The Book of
JOSHUA
Author
The author of the Book of Joshua cannot be determined from the Scripture. Use of the pronouns “we” and “us” in 5:1, 6 supports the theory that the author must have been an eyewitness to some of the events that occurred during this period. Joshua 24:26 suggests that the author of at least large sections was Joshua himself.
Other passages, however, could not have been written by Joshua. His death is recorded in the final chapter (24:29–32). Several other events are mentioned that did not occur until after his death: Caleb’s conquest of Hebron (14:6–15); Othniel’s victory (15:13–17); and the Danite migration (19:47). Parallel passages in Judges 1:10–16 and Judges 18 confirm that these events occurred after Joshua’s death.
It is most probable that the book was composed in its final form by a later scribe or editor, but was founded on recorded documents written by Joshua.
Date
The Book of Joshua covers some twenty-five years of Israel’s history under the leadership of Joshua, Moses’ assistant and successor.
The commonly accepted date of Joshua’s death is about 1375 B.C. Therefore, the book covers Israel’s history between 1400 B.C. and 1375 B.C. and was likely compiled shortly thereafter.
Background
The book opens at the doorstep of Israel’s entrance into Canaan. Politically, Canaan was divided into many city-states, each with its own autocratic government and all feuding with each other. Morally, the people were depraved; lawlessness and brutality were commonplace. Canaanite religion emphasized fertility, with sexual practices, and child sacrifice. The stage was set and the land ripe for conquest.
By contrast, the people of Israel had been without a homeland for four hundred years (Gen. 15:13). They had lived in bondage to Egyptian pharaohs, then had wandered aimlessly in the desert for over forty years. Yet they remained faithful, though imperfectly, to the one true God and clung to the promise He had made to their forefather, Abraham. Centuries before, God had promised to make Abraham and his descendants into a great nation and to give them Canaan as a homeland on the condition that they remain faithful and obedient to Him (Gen. 17). Now, they were at the threshold of experiencing the fulfillment of that promise.
Content
The Book of Joshua is the sixth book of the Old Testament and the first in a group of books called the Former Prophets. Collectively, these books trace the development of God’s kingdom in the Promised Land until the Babylonian captivity—a period of some nine hundred years. Joshua chronicles the period from Israel’s entrance into Canaan through the conquest, division, and settlement of the Promised Land.
Personal Application
The Book of Joshua teaches that the fulfillment of God’s promises of blessing to Israel depend on their cooperation. The blessings of victory, inheritance, abundant provision, peace, and rest all came to the people of God as they obeyed Him. Faithful meditation on His Word and faithful obedience to His commands are the key to blessing and abundance (1:8). Near the end of his book, also, Joshua called the people to a life of obedience and faith (22:5).
Today, this abiding trust provides a clear foundation for our growth and blessing. As surely as blessing follows obedience, judgment follows disobedience. Achan’s sin reveals the principle that no man lives to himself (ch. 7), but the sin of one affects the lives of many. God hates sin and is just as faithful to punish the disobedient as He is to bless the steadfast. These principles of blessing and cursing are object lessons for us on our pathway to maturity. Joshua’s life and leadership demonstrated that spiritual maturity is not independence from God, but responsive dependence on God. To be victorious, we must surrender to Him; to lead others, we must follow Him.
The Book of Joshua provides other valuable lessons: attitudes essential for God-given victory; principles of leadership; the fatal result of pride; the relevance of memorials; God’s faithfulness to His Word; examples of His miracle power.
Christ Revealed
Christ is revealed in the Book of Joshua in three ways: by direct revelation, by types, and by illuminating aspects of His nature.
In 5:13–15, the triune God appeared to Joshua as the “Commander of the army of the LORD.” By His appearance, Joshua was made aware that God Himself was in charge. It was Joshua’s task, as ours, not so much to follow the Commander’s plans as to know the Commander. We need to be on His side, not He on ours.
A type is a symbol, an object lesson. Types can be found in a person, in a religious ritual, even in a historical event. Joshua himself was a type of Christ. His name, which means “Yahweh Is Salvation,” is a Hebrew equivalent to the Greek “Jesus.” Joshua led the Israelites into the possession of their promised inheritance, just as Christ leads us into possession of eternal life.
The scarlet cord in Rahab’s window (2:18, 21) illustrates Christ’s redemptive work on the Cross. The blood-red cloth hanging in the window saved Rahab and her household from death. So, too, Christ shed His blood and hung on the Cross to save us from death.
One of the aspects of Christ’s nature revealed in Joshua is that of fulfilled promise. At the end of his life, Joshua testified, “not one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spoke concerning you” (23:14). God, in His grace and faithfulness, had sustained and preserved His people by bringing them out of the wilderness and into the Land of Promise. He will do the same for us through Christ, who is The Promise.
The Holy Spirit at Work
A consistent stream of the Holy Spirit’s work flows through the Book of Joshua. His presence initially surfaces in 1:5, where God, knowing the overwhelming task of leading the nation Israel, provided Joshua with the promise of His ever-present Spirit.
The work of the Holy Spirit was the same then as it is now: He draws people into a saving relationship with God and accomplishes the purposes of the Father. His objective in Joshua, as in all the Old Testament, was the salvation of Israel; for it was through this nation that God chose to save the world (Is. 63:7–9).
Several characteristics of the way in which the Spirit works can be seen in Joshua. The Holy Spirit’s work is continual. “I will not leave you nor forsake you” (1:5). The Holy Spirit is committed to accomplishing the task, no matter how long it takes. His continued presence is necessary for the success of God’s plan in the lives of men. The Holy Spirit’s work is mutual. “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go” (1:7). It has been said, “Without Him, we cannot; without us, He will not.” Cooperation with the Holy Spirit is essential to victory. He empowers us to fulfill our calling and complete the task at hand. The Holy Spirit’s work is supernatural. The fall of Jericho was wrought by the miraculous destruction of its walls (6:20). Victory was attained at Gibeon when the Spirit stayed the sun (10:12, 13). No true work of God, whether deliverance from bondage or possession of blessing, is accomplished without the Spirit’s help.
Outline of Joshua
I. Preparing for the inheritance 1:1—5:15
A. Through choosing the army’s leader 1:1–18
1. Joshua hears the call 1:1–9
2. Joshua gives the command 1:10–15
3. Joshua receives encouragement 1:16–18
B. Through readying the army for battle 2:1—5:15
1. By searching out the enemy’s morale 2:1–24
2. By positioning the people for battle 3:1—5:1
3. By strengthening the troops for war 5:2–12
4. By convincing a leader to serve 5:13–15
II. Possessing the inheritance 6:1—12:24
A. The central territory 6:1—8:35
1. Obedience brings conquest—Jericho 6:1–27
2. Sin brings defeat—Achan 7:1–26
3. Repentance brings victory—Ai 8:1–29
4. The law brings blessing—Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim 8:30–35
B. The southern territory 9:1—10:43
1. Deception brings bondage—Gibeonites 9:1–27
2. Miracles bring deliverance—Amorites 10:1–43
C. The northern territory 11:1–15
D. Reviewing the conquered territories 11:16—12:24
1. The territories 11:16–23
2. The kings 12:1–24
III. Partaking of the inheritance 13:1—22:34
A. Distributing the inheritance 13:1—21:45
1. Portions yet unconquered 13:1–7
2. Portions for Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh 13:8–33
3. Dividing the portions west of the Jordan 14:1–5
4. A portion for Caleb 14:6–15
5. A portion for Judah 15:1–63
6. A portion for Ephraim and Manasseh 16:1—17:18
7. Portions for the remaining tribes 18:1—19:48
8. A portion for Joshua 19:49–51
9. Cities for refuge and the Levites 20:1—21:42
10. Epilogue 21:43–45
B. Discussing the future 22:1–34
1. A blessing for the eastern tribes 22:1–9
2. A clarification of the altar 22:10–34
IV. Joshua’s final discourse and death 23:1—24:33
A. Joshua counsels the leaders 23:1–16
B. Joshua challenges the people 24:1–28
C. Joshua dies 24:29–33
God’s Commission to Joshua
1
1 AFTER the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua the *son of Nun, Moses’ aassistant, saying:
2 a“Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel.
3 a“Every place that the sole of your foot will *tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.
4 a“From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.
5 a“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; bas I was with Moses, so cI will be with you. dI will not leave you nor forsake you.
6 a“Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall 1divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
7 “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law awhich Moses My servant commanded you; bdo not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may 1prosper wherever you go.
8 a“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but byou1 shall *meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
9 a“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; bdo not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
The Order to Cross the Jordan
10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,
11 “Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for awithin three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess.’ ”
12 And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh Joshua spoke, saying,
13 “Remember athe word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, ‘The LORD your God is giving you rest and is giving you this land.’
14 “Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall *remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But you shall 1pass before your brethren armed, all your mighty men of valor, and help them,
15 “until the LORD has given your brethren rest, as He gave you, and they also have taken possession of the land which the LORD your God is giving them. aThen you shall return to the land of your possession and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD’s servant gave you on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”
16 So they answered Joshua, saying, “All that you command us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.
17 “Just as we heeded Moses in all things, so we will heed you. Only the LORD your God abe with you, as He was with Moses.
18 “Whoever rebels against your command and does not heed your *words, in all that you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage.”
Rahab Hides the Spies
2
1 Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men afrom 1Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” So they went, and bcame to the house of a harlot named cRahab, and 2lodged there.
2 And ait was told the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men have come here tonight from the children of Israel to search out the country.”
3 So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out all the country.”
4 aThen the woman took the two men and hid them. So she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from.
5 “And it happened as the gate was being shut, when it was dark, that the men went out. Where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you may overtake them.”
6 (But ashe had brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order on the roof.)
7 Then the men pursued them by the road to the Jordan, to the fords. And as soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate.
8 Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof,
9 and said to the men: a“I know that the LORD has given you the land, that bthe terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land care fainthearted because of you.
10 “For we have heard how the LORD adried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and bwhat you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you cutterly destroyed.
11 “And as soon as we aheard these things, bour hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for cthe LORD your God, He is God in *heaven above and on earth beneath.
12 “Now therefore, I beg you, aswear to me by the LORD, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to bmy father’s house, and cgive me 1a true token,
13 “and aspare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.”
14 So the men answered her, “Our lives for yours, if none of you tell this business of ours. And it shall be, when the LORD has given us the land, that awe will deal kindly and truly with you.”
15 Then she alet them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall; she dwelt on the wall.
16 And she said to them, “Get to the mountain, lest the pursuers *meet you. Hide there three days, until the pursuers have returned. Afterward you may go your way.”
17 So the men said to her: “We will be ablameless1 of this oath of yours which you have made us swear,
18 a“unless, when we come into the land, you bind this *line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, band unless you 1bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household to your own home.
19 “So it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be 1guiltless. And whoever is with you in the house, ahis 2blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him.
20 “And if you tell this business of ours, then we will be 1free from your oath which you made us swear.”
21 Then she said, “According to your words, so be it.” And she sent them away, and they departed. And she bound the scarlet cord in the window.
22 They departed and went to the mountain, and stayed there three days until the pursuers returned. The pursuers sought them all along the way, but did not find them.
23 So the two men returned, descended from the mountain, and crossed over; and they came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all that had befallen them.
24 And they said to Joshua, “Truly athe LORD has delivered all the land into our hands, for indeed all the inhabitants of the country are fainthearted because of us.”
Israel Crosses the Jordan
3
1 Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and they set out afrom 1Acacia Grove and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they crossed over.
2 So it was, aafter three days, that the officers went through the camp;
3 and they commanded the people, saying, a“When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, band the priests, the Levites, 1bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it.
4 a“Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before.”
5 And Joshua said to the people, a“Sanctify1 yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do *wonders among you.”
6 Then Joshua spoke to the *priests, saying, a“Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over before the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.
7 And the LORD said to Joshua, “This *day I will begin to aexalt1 you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, bas I was with Moses, so I will be with you.
8 “You shall command athe priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘When you have come to the edge of the water of the Jordan, byou shall stand in the Jordan.’ ”
9 So Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Come here, and *hear the words of the LORD your God.”
10 And Joshua said, “By this you shall *know that athe living God is among you, and that He will without fail bdrive out from before you the cCanaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites:
11 “Behold, the ark of the covenant of athe Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan.
12 “Now therefore, atake for yourselves twelve *men from the tribes of Israel, one man from every tribe.
13 “And it shall come to pass, aas soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD, bthe Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the *waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they cshall stand as a heap.”
14 So it was, when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the aark of the covenant before the people,
15 and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and athe feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the bJordan overflows all its banks cduring the whole time of harvest),
16 that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away 1at Adam, the city that is beside aZaretan. So the waters that went down binto the Sea of the Arabah, cthe Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho.
17 Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; aand all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.
The Memorial Stones
4
1 And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed aover the Jordan, that the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying:
2 a“Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe,
3 “and command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where athe priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in bthe lodging place where you lodge tonight.’ ”
4 Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe;
5 and Joshua said to them: “Cross over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel,
6 “that this may be aa *sign among you bwhen your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’
7 “Then you shall answer them that athe waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for ba *memorial to the children of Israel forever.”
8 And the children of Israel did so, just as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the midst of the Jordan, as the LORD had spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.
9 Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day.
10 So the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the LORD had commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and crossed over.
11 Then it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over, that the aark of the LORD and the priests crossed over in the presence of the people.
12 And athe men of Reuben, the men of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses had spoken to them.
13 About forty thousand 1prepared for war crossed over before the LORD for battle, to the plains of Jericho.
14 On that day the LORD aexalted1 Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life.
15 Then the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying,
16 “Command the priests who bear athe ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan.”
17 Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, “Come up from the Jordan.”
18 And it came to pass, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD had come from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet touched the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place aand overflowed all its banks as before.
19 Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they camped ain Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.
20 And athose twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal.
21 Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: a“When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’
22 “then you shall let your children know, saying, a‘Israel crossed over this Jordan on bdry land’;
23 “for the LORD your *God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, awhich He dried up before us until we had crossed over,
24 a“that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the LORD, that it is bmighty, that you may cfear the LORD your God 1forever.”
The Second Generation Circumcised
5
1 So it was, when all the kings of the Amorites who were on the west side of the Jordan, and all the kings of the Canaanites awho were by the sea, bheard that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel until 1we had crossed over, that 2their heart melted; cand there was no spirit in them any longer because of the children of Israel.
2 At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make aflint knives for yourself, and circumcise the sons of Israel again the second time.”
3 So Joshua made flint knives for himself, and circumcised the sons of Israel at 1the hill of the foreskins.
4 And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: aAll the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way, after they had come out of Egypt.
5 For all the people who came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness, on the way as they came out of Egypt, had not been circumcised.
6 For the children of Israel walked aforty years in the wilderness, till all the people who were men of war, who came out of Egypt, were 1consumed, because they did not obey the voice of the LORD—to whom the LORD swore that bHe would not show them the land which the LORD had sworn to their fathers that He would give us, c“a land flowing with milk and honey.”
7 Then Joshua circumcised atheir sons whom He raised up in their place; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way.
8 So it was, when they had finished circumcising all the people, that they stayed in their places in the camp atill they were healed.
9 Then the LORD said to Joshua, “This day I have *rolled away athe reproach of Egypt from you.” Therefore the name of the place is called bGilgal1 to this day.
10 Now the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover aon the fourteenth day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho.
11 And they ate of the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and 1parched grain, on the very same day.
12 Then athe manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year.
The Commander of the Army of the LORD
13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, aa Man stood opposite him bwith His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?”
14 So He said, “No, but as Commander of the *army of the LORD I have now come.” And Joshua afell on his face to the earth and bworshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?”
15 Then the Commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, a“Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.
The Destruction of Jericho
6
1 Now aJericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in.
2 And the LORD said to Joshua: “See! aI have given Jericho into your hand, its bking, and the mighty men of valor.
3 “You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days.
4 “And seven priests shall bear seven atrumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city bseven times, and cthe priests shall *blow the trumpets.
5 “It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s *horn, and when you hear the sound of the *trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a *great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.”
6 Then Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD.”
7 And he said to the people, “Proceed, and march around the city, and let him who is armed advance before the ark of the LORD.”
8 So it was, when Joshua had spoken to the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the LORD advanced and blew the trumpets, and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them.
9 The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, aand the rear guard came after the ark, while the priests continued blowing the trumpets.
10 Now Joshua had commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout or make any noise with your voice, nor shall a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I say to you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout.”
11 So he had athe ark of the LORD circle the city, going around it once. Then they came into the camp and 1lodged in the camp.
12 And Joshua rose early in the morning, aand the priests took up the ark of the LORD.
13 Then 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 rear guard came after the ark of the LORD, while the priests continued blowing the trumpets.
14 And the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. So they did six days.
15 But it came to pass on the seventh day that they rose early, about the dawning of the day, and marched around the city seven times in the same manner. On that day only they marched around the city seven times.
16 And the seventh time it happened, when the priests blew the trumpets, that Joshua said to the people: “Shout, for the LORD has given you the city!
17 “Now the city shall be adoomed by the LORD to destruction, it and all who are in it. Only bRahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because cshe hid the messengers that we sent.
18 “And you, aby all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, band trouble it.
19 “But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are 1consecrated to the LORD; they 2shall come into the treasury of the LORD.”
20 So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that athe wall fell down flat. Then the people *went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.
21 And they autterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword.
22 But Joshua had said to the two men who had spied out the country, “Go into the harlot’s house, and from there bring out the woman and all that she has, aas you swore to her.”
23 And the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, aher father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. So they brought out all her relatives and left them outside the camp of Israel.
24 But they burned the city and all that was in it with fire. Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD.
25 And Joshua spared Rahab the harlot, her father’s household, and all that she had. So ashe dwells in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
26 Then Joshua 1charged them at that time, saying, a“Cursed be the man before the LORD who rises up and builds this city Jericho; he shall lay its foundation with his firstborn, and with his youngest he shall set up its gates.”
27 So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout all the country.
Defeat at Ai
7
1 But the children of Israel 1committed a atrespass regarding the baccursed2 things, for cAchan the son of Carmi, the son of 3Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed things; so the anger of the LORD burned against the children of Israel.
2 Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, “Go up and spy out the country.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.
3 And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not weary all the people there, for the people of Ai are few.”
4 So about three thousand men went up there from the people, abut they fled before the men of Ai.
5 And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent; therefore athe1 hearts of the people melted and became like water.
6 Then Joshua atore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the LORD until evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they bput dust on their heads.
7 And Joshua said, “Alas, Lord 1GOD, awhy have You brought this people over the Jordan at all—to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan!
8 “O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turns its 1back before its enemies?
9 “For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear it, and surround us, and acut off our name from the earth. Then bwhat will You do for Your great name?”
The Sin of Achan
10 So the LORD said to Joshua: “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face?
11 “Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. aFor they have even taken some of the 1accursed things, and have both stolen and bdeceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff.
12 a“Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because bthey have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you.
13 “Get up, asanctify1 the people, and say, b‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says the LORD God of Israel: “There is an accursed thing in your midst, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you.”
14 ‘In the morning therefore you shall be brought according to your tribes. And it shall be that the tribe which athe LORD takes shall come according to families; and the family which the LORD takes shall come by households; and the household which the LORD takes shall come *man by man.
15 a‘Then it shall be that he who is taken with the accursed thing shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has btransgressed1 the covenant of the LORD, and because he chas done a disgraceful thing in Israel.’ ”
16 So Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken.
17 He brought the clan of Judah, and he took the family of the Zarhites; and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man, and Zabdi was taken.
18 Then he brought his household man by man, and Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, awas taken.
19 Now Joshua said to Achan, “My son, I beg you, agive glory to the LORD God of Israel, band make confession to Him, and ctell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.”
20 And Achan answered Joshua and said, “Indeed aI have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I have done:
21 “When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I 1coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it.”
22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver under it.
23 And they took them from the midst of the tent, brought them to Joshua and to all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD.
24 Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the garment, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and aall that he had, and they brought them to bthe Valley of Achor.
25 And Joshua said, a“Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you this day.” bSo all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.
26 Then they araised over him a great heap of stones, still there to this day. So bthe LORD turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called cthe Valley of 1Achor to this day.
The Fall of Ai
8
1 Now the LORD said to Joshua: a“Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, bI have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.
2 “And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to aJericho and its king. Only bits spoil and its cattle you shall take as booty for yourselves. Lay an ambush for the city behind it.”
3 So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai; and Joshua *chose thirty thousand mighty men of valor and sent them away by night.
4 And he commanded them, saying: “Behold, ayou shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready.
5 “Then I and all the people who are with me will approach the city; and it will come about, when they come out against us as at the first, that awe shall flee before them.
6 “For they will come out after us till we have drawn them from the city, for they will say, ‘They are fleeing before us as at the first.’ Therefore we will flee before them.
7 “Then you shall rise from the ambush and *seize the city, for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand.
8 “And it will be, when you have taken the city, that you shall set the city on fire. According to the commandment of the LORD you shall do. aSee, I have commanded you.”
9 Joshua therefore sent them out; and they went to lie in ambush, and stayed between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai; but Joshua lodged that night among the people.
10 Then Joshua rose up early in the morning and mustered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.
11 aAnd all the people of war who were with him went up and drew near; and they came before the city and camped on the north side of Ai. Now a valley lay between them and Ai.
12 So he took about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of 1the city.
13 And when they had set the people, all the army that was on the north of the city, and its rear guard on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.
14 Now it happened, when the king of Ai saw it, that the men of the city hurried and rose early and went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at an *appointed place before the plain. But he adid not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.
15 And Joshua and all Israel amade as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.
16 So all the people who were in Ai were called together to pursue them. And they pursued Joshua and were drawn away from the city.
17 There was not a man left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel. So they left the city *open and pursued Israel.
18 Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Stretch out the spear that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” And Joshua stretched out the spear that was in his hand toward the city.
19 So those in ambush arose quickly out of their place; they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand, and they entered the city and took it, and hurried to set the city on fire.
20 And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and behold, the smoke of the city ascended to heaven. So they had no power to flee this way or that way, and the people who had fled to the wilderness turned back on the pursuers.
21 Now when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and that the smoke of the city ascended, they turned back and struck down the men of Ai.
22 Then the others came out of the city against them; so they were caught in the midst of Israel, some on this side and some on that side. And they struck them down, so that they alet none of them remain or escape.
23 But the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua.
24 And it came to pass when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness where they pursued them, and when they all had fallen by the edge of the sword until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned to Ai and struck it with the edge of the sword.
25 So it was that all who fell that day, both men and women, were twelve thousand—all the people of Ai.
26 For Joshua did not draw back his hand, with which he stretched out the spear, until he had autterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.
27 aOnly the livestock and the spoil of that city Israel took as booty for themselves, according to the word of the LORD which He had bcommanded Joshua.
28 So Joshua burned Ai and made it aa heap forever, a desolation to this day.
29 aAnd the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until evening. bAnd as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his corpse down from the tree, cast it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and craise over it a great heap of stones that remains to this day.
Joshua Renews the Covenant
30 Now Joshua built an *altar to the LORD God of Israel ain Mount Ebal,
31 as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: a“an altar of whole stones over which no man has wielded an iron tool.” And bthey offered on it burnt offerings to the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings.
32 And there, in the presence of the children of Israel, ahe wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written.
33 Then all Israel, with their elders and officers and judges, stood on either side of the ark before the priests, the Levites, awho bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, bthe stranger as well as he who was born among them. Half of them were in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, cas Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they should *bless the people of Israel.
34 And afterward ahe read all the words of the law, bthe blessings and the cursings, according to all that is written in the cBook of the Law.
35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, awith the women, the little ones, band the strangers who were living among them.
The Treaty with the Gibeonites
9
1 And it came to pass when aall the kings who were on this side of the Jordan, in the hills and in the lowland and in all the coasts of bthe Great Sea toward Lebanon—cthe Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite—heard about it,
2 that they agathered together to fight with Joshua and Israel with one 1accord.
3 But when the inhabitants of aGibeon bheard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,
4 they worked craftily, and went and 1pretended to be ambassadors. And they took old sacks on their donkeys, old wineskins torn and 2mended,
5 old and patched sandals on their feet, and old garments on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy.
6 And they went to Joshua, ato the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a 1covenant with us.”
7 Then the men of Israel said to the aHivites, “Perhaps you dwell among us; so bhow can we make a covenant with you?”
8 But they said to Joshua, a“We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you, and where do you come from?”
9 So they said to him: a“From a very far country your servants have come, because of the name of the LORD your God; for we have bheard of His fame, and all that He did in Egypt,
10 “and aall that He did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan—to Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.
11 “Therefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take provisions with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them, “We are your servants; now therefore, make a covenant with us.” ’
12 “This bread of ours we took hot for our provision from our houses on the day we departed to come to you. But now look, it is dry and moldy.
13 “And these wineskins which we filled were new, and see, they are torn; and these our garments and our sandals have become old because of the very long journey.”
14 Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; abut they 1did not ask counsel of the LORD.
15 So Joshua amade peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live; and the rulers of the congregation swore to them.
16 And it happened at the end of three days, after they had *made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors who dwelt near them.
17 Then the children of Israel journeyed and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were aGibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kirjath Jearim.
18 But the children of Israel did not 1attack them, abecause the rulers of the congregation had *sworn to them by the LORD God of Israel. And all the congregation complained against the rulers.
19 Then all the rulers said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the LORD God of Israel; now therefore, we may not touch them.
20 “This we will do to them: We will let them live, lest awrath be upon us because of the oath which we swore to them.”
21 And the rulers said to them, “Let them live, but let them be awoodcutters and water carriers for all the congregation, as the rulers had bpromised them.”
22 Then Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, “Why have you deceived us, saying, a‘We are very far from you,’ when byou dwell near us?
23 “Now therefore, you are acursed, and none of you shall be freed from being slaves—woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”
24 So they answered Joshua and said, “Because your servants were clearly told that the LORD your God acommanded His servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; therefore bwe were very much afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing.
25 “And now, here we are, ain your hands; do with us as it seems *good and right to do to us.”
26 So he did to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, so that they did not kill them.
27 And that day Joshua made them awoodcutters and water carriers for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, bin the place which He would choose, even to this day.
The Sun Stands Still
10
1 Now it came to pass when Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem aheard how Joshua had taken bAi and had utterly destroyed it—cas he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to dAi and its king—and ehow the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them,
2 that they afeared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty.
3 Therefore Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying,
4 “Come up to me and help me, that we may attack Gibeon, for ait has made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.”
5 Therefore the five kings of the aAmorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, bgathered together and went up, they and all their armies, and camped before Gibeon and made war against it.
6 And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp aat Gilgal, saying, “Do not forsake your servants; come up to us quickly, save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the mountains have gathered together against us.”
7 So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he and aall the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor.
8 And the LORD said to Joshua, a“Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; bnot a man of them shall cstand before you.”
9 Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal.
10 So the LORD arouted them before Israel, killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them along the road that goes bto Beth Horon, and struck them down as far as cAzekah and Makkedah.
11 And it happened, as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, athat the LORD cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword.
12 Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel:
a“Sun, stand still over Gibeon;
And Moon, in the Valley of bAijalon.”
13 So the sun stood still,
And the moon stopped,
Till the people had revenge
Upon their enemies.
aIs this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day.
14 And there has been ano day like that, before it or after it, that the LORD heeded the voice of a man; for bthe LORD fought for Israel.
15 aThen Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.
The Amorite Kings Executed
16 But these five kings had fled and hidden themselves in a cave at Makkedah.
17 And it was told Joshua, saying, “The five kings have been found hidden in the cave at Makkedah.”
18 So Joshua said, *“Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to guard them.
19 “And do not stay there yourselves, but pursue your enemies, and attack their rear guard. Do not allow them to enter their cities, for the LORD your God has delivered them into your hand.”
20 Then it happened, while Joshua and the children of Israel made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, till they had finished, that those who escaped entered fortified cities.
21 And all the people returned to the camp, to Joshua at Makkedah, in peace. aNo one 1moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel.
22 Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings to me from the cave.”
23 And they did so, and brought out those five kings to him from the cave: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.
24 So it was, when they brought out those kings to Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the captains of the men of war who went with him, “Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings.” And they drew near and aput their feet on their necks.
25 Then Joshua said to 1them, a“Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage, for bthus the LORD will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.”
26 And afterward Joshua struck 1them and killed them, and hanged them on five trees; and they awere hanging on the trees until evening.
27 So it was at the time of the going down of the sun that Joshua commanded, and they atook them down from the trees, cast them into the cave where they had been hidden, and laid large stones against the cave’s mouth, which remain until this very day.
Conquest of the Southland
28 On that day Joshua took Makkedah, and struck it and its king with the edge of the sword. He utterly adestroyed 1them—all the people who were in it. He let none remain. He also did to the king of Makkedah bas he had done to the king of Jericho.
29 Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, to aLibnah; and they fought against Libnah.
30 And the LORD also delivered it and its king into the hand of Israel; he struck it and all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword. He let none remain in it, but did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.
31 Then Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish; and they encamped against it and fought against it.
32 And the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, who took it on the second day, and struck it and all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword, according to all that he had done to Libnah.
33 Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua struck him and his people, until he left him none remaining.
34 From Lachish Joshua passed to Eglon, and all Israel with him; and they encamped against it and fought against it.
35 They took it on that day and struck it with the edge of the sword; all the people who were in it he utterly destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.
36 So Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, to aHebron; and they fought against it.
37 And they took it and struck it with the edge of the sword—its king, all its cities, and all the people who were in it; he left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon, but utterly destroyed it and all the people who were in it.
38 Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to aDebir; and they fought against it.
39 And he took it and its king and all its cities; they struck them with the edge of the sword and utterly destroyed all the people who were in it. He left none remaining; as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king, as he had done also to Libnah and its king.
40 So Joshua conquered all the land: the amountain country and the 1South and the lowland and the wilderness slopes, and ball their kings; he left none remaining, but cutterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel had commanded.
41 And Joshua conquered them from aKadesh Barnea as far as bGaza, cand all the country of Goshen, even as far as Gibeon.
42 All these kings and their land Joshua took at one time, abecause the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.
43 Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.
The Northern Conquest
11
1 And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor heard these things, that he asent to Jobab king of Madon, to the king bof Shimron, to the king of Achshaph,
2 and to the kings who were from the north, in the mountains, in the plain south of aChinneroth, in the lowland, and in the heights bof Dor on the west,
3 to the Canaanites in the east and in the west, the aAmorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite in the mountains, band the Hivite below cHermon din the land of Mizpah.
4 So they went out, they and all their armies with them, as many people aas the sand that is on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses and chariots.
5 And when all these kings had 1met together, they came and camped together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.
6 But the LORD said to Joshua, a“Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow about this time I will deliver all of them slain before Israel. You shall bhamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.”
7 So Joshua and all the people of war with him came against them suddenly by the waters of Merom, and they attacked them.
8 And the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who defeated them and chased them to 1Greater aSidon, to the 2Brook bMisrephoth, and to the Valley of Mizpah eastward; they attacked them until they left none of them remaining.
9 So Joshua did to them as the LORD had told him: he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.
10 Joshua turned back at that time and took Hazor, and struck its king with the sword; for Hazor was formerly the head of all those kingdoms.
11 And they struck all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword, autterly destroying them. There was none left bbreathing.* Then he burned Hazor with fire.
12 So all the cities of those kings, and all their kings, Joshua took and struck with the edge of the sword. He utterly destroyed them, aas Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded.
13 But as for the cities that stood on their 1mounds, Israel burned none of them, except Hazor only, which Joshua burned.
14 And all the aspoil of these cities and the livestock, the children of Israel took as booty for themselves; but they struck every man with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them, and they left none breathing.
15 aAs the LORD had commanded Moses his servant, so bMoses commanded Joshua, and cso Joshua did. 1He left nothing undone of all that the LORD had commanded Moses.
Summary of Joshua’s Conquests
16 Thus Joshua took all this land: athe mountain country, all the South, ball the land of Goshen, the lowland, and the Jordan 1plain—the mountains of Israel and its lowlands,
17 afrom 1Mount Halak and the ascent to Seir, even as far as Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He captured ball their kings, and struck them down and killed them.
18 Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.
19 There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, except athe Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. All the others they took in battle.
20 For ait was of the LORD 1to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that He might utterly destroy them, and that they might receive no mercy, but that He might destroy them, bas the LORD had commanded Moses.
21 And at that time Joshua came and cut off athe Anakim from the mountains: from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel; Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities.
22 None of the Anakim were left in the land of the children of Israel; they remained only ain Gaza, in Gath, band in Ashdod.
23 So Joshua took the whole land, aaccording to all that the LORD had said to Moses; and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel baccording to their divisions by their tribes. Then the land crested from war.
The Kings Conquered by Moses
12
1 These are the kings of the land whom the children of Israel defeated, and whose land they possessed on the other side of the Jordan toward the rising of the sun, afrom the River Arnon bto Mount Hermon, and all the eastern Jordan plain:
2 One king was aSihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon and ruled half of Gilead, from Aroer, which is on the bank of the River Arnon, from the middle of that river, even as far as the River Jabbok, which is the border of the Ammonites,
3 and athe eastern Jordan plain from the 1Sea of Chinneroth as far as the 2Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea), bthe road to Beth Jeshimoth, and 3southward below cthe4 slopes of Pisgah.
4 The other king was aOg king of Bashan and his territory, who was of bthe remnant of the giants, cwho dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei,
5 and reigned over aMount Hermon, bover Salcah, over all Bashan, cas far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, and over half of Gilead to the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.
6 aThese Moses the servant of the LORD and the children of Israel had conquered; and bMoses the servant of the LORD had given it as a possession to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh.
The Kings Conquered by Joshua
7 And these are the kings of the country awhich Joshua and the children of Israel conquered on this side of the Jordan, on the west, from Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon as far as 1Mount Halak and the ascent to bSeir, which Joshua cgave to the tribes of Israel as a possession according to their divisions,
8 ain the mountain country, in the lowlands, in the Jordan plain, in the slopes, in the wilderness, and in the South—bthe Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites:
9 athe king of Jericho, one; bthe king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one;
10 athe king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one;
11 the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one;
12 the king of Eglon, one; athe king of Gezer, one;
13 athe king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one;
14 the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one;
15 athe king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one;
16 athe king of Makkedah, one; bthe king of Bethel, one;
17 the king of Tappuah, one; athe king of Hepher, one;
18 the king of Aphek, one; the king of 1Lasharon, one;
19 the king of Madon, one; athe king of Hazor, one;
20 the king of aShimron Meron, one; the king of Achshaph, one;
21 the king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one;
22 athe king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam in Carmel, one;
23 the king of Dor in the aheights of Dor, one; the king of bthe people of Gilgal, one;
24 the king of Tirzah, one—aall the kings, thirty-one.
Remaining Land to Be Conquered
13
1 Now Joshua awas old, advanced in years. And the LORD said to him: “You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed.
2 a“This is the land that yet remains: ball the territory of the Philistines and all cthat of the Geshurites,
3 a“from Sihor, which is east of Egypt, as far as the border of Ekron northward (which is counted as Canaanite); the bfive lords of the Philistines—the Gazites, the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also cthe Avites;
4 “from the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians aas far as Aphek, to the border of bthe Amorites;
5 “the land of athe 1Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrise, bfrom Baal Gad below Mount Hermon as far as the entrance to Hamath;
6 “all the inhabitants of the mountains from Lebanon as far as athe 1Brook Misrephoth, and all the Sidonians—them bI will drive out from before the children of Israel; only cdivide2 it by lot to Israel as an inheritance, as I have commanded you.
7 “Now therefore, divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh.”
The Land Divided East of the Jordan
8 With the other half-tribe the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance, awhich Moses had given them, bbeyond the Jordan eastward, as Moses the servant of the LORD had given them:
9 from Aroer which is on the bank of the River Arnon, and the town that is in the midst of the ravine, aand all the plain of Medeba as far as Dibon;
10 aall the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the border of the children of Ammon;
11 aGilead, and the border of the Geshurites and Maachathites, all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan as far as Salcah;
12 all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei, who remained of athe remnant of the giants; bfor Moses had 1defeated and 2cast out these.
13 Nevertheless the children of Israel adid not drive out the Geshurites or the Maachathites, but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day.
14 aOnly to the tribe of Levi he had given 1no inheritance; the sacrifices of the LORD God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, bas He said to them.
The Land of Reuben
15 aAnd Moses had given to the tribe of the children of Reuben an inheritance according to their families.
16 Their territory was afrom Aroer, which is on the bank of the River Arnon, band the city that is in the midst of the ravine, cand all the plain by Medeba;
17 aHeshbon and all its cities that are in the plain: Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon,
18 aJahaza, Kedemoth, Mephaath,
19 aKirjathaim, bSibmah, Zereth Shahar on the mountain of the valley,
20 Beth Peor, athe slopes of Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth—
21 aall the cities of the plain and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, bwhom Moses had struck cwith the princes of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, who were princes of Sihon dwelling in the country.
22 The children of Israel also killed with the sword aBalaam the son of Beor, the 1soothsayer, among those who were killed by them.
23 And the border of the children of Reuben was the bank of the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben according to their families, the cities and their villages.
The Land of Gad
24 aMoses also had given an inheritance to the tribe of Gad, to the children of Gad according to their families.
25 aTheir territory was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, band half the land of the Ammonites as far as Aroer, which is before cRabbah,
26 and from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir,
27 and in the valley aBeth Haram, Beth Nimrah, bSuccoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, with the Jordan as its border, as far as the edge cof the 1Sea of Chinnereth, on the other side of the Jordan eastward.
28 This is the inheritance of the children of Gad according to their families, the cities and their villages.
Half the Tribe of Manasseh (East)
29 aMoses also had given an inheritance to half the tribe of Manasseh; it was for half the tribe of the children of Manasseh according to their families:
30 Their territory was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and aall the towns of Jair which are in Bashan, sixty cities;
31 half of Gilead, and aAshtaroth and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were for the bchildren of Machir the son of Manasseh, for half of the children of Machir according to their families.
32 These are the areas which Moses had 1distributed as an inheritance in the plains of Moab on the other side of the Jordan, by Jericho eastward.
33 aBut to the tribe of Levi Moses had given no inheritance; the LORD God of Israel was their inheritance, bas He had said to them.
The Land Divided West of the Jordan
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1 These are the areas which the children of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, awhich Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the *tribes of the children of Israel distributed as an inheritance to them.
2 Their inheritance was aby lot, as the LORD had commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes and the half-tribe.
3 aFor Moses had given the inheritance of the two tribes and the half-tribe on the other side of the Jordan; but to the Levites he had given no inheritance among them.
4 For athe children of Joseph were two tribes: Manasseh and Ephraim. And they gave no part to the Levites in the land, except bcities to dwell in, with their common-lands for their livestock and their property.
5 aAs the LORD had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did; and they divided the land.
Caleb Inherits Hebron
6 Then the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the aKenizzite said to him: “You know bthe word which the LORD said to Moses the man of God concerning cyou and me in Kadesh Barnea.
7 “I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD asent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart.
8 “Nevertheless amy brethren who went up with me made the 1heart* of the people melt, but I wholly bfollowed the LORD my God.
9 “So Moses swore on that day, saying, a‘Surely the land bwhere your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children’s forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.’
10 “And now, behold, the LORD has kept me aalive, bas He said, these forty-five years, ever since the LORD spoke this word to Moses while Israel 1wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old.
11 a“As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both bfor going out and for coming in.
12 “Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how athe Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. bIt may be that the LORD will be with me, and cI shall be able to drive them out as the LORD said.”
13 And Joshua ablessed him, band gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance.
14 aHebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he bwholly followed the LORD God of Israel.
15 And athe name of Hebron formerly was Kirjath Arba (Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim). bThen the land had rest from war.
The Land of Judah
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1 So this was the 1lot of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families: aThe border of Edom at the bWilderness of Zin southward was the extreme southern boundary.
2 And their asouthern border began at the shore of the Salt Sea, from the bay that faces southward.
3 Then it went out to the southern side of athe Ascent of Akrabbim, passed along to Zin, ascended on the south side of Kadesh Barnea, passed along to Hezron, went up to Adar, and went around to Karkaa.
4 From there it passed atoward Azmon and went out to the Brook of Egypt; and the border ended at the sea. This shall be your southern border.
5 The east border was the Salt Sea as far as the mouth of the Jordan. And the aborder on the northern quarter began at the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan.
6 The border went up to aBeth Hoglah and passed north of Beth Arabah; and the border went up bto the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben.
7 Then the border went up toward aDebir from bthe Valley of Achor, and it turned northward toward Gilgal, which is before the Ascent of Adummim, which is on the south side of the valley. The border continued toward the waters of En Shemesh and ended at cEn Rogel.
8 And the border went up aby the Valley of the Son of Hinnom to the southern slope of the bJebusite city (which is Jerusalem). The border went up to the top of the mountain that lies before the Valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the Valley cof 1Rephaim northward.
9 Then the border went around from the top of the hill to athe fountain of the water of Nephtoah, and extended to the cities of Mount Ephron. And the border went around bto Baalah (which is cKirjath Jearim).
10 Then the border 1turned westward from Baalah to Mount Seir, passed along to the side of Mount Jearim on the north (which is Chesalon), went down to Beth Shemesh, and passed on to aTimnah.
11 And the border went out to the side of aEkron northward. Then the border went around to Shicron, passed along to Mount Baalah, and extended to Jabneel; and the border ended at the sea.
12 The west border was athe coastline of the Great Sea. This is the boundary of the children of Judah all around according to their families.
Caleb Occupies Hebron and Debir
13 aNow to Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a share among the children of bJudah, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, namely, cKirjath Arba, which is Hebron (Arba was the father of Anak).
14 Caleb drove out athe three sons of Anak from there: bSheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.
15 Then ahe went up from there to the inhabitants of Debir (formerly the name of Debir was Kirjath Sepher).
16 aAnd Caleb said, “He who 1attacks Kirjath Sepher and takes it, to him I will give Achsah my daughter as wife.”
17 So aOthniel the bson of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it; and he gave him cAchsah his daughter as wife.
18 aNow it was so, when she came to him, that she persuaded him to ask her father for a field. So bshe dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you wish?”
19 She answered, “Give me a ablessing; since you have given me land in the South, give me also springs of water.” So he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.
The Cities of Judah
20 This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families:
21 The cities at the limits of the tribe of the children of Judah, toward the border of Edom in the South, were Kabzeel, aEder, Jagur,
22 Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah,
23 Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan,
24 aZiph, Telem, Bealoth,
25 Hazor, Hadattah, Kerioth, Hezron (which is Hazor),
26 Amam, Shema, Moladah,
27 Hazar Gaddah, Heshmon, Beth Pelet,
28 Hazar Shual, aBeersheba, Bizjothjah,
29 Baalah, Ijim, Ezem,
30 Eltolad, Chesil, aHormah,
31 aZiklag, Madmannah, Sansannah,
32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and aRimmon: all the cities are twenty-nine, with their villages.
33 In the lowland: aEshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah,
34 Zanoah, En Gannim, Tappuah, Enam,
35 Jarmuth, aAdullam, Socoh, Azekah,
36 Sharaim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim: fourteen cities with their villages;
37 Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal Gad,
38 Dilean, Mizpah, aJoktheel,
39 aLachish, Bozkath, bEglon,
40 Cabbon, 1Lahmas, Kithlish,
41 Gederoth, Beth Dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah: sixteen cities with their villages;
42 aLibnah, Ether, Ashan,
43 Jiphtah, Ashnah, Nezib,
44 Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah: nine cities with their villages;
45 Ekron, with its towns and villages;
46 from Ekron to the sea, all that lay near aAshdod, with their villages;
47 Ashdod with its towns and villages, Gaza with its towns and villages—as far as athe Brook of Egypt and bthe Great Sea with its coastline.
48 And in the mountain country: Shamir, Jattir, Sochoh,
49 Dannah, Kirjath Sannah (which is Debir),
50 Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim,
51 aGoshen, Holon, and Giloh: eleven cities with their villages;
52 Arab, Dumah, Eshean,
53 Janum, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah,
54 Humtah, aKirjath Arba (which is Hebron), and Zior: nine cities with their villages;
55 aMaon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah,
56 Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah,
57 Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah: ten cities with their villages;
58 Halhul, Beth Zur, Gedor,
59 Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon: six cities with their villages;
60 aKirjath Baal (which is Kirjath Jearim) and Rabbah: two cities with their villages.
61 In the wilderness: Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah,
62 Nibshan, the City of Salt, and aEn Gedi: six cities with their villages.
63 As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, athe children of Judah could not drive them out; bbut the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.
Ephraim and West Manasseh
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1 The lot 1fell to the children of Joseph from the Jordan, by Jericho, to the waters of Jericho on the east, to the awilderness that goes up from Jericho through the mountains to 2Bethel,
2 then went out 1from aBethel to Luz, passed along to the border of the Archites at Ataroth,
3 and went down westward to the boundary of the Japhletites, aas far as the boundary of Lower Beth Horon to bGezer; and 1it ended at the sea.
4 aSo the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their 1inheritance.
The Land of Ephraim
5 aThe border of the children of Ephraim, according to their families, was thus: The border of their inheritance on the east side was bAtaroth Addar cas far as Upper Beth Horon.
6 And the border went out toward the sea on the north side of aMichmethath; then the border went around eastward to Taanath Shiloh, and passed by it on the east of Janohah.
7 Then it went down from Janohah to Ataroth and 1Naarah, reached to Jericho, and came out at the Jordan.
8 The border went out from aTappuah westward to the bBrook Kanah, and 1it ended at the sea. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim according to their families.
9 aThe separate cities for the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages.
10 aAnd they did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day and have become forced laborers.
The Other Half-Tribe of Manasseh (West)
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1 There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the afirstborn of Joseph: namely for bMachir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, because he was a man of war; therefore he was given cGilead and Bashan.
