Northern Kings Defeated

11 When Jabin(A) king of Hazor(B) heard of this, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon, to the kings of Shimron(C) and Akshaph,(D) and to the northern kings who were in the mountains, in the Arabah(E) south of Kinnereth,(F) in the western foothills and in Naphoth Dor(G) on the west; to the Canaanites in the east and west; to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites(H) and Jebusites in the hill country;(I) and to the Hivites(J) below Hermon(K) in the region of Mizpah.(L) They came out with all their troops and a large number of horses and chariots—a huge army, as numerous as the sand on the seashore.(M) All these kings joined forces(N) and made camp together at the Waters of Merom(O) to fight against Israel.

The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand(P) all of them, slain, over to Israel. You are to hamstring(Q) their horses and burn their chariots.”(R)

So Joshua and his whole army came against them suddenly at the Waters of Merom and attacked them, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Israel. They defeated them and pursued them all the way to Greater Sidon,(S) to Misrephoth Maim,(T) and to the Valley of Mizpah on the east, until no survivors were left. Joshua did to them as the Lord had directed: He hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots.

10 At that time Joshua turned back and captured Hazor and put its king to the sword.(U) (Hazor had been the head of all these kingdoms.) 11 Everyone in it they put to the sword. They totally destroyed[a] them,(V) not sparing anyone that breathed,(W) and he burned(X) Hazor itself.

12 Joshua took all these royal cities and their kings and put them to the sword. He totally destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded.(Y) 13 Yet Israel did not burn any of the cities built on their mounds—except Hazor, which Joshua burned. 14 The Israelites carried off for themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities, but all the people they put to the sword until they completely destroyed them, not sparing anyone that breathed.(Z) 15 As the Lord commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses.(AA)

16 So Joshua took this entire land: the hill country,(AB) all the Negev,(AC) the whole region of Goshen, the western foothills,(AD) the Arabah and the mountains of Israel with their foothills, 17 from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir,(AE) to Baal Gad(AF) in the Valley of Lebanon(AG) below Mount Hermon.(AH) He captured all their kings and put them to death.(AI) 18 Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time. 19 Except for the Hivites(AJ) living in Gibeon,(AK) not one city made a treaty of peace(AL) with the Israelites, who took them all in battle. 20 For it was the Lord himself who hardened their hearts(AM) to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the Lord had commanded Moses.(AN)

21 At that time Joshua went and destroyed the Anakites(AO) from the hill country: from Hebron, Debir(AP) and Anab,(AQ) from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua totally destroyed them and their towns. 22 No Anakites were left in Israelite territory; only in Gaza,(AR) Gath(AS) and Ashdod(AT) did any survive.

23 So Joshua took the entire land,(AU) just as the Lord had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance(AV) to Israel according to their tribal divisions.(AW) Then the land had rest(AX) from war.(AY)

List of Defeated Kings

12 These are the kings of the land whom the Israelites had defeated and whose territory they took(AZ) over east of the Jordan,(BA) from the Arnon(BB) Gorge to Mount Hermon,(BC) including all the eastern side of the Arabah:(BD)

Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon.(BE)

He ruled from Aroer(BF) on the rim of the Arnon Gorge—from the middle of the gorge—to the Jabbok River,(BG) which is the border of the Ammonites.(BH) This included half of Gilead.(BI) He also ruled over the eastern Arabah from the Sea of Galilee[b](BJ) to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea(BK)), to Beth Jeshimoth,(BL) and then southward below the slopes of Pisgah.(BM)

And the territory of Og king of Bashan,(BN) one of the last of the Rephaites,(BO) who reigned in Ashtaroth(BP) and Edrei.

He ruled over Mount Hermon, Salekah,(BQ) all of Bashan(BR) to the border of the people of Geshur(BS) and Maakah,(BT) and half of Gilead(BU) to the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.

Moses, the servant of the Lord, and the Israelites conquered them.(BV) And Moses the servant of the Lord gave their land to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh to be their possession.(BW)

Here is a list of the kings of the land that Joshua and the Israelites conquered on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon(BX) to Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir. Joshua gave their lands as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel according to their tribal divisions. The lands included the hill country, the western foothills, the Arabah, the mountain slopes, the wilderness and the Negev.(BY) These were the lands of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. These were the kings:(BZ)

the king of Jericho(CA)one
the king of Ai(CB) (near Bethel(CC))one
10 the king of Jerusalem(CD)one
the king of Hebronone
11 the king of Jarmuthone
the king of Lachish(CE)one
12 the king of Eglon(CF)one
the king of Gezer(CG)one
13 the king of Debir(CH)one
the king of Gederone
14 the king of Hormah(CI)one
the king of Arad(CJ)one
15 the king of Libnah(CK)one
the king of Adullam(CL)one
16 the king of Makkedah(CM)one
the king of Bethel(CN)one
17 the king of Tappuah(CO)one
the king of Hepher(CP)one
18 the king of Aphek(CQ)one
the king of Lasharonone
19 the king of Madonone
the king of Hazor(CR)one
20 the king of Shimron Meronone
the king of Akshaph(CS)one
21 the king of Taanach(CT)one
the king of Megiddo(CU)one
22 the king of Kedesh(CV)one
the king of Jokneam(CW) in Carmel(CX)one
23 the king of Dor (in Naphoth Dor(CY))one
the king of Goyim in Gilgalone
24 the king of Tirzah(CZ)one
thirty-one kings in all.(DA)

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 11:11 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verses 12, 20 and 21.
  2. Joshua 12:3 Hebrew Kinnereth

Chapter 11

Northern Confederacy. When Jabin, king of Hazor,[a] learned of this, he sent a message to Jobab, king of Madon, to the king of Shimron, to the king of Achshaph, and to the northern kings in the mountain regions and in the Arabah near Chinneroth, in the Shephelah, and in Naphath-dor to the west.(A) These were Canaanites to the east and west, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, and Jebusites in the mountain regions, and Hivites at the foot of Hermon in the land of Mizpah.(B) They came out with all their troops, an army numerous as the sands on the seashore, and with a multitude of horses and chariots.(C) All these kings made a pact and together they marched to the waters of Merom,[b] where they encamped to fight against Israel.

The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for by this time tomorrow I will present them slain to Israel. You must hamstring their horses and burn their chariots.” Joshua with his whole army came upon them suddenly at the waters of Merom and fell upon them. The Lord delivered them into the power of the Israelites, who defeated them and pursued them to Greater Sidon, to Misrephoth-maim,(D) and eastward to the valley of Mizpeh. They struck them all down, leaving no survivors. Joshua did to them as the Lord had commanded: he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots.

Conquest of Northern Canaan. 10 At that time Joshua, turning back, captured Hazor and struck down its king with the sword; for Hazor formerly was the chief of all those kingdoms. 11 He also struck down with the sword every person there, carrying out the ban, till none was left alive. Hazor itself he burned. 12 All the cities of those kings, and the kings themselves, Joshua captured and put to the sword, carrying out the ban on them, as Moses, the servant of the Lord, had commanded.(E) 13 However, Israel did not destroy by fire any of the cities built on their mounds, except Hazor, which Joshua burned. 14 All the spoil and livestock of these cities the Israelites took as plunder; but the people they put to the sword, until they had destroyed the last of them, leaving none alive. 15 As the Lord had commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua acted accordingly.(F) He left nothing undone that the Lord had commanded Moses should be done.

Survey of the Conquest. 16 So Joshua took all this land: the mountain regions, the entire Negeb, all the land of Goshen, the Shephelah, the Arabah, as well as the mountain regions and Shephelah of Israel,(G) 17 from Mount Halak that rises toward Seir(H) as far as Baal-gad in the Lebanon valley at the foot of Mount Hermon. All their kings he captured and put to death. 18 Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time. 19 With the exception of the Hivites who lived in Gibeon, no city made peace with the Israelites; all were taken in battle.(I) 20 For it was the Lord’s doing to make their hearts obstinate to meet Israel in battle, that they might be put under the ban without mercy, and be destroyed as the Lord had commanded Moses.(J)

21 [c]At that time Joshua penetrated the mountain regions and exterminated the Anakim in Hebron,(K) Debir, Anab, the entire mountain region of Judah, and the entire mountain region of Israel. Joshua put them and their cities under the ban, 22 so that no Anakim were left in the land of the Israelites. However, some survived in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod. 23 (L)Thus Joshua took the whole land, just as the Lord had said to Moses. Joshua gave it to Israel as their heritage, apportioning it among the tribes. And the land had rest from war.[d]

Chapter 12[e]

Lists of Conquered Kings. These are the kings of the land whom the Israelites conquered and whose lands they occupied, east of the Jordan, from the River Arnon to Mount Hermon, including all the eastern section of the Arabah: (M)First, Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon. His domain extended from Aroer, which is on the bank of the Wadi Arnon, to include the wadi itself, and the land northward through half of Gilead to the Wadi Jabbok at the border with the Ammonites, as well as the Arabah from the eastern side of the Sea of Chinnereth, as far south as the eastern side of the Salt Sea of the Arabah in the direction of Beth-jeshimoth,(N) southward under the slopes of Pisgah. Secondly, the border of Og, king of Bashan, a survivor of the Rephaim, who lived at Ashtaroth and Edrei.(O) He ruled over Mount Hermon, Salecah, and all Bashan as far as the boundary of the Geshurites and Maacathites, and over half of Gilead as far as the territory of Sihon, king of Heshbon. It was Moses, the servant of the Lord, and the Israelites who conquered them; Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave possession of their land to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.(P)

This is a list of the kings of the land whom Joshua and the Israelites conquered west of the Jordan, from Baal-gad in the Lebanon valley to Mount Halak which rises toward Seir; Joshua apportioned their land and gave possession of it to the tribes of Israel; it included the mountain regions and Shephelah, the Arabah, the slopes, the wilderness, and the Negeb, belonging to the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites: The king of Jericho, one;(Q) the king of Ai, which is near Bethel, one; 10 the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one; 11 the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one;(R) 12 the king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one;(S) 13 the king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one;(T) 14 the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one; 15 the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one;(U) 16 the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one;(V) 17 the king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one;(W) 18 the king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one;(X) 19 the king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one;(Y) 20 the king of Shimron, one; the king of Achshaph, one;(Z) 21 the king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one;(AA) 22 the king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam, at Carmel, one;(AB) 23 the king of Dor, in Naphath-dor, one; the king of Goyim at Gilgal, one;(AC) 24 and the king of Tirzah, one—thirty-one kings in all.

Footnotes

  1. 11:1–3 Hazor, Madon, Shimron, and Chinneroth: cities and their surrounding districts in eastern Galilee. Achshaph and Naphath-dor: southwest of Galilee. The mountain regions: in central and northern Galilee.
  2. 11:5 The waters of Merom: of uncertain identification, perhaps Tel Qarnei Hittin, about seven and a half kilometers west of modern Tiberias.
  3. 11:21–23 Most of the land assigned to the tribe of Judah was not conquered by it until the early period of the Judges. See note on Jgs 1:1–36.
  4. 11:23 The land had rest from war: later passages (15:13–17; 17:12–13) show individual tribes still fighting against the remaining Canaanites. This verse forms the conclusion to the first part of the book.
  5. 12:1–24 This chapter, inserted between the two principal parts of the book (chaps. 1–11 and 13–21), resembles the lists of conquered cities which are inscribed on monuments of Egyptian and Assyrian rulers. Perhaps this list was copied here from some such public Israelite record.