That day the <sc>Lordsc> brought honor to Joshua before all Israel. They respected<n id="1" /> him all his life,<n id="2" /> just as they had respected<n id="3" /> Moses.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">At that time the <sc>Lordsc> told Joshua, &#8220;Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites once again.&#8221;<n id="1" />

The <sc>Lordsc> said to Joshua, &#8220;Today I have taken away<n id="1" /> the disgrace<n id="2" /> of Egypt from you.&#8221; So that place is called Gilgal<n id="3" /> even to this day.p>

The <sc>Lordsc> told Joshua, &#8220;See, I am about to defeat Jericho for you,<n id="1" /> along with its king and its warriors.

The seventh time around, the priests blew the rams&#8217; horns and Joshua told the army,<n id="1" /> &#8220;Give the battle cry,<n id="2" /> for the <sc>Lordsc> is handing the city over to you!<n id="3" />

But they burned<n id="1" /> the city and all that was in it, except for the silver, gold, and bronze and iron items they put in the treasury of the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s house.<n id="2" />

Achan told Joshua, &#8220;It is true. I have sinned against the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel in this way:<n id="1" />

They took it all from the middle of the tent, brought it to Joshua and all the Israelites, and placed<n id="1" /> it before the <sc>Lordsc>.

When you capture the city, set it<n id="1" /> on fire. Do as the <sc>Lordsc> says! See, I have given you orders.&#8221;<n id="2" />

But Israel did plunder the cattle and the goods of the city, in accordance with the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s orders to Joshua.<n id="1" />

They told him, &#8220;Your subjects<n id="1" /> have come from a very distant land because of the reputation<n id="2" /> of the <sc>Lordsc> your God, for we have heard the news about all he did in Egypt<n id="3" />

The Israelites did not attack them because the leaders of the community had sworn an oath to them in the name of the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel.<n id="1" /> The whole community criticized<n id="2" /> the leaders,

but all the leaders told the whole community, &#8220;We swore an oath to them in the name of<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel. So now we can&#8217;t hurt<n id="2" /> them!

and that day made them woodcutters and water carriers for the community and for the altar of the <sc>Lordsc> at the divinely chosen site. (They continue in that capacity to this very day.)<n id="1" />p>

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" />

The <sc>Lordsc> routed<n id="1" /> them before Israel. Israel<n id="2" /> thoroughly defeated them<n id="3" /> at Gibeon. They chased them up the road to the pass<n id="4" /> of Beth Horon and struck them down all the way to Azekah and Makkedah.

But don&#8217;t you delay! Chase your enemies and catch them!<n id="1" /> Don&#8217;t allow them to retreat to<n id="2" /> their cities, for the <sc>Lordsc> your God is handing them over to you.&#8221;<n id="3" />

Joshua captured in one campaign<n id="1" /> all these kings and their lands, for the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel fought for Israel.

Joshua did to them as the <sc>Lordsc> had commanded him; he hamstrung their horses and burned<n id="1" /> their chariots.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">When Joshua was very old,<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> told him, &#8220;You are very old, and a great deal of land remains to be conquered.