And Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation swore unto them. And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors, and that they dwelt among them. And the children of Israel [{302}] journeyed, and came to their cities on the third day. And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the host had sworn unto them by the Lord, the God of Israel. And all the host murmured against the princes. But all the princes said unto all the host, "We have sworn unto them by the Lord, the God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them. This we will do to them, and let them live; lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we swore unto them." And the princes said unto them, "Let them live: so they become hewers of wood and drawers of water to all the people;" as the princes had spoken unto them.
And Joshua called for them, and he spoke unto them, saying, "Wherefore have ye tricked us, saying, 'We are very far from you'; when ye dwell among us? Now therefore ye 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.
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.
