Joshua

Chapter 1

¹ Now it happened after the death of Moses the servant of Yahweh, that Yahweh spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, saying, ² “Moses, my servant, is dead. So now, rise, cross over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land that I am about to give to them, to the sons of Israel. ³ Every place on which the sole of your foot will tread, I give it to you just as I spoke to Moses. ⁴ From the wilderness and this Lebanon and as far as the great river, the Euphrates River, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the great sea, the going of the sun, will be your boundary. ⁵ A man will not station himself against your face all the days of your life. I will be with you just as I was with Moses. I will not abandon you and I will not leave you. ⁶ Be strong and be courageous, for you yourself will cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give to them. ⁷ Only be strong and be very courageous, watching to do according to all the law that Moses, my servant, commanded you. Do not turn aside from it right or left, so that you may be wise in every place where you go. ⁸ This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth and you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you will watch to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your ways prosperous and then you will be wise. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and be courageous! Do not tremble and do not be dismayed. For Yahweh your God is with you in every place where you go.”

¹⁰ And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, ¹¹ “Pass over within the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves because in yet three days you will be about to cross over this Jordan to enter to possess the land that Yahweh your God is about to give to you to possess it.’”

¹² And to the Reubenite and to the Gadite and to the half of the tribe of Manasseh, Joshua spoke, saying, ¹³ “Remember the word that Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded you, saying, ‘Yahweh your God is about to give rest to you and he will give to you this land.’ ¹⁴ Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock will stay in the land that Moses gave to you on the other side of the Jordan. But you, you shall cross over before the face of your brothers arrayed for battle, all the mighty men of the army, and shall help them ¹⁵ until when Yahweh gives rest to your brothers as you, and they, they also, possess the land that Yahweh your God is about to give to them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and shall possess it, which Moses the servant of Yahweh gave to you on the other side of the Jordan, the rising place of the sun.” ¹⁶ And they answered Joshua, saying, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and to every place where you send us we will go. ¹⁷ As in everything that we listened to Moses so we will listen to you. But Yahweh your God will be with you, just as he was with Moses. ¹⁸ Every man who rebels against your mouth and will not hear your words for all that you command him will be put to death. Only be strong and be courageous.”

Chapter 2

¹ And Joshua the son of Nun secretly sent from the Shittim two men, spies, saying, “Go, see the land and Jericho.” And they went and entered the house of a woman, a prostitute, and her name was Rahab, and they lay down there. ² And it was said to the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men have come here tonight from the sons of Israel to search the land.” ³ And the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men, the ones coming to you, who came to your house, because they have come to search all the land.” ⁴ And the woman took the two men and hid them. And she said, “Indeed, the men came to me and I did not know from where they were. ⁵ And the gate was to shut at the darkness and the men went out. I do not know to where the men went. Pursue after them quickly for you will overtake them.” ⁶ (Now she had brought them up to the roof and had hidden them in the flaxes of the stalk arranged by her on the roof.) ⁷ And the men pursued after them on the road of the Jordan to the fords. And they had shut the gate after when the pursuers had gone out after them.

⁸ Now before they had laid down she went up to them on the roof. ⁹ And she said to the men, “I know that Yahweh has given to you the land and that dread of you has fallen on us and that all who dwell in the land have melted from your face. ¹⁰ For we have heard that Yahweh dried up the water of the Sea of Reeds from before your face when you went out from Egypt, and what you did to two of the kings of the Amorite who were on the other side of the Jordan, to Sihon and to Og, them whom you completely destroyed. ¹¹ And we have heard and our hearts have melted and the spirit in a man no longer stands from your face. For Yahweh your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth below. ¹² And now, please swear to me by Yahweh because I am doing kindness with you, that you also will do kindness with the house of my father and will give to me a sign of truth, ¹³ and you will keep alive my father and my mother and my brothers and my sisters and all who belong to them. And you will rescue our lives from death.” ¹⁴ And the men said to her, “Our lives in place of yours to death! If you do not tell this matter of ours, then it will happen when Yahweh gives to us the land that we will do kindness and faithfulness with you.”

¹⁵ And she lowered them down by a rope out through the window because her house was in the side of the wall, and she was dwelling in the wall. ¹⁶ And she said to them, “Go to the mountain lest the ones pursuing meet you. And hide there three days until the ones pursuing have returned. And after you may go to your way.” ¹⁷ And the men said to her, “We will be innocent from this oath of yours which you have caused us to swear: ¹⁸ Behold, we are about to come into the land! You shall tie this cord of thread of crimson in the window by which you lowered us down, and your father and your mother and your brothers and all the house of your father you shall gather to you at the house. ¹⁹ And it will be that anyone who goes out from the doors of your house to the outside, his blood will be on his head and we will be innocent. But anyone who is with you in the house, his blood will be on our heads if a hand should be on him. ²⁰ And if you tell this matter of ours, then we will be innocent from the oath of yours which you caused us to swear.” ²¹ And she said, “According to your words, so be it.” And she sent them away and they went. And she tied the cord of crimson in the window.

²² And they went and came to the mountain and they stayed there three days until the pursuers had returned. And the ones pursuing searched in all the road and did not find them. ²³ And the two men returned and went down from the mountain and crossed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun. And they recounted to him all that was finding them. ²⁴ And they said to Joshua, “Truly Yahweh has given all the land into our hand. And also all those who dwell in the land are melting away from our face.”

Chapter 3

¹ And Joshua got up early in the morning and they set out from the Shittim. And they came as far as the Jordan, he and all the sons of Israel, and they stayed overnight there before they crossed over. ² And it happened at the end of three days, that the officers passed through the midst of the camp. ³ And they commanded the people, saying, “As soon as you see the Box of the Covenant of Yahweh your God and the priests, the Levites, lifting it, then you yourselves shall set out from your place and shall go after it. ⁴ But a distance shall be between you and it of about 2,000 cubits in measurement. Do not come near to it, so that you will know the way in which you should go, since you have not passed over by the way from yesterday or the day before.

⁵ And Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow Yahweh will do wonders in your midst.” ⁶ And Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, “Lift up the Box of the Covenant and cross over before the face of the people.” And they lifted up the Box of the Covenant and went before the face of the people.

⁷ And Yahweh said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to make you great in the eyes of all Israel who will know that just as I was with Moses, I am with you. ⁸ And as for you, you shall command the priests who lift the Box of the Covenant, saying, ‘As soon as you come as far as the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand in the Jordan.’”

⁹ And Joshua said to the sons of Israel, “Come near to here and hear the words of Yahweh your God.” ¹⁰ And Joshua said, “By this you will know that the living God is in your midst and will surely dispossess from your face the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Hivite and the Perizzite and the Girgashite and the Amorite and the Jebusite. ¹¹ Behold, the Box of the Covenant of the Lord of all the earth is about to cross over before your face in the Jordan. ¹² And now, take for yourselves 12 men from the tribes of Israel, one man, one man for the tribe. ¹³ And it will happen as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who lift the Box of Yahweh the Lord of all the earth rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan will be cut off, the waters going down from above. And they will stand as one heap.”

¹⁴ And it happened when the people set out from their tents to cross over the Jordan, that the priests lifting the Box of the Covenant were before the face of the people. ¹⁵ And as soon as those lifting the Box came as far as the Jordan then the feet of the priests lifting the Box were dipped in the edge of the water. (Now the Jordan was full over all its banks all the days of the harvest.) ¹⁶ Then the waters going down from above stood. They rose up as one heap at a great distance away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those going down to the sea of the Arabah, the Sea of Salt, were completely cut off. (Now the people crossed over opposite Jericho.) ¹⁷ So the priests lifting the Box of the Covenant of Yahweh stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan. And all Israel was crossing over on dry ground until when all the nation had finished crossing over the Jordan.

Chapter 4

¹ And it happened just as all the nation finished crossing over the Jordan that Yahweh spoke to Joshua, saying, ² “Take 12 men for yourselves from the people, one man, one man from a tribe. ³ And command them saying: ‘Lift up for yourselves 12 stones from here, from the midst of the Jordan, from the firm standing place of the feet of the priests. And you shall bring them over with you and you shall rest them in the lodging place in which you will lodge tonight.’”

⁴ And Joshua called out to the 12 men whom he had appointed from the sons of Israel, one man, one man from a tribe. ⁵ And Joshua said to them, “Cross over before the face of the Box of Yahweh your God into the midst of the Jordan. And lift up for yourselves, one stone a man upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel, ⁶ so that this will be a sign in your midst. When your sons ask tomorrow, saying, ‘What are these stones to you?’ ⁷ Then you will say to them, ‘When the waters of the Jordan were cut off from the face of the Box of the Covenant of Yahweh, when it crossed over in the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ And these stones will be for a memorial for the sons of Israel until eternity.”

⁸ And the sons of Israel did thus, just as Joshua commanded. And they lifted up 12 stones from the midst of the Jordan, just as Yahweh said to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel. And they brought them over with them to the lodging place and they rested them there. ⁹ And Joshua set up 12 stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place of the standing place of the feet of the priests who carried the Box of the Covenant. And they are there until this day. ¹⁰ And the priests who carried the Box stood in the midst of the Jordan until every thing that Yahweh commanded Joshua to speak to the people was finished, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. And the people hurried and crossed over. ¹¹ And it happened just as all the people had finished crossing over, that the Box of Yahweh with the priests crossed over before the face of the people. ¹² And the sons of Reuben, and the sons of Gad, and the half of the tribe of Manasseh, armed men, crossed over before the face of the sons of Israel, just as Moses had spoken to them. ¹³ About 40,000 men equipped for war of the army crossed over before the face of Yahweh to the plains of Jericho for the battle.

¹⁴ On that day Yahweh made Joshua great in the eyes of all Israel. And they feared him just as they had feared Moses all the days of his life.

¹⁵ And Yahweh spoke to Joshua, saying, ¹⁶ “Command the priests who carry the Box of the Testimony and they shall come up from the Jordan.” ¹⁷ And Joshua commanded the priests, saying, “Come up from the Jordan.” ¹⁸ And it happened that when the priests carrying the Box of the Covenant of Yahweh came up from the midst of the Jordan, the soles of the feet of the priests were drawn out to dry ground, then the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and went over all its banks, as yesterday and three days ago.

¹⁹ Now the people came up from the Jordan on ten of the first month. And they camped at the Gilgal, at the end of the sunrise of Jericho. ²⁰ And Joshua set up in the Gilgal these 12 stones that they had taken from the Jordan. ²¹ And he spoke to the sons of Israel, saying, “When your sons ask their fathers tomorrow, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ ²² then you shall cause your sons to know, saying, ‘Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ ²³ For Yahweh your God dried up the waters of the Jordan from your face until you crossed over, just as Yahweh your God did to the Sea of Reeds, which he dried up before us until we crossed over, ²⁴ so that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of Yahweh, that it is mighty, so that you will fear Yahweh your God all the days.”

Chapter 5

¹ And it happened that when all the kings of the Amorite who were on the other side of the Jordan toward the sea, and all the kings of the Canaanite who were beside the sea, heard that Yahweh had dried up the waters of the Jordan from the face of the sons of Israel until they had crossed over, then their heart melted, and there was no longer a spirit in them from the face of the sons of Israel. ^[1]

² At that time Yahweh said to Joshua, “Make for yourself knives of flint and return, circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.” ³ And Joshua made for himself knives of flint. And he circumcised the sons of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. ⁴ And this is the reason that Joshua circumcised: All the people who had gone out from Egypt, the males, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way, when they had gone out from Egypt. ⁵ For all the people who went out were circumcised, but all the people who were born in the wilderness on the way as they went out from Egypt had not been circumcised. ⁶ For the sons of Israel had walked in the wilderness 40 years, until the finishing of all the nation of the men of war who had gone out from Egypt, who had not listened to the voice of Yahweh, to whom Yahweh had sworn to not let them see the land that Yahweh had sworn to their fathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. ⁷ And he raised up their sons instead of them, them Joshua circumcised. For they were uncircumsized because they had not circumcised them on the way. ⁸ And it happened just as all the nation had finished being circumcised, that they stayed under them in the camp until their recovering. ⁹ And Yahweh said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the disgrace of Egypt from on you.” And the name of that place is called Gilgal until this day.

¹⁰ And the sons of Israel camped at the Gilgal and they performed the Passover on day 14 of the month, in the evening, in the plains of Jericho. ¹¹ And they ate from the produce of the land, from the next day of the Passover, unleavened bread and roasted grain, on this same day. ¹² And the manna stopped from the day after when they ate from the yield of the land, and there was no longer manna for the sons of Israel. And they ate from the produce of the land of Canaan in that year.

¹³ And it happened when Joshua was in Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing in front of him and his drawn sword was in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” ¹⁴ And he said, “No, but I, the leader of the army of Yahweh, now I have come. And Joshua fell on his face to the ground and bowed down. And he said to him, “What is my lord going to speak to his servant?” ¹⁵ And the leader of the army of Yahweh said to Joshua, “Slip off your sandal from on your foot, because the place on which you are standing, it is holy.” And Joshua did thus.

Chapter 6

¹ And Jericho was shut and shut up from the face of the sons of Israel. There was no going out and there was no coming in. ² And Yahweh said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, and its king, the mighty ones of the army. ³ And you shall go around the city, all the men of war, going around the city one time. Thus you shall do six days. ⁴ And seven priests shall lift seven horns of rams before the face of the Box. And on the seventh day you shall go around the city seven times and the priests shall blow with the horns. ⁵ And it will happen that when sounding a blast with the horn of the ram, as soon as you hear the sound of the horn, all the people shall shout a great shout. And the wall of the city will fall under itself and the people will go up, a man straight in front of him.”

⁶ And Joshua the son of Nun called to the priests and said to them, “Lift the Box of the Covenant, and seven priests shall lift seven horns of rams before the face of the Box of Yahweh.” ⁷ And he said to the people, “Pass over and go around the city, and the men equipped for war will pass over before the face of the Box of Yahweh.” ⁸ And it happened that, as soon as Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying seven horns of rams before the face of Yahweh passed over and blew with the horns. And the Box of the Covenant of Yahweh was going behind them. ⁹ And the men equipped for war were walking before the face of the priests, blowing the horns. And the rear guard were walking behind the Box, walking and blowing with the horns. ¹⁰ And Joshua commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout and you shall not make your voice heard, and a word shall not go out from your mouth until the day I say to you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout.” ¹¹ And he brought the Box of Yahweh around the city, circling one time. And they entered the camp and they stayed the night in the camp.

¹² And Joshua got up early in the morning. And the priests lifted up the Box of Yahweh. ¹³ And the seven priests who were carrying the seven horns of rams before the face of the Box of Yahweh were walking continually and blowing with the horns. And the men equipped for war were walking before their face, and the rear guard was walking behind the Box of Yahweh, walking and blowing with the horns. ¹⁴ And they went around the city one time on the second day and returned to the camp. Thus they did six days.

¹⁵ And it happened on the seventh day that they got up early as soon as the dawn had risen, and they went around the city according to this manner seven times. Only on that day they went around the city seven times. ¹⁶ And it happened that on the seventh time, the priests blew with the horns. And Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for Yahweh has given to you the city! ¹⁷ And the city, it and all that is in it, is a banned thing for Yahweh. Only Rahab the prostitute will live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. ¹⁸ But only you, keep from the banned thing, lest you put under the ban and take from the banned thing and make the camp of Israel into a banned thing and trouble it. ¹⁹ And all the silver and gold and objects of bronze and iron, it is a holy thing for Yahweh. It shall enter the storehouse of Yahweh.” ²⁰ And the people shouted and they blew with the horns. And it happened as soon as the people heard the sound of the horn, that the people shouted with a great shout. And the wall fell under itself, and the people went up to the city, a man straight in front of him, and they captured the city. ²¹ And they completely destroyed all that was in the city by the mouth of the sword, from man and as far as woman, from young and as far as old, and as far as ox and sheep and donkey.

²² And Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Enter the house of the woman, the prostitute, and bring out from there the woman and all who belong to her, just as you swore to her.” ²³ And the young men, the ones who had spied, entered and brought out Rahab and her father and her mother and her brothers and all who belonged to her. And they brought out all her relatives and rested them outside the camp of Israel. ²⁴ And they burned with fire the city and all that was in it. Only the silver and the gold and the objects of bronze and iron they gave to the storehouse of the house of Yahweh. ²⁵ And Joshua kept alive Rahab the prostitute and the house of her father and all who belonged to her. And she has dwelt in the midst of Israel to this day because she hid the messengers whom Joshua had sent to spy on Jericho.

²⁶ And Joshua made them take an oath at that time, saying, “Cursed is the man before the face of Yahweh who rises up and builds this city, Jericho. With his firstborn he will found it and with his youngest he will set up its doors.” ²⁷ And Yahweh was with Joshua. And the report of him was in all the land.

Chapter 7

¹ And the sons of Israel were unfaithful in unfaithfulness with the banned thing. And Achan the son of Karmi the son of Zabdi the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took from the banned thing. And the nose of Yahweh burned against the sons of Israel.

² And Joshua sent men from Jericho to the Ai, which was near Beth Aven, from the east of Bethel. And he spoke to them, saying, “Go up and spy out the land.” And the men went up and spied out the Ai. ³ And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not let all the people go up. About 2,000 men or about 3,000 men should go up and strike the Ai. Do not cause all the people to be weary there because they are few.” ⁴ And some from the people went up to there, about 3,000 men, and they fled before the face of the men of the Ai. ⁵ And the men of the Ai struck down from them about 36 men and they pursued them before the face of the gate as far as the Shebarim. And they struck them down on the slope. And the heart of the people melted and became water.

⁶ And Joshua tore his garments and fell on his face to the earth before the face of the Box of Yahweh until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they caused dust to go up on their heads. ⁷ And Joshua said, “Ah, my Lord Yahweh! Why at all did you bring this people across the Jordan to give us into the hand of the Amorite, to cause us to perish? And if only we had been content and had stayed on the other side of the Jordan! ⁸ Please, my Lord! What can I say, after Israel has turned the back of the neck before the face of its enemies? ⁹ And the Canaanite and all those who dwell in the land will hear and will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will you do for your great name?”

¹⁰ And Yahweh said to Joshua, “Get yourself up! Why is this—you are falling on your face? ¹¹ Israel has sinned and also passed over my covenant, which I commanded them, and also taken from the banned thing and also stolen and also deceived and also placed among their things. ¹² And the sons of Israel were not able to stand before the face of their enemies. They turned the back of the neck before the face of their enemies because they have become a banned thing. I will not be with you again if you do not destroy the banned thing from your midst. ¹³ Get up! Consecrate the people and you shall say, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, “A banned thing is in your midst, Israel. You will not be able to stand before the face of your enemies until you remove the banned thing from your midst.” ¹⁴ And you shall be brought near in the morning by your tribes. And it will happen that the tribe that Yahweh catches shall come near by the clans. And the clan that Yahweh catches shall come near by the houses. And the house that Yahweh catches shall come near by the men. ¹⁵ And it will happen that the one who is caught with the banned thing shall be burned with the fire, he and all that belongs to him, because he has crossed over the covenant of Yahweh, and because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel.’”

¹⁶ And Joshua got up early in the morning and brought Israel near by its tribes. And the tribe of Judah was caught. ¹⁷ And he brought near the clans of Judah and the clan of the Zerahite was caught. And he brought near the clan of the Zerahite by the men and Zabdi was caught. ¹⁸ And he brought near his house by the men and Achan the son of Karmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, was caught. ¹⁹ And Joshua said to Achan, “My son, now give glory to Yahweh the God of Israel and give thanks to him. And tell me now what you have done. Do not hide it from me.” ²⁰ And Achan answered Joshua and said, “Truly, I have sinned against Yahweh the God of Israel. And like this and like this I did: ²¹ And I saw among the spoil one good coat of Shinar and 200 shekels silver and one tongue-shaped piece of gold (50 shekels was its weight). And I desired them and took them. And behold, they are hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent and the silver is under it.”

²² And Joshua sent messengers and they ran to the tent. And behold, it was hidden in his tent and the silver was under it. ²³ And they took them from the midst of the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the sons of Israel. And they poured them out before the face of Yahweh. ²⁴ And Joshua took Achan the son of Zerah and the silver and the coat and the tongue-shaped piece of gold and his sons and his daughters and his ox and his donkey and his sheep and his tent and all that was for him, and all Israel with him. And they brought them to the Valley of Trouble. ²⁵ And Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? Yahweh will trouble you on this day.” And all Israel stoned him with stone. And they burned them with the fire and they stoned them with the stones. ²⁶ And they raised up over him a great pile of stones until this day. And Yahweh turned from the burning of his nose. Therefore the name of that place is called the Valley of Trouble until this day.

Chapter 8

¹ And Yahweh said to Joshua, “Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Take with you all the people of war and rise, go up to the Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of the Ai and his people and his city and his land. ² And you shall do to the Ai and its king just as you have done to Jericho and its king, except you will plunder its spoil and its livestock for yourselves. Set for yourselves an ambush against the city from behind it.”

³ And Joshua and all the people of war rose to go up to the Ai. And Joshua chose 30,000 men, mighty ones of the army, and sent them at night. ⁴ And he commanded them, saying, “See, you lie in ambush against the city from behind the city. You shall not be very far from the city. And all of you shall be ready. ⁵ As for me and all the people who are with me, we will come near to the city. And it will happen when they come out to meet us just as at the first, that we will flee before their face. ⁶ And they will come out after us until we have drawn them from the city. For they will say, ‘They are fleeing before our face just as at the first.’ And we will flee before their face. ⁷ And you will rise from ambush and take possession of the city. And Yahweh your God will give it into your hand. ⁸ And it will happen that when you capture the city, you will kindle the city with fire. You will do according to the word of Yahweh. See, I have commanded you.” ⁹ And Joshua sent them and they went to the ambush place and they stayed between Bethel and the Ai from west of the Ai. And Joshua stayed overnight that night in the midst of the people.

¹⁰ And Joshua got up early in the morning and mustered the people. And he and the elders of Israel went up before the face of the people to the Ai. ¹¹ And all the people of war who were with him went up and approached and came before the city. And they camped from north of the Ai and the valley was between them and the Ai. ¹² And he took about 5,000 men. And he set them in ambush between Bethel and the Ai, from west of the city. ¹³ And the people set all the camp that was from north of the city and its rear guard from west of the city. And Joshua went in that night into the midst of the valley. ¹⁴ And it happened that as soon as the king of the Ai saw, then the men of the city hurried and got up early and went out to meet Israel for the battle, he and all his people, at an appointed place before the face of the Arabah. Now he did not know that an ambush was against him from behind the city. ¹⁵ And Joshua and all Israel let themselves be struck before the face of them. And they fled the way of the wilderness. ¹⁶ And all the people who were in the city were summoned to pursue after them. And they pursued after Joshua and were drawn away from the city. ¹⁷ And there was not a man left in the Ai or Bethel who had not pursued after Israel. And they left the city open and they pursued after Israel.

¹⁸ And Yahweh said to Joshua, “Stretch out with the javelin that is in your hand toward the Ai, because I will give it into your hand.” And Joshua stretched out with the javelin that was in his hand toward the city. ¹⁹ And the ambush rose quickly from its place and they ran when he stretched out his hand. And they entered the city and captured it and hurried and kindled the city with fire. ²⁰ And the men of the Ai turned behind them and looked, and behold, the smoke of the city went up to the heavens! And it was not in their hands to flee here or there. And the people who had fled to the wilderness turned around toward the pursuers. ²¹ And Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had captured the city, and that the smoke of the city went up. And they turned back and struck down the men of the Ai. ²² And these came out from the city to meet them and they were in the midst of Israel, these from here and these from there. And they struck them down until he left no survivor or refugee of them. ²³ And they seized the king of the Ai alive. And they brought him near to Joshua.

²⁴ And it happened when Israel had finished slaying all those who dwelled in the Ai in the field in the wilderness in which they pursued them, and all of them had fallen by the mouth of the sword until they were finished, that all Israel returned to the Ai and struck it with the mouth of the sword. ²⁵ And it happened that all the ones who fell on that day, from man and as far as woman, were 12,000, all the men of the Ai. ²⁶ And Joshua did not turn back his hand which he had stretched out with the javelin, until when he had completely destroyed all those who dwelled in the Ai. ²⁷ Israel plundered for themselves only the livestock and the spoil of that city, according to the word of Yahweh which he had commanded Joshua. ²⁸ And Joshua burned the Ai. And he made it a mound of eternity, a desolation until this day. ²⁹ And he hanged the king of the Ai on a tree until the time of the evening. And when the sun was going, Joshua commanded and they brought down his corpse from the tree and threw it at the opening of the gate of the city and raised over it a great pile of stones until this day.

³⁰ Then Joshua built an altar to Yahweh the God of Israel on Mount Ebal. ³¹ It was just as Moses the servant of Yahweh had commanded the sons of Israel, as written in the book of the law of Moses: “An altar of whole stones, over which no one has wielded an iron tool.” And they offered up on it burnt up offerings to Yahweh and sacrificed peace offerings. ³² And there on the stones he wrote a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote before the face of the sons of Israel. ³³ And all Israel and its elders and officers and its judges were standing from here and from there at the Box in front of the priests and the Levites who carried the Box of the Covenant of Yahweh, like the foreigner so the native, half of them toward the front of Mount Gerizim and half of them toward the front of Mount Ebal. It was just as Moses the servant of Yahweh had commanded to bless the people of Israel at the first. ³⁴ And afterward, he read all the words of the law, the blessings and the curses, according to all that is written in the book of the law. ³⁵ There was not a word from all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read in front of all the assembly of Israel and the women and the children and the sojourners who are going in the midst of them.

Chapter 9

¹ And it happened that as soon as all the kings heard it who were on the other side of the Jordan, in the hill country, and in the lowlands and in all the coast of the great sea toward the front of the Lebanon (the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite), ² then they gathered themselves together as one mouth to fight against Joshua and against Israel.

³ And those who dwelled in Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to the Ai. ⁴ And they, even they, acted with cunning. And they went and acted as envoys and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys and worn-out and torn and mended skins of wine. ^{[1] 5} And worn-out and patched sandals were on their feet, and worn-out garments were on them, and all the bread of their provisions was dry and had become crumbs. ⁶ And they went to Joshua in the camp at the Gilgal. And they said to him and to a man of Israel, “We have come from a distant land, and now cut a covenant for us.” ⁷ And they said, a man of Israel, to the Hivite, “Perhaps you are dwelling among us. And how can I cut a covenant for you?” ⁸ And they said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where did you come from?” ⁹ And they said to him, “Your servants have come from a very distant land for the name of Yahweh your God. For we have heard a report of him and all that he did in Egypt, ¹⁰ and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorite who were on the other side of the Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og the king of the Bashan who was in Ashtaroth. ¹¹ And our elders and all those who dwell in our land spoke to us, saying, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the road and go to meet them. And you shall say to them, “We are your servants. And now cut a covenant for us.”’ ¹² This bread of ours was hot, we took it as our provision from our houses on the day of our going out to come to you. And now, behold, it is dry and has become crumbs. ¹³ And these skins of wine that we filled were new, and behold, they are torn. And these, our garments and our sandals, are worn-out from the very great length of the road.” ¹⁴ And the men took from their provisions. But they did not ask the mouth of Yahweh. ¹⁵ And Joshua made peace for them, and cut a covenant for them to let them live. And the leaders of the congregation swore to them.

¹⁶ And it happened from the end of three days after when they had cut a covenant for them, that they heard that they were near to them and they were dwelling among them. ¹⁷ And the sons of Israel set out and came to their cities on the third day. And their cities were Gibeon and Kephirah and Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim. ¹⁸ And the sons of Israel did not strike them down because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by Yahweh the God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the leaders. ¹⁹ And all the leaders said to all the congregation, “We ourselves have sworn to them by Yahweh the God of Israel. And now we are not able to touch them. ²⁰ We will do this to them and let them live. And wrath will not be on us on account of the oath which we swore to them.” ²¹ And the leaders said to them, “Let them live.” And they became cutters of trees and drawers of water for all the congregation, just as the leaders had spoken to them.

²² And Joshua called to them and spoke to them, saying, “Why did you deceive us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ but you are dwelling among us? ²³ And now you are cursed. And a slave will not be cut off from you, and cutters of trees and drawers of water for the house of my God.” ²⁴ And they answered Joshua and said, “Because it was clearly told to your servants that Yahweh your God commanded his servant Moses to give to you all the land and to destroy all those who dwell in the land from before your face. And we were very afraid for our lives because of your face, so we did this thing. ²⁵ And now, behold, we are in your hand. Do to us as is good and as is right in your eyes to do.” ²⁶ And he did thus to them. And he rescued them from the hand of the sons of Israel and they did not slay them. ²⁷ And on that day Joshua made them cutters of trees and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of Yahweh, until this day, in the place that he would choose.

Chapter 10

¹ And it happened that as soon as Adoni-Zedek the king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured the Ai and had completely destroyed it (just as he had done to Jericho and to its king, so he had done to the Ai and to its king), and that those who dwelled in Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, ² then they were very afraid because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the cities of the kingdom, and because it was greater than the Ai, and all its men were mighty ones. ³ And Adoni-Zedek the king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham the king of Hebron and to Piram the king of Jarmuth and to Japhia the king of Lachish and to Debir the king of Eglon, saying, ⁴ “Come up to me and help me. And let us strike Gibeon. For it has made peace with Joshua and with the sons of Israel.” ⁵ And the five kings of the Amorites gathered and went up: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon—they and all their camps. And they camped against Gibeon and fought against it. ⁶ And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua, to the camp at the Gilgal, saying, “Do not let your hand drop from your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us and help us because all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hill country have gathered against us.” ⁷ And Joshua went up from the Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him and all the mighty ones of the army.

⁸ And Yahweh said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid from them, for they are given into your hand. Not a man from them will stand before you.” ⁹ And Joshua came to them suddenly, all the night he went up from the Gilgal. ¹⁰ And Yahweh confused them before the face of Israel and struck them down with a great blow in Gibeon. And he pursued them on the road going up to Beth Horon and he struck them down as far as Azekah and as far as Makkedah. ¹¹ And it happened when they fled from the face of Israel, they were on the slope of Beth Horon, that Yahweh threw large stones on them from the heavens as far as Azekah and they died. There were more who died by the stones of hail than the sons of Israel slew with the sword.

¹² Then Joshua spoke to Yahweh on the day Yahweh gave the Amorites before the face of the sons of Israel. And he said before the eyes of Israel,

     “Sun, be still in Gibeon,

     and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”

     ¹³ And the sun was still and the moon stood

     until the nation took vengeance on its enemies.

Is it not written in the Book of the Upright?

     “And the sun stood in the middle of the heavens,

     and it did not hurry to go for about a whole day.” ^{[1] 14} And there has been no day like this before the face of it or after it, when Yahweh listened to the voice of a man. For Yahweh fought for Israel. ¹⁵ And Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at the Gilgal.

¹⁶ And these five kings had fled and hidden themselves in the cave in Makkedah. ¹⁷ And it was told to Joshua, saying, “The five kings have been found hidden in the cave in Makkedah.” ¹⁸ And Joshua said, “Roll large stones to the mouth of the cave and assign men beside it to guard them. ¹⁹ But you, do not stay! Chase after your enemies and strike their rear. Do not allow them to enter into their cities for Yahweh your God has given them into your hand.” ²⁰ And it happened as soon as Joshua and the sons of Israel finished striking them down with a very great blow until they had finished, that the escapees escaped from them and entered into the cities of fortification. ²¹ And all the people returned in peace to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah. No man sharpened his tongue against the sons of Israel.

²² And Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave. And bring out to me these five kings from the cave.” ²³ And they did so and brought out to him these five kings from the cave: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon. ²⁴ And it happened as soon as they brought out these kings to Joshua, that Joshua called to every man of Israel and said to the commanders of the men of war, the ones who had gone with him, “Come near. Set your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came near and set their feet on their necks. ²⁵ And Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Be strong and be courageous, for thus Yahweh will do to all your enemies, they whom you are about to fight.” ²⁶ And Joshua struck them down afterward and he put them to death and hanged them on five trees. And they were hanging on the trees until the evening. ²⁷ And it happened that at the time of the going of the sun Joshua commanded and they brought them down from on the trees and threw them into the cave there where they were hidden. And they set large stones over the mouth of the cave until this same day.

²⁸ And Joshua captured Makkedah on that day. And he struck down it and its king by the mouth of the sword. He completely destroyed them and all the life that was in it; he did not leave a survivor. And he did to the king of Makkedah just as he had done to the king of Jericho.

²⁹ And Joshua and all Israel with him passed over from Makkedah to Libnah. And he fought against Libnah. ³⁰ And Yahweh also gave it and its king into the hand of Israel, and he struck it down with the mouth of the sword and all the life that was in it; he did not leave a survivor in it. And he did to its king just as he had done to the king of Jericho.

³¹ And Joshua and all Israel with him passed over from Libnah to Lachish. And he camped against it and fought against it. ³² And Yahweh gave Lachish into the hand of Israel and he captured it on the second day. And he struck it down by the mouth of the sword and all the life that was in it like all that he had done to Libnah.

³³ Then Horam the king of Gezer went up to help Lachish. And Joshua struck him and his people down until he left no survivor for him. ³⁴ And Joshua and all Israel with him passed over from Lachish to Eglon. And they camped against it and fought against it. ³⁵ And they captured it on that day and struck it down by the mouth of the sword. And he completely destroyed all the life that was in it on that day like all that he had done to Lachish.

³⁶ And Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron. And they fought against it. ³⁷ And they captured it and struck it down by the mouth of the sword and its king and all its cities and all the life that was in it. He did not leave a survivor, like all that he had done to Eglon. And he completely destroyed it and all the life that was in it.

³⁸ And Joshua and all Israel with him turned to Debir. And he fought against it. ³⁹ And they captured it and its king and all its cities and struck them down by the mouth of the sword and completely destroyed all the life that was in it; he did not leave a survivor. Just as he had done to Hebron, thus he did to Debir and to its king, and just as he had done to Libnah and to its king.

⁴⁰ And Joshua struck down all the land: the hill country, and the Negev, and the lowlands, and the slopes, and all their kings. He did not leave a survivor. And he completely destroyed every breathing thing, just as Yahweh the God of Israel had commanded. ⁴¹ And Joshua struck them down from Kadesh Barnea and as far as Gaza and all the land of Goshen and as far as Gibeon. ⁴² And Joshua captured all these kings and their land at one time. For Yahweh the God of Israel fought for Israel. ⁴³ And Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at the Gilgal.

Chapter 11

¹ And it happened as soon as Jabin the king of Hazor heard, that he sent to Jobab the king of Madon and to the king of Shimron and to the king of Akshaph ² and to the kings who were from the north in the hill country and in the Arabah south of Kinnereth and in the lowlands and in the heights of Dor from the west, ³ the Canaanite from sunrise and from the west, and the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Jebusite in the hill country and the Hivite below Hermon in the land of the Mizpah. ⁴ And they went out, they and all their camps with them, many people like the sand that is on the shore of the sea with respect to abundance and very many horses and chariots. ⁵ And all these kings gathered by appointment and came and camped together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.

⁶ And Yahweh said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid because of their face, because tomorrow at this time I am going to make all of them pierced ones before the face of Israel. You will hamstring their horses and you will burn their chariots with fire.” ⁷ And Joshua and all the people of war with him came against them suddenly beside the waters of Merom. And they fell on them. ⁸ And Yahweh gave them into the hand of Israel and they struck them down and chased them as far as Great Sidon and as far as Misrephoth Maim and as far as the Valley of Mizpah toward sunrise. And they struck them down until he did not leave a survivor for them. ⁹ And Joshua did to them just as Yahweh said to him. He hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.

¹⁰ And Joshua returned at that time and captured Hazor, and struck down its king with the sword because Hazor, it was formerly the head of all these kingdoms. ¹¹ And they struck down all the life that was in it by the mouth of the sword, destroying completely, there was not left any breathing thing. And he burned Hazor with fire. ¹² And Joshua captured all the cities of these kings and all their kings and struck them down by the mouth of the sword. He completely destroyed them just as Moses the servant of Yahweh had commanded. ¹³ Only all the cities standing on their mounds, Israel did not burn them, except Hazor, it alone Joshua burned. ¹⁴ And all the spoil of these cities and the livestock, the sons of Israel plundered for themselves. Only every man they struck down by the edge of the sword until they had annihilated them. They did not leave any breathing thing. ¹⁵ Just as Yahweh had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He did not remove a thing from all that Yahweh had commanded Moses.

¹⁶ And Joshua took all this land: the hill country, and all the Negev, and all the land of Goshen, and the lowlands, and the Arabah, and the hill country of Israel, and its lowlands; ¹⁷ from Mount Halak the ascent to Seir, and as far as Baal Gad in the valley of the Lebanon below Mount Hermon. And he captured all their kings and struck them down and put them to death. ¹⁸ Joshua made war with all these kings many days. ¹⁹ There was not a city that made peace with the sons of Israel except the Hivites who dwelled in Gibeon. They took all in battle. ²⁰ For it was from Yahweh to harden their heart to meet battle with Israel in order to completely destroy them, so that there would not be favor for them. But it was in order to annihilate them just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

²¹ And Joshua came at that time and cut off the Anakites from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua completely destroyed them with their cities. ²² No Anakites were left in the land of the sons of Israel, except they remained in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod. ²³ And Joshua took all the land, according to all that Yahweh had spoken to Moses, and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their portions by their tribes. And the land was at rest from war.

Chapter 12

¹ And these are the kings of the land, whom the sons of Israel struck down and dispossessed of their land on the other side of the Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from the wadi of Arnon to Mount Hermon, and all the Arabah toward sunrise:

     ² Sihon the king of the Amorites, who dwelled in Heshbon, who ruled from Aroer, which is on the lip of the wadi of Arnon and the middle of the wadi, and half of the Gilead and up to the Jabbok wadi, the border of the sons of Ammon,

     ³ and the Arabah to the Sea of Kinnereth toward sunrise, and to the Sea of the Arabah (the Sea of Salt) toward sunrise, the road to Beth Jeshimoth, and from the south below the slopes of the Pisgah.

     ⁴ And the territory of Og the king of the Bashan, from the remnant of the Rephaites, who dwelled in Ashtaroth and in Edrei, ⁵ and who ruled in Mount Hermon, and in Salekah, and in all the Bashan, as far as the border of the Geshurite and the Maacathite, and half of the Gilead, the border of Sihon the king of Heshbon. ⁶ Moses the servant of Yahweh and the sons of Israel had struck them down. And Moses the servant of Yahweh had given it as a possession to the Reubenite and to the Gadite and to the half of the tribe of Manasseh.

⁷ And these are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the sons of Israel struck down on the other side of the Jordan, to the west, from Baal Gad in the valley of the Lebanon, and to Mount Halak, which ascends toward Seir. And Joshua gave it to the tribes of Israel as a possession according to their portions, ⁸ in the hill country, and in the lowlands, and in the Arabah, and in the slopes, and in the wilderness, and in the Negev—the Hittite, the Amorite, and the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite: ⁹ the king of Jericho, one; the king of the Ai, which is from the side of Bethel, one; ¹⁰ the 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; the king of Gezer, one; ¹³ the king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one; ¹⁴ the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one; ¹⁵ the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one; ¹⁶ the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one; ¹⁷ the king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one; ¹⁸ the king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one; ¹⁹ the king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one; ²⁰ the king of Shimron Meron, one; the king of Akshaph, one; ²¹ the king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one; ²² the king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam of Carmel, one; ²³ the king of Dor of Naphoth Dor, one; the king of the Nations of Gilgal, one; ²⁴ and the king of Tirzah, one. All the kings were 31.

Chapter 13

¹ Now Joshua was old and had come in the days. And Yahweh said to him, “You are old and have come in the days and very much land remains to take possession of. ² This is the remaining land: all the territories of the Philistine, and all of the Geshurite, ³ from Shihor, which is on the face of Egypt, and as far as the border of Ekron to the north (it is counted as Canaanite), the five rulers of the Philistines, the Gazite, and the Ashdodite, the Ashkelonite, the Gathite, and the Ekronite, and the Avvites; ⁴ from the south, all the land of the Canaanite, and a cave that is for the Sidonians, as far as Aphek, as far as the border of the Amorite; ⁵ and the land of the Gebalite, and all the Lebanon toward the rising of the sun, from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon as far as Lebo Hamath. ⁶ All those who dwell in the hill country from the Lebanon as far as Misrephoth Maim, all the Sidonians, I myself will dispossess them from the face of the sons of Israel. Only you shall cause it to fall to Israel as an inheritance, just as I commanded you. ⁷ And now apportion this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half of the tribe of Manasseh.”

⁸ With him the Reubenite and the Gadite had taken their inheritance that Moses gave to them on the other side of the Jordan toward sunrise, just as Moses the servant of Yahweh had given to them: ⁹ from Aroer, which is on the lip of the wadi of Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the wadi, and all the plateau of Medeba to Dibon; ¹⁰ and all the cities of Sihon the king of the Amorite, who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the border of the sons of Ammon; ¹¹ and the Gilead, and the territory of the Geshurite and the Maacathite, and all Mount Hermon, and all the Bashan as far as Salekah; ¹² all the kingdom of Og in the Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei (he remained from the remnant of the Rephaites) and Moses struck them down and dispossessed them. ¹³ But the sons of Israel did not dispossess the Geshurite and the Maacathite. And Geshur and Maacath dwell in the midst of Israel to this day. ¹⁴ Only to the tribe of Levi he did not give an inheritance. The offerings made by fire to Yahweh the God of Israel, they are his inheritance, just as he spoke to him.

¹⁵ And Moses gave to the tribe of the sons of Reuben, according to their clans. ¹⁶ And the territory for them was from Aroer, which is on the lip of the wadi of Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the wadi, and all the plateau beside Medeba, ¹⁷ Heshbon and all its cities that are in the plateau, Dibon, and Bamoth Baal, and Beth Baal Meon, ¹⁸ and Jahaz, and Kedemoth, and Mephaath, ¹⁹ and Kiriathaim, and Sibmah, and Zereth Shahar on the hill of the valley, ²⁰ and Beth Peor, and the slopes of the Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth, ²¹ and all the cities of the plateau, and all the kingdom of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses had struck down, he and the leaders of Midian: Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba (the princes of Sihon who had dwelled in the land). ²² And the sons of Israel slew with the sword Balaam the son of Beor, the diviner, with their pierced ones. ²³ And it happened that the border of the sons of Reuben was the Jordan and the border. This is the inheritance of the sons of Reuben according to their clans—the cities and their villages.

²⁴ And Moses gave to the tribe of Gad, to the sons of Gad according to their clans. ²⁵ And the territory for them was Jazer and all the cities of the Gilead and half of the land of the sons of Ammon, as far as Aroer, which is on the face of Rabbah, ²⁶ and from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir, ²⁷ and in the valley, Beth Haram, and Beth Nimrah, and Succoth, and Zaphon, and the rest of the kingdom of Sihon the king of Heshbon, with the Jordan and the border, as far as the end of the Sea of Kinnereth, beyond the Jordan toward sunrise. ²⁸ This is the inheritance of the sons of Gad according to their clans—the cities and their villages.

²⁹ And Moses gave to the half of the tribe of Manasseh, and it was to the half of the tribe of the sons of Manasseh according to their clans. ³⁰ And their territory was from Mahanaim, all the Bashan, all the kingdom of Og the king of the Bashan, and all the towns of Jair, which are in the Bashan, 60 cities; ³¹ and half of the Gilead, and Ashtaroth, and Edrei (the cities of the kingdom of Og in the Bashan) were for the sons of Machir the son of Manasseh, for half of the sons of Machir according to their clans. ³² These are what Moses gave as an inheritance in the plains of Moab, from the other side of the Jordan, Jericho toward sunrise.

³³ But Moses did not give an inheritance to the tribe of the Levite. Yahweh the God of Israel, he is their inheritance, just as he spoke to them.

Chapter 14

¹ And these are what the sons of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the sons of Israel gave them as an inheritance. ² Their inheritance was by lot for the nine tribes and the half of the tribe, just as Yahweh had commanded by the hand of Moses. ³ For Moses had given the inheritance of the two tribes and the half of the tribe from the other side of the Jordan. But to the Levites he had not given an inheritance in the midst of them. ⁴ For the sons of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. And they did not give a portion to the Levites in the land, but rather cities to dwell in, and their pasturelands for their livestock and for their property. ⁵ Just as Yahweh had commanded Moses, so the sons of Israel did. And they apportioned the land.

⁶ And the sons of Judah came near to Joshua in the Gilgal, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You yourself know the word which Yahweh spoke to Moses the man of God on account of me and on account of you at Kadesh Barnea. ⁷ I was a son of 40 years when Moses the servant of Yahweh sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land. And I brought back word to him just as was in my heart. ⁸ And my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt. But I was fully after Yahweh my God. ⁹ And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden will be for an inheritance for you and for your sons until eternity. For you were fully after Yahweh my God.’ ¹⁰ And now, behold! Yahweh has kept me alive these 45 years, just as he spoke, from when Yahweh spoke this word to Moses, when Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold! Today I am a son of 85 years. ¹¹ I am still as strong today just as on the day Moses sent me. As my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war, and for going out, and for coming in. ¹² And now, give to me this hill country of which Yahweh spoke on that day. For you yourself heard on that day that the Anakites were there and great fortified cities. Perhaps Yahweh will be with me and I will dispossess them, just as Yahweh has spoken.”

¹³ And Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance. ¹⁴ Therefore, Hebron belongs to Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite for an inheritance until this day, because he was fully after Yahweh the God of Israel. ¹⁵ (And the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath Arba. He was a great man among the Anakites.) And the land was at rest from war.

Chapter 15

¹ And the lot for the tribe of the sons of Judah, according to their clans, was to the border of Edom, from the wilderness of Zin in the Negev, from the end of the south. ² And the border of the south for them was from the end of the Sea of Salt, from the tongue turning to the south. ³ And it went out to the south to the Ascent of Scorpions and passed over to Zin, and went up from the south to Kadesh Barnea, and passed over to Hezron, and went up to Addar, and went around to the Karka. ⁴ And it passed over to Azmon, and went out the wadi of Egypt, and the exits of the border were at the sea. This will be for you the border of the south. ⁵ And the border of the east was the Sea of Salt, as far as the end of the Jordan. And the border to the side of the north was from the tongue of the sea from the end of the Jordan. ⁶ And the border went up to Beth Hoglah and passed over from the north to Beth Arabah. And the border went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben. ⁷ And the border went up to Debir from the Valley of Trouble, and to the north, turning to the Gilgal, which is in front of the ascent of Adummim, which is from the south of the wadi. And the border passed over to the waters of En Shemesh and its exits are at En Rogel. ⁸ And the border went up the valley of Ben Hinnom to the shoulder of the Jebusites from the south (it is Jerusalem). And the border went up to the head of the hill that is on the face of the valley of Hinnom, to the west, which is at the end of the valley of the Rephaites to the north. ⁹ And the border turned from the head of the hill to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah, and went out to the cities of Mount Ephron. And the border turned to Baalah (it is Kiriath Jearim). ¹⁰ And the border went around from Baalah to the west to Mount Seir, and passed over to the shoulder of Mount Jearim from the north (it is Kesalon), and went down to Beth Shemesh, and passed over to Timnah. ¹¹ And the border went out to the shoulder of Ekron to the north. And the border turned toward Shikkeron and passed over to Mount Baalah, and went out to Jabneel. And the exits of the border were at the sea. ¹² And the border of the west was the great sea and the border. This is the border of the sons of Judah all around, according to their clans.

¹³ And to Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a portion in the midst of the sons of Judah according to the mouth of Yahweh to Joshua: Kiriath Arba (the father of the Anak), it is Hebron. ¹⁴ And Caleb dispossessed from there the three sons of the Anak: Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai, the children of the Anak. ¹⁵ And he went up from there against those dwelling in Debir. And the name of Debir was formerly Kiriath Sepher. ¹⁶ And Caleb said, “Whoever strikes down Kiriath Sepher and captures it, I will give to him Aksah my daughter for a wife.” ¹⁷ And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, captured it. And he gave to him Aksah his daughter for a wife. ¹⁸ And it happened when she came to him, that she incited him to ask for a field from with her father. And she got down from on the donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What is for you?” ¹⁹ And she said, “Give to me a blessing. Because you have given me the land of the Negev, then you must give to me springs of water.” And he gave to her the upper springs and lower springs.

²⁰ This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Judah, according to their clans: ²¹ And the cities were at the end of the tribe of the sons of Judah, toward the border of Edom in the Negev: Kabzeel and Eder and Jagur ²² and Kinah and Dimonah and Adadah ²³ and Kedesh and Hazor and Ithnan, ²⁴ Ziph and Telem and Bealoth ²⁵ and Hazor Hadattah and Kerioth Hezron (it is Hazor), ²⁶ Amam and Shema and Moladah ²⁷ and Hazar Gaddah and Heshmon and Beth Pelet ²⁸ and Hazar Shual and Beersheba and Biziothiah, ²⁹ Baalah and Iyim and Ezem ³⁰ and Eltolad and Kesil and Hormah ³¹ and Ziklag and Madmannah and Sansannah ³² and Lebaoth and Shilhim and Ain and Rimmon. All the cities were 29 and their villages.

³³ In the lowlands: Eshtaol and Zorah and Ashnah ³⁴ and Zanoah and En Gannim, Tappuah and the Enam, ³⁵ Jarmuth and Adullam, Sokoh and Azekah ³⁶ and Shaaraim and Adithaim and the Gederah and Gederothaim; 14 cities and their villages. ³⁷ Zenan and Hadashah and Migdalgad ³⁸ and Dilean and the Mizpah and Joktheel, ³⁹ Lachish and Bozkath and Eglon ⁴⁰ and Kabbon and Lahmas and Kitlish ⁴¹ and Gederoth, Beth Dagon and Naamah and Makkedah;16 cities and their villages.

⁴² Libnah and Ether and Ashan ⁴³ and Iphtah and Ashnah and Nezib ⁴⁴ and Keilah and Akzib and Maresha; nine cities and their villages. ⁴⁵ Ekron, and its daughters and its villages; ⁴⁶ from Ekron and to the sea, all that were on the hand of Ashdod and their villages. ⁴⁷ Ashdod and its towns and its villages, Gaza and its towns and its villages, as far as the wadi of Egypt and the great sea and the border.

⁴⁸ And in the hill country: Shamir and Jattir and Sokoh ⁴⁹ and Dannah and Kiriath Sannah (it is Debir) ⁵⁰ and Anab and Eshtemoh and Anim ⁵¹ and Goshen and Holon and Giloh; 11 cities and their villages. ⁵² Arab and Dumah and Eshan ⁵³ and Janim and Beth Tappuah and Aphekah ⁵⁴ and Humtah and Kiriath Arba (it is Hebron) and Zior; nine cities and their villages.

⁵⁵ Maon, Carmel and Ziph and Juttah ⁵⁶ and Jezreel and Jokdeam and Zanoah, ⁵⁷ the Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities and their villages. ⁵⁸ Halhul, Beth Zur and Gedor ⁵⁹ and Maarath and Beth Anoth and Eltekon; six cities and their villages. ⁶⁰ Kiriath Baal (it is Kiriath Jearim) and the Rabbah; two cities and their villages.

⁶¹ In the wilderness: Beth Arabah, Middin and Secacah ⁶² and Nibshan and the City of Salt and En Gedi; six cities and their villages.

⁶³ And the Jebusites who dwelled in Jerusalem, the sons of Judah were not able to dispossess them, so the Jebusites have dwelled with the sons of Judah in Jerusalem until this day.

Chapter 16

¹ And the lot for the sons of Joseph went out from the Jordan at Jericho, to the waters of Jericho toward sunrise, the wilderness going up from Jericho in the hill country of Bethel. ² And it went out from Bethel to Luz and passed over to the border of the Arkites at Ataroth. ³ And it went down to the west to the border of the Japhletite, as far as the border of Lower Beth Horon, and as far as Gezer, and its exits were at the sea.

⁴ And the sons of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, received an inheritance. ⁵ And the border of the sons of Ephraim was according to their clans. And the border of their inheritance toward sunrise was Ataroth Addar as far as Upper Beth Horon, ⁶ And the border went out to the sea, the Mikmethath from the north, and the border went around toward sunrise at Taanath Shiloh and passed by it from the sunrise to Janoah. ⁷ And it went down from Janoah to Ataroth and Naarah and reached Jericho and came out at the Jordan. ⁸ From Tappuah the border went to the west to the wadi of Kanah and its exists were at the sea. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Ephraim, according to their clans, ⁹ and the cities that were set apart for the sons of Ephraim in the midst of the inheritance of the sons of Manasseh, all the cities and their villages. ¹⁰ And they did not dispossess the Canaanite who dwelled in Gezer, so the Canaanite has dwelled within Ephraim until this day, and he has become a forced laborer who serves.

Chapter 17

¹ And the lot was for the tribe of Manasseh (because he was the firstborn of Joseph), for Makir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of the Gilead. And the Gilead and the Bashan were given to him because he himself was a man of war. ² And it was for the remaining sons of Manasseh, according to their clans, for the sons of Abiezer and for the sons of Helek and for the sons of Asriel and for the sons of Shechem and for the sons of Hepher and for the sons of Shemida. These were the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the males according to their clans. ³ And for Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, there were no sons for him, but rather daughters. And these were the names of his daughters: Mahlah and Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah. ⁴ And they came near before the face of Eleazar the priest and before the face of Joshua the son of Nun and before the face of the leaders, saying, “Yahweh commanded Moses to give to us an inheritance in the midst of our brothers.” And he gave to them an inheritance according to the mouth of Yahweh in the midst of the brothers of their father. ⁵ And ten measured portions of Manasseh fell, apart from the land of the Gilead and the Bashan, which were from the other side of the Jordan. ⁶ For the daughters of Manasseh inherited an inheritance in the midst of his sons. And the land of the Gilead was for the remaining sons of Manasseh.

⁷ And the border of Manasseh was from Asher to the Mikmethath, which is on the face of Shechem. And the border went to the right to those dwelling at the spring of Tappuah. ⁸ (The land of Tappuah was for Manasseh. And Tappuah at the border of Manasseh was for the sons of Ephraim.) ⁹ And the border went down to the wadi of Kanah, to the south of the wadi. These cities were for Ephraim in the midst of the cities of Manasseh. And the border of Manasseh was from north of the wadi, and its exits were at the sea. ¹⁰ To the south was for Ephraim, and to the north was for Manasseh, and the sea was its border. And it meets with Asher from the north and with Issachar from the sunrise. ¹¹ And for Manasseh in Issachar and in Asher was Beth Shan and its daughters and Ibleam and its daughters and those who dwelled in Dor and its daughters and those who dwelled in En Dor and its daughters and those who dwelled in Taanach and its daughters and those who dwelled in Megiddo and its daughters, the three of Napheth. ¹² And the sons of Manasseh were not able to take possession of these cities. And the Canaanite was determined to dwell in this land. ¹³ And it happened when the sons of Israel were strong, that they put the Canaanite to forced labor. And they did not completely dispossess them.

¹⁴ And the sons of Joseph spoke with Joshua, saying, “Why have you given to me one lot and one measured portion as an inheritance, and I am a numerous people, Yahweh has blessed me until up to now?” ¹⁵ And Joshua said to them, “If you are a numerous people, go up for yourself to the forest and clear for yourself there in the land of the Perizzite and the Rephaites. For the hill country of Ephraim is narrow for you.” ¹⁶ And the sons of Joseph said, “The hill country is not enough for us, and the chariot of iron is with every Canaanite who dwells in the land of the valley, for those who are in Beth Shan and its daughters and those who are in the valley of Jezreel.” ¹⁷ And Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, “You are a numerous people and great power is for you. There will not be one lot for you. ¹⁸ But the hill country will be for you, though it is a forest, and you will clear it and its exits will be for you. For you will dispossess the Canaanite, though the chariot of iron is for him, though he is strong.”

Chapter 18

¹ And all the congregation of the sons of Israel assembled at Shiloh and placed the Tent of Meeting there. And the land was subdued before their face. ² And seven tribes remained among the sons of Israel that had not apportioned their inheritance. ³ And Joshua said to the sons of Israel, “Until when will you be showing yourselves slack to enter to possess the land that Yahweh the God of your fathers has given to you? ⁴ Provide for yourselves three men according to the tribe. And I will send them out and they will rise and walk about in the land and write it down according to the mouth of their inheritance and come to me. ⁵ And they will apportion it among themselves for seven portions. Judah will stand on its border from the south, and the house of Joseph will stand on their border from the north. ⁶ And you will write down the land in seven portions and bring them here to me. And I will throw a lot for you here before the face of Yahweh our God. ⁷ But there is no portion within you for the Levites because the priesthood of Yahweh is their inheritance. And Gad and Reuben and the half of the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance from the other side of the Jordan toward sunrise, which Moses the servant of Yahweh gave to them.”

⁸ And the men rose and went. And Joshua commanded the ones who went to write down the land, saying, “Go and walk about in the land and write it down and return to me. And I will throw a lot for you here before the face of Yahweh in Shiloh.” ⁹ And the men went and passed over in the land and wrote it down on a book according to the cities in seven portions. And they came to Joshua, to the camp at Shiloh. ¹⁰ And Joshua threw a lot for them in Shiloh before the face of Yahweh. And there Joshua apportioned the land to the sons of Israel according to their portions.

¹¹ And the lot of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin according to their clans went up. And the border of their lot went out between the sons of Judah and the sons of Joseph. ¹² And the border for them was to the side to the north from the Jordan. And the border went up to the shoulder of Jericho from the north and went up in the hill country to the west. And its exits were at the wilderness of Beth Aven. ¹³ And the border passed over from there toward Luz, to the shoulder of Luz to the south (it is Bethel). And the border went down to Ataroth Addar, beside the mountain that is from south of Lower Beth Horon. ¹⁴ And the border turned and went around at the side of the west toward the south, from the mountain that is on the face of Beth Horon to the south. And its exits were at Kiriath Baal (it is Kiriath Jearim, a city of the sons of Judah). This was the side of the west. ¹⁵ And the side to the south was from the end of Kiriath Jearim. And the border went out to the west and went out to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah. ¹⁶ And the border then went down to the end of the mountain that is on the face of the valley of Ben Hinnom, which is in the valley of the Rephaites to the north. And it went down the valley of Hinnom to the shoulder of the Jebusite to the south and went down En Rogel. ¹⁷ Then it turned northward and went out to En Shemesh and went out to Geliloth, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim. Then it went down to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben. ¹⁸ And it passed over to the shoulder of the front of the Arabah to the north and went down to the Arabah. ¹⁹ And the border passed over to the shoulder of Beth Hoglah to the north. And the exits of the border were at the tongue of the Sea of Salt to the north, at the end of the Jordan to the south. This was the border of the south. ²⁰ And the Jordan borders it to the side toward the east. This was the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin, according to its borders all around, according to their clans.

²¹ And the cities of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin, according to their clans, were: Jericho and Beth Hoglah and the valley of Keziz ²² and Beth Arabah and Zemaraim and Bethel ²³ and the Avvim, and the Parah, and Ophrah, ²⁴ and Kephar Ammoni and the Ophni and Geba; 12 cities and their villages. ²⁵ Gibeon and the Ramah and Beeroth ²⁶ and the Mizpah and the Kephirah and the Mozah ²⁷ and Rekem and Irpeel and Taralah ²⁸ and Zelah, Haeleph, and the Jebusite (it is Jerusalem), Gibeah, Kiriath; 14 cities and their villages. This was the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin according to their clans.

Chapter 19

¹ And the second lot went out for Simeon, for the tribe of the sons of Simeon according to their clans. And their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the sons of Judah. ² And with their inheritance for them was Beersheba and Sheba and Moladah ³ and Hazar Shual and Balah and Ezem ⁴ and Eltolad and Bethul and Hormah ⁵ and Ziklag and Beth Markaboth and Hazar Susah ⁶ and Beth Lebaoth and Sharuhen; 13 cities and their villages. ⁷ Ain, Rimmon and Ether and Ashan; four cities and their villages ⁸ and all the villages that were around these cities as far as Baalath Beer (Ramah of the Negev). This was the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Simeon according to their clans. ⁹ Some of the measured portion of the sons of Judah was the inheritance of the sons of Simeon. For the portion of the sons of Judah was greater than them, so the sons of Simeon inherited in the midst of their inheritance.

¹⁰ And the third lot went up for the sons of Zebulun according to their clans. And the border of their inheritance was up to Sarid. ¹¹ And their border went up toward the sea and Maralah and it met with Dabbesheth and met at the wadi that is on the face of Jokneam. ¹² And it turned from Sarid toward the east, the rising of the sun, beside the border of Kisloth Tabor. And it went out to the Daberath and went up Japhia. ¹³ And from there it passed over toward the east, toward the sunrise, to Gath Hepher, to Eth Kazin. And it went out to Rimmon, turning toward Neah. ¹⁴ And the border went around it from the north of Hannathon (and its exits were the valley of Iphtah El), ¹⁵ and Kattath and Nahalal and Shimron and Idalah and Bethlehem; 12 cities and their villages. ¹⁶ This was the inheritance of the sons of Zebulun according to their clans—these cities and their villages.

¹⁷ The fourth lot went out for Issachar, for the sons of Issachar according to their clans. ¹⁸ And their border was toward Jezreel and the Chesulloth and Shunem ¹⁹ and Hapharaim and Shion and Anaharath ²⁰ and the Rabbith and Kishion and Ebez ²¹ and Remeth and En Gannim and En Haddah and Beth Pazzez. ²² And the border met with Tabor, and Shahazumah and Beth Shemesh. And the exits of their border were at the Jordan; 16 cities and their villages. ²³ This was the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Issachar according to their clans—their cities and their villages.

²⁴ And the fifth lot went out for the tribe of the sons of Asher according to their clans. ²⁵ And their border was Helkath and Hali and Beten and Akshaph ²⁶ and Allammelek and Amad and Mishall. And it met with Carmel toward the sea and with Shihor Libnath. ²⁷ And it turned back toward the rising of the sun to Beth Dagon and it met with Zebulun and with the valley of Iphtah El to the north, Beth Emek, and Neiel. And it went out to Kabul from the left ²⁸ and Abdon and Rehob and Hammon and Kanah, as far as Great Sidon. ²⁹ And the border turned back to the Ramah and up to the city of fortification of Tyre. And the border turned back to Hosah, and its exits were to the sea, from the measured portion of Akzib ³⁰ and Ummah and Aphek and Rehob; 22 cities and their villages. ³¹ This was the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Asher according to their clans—these cities and their villages.

³² The sixth lot went out for the sons of Naphtali, for the sons of Napthali according to their clans. ³³ And their border was from Heleph, from the oak in Zaanannim and Adami Nekeb and Jabneel, as far as Lakkum. And its exits were at the Jordan. ³⁴ And the border turned back toward the west to Aznoth Tabor and went out from there to Hukkok. And it met with Zebulun from the south and met with Asher from the west and with Judah at the Jordan at the rising of the sun. ³⁵ And the cities of fortification were the Ziddim, Zer and Hammath, Rakkath and Kinnereth ³⁶ and Adamah and the Ramah and Hazor ³⁷ and Kedesh and Edrei and En Hazor ³⁸ and Yiron and Migdal El, Horem and Beth Anath and Beth Shemesh; 19 cities and their villages. ³⁹ This was the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali according to their clans—the cities and their villages.

⁴⁰ The seventh lot went out for the tribe of the sons of Dan according to their clans. ⁴¹ And the border of their inheritance was Zorah and Eshtaol and Ir Shemesh ⁴² and Shaalabbin and Aijalon and Ithlah ⁴³ and Elon and Timnah and Ekron ⁴⁴ and Eltekeh and Gibbethon and Baalath ⁴⁵ and Jehud and Bene Berak and Gath Rimmon ⁴⁶ and the waters of the Jarkon and the Rakkon with the territory in front of Joppa. ⁴⁷ And the border of the sons of Dan went out from them. And the sons of Dan went up and fought against Leshem and captured it and struck it down by the mouth of the sword. And they possessed it and settled in it and called Leshem Dan, like the name of Dan their father. ⁴⁸ This was the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Dan according to their clans—these cities and their villages.

⁴⁹ And they finished inheriting the land according to its borders. And the sons of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun in the midst of them. ⁵⁰ In accordance with the mouth of Yahweh they gave to him the city that he asked for: Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim. And he built the city and dwelled in it.

⁵¹ These are the inheritances that Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the sons of Israel apportioned as an inheritance by lot in Shiloh before the face of Yahweh at the opening of the tent of meeting. And they finished from apportioning the land.

Chapter 20

¹ And Yahweh spoke to Joshua, saying, ² “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘Give for yourselves the cities of refuge, which I spoke about to you by the hand of Moses, ³ so that the one who kills, who strikes down a person by mistake without knowledge, may flee to there. And they will be for you as a refuge from the avenger of blood. ⁴ And he shall flee into one from these cities and stand at the opening of the gate of the city and speak his words in the ears of the elders of that city. And they shall gather him into the city to themselves and give to him a place and he shall dwell with them. ⁵ And if the avenger of blood pursues after him, then they shall not deliver the one who kills into his hand. For without knowledge he struck down his neighbor and he was not hating him from yesterday and three days ago. ⁶ And he shall dwell in that city until he stands before the face of the congregation for judgment, until the death of he who is the great priest in those days. Then the one who kills may return and enter into his city and into his house, into the city that he fled from.’”

⁷ And they set apart Kedesh in the Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and Kiriath Arba (it is Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. ⁸ And from the other side of the Jordan, to Jericho toward the sunrise, they gave Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau from the tribe of Reuben and Ramoth in the Gilead from the tribe of Gad and Golan in the Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh. ⁹ These were the cities of appointment for all the sons of Israel and for the sojourner who sojourned in the midst of them, so that all who struck down a person by mistake could flee to there and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood until he stood before the face of the assembly.

Chapter 21

¹ And the heads of the fathers of the Levites came near to Eleazar the priest and to Joshua the son of Nun and to the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the sons of Israel. ² And they spoke to them in Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, “Yahweh commanded by the hand of Moses to give to us cities to dwell in, with their pasturelands for our livestock.” ³ And the sons of Israel gave these cities and their pasturelands to the Levites from their inheritance, according to the mouth of Yahweh. ⁴ And the lot went out for the clans of the Kohathites. And there were 13 cities by the lot for the sons of Aaron the priest (from the Levites) from the tribe of Judah and from the tribe of the Simeonite and from the tribe of Benjamin.

⁵ And for the remaining sons of Kohath were ten cities by the lot from the clans of the tribes of Ephraim and from the tribe of Dan and from the half of the tribe of Manasseh.

⁶ And for the sons of Gershon were 13 cities by the lot from the clans of the tribe of Issachar and from the tribe of Asher and from the tribe of Naphtali and from the half of the tribe of Manasseh in the Bashan.

⁷ For the sons of Merari according to their clans were 12 cities from the tribe of Reuben and from the tribe of Gad and from the tribe of Zebulun. ⁸ And the sons of Israel gave to the Levites by the lot these cities and their pasturelands, just as Yahweh had commanded by the hand of Moses.

⁹ And they gave from the tribe of the sons of Judah and from the tribe of the sons of Simeon these cities, them which were called by name. ¹⁰ And they were for the sons of Aaron from the clans of the Kohathites from the sons of Levi because the first lot was for them. ¹¹ And they gave to them Kiriath Arba, the father of the Anak (it is Hebron), in the hill country of Judah and its pasturelands around it. ¹² And the field of the city and its villages they had given to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as his possession.

¹³ And to the sons of Aaron the priest they gave a city of refuge of the one who kills, Hebron and its pasturelands and Libnah and its pasturelands ¹⁴ and Jattir and its pasturelands and Eshtemoa and its pasturelands ¹⁵ and Holon and its pasturelands and Debir and its pasturelands ¹⁶ and Ain and its pasturelands and Juttah and its pasturelands and Beth Shemesh and its pasturelands; nine cities from with the two of these tribes.

¹⁷ And from the tribe of Benjamin were Gibeon and its pasturelands, Geba and its pasturelands, ¹⁸ Anathoth and its pasturelands, and Almon and its pasturelands; four cities. ¹⁹ All the cities of the sons of Aaron, the priests, were 13 cities and their pasturelands.

²⁰ And for the clans of the sons of Kohath, the Levites, the remaining ones from the sons of Kohath, were the cities of their lot from the tribe of Ephraim. ²¹ And they gave to them a city of refuge of the one who kills, Shechem and its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim and Gezer and its pasturelands ²² and Kibzaim and its pasturelands and Beth Horon and its pasturelands; four cities.

²³ And from the tribe of Dan were Eltekeh and its pasturelands, Gibbethon and its pasturelands, ²⁴ Aijalon and its pasturelands, Gath Rimmon and its pasturelands; four cities.

²⁵ And from the half of the tribe of Manasseh were Taanach and its pasturelands and Gath Rimmon and its pasturelands; two cities. ²⁶ All the ten cities and their pasturelands were for the remaining clans of the sons of Kohath.

²⁷ And for the sons of Gershon from the clans of the Levites, from the half of the tribe of Manasseh was a city of refuge of the one who kills, Golan in the Bashan and its pasturelands, and Be Eshterah and its pasturelands; two cities.

²⁸ And from the tribe of Issachar were Kishion and its pasturelands, Daberath and its pasturelands, ²⁹ Jarmuth and its pasturelands, En Gannim and its pasturelands; four cities.

³⁰ And from the tribe of Asher were Mishal and its pasturelands, Abdon and its pasturelands, ³¹ Helkath and its pasturelands, and Rehob and its pasturelands; four cities.

³² And from the tribe of Naphtali were a city of refuge of the one who killed, Kedesh in the Galilee and its pasturelands and Hammoth Dor and its pasturelands and Kartan and its pasturelands; three cities. ³³ All the cities of the Gershonites according to their clans were 13 cities and their pasturelands.

³⁴ And for the clans of the sons of Merari, the remaining Levites, from with the tribe of Zebulun were Jokneam and its pasturelands, Kartah and its pasturelands, ³⁵ Dimnah and its pasturelands, Nahalal and its pasturelands; four cities. ³⁶ And from the tribe of Reuben were Bezer and its pasturelands and Jahaz and its pasturelands, ³⁷ Kedemoth and its pasturelands and Mephaath and its pasturelands; four cities.

³⁸ And from the tribe of Gad were a city of refuge of the one who killed, Ramoth in the Gilead and its pasturelands and Mahanaim and its pasturelands, ³⁹ Heshbon and its pasturelands, Jazer and its pasturelands; all of the cities were four. ⁴⁰ All the cities for the sons of Merari according to their clans, the remaining ones from the clans of the Levites, were 12 cities by their lot.

⁴¹ All the cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the sons of Israel were 48 cities and their pasturelands. ⁴² These cities were city by city, and its pasturelands were around it. It was so for all these cities.

⁴³ And Yahweh gave to Israel all the land that he had sworn to give to their fathers. And they possessed it and dwelled in it. ⁴⁴ And Yahweh gave rest to them from all around, according to all that he had sworn to their fathers. And a man did not stand against their face from all their enemies. Yahweh gave all their enemies into their hand. ⁴⁵ A word did not fall from every good word that Yahweh had spoken to the house of Israel The whole came to be.

Chapter 22

¹ Then Joshua called to the Reubenite and to the Gadite and to the half of the tribe of Manasseh. ² And he said to them, “You yourselves have kept all that Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded you. And you have listened to my voice according to all that I have commanded you. ³ You have not forsaken your brothers this many days, until this day. And you have kept the keeping of the commandments of Yahweh your God. ⁴ And now Yahweh your God has given rest to your brothers, just as he spoke to them. And now, turn and go for yourselves to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of Yahweh gave to you on the other side of the Jordan. ⁵ Only watch exceedingly to do the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded you, to love Yahweh your God and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your self.” ⁶ And Joshua blessed them. And he sent them away and they went to their tents.

⁷ Now to the half of the tribe of Manasseh, Moses had given in the Bashan, and to the half of him, Joshua gave with their brothers on the other side of the Jordan to the sea. And when Joshua had also sent them away to their tents, then he blessed them. ⁸ And he spoke to them, saying, “Return to your tents with many riches and with very much livestock, with silver and with gold and with bronze and with iron and with very many garments. Apportion the spoil of your enemies with your brothers.” ⁹ And the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half of the tribe of Manasseh turned back and went from with the sons of Israel, from Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of the Gilead, to the land of their possession, it which they had seized for themselves in accordance with the mouth of Yahweh by the hand of Moses.

¹⁰ And they entered into the territories of the Jordan that are in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half of the tribe of Manasseh built there an altar beside the Jordan—an altar large of appearance. ¹¹ And the sons of Israel heard, saying, “Behold, the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half of the tribe of Manasseh have built the altar at the front of the land of Canaan, at the territories of the Jordan, at the side of the sons of Israel.” ¹² And the sons of Israel heard and all the congregation of the sons of Israel assembled at Shiloh to go up for war against them.

¹³ And the sons of Israel sent Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad and to the half of the tribe of Manasseh, into the land of the Gilead. ¹⁴ And ten leaders were with him, one leader by one leader of the house of the father of all the tribes of Israel. And they were each a man of the head of the house of their fathers of the thousands of Israel. ¹⁵ And they came to the sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad and to the half of the tribe of Manasseh, into the land of the Gilead. And they spoke with them, saying, ¹⁶ “Thus says all the congregation of Yahweh, ‘What is this unfaithfulness that you have done unfaithfully against the God of Israel, to turn today from after Yahweh when you built for yourselves an altar today for your rebelling against Yahweh? ¹⁷ Was the iniquity of Peor little for us, it from which we have not purified ourselves until this day? And there was a plague among the congregation of Yahweh. ¹⁸ But as for you, you are turning from after Yahweh today! And it will happen that you yourselves will rebel against Yahweh today and tomorrow he will be furious toward all the congregation of Israel. ¹⁹ However, if the land of your possession is defiled, cross over for yourselves into the land of the possession of Yahweh, there where the dwelling of Yahweh dwells, and take possession in the midst of us. But do not rebel against Yahweh and do not rebel against us by your building an altar for yourselves apart from the altar of Yahweh our God. ²⁰ Did not Achan the son of Zerah act unfaithfully in unfaithfulness with the banned thing and wrath was on all the congregation of Israel? And he did not perish as one man in his iniquity.’”

²¹ And the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half of the tribe of Manasseh answered and spoke with the heads of the thousands of Israel: ²² “Yahweh is God of gods! Yahweh is God of gods! He knows, and as for Israel, let it know! If it was in rebellion or if in unfaithfulness against Yahweh, do not save us this day! ²³ If it was to build an altar for ourselves to turn from after Yahweh, or if to offer on it burnt up offerings or grain offerings or if to make on it the sacrifices of peace offerings, Yahweh himself will seek out. ²⁴ But no! Because of anxiety from a matter we did this, saying, ‘Tomorrow your sons might say to our sons, saying, “What is for you and for Yahweh, the God of Israel? ²⁵ And Yahweh has given a border between us and between you sons of Reuben and sons of Gad, the Jordan. There is no portion for you in Yahweh.“’ And your sons might make our sons cease so that they are not fearing Yahweh. ²⁶ And we said, ‘Let us now prepare for ourselves to build the altar, not for a burnt up offering and not for a sacrifice. ²⁷ But it will be a witness between us and between you and between our generations after us, to serve the service of Yahweh before his face, with our burnt up offerings and with our sacrifices and with our peace offerings. And your sons will not say to our sons tomorrow, “There is no portion for you in Yahweh.”’ ²⁸ And we said, ‘And it will happen if they speak to us or to our generations of tomorrow, that we will say, “See the copy of the altar of Yahweh, which our fathers made, not for a burnt up offering and not for a sacrifice, but it is a witness between us and between you.” ²⁹ May it be far from us for us to rebel against Yahweh, and turn today from after Yahweh to build an altar for a burnt up offering, for a grain offering, or for a sacrifice, apart from the altar of Yahweh our God that is before the face of his dwelling!’”

³⁰ And Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the congregation and the heads of the thousands of Israel who were with him heard the words that the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the sons of Manasseh spoke. And it was good in their eyes. ³¹ And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad and to the sons of Manasseh, “Today we know that Yahweh is in the midst of us, that you have not acted unfaithfully in this unfaithfulness against Yahweh. Therefore you have rescued the sons of Israel from the hand of Yahweh.” ³² And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest and the leaders returned from with the sons of Reuben and from with the sons of Gad, from the land of the Gilead, to the land of Canaan, to the sons of Israel. And they brought them back a word. ³³ And the word was good in the eyes of the sons of Israel. And the sons of Israel blessed God and did not speak of going up against them for war to destroy the land in which the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad were dwelling. ³⁴ And the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad called the altar “Truly it is a witness between us that Yahweh is God.”

Chapter 23

¹ And it happened from many days afterward, when Yahweh had given rest to Israel from all their enemies from all around, that Joshua was old, he came into the days. ² And Joshua called for all Israel, for its elders and for its heads and for its judges and for its officers. And he said to them, “I am old, I have come into the days. ³ But as for you, you have seen all that Yahweh your God has done to all these nations from your face. For Yahweh your God, he is the one who fights for you. ⁴ See, I have caused to fall for you these remaining nations as an inheritance for your tribes, from the Jordan and all the nations that I cut off and the great sea, from the going of the sun. ⁵ And Yahweh your God, he will push them from your face and will dispossess them from before your face. And you will possess their land, just as Yahweh your God spoke to you. ⁶ And you shall be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, to not turn aside from it right or left, ⁷ to not go among these nations, these remaining ones with you. And by the name of their gods you shall not mention and not swear. And you shall not serve them and not bow down to them. ⁸ But rather to Yahweh your God you shall cling, just as you have done until this day. ⁹ And Yahweh has dispossessed great and numerous nations from your face. And as for you, a man has not stood against your face until this day. ¹⁰ One man from you pursues a thousand. For Yahweh is your God. He is the one who fights for you, just as he has spoken to you. ¹¹ And you shall keep yourselves exceedingly for your selves, to love Yahweh your God. ¹² For if you ever turn back and cling to the remainder of these nations, these remaining ones with you, and you intermarry with them and you go among them and they among you, ¹³ you shall know assuredly that Yahweh your God will not continue to dispossess these nations from before your face. And they will be to you as a trap and as a snare and as a whip on your sides and as thorns in your eyes, until you perish from on this good ground that Yahweh your God has given to you.

¹⁴ And behold, today I am about to go the way of all the earth. And you know with all your heart and with all your soul that not one word has fallen from all the good words that Yahweh your God spoke concerning you. The whole has come to you, not one word from it has fallen. ¹⁵ And it will happen that just as all the good word that Yahweh your God spoke to you has come upon you, so Yahweh will bring upon you all the evil word until he has destroyed you from this good ground that Yahweh your God has given to you. ¹⁶ When you pass over the covenant of Yahweh your God that he commanded you and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, then the nose of Yahweh will burn against you. And you will quickly perish from the good land that he has given to you.”

Chapter 24

¹ And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem. And he called for the elders of Israel, and for its heads, and for its judges, and for its officers. And they presented themselves before the face of God. ² And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘Your fathers dwelled beyond the river from long ago—Terah the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor. And they served other gods. ³ And I took your father Abraham from beyond the river and brought him into all the land of Canaan. And I multiplied his seed and gave to him Isaac. ⁴ And I gave Jacob and Esau to Isaac. And I gave to Esau the hill country of Seir to possess it. And Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt. ⁵ And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I struck Egypt just as I did within it. And afterward I brought you out. ⁶ And I brought your fathers out from Egypt, and you came to the sea. And Egypt chased after your fathers with chariot and horsemen to the sea of reeds. ⁷ And they cried out to Yahweh, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians. And he brought the sea over him and covered him. And Your eyes saw what I did against Egypt. And you dwelled in the wilderness many days. ⁸ And I brought you to the land of the Amorite, the ones who dwelled on the other side of the Jordan, and they fought with you. And I gave them into your hand, and you possessed their land, and I destroyed them from before your face. ⁹ And Balak the son of Zippor, the king of Moab, got up and fought against Israel. And he sent and called for Balaam the son of Beor to curse you. ¹⁰ And I was not willing to listen to Balaam. And he blessed you repeatedly, and I rescued you from his hand. ¹¹ And you crossed over the Jordan and came to Jericho. And the men of Jericho, the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Girgashite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, fought against you. And I gave them into your hand. ¹² And I sent the hornet before your face and it drove them out from before your face—two kings of the Amorite. It was not by your sword and not by your bow. ¹³ And I gave to you a land for which you did not labor, and cities that you did not build and you dwell in them. You are eating vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’

¹⁴ And now, you shall fear Yahweh and serve him with completeness and with faithfulness. And you shall remove the gods that your fathers served beyond the river and in Egypt, and serve Yahweh. ¹⁵ But if it is evil in your eyes to serve Yahweh, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorite in whose land you are dwelling. But as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh.”

¹⁶ And the people answered and said, “Far be it for us from leaving Yahweh to serve other gods! ¹⁷ For Yahweh is our God, he is the one who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery, and who did these great signs before our eyes. And he kept us in all the way in which we went, and among all the peoples among whom we passed. ¹⁸ And Yahweh drove out from our face all the peoples, even the Amorite who dwelled in the land. We too, we will serve Yahweh because he is our God.”

¹⁹ And Joshua said to the people, “You will not be able to serve Yahweh because he is a holy God. He is a jealous God, he will not lift your transgressions and your sins. ²⁰ If you forsake Yahweh and serve the gods of the foreigner, then he will turn and do harm to you and finish you, after he has done good to you.” ²¹ And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve Yahweh.” ²² And Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you yourselves have chosen for yourselves Yahweh, to serve him.” And they said, “Witnesses.” ²³ “And now, remove the gods of the foreigner that are among you. And bend your heart to Yahweh the God of Israel.” ²⁴ And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve Yahweh our God, and we will listen to his voice.” ²⁵ And Joshua cut a covenant for the people on that day. And he set for them a statute and a judgment in Shechem. ²⁶ And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God. And he took a large stone and set it up there beneath the oak tree that was at the Holy Place of Yahweh.

²⁷ And Joshua said to all the people, “Behold, this stone will be for a witness against us, because it has heard all the words of Yahweh which he spoke to us. And it will be for a witness against you, lest you act deceptively against your God.” ²⁸ And Joshua sent the people away, a man to his inheritance.

²⁹ And it happened after these things that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Yahweh, died, a son of 110 years. ³⁰ And they buried him in the border of his inheritance, in Timnath Serah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, from the north of Mount Gaash. ³¹ And Israel served Yahweh all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who lengthened days after Joshua, and who knew every deed of Yahweh that he had done for Israel.

³² And the bones of Joseph, which the sons of Israel brought up from Egypt, they buried in Shechem, in the portion of the field that Jacob had bought from with the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, with a hundred pieces of money. And it became an inheritance for the sons of Joseph. ³³ And Eleazar the son of Aaron died. And they buried him in Gibeah of Phinehas his son, which had been given to him in the hill country of Ephraim.