Book of Joshua
א וַיְהִי, אַחֲרֵי מוֹת מֹשֶׁה--עֶבֶד יְהוָה; וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן-נוּן, מְשָׁרֵת מֹשֶׁה לֵאמֹר.
This book is called Joshua (Josue), because it contains the history of what passed under Joshua, and according to the common opinion was written by him. The Greeks call him Jesus: for Joshua and Jesus in the Hebrew, are the same name, and have the same signification, viz., a saviour. And it was not without a mystery that he who was to bring the people into the land of promise should have his name changed from Osee (for so he was called before, Numbers 13:17), to Joshua or Jesus, to give us to understand, that Moses by his law could only bring the people within sight of the promised inheritance, but that our Saviour Jesus was to bring us into it. (For more information, see the article JOSUE in the Catholic Encyclopedia.)[1]
Chapter .1
[1] After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, [2] "Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land which I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. [3] Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I promised to Moses. [4] From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphra'tes, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. [5] No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. [6] Be strong and of good courage; for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. [7] Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you; turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. [8] This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success. [9] Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; be not frightened, neither be dismayed; for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." [10]
Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people,
[11] "Pass through the camp, and command the people, `Prepare your provisions; for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan, to go in to take possession of the land which the LORD your God gives you to possess.'" [12]
And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manas'seh Joshua said,
[13] "Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, `The LORD your God is providing you a place of rest, and will give you this land.' [14] Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle shall remain in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan; but all the men of valor among you shall pass over armed before your brethren and shall help them, [15] until the LORD gives rest to your brethren as well as to you, and they also take possession of the land which the LORD your God is giving them; then you shall return to the land of your possession, and shall possess it, the land which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise." [16] And they answered Joshua, "All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. [17] Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you; only may the LORD your God be with you, as he was with Moses! [18] Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage."
Chapter .2
[1] And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, "Go, view the land, especially Jericho." And they went, and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and lodged there.
[2] And it was told the king of Jericho, "Behold, certain men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land." [3] Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, "Bring forth the men that have come to you, who entered your house; for they have come to search out all the land." [4] But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them; and she said, "True, men came to me, but I did not know where they came from; [5] and when the gate was to be closed, at dark, the men went out; where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them." [6] But she had brought them up to the roof, and hid them with the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof. [7] So the men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords; and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut. [8] Before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof,
[9] and said to the men, "I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. [10] For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. [11] And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no courage left in any man, because of you; for the LORD your God is he who is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. [12] Now then, swear to me by the LORD that as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a sure sign, [13] and save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death." [14] And the men said to her, "Our life for yours! If you do not tell this business of ours, then we will deal kindly and faithfully with you when the LORD gives us the land." [15] Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, so that she dwelt in the wall.
[16] And she said to them, "Go into the hills, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers have returned; then afterward you may go your way." [17] The men said to her, "We will be guiltless with respect to this oath of yours which you have made us swear. [18] Behold, when we come into the land, you shall bind this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down; and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father's household. [19] If any one goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we shall be guiltless; but if a hand is laid upon any one who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head. [20] But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless with respect to your oath which you have made us swear." [21] And she said, "According to your words, so be it." Then she sent them away, and they departed; and she bound the scarlet cord in the window. [22] They departed, and went into the hills, and remained there three days, until the pursuers returned; for the pursuers had made search all along the way and found nothing.
[23] Then the two men came down again from the hills, and passed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun; and they told him all that had befallen them. [24] And they said to Joshua, "Truly the LORD has given all the land into our hands; and moreover all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of us."
Chapter .3
[1]
Early in the morning Joshua rose and set out from Shittim, with all the people of Israel; and they came to the Jordan, and lodged there before they passed over.
[2] At the end of three days the officers went through the camp [3] and commanded the people, "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it, [4] that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, a distance of about two thousand cubits; do not come near it." [5] And Joshua said to the people, "Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you." [6] And Joshua said to the priests, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass on before the people." And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people. [7]
And the LORD said to Joshua, "This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.
[8] And you shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, `When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.'" [9] And Joshua said to the people of Israel, "Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God." [10] And Joshua said, "Hereby you shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Per'izzites, the Gir'gashites, the Amorites, and the Jeb'usites. [11] Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is to pass over before you into the Jordan. [12] Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, from each tribe a man. [13] And when the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be stopped from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap." [14]
So, when the people set out from their tents, to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people,
[15] and when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), [16] the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap far off, at Adam, the city that is beside Zar'ethan, and those flowing down toward the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were wholly cut off; and the people passed over opposite Jericho. [17] And while all Israel were passing over on dry ground, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.
Chapter .4
[1]
When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua,
[2] "Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, [3] and command them, `Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests' feet stood, and carry them over with you, and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.'" [4] Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe; [5] and Joshua said to them, "Pass on before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, [6] that this may be a sign among you, when your children ask in time to come, `What do those stones mean to you?' [7] Then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial for ever." [8]
And the men of Israel did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, as the LORD told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.
[9] And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day. [10] For the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan, until everything was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to tell the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua.
The people passed over in haste;
[11] and when all the people had finished passing over, the ark of the LORD and the priests passed over before the people. [12] The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manas'seh passed over armed before the people of Israel, as Moses had bidden them; [13] about forty thousand ready armed for war passed over before the LORD for battle, to the plains of Jericho. [14] On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him, as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life. [15]
And the LORD said to Joshua,
[16] "Command the priests who bear the ark of the testimony to come up out of the Jordan." [17] Joshua therefore commanded the priests, "Come up out of the Jordan." [18] And when the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up on dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, as before. [19]
The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.
[20] And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal. [21] And he said to the people of Israel, "When your children ask their fathers in time to come, `What do these stones mean?' [22] then you shall let your children know, `Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.' [23] For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, [24] so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty; that you may fear the LORD your God for ever."
Chapter .5
[1] When all the kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites that were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over, their heart melted, and there was no longer any spirit in them, because of the people of Israel.
[2] At that time the LORD said to Joshua, "Make flint knives and circumcise the people of Israel again the second time."
[3] So Joshua made flint knives, and circumcised the people of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. [4] And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war, had died on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt. [5] Though all the people who came out had been circumcised, yet all the people that were born on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt had not been circumcised. [6] For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the nation, the men of war that came forth out of Egypt, perished, because they did not hearken to the voice of the LORD; to them the LORD swore that he would not let them see the land which the LORD had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. [7] So it was their children, whom he raised up in their stead, that Joshua circumcised; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way. [8] When the circumcising of all the nation was done, they remained in their places in the camp till they were healed.
[9] And the LORD said to Joshua, "This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day. [10] While the people of Israel were encamped in Gilgal they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at evening in the plains of Jericho.
[11] And on the morrow after the passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. [12] And the manna ceased on the morrow, when they ate of the produce of the land; and the people of Israel had manna no more, but ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. [13] When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man stood before him with his drawn sword in his hand; and Joshua went to him and said to him, "Are you for us, or for our adversaries?"
[14] And he said, "No; but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and worshiped, and said to him, "What does my lord bid his servant?" [15] And the commander of the LORD's army said to Joshua, "Put off your shoes from your feet; for the place where you stand is holy." And Joshua did so.
Chapter .6
[1] Now Jericho was shut up from within and from without because of the people of Israel; none went out, and none came in.
[2] And the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have given into your hand Jericho, with its king and mighty men of valor. [3] You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. [4] And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark; and on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, the priests blowing the trumpets. [5] And when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, as soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up every man straight before him." [6] So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD." [7] And he said to the people, "Go forward; march around the city, and let the armed men pass on before the ark of the LORD." [8] And as Joshua had commanded the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the LORD went forward, blowing the trumpets, with the ark of the covenant of the LORD following them.
[9] And the armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard came after the ark, while the trumpets blew continually. [10] But Joshua commanded the people, "You shall not shout or let your voice be heard, neither shall any word go out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then you shall shout." [11] So he caused the ark of the LORD to compass the city, going about it once; and they came into the camp, and spent the night in the camp. [12] Then Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD.
[13] And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD passed on, blowing the trumpets continually; and the armed men went before them, and the rear guard came after the ark of the LORD, while the trumpets blew continually. [14] And the second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. So they did for six days. [15] On the seventh day they rose early at the dawn of day, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times: it was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times.
[16] And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, "Shout; for the LORD has given you the city. [17] And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the LORD for destruction; only Rahab the harlot and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers that we sent. [18] But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction, and bring trouble upon it. [19] But all silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are sacred to the LORD; they shall go into the treasury of the LORD." [20] So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people raised a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. [21] Then they utterly destroyed all in the city, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and asses, with the edge of the sword. [22] And Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, "Go into the harlot's house, and bring out from it the woman, and all who belong to her, as you swore to her."
[23] So the young men who had been spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her; and they brought all her kindred, and set them outside the camp of Israel. [24] And they burned the city with fire, and all within it; only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. [25] But Rahab the harlot, and her father's household, and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive; and she dwelt in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. [26] Joshua laid an oath upon them at that time, saying, "Cursed before the LORD be the man that rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho. At the cost of his first-born shall he lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest son shall he set up its gates." [27] So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was in all the land.
Chapter .7
[1]
But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things; for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things; and the anger of the LORD burned against the people of Israel.
[2]
Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-a'ven, east of Bethel, and said to them, "Go up and spy out the land." And the men went up and spied out Ai.
[3] And they returned to Joshua, and said to him, "Let not all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai; do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are but few." [4] So about three thousand went up there from the people; and they fled before the men of Ai, [5] and the men of Ai killed about thirty-six men of them, and chased them before the gate as far as Sheb'arim, and slew them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted, and became as water. [6]
Then Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust upon their heads.
[7] And Joshua said, "Alas, O Lord GOD, why hast thou brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan! [8] O Lord, what can I say, when 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; and what wilt thou do for thy great name?" [10]
The LORD said to Joshua, "Arise, why have you thus fallen upon your face?
[11] Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant which I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, and lied, and put them among their own stuff. [12] Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become a thing for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. [13] Up, sanctify the people, and say, `Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the LORD, God of Israel, "There are devoted things in the midst of you, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies, until you take away the devoted things from among you." [14] In the morning therefore you shall be brought near by your tribes; and the tribe which the LORD takes shall come near by families; and the family which the LORD takes shall come near by households; and the household which the LORD takes shall come near man by man. [15] And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has done a shameful thing in Israel.'" [16]
So Joshua rose early in the morning, and brought Israel near tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was taken;
[17] and he brought near the families of Judah, and the family of the Zer'ahites was taken; and he brought near the family of the Zer'ahites man by man, and Zabdi was taken; [18] and he brought near his household man by man, and Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. [19] Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, give glory to the LORD God of Israel, and render praise to him; and tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me." [20] And Achan answered Joshua, "Of a truth I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I did: [21] when I saw among the spoil a beautiful mantle from Shinar, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, then I coveted them, and took them; and behold, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath." [22]
So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was hidden in his tent with the silver underneath.
[23] And they took them out of the tent and brought them to Joshua and all the people of Israel; and they laid them down before the LORD. [24] And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the mantle and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters, and his oxen and asses and sheep, and his tent, and all that he had; and they brought them up to the Valley of Achor. [25] And Joshua said, "Why did you bring trouble on us? The LORD brings trouble on you today." And all Israel stoned him with stones; they burned them with fire, and stoned them with stones. [26] And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day; then the LORD turned from his burning anger. Therefore to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor.
Chapter .8
[1] And the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear or be dismayed; take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai; see, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land;
[2] and you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king; only its spoil and its cattle you shall take as booty for yourselves; lay an ambush against the city, behind it." [3] So Joshua arose, and all the fighting men, to go up to Ai; and Joshua chose thirty thousand mighty men of valor, and sent them forth by night.
[4] And he commanded them, "Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind it; do not go very far from the city, but hold yourselves all in readiness; [5] and I, and all the people who are with me, will approach the city. And when they come out against us, as before, we shall flee before them; [6] and they will come out after us, till we have drawn them away from the city; for they will say, `They are fleeing from us, as before.' So we will flee from them; [7] then you shall rise up from the ambush, and seize the city; for the LORD your God will give it into your hand. [8] And when you have taken the city, you shall set the city on fire, doing as the LORD has bidden; see, I have commanded you." [9] So Joshua sent them forth; and they went to the place of ambush, and lay between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai; but Joshua spent that night among the people. [10] And Joshua arose early in the morning and mustered the people, and went up, with the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.
[11] And all the fighting men who were with him went up, and drew near before the city, and encamped on the north side of Ai, with a ravine between them and Ai. [12] And he took about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city. [13] So they stationed the forces, the main encampment which was north of the city and its rear guard west of the city. But Joshua spent that night in the valley. [14] And when the king of Ai saw this he and all his people, the men of the city, made haste and went out early to the descent toward the Arabah to meet Israel in battle; but he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city. [15] And Joshua and all Israel made a pretense of being beaten before them, and fled in the direction of the wilderness. [16] So all the people who were in the city were called together to pursue them, and as they pursued Joshua they were drawn away from the city. [17] There was not a man left in Ai or Bethel, who did not go out after Israel; they left the city open, and pursued Israel. [18] Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai; for I will give it into your hand." And Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city.
[19] And the ambush rose quickly out of their place, and as soon as he had stretched out his hand, they ran and entered the city and took it; and they made haste to set the city on fire. [20] So when the men of Ai looked back, behold, the smoke of the city went up to heaven; and they had no power to flee this way or that, for the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers. [21] And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city went up, then they turned back and smote the men of Ai. [22] And the others came forth from the city against them; so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side; and Israel smote them, until there was left none that survived or escaped. [23] But the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua. [24] When Israel had finished slaughtering all the inhabitants of Ai in the open wilderness where they pursued them and all of them to the very last had fallen by the edge of the sword, all Israel returned to Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword.
[25] And all who fell that day, both men and women, were twelve thousand, all the people of Ai. [26] For Joshua did not draw back his hand, with which he stretched out the javelin, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. [27] Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took as their booty, according to the word of the LORD which he commanded Joshua. [28] So Joshua burned Ai, and made it for ever a heap of ruins, as it is to this day. [29] And he hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening; and at the going down of the sun Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree, and cast it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raised over it a great heap of stones, which stands there to this day. [30] Then Joshua built an altar in Mount Ebal to the LORD, the God of Israel,
[31] as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, "an altar of unhewn stones, upon which no man has lifted an iron tool"; and they offered on it burnt offerings to the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings. [32] And there, in the presence of the people of Israel, he wrote upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. [33] And all Israel, sojourner as well as homeborn, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, half of them in front of Mount Ger'izim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded at the first, that they should bless the people of Israel. [34] And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law. [35] There was not a word of all that Moses commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.
Chapter .9
[1]
When all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the lowland all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Per'izzites, the Hivites, and the Jeb'usites, heard of this,
[2] they gathered together with one accord to fight Joshua and Israel. [3]
But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,
[4] they on their part acted with cunning, and went and made ready provisions, and took worn-out sacks upon their asses, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, [5] with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes; and all their provisions were dry and moldy. [6] And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, "We have come from a far country; so now make a covenant with us." [7] But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, "Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a covenant with you?" [8] They said to Joshua, "We are your servants." And Joshua said to them, "Who are you? And where do you come from?" [9] They said to him, "From a very far country your servants have come, because of the name of the LORD your God; for we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, [10] and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, Sihon the king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who dwelt in Ash'taroth. [11] And our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, `Take provisions in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them, "We are your servants; come now, make a covenant with us."' [12] Here is our bread; it was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey, on the day we set forth to come to you, but now, behold, it is dry and moldy; [13] these wineskins were new when we filled them, and behold, they are burst; and these garments and shoes of ours are worn out from the very long journey." [14] So the men partook of their provisions, and did not ask direction from the LORD. [15] And Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the leaders of the congregation swore to them. [16]
At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors, and that they dwelt among them.
[17] And the people of Israel set out and reached their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephi'rah, Be-er'oth, and Kir'iath-je'arim. [18] But the people of Israel did not kill them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders. [19] But all the leaders said to all the congregation, "We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them. [20] This we will do to them, and let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we swore to them." [21] And the leaders said to them, "Let them live." So they became hewers of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, as the leaders had said of them. [22]
Joshua summoned them, and he said to them, "Why did you deceive us, saying, `We are very far from you,' when you dwell among us?
[23] Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall always be slaves, hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God." [24] They answered Joshua, "Because it was told to your servants for a certainty that the LORD your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; so we feared greatly for our lives because of you, and did this thing. [25] And now, behold, we are in your hand: do as it seems good and right in your sight to do to us." [26] So he did to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the people of Israel; and they did not kill them. [27] But Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, to continue to this day, in the place which he should choose.
Chapter .10
[1]
When Ado'ni-ze'dek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them,
[2] he feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty. [3] So Ado'ni-ze'dek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhi'a king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, [4] "Come up to me, and help me, and let us smite Gibeon; for it has made peace with Joshua and with the people of Israel." [5] Then the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered their forces, and went up with all their armies and encamped against Gibeon, and made war against it. [6]
And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, "Do not relax your hand from your servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us; for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the hill country are gathered against us."
[7] So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. [8] And the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands; there shall not a man of them stand before you." [9] So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal. [10] And the LORD threw them into a panic before Israel, who slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-hor'on, and smote them as far as Aze'kah and Makke'dah. [11] And as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-hor'on, the LORD threw down great stones from heaven upon them as far as Aze'kah, and they died; there were more who died because of the hailstones than the men of Israel killed with the sword. [12]
Then spoke Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD gave the Amorites over to the men of Israel; and he said in the sight of Israel, "Sun, stand thou still at Gibeon, and thou Moon in the valley of Ai'jalon." [13] And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. [14] There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD hearkened to the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel. [15]
Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.
[16]
These five kings fled, and hid themselves in the cave at Makke'dah.
[17] And it was told Joshua, "The five kings have been found, hidden in the cave at Makke'dah." [18] And Joshua said, "Roll great stones against the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to guard them; [19] but do not stay there yourselves, pursue your enemies, fall upon their rear, do not let them enter their cities; for the LORD your God has given them into your hand." [20] When Joshua and the men of Israel had finished slaying them with a very great slaughter, until they were wiped out, and when the remnant which remained of them had entered into the fortified cities, [21] all the people returned safe to Joshua in the camp at Makke'dah; not a man moved his tongue against any of the people of Israel. [22]
Then Joshua said, "Open the mouth of the cave, and bring those five kings out to me from the cave."
[23] And they did so, and brought those five kings out to him from the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. [24] And when they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, "Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings." Then they came near, and put their feet on their necks. [25] And Joshua said to them, "Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and of good courage; for thus the LORD will do to all your enemies against whom you fight." [26] And afterward Joshua smote them and put them to death, and he hung them on five trees. And they hung upon the trees until evening; [27] but at the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees, and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and they set great stones against the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day. [28]
And Joshua took Makke'dah on that day, and smote it and its king with the edge of the sword; he utterly destroyed every person in it, he left none remaining; and he did to the king of Makke'dah as he had done to the king of Jericho.
[29]
Then Joshua passed on from Makke'dah, and all Israel with him, to Libnah, and fought against Libnah;
[30] and the LORD gave it also and its king into the hand of Israel; and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and every person in it; he left none remaining in it; and he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho. [31]
And Joshua passed on from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish, and laid siege to it, and assaulted it:
[32] and the LORD gave Lachish into the hand of Israel, and he took it on the second day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and every person in it, as he had done to Libnah. [33]
Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua smote him and his people, until he left none remaining.
[34]
And Joshua passed on with all Israel from Lachish to Eglon; and they laid siege to it, and assaulted it;
[35] and they took it on that day, and smote it with the edge of the sword; and every person in it he utterly destroyed that day, as he had done to Lachish. [36]
Then Joshua went up with all Israel from Eglon to Hebron; and they assaulted it,
[37] and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and its king and its towns, and every person in it; he left none remaining, as he had done to Eglon, and utterly destroyed it with every person in it. [38]
Then Joshua, with all Israel, turned back to Debir and assaulted it,
[39] and he took it with its king and all its towns; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed every person in it; he left none remaining; as he had done to Hebron and to Libnah and its king, so he did to Debir and to its king. [40]
So Joshua defeated the whole land, the hill country and the Negeb and the lowland and the slopes, and all their kings; he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel commanded.
[41] And Joshua defeated them from Ka'desh-bar'nea to Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, as far as Gibeon. [42] And Joshua took all these kings and their land at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel. [43] Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.
Chapter .11
[1] When Jabin king of Hazor heard of this, he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Ach'shaph,
[2] and to the kings who were in the northern hill country, and in the Arabah south of Chin'neroth, and in the lowland, and in Naphoth-dor on the west, [3] to the Canaanites in the east and the west, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Per'izzites, and the Jeb'usites in the hill country, and the Hivites under Hermon in the land of Mizpah. [4] And they came out, with all their troops, a great host, in number like the sand that is upon the seashore, with very many horses and chariots. [5] And all these kings joined their forces, and came and encamped together at the waters of Merom, to fight with Israel. [6] And the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them, for tomorrow at this time I will give over all of them, slain, to Israel; you shall hamstring their horses, and burn their chariots with fire."
[7] So Joshua came suddenly upon them with all his people of war, by the waters of Merom, and fell upon them. [8] And the LORD gave them into the hand of Israel, who smote them and chased them as far as Great Sidon and Mis'rephoth-ma'im, and eastward as far as the valley of Mizpeh; and they smote them, until they left none remaining. [9] And Joshua did to them as the LORD bade him; he hamstrung their horses, and burned their chariots with fire. [10] And Joshua turned back at that time, and took Hazor, and smote its king with the sword; for Hazor formerly was the head of all those kingdoms.
[11] And they put to the sword all who were in it, utterly destroying them; there was none left that breathed, and he burned Hazor with fire. [12] And all the cities of those kings, and all their kings, Joshua took, and smote them with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded. [13] But none of the cities that stood on mounds did Israel burn, except Hazor only; that Joshua burned. [14] And all the spoil of these cities and the cattle, the people of Israel took for their booty; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, and they did not leave any that breathed. [15] As the LORD had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD had commanded Moses. [16] So Joshua took all that land, the hill country and all the Negeb and all the land of Goshen and the lowland and the Arabah and the hill country of Israel and its lowland
[17] from Mount Halak, that rises toward Se'ir, as far as Ba'al-gad in the valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. And he took all their kings, and smote them, and put them to death. [18] Joshua made war a long time with all those kings. [19] There was not a city that made peace with the people of Israel, except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon; they took all in battle. [20] For it was the LORD's doing to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle, in order that they should be utterly destroyed, and should receive no mercy but be exterminated, as the LORD commanded Moses. [21] And Joshua came at that time, and wiped out 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 utterly destroyed them with their cities.
[22] There was none of the Anakim left in the land of the people of Israel; only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, did some remain. [23] So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. And the land had rest from war.
Chaper .12
[1] Now these are the kings of the land, whom the people of Israel defeated, and took possession of their land beyond the Jordan toward the sunrising, from the valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon, with all the Arabah eastward:
[2] Sihon king of the Amorites who dwelt at Heshbon, and ruled from Aro'er, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and from the middle of the valley as far as the river Jabbok, the boundary of the Ammonites, that is, half of Gilead, [3] and the Arabah to the Sea of Chin'neroth eastward, and in the direction of Beth-jesh'imoth, to the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, southward to the foot of the slopes of Pisgah; [4] and Og king of Bashan, one of the remnant of the Reph'aim, who dwelt at Ash'taroth and at Ed're-i [5] and ruled over Mount Hermon and Sal'ecah and all Bashan to the boundary of the Gesh'urites and the Ma-ac'athites, and over half of Gilead to the boundary of Sihon king of Heshbon. [6] Moses, the servant of the LORD, and the people of Israel defeated them; and Moses the servant of the LORD gave their land for a possession to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manas'seh. [7] And these are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the people of Israel defeated on the west side of the Jordan, from Ba'al-gad in the valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, that rises toward Se'ir (and Joshua gave their land to the tribes of Israel as a possession according to their allotments,
[8] in the hill country, in the lowland, in the Arabah, in the slopes, in the wilderness, and in the Negeb, the land of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Per'izzites, the Hivites, and the Jeb'usites): [9] the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one; [10] the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one; [11] the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one; [12] the king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one; [13] the king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one; [14] the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one; [15] the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one; [16] the king of Makke'dah, one; the king of Bethel, one; [17] the king of Tap'puah, one; the king of Hepher, one; [18] the king of Aphek, one; the king of Lashar'on, one; [19] the king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one; [20] the king of Shim'ron-me'ron, one; the king of Ach'shaph, one; [21] the king of Ta'anach, one; the king of Megid'do, one; [22] the king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jok'ne-am in Carmel, one; [23] the king of Dor in Naphath-dor, one; the king of Goi'im in Galilee, one; [24] the king of Tirzah, one: in all, thirty-one kings.
Chapter .13
[1] Now Joshua was old and advanced in years; and the LORD said to him, "You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to be possessed.
[2] This is the land that yet remains: all the regions of the Philistines, and all those of the Gesh'urites [3] (from the Shihor, which is east of Egypt, northward to the boundary of Ekron, it is reckoned as Canaanite; there are five rulers of the Philistines, those of Gaza, Ashdod, Ash'kelon, Gath, and Ekron), and those of the Avvim, [4] in the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mear'ah which belongs to the Sido'nians, to Aphek, to the boundary of the Amorites, [5] and the land of the Geb'alites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrising, from Ba'al-gad below Mount Hermon to the entrance of Hamath, [6] all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Mis'rephoth-ma'im, even all the Sido'nians. I will myself drive them out from before the people of Israel; only allot the land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded you. [7] Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manas'seh." [8] With the other half of the tribe of Manas'seh the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond the Jordan eastward, as Moses the servant of the LORD gave them:
[9] from Aro'er, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the tableland of Med'eba as far as Dibon; [10] and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the boundary of the Ammonites; [11] and Gilead, and the region of the Gesh'urites and Ma-ac'athites, and all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan to Sal'ecah; [12] all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ash'taroth and in Ed're-i (he alone was left of the remnant of the Reph'aim); these Moses had defeated and driven out. [13] Yet the people of Israel did not drive out the Gesh'urites or the Ma-ac'athites; but Geshur and Ma'acath dwell in the midst of Israel to this day. [14] To the tribe of Levi alone Moses gave no inheritance; the offerings by fire to the LORD God of Israel are their inheritance, as he said to him.
[15] And Moses gave an inheritance to the tribe of the Reubenites according to their families.
[16] So their territory was from Aro'er, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the tableland by Med'eba; [17] with Heshbon, and all its cities that are in the tableland; Dibon, and Ba'moth-ba'al, and Beth-ba'al-me'on, [18] and Jahaz, and Ked'emoth, and Meph'aath, [19] and Kir'iatha'im, and Sibmah, and Zer'eth-sha'har on the hill of the valley, [20] and Beth-pe'or, and the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth-jesh'imoth, [21] that is, all the cities of the tableland, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses defeated with the leaders of Mid'ian, Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba, the princes of Sihon, who dwelt in the land. [22] Balaam also, the son of Be'or, the soothsayer, the people of Israel killed with the sword among the rest of their slain. [23] And the border of the people of Reuben was the Jordan as a boundary. This was the inheritance of the Reubenites, according to their families with their cities and villages. [24] And Moses gave an inheritance also to the tribe of the Gadites, according to their families.
[25] Their territory was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the Ammonites, to Aro'er, which is east of Rabbah, [26] and from Heshbon to Ra'math-miz'peh and Bet'onim, and from Mahana'im to the territory of Debir, [27] and in the valley Beth-ha'ram, Beth-nim'rah, Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, having the Jordan as a boundary, to the lower end of the Sea of Chin'nereth, eastward beyond the Jordan. [28] This is the inheritance of the Gadites according to their families, with their cities and villages. [29] And Moses gave an inheritance to the half-tribe of Manas'seh; it was allotted to the half-tribe of the Manas'sites according to their families.
[30] Their region extended from Mahana'im, through all Bashan, the whole kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Ja'ir, which are in Bashan, sixty cities, [31] and half Gilead, and Ash'taroth, and Ed're-i, the cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan; these were allotted to the people of Machir the son of Manas'seh for the half of the Machirites according to their families. [32] These are the inheritances which Moses distributed in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan east of Jericho.
[33] But to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance; the LORD God of Israel is their inheritance, as he said to them.
Chapter .14
[1] And these are the inheritances which the people of Israel received in the land of Canaan, which Elea'zar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the people of Israel distributed to them.
[2] Their inheritance was by lot, as the LORD had commanded Moses for the nine and one-half tribes. [3] For Moses had given an inheritance to the two and one-half tribes beyond the Jordan; but to the Levites he gave no inheritance among them. [4] For the people of Joseph were two tribes, Manas'seh and E'phraim; and no portion was given to the Levites in the land, but only cities to dwell in, with their pasture lands for their cattle and their substance. [5] The people of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses; they allotted the land. [6] Then the people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal; and Caleb the son of Jephun'neh the Ken'izzite said to him, "You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God in Ka'desh-bar'nea concerning you and me.
[7] I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Ka'desh-bar'nea to spy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in my heart. [8] But my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the LORD my God. [9] And Moses swore on that day, saying, `Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children for ever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.' [10] And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness; and now, lo, I am this day eighty-five years old. [11] I am still as strong to this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war, and for going and coming. [12] So now give me this hill country of which the LORD spoke on that day; for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities: it may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall drive them out as the LORD said." [13] Then Joshua blessed him; and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephun'neh for an inheritance.
[14] So Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephun'neh the Ken'izzite to this day, because he wholly followed the LORD, the God of Israel. [15] Now the name of Hebron formerly was Kir'iath-ar'ba; this Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim. And the land had rest from war.
Chapter .15
[1] The lot for the tribe of the people of Judah according to their families reached southward to the boundary of Edom, to the wilderness of Zin at the farthest south.
[2] And their south boundary ran from the end of the Salt Sea, from the bay that faces southward; [3] it goes out southward of the ascent of Akrab'bim, passes along to Zin, and goes up south of Ka'desh-bar'nea, along by Hezron, up to Addar, turns about to Karka, [4] passes along to Azmon, goes out by the Brook of Egypt, and comes to its end at the sea. This shall be your south boundary. [5] And the east boundary is the Salt Sea, to the mouth of the Jordan. And the boundary on the north side runs from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan; [6] and the boundary goes up to Beth-hoglah, and passes along north of Beth-arabah; and the boundary goes up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben; [7] and the boundary goes up to Debir from the Valley of Achor, and so northward, turning toward Gilgal, which is opposite the ascent of Adum'mim, which is on the south side of the valley; and the boundary passes along to the waters of En-she'mesh, and ends at En-ro'gel; [8] then the boundary goes up by the valley of the son of Hinnom at the southern shoulder of the Jeb'usite (that is, Jerusalem); and the boundary goes up to the top of the mountain that lies over against the valley of Hinnom, on the west, at the northern end of the valley of Reph'aim; [9] then the boundary extends from the top of the mountain to the spring of the Waters of Nephto'ah, and from there to the cities of Mount Ephron; then the boundary bends round to Ba'alah (that is, Kir'iath-je'arim); [10] and the boundary circles west of Ba'alah to Mount Se'ir, passes along to the northern shoulder of Mount Je'arim (that is, Ches'alon), and goes down to Beth-she'mesh, and passes along by Timnah; [11] the boundary goes out to the shoulder of the hill north of Ekron, then the boundary bends round to Shik'keron, and passes along to Mount Ba'alah, and goes out to Jabneel; then the boundary comes to an end at the sea. [12] And the west boundary was the Great Sea with its coast-line. This is the boundary round about the people of Judah according to their families. [13] According to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, he gave to Caleb the son of Jephun'neh a portion among the people of Judah, Kir'iath-ar'ba, that is, Hebron (Arba was the father of Anak).
[14] And Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak, She'shai and Ahi'man and Talmai, the descendants of Anak. [15] And he went up from there against the inhabitants of Debir; now the name of Debir formerly was Kir'iath-se'pher. [16] And Caleb said, "Whoever smites Kir'iath-se'pher, and takes it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter as wife." [17] And Oth'ni-el the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it; and he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife. [18] When she came to him, she urged him to ask her father for a field; and she alighted from her ass, and Caleb said to her, "What do you wish?" [19] She said to him, "Give me a present; since you have set me in the land of the Negeb, give me also springs of water." And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs. [20] This is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Judah according to their families.
[21] The cities belonging to the tribe of the people of Judah in the extreme South, toward the boundary of Edom, were Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, [22] Kinah, Dimo'nah, Ada'dah, [23] Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, [24] Ziph, Telem, Be-a'loth, [25] Ha'zor-hadat'tah, Ker'i-oth-hezron (that is, Hazor), [26] Amam, Shema, Mola'dah, [27] Ha'zar-gad'dah, Heshmon, Beth-pel'et, [28] Hazar-shu'al, Beer-sheba, Biziothi'ah, [29] Ba'alah, I'im, Ezem, [30] Elto'lad, Chesil, Hormah, [31] Ziklag, Madman'nah, Sansan'nah, [32] Leba'oth, Shilhim, A'in, and Rimmon: in all, twenty-nine cities, with their villages. [33] And in the lowland, Eshta'ol, Zorah, Ashnah,
[34] Zano'ah, En-gan'nim, Tap'puah, Enam, [35] Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Aze'kah, [36] Shaara'im, Aditha'im, Gede'rah, Gederotha'im: fourteen cities with their villages. [37] Zenan, Hadash'ah, Mig'dal-gad,
[38] Di'lean, Mizpeh, Jok'theel, [39] Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, [40] Cabbon, Lahmam, Chitlish, [41] Gede'roth, Beth-da'gon, Na'amah, and Makke'dah: sixteen cities with their villages. [42] Libnah, Ether, Ashan,
[43] Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, [44] Kei'lah, Achzib, and Mare'shah: nine cities with their villages. [45] Ekron, with its towns and its villages;
[46] from Ekron to the sea, all that were by the side of Ashdod, with their villages. [47] Ashdod, its towns and its villages; Gaza, its towns and its villages; to the Brook of Egypt, and the Great Sea with its coast-line.
[48] And in the hill country, Shamir, Jattir, Socoh,
[49] Dannah, Kir'iath-san'nah (that is, Debir), [50] Anab, Esh'temoh, Anim, [51] Goshen, Holon, and Giloh: eleven cities with their villages. [52] Arab, Dumah, Eshan,
[53] Janim, Beth-tap'puah, Aphe'kah, [54] Humtah, Kir'iath-ar'ba (that is, Hebron), and Zi'or: nine cities with their villages. [55] Ma'on, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah,
[56] Jezreel, Jok'de-am, Zano'ah, [57] Kain, Gib'e-ah, and Timnah: ten cities with their villages. [58] Halhul, Beth-zur, Gedor,
[59] Ma'arath, Beth-anoth, and El'tekon: six cities with their villages. [60] Kir'iath-ba'al (that is, Kir'iath-je'arim), and Rabbah: two cities with their villages.
[61] In the wilderness, Beth-arabah, Middin, Seca'cah,
[62] Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En-ge'di: six cities with their villages. [63] But the Jeb'usites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the people of Judah could not drive out; so the Jeb'usites dwell with the people of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.
Chapter .16
[1] The allotment of the descendants of Joseph went from the Jordan by Jericho, east of the waters of Jericho, into the wilderness, going up from Jericho into the hill country to Bethel;
[2] then going from Bethel to Luz, it passes along to At'aroth, the territory of the Archites; [3] then it goes down westward to the territory of the Japh'letites, as far as the territory of Lower Beth-hor'on, then to Gezer, and it ends at the sea. [4] The people of Joseph, Manas'seh and E'phraim, received their inheritance.
[5] The territory of the E'phraimites by their families was as follows: the boundary of their inheritance on the east was At'aroth-ad'dar as far as Upper Beth-hor'on,
[6] and the boundary goes thence to the sea; on the north is Mich-me'thath; then on the east the boundary turns round toward Ta'anath-shi'loh, and passes along beyond it on the east to Jan-o'ah, [7] then it goes down from Jan-o'ah to At'aroth and to Na'arah, and touches Jericho, ending at the Jordan. [8] From Tap'puah the boundary goes westward to the brook Kanah, and ends at the sea. Such is the inheritance of the tribe of the E'phraimites by their families, [9] together with the towns which were set apart for the E'phraimites within the inheritance of the Manas'sites, all those towns with their villages. [10] However they did not drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: so the Canaanites have dwelt in the midst of E'phraim to this day but have become slaves to do forced labor.
Chapter .17
[1] Then allotment was made to the tribe of Manas'seh, for he was the first-born of Joseph. To Machir the first-born of Manas'seh, the father of Gilead, were allotted Gilead and Bashan, because he was a man of war.
[2] And allotments were made to the rest of the tribe of Manas'seh, by their families, Abi-e'zer, Helek, As'ri-el, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemi'da; these were the male descendants of Manas'seh the son of Joseph, by their families. [3] Now Zeloph'ehad the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manas'seh, had no sons, but only daughters; and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
[4] They came before Elea'zar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the leaders, and said, "The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance along with our brethren." So according to the commandment of the LORD he gave them an inheritance among the brethren of their father. [5] Thus there fell to Manas'seh ten portions, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which is on the other side of the Jordan; [6] because the daughters of Manas'seh received an inheritance along with his sons. The land of Gilead was allotted to the rest of the Manas'sites. [7] The territory of Manas'seh reached from Asher to Mich-me'thath, which is east of Shechem; then the boundary goes along southward to the inhabitants of En-tap'puah.
[8] The land of Tap'puah belonged to Manas'seh, but the town of Tap'puah on the boundary of Manas'seh belonged to the sons of E'phraim. [9] Then the boundary went down to the brook Kanah. The cities here, to the south of the brook, among the cities of Manas'seh, belong to E'phraim. Then the boundary of Manas'seh goes on the north side of the brook and ends at the sea; [10] the land to the south being E'phraim's and that to the north being Manas'seh's, with the sea forming its boundary; on the north Asher is reached, and on the east Is'sachar. [11] Also in Is'sachar and in Asher Manas'seh had Beth-she'an 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 Ta'anach and its villages, and the inhabitants of Megid'do and its villages; the third is Naphath. [12] Yet the sons of Manas'seh could not take possession of those cities; but the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land. [13] But when the people of Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, and did not utterly drive them out. [14] And the tribe of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, "Why have you given me but one lot and one portion as an inheritance, although I am a numerous people, since hitherto the LORD has blessed me?"
[15] And Joshua said to them, "If you are a numerous people, go up to the forest, and there clear ground for yourselves in the land of the Per'izzites and the Reph'aim, since the hill country of E'phraim is too narrow for you." [16] The tribe of Joseph said, "The hill country is not enough for us; yet all the Canaanites who dwell in the plain have chariots of iron, both those in Beth-she'an and its villages and those in the Valley of Jezreel." [17] Then Joshua said to the house of Joseph, to E'phraim and Manas'seh, "You are a numerous people, and have great power; you shall not have one lot only, [18] but the hill country shall be yours, for though it is a forest, you shall clear it and possess it to its farthest borders; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron, and though they are strong."
Chapter .18
[1] Then the whole congregation of the people of Israel assembled at Shiloh, and set up the tent of meeting there; the land lay subdued before them.
[2] There remained among the people of Israel seven tribes whose inheritance had not yet been apportioned.
[3] So Joshua said to the people of Israel, "How long will you be slack to go in and take possession of the land, which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you? [4] Provide three men from each tribe, and I will send them out that they may set out and go up and down the land, writing a description of it with a view to their inheritances, and then come to me. [5] They shall divide it into seven portions, Judah continuing in his territory on the south, and the house of Joseph in their territory on the north. [6] And you shall describe the land in seven divisions and bring the description here to me; and I will cast lots for you here before the LORD our God. [7] The Levites have no portion among you, for the priesthood of the LORD is their heritage; and Gad and Reuben and half the tribe of Manas'seh have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan eastward, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them." [8] So the men started on their way; and Joshua charged those who went to write the description of the land, saying, "Go up and down and write a description of the land, and come again to me; and I will cast lots for you here before the LORD in Shiloh."
[9] So the men went and passed up and down in the land and set down in a book a description of it by towns in seven divisions; then they came to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh, [10] and Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD; and there Joshua apportioned the land to the people of Israel, to each his portion. [11] The lot of the tribe of Benjamin according to its families came up, and the territory allotted to it fell between the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Joseph.
[12] On the north side their boundary began at the Jordan; then the boundary goes up to the shoulder north of Jericho, then up through the hill country westward; and it ends at the wilderness of Beth-a'ven. [13] From there the boundary passes along southward in the direction of Luz, to the shoulder of Luz (the same is Bethel), then the boundary goes down to At'aroth-ad'dar, upon the mountain that lies south of Lower Beth-hor'on. [14] Then the boundary goes in another direction, turning on the western side southward from the mountain that lies to the south, opposite Beth-hor'on, and it ends at Kir'iath-ba'al (that is, Kir'iath-je'arim), a city belonging to the tribe of Judah. This forms the western side. [15] And the southern side begins at the outskirts of Kir'iath-je'arim; and the boundary goes from there to Ephron, to the spring of the Waters of Nephto'ah; [16] then the boundary goes down to the border of the mountain that overlooks the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is at the north end of the valley of Reph'aim; and it then goes down the valley of Hinnom, south of the shoulder of the Jeb'usites, and downward to En-rogel; [17] then it bends in a northerly direction going on to En-she'mesh, and thence goes to Geli'loth, which is opposite the ascent of Adum'mim; then it goes down to the Stone of Bohan the son of Reuben; [18] and passing on to the north of the shoulder of Beth-arabah it goes down to the Arabah; [19] then the boundary passes on to the north of the shoulder of Beth-hoglah; and the boundary ends at the northern bay of the Salt Sea, at the south end of the Jordan: this is the southern border. [20] The Jordan forms its boundary on the eastern side. This is the inheritance of the tribe of Benjamin, according to its families, boundary by boundary round about. [21] Now the cities of the tribe of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-ke'ziz,
[22] Beth-arabah, Zemara'im, Bethel, [23] Avvim, Parah, Ophrah, [24] Che'phar-am'moni, Ophni, Geba -- twelve cities with their villages: [25] Gibeon, Ramah, Be-er'oth, [26] Mizpeh, Chephi'rah, Mozah, [27] Rekem, Irpeel, Tar'alah, [28] Zela, Ha-eleph, Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), Gib'e-ah and Kir'iath-je'arim -- fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the tribe of Benjamin according to its families.
Chapter .19
[1] The second lot came out for Simeon, for the tribe of Simeon, according to its families; and its inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the tribe of Judah.
[2] And it had for its inheritance Beer-sheba, Sheba, Mola'dah, [3] Hazar-shu'al, Balah, Ezem, [4] Elto'lad, Bethul, Hormah, [5] Ziklag, Beth-mar'caboth, Ha'zar-su'sah, [6] Beth-leba'oth, and Sharu'hen -- thirteen cities with their villages; [7] En-rimmon, Ether, and Ashan -- four cities with their villages; [8] together with all the villages round about these cities as far as Ba'alath-beer, Ramah of the Negeb. This was the inheritance of the tribe of Simeon according to its families. [9] The inheritance of the tribe of Simeon formed part of the territory of Judah; because the portion of the tribe of Judah was too large for them, the tribe of Simeon obtained an inheritance in the midst of their inheritance. [10] The third lot came up for the tribe of Zeb'ulun, according to its families. And the territory of its inheritance reached as far as Sarid;
[11] then its boundary goes up westward, and on to Mar'eal, and touches Dab'besheth, then the brook which is east of Jok'ne-am; [12] from Sarid it goes in the other direction eastward toward the sunrise to the boundary of Chis'loth-ta'bor; thence it goes to Dab'erath, then up to Japhi'a; [13] from there it passes along on the east toward the sunrise to Gath-hepher, to Eth-kazin, and going on to Rimmon it bends toward Ne'ah; [14] then on the north the boundary turns about to Han'nathon, and it ends at the valley of Iph'tahel; [15] and Kattath, Nahal'al, Shimron, I'dalah, and Bethlehem -- twelve cities with their villages. [16] This is the inheritance of the tribe of Zeb'ulun, according to its families -- these cities with their villages. [17] The fourth lot came out for Is'sachar, for the tribe of Is'sachar, according to its families.
[18] Its territory included Jezreel, Chesul'loth, Shunem, [19] Haph'ara-im, Shion, Ana'harath, [20] Rabbith, Kish'ion, Ebez, [21] Remeth, En-gan'nim, En-had'dah, Beth-paz'zez; [22] the boundary also touches Tabor, Shahazu'mah, and Beth-she'mesh, and its boundary ends at the Jordan -- sixteen cities with their villages. [23] This is the inheritance of the tribe of Is'sachar, according to its families -- the cities with their villages. [24] The fifth lot came out for the tribe of Asher according to its families.
[25] Its territory included Helkath, Hali, Beten, Ach'shaph, [26] Allam'melech, Amad, and Mishal; on the west it touches Carmel and Shihor-lib'nath, [27] then it turns eastward, it goes to Beth-dagon, and touches Zeb'ulun and the valley of Iph'tahel northward to Beth-emek and Nei'el; then it continues in the north to Cabul, [28] Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, Kanah, as far as Sidon the Great; [29] then the boundary turns to Ramah, reaching to the fortified city of Tyre; then the boundary turns to Hosah, and it ends at the sea; Mahalab, Achzib, [30] Ummah, Aphek and Rehob -- twenty-two cities with their villages. [31] This is the inheritance of the tribe of Asher according to its families -- these cities with their villages. [32] The sixth lot came out for the tribe of Naph'tali, for the tribe of Naph'tali, according to its families.
[33] And its boundary ran from Heleph, from the oak in Za-anan'nim, and Ad'ami-nekeb, and Jabneel, as far as Lakkum; and it ended at the Jordan; [34] then the boundary turns westward to Az'noth-tabor, and goes from there to Hukkok, touching Zeb'ulun at the south, and Asher on the west, and Judah on the east at the Jordan. [35] The fortified cities are Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chin'nereth, [36] Ad'amah, Ramah, Hazor, [37] Kedesh, Ed're-i, En-ha'zor, [38] Yiron, Mig'dal-el, Horem, Beth-anath, and Beth-she'mesh -- nineteen cities with their villages. [39] This is the inheritance of the tribe of Naph'tali according to its families -- the cities with their villages. [40] The seventh lot came out for the tribe of Dan, according to its families.
[41] And the territory of its inheritance included Zorah, Esh'ta-ol, Ir-she'mesh, [42] Sha-alab'bin, Ai'jalon, Ithlah, [43] Elon, Timnah, Ekron, [44] El'tekeh, Gib'bethon, Ba'alath, [45] Jehud, Bene-be'rak, Gath-rim'mon, [46] and Me-jar'kon and Rakkon with the territory over against Joppa. [47] When the territory of the Danites was lost to them, the Danites went up and fought against Leshem, and after capturing it and putting it to the sword they took possession of it and settled in it, calling Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor. [48] This is the inheritance of the tribe of Dan, according to their families -- these cities with their villages. [49] When they had finished distributing the several territories of the land as inheritances, the people of Israel gave an inheritance among them to Joshua the son of Nun.
[50] By command of the LORD they gave him the city which he asked, Tim'nath-se'rah in the hill country of E'phraim; and he rebuilt the city, and settled in it. [51] These are the inheritances which Elea'zar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the people of Israel distributed by lot at Shiloh before the LORD, at the door of the tent of meeting. So they finished dividing the land.
Chapter .20
[1] Then the LORD said to Joshua,
[2] "Say to the people of Israel, `Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses, [3] that the manslayer who kills any person without intent or unwittingly may flee there; they shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood. [4] He shall flee to one of these cities and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city, and explain his case to the elders of that city; then they shall take him into the city, and give him a place, and he shall remain with them. [5] And if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not give up the slayer into his hand; because he killed his neighbor unwittingly, having had no enmity against him in times past. [6] And he shall remain in that city until he has stood before the congregation for judgment, until the death of him who is high priest at the time: then the slayer may go again to his own town and his own home, to the town from which he fled.'" [7) So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naph'tali, and Shechem in the hill country of E'phraim, and Kir'iath-ar'ba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.
[8] And beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, they appointed Bezer in the wilderness on the tableland, from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manas'seh. [9] These were the cities designated for all the people of Israel, and for the stranger sojourning among them, that any one who killed a person without intent could flee there, so that he might not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, till he stood before the congregation.
Chapter .21
[1] Then the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites came to Elea'zar the priest and to Joshua the son of Nun and to the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the people of Israel;
[2] and they said to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, "The LORD commanded through Moses that we be given cities to dwell in, along with their pasture lands for our cattle." [3] So by command of the LORD the people of Israel gave to the Levites the following cities and pasture lands out of their inheritance. [4] The lot came out for the families of the Ko'hathites. So those Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest received by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, thirteen cities.
[5] And the rest of the Ko'hathites received by lot from the families of the tribe of E'phraim, from the tribe of Dan and the half-tribe of Manas'seh, ten cities.
[6] The Gersonites received by lot from the families of the tribe of Is'sachar, from the tribe of Asher, from the tribe of Naph'tali, and from the half-tribe of Manas'seh in Bashan, thirteen cities.
[7] The Merar'ites according to their families received from the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the tribe of Zeb'ulun, twelve cities.
[8] These cities and their pasture lands the people of Israel gave by lot to the Levites, as the LORD had commanded through Moses.
[9] Out of the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Simeon they gave the following cities mentioned by name,
[10] which went to the descendants of Aaron, one of the families of the Ko'hathites who belonged to the Levites; since the lot fell to them first. [11] They gave them Kir'iath-ar'ba (Arba being the father of Anak), that is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, along with the pasture lands round about it. [12] But the fields of the city and its villages had been given to Caleb the son of Jephun'neh as his possession. [13] And to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, the city of refuge for the slayer, with its pasture lands, Libnah with its pasture lands,
[14] Jattir with its pasture lands, Eshtemo'a with its pasture lands, [15] Holon with its pasture lands, Debir with its pasture lands, [16] A'in with its pasture lands, Juttah with its pasture lands, Beth-she'mesh with its pasture lands -- nine cities out of these two tribes; [17] then out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its pasture lands, Geba with its pasture lands, [18] An'athoth with its pasture lands, and Almon with its pasture lands -- four cities. [19] The cities of the descendants of Aaron, the priests, were in all thirteen cities with their pasture lands. [20] As to the rest of the Ko'hathites belonging to the Ko'hathite families of the Levites, the cities allotted to them were out of the tribe of E'phraim.
[21] To them were given Shechem, the city of refuge for the slayer, with its pasture lands in the hill country of E'phraim, Gezer with its pasture lands, [22] Kib'za-im with its pasture lands, Beth-hor'on with its pasture lands -- four cities; [23] and out of the tribe of Dan, El'teke with its pasture lands, Gib'bethon with its pasture lands, [24] Ai'jalon with its pasture lands, Gath-rim'mon with its pasture lands -- four cities; [25] and out of the half-tribe of Manas'seh, Ta'anach with its pasture lands, and Gath-rim'mon with its pasture lands -- two cities. [26] The cities of the families of the rest of the Ko'hathites were ten in all with their pasture lands. [27] And to the Gershonites, one of the families of the Levites, were given out of the half-tribe of Manas'seh, Golan in Bashan with its pasture lands, the city of refuge for the slayer, and Beesh'terah with its pasture lands -- two cities;
[28] and out of the tribe of Is'sachar, Ki'shion with its pasture lands, Dab'erath with its pasture lands, [29] Jarmuth with its pasture lands, En-gan'nim with its pasture lands -- four cities; [30] and out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with its pasture lands, Abdon with its pasture lands, [31] Helkath with its pasture lands, and Rehob with its pasture lands -- four cities; [32] and out of the tribe of Naph'tali, Kedesh in Galilee with its pasture lands, the city of refuge for the slayer, Ham'moth-dor with its pasture lands, and Kartan with its pasture lands -- three cities. [33] The cities of the several families of the Gershonites were in all thirteen cities with their pasture lands. [34] And to the rest of the Levites, the Merar'ite families, were given out of the tribe of Zeb'ulun, Jok'ne-am with its pasture lands, Kartah with its pasture lands,
[35] Dimnah with its pasture lands, Na'halal with its pasture lands -- four cities; [36] and out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with its pasture lands, Jahaz with its pasture lands, [37] Ked'emoth with its pasture lands, and Meph'a-ath with its pasture lands -- four cities; [38] and out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its pasture lands, the city of refuge for the slayer, Mahana'im with its pasture lands, [39] Heshbon with its pasture lands, Jazer with its pasture lands -- four cities in all. [40] As for the cities of the several Merar'ite families, that is, the remainder of the families of the Levites, those allotted to them were in all twelve cities. [41] The cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the people of Israel were in all forty-eight cities with their pasture lands.
[42] These cities had each its pasture lands round about it; so it was with all these cities. [43] Thus the LORD gave to Israel all the land which he swore to give to their fathers; and having taken possession of it, they settled there. [44] And the LORD gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers; not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the LORD had given all their enemies into their hands. [45] Not one of all the good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.
Chapter .22
[1] Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manas'seh,
[2] and said to them, "You have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I have commanded you; [3] you have not forsaken your brethren these many days, down to this day, but have been careful to keep the charge of the LORD your God. [4] And now the LORD your God has given rest to your brethren, as he promised them; therefore turn and go to your home in the land where your possession lies, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side of the Jordan. [5] Take good care to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave to him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul." [6] So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away; and they went to their homes. [7] Now to the one half of the tribe of Manas'seh Moses had given a possession in Bashan; but to the other half Joshua had given a possession beside their brethren in the land west of the Jordan. And when Joshua sent them away to their homes and blessed them,
[8] he said to them, "Go back to your homes with much wealth, and with very many cattle, with silver, gold, bronze, and iron, and with much clothing; divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren." [9] So the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manas'seh returned home, parting from the people of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, their own land of which they had possessed themselves by command of the LORD through Moses. [10] And when they came to the region about the Jordan, that lies in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manas'seh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of great size.
[11] And the people of Israel heard say, "Behold, the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manas'seh have built an altar at the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region about the Jordan, on the side that belongs to the people of Israel." [12] And when the people of Israel heard of it, the whole assembly of the people of Israel gathered at Shiloh, to make war against them. [13] Then the people of Israel sent to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manas'seh, in the land of Gilead, Phin'ehas the son of Elea'zar the priest,
[14] and with him ten chiefs, one from each of the tribal families of Israel, every one of them the head of a family among the clans of Israel. [15] And they came to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manas'seh, in the land of Gilead, and they said to them, [16] "Thus says the whole congregation of the LORD, `What is this treachery which you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away this day from following the LORD, by building yourselves an altar this day in rebellion against the LORD? [17] Have we not had enough of the sin at Pe'or from which even yet we have not cleansed ourselves, and for which there came a plague upon the congregation of the LORD, [18] that you must turn away this day from following the LORD? And if you rebel against the LORD today he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel tomorrow. [19] But now, if your land is unclean, pass over into the LORD's land where the LORD's tabernacle stands, and take for yourselves a possession among us; only do not rebel against the LORD, or make us as rebels by building yourselves an altar other than the altar of the LORD our God. [20] Did not Achan the son of Zerah break faith in the matter of the devoted things, and wrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel? And he did not perish alone for his iniquity.'" [21] Then the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manas'seh said in answer to the heads of the families of Israel,
[22] "The Mighty One, God, the LORD! The Mighty One, God, the LORD! He knows; and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in breach of faith toward the LORD, spare us not today [23] for building an altar to turn away from following the LORD; or if we did so to offer burnt offerings or cereal offerings or peace offerings on it, may the LORD himself take vengeance. [24] Nay, but we did it from fear that in time to come your children might say to our children, `What have you to do with the LORD, the God of Israel? [25] For the LORD has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you Reubenites and Gadites; you have no portion in the LORD.' So your children might make our children cease to worship the LORD. [26] Therefore we said, `Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice, [27] but to be a witness between us and you, and between the generations after us, that we do perform the service of the LORD in his presence with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings; lest your children say to our children in time to come, "You have no portion in the LORD."' [28] And we thought, If this should be said to us or to our descendants in time to come, we should say, `Behold the copy of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you.' [29] Far be it from us that we should rebel against the LORD, and turn away this day from following the LORD by building an altar for burnt offering, cereal offering, or sacrifice, other than the altar of the LORD our God that stands before his tabernacle!" [30] When Phin'ehas the priest and the chiefs of the congregation, the heads of the families of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the Reubenites and the Gadites and the Manas'sites spoke, it pleased them well.
[31] And Phin'ehas the son of Elea'zar the priest said to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the Manas'sites, "Today we know that the LORD is in the midst of us, because you have not committed this treachery against the LORD; now you have saved the people of Israel from the hand of the LORD." [32] Then Phin'ehas the son of Elea'zar the priest, and the chiefs, returned from the Reubenites and the Gadites in the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the people of Israel, and brought back word to them.
[33] And the report pleased the people of Israel; and the people of Israel blessed God and spoke no more of making war against them, to destroy the land where the Reubenites and the Gadites were settled. [34] The Reubenites and the Gadites called the altar Witness; "For," said they, "it is a witness between us that the LORD is God."
Chapter .23
[1] A long time afterward, when the LORD had given rest to Israel from all their enemies round about, and Joshua was old and well advanced in years,
[2] Joshua summoned all Israel, their elders and heads, their judges and officers, and said to them, "I am now old and well advanced in years; [3] and you have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations for your sake, for it is the LORD your God who has fought for you. [4] Behold, I have allotted to you as an inheritance for your tribes those nations that remain, along with all the nations that I have already cut off, from the Jordan to the Great Sea in the west. [5] The LORD your God will push them back before you, and drive them out of your sight; and you shall possess their land, as the LORD your God promised you. [6] Therefore be very steadfast to keep and do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left, [7] that you may not be mixed with these nations left here among you, or make mention of the names of their gods, or swear by them, or serve them, or bow down yourselves to them, [8] but cleave to the LORD your God as you have done to this day. [9] For the LORD has driven out before you great and strong nations; and as for you, no man has been able to withstand you to this day. [10] One man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the LORD your God who fights for you, as he promised you. [11] Take good heed to yourselves, therefore, to love the LORD your God. [12] For if you turn back, and join the remnant of these nations left here among you, and make marriages with them, so that you marry their women and they yours, [13] know assuredly that the LORD your God will not continue to drive out these nations before you; but they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a scourge on your sides, and thorns in your eyes, till you perish from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you. [14] "And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD your God promised concerning you; all have come to pass for you, not one of them has failed.
[15] But just as all the good things which the LORD your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for you, so the LORD will bring upon you all the evil things, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you, [16] if you transgress the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land which he has given to you."
Chapter .24
[1] Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God.
[2] And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, `Your fathers lived of old beyond the Euphra'tes, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods. [3] Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan, and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac; [4] and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. And I gave Esau the hill country of Se'ir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. [5] And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in the midst of it; and afterwards I brought you out. [6] Then I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea; and the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. [7] And when they cried to the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and made the sea come upon them and cover them; and your eyes saw what I did to Egypt; and you lived in the wilderness a long time. [8] Then 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 took possession of their land, and I destroyed them before you. [9] Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel; and he sent and invited Balaam the son of Be'or to curse you, [10] but I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he blessed you; so I delivered you out of his hand. [11] And you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho, and the men of Jericho fought against you, and also the Amorites, the Per'izzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Gir'gashites, the Hivites, and the Jeb'usites; and I gave them into your hand. [12] And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out before you, the two kings of the Amorites; it was not by your sword or by your bow. [13] I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and cities which you had not built, and you dwell therein; you eat the fruit of vineyards and oliveyards which you did not plant.' [14] "Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.
[15] And if you be unwilling to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." [16] Then the people answered, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;
[17] for it is the LORD our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, and who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; [18] and the LORD drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land; therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God." [19] But Joshua said to the people, "You cannot serve the LORD; for he is a holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins.
[20] If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm, and consume you, after having done you good." [21] And the people said to Joshua, "Nay; but we will serve the LORD." [22] Then Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD, to serve him." And they said, "We are witnesses." [23] He said, "Then put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD, the God of Israel." [24] And the people said to Joshua, "The LORD our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey." [25] So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem. [26] And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a great stone, and set it up there under the oak in the sanctuary of the LORD. [27] And Joshua said to all the people, "Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us; for it has heard all the words of the LORD which he spoke to us; therefore it shall be a witness against you, lest you deal falsely with your God." [28] So Joshua sent the people away, every man to his inheritance. [29] After these things Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being a hundred and ten years old.
[30] And they buried him in his own inheritance at Tim'nath-se'rah, which is in the hill country of E'phraim, north of the mountain of Ga'ash. [31] And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and had known all the work which the LORD did for Israel.
[32] The bones of Joseph which the people of Israel brought up from Egypt were buried at Shechem, in the portion of ground which Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money; it became an inheritance of the descendants of Joseph.
[33] And Elea'zar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him at Gib'e-ah, the town of Phin'ehas his son, which had been given him in the hill country of E'phraim.
