the case had been the same with that in the former
battle; after which Joshua ordered his forces to turn about, and placed
them against their front. He then made the signals agreed upon to those
that lay in ambush, and so excited them to fight; so they ran suddenly
into the city, the inhabitants being upon the walls, nay, others of
them being in perplexity, and coming to see those that were without the
gates. Accordingly, these men took the city, and slew all that they met
with; but Joshua forced those that came against him to come to a close
fight, and discomfited them, and made them run away; and when they were
driven towards the city, and thought it had not been touched, as soon as
they saw it was taken, and perceived it was burnt, with their wives and
children, they wandered about in the fields in a scattered condition,
and were no way able to defend themselves, because they had none to
support them. Now when this calamity was come upon the men of Ai, there
were a great number of children, and women, and servants, and an immense
quantity of other furniture. The Hebrews also took herds of cattle, and
a great deal of money, for this was a rich country. So when Joshua came
to Gilgal, he divided all these spoils among the soldiers.

16. But the Gibeonites, who inhabited very near to Jerusalem, when they
saw what miseries had happened to the inhabitants of Jericho; and to
those of Ai, and suspected that the like sore calamity would come as far
as themselves, they did not think fit to ask for mercy of Joshua; for
they supposed they should find little mercy from him, who made war that
he might entirely destroy the nation of the Canaanites; but they invited
the people of Cephirah and Kiriathjearim, who were their neighbors,
to join in league with them; and told them that neither could they
themselves avoid the danger they were all in, if the Israelites should
prevent them, and seize upon them: so when they had persuaded them,
they resolved to endeavor to escape the forces of the Israelites.
Accordingly, upon their agreement to what they proposed, they sent
ambassadors to Joshua to make a league of friendship with him, and those
such of the citizens as were best approved of, and most capable of
doing what was most advantageous to the multitude. Now these ambassadors
thought it dangerous to confess themselves to be Canaanites, but thought
they might by this contrivance avoid the danger, namely, by saying that
they bare no rel