When Baal-Hanan son of Akbor died, Hadad succeeded him as king. His city was named Pau, and his wife’s name was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-Zahab.

Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it.

They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, “Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?

At this, they tore their clothes. Then they all loaded their donkeys and returned to the city.

Moses replied, “When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to the Lord. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth is the Lord’s.

Then Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. He spread out his hands toward the Lord; the thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down on the land.

“‘Anyone who sells a house in a walled city retains the right of redemption a full year after its sale. During that time the seller may redeem it.

If it is not redeemed before a full year has passed, the house in the walled city shall belong permanently to the buyer and the buyer’s descendants. It is not to be returned in the Jubilee.

Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and had taken from him all his land as far as the Arnon.

That is why the poets say: “Come to Heshbon and let it be rebuilt; let Sihon’s city be restored.

“Fire went out from Heshbon, a blaze from the city of Sihon. It consumed Ar of Moab, the citizens of Arnon’s heights.

A ruler will come out of Jacob and destroy the survivors of the city.”

The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send the accused back to the city of refuge to which they fled. The accused must stay there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.

“‘But if the accused ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which they fled

and the avenger of blood finds them outside the city, the avenger of blood may kill the accused without being guilty of murder.

The accused must stay in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest; only after the death of the high priest may they return to their own property.

“‘Do not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a city of refuge and so allow them to go back and live on their own land before the death of the high priest.

We completely destroyed them, as we had done with Sihon king of Heshbon, destroying every city—men, women and children.

take the man or woman who has done this evil deed to your city gate and stone that person to death.

the killer shall be sent for by the town elders, be brought back from the city, and be handed over to the avenger of blood to die.

When you march up to attack a city, make its people an offer of peace.

If they refuse to make peace and they engage you in battle, lay siege to that city.

As for the women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may take these as plunder for yourselves. And you may use the plunder the Lord your God gives you from your enemies.

When you lay siege to a city for a long time, fighting against it to capture it, do not destroy its trees by putting an ax to them, because you can eat their fruit. Do not cut them down. Are the trees people, that you should besiege them?

However, you may cut down trees that you know are not fruit trees and use them to build siege works until the city at war with you falls.