The Bible, Douay-Rheims Part 136

10:15. And Josue returned, with all Israel, into the camp of Galgal.

10:16. For the five kings were fled, and had hid themselves in a cave of the city of Maceda.

10:17. And it was told Josue, that the five kings were found hid in a cave of the city of Maceda.

10:18. And he commanded them that were with him, saying: Roll great stones to the mouth of the cave, and set careful men to keep them shut up:

10:19. And stay you not, but pursue after the enemies, and kill all the hindermost of them as they flee, and do not suffer them whom the Lord G.o.d hath delivered into your hands, to shelter themselves in their cities.

10:20. So the enemies being slain with a great slaughter, and almost utterly consumed, they that were able to escape from Israel, entered into fenced cities.

10:21. And all the army returned to Josue, in Maceda, where the camp then was, in good health, and without the loss of any one: and no man durst move his tongue against the children of Israel.

10:22. And Josue gave orders, saying: Open the mouth of the cave, and bring forth to me the five kings that lie hid therein.

10:23. And the ministers did as they were commanded: and they brought out to him the five kings out of the cave: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jerimoth, the king of Lachis, the king of Eglon.

10:24. And when they were brought out to him, he called all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the army that were with him: Go, and set your feet on the necks of these kings. And when they had gone, and put their feet upon the necks of them lying under them,

10:25. He said again to them: Fear not, neither be ye dismayed, take courage, and be strong: for so will the Lord do to all your enemies, against whom you fight.

10:26. And Josue struck, and slew them, and hanged them upon five gibbets; and they hung until the evening.

10:27. And when the sun was down, he commanded the soldiers to take them down from the gibbets. And after they were taken down, they cast them into the cave, where they had lain hid, and put great stones at the mouth thereof, which remain until this day.

10:28. The same day Josue took Maceda, and destroyed it with the edge of the sword, and killed the king and all the inhabitants thereof: he left not in it the least remains. And he did to the king of Maceda, as he had done to the king of Jericho.

10:29. And he pa.s.sed from Maceda with all Israel to Lebna, and fought against it:

10:30. And the Lord delivered it with the king thereof into the hands of Israel: and they destroyed the city with the edge of the sword, and all the inhabitants thereof. They left not in it any remains. And they did to the king of Lebna, as they had done to the king of Jericho.

10:31. From Lebna he pa.s.sed unto Lachis, with all Israel: and investing it with his army, besieged it.

10:32. And the Lord delivered Lachis into the hands of Israel, and he took it the following day, and put it to the sword, and every soul that was in it, as he had done to Lebna.

10:33. At that time Horam, king of Gazer, came up to succour Lachis: and Josue slew him with all his people so as to leave none alive.

10:34. And he pa.s.sed from Lachis to Eglon, and surrounded it,

10:35. And took it the same day: and put to the sword all the souls that were in it, according to all that he had done to Lachis.

10:36. He went up also with all Israel from Eglon to Hebron, and fought against it:

10:37. Took it, and destroyed it with the edge of the sword: the king also thereof, and all the towns of that country, and all the souls that dwelt in it: he left not therein any remains: as he had done to Eglon, so did he also to Hebron, putting to the sword all that he found in it.

The king... Viz., the new king, who succeeded him that was slain, ver.

26.

10:38. Returning from thence to Dabir,

10:39. He took it, and destroyed it: the king also thereof, and all the towns round about, he destroyed with the edge of the sword: he left not in it any remains: as he had done to Hebron and Lebna, and to their kings, so did he to Dabir, and to the king thereof.

10:40. So Josue conquered all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the plain, and of Asedoth, with their kings: he left not any remains therein, but slew all that breathed, as the Lord, the G.o.d of Israel, had commanded him.

Any remains therein, but slew, etc... G.o.d ordered these people to be utterly destroyed, in punishment of their manifold abomination; and that they might not draw the Israelites into the like sins.

10:41. From Cadesbarne even to Gaza. All the land of Gosen even to Gabaon,

10:42. And all their kings, and their lands he took and wasted at one onset: for the Lord the G.o.d of Israel fought for him.

10:43. And he returned with all Israel to the place of the camp in Galgal.

Josue Chapter 11

The kings of the north are overthrown: the whole country is taken.

11:1. And when Jabin king of Asor had heard these things, he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Semeron, and to the king of Achsaph:

11:2. And to the kings of the north, that dwelt in the mountains and in the plains over against the south side of Ceneroth, and in the levels and the countries of Dor by the sea side:

11:3. To the Chanaanites also on the east and on the west, and the Amorrhite, and the Hethite, and the Pherezite, and the Jebusite in the mountains: to the Hevite also who dwelt at the foot of Hermon in the land of Maspha.

11:4. And they all came out with their troops, a people exceeding numerous as the sand that is on the sea sh.o.r.e, their horses also and chariots a very great mult.i.tude,

11:5. And all these kings a.s.sembled together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel.

11:6. And the Lord said to Josue: Fear them not: for to morrow at this same hour I will deliver all these to be slain in the sight of Israel: thou shalt hamstring their horses, and thou shalt burn their chariots with fire.

Hamstring their horses, and burn their chariots with fire, etc... G.o.d so ordained, that his people might not trust in chariots and horses, but in him.

11:7. And Josue came, and all the army with him, against them to the waters of Merom on a sudden, and fell upon them.

11:8. And the Lord delivered them into the hands of Israel. And they defeated them, and chased them as far as the great Sidon and the waters of Maserophot, and the field of Masphe, which is on the east thereof. He slew them all, so as to leave no remains of them:

11:9. And he did as the Lord had commanded him, he hamstringed their horses and burned their chariots.

11:10. And presently turning back he took Asor: and slew the king thereof with the sword. Now Asor of old was the head of all these kingdoms.

11:11. And he cut off all the souls that abode there: he left not in it any remains, but utterly destroyed all, and burned the city itself with fire.

11:12. And he took and put to the sword and destroyed all the cities round about, and their kings, as Moses the servant of G.o.d had commanded him.

11:13. Except the cities that were on hills and high places, the rest Israel burned: only Asor that was very strong he consumed with fire.

11:14. And the children of Israel divided among themselves all the spoil of these cities and the cattle, killing all the men.

11:15. As the Lord had commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Josue, and he accomplished all: he left not one thing undone of all the commandments which the Lord had commanded Moses.

11:16. So Josue took all the country of the hills, and of the south, and the land of Gosen, and the plains and the west country, and the mountain of Israel, and the plains thereof: