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.

{303}{304}

[Illustration]
A PORTION OF THE RIDGE BY WHICH THE ROAD RAN EASTWARD
FROM UPPER BETH-HORON

From 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.
[End illustration]

{305}

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 themselv