Joshua

Chapter 1

¹ Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of Yahweh, that Yahweh spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, the chief assistant of Moses, saying, ² “Moses, my servant, is dead. Now therefore, arise, cross over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land that I am giving to them—to the sons of Israel. ³ Every place where the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you just as I spoke to Moses. ⁴ From the wilderness and this Lebanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea, where the sun goes down, will be your territory. ⁵ No one will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not abandon you or leave you. ⁶ Be strong and courageous, for you will cause this people to inherit the land that I promised their fathers to give to them. ⁷ Only be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law which my servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may be wise in everything in which you walk. ⁸ This book of the law will not depart from your mouth. You will meditate on it day and night so that you will be careful to do all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous and then you will be wise. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged, for Yahweh your God is with you in everything in which you walk.”

¹⁰ Then Joshua commanded the leaders of the people, saying ¹¹ “Go through the midst of the camp and command the people saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves. In three days you will cross over this Jordan to go in to possess the land that Yahweh your God is giving you to possess.’”

¹² To the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, Joshua spoke saying ¹³ “Remember the word that Moses the servant of Yahweh, commanded you saying, ‘Yahweh your God is giving rest to you, and he is giving to you this land.’ ¹⁴ Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock will stay in the land that Moses gave to you beyond the Jordan. But you will cross over before your brothers armed for battle, all your valiant warriors, and you will help them ¹⁵ until Yahweh gives rest to your brothers just as he gives you. Then they also will take possession of the land that Yahweh your God gives to them. Then you will return to the land of your inheritance and you will possess that which Moses the servant of Yahweh gave to you beyond the Jordan, where the sun rises.” ¹⁶ Then they answered Joshua, saying, “All that you commanded us we will do, and to wherever you send us we will go. ¹⁷ Just as we obeyed Moses so we will obey you. Only may Yahweh your God be with you, as he was with Moses. ¹⁸ Anyone that rebels against your commandment and will not obey your words in all that you command him, he will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous.”

Chapter 2

¹ Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two men out from Shittim as spies saying, “Go, see the land, especially Jericho.” They went and came to the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and they lodged there. ² It was told to the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men have come here tonight from the sons of Israel to search the land.” ³ The king of Jericho sent (word) to Rahab saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you who came to your house, for they came to search the whole land.” ⁴ But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them and she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. ⁵ And it came about when the gate closed at dark and the men went out, I did not know where the men went. Pursue quickly after them for you will overtake them.” ⁶ But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them in the flax (she had laid out the stalks on the roof). ⁷ So the men pursued after them on the road to the Jordan as far as the fords. And the gate shut as soon as the pursuers went out after them.

⁸ Now they had not yet laid down when she came 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 the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all who live in the land will melt away before you. ¹⁰ For we have heard how Yahweh dried up the water of the Sea of Reeds before you when you came out from Egypt and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan—to Sihon and to Og—whom you completely destroyed. ¹¹ As soon as we had heard it, our hearts melted and there was no more spirit left in anyone because of you—for Yahweh your God, he is God in heaven above and on the earth below. ¹² Now then, please swear to me by Yahweh that, just as I have dealt kindly with you, you will also deal kindly with the house of my father and give me a sure sign ¹³ that you will let live my father, and my mother, and my brothers, and my sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save our lives from death.” ¹⁴ And the men said to her, “Our lives for yours to death! If you do not speak about our business, then, when Yahweh gives to us the land we will deal kindly and faithfully with you.”

¹⁵ So she let them down on a rope through the window for the house was in the city wall, and she lived in the wall. ¹⁶ She said to them, “Go in the hills lest your pursuers will encounter you and hide there for three days until the pursuers have returned and after you will go on your way.” ¹⁷ The men said to her, “We will be innocent concerning this oath of yours which you have made us swear: ¹⁸ Look! We are coming into the land, You must tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and your father, and your mother, and your brothers, and all the household of your father you will gather in the house. ¹⁹ And whoever goes out from the doors of your house into the street, their blood will be upon their own heads and we will be innocent. But if a hand is laid upon anyone who will be with you in the house, his blood will be on our heads. ²⁰ But if you speak about our business, we will be innocent concerning the oath of yours which you made us swear.” ²¹ And she said, “According to your words, so be it.” So she sent them away and they left and she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

²² Then they left and came to the hills and they stayed there three days until the pursuers returned and the pursuers searched all along the road and did not find them. ²³ And the two men returned and descended from the hills and crossed over and came to Joshua son of Nun, and they reported to him everything that happened to them. ²⁴ They said to Joshua, “Truly Yahweh has given into our hands all the land. And also all the inhabitants of the land are melting away because of us.”

Chapter 3

¹ Joshua got up early in the morning, and they set out from Shittim. They came to the Jordan, he and all the sons of Israel, and they camped there before they crossed over. ² And it came about at the end of three days, the officers went through the midst of the camp; ³ and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of Yahweh your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you must set out from your place and follow after it. ⁴ However, there will be a distance between you and it of about two thousand cubits in length. Do not come close to it, so that you will know the way which you will go, since you did not pass this way previously. ⁵ Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, Yahweh will do wonders in your midst.” ⁶ Then Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass in front of the people.” So they picked up the ark of the covenant and went in front of people.

⁷ Then Yahweh said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to make you great in the eyes of all Israel that they will know that just as I was with Moses, I will be with you. ⁸ You will command the priests who carry the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘When you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you will stand still in the Jordan.’” ⁹ Then Joshua said to the sons of Israel, “draw near, and hear the words of Yahweh your God. ¹⁰ Then Joshua said, “By this you will know that the living God is among you and will surely drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites. ¹¹ Look! The ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth crosses over before you into the Jordan. ¹² Now choose for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from each tribe. ¹³ And it will come about when the soles of the feet of the priests that carry the ark of Yahweh, the Lord of all the earth, rest on the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan will be cut off, and the waters flowing down from above will stand in one heap.”

¹⁴ So the people set out from their tents to cross over the Jordan with the priests carrying the ark of the covenant before the people. ¹⁵ As soon as those who carried the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who carried the ark were dipped in the edge of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the days of the harvest), ¹⁶ the waters that flowed down from above stood and rose up in one heap, a great distance away, in Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing toward the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, became cut off and the people crossed over opposite Jericho. ¹⁷ And the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of Yahweh stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan and all Israel crossed over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.

Chapter 4

¹ And it came about when all the nation finished crossing over the Jordan, then Yahweh spoke to Joshua, saying ² “Choose twelve men for yourselves from the people, one from each tribe. ³ and command them saying: ‘Take up for yourselves twelve stones from here, in the middle of the Jordan where the priests are standing firmly, and bring them over with you, and lay them down in the place where you will stay tonight.’” ⁴ Then Joshua called to the twelve men whom he appointed from the sons of Israel, one from each tribe. ⁵ And Joshua said to them, “Go over before the ark of Yahweh your God to the middle of the Jordan and each of you take up one stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel. ⁶ Let this be a sign among you that when your sons ask hereafter saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ ⁷ Then you will say to them that ‘the waters of the Jordan were cut off from before the ark of the covenant of Yahweh when it crossed over in the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ So these stones will be a memorial to the sons of Israel forever.”

⁸ The sons of Israel surely did just as Joshua commanded, and they picked up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, as Yahweh said to Joshua. According to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel, they carried with them over to the place where they camped and they set them down there. ⁹ Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, beneath the place of the feet of the priests that carried the ark of the covenant. And they are there to this day. ¹⁰ Then the priests that carried the ark stood in the middle of the Jordan until everything that Yahweh commanded Joshua to tell the people was completed, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. So the people hurried and they crossed over. ¹¹ When all the people had finished crossing over, the ark of Yahweh and the priests crossed over before the people. ¹² Then the sons of Reuben, and the sons of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh armed men crossed over before the sons of Israel, just as Moses said to them. ¹³ About forty thousand soldiers armed for battle crossed over before Yahweh to the plains of Jericho for battle. ¹⁴ On that day Yahweh made Joshua great in the eyes of all Israel. They revered him—just as they revered Moses— all the days of his life.

¹⁵ Then Yahweh spoke to Joshua, saying, ¹⁶ “Command the priests who carry the ark of the testimony to come up from the Jordan.” ¹⁷ So Joshua commanded the priests, saying, “Come up from the Jordan.” ¹⁸ When the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came up from the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the feet of the priests were lifted up to dry ground, then the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed on all its banks, just as they were the day before yesterday.

¹⁹ The people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month and they camped at Gilgal, on the eastern edge of Jericho. ²⁰ And those twelve stones that they took from the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal. ²¹ And he spoke to the sons of Israel, saying, “When your sons ask their fathers hereafter, saying ‘What are these stones?’ ²² Then you will make known to your sons saying, ‘Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ ²³ For Yahweh your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you, 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 that the hand of Yahweh, it is mighty, so that you will fear Yahweh your God forever.”

Chapter 5

¹ Now it came about when all the kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites, who were on the sea, heard that Yahweh had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the sons of Israel until they crossed over, that their hearts melted, and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the sons of Israel. ^[1]

² At that time Yahweh said to Joshua, “Make for yourself flint knives and once more circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.” ³ Then Joshua made himself flint knives and he circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath Haaraloth. ⁴ This is the reason that Joshua circumcised them: All the people who came out from Egypt who were males, all the men of war, died in the wilderness along the way, after they had come out from Egypt. ⁵ For all the people who came out were circumcised, but all the people who were born in the wilderness along the way as they came out from Egypt had not been circumcised. ⁶ For the sons of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness until were consumed all the nation—the men of war who had come out from Egypt, to whom Yahweh had sworn to them that he would not let them see the land that Yahweh had sworn to their fathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey—because they did not listen to the voice of Yahweh. ⁷ But he raised up in their place their sons that Joshua circumcised, being uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way. ⁸ It happened that when they had finished circumcising all the nation, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed. ⁹ Then Yahweh said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the disgrace of Egypt from you.” So, the name of that place is called Gilgal until this day.

¹⁰ So the sons of Israel camped at Gilgal and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening, on the plains of Jericho. ¹¹ On the day after the Passover, that same day, they ate from the produce of the land, unleavened bread and roasted grain. ¹² The manna stopped on the day after they ate from the produce of the land. There was no longer manna for the sons of Israel, but they ate from the produce of the land of Canaan that year.

¹³ Now it happened that when Joshua was near Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing in front of him with his drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” ¹⁴ He said, “Neither. But I have now come as the commander of the army of Yahweh. Then Joshua fell on his face to the ground and worshipped and said to him, “What does my master say to his servant?” ¹⁵ The commander of the army of Yahweh said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, because the place on which you are standing is holy.” So Joshua did thus.

Chapter 6

¹ Now Jericho was tightly closed because of the sons of Israel. No one went out and no one came in. ² Yahweh said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho, and its king, and its powerful soldiers into your hand. ³ You must march around the city, all the men of war going around the city one time. You must do this for six days. ⁴ Seven priests must carry seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. Then on the seventh day, you must march around the city seven times, and the priests must sound blasts on the trumpets. ⁵ It will happen when they sound a long blast with the horn of the ram, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people must shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat. The people will go up—each man straight ahead.” ⁶ So Joshua son of Nun called to the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests carry seven trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark of Yahweh.” ⁷ Then he said to the people, “Go over and march around the city, and the armed men will go ahead of the ark of Yahweh.”

⁸ Just as Joshua had said to the people, the seven priests carrying seven trumpets of rams’ horns before Yahweh went forward and blew the trumpets, and the ark of the covenant of Yahweh followed after them. ⁹ The armed men walked before the priests, and they blew on their trumpets, and the rear guard walked behind the ark, walking and blowing on the trumpets. ¹⁰ But Joshua commanded the people, saying, “Do not shout nor let your voice be heard, nor let any word leave your mouth until the day I tell you to shout. Then you must shout.” ¹¹ So he caused the ark of Yahweh to circle the city, going around it one time. Then they entered their camp, and they stayed the night in the camp.

¹² Then Joshua got up early in the morning, and the priests picked up the ark of Yahweh. ¹³ Seven priests who were carrying seven trumpets of rams’ horns walked continually in front of the ark of Yahweh, and blowing the trumpets. Armed soldiers walked in front of them, but the rear guard walked after the ark of Yahweh, while they continued to blow the trumpets. ¹⁴ They marched around the city one time the second day and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.

¹⁵ It happend that on the seventh day they got up early at daybreak, and they marched around the city in the same manner seven times, only on that day they marched around the city seven times. ¹⁶ Now it happened that on the seventh time, the priests blew the trumpets, and Joshua said to the people, “Shout! For Yahweh has given you the city. ¹⁷ The city—it and all that is in it—is set apart to Yahweh for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute will live—she and all who are with her in her house—because she hid the messengers whom we sent. ¹⁸ But as for you, keep yourself from the things set apart for destruction, lest as you set them apart for destruction, you take from what is set apart, and so make the camp of Israel to be set apart for destruction and bring trouble on it. ¹⁹ All the silver, and gold, and articles of bronze and iron—they are set apart to Yahweh. They must go into the treasury of Yahweh.” ²⁰ So the people shouted and they blew the trumpets. And it happened that when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, then the wall fell down flat, and the people went up into the city—every man straight before him—and they captured the city. ²¹ They completely destroyed all that was in the city by the edge of the sword—from man even to woman, from young even to old, from ox, and sheep, and donkey.

²² Then Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the house of the woman—the prostitute—and bring out from there the woman and all whom she has, as you swore to her.” ²³ So the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab. and her father, and her mother, and her brothers, and all that she had, and they brought out all her relatives and placed them outside the camp of Israel. ²⁴ They burned with fire the city and everything that was in it. Only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of Yahweh. ²⁵ But Joshua kept alive Rahab the prostitute, and the household of her father, and all that she had. She lives in the midst of Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy on Jericho. ²⁶ Then Joshua made them take an oath at that time saying, “Cursed is the man before Yahweh who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho. At the cost of his firstborn son, he will lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest son, he will set up its gates.” ²⁷ So Yahweh was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.

Chapter 7

¹ But the sons of Israel committed a trespass regarding the things set apart for destruction. Achan son of Karmi son of Zabdi son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took from the things set apart for destruction, and the anger of Yahweh burned against the sons of Israel.

² Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which was near Beth Aven, east of Bethel. He spoke to them, saying, “Go up and spy out the land.” So the men went up and spied out Ai. ³ When they returned to Joshua, they said to him, “Do not send up all the people. Send up two thousand or three thousand men to attack Ai. Do not make all the people labor up there, for they are few.” ⁴ So about three thousand men went up there from the people, but they ran away from before the men of Ai. ⁵ The men of Ai struck down from them about thirty-six men as they pursued them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and they struck them down on the descent, so the hearts of the people melted and became like water.

⁶ Then Joshua tore his garments and fell on his face to the ground before the ark of Yahweh until evening—he and the elders of Israel—and they put dust on their heads. ⁷ Then Joshua said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh, why indeed have you brought this people across the Jordan to give us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been content to live on the other side of the Jordan! ⁸ O Lord, what can I say, now that Israel has turned their backs before their enemies? ⁹ For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it and will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. Then what will you do for your great name?”

¹⁰ Then Yahweh said to Joshua, “Get up! Why is this that you are falling on your face? ¹¹ Israel has sinned, and also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them, and also taken from the things set apart for destruction, and also stolen them, and also deceived, and also placed them among their own belongings. ¹² Therefore, the sons of Israel are not able to stand before their enemies. They turned their backs before their enemies because they themselves have been set apart for destruction. I will not be with you anymore if you do not destroy from among you the things dedicated to destruction. ¹³ Get up! Consecrate the people and say to them, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, “There are among you things set apart for destruction, Israel. You are not able to stand before your enemies until you remove from among you the things set apart for destruction.” ¹⁴ In the morning, you must present yourselves by your tribes. It will be that the tribe that Yahweh takes will come near by clans. The clan that Yahweh takes must come near by households. The household that Yahweh selects must come near by men. ¹⁵ It will happen that the one who is taken with the thing devoted to destruction will be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of Yahweh, and because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel.’”

¹⁶ So, Joshua got up early in the morning and brought Israel near by their tribes, and he took the tribe of Judah. ¹⁷ Then he brought the clans of Judah near, and he took the clan of the Zerahites. He brought near the clan of the Zerahites by household, and he took Zabdi. ¹⁸ Then he brought his household near, by man, and he took Achan son of Karmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah. ¹⁹ Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, now give glory to Yahweh, God of Israel, and make your confession to him. Tell me now what you have done. Do not hide it from me.” ²⁰ Achan answered Joshua and said, “Truly, I have sinned against Yahweh, God of Israel. I did thus and thus: ²¹ When I saw among the plunder one beautiful coat from Shinar, and two hundred shekels of silver, and one bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I desired them and took them. Now look! They are hidden in the ground in the middle of my tent, and the silver is under it.”

²² So Joshua sent messengers and they ran to the tent, and behold, it was hidden in his tent, and the silver under it. ²³ They took it from the middle of the tent and brought it to Joshua and to all the sons of Israel, and poured them out before Yahweh. ²⁴ Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan son of Zerah, and the silver, and the coat, and the bar of gold, and his sons and his daughters, and his oxen, and his donkeys, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had, and they brought them to the Valley of Achor. ²⁵ Then Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? Yahweh will trouble you this day.” Then all Israel stoned him with stones. (They also burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.) ²⁶ They raised up over him a great heap of stones that is until this day. So Yahweh turned from the burning of his anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Achor until this day.

Chapter 8

¹ Yahweh said to Joshua, “Do not fear, and do not be discouraged. Take with you all the people of war and rise up, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land. ² You will do to Ai and her king as you have done to Jericho and her king, except you will plunder her goods and her cattle for yourselves. Set for yourselves an ambush for the city behind her.”

³ So Joshua and all the people of war arose to go up against Ai. Then Joshua chose thirty thousand men—mighty warriors—and sent them out at night. ⁴ He commanded them, saying, “Look, you will lie in ambush against the city, behind the city. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready. ⁵ I and all the people who are with me will come to the city, and it will happen that when they come out against us as at first, we will flee before them. ⁶ They will come out after us until we have drawn them from the city. For they will say, ‘They are fleeing before us as at first.’ So we will flee before them. ⁷ Then you come up from ambush, and seize the city, for Yahweh your God will give it into your hand. ⁸ It will happen that when you have taken the city, you will set the city on fire. You will do this according to the word of Yahweh. See, I have commanded you.” ⁹ So Joshua sent them out, and they went to the place of ambush, and they waited between Bethel and Ai to the west of Ai. But Joshua spent that night among the people.

¹⁰ Joshua got up early in the morning and summoned the people. Then he and the elders of Israel went up before the people to Ai. ¹¹ All the people of war who were with him went up and approached and came before the city, and camped on the north side of Ai. Now there was a valley between them and Ai. ¹² He took about five thousand men and set them in ambush on the west side of the city between Bethel and Ai. ¹³ They positioned the people—all the army that was on the north side of the city, and its rear guard on the west side of the city. And Joshua went that night into the middle of the valley. ¹⁴ It came about when the king of Ai saw it, that the men of the city hurried and got up early and went out to the battle against Israel, he and all his people, at an appointed place, before the plain. But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city. ¹⁵ Joshua and all Israel let themselves be defeated before them, and fled by way of the wilderness. ¹⁶ Then all the people who were in the city were summoned to chase after them, so they chased after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city. ¹⁷ There was not a man left in Ai or Bethel who had not chased after Israel. So they left the city open as they chased after Israel.

¹⁸ Then Yahweh said to Joshua, “Stretch out the spear that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” So Joshua stretched out the spear that was in his hand toward the city. ¹⁹ Then those hiding in ambush quickly rose up and rushed out of their place as he stretched out his hand. They entered the city and took it, and hurried to set the city on fire. ²⁰ Then men of Ai turned around and looked, and behold, the smoke of the city ascended into the sky, and it was not in their hands to flee this way or that way. For the people who had fled into the wilderness turned back against the pursuers. ²¹ When Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, they turned back and struck down the men of Ai. ²² Those came from the city against them, so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side and some on that side. And they struck them down, until no survivor or refugee from them was left. ²³ They seized the king of Ai alive, and brought him to Joshua.

²⁴ It came about when Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the field near the wilderness where they pursued them, and when they had all fallen by the edge of the sword until they were consumed, then all Israel returned to Ai and struck it with the edge of the sword. ²⁵ So it was that all those who fell that day, from men even to women, were twelve thousand—all the men of Ai. ²⁶ For Joshua did not draw back his hand with which he had stretched out his spear, until when he had completely destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. ²⁷ Israel plundered only the livestock and the goods of that city for themselves, according to the word of Yahweh which he had commanded Joshua. ²⁸ Then Joshua burned Ai and made it a heap forever—a desolation until this day. ²⁹ Then he hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening. When the sun was going down, Joshua commanded that they take down his corpse from the tree and throw it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raise over it a great heap of stones that remains to this day.

³⁰ Then Joshua built an altar to Yahweh, God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, ³¹ just as Moses, the servant of Yahweh, had commanded the sons of Israel, as it was written in the book of the law of Moses: “An altar of uncut stones, over which no one has wielded an iron tool.” They offered on it burnt offerings to Yahweh, and sacrificed peace offerings. ³² There on the stones he wrote a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written in the presence of the sons of Israel. ³³ All Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges stood on both sides of the ark before the priests and the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of Yahweh—the foreigner as well as the native born—half of them in front of Mount Gerizim, and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses, the servant of Yahweh, had commanded before that they should bless the people of Israel. ³⁴ Afterward, he read all the words of the law, the blessings and the curses, just as they had been written in the book of the law. ³⁵ There was not a word from all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, including the women, and the little ones, and the foreigners who lived among them.

Chapter 9

¹ Now it came about that when all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country, and in the lowlands, and along all the shore of the Great Sea toward Lebanon—the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites—heard it, ² they joined together with one accord to fight against Joshua and against Israel.

³ But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, ⁴ they also made a cunning plan. They went and took provisions, and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys, and worn-out wineskins that were torn and mended, ^{[1] 5} and worn-out and patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothing on themselves, and all the bread of their provisions was dry and had become moldy. ⁶ Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a very far country, so now cut a covenant with us.” ⁷ The men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us. So how can we cut a covenant with you?” ⁸ But they said to Joshua, “We are your servants. ”Then Joshua said to them, “Who are you? Where did you come from?” ⁹ So they said to him, “Your servants have come from a very distant country, because of the name of Yahweh your God, for we have heard a report about him and about everything that he did in Egypt— ¹⁰ and everything that he did to two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan—to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan who was at Ashtaroth. ¹¹ So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them and say to them, “We are your servants. So now cut a covenant with us.” ¹² This bread of ours was warm when we took our provisions out from our houses on the day we set out to come to you. But now, see, it is dry and moldy. ¹³ These wineskins that we filled were new, and look, they are torn. And these our garments and our sandals are worn-out from a very long journey.’” ¹⁴ The men took from their provisions, but they did not ask the mouth of Yahweh. ¹⁵ So Joshua made peace with them, and cut a covenant with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly swore an oath to them.

¹⁶ It happened that at the end of three days after when they had cut a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors and that they lived in their midst. ¹⁷ Then the sons of Israel set out and came to their cities on the third day. Their cities were Gibeon, and Kephirah, and Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim. ¹⁸ But the sons of Israel did not strike them because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath to them by Yahweh, God of Israel. The whole assembly were grumbling against the leaders. ¹⁹ But all the leaders said to all the assembly, “We have sworn an oath to them by Yahweh, God of Israel, and now we are not able to touch them. ²⁰ This is what we will do to them: We will let them live so there will not be wrath upon us because of the oath which we swore to them.” ²¹ The leaders said to them, “Let them live.” So they became cutters of wood and drawers of water for all the assembly, as the leaders had said to them.

²² Then Joshua summoned them and spoke to them, saying, “Why did you deceive us, saying, ‘We are very far from you’, when you live in our midst? ²³ Now therefore, you are cursed, and you will not cease to be slaves, and cutters of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.” ²⁴ 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 the inhabitants of the land from before you—therefore we were very afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing. ²⁵ Now, look, we are in your hands. Do to us as it seems good and right to do with us.” ²⁶ So he did thus to them, and delivered them from the hand of the sons of Israel, and they did not kill them. ²⁷ So that day Joshua made them cutters of wood and drawers of water for the assembly, and for the altar of Yahweh, even to this day, in the place that he would choose.

Chapter 10

¹ Now it happened that Adoni-Zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had captured Ai and had completely destroyed it (just as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king), and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were living among them. ² They were very afraid because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were warriors. ³ So Adoni-Zedek, king of Jerusalem, sent to Hoham, king of Hebron, and to Piram, king of Jarmuth, and to Japhia, king of Lachish, and to Debir, king of Eglon, saying, ⁴ “Come up to me and help me. Let us strike Gibeon because it has made peace with Joshua and with the sons of Israel.” ⁵ So the five kings of the Amorites gathered together 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 armies camped before Gibeon and fought against it.

⁶ The men of Gibeon sent a message to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Do not withdraw your hands from your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us, and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who live in the hill country have gathered together against us.” ⁷ So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the valliant warriors. ⁸ Yahweh said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for I have given them into your hand. Not one man from them will stand before you.” ⁹ Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal. ¹⁰ Yahweh confused them before Israel, and struck them down with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and pursued them on the road going up to Beth Horon, and they struck them down as far as Azekah and as far as Makkedah. ¹¹ It happened that as they fled before Israel, on the descent of Beth Horon, Yahweh threw down large hailstones from the sky upon them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.

¹² Then Joshua spoke to Yahweh on the day Yahweh gave over the Amorites before the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,

     “Sun, stand still at Gibeon,

     and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”

     ¹³ The sun stood still, and the moon stood

     until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.

Is it not written in the Book of Jashar?

     The sun stood in the middle of the sky;

     it did not hurry to go down for about a whole day.

¹⁴ There has been no day like it before or after it, when Yahweh obeyed the voice of a man. For Yahweh fought for Israel.

¹⁵ Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal.

¹⁶ Now those five kings had fled and hidden themselves in the cave at Makkedah. ¹⁷ It was told to Joshua, saying, “The five kings have been found hidden in the cave at Makkedah!” ¹⁸ So Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave and place men by it to guard them. ¹⁹ Do not stay there yourselves. Chase after your enemies and attack their rear guard. Do not permit them to enter into their cities, for Yahweh your God has given them into your hand.” ²⁰ Now it came about that Joshua and the sons of Israel finished striking them with a very great slaughter, until they had finished, and the survivors from them who escaped had entered into the fortified cities. ²¹ Then all the people returned in peace to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah. No man sharpened his tongue against the sons of Israel.

²² Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring out to me these five kings from the cave.” ²³ 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, and the king of Eglon. ²⁴ Now it happened that when they brought out these kings to Joshua, Joshua called to all the men of Israel, and said to the commanders of the men of war who had gone with him, “Come near. Put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came near and put their feet on their necks. ²⁵ Then Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Be strong and courageous, for thus Yahweh will do to all your enemies whom you will fight.” ²⁶ After that, Joshua struck them and killed them, and hanged them on five trees, and they were hanging on the trees until evening. ²⁷ Now it was at the time when the sun went down that Joshua gave orders, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden. They put large stones there over the mouth of the cave, remaining until this very day.

²⁸ So Joshua took Makkedah on that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword, including its king. He completely destroyed them, and all the people who were in it. He left no survivor, and he did to the king of Makkedah just as he had done to the king of Jericho.

²⁹ Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Makkedah to Libnah, and fought against Libnah. ³⁰ Yahweh also gave it into the hand of Israel, along with their king, and he struck it with the edge of the sword and all the people who were in it. He left no survivor in it, but did to its king just as he had done to the king of Jericho.

³¹ Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Libnah to Lachish, and they camped by it and fought against it. ³² Yahweh gave Lachish into the hand of Israel, and he captured it on the second day and struck it with the edge of the sword—every person who was in it—according to all that he had done to Libnah.

³³ Then Horam, king of Gezer, came up to help Lachish. Joshua struck him and his people until he left no survivor to him.

³⁴ Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Lachish to Eglon. They camped by it and fought against it. ³⁵ They captured it on that day and struck it with the edge of the sword, and all the people who were in it. That day, they completely destroyed it, according to all that he had done to Lachish.

³⁶ Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Eglon to Hebron, and they fought against it. ³⁷ They captured it and struck it with the edge of the sword, and its king and all its cities, and all the people who were in it. He left no survivor, according to all that he had done to Eglon, but totally destroyed it and all the people who were in it.

³⁸ Then Joshua turned, and all Israel with him, to Debir and fought against it. ³⁹ They captured it, and its king and all its cities, and struck them with the edge of the sword and completely destroyed all the people who were in it. He left no survivor. Just as he had done to Hebron, thus he did to Debir and its king, and as he had done to Libnah and its king.

⁴⁰ So Joshua struck all the land, the hill country, and the Negev, and the lowlands, and the foothills. Of all their kings he left no survivor, but completely destroyed everything that breathed, just as Yahweh, God of Israel, had commanded. ⁴¹ Joshua struck them from Kadesh Barnea as far as Gaza, and all the country of Goshen as far as Gibeon. ⁴² Now Joshua captured all these kings and their land at one time because Yahweh, God of Israel, fought for Israel. ⁴³ Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, returned to the camp at Gilgal.

Chapter 11

¹ It happened that when Jabin, king of Hazor, heard this, he sent to Jobab, king of Madon, 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 to the west, ³ and to the Canaanites to the east and west, and the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites in the hill country, and the Hivites below Hermon in the land of Mizpah. ⁴ They came out, they and all their armies with them, people as many as the sand that is on the seashore in number, with very many horses and chariots. ⁵ All these kings met at the appointed time, and they came and camped together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.

⁶ Then Yahweh said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid in their presence, because tomorrow at this time I am giving all of them slain before Israel. You will hamstring their horses, and you will burn their chariots with fire.” ⁷ So Joshua and all the people of war with him came against them suddenly by the waters of Merom, and they fell on them. ⁸ Yahweh gave them into the hand of Israel, and they struck them and pursued them to Greater Sidon, and to Misrephoth Maim, and to the Valley of Mizpah to the east. They struck them until they left no survivor to them. ⁹ Then Joshua did to them just as Yahweh said to him. He hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.

¹⁰ Joshua turned back at that time and captured Hazor, and struck its king with the sword, for Hazor was formerly the head of all these kingdoms. ¹¹ They struck every person who was in it with the edge of the sword, setting them apart to be destroyed—no one was left of all who breathed—and he burned Hazor with fire. ¹² So Joshua captured all the cities of these kings and all their kings, and struck them with the edge of the sword. He completely destroyed them just as Moses the servant of Yahweh had commanded. ¹³ But as for all the cities that stood on their mounds, Israel did not burn them, except Hazor alone, which Joshua burned. ¹⁴ All the goods of these cities and the livestock, the sons of Israel plundered for themselves, but they struck every person with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them. They left no one of all that breathed. ¹⁵ Just as Yahweh had commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He did not leave anything undone of all that Yahweh commanded Moses.

¹⁶ Joshua took all this land, the hill country, and all the Negev, and all the land of Goshen, and the foothills, and the Arabah, and the hill country of Israel, and the lowlands. ¹⁷ From Mount Halak ascending to Seir, as far as Baal Gad in the valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon, he captured all their kings and struck them down and killed them. ¹⁸ Joshua made war for a long time with all these kings. ¹⁹ There was not a city that made peace with the sons of Israel except the Hivites who lived in Gibeon. They took them all in battle. ²⁰ For it was from Yahweh to harden their hearts so they would oppose Israel in battle, so that he might completely destroy them, that there might be no mercy to them, but that he might destroy them just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

²¹ Joshua came at that time and cut off the Anakim 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 Anakim was left in the land of the sons of Israel, except they remained in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod. ²³ So Joshua took all the land, according to all that Yahweh had said to Moses, and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Then the land had rest from war.

Chapter 12

¹ Now these are the kings of the land, whom the sons of Israel defeated, and possessed their land on the other side of the Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from the Arnon River to Mount Hermon, and all the Arabah to the east:

     ² Sihon, king of the Amorites, lived in Heshbon. He ruled from Aroer, which is on the rim of the Arnon Gorge from the middle of the valley, and half of Gilead as far as the Jabbok River on the border of the sons of Ammon;

     ³ And the Arabah as far as the Sea of Kinnereth to the east, to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) eastward, along the road to Beth Jeshimoth and southward, below the slopes of Pisgah;

     ⁴ The territory of Og, king of Bashan, from the remnant of the Rephaim, who lived in Ashtaroth and in Edrei, ⁵ and ruled over Mount Hermon, and over Salekah, and over all Bashan, as far as the border of the Geshurite and the Maacathite, and over half of Gilead, to the border of Sihon, king of Heshbon. ⁶ Moses the servant of Yahweh, and the sons of Israel had defeated them, and Moses the servant of Yahweh, had given it as a possession to the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh.

⁷ These are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the sons of Israel defeated across the Jordan, toward the west, from Baal Gad in the valley of Lebanon as far as Mount Halak ascending toward Seir. Joshua gave it to the tribes of Israel as a possession according to their divisions, ⁸ in the hill country, and in the lowlands, and in the Arabah, and in the foothills, 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 Ai which is beside Bethel, one; ¹⁰ the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Enaim, 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 in Carmel, one; ²³ the king of Dor in Naphoth Dor, one; the king of Goyim in Gilgal, one; ²⁴ and the king of Tirzah, one; in all, thirty-one kings.

Chapter 13

¹ Now Joshua was old and advanced in years when Yahweh said to him, “You are old and advanced in years, but there is still very much land to be possessed. ² This is the land that still remains: All the regions of the Philistines, and all those of the Geshurites; ³ from Shihor, which is east of Egypt, as far as the border of Ekron to the north (it is considered as Canaanite), the five lords of the Philistines, the Gazite, and the Ashdodite, the Ashkelonite, the Gathite, and the Ekronite, and the Avvites ⁴ to the south; all the land of the Canaanites, from Arah that is to the Sidonians, as far as Aphek, to the border of the Amorites; ⁵ the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon toward the east, from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon as far as to Lebo Hamath. ⁶ All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon as far as Misrephoth Maim, and all the inhabitants of Sidon—I myself will drive them out before the sons of Israel. Be sure to divide it by lot to Israel as an inheritance, as I commanded you. ⁷ Now, therefore, divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half tribe of Manasseh.”

⁸ The other half-tribe, with the Reubenites and the Gadites, had received their inheritance that Moses gave them beyond the Jordan to the east, just as Moses, the servant of Yahweh had given to them: ⁹ from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Arnon river gorge (including the city that is in the middle of the gorge), and all the plateau of Medeba as far as Dibon; ¹⁰ all the cities of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, as far as the border of the sons of Ammon; ¹¹ and Gilead, and the region of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan as far as Salekah; ¹² all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who ruled in Ashtaroth and in Edrei—he remained from the remnant of the Rephaim—Moses struck them and drove them out. ¹³ But the sons of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites, nor the Maacathites, so Geshur and Maacath live among Israel to this day. ¹⁴ Only to the tribe of Levi he did not give an inheritance. The offerings made by fire to Yahweh, God of Israel, are their inheritance, as he said to him.

¹⁵ Moses gave an inheritance to the tribe of the sons of Reuben, according to their clans. ¹⁶ Their territory was from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Arnon River gorge, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the plateau by 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 Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth, ²¹ and all the cities of the plateau, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had ruled in Heshbon, whom Moses had defeated together with the chiefs of Midian—Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur and Reba—princes of Sihon, who had lived in the land. ²² The sons of Israel also killed with the sword Balaam son of Beor, the diviner, along with those who were slain. ²³ The border of the sons of Reuben is the Jordan. This is the border of the inheritance of the sons of Reuben according to their clans—their cities and villages.

²⁴ Moses gave to the tribe of Gad, to the sons of Gad, according to their clans; ²⁵ Their territory was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead and half the land of the sons of Ammon, as far as Aroer, which is east 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 king of Heshbon, with the Jordan as a border, as far as the end of the Sea of Kinnereth, eastward beyond the Jordan. ²⁸ This is the inheritance of the sons of Gad, according to their clans— their cities and their villages.

²⁹ Moses gave to the half-tribe of Manasseh, and it was to the half-tribe of the sons of Manasseh, according to their clans; ³⁰ Their territory was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair, which are in Bashan, sixty cities; ³¹ and half of Gilead, and Ashtaroth, and Edrei (the royal cities of Og in Bashan) were for the sons of Machir son of Manasseh—for half of the sons of Machir, according to their clans.

³² Moses distributed these as an inheritance in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan east of Jericho. ³³ But Moses did not give an inheritance to the tribe of Levi. Yahweh, God of Israel, is their inheritance, just as he said to them.

Chapter 14

¹ These are the areas that the sons of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the sons of Israel allotted to them. ² Their inheritance was by lot for the nine tribes and the half tribe, just as Yahweh had commanded by the hand of Moses. ³ For Moses had given the inheritance of two tribes and the half tribe beyond the Jordan, but to the Levites he gave no inheritance among them. ⁴ For the sons of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. But they did not give a portion to the Levites in the land, but only cities to live in, with their pasturelands for their livestock and for their property. ⁵ As Yahweh commanded Moses, thus did the sons of Israel, so they divided the land.

⁶ Then the sons of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, said to him, “You know the word which Yahweh spoke to Moses the man of God about me and about you at Kadesh Barnea. ⁷ I was forty years old when Moses the servant of Yahweh sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy on the land. I brought back word to him just as it was in my heart. ⁸ But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt. But I completely followed Yahweh my God. ⁹ So Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has walked, it will be an inheritance for you and for your sons forever, because you have completely followed Yahweh my God.’ ¹⁰ Now, look! Yahweh has kept me alive these forty-five years, just as he said—from when Yahweh spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. Now, look! I am this day eighty-five years old. ¹¹ I am still as strong this day as in the day that Moses sent me. Just as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war, and for going out, and coming in. ¹² Now therefore give to me this hill country, of which Yahweh spoke on that day. For you heard on that day that the Anakim were there, and great fortified cities. It may be that Yahweh will be with me and I will drive them out, just as Yahweh said.”

¹³ So Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh as an inheritance. ¹⁴ Therefore Hebron belongs to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite for an inheritance to this day, because he completely followed Yahweh, God of Israel. ¹⁵ (Now the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath Arba. He was a great man among the Anakim.) Then the land had rest from war.

Chapter 15

¹ The lot for the tribe of the sons of Judah, according to clan, was to the border of Edom, southward to the wilderness of Zin at the farthest south. ² Their southern border was from the end of the Salt Sea, from the bay that faces southward. ³ Then it went out to the south to the hill of Akrabbim and crossed over to Zin, and went up south to Kadesh Barnea, and crossed over to Hezron, and went up to Addar, and went around to Karka. ⁴ It crossed over to Azmon, and went by the brook of Egypt, and the end of the border was at the sea. This will be your southern border. ⁵ The eastern border was the Salt Sea, at the end of the Jordan. The border was from the northern mouth of the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan. ⁶ The border went up to Beth Hoglah and crossed over north of Beth Arabah. Then the border went up to the Stone of Bohan the son of Reuben. ⁷ Then the border went up to Debir from the Valley of Achor, and northward, turning toward Gilgal, which is opposite the hill of Adummim, which is on the south side of the valley. Then the border crossed over to the waters of En Shemesh and ended at En Rogel. ⁸ Then the border went up the Valley of Ben Hinnom to the south side of the Jebusite city (that is, Jerusalem). Then the border went up to the top of the hill that is in front of the Valley of Hinnom, on the west, which is at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim. ⁹ Then the border extended from the top of the hill to the spring of water of Nephtoah, and went out to the cities of Mount Ephron. Then the border bends around to Baalah (that is, Kiriath Jearim). ¹⁰ Then the border turned from Baalah to the west to Mount Seir, and passed along to the side of Mount Jearim on the north (that is, Kesalon), and went down to Beth Shemesh, and crossed over to Timnah. ¹¹ The border went out northward to the side of Ekron. Then the border turned toward Shikkeron and crossed over to Mount Baalah, and extended to Jabneel. The border ended at the sea. ¹² The western border was the Great Sea and its coastline. This is the border around the sons of Judah, according to their clans.

¹³ To Caleb son of Jephunneh he gave an allotment among the sons of Judah, according to the commandment of Yahweh to Joshua—Kiriath Arba, that is, Hebron (Arba was the father of Anak). ¹⁴ Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak: Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai, descendants of Anak. ¹⁵ He went up from there against the inhabitants of Debir (the name of Debir was formerly Kiriath Sepher). ¹⁶ Caleb said, “Whoever strikes Kiriath Sepher and captures it, to him I will give Aksah my daughter as a wife.” ¹⁷ When Othniel son of Kenaz, brother of Caleb, captured it, he gave him Aksah his daughter as a wife. ¹⁸ And it happened that when she came to him, she urged him to ask for a field from her father. When she got down from her donkey, Caleb said to her, “What do you want?” ¹⁹ So she replied, “Give me a blessing, since you have given me the land of the Negev: Also give me springs of water.” Then he gave her the upper springs and lower springs.

²⁰ This was the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Judah, according to their clans:

²¹ These cities were at the edge of the tribe of the sons of Judah, toward the border of Edom in the south: 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 (that 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; in all, twenty-nine cities and their villages.

³³ In the lowlands, Eshtaol, and Zorah, and Ashnah, ³⁴ and Zanoah, and En Gannim, Tappuah, and Enam, ³⁵ Jarmuth, and Adullam, Sokoh, and Azekah, ³⁶ and Shaaraim, and Adithaim, and Gederah (or, Gederothaim); fourteen cities and their villages.

³⁷ Zenan, and Hadashah, and Migdalgad, ³⁸ and Dilean, and 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; sixteen cities and their villages.

⁴² Libnah, and Ether, and Ashan, ⁴³ and Iphtah, and Ashnah, and Nezib, ⁴⁴ and Keilah, and Akzib, and Mareshah; nine cities and their villages.

⁴⁵ Ekron, and its towns and villages; ⁴⁶ from Ekron to the Sea, all that were near Ashdod, and their villages.

⁴⁷ Ashdod, and its towns and its villages; Gaza, and its towns and its villages; to the brook of Egypt, and to the Great Sea with its coastline.

⁴⁸ In the hill country, Shamir, and Jattir, and Sokoh, ⁴⁹ and Dannah, and Kiriath Sannah (that is, Debir), ⁵⁰ and Anab, and Eshtemoh, and Anim, ⁵¹ and Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities and their villages.

⁵² Arab, and Dumah, and Eshan, ⁵³ and Janim, and Beth Tappuah, and Aphekah, ⁵⁴ and Humtah, and Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior; nine cities and their villages.

⁵⁵ Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah, ⁵⁶ and Jezreel, and Jokdeam, and Zanoah, ⁵⁷ 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 with their villages.

⁶⁰ Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim), and 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 But as for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the sons of Judah could not drive them out, so the Jebusites live with the sons of Judah in Jerusalem to this day.

Chapter 16

¹ The allotment for the sons of Joseph extended from the Jordan at Jericho, east to the waters of Jericho, into the wilderness, going up from Jericho through the hill country of Bethel. ² Then it went from Bethel to Luz and crossed over to the border of the Arkites at Ataroth. ³ It went down westward to the border of the Japhletites, as far as the border of Lower Beth Horon, and then on to Gezer, and its end was at the sea. ⁴ So the sons of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, received their inheritance.

⁵ This was the border of the sons of Ephraim, according to their clans: The border of their inheritance eastward was Ataroth Addar as far as Upper Beth Horon, ⁶ and the border extended to the sea, with Mikmethath on the north, and then the border turned eastward toward Taanath Shiloh and crossed by it eastward to Janoah. ⁷ Then it went down from Janoah to Ataroth and Naarah, and reached Jericho, came out at the Jordan. ⁸ From Tappuah the border went westward to the Brook Kanah and ended at the sea. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Ephraim, according to their clans, ⁹ together with the cities that were set apart for the sons of Ephraim within the inheritance of the sons of Manasseh—all the cities and their villages. ¹⁰ They did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so that the Canaanites live within Ephraim to this day, and they have become forced laborers.

Chapter 17

¹ This was the allotment for the tribe of Manasseh (for he was the firstborn of Joseph)—that is, for Makir, the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead. Gilead and Bashan were given to him, because he was a man of war. ² There was an alottment to the rest of the sons of Manasseh, according to their clans—to the sons of Abiezer, and to the sons of Helek, and to the sons of Asriel, and to the sons of Shechem, and to the sons of Hepher, and to the sons of Shemida. These were the male sons of Manasseh son of Joseph, according to their clans. ³ Now Zelophehad son of Hepher son of Gilead son of Makir son of Manasseh had no sons, but only daughters. These were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milkah, and Tirzah. ⁴ They came before Eleazar the priest, and before Joshua son of Nun, and before the leaders, saying, “Yahweh commanded Moses to give to us an inheritance among our brothers.” So, according to the commandment of Yahweh, he gave to them an inheritance among the brothers of their father. ⁵ Ten portions fell to Manasseh besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which were on the other side of the Jordan, ⁶ because the daughters of Manasseh inherited an inheritance among his sons. The land of Gilead was to the rest of the sons of Manasseh.

⁷ The border of Manasseh was from Asher to Mikmethath, which is to the east of Shechem. Then the border went to the south to the inhabitants of En-Tappuah. ⁸ (The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but Tappuah, on the border of Manasseh, belonged to the sons of Ephraim.) ⁹ Then the border went down to the brook of Kanah. These cities south of the brook among the towns of Manasseh belonged to Ephraim. The border of Manasseh was on the north side of the brook, and it ended at the sea. ¹⁰ To the south belonged to Ephraim, and to the north belonged to Manasseh, and the sea was its border. Asher bordered on the north, and Issachar on the east. ¹¹ In Issachar and in Asher, Manasseh also had Beth Shan and its villages, and Ibleam and its villages, and the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, and the inhabitants of En Dor and its villages, and the inhabitants of Taanach and its villages, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages (the third is Napheth). ¹² Yet the sons of Manasseh could not take possession of those cities, for the Canaanites were determined to live in this land. ¹³ Now it happened that when the sons of Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not completely drive them out.

¹⁴ Then the sons of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, “Why have you given us only one allotment and one portion for an inheritance, since we are a great people, since Yahweh has blessed us so much until now?” ¹⁵ Joshua said to them, “If you are a great people, go up into the forest and there clear a place for yourselves in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you.” ¹⁶ But the sons of Joseph said, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both those who are in Beth Shan and its villages, and those who are in the Valley of Jezreel.” ¹⁷ Then Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh, saying, “You are a great people and have great power. There will not be only one allotment to you. ¹⁸ The hill country will also be yours. Though it is a forest, you will clear it and it will become yours to its farthest borders, for you will drive out the Canaanites, even though they have chariots of iron, and even though they are strong.”

Chapter 18

¹ Then the whole assembly of the sons of Israel met together at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there, and the land was subdued before them. ² But there remained seven tribes among the sons of Israel that had not received their inheritance. ³ Joshua said to the sons of Israel, “How long will you neglect to go in to possess the land that Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has given you? ⁴ Take for yourselves three men from each tribe, and I will send them out, and they will arise and go out through the land and describe it according to their inheritance, and come back to me. ⁵ They will divide it into seven sections. Judah will remain in their territory in the south, and the house of Joseph will remain in their territory in the north. ⁶ You will describe the land in seven sections and bring the description here to me. I will cast lots for you here before Yahweh our God. ⁷ But the Levites have no portion among you, for the priesthood of Yahweh is their inheritance. Gad, and Reuben, and the half tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance, beyond the Jordan in the east, which Moses the servant of Yahweh gave them.”

⁸ So the men rose up and went out, and Joshua commanded those who went to describe the land, saying, “Go and walk through the land and describe it, and return to me. I will cast lots for you here before Yahweh at Shiloh.” ⁹ So the men went and passed through the land and described it in a scroll by its cities in seven sections. Then they returned to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh. ¹⁰ Then Joshua cast lots for them at Shiloh before Yahweh, and there Joshua divided the land to the sons of Israel according to their portions.

¹¹ The lot of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin according to their clans came up, and the territory of their allotment went out between the sons of Judah and the sons of Joseph. ¹² Their border on the north side began at the Jordan, and then the border went up to the slope north of Jericho, and then up through the hill country westward. Its end was at the wilderness of Beth Aven. ¹³ From there the border crossed over toward Luz, to the slope of Luz to the south (that is, Bethel). Then the border went down to Ataroth Addar, by the mountain that is south of lower Beth Horon. ¹⁴ The border then extended on the western side and turned toward the south, southward from the hill that faced Beth Horon. Its end was at Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim), a city of the sons of Judah. This was the western side. ¹⁵ The south side began at the edge of Kiriath Jearim, and the border extended to the west, and went out to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah. ¹⁶ The border then went down to the end of the mountain that is facing the Valley of Ben Hinnom, which is north of the Valley of Rephaim, and it went down to the Valley of Hinnom, to the southern slope of the Jebusites, and went down to 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 It crossed over to the shoulder of Beth Arabah to the north, and went down to the Arabah. ¹⁹ Then the border crossed over to the northern shoulder of Beth Hoglah. The end of the border was at the northern bay of the Salt Sea, at the southern end of the Jordan. This was the southern boundary. ²⁰ The Jordan was its border on the eastern side. This was the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin, according to its boundaries all around, according to their clans.

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

Chapter 19

¹ The second lot came out to Simeon, for the tribe of the sons of Simeon according to their clans. Their inheritance was in the middle of the inheritance of the sons of Judah. ² They had for their inheritance 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; thirteen 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 The portion of the sons of Simeon was in the inheritance of the sons of Judah, for the portion of the sons of Judah was too large for them, so the sons of Simeon inherited in the middle of their inheritance.

¹⁰ The third lot came out to the sons of Zebulun, according to their clans. The border of their inheritance extended as far as Sarid. ¹¹ Their border went up westward toward Maralah and extended to Dabbesheth, and extended to the brook that faced Jokneam. ¹² Then it turned eastward from Sarid toward the rising of the sun along the border of Kisloth Tabor. Then it went out to Daberath and went up to Japhia. ¹³ From there it crossed eastward to Gath Hepher and to Eth Kazin, and went to Rimmon, and turned toward Neah. ¹⁴ Then the border turned to the north to Hannathon and its end was in the Valley of Iphtah El. ¹⁵ Included were Kattath, and Nahalal, and Shimron, and Idalah, and Bethlehem; twelve 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 came out to Issachar, to the sons of Issachar, according to their clans. ¹⁸ Their territory was Jezreel, and Chesulloth, and Shunem, ¹⁹ and Hapharaim, and Shion, and Anaharath, ²⁰ and Rabbith, and Kishion, and Ebez, ²¹ and Remeth, and En Gannim, and En Haddah, and Beth Pazzez. ²² The border also extended to Tabor, and Shahazumah, and Beth Shemesh, and the end of their border was at the Jordan; sixteen 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 The fifth lot came out to the tribe of the sons of Asher, according to their clans. ²⁵ Their territory was Helkath, and Hali, and Beten, and Akshaph, ²⁶ and Allammelek, and Amad, and Mishall, and it extended to Carmel on the west and to Shihor Libnath. ²⁷ Then it turned toward the rising of the sun to Beth Dagon and extended to Zebulun, and to the Valley of Iphtah El, northward to Beth Emek and Neiel. Then it continued on to Kabul toward the north, ²⁸ and Abdon, and Rehob, and Hammon, and Kanah, as far as Greater Sidon. ²⁹ The border turned back to Ramah, and then to the fortified city of Tyre. Then the border turned to Hosah, and its end was at the sea, in the region of Akzib, ³⁰ and Ummah, and Aphek, and Rehob; twenty-two 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 came out to the sons of Naphtali, to the sons of Napthali according to their clans. ³³ Their border was from Heleph, from the oak at Zaanannim, and to Adami Nekeb, and Jabneel, as far as Lakkum, and its end was at the Jordan. ³⁴ The border turned westward to Aznoth Tabor and went on to Hukkok; it extended to Zebulun on the south, and reached to Asher on the west and to Judah by the Jordan at the rising of the sun. ³⁵ The fortified cities were Ziddim, Zer, and Hammath, Rakkath, and Kinnereth, ³⁶ and Adamah, and Ramah, and Hazor, ³⁷ and Kedesh, and Edrei, and En Hazor, ³⁸ and Yiron, and Migdal El, Horem, and Beth Anath, and Beth Shemesh: nineteen 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 to the tribe of the sons of Dan, according to their clans. ⁴¹ 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 Me Jarkon, and Rakkon along with the territory across from Joppa. ⁴⁷ When the territory of the sons of Dan was lost to them, the sons of Dan went up to fight against Leshem, and captured it and struck it with the edge of the sword. They possessed it and settled in it and called it Leshem Dan, after the name of their father Dan. ⁴⁸ This was the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Dan, according to their clans—these cities and their villages.

⁴⁹ When they finished dividing the land according to their borders, the sons of Israel gave an inheritance among themselves to Joshua son of Nun. ⁵⁰ By the command of Yahweh they gave him the city for which he asked, Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim. So he built the city and lived in it.

⁵¹ These are the inheritances that Eleazar the priest, and Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the sons of Israel distributed by lot at Shiloh, before Yahweh, at the entrance of the tent of meeting. So they finished dividing the land.

Chapter 20

¹ Then Yahweh spoke to Joshua, saying, ² “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘Appoint for yourselves the cities of refuge of which I spoke to you by the hand of Moses. ³ The one who kills, who strikes a person accidentally without knowing can flee there, and they will be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood. ⁴ He will flee to one of those cities and will stand at the entrance of the gate of the city, and declare his case in the hearing of the elders of that city. Then they will take him into the city to themselves and give him a place to live among them. ⁵ Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not deliver the killer into his hand, because he accidentally struck his neighbor. But he did not hate him beforehand. ⁶ He must stay in that city until he has stood before the assembly for judgment, until the death of the one who is high priest in those days. Then the killer may return and come to his own city and his own house, to the city from which he fled.’”

⁷ So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. ⁸ Beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, they gave Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manasseh. ⁹ These were the cities appointed for all the sons of Israel and the foreigners residing among them, so that anyone who killed a person unintentionally could flee there and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood until he stood before the assembly.

Chapter 21

¹ Then the heads of the fathers of the Levites came to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the sons of Israel. ² They spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, “Yahweh commanded by the hand of Moses to give to us cities to live in, with the pasturelands for our livestock.” ³ So by the mouth of Yahweh, the sons of Israel gave from their inheritance these cities, with their pasturelands, to the Levites.

⁴ The lot came out for the clans of the Kohathites. And there were by lot thirteen cities for the sons of Aaron the priest (from the Levites) from the tribe of Judah, and from the tribe of Simeon, and from the tribe of Benjamin.

⁵ To the rest of the sons of Kohath were ten cities by lot from the clans of the tribes of Ephraim, and from the tribe of Dan, and from the half tribe of Manasseh.

⁶ Then to the sons of Gershon were thirteen cities by 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-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

⁷ To the sons of Merari according to their clans were twelve cities from the tribe of Reuben, and from the tribe of Gad, and from the tribe of Zebulun.

⁸ So the sons of Israel gave to the Levites by lot these cities with their pasturelands, just as Yahweh had commanded by the hand of Moses. ⁹ From the tribe of the sons of Judah and the tribe of the sons of Simeon, they assigned these cities which are designated by name; ¹⁰ they were for the sons of Aaron who were from the clans of the Kohathites, the sons of Levi. For the first lot was to them. ¹¹ They gave them Kiriath Arba, the father of Anak (that is, Hebron), in the hill country of Judah, with the pasturelands around it. ¹² But the fields of the city, and its villages, they had given to Caleb son of Jephunneh, as his possession.

¹³ To the sons of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron (a city of refuge for anyone who killed another) with its pasturelands, and Libnah with its pasturelands, ¹⁴ and Jattir with its pasturelands, and Eshtemoa with its pasturelands, ¹⁵ and Holon with its pasturelands, and Debir with its pasturelands, ¹⁶ and Ain with its pasturelands, and Juttah with its pasturelands, and Beth Shemesh with its pasturelands; nine cities from these two tribes. ¹⁷ From the tribe of Benjamin were given Gibeon with its pasturelands, Geba with its pasturelands, ¹⁸ Anathoth with its pasturelands, and Almon with its pasturelands; four cities. ¹⁹ All the cities of the sons of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their pasturelands.

²⁰ To the clans of the sons of Kohath, the rest of the Levites from the sons of Kohath—they had the cities of their allotment from the tribe of Ephraim. ²¹ They gave to them Shechem (a city of refuge for anyone who killed another) with its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, and Gezer with its pasturelands, ²² and Kibzaim with its pasturelands, and Beth Horon with its pasturelands—four cities. ²³ From the tribe of Dan were Eltekeh with its pasturelands, and Gibbethon with its pasturelands, ²⁴ and Aijalon with its pasturelands, and Gath Rimmon with its pasturelands—four cities. ²⁵ From the half-tribe of Manasseh were Taanach with its pasturelands, and Gath Rimmon with its pasturelands—two cities. ²⁶ All the ten cities with their pasturelands were for the rest of the clans of the sons of Kohath.

²⁷ To the sons of Gershon from the clans of the Levites, from the half-tribe of Manasseh, was Golan in Bashan (a city of refuge for anyone who killed another) with its pasturelands, and Be Eshterah with its pasturelands—two cities. ²⁸ From the tribe of Issachar was Kishion with its pasturelands, Daberath with its pasturelands, ²⁹ Jarmuth with its pasturelands, and En Gannim with its pasturelands—four cities. ³⁰ From the tribe of Asher was Mishal with its pasturelands, Abdon with its pasturelands, ³¹ Helkath with its pasturelands, and Rehob with its pasturelands—four cities. ³² From the tribe of Naphtali were Kedesh in Galilee (a city of refuge for anyone who killed another) with its pasturelands, and Hammoth Dor with its pasturelands, and Kartan with its pasturelands—three cities. ³³ All the cities of the clans of the Gershonites were thirteen cities with their pasturelands.

³⁴ To the clans of the sons of Merari—the rest of the Levites—from the tribe of Zebulun was Jokneam with its pasturelands, Kartah with its pasturelands, ³⁵ Dimnah with its pasturelands, and Nahalal with its pasturelands—four cities. ³⁶ From the tribe of Reuben were Bezer with its pasturelands, and Jahaz with its pasturelands, ³⁷ Kedemoth with its pasturelands, and Mephaath with its pasturelands—four cities. ³⁸ From the tribe of Gad were Ramoth in Gilead (a city of refuge for anyone who killed another) with its pasturelands, and Mahanaim with its pasturelands, ³⁹ Heshbon with its pasturelands, and Jazer with its pasturelands—four cities in all. ⁴⁰ All the cities for the sons of Merari according to their clans—the rest of the clans of the Levites—were twelve cities by lot.

⁴¹ All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the sons of Israel were forty-eight cities with their pasturelands. ⁴² These cities, city by city, had its surrounding pasturelands. Thus it was to all these cities.

⁴³ So Yahweh gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers, and they possessed it and lived in it. ⁴⁴ Then Yahweh gave to them rest on every side, according to all that he had sworn to their fathers, and not a man stood against them from all their enemies. Yahweh gave all their enemies into their hand. ⁴⁵ Not a word failed from all the good things that Yahweh had spoken to the house of Israel; it all came to be.

Chapter 22

¹ At that time Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh ² and said to them, “You have done everything that Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you. ³ You have not deserted your brothers these many days, even to this day, and you have kept the charge of the commandments of Yahweh your God. ⁴ Now Yahweh your God has given rest to your brothers, just as he said to them. Now, therefore, turn and go to your tents in the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of Yahweh gave to you on the other side of the Jordan. ⁵ But be very careful to keep the commandments 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 soul.” ⁶ Then Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.

⁷ (Now to the half-tribe of Manasseh, Moses had given a possession in Bashan, but to the other half, Joshua gave a possession among their brothers across the Jordan on the west.) And indeed, when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed them, ⁸ and spoke to them, saying, “Return to your tents with great wealth, and with very much livestock, with silver, and with gold, and with bronze, and with iron, and with very many garments. Divide the plunder from your enemies with your brothers.” ⁹ So the sons of Reuben, and the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh turned and went out from the sons of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, to the land of their possession, which they had seized according to the mouth of Yahweh, by the hand of Moses.

¹⁰ When they came to the region of the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar beside the Jordan—a great, prominent altar. ¹¹ Now the sons of Israel heard it and said, “Look! The sons of Reuben, and the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar at the front of the land of Canaan, at Geliloth, near the Jordan, on the side of the sons of Israel.” ¹² When the sons of Israel heard it, the whole assembly of the sons of Israel gathered together at Shiloh to go to war against them.

¹³ Then the sons of Israel sent, to the sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, ¹⁴ and with him ten leaders, one ruler from each house of the father of every tribe of Israel, and they were each the head of the house of his father among the clans of Israel. ¹⁵ So they came to the sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them, saying, ¹⁶ “The whole assembly of Yahweh says this, ‘What is this transgression that you have committed against the God of Israel, by turning this day from following Yahweh to build for yourselves an altar this day to rebel against Yahweh? ¹⁷ Was the sin of Peor too little for us, from which we are not yet cleansed until this day? It brought a plague on the assembly of Yahweh. ¹⁸ You are turning away from following Yahweh this day, and it will be that if you rebel against Yahweh today, then tomorrow he will be angry with the whole assembly of Israel. ¹⁹ Now if the land of your possession is defiled, then cross over to us into the land of the possession of Yahweh, where the tabernacle of Yahweh stands and take possession among us. Only do not rebel against Yahweh, nor rebel against us to build an altar for yourselves other than the altar of Yahweh our God. ²⁰ Did not Achan son of Zerah act very treacherously in what was set apart for destruction? So wrath came on all the assembly of Israel, and he did not perish as one man alone in his iniquity.’”

²¹ Then the sons of Reuben, and the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh said to the heads of the clans of Israel: ²² “The Mighty One, God, Yahweh! The Mighty One, God, Yahweh!—He knows, and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or if in treachery against Yahweh, do not spare us this day! ²³ If we have built an altar for ourselves to turn away from following Yahweh, or if to offer on it burnt offerings, or grain offerings, or if to offer on it peace offerings, Yahweh himself will demand an accounting. ²⁴ No! Rather, we did this for fear from concern, saying that in time to come your sons might say to our sons to say ‘What have you to do with Yahweh, the God of Israel? ²⁵ For Yahweh has made the Jordan a border between us and between you sons of Reuben and sons of Gad. There is no portion for you in Yahweh.’ So your sons might make our sons cease from fearing Yahweh. ²⁶ So we said, ‘Let us now prepare ourselves to build an altar, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifice, ²⁷ but so it will be a witness between us and between you, and between our generations after us, that we will perform the service of Yahweh before him, with our burnt offerings and with our sacrifices and with our peace offerings, so that your sons will not say to our sons in time to come, “There is no portion for you in Yahweh.”’ ²⁸ So we said, ‘If it happens that they say this to us or to our generations in time to come, we would say, “Look! The copy of the altar of Yahweh, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for 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 today turn away from following Yahweh to build an altar for burnt offering, for grain offering, or for sacrifice, other than the altar of Yahweh our God that is before his tabernacle.’”

³⁰ Now when Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the assembly and the heads of the clans of Israel who were with him heard the words that the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the sons of Manasseh said, it was good in their eyes. ³¹ So Phinehas 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 among us, because you have not committed this treachery against Yahweh. Therefore, you have rescued the sons of Israel out of the hand of Yahweh.” ³² Then Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest and the leaders returned from the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad, from the land of Gilead, to the land of Canaan, to the sons of Israel, and brought back word to them. ³³ Now the word was good in the eyes of the sons of Israel. So the sons of Israel blessed God and spoke no more about going against them in battle to destroy the land in which the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad were living. ³⁴ So the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad called the altar “For it is a Witness between us that Yahweh is God.”

Chapter 23

¹ It happened that after many days, that Yahweh had given rest to Israel from all their enemies around them, and Joshua was old and advanced in days. ² So Joshua called for all Israel—for their elders, and for their leaders, and for their judges, and for their officials—and he said to them, “I am old and advanced in days. ³ You have seen everything that Yahweh your God has done to all these nations for your sake, for it is Yahweh your God who has fought for you. ⁴ Look! I have alotted to you these nations that remain to be an inheritance for your tribes, from the Jordan, and all the nations that I cut off, as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun. ⁵ Yahweh your God, he will drive them out from before you and will remove them from before you, so you will possess their land, just as Yahweh your God said to you. ⁶ So be very strong, to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, lest you turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left, ⁷ lest you go among these nations—these that remain among you. And you must not mention the names of their gods, nor swear by them, nor serve them, nor bow down to them. ⁸ Instead, you must cling to Yahweh your God just as you have done to this day. ⁹ For Yahweh has removed from before you great and strong nations. As for you, no one has stood against you to this day. ¹⁰ One man of you will chase away a thousand, for Yahweh is your God. He is the one who fights for you, just as he said to you. ¹¹ Therefore, pay close attention to yourselves, to love Yahweh your God. ¹² But if you indeed turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations—these who remain among you—and you intermarry with them, and you go among them and they among you, ¹³ then know for certain that Yahweh your God will no longer remove these nations from among you, but they will be to you a snare and a trap, and a whip on your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land that Yahweh your God has given to you.

¹⁴ Now look, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know with all your hearts and with all your souls that not one word has failed from all the good things that Yahweh your God spoke concerning you. Everything has come to pass for you—not one word of them has failed. ¹⁵ Therefore it will come to pass that just as all the good things which Yahweh your God spoke among you have come upon you, so Yahweh will bring upon you all the evil things until he has destroyed you from this good land that Yahweh your God has given you. ¹⁶ When you transgress the covenant of Yahweh your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, then the anger of Yahweh will be kindled against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land that he has given to you.”

Chapter 24

¹ Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and called for the elders of Israel, and for their leaders, and for their judges, and for their officers, and they presented themselves before God. ² Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘Your fathers in ancient times lived beyond the River—Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor—and they served other gods. ³ But I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him into all the land of Canaan, and increased his seed, and gave to him Isaac. ⁴ Then to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I gave to Esau the hill country of Seir to possess it, but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt. ⁵ Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I struck the Egyptians according to what I did among them, and afterwards I brought you out. ⁶ I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea. Egypt chased after your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Sea of Reeds. ⁷ So they cried out to Yahweh, and he put darkness between you and between the Egyptians. He brought the sea over them and covered them. Your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time. ⁸ I brought you to the land of the Amorites, who lived on the other side of the Jordan. They fought with you, and I gave them into your hand, and you possessed their land, and I destroyed them from before you. ⁹ Then Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, rose up and fought against Israel. He sent and called for Balaam son of Beor, to curse you. ¹⁰ But I was not willing to listen to Balaam, so he continued to bless you, and I rescued you from his hand. ¹¹ Then you crossed over the Jordan and came to Jericho, and the men of Jericho, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, fought against you, but I gave them into your hand. ¹² I sent the hornet before you and it drove them out from before you—two kings of the Amorites—not by your sword and not by your bow. ¹³ I gave to you a land for which you did not labor in it, and cities that you did not build but you live in them. You eat vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’

¹⁴ Now fear Yahweh and serve him with all integrity and faithfulness; and put away 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 this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live. But I and my house will serve Yahweh.”

¹⁶ Then the people answered and said, “Far be it from us to forsake Yahweh to serve other gods, ¹⁷ for Yahweh our God is he who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way in which we walked in it, and among all the peoples through whom we passed in their midst. ¹⁸ Then Yahweh drove out from before us all the peoples, including the Amorites who lived in the land. So we too will serve Yahweh, for he is our God.”

¹⁹ But Joshua said to the people, “You will not be able to serve Yahweh, for he is a holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions and your sins. ²⁰ If you forsake Yahweh and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do harm to you, and consume you, after he has done good to you.” ²¹ But the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve Yahweh.” ²² Then Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves Yahweh, to serve him.” They said, “We are witnesses.” ²³ “Now therefore, put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to Yahweh, the God of Israel.” ²⁴ So the people said to Joshua, “We will serve Yahweh our God, and we will listen to his voice.” ²⁵ Then Joshua cut a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and a judgment at Shechem. ²⁶ Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there beneath the oak tree that was near the sanctuary of Yahweh. ²⁷ Joshua said to all the people, “Look, this stone will be a testimony against us, for it has heard all the words of Yahweh which he spoke to us. So it will be for a testimony against you, lest you deny your God.” ²⁸ So Joshua sent the people away, each to his inheritance.

²⁹ And it came to pass after these things that Joshua son of Nun, the servant of Yahweh, died, being 110 years old. ³⁰ They buried him within the border of his inheritance, at Timnath Serah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. ³¹ Now Israel served Yahweh all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who lengthened their days after Joshua, who had known all the deeds of Yahweh that he had done for Israel.

³² The bones of Joseph, which the sons of Israel brought up from Egypt—they buried them at Shechem, in the portion of land that Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for a hundred pieces of silver, and it became an inheritance for the sons of Joseph. ³³ Then Eleazar son of Aaron died. They buried him at Gibeah of Phinehas his son, which had been given to him in the hill country of Ephraim.