¹⁶ However, in the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes.^(A)

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.^(A)

² Then Israel made this vow^(A) to the Lord: “If you will deliver these people into our hands, we will totally destroy^[a](B) their cities.” ³ The Lord listened to Israel’s plea and gave the Canaanites^(C) over to them. They completely destroyed them^(D) and their towns; so the place was named Hormah.^[b](E)

¹⁷ The city and all that is in it are to be devoted^[a](A) to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute^(B) and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid^(C) the spies we sent. ¹⁸ But keep away from the devoted things,^(D) so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction^(E) and bring trouble^(F) on it. ¹⁹ All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron^(G) are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury.”

²⁰ When the trumpets sounded,^(H) the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout,^(I) the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city.^{(J) 21} They devoted^(K) the city to the Lord and destroyed^(L) with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.

Driving Out the Nations

7 When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess^(A) and drives out before you many nations^(B)—the Hittites,^(C) Girgashites,^(D) Amorites,^(E) Canaanites, Perizzites,^(F) Hivites^(G) and Jebusites,^(H) seven nations larger and stronger than you— ² and when the Lord your God has delivered^(I) them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy^(J) them totally.^[a](K) Make no treaty^(L) with them, and show them no mercy.^{(M) 3} Do not intermarry with them.^(N) Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, ⁴ for they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods,^(O) and the Lord’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy^(P) you.