²⁰ For ^(A)it was of the Lord ^[a]to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that He might utterly destroy them, and that they might receive no mercy, but that He might destroy them, ^(B)as the Lord had commanded Moses.

¹⁸ Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He ^(A)hardens.

¹⁶ “But ^(A)of the cities of these peoples which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, you shall let nothing that breathes remain alive, ¹⁷ but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the Lord your God has commanded you,

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

¹⁶ Also you shall ^[a]destroy all the peoples whom the Lord your God delivers over to you; your eye shall have no pity on them; nor shall you serve their gods, for that will ^(A)be a snare to you.

²² What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering ^(A)the vessels of wrath ^(B)prepared for destruction, ²³ and that He might make known ^(C)the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had ^(D)prepared beforehand for glory,

⁴ But his father and mother did not know that it was ^(A)of the Lord—that He was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. For at that time ^(B)the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

¹² So all the cities of those kings, and all their kings, Joshua took and struck with the edge of the sword. He utterly destroyed them, ^(A)as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded. ¹³ But as for the cities that stood on their ^[a]mounds, Israel burned none of them, except Hazor only, which Joshua burned. ¹⁴ And all the ^(B)spoil of these cities and the livestock, the children of Israel took as booty for themselves; but they struck every man with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them, and they left none breathing. ^15 (C)As the Lord had commanded Moses His servant, so ^(D)Moses commanded Joshua, and ^(E)so Joshua did. ^[b]He left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses.

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