the ark of the Lord passed on, and blew the trumpets. So he caused the ark of the Lord to compass the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged there. And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord went on continually, and blew the trumpets. And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days.

And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times. And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, that Joshua said unto the people, Shout! for the Lord hath given you the city. So the people shouted, and the priests blew the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, that the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall of Jericho fell down of itself, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.

JOSHUA XXIV

And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves there before God.

And Joshua spake unto all the people, saying, Your fathers dwelt of old time beyond the River;

and they served other gods. And now, behold, the Lord hath given you a land whereon thou didst not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell therein; of vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat. Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord. And if it seem evil in your sight to serve the Lord, choose you this day. whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. And the people answered and said, Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other gods; for the Lord our God, he it is that brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went. Therefore we also will serve the Lord; for he is our God.

And Joshua said unto all the people, The Lord, he is an holy God; if ye forsake him, it will turn to your hurt. And the people said unto Joshua, Nay! but we will serve the Lord. The Lord our God will we serve, and unto his voice will we hearken. And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the Lord, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses. And Joshua took a great stone, and set it up under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. And he said

unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness against you, lest ye deny your God.

So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.

THE BOOK OF JUDGES

JUDGES VII

Now the Midianites came up against Israel, as locusts for number: and they came into the land to destroy it. And Israel was brought very low because of Midian. Wherefore Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and encamped beside the spring of Harod: and the camp of Midian was on the north side of them, in the valley.

And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and depart. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand and there remained ten thousand. And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. So Gideon brought down the people unto the water; and the Lord said unto him, Every one that standeth and lifteth the water to his mouth with his hand

and lappeth of the water from his hand as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink. And the number of them that lapped, lifting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink. And the Lord

said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand; and let all the other people go every man unto his place. So Gideon sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, but retained the three hundred men.

And Gideon divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put into the hands of all of them trumpets, and empty pitchers, with torches within the pitchers. And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise; and, behold, when I come to the outermost part of the camp of the Midianites, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do. When I blow the trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and cry, The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!

Then Gideon, and they that were with him, came unto the outermost part of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch, when they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake in pieces the pitchers that were in their hands. And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands wherewith to blow; and