passed over Jordan, that the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying, Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,

"And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones; and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging-place where you shall lodge this night.

"Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man. And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:

"That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?

"Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.

"And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the Lord spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.

"And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.

"For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over.

"And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over, that the ark of the Lord passed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people.

"On that day the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.

"And the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying, Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan.

"Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of Jordan.

"And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before" (Josh. iii. 14 to iv. 18).

QUESTIONS.

Who went

What were the three miracles in Joshua's time? first into the Jordan? What did they carry? What happened? How long did the water stop? Who came out last? What was set up in the middle of the river? What were brought out of it? What was done with them? What for?

CHAPTER XCIX.

MIRACLES UNDER JOSHUA (continued).

2. THE FALL OF JERICHO.

"Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.

"And the Lord said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.

"And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.

"And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns; and the seventh day ye shall

compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.

"And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight

before him.

THE WALLS OF JERICHO FALL DOWN.

"And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord.

"And he said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the Lord.

"And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns passed on before the Lord, and

blew with the trumpets; and the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed them.

"And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets, and the rere-ward came after the ark, the priests going on and blowing with the trumpets.

"And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout.

"So the ark of the Lord compassed the city, goingabout it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp.

"And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord.

"And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rere-ward came after the ark of the Lord, the priests going on, and blowing with 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: only on that day they compassed the city seven times.

"And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the Lord hath given you the city.

"And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.

"And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.

"But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the Lord: they shall come into the treasury of the Lord.

"So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.

"And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.

"And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord.

"And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho" (Josh. vi. 1–25).

NOTES.-Straitly means strictly. Shut up means besieged. Jericho was the first city God gave them, so it was to be burned as an offering to God, like the firstfruits of the land. Rere-ward is the hinder part of the army.

QUESTIONS.

What was the first city taken? What did God order them to do for six days? What on the seventh? What did He say should happen? On what day? What did happen? What were the people to do to Jericho? What to the people and cattle? Who was to be saved? Why? What was done with the silver and gold and brass and iron? Why was it all accursed?

CHAPTER C.

MIRACLES UNDER JOSHUA (continued).

3. THE LENGTHENED DAY.

"Now it came to pass, when Adoni-zedec King of Jeru salem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her