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)

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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)

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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.” 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)

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 21:2 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verse 3.
  2. Numbers 21:3 Hormah means destruction.

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.

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Footnotes

  1. Joshua 6:17 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verses 18 and 21.

Driving Out the Nations

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— 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) Do not intermarry with them.(N) Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, 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.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 7:2 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verse 26.

52 drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places.(A)

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11 Everyone in it they put to the sword. They totally destroyed[a] them,(A) not sparing anyone that breathed,(B) and he burned(C) 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.(D)

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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.

40 So Joshua subdued the whole region, including the hill country, the Negev,(A) the western foothills and the mountain slopes,(B) together with all their kings.(C) He left no survivors. He totally destroyed all who breathed, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded.(D)

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Southern Cities Conquered

28 That day Joshua took Makkedah. He put the city and its king to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it. He left no survivors.(A) And he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.(B)

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16 You must destroy all the peoples the Lord your God gives over to you.(A) Do not look on them with pity(B) and do not serve their gods,(C) for that will be a snare(D) to you.

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35 So they struck him down, together with his sons and his whole army, leaving them no survivors.(A) And they took possession of his land.(B)

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31 “I will establish your borders from the Red Sea[a] to the Mediterranean Sea,[b] and from the desert to the Euphrates River.(A) I will give into your hands the people who live in the land, and you will drive them out(B) before you. 32 Do not make a covenant(C) with them or with their gods. 33 Do not let them live in your land or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare(D) to you.”

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 23:31 Or the Sea of Reeds
  2. Exodus 23:31 Hebrew to the Sea of the Philistines

27 That day he made the Gibeonites(A) woodcutters and water carriers(B) for the assembly, to provide for the needs of the altar of the Lord at the place the Lord would choose.(C) And that is what they are to this day.

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24 They answered Joshua, “Your servants were clearly told(A) how the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and to wipe out all its inhabitants from before you. So we feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this.

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