²⁰ For it was the Lord's doing ^(A)to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle, in order that they should be devoted to destruction and should receive no mercy but be destroyed, ^(B)just as the Lord commanded Moses.

¹⁸ So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

¹⁶ But ^(A)in the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes, ¹⁷ but ^(B)you shall devote them to complete destruction,^[a] the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, as the Lord your God has commanded,

²¹ And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the ^(A)miracles that I have put in your power. But ^(B)I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.

¹⁶ And ^(A)you shall consume all the peoples that the Lord your God will give over to you. ^(B)Your eye shall not pity them, neither shall you serve their gods, for that would be ^(C)a snare to you.

²² What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience ^(A)vessels of wrath ^(B)prepared for destruction, ²³ in order to make known ^(C)the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he ^(D)has prepared beforehand for glory—

⁴ His father and mother did not know that it was ^(A)from the Lord, for he was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines. ^(B)At that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.

¹² And all the cities of those kings, and all their kings, Joshua captured, and struck them with the edge of the sword, devoting them to destruction, ^(A)just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded. ¹³ But none of the cities that stood on mounds did Israel burn, except Hazor alone; that Joshua burned. ¹⁴ And all the spoil of these cities and the livestock, the people of Israel took for their plunder. But every person they struck with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them, and they did not leave any who breathed. ^15 (B)Just as the Lord had commanded Moses his servant, ^(C)so Moses commanded Joshua, ^(D)and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses.

³⁰ But ^(A)Sihon the king of ^(B)Heshbon would not let us pass by him, for the Lord your God ^(C)hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that he might give him into your hand, as he is this day.