had been practised upon them, and that the Gibeonites dwelt but a short distance from Gilgal. This discovery seems to have led Joshua to direct his course to their territory, where he arrived with the Israelites, on the third day of their march, and came in the neighborhood of the four principal cities, Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim. This last place was, afterwards, highly distinguished by being the residence of the ark of the covenant, during twenty years, in the reigns of Saul and David.

The great body of the Israelites were, now, much displeased at the course which their rulers had pursued, and murmured against them because they had made the league which they did with such a deceitful people. They seem to have been eager to attack the cities of the Gibeonites; probably intent upon getting the spoils which the conquest would afford, and maintaining that as the engagement not to molest them was obtained by fraud, it was not binding. But the rulers would not consent to this. They considered themselves, and, indeed, all the people, under a most solemn obligation to spare the Gibeonites, an obligation which must on no account be violated. We have sworn unto them," said they, "by the Lord God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them. This we will do to them; we will even let them live, lest wrath be upon

us, because of the oath which we sware unto them. Let them live; but let them be hewers of wood, and drawers of water, unto all the congregation"—that is, be employed in the most menial offices in the service of the sanctuary, for the benefit of the whole body of the Israelites, and in the place of those who would, otherwise, have been obliged to perform them.

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Some of the principal men among the Gibeonites being, then, summoned to appear before Joshua, he thus addressed them: Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, we are very far from you; when ye dwell among us? Now therefore ye are cursed"-you and your posterity must suffer this severe penalty for your conductthere shall none of yon be freed from being bondmen, and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God."

The reply of the Gibeonites was humble and submissive. "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 of our lives because of you, and have done this thing. And now, behold, we are in thy hand: as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do."

Joshua would not suffer them to be molested

in their lives or their property. He subjected them, however, to the bondage which he had threatened, not permitting them to retain the possession of their cities, three of which afterwards fell to the lot of Benjamin, and one to that of Judah. It does not appear that he received any reproof from God, for thus sparing the Gibeonites, or for making the covenant with them.

Adoni-zedek was, at that time, king of Jerusalem, situated a few miles south of the region where this transaction took place. He had heard of the fate of Jericho and of Ai, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Joshua, and put themselves under his protection. These events, and especially the latter, filled him and his people with great consternation. They would, now, not only be exposed to the attacks of the new invaders who had come to take possession of Canaan, but to those, also, of their neighbors the Gibeonites, whose city was one of the most powerful in the land. They regarded the inhabitants of this city as traitors, in having formed a league with the common enemy, and resolved to take vengeance upon them. For this purpose, Adoni-zedek despatched messengers to four of the neighboring monarchs, Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, to see if they would unite with him in the destruction of Gi

beon; "for," said he, "it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel."

The proposal was accepted. Before long, the armies of these five nations assembled in one body, and marshalled under their respective leaders, were on their way to Gibeon. There they soon arrived, and encamped before the city, intending a speedy assault.

The suddenness of this movement, and the powerful army of the besiegers, caused great alarm among the Gibeonites. They had not expected such an attack, and felt wholly unable to meet it. In their extremity, they despatched messengers to Joshua, who was then in the camp at Gilgal, beseeching him to come with his forces to their aid. Slack not thy hand from thy servants," was their earnest expostulation ;-" come up to us quickly, and save us and help us: for all the kings of the *Amorites that dwell in the mountains" (the mountainous region south-west of Jerusalem) "are gathered together against us.'

Joshua was ready to render to his new allies the succor which they needed. It had not, indeed, been stipulated in the engagement formed between them and the Israelites, that the latter

*The term "Amorites" was applied to all these tribes, because they were probably the most powerful among them. It is often used as equivalent to " Canaanites," designating the inhabitants of Canaan generally.

should be bound to come to their relief in such an emergency. But that was the spirit of the engagement, and not to be departed from. The enemy to contend with was a powerful one; but, relying on the divine arm, the Israelites had nothing to fear while in the discharge of their duty. Jehovah himself had already said to Joshua, "Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thy hand; there shall not a man of them stana before thee."

Taking with him, therefore, a large body of the bravest soldiers, "the mighty men of valor," the commander of the Israelites proceeded, with all possible despatch, to the relief of Gibeon. The march was a forced one, and continued dur ing the whole of the night.

At length the enemy was in sight. Surprised and confounded by this sudden approach of Joshua and his army, they began to flee in great consternation. The Israelites, pursuing them, "slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Beth-horon," (twelve or fifteen miles north-west of Jerusalem,)" and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah," (places west and south-west from the city at about similar distances.)

During the pursuit, the vengeance of the Al mighty was displayed in one of its most awful forms against the Canaanites. He caused a tre