They came to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant land. Make a treaty with us.”

The men of Israel said to the Hivites, &#8220;Perhaps you live near us.<n id="1" /> So how can we make a treaty with you?&#8221;

All Jerusalem was terrified<n id="1" /> because Gibeon was a large city, like one of the royal cities. It was larger than Ai and all its men were warriors.

The <sc>Lordsc> told Joshua, &#8220;Don&#8217;t be afraid of them, for I am handing them over to you.<n id="1" /> Not one of them can resist you.&#8221;<n id="2" />

There has not been a day like it before or since. The <sc>Lordsc> obeyed<n id="1" /> a man, for the <sc>Lordsc> fought for Israel!

Then the whole army safely returned to Joshua at the camp in Makkedah.<n id="1" /> No one<n id="2" /> dared threaten the Israelites.<n id="3" />

Pick three men from each tribe. I will send them out to walk through the land and make a map of it for me.<n id="1" />

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> drove out from before you great and mighty nations; no one has been able to resist you<n id="1" /> to this very day.

One of you makes a thousand run away,<n id="1" /> for the <sc>Lordsc> your God fights for you<n id="2" /> as he promised you he would.<n id="3" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">Joshua son of Nun sent two spies out from Shittim secretly and instructed them:<n id="1" /> &#8220;Find out what you can about the land, especially Jericho.&#8221;<n id="2" /> They stopped at the house of a prostitute named Rahab and spent the night there.<n id="3" />

So the king of Jericho sent this order to Rahab:<n id="1" /> &#8220;Turn over<n id="2" /> the men who came to you<n id="3" /> &#8211; the ones who came to your house<n id="4" /> &#8211; for they have come to spy on the whole land!&#8221;

She said to the men, &#8220;I know the <sc>Lordsc> is handing this land over to you.<n id="1" /> We are absolutely terrified of you,<n id="2" /> and all who live in the land are cringing before<n id="3" /> you.<n id="4" />

When we heard the news we lost our courage and no one could even breathe for fear of you.<n id="1" /> For the <sc>Lordsc> your God is God in heaven above and on earth below!

The men said to her, &#8220;If you<n id="1" /> die, may we die too!<n id="2" /> If you do not report what we&#8217;ve been up to,<n id="3" /> then, when the <sc>Lordsc> hands the land over to us, we will show unswerving allegiance<n id="4" /> to you.&#8221;<n id="5" />p>

Joshua told them, &#8220;Go in front of the ark of the <sc>Lordsc> your God to the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to put a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the Israelite tribes.

<t /><p class="bodytext">When Joshua was near<n id="1" /> Jericho,<n id="2" /> he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him holding a drawn sword.<n id="3" /> Joshua approached him and asked him, &#8220;Are you on our side or allied with our enemies?&#8221;<n id="4" />

When you hear the signal from the ram&#8217;s horn,<n id="1" /> have the whole army give a loud battle cry.<n id="2" /> Then the city wall will collapse<n id="3" /> and the warriors should charge straight ahead.&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

<p class="bodytext">The rams&#8217; horns sounded<n id="1" /> and when the army<n id="2" /> heard the signal,<n id="3" /> they gave a loud battle cry.<n id="4" /> The wall collapsed<n id="5" /> and the warriors charged straight ahead into the city and captured it.<n id="6" />

At that time Joshua made this solemn declaration:<n id="1" /> &#8220;The man who attempts to rebuild<n id="2" /> this city of Jericho<n id="3" /> will stand condemned before the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="4" /> He will lose his firstborn son when he lays its foundations and his youngest son when he erects its gates!&#8221;<n id="5" />

The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them and chased them from in front of the city gate all the way to the fissures<n id="1" /> and defeated them on the steep slope.<n id="2" /> The people&#8217;s<n id="3" /> courage melted away like water.<n id="4" />p>