r 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 J