<n id="1" /><p class="bodytext">Joshua summoned the Gibeonites<n id="2" /> and said to them, &#8220;Why did you trick<n id="3" /> us by saying, &#8216;We live far away from you,&#8217; when you really live nearby?<n id="4" />

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>

&#8220;Come to my aid<n id="1" /> so we can attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.&#8221;

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" />

Joshua and the Israelites almost totally wiped them out, but some survivors did escape to the fortified cities.<n id="1" />

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" />

Joshua said, &#8220;Open the cave&#8217;s mouth and bring the five kings<n id="1" /> out of the cave to me.&#8221;

Then Joshua executed them<n id="1" /> and hung them on five trees. They were left hanging on the trees until evening.

Then King Horam of Gezer came up to help Lachish, but Joshua struck down him and his army<n id="1" /> until no survivors remained.p>

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 and his whole army caught them by surprise at the Waters of Merom and attacked them.<n id="1" />

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

But Israel did not burn any of the cities located on mounds,<n id="1" /> except for Hazor;<n id="2" /> it was the only one Joshua burned.

<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.

The men journeyed<n id="1" /> through the land and mapped it and its cities out into seven regions on a scroll. Then they came to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh.

<t /><p class="bodytext">When they finished dividing the land into its regions, the Israelites gave Joshua son of Nun some land.<n id="1" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">The tribal leaders of the Levites went before Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and the Israelite tribal leaders

<t /><p class="bodytext">A long time<n id="1" /> passed after the <sc>Lordsc> made Israel secure from all their enemies,<n id="2" /> and Joshua was very old.<n id="3" />

So Joshua summoned all Israel, including the elders, rulers, judges, and leaders, and told them: &#8220;I am very old.

<t /><p class="bodytext">Joshua assembled all the Israelite tribes at Shechem. He summoned Israel&#8217;s elders, rulers, judges, and leaders, and they appeared before God.