Jerubbaal (which is another name for Gideon), and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and camped beside the spring of Harod: and the camp of Midian was on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.
And the Lord said to Gideon, "The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast themselves against me, saying, 'Mine own hand hath saved me.' Now therefore, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, 'Whosoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and depart from Mount Gilead.'"
And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
And the Lord said to Gideon, "The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say{326}unto thee, 'These shall go with thee,' the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, 'These shall not go with thee,' the same shall not go."
So he brought down the people unto the water: and the Lord said unto Gideon, "Everyone that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise everyone that boweth down upon his knees to drink."
And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.
And the Lord said unto Gideon, "By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the people go every man to his place."
So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the men of Israel every man to his tent, but retained the three hundred men: and the camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley.
And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said to him, "Arise, get thee down into the camp; for I have delivered it into thine hand. But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Purah thy servant down to the camp: and thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down into the camp."