Joshua 1-13

Tree of Life Version

Chazak! Be strong!

1 Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of Adonai that Adonai spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide saying: ² “My servant Moses is dead. So now, arise, you and all these people, cross over this Jordan to the land that I am giving to them—to Bnei-Yisrael. ³ Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I am giving to you, as I spoke to Moses. ⁴ From the wilderness and this Lebanon to the great river, the Euphrates River—all the land of the Hittites—to the Great Sea^[a] toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. ⁵ No one will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not fail you or forsake you. ⁶ Chazak! Be strong! For you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their fathers to give them. ⁷ Only be very strong, and resolute to observe diligently the Torah which Moses, My servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so you may be successful wherever you go. ⁸ This book of the Torah should not depart from your mouth—you are to meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. For then you will make your ways prosperous and then you will be successful. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Chazak! Be strong! Do not be terrified or dismayed, for Adonai your God is with you wherever you go.”

¹⁰ Then Joshua commanded the officials of the people saying: ¹¹ “Go through the camp and charge the people saying: ‘Prepare provisions, for within three days you will be crossing over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which Adonai your God is giving you to possess it.’”

¹² Then Joshua spoke to the Reubenites, Gadites and half-tribe of Manasseh saying: ¹³ “Remember the word that Moses the servant of Adonai commanded you saying: ‘Adonai your God has given you rest, and has assigned to you this land.’ ¹⁴ Your wives, your little ones and your cattle will remain in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan, but you will cross over before your brothers armed, all the mighty men of valor, and will help them ¹⁵ until Adonai gives your brothers rest, as He has given you, and they also possess the land that Adonai your God is giving them. Then you will return to the land of your inheritance, and possess what Moses the servant of Adonai gave you, beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.”

¹⁶ Then they answered Joshua saying: “All that you have commanded us, we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. ¹⁷ Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. Only may Adonai your God be with you as He was with Moses. ¹⁸ Whoever rebels against your command and does not obey your words in all that you command him, he will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!”

Rahab’s Faith

2 Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent out two spies from Shittim saying: “Go, explore the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and came to the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and lodged there.^[b]

² The king of Jericho was told, “Some men from Bnei-Yisrael have just come here tonight to spy out the land.”

³ So the king of Jericho sent word to Rahab saying: “Bring out the men who came to you, who entered your house—for they have come to spy out all the land.”

⁴ But the woman took the two men and hid them, and said: “Yes, the men did come to me, but I didn’t know where they were from. ⁵ So when it was time to shut the gate at dark, the men went out, and I don’t know where they went. Pursue them quickly, for you may overtake them.” ⁶ But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them in the stalks of flax that she had spread out on the roof. ⁷ So the men pursued them on the road to the fords of the Jordan. As soon as the pursuers had gone out, they shut the gate.

⁸ Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, ⁹ and she said to the men: “I know that Adonai has given you the land—dread of you has fallen on us and all the inhabitants of the land are melting in fear before you. ¹⁰ For we have heard how Adonai dried up the water of the Sea of Reeds before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. ¹¹ When we heard about it, our hearts melted, and no spirit remained any more in anyone because of you. For Adonai your God, He is God, in heaven above and on earth beneath. ¹² So now, please swear to me by Adonai, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father’s house. Give me a true sign ¹³ that you will spare the lives of my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters and all who belong to them, and save our lives from death.”

¹⁴ The men said to her: “Our life for yours, if you don’t report this business of ours. Then it will be when Adonai gives us the land that we will deal kindly and loyally with you.”

¹⁵ So she lowered them down by a rope through the window—for her house was in the wall; she was living in the wall. ¹⁶ Then she said to them: “Go to the hill country, lest the pursuers meet you, and hide yourselves there for three days, until the pursuers return. Afterward, you may go your way.”

¹⁷ Then the men said to her: “We will be released from this oath that you have made us swear, ¹⁸ unless when we come into the land, you tie this line of scarlet thread in the window through which you lowered us down, and gather to yourself in the house your father, your mother, your brothers and all your father’s household— ¹⁹ whoever goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood will be on his head and we will be innocent, but whoever is with you in the house, his blood will be on our head if any hand is laid on him. ²⁰ But if you divulge this business of ours, then we will be released from your oath you have made us swear.”

²¹ So she said: “According to your words, so be it.” Then she sent them away. After they had gone, she tied the scarlet cord to the window. ²² Then they departed and came to the hill country. They stayed there for three days until the pursuers returned. Now the pursuers had looked for them all along the road, but had not found them. ²³ Then the two men returned, came down from the hill country, crossed over and came to Joshua son of Nun.

They reported to him all that had befallen them. ²⁴ “Surely Adonai has given all the land into our hands,” they said to Joshua. “Indeed, all the inhabitants of the land have melted in fear before us.”

Crossing the Jordan

3 Then Joshua rose up early in the morning, and he and all Bnei-Yisrael set out from Shittim and came to the Jordan. They lodged there before crossing over. ² Now it came about after three days that the officials went through the camp ³ and they charged the people saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of Adonai your God and the Levitical kohanim carrying it, then you must set out from your place and follow it. ⁴ Yet keep a distance between you and it of about 2,000 cubits by measure. Don’t come near it, so you may know the way by which you should go, for you haven’t travelled this way before.”

⁵ Then Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow Adonai will do wonders in your midst.” ⁶ Joshua spoke to the kohanim saying: “Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over ahead of the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went ahead of the people.

⁷ Now Adonai said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. ⁸ You are to command the kohanim who are carrying the ark of the covenant saying: ‘When you reach the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you are to stand still in the Jordan.’”

⁹ So Joshua said to Bnei-Yisrael, “Come here, and listen to the words of Adonai your God.” ¹⁰ Joshua said, “By this you will know that the living God is among you, and that He will certainly drive out from before you the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Hivite, the Perizzite, the Girgashite, the Amorite and the Jebusite. ¹¹ Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Sovereign of all the earth is advancing before you into the Jordan. ¹² So now, take for yourselves twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, one man for each tribe. ¹³ It will come to pass when the soles of the feet of the kohanim who are carrying the ark of Adonai, Sovereign of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the Jordan’s waters will be cut off. The waters coming downstream will stand up in one heap.”

¹⁴ So it came to pass. When the people set out from their tents to cross over the Jordan, the kohanim were carrying the ark of the covenant ahead of the people. ¹⁵ Now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the harvest season. But as soon as those who were carrying the ark came into the Jordan and the feet of the kohanim carrying the ark dipped in the edge of the water, ¹⁶ the waters which were flowing down from above stood and rose up in one heap, a great distance away at Adam, the town next to Zarethan. What was flowing down to the sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. ¹⁷ Yet the kohanim carrying the ark of the covenant of Adonai stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until the entire nation had finished crossing over the Jordan.

Twelve Memorial Stones

4 Now when all the nation had finished crossing over the Jordan, Adonai spoke to Joshua saying: ² “Take for yourself twelve men from the people, one man from each tribe, ³ and command them saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the feet of the kohanim are standing firm, and carry them over with you, and deposit them at the place where you will lodge tonight.”

⁴ Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from Bnei-Yisrael, one man from each tribe. ⁵ Joshua said to them, “Cross over before the ark of Adonai your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you, lift up a stone on his shoulder, for the number of the tribes of Bnei-Yisrael. ⁶ Let this be a sign among you. When your children ask later saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ ⁷ then you will say to them: ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of Adonai—when it crossed the Jordan—the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ So these stones will be a reminder to Bnei-Yisrael forever.”

⁸ So Bnei-Yisrael did so, as Joshua commanded. They lifted twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, just as Adonai had said to Joshua, for the number of the tribes of Bnei-Yisrael. Then they carried them over with them to the lodging place and put them down there. ⁹ Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, at the spot where the feet of the kohanim carrying the ark of the covenant were standing—they are there to this day.

¹⁰ The kohanim who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything that Adonai had commanded Joshua to speak to the people was completed, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people hurried across, ¹¹ and when all the people had finished crossing over, the ark of Adonai and the kohanim crossed over in the presence of the people. ¹² Also the children of Reuben, the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed ahead of Bnei-Yisrael, just as Moses had said to them— ¹³ about 40,000 equipped for war crossed over before Adonai for battle to the plains of Jericho.

¹⁴ On that day Adonai exalted Joshua in the eyes of all Israel. So they revered him, just as they had revered Moses all the days of his life.

¹⁵ Then Adonai spoke to Joshua saying: ¹⁶ “Command the kohanim who are carrying the ark of the testimony to come up from the Jordan.” ¹⁷ Joshua therefore commanded the kohanim saying, “Come up from the Jordan!” ¹⁸ As soon as the kohanim who were carrying the ark of the covenant of Adonai came up from the middle of the Jordan and the soles of the feet of the kohanim were drawn up to the dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks as before.

¹⁹ Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. ²⁰ Those twelve stones, which they had taken out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal. ²¹ Then he said to Bnei-Yisrael saying, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come saying: ‘What are these stones?’ ²² then you will inform your children saying, ‘Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.’ ²³ For Adonai your God dried up the waters of Jordan before you until you crossed—just as Adonai your God did to the Sea of Reeds, which He dried up before us until we crossed over— ²⁴ so that all the peoples of the earth may know Adonai’s hand is mighty, and so that you may fear Adonai your God forever.”

Circumcision at Gilgal

5 Now it came about when all the Amorite kings beyond the Jordan westward and all the Canaanite kings by the sea heard how Adonai had dried up the waters of the Jordan before Bnei-Yisrael until they had crossed, their heart melted, nor was there any spirit in them anymore, because of Bnei-Yisrael.

² At that time Adonai said to Joshua, “Make yourself flint knives and circumcise again Bnei-Yisrael a second time.” ³ So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised Bnei-Yisrael at Gibeath-ha-araloth. ⁴ Now this is the reason why Joshua circumcised: all the people that came out of Egypt who were males—all the men of war—had died in the wilderness along the way after they came out of Egypt. ⁵ Though all the people that came out were circumcised, none of the people who were born in the wilderness along the way as they came out of Egypt had been circumcised. ⁶ For Bnei-Yisrael walked 40 years in the wilderness, until all the nation’s men of war who came out of Egypt died out, because they had not listened to the voice of Adonai. To them Adonai had sworn that He would never let them see the land which Adonai had sworn to their fathers that He would give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. ⁷ But He raised up their children in their place. Joshua circumcised them, for they were uncircumcised, since they had not been circumcised along the way. ⁸ Now it came to pass after they had finished circumcising the entire nation, they remained in their places in the camp until they recovered.

⁹ Then Adonai said to Joshua, “This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” Therefore the name of that place has been called Gilgal to this day. ¹⁰ While Bnei-Yisrael camped at Gilgal^[c], they observed Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho. ¹¹ On the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, matzot and roasted grain.

¹² Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten of the produce of the land. Bnei-Yisrael had manna no longer, but ate some of the yield of the land of Canaan that year.

Commander of Adonai’s Army

¹³ Now it came to pass when Joshua was near Jericho that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man standing in front of him with his sword drawn in his hand. Joshua approached him and said to him: “Are you for us or for our adversaries?”

¹⁴ “Neither,” he said. “Rather, I have now come as commander of Adonai’s army.”

Then Joshua fell on his face to the ground and worshipped. Then he asked him, “What is my lord saying to his servant?”

¹⁵ Then the commander of Adonai’s army replied to Joshua, “Take your sandal off of your foot, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

6 Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of Bnei-Yisrael—no one going out and no one coming in. ² Then Adonai said to Joshua, “Look, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty warriors. ³ Now you are to march around the city, all the men of war circling the city once. So you are to do for six days. ⁴ Seven kohanim will carry seven shofarot of rams’ horns before the ark. Then on the seventh day you are to circle the city seven times while the kohanim blow the shofarot. ⁵ It will be when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, when you hear the sound of the shofar, have all the people shout a loud shout—then the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people will go up, everyone straight ahead.”

⁶ So Joshua son of Nun summoned the kohanim and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant. Let seven kohanim carry seven shofarot of rams’ horns before the ark of Adonai.” ⁷ Then he said to the people, “Move forward, march around the city, and let the armed force march ahead of the ark of Adonai.”

⁸ And it was so. After Joshua had spoken to the people, seven kohanim carrying the seven shofarot of rams’ horns before Adonai went forward and blew the shofarot, and the ark of the covenant of Adonai followed them. ⁹ Also the armed force went before the kohanim who blew the shofarot, and the rear guard came behind the ark, while the shofarot continued to blow. ¹⁰ But Joshua ordered the people saying: “You must not shout nor let your voice be heard nor let a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I tell you ‘shout!’ Then you will shout.” ¹¹ So he had the ark of Adonai go around the city, circling it once. Then they came into the camp and spent the night there.

¹² The next day Joshua rose early in the morning. The kohanim took up the ark of Adonai, ¹³ and the seven kohanim carrying the seven shofarot of rams’ horns marched in front of the ark of Adonai and blew the shofarot, with the armed force marching before them and the rear guard marching behind the ark of Adonai, while the shofarot continued to blow. ¹⁴ So the second day they circled the city once and returned to the camp. So they did for six days.

Jericho’s Walls Come Down

¹⁵ Now on the seventh day they rose early, at dawn, and marched around the city in the same way seven times. Only on that day did they march around the city seven times. ¹⁶ Then on the seventh time, when the kohanim blew the shofarot, Joshua ordered the people, “Shout! For Adonai has given you the city! ¹⁷ But the city will be under the ban of destruction—it and all that is in it belong to Adonai. Only Rahab the harlot will live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the scouts that we sent. ¹⁸ But you, just keep yourselves from the things under the ban. Otherwise you would make yourselves accursed by taking of the things under the ban, and so you would make the camp of Israel accursed and bring trouble on it. ¹⁹ All the silver and gold and vessels of bronze and iron are holy to Adonai, and must go into the treasury of Adonai.”

²⁰ So when the shofarot blew, the people shouted. When the people heard the sound of the shofar, the people shouted a loud shout—and the wall fell down flat! So the people went up into the city, everyone straight ahead, and they captured the city. ^{[d] 21} They utterly destroyed everything in the city—man and woman, young and old, ox, sheep and donkey—with the edge of the sword.

²² Then Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land: “Go into the harlot’s house and bring the woman and all who belong to her, as you swore to her.” ²³ So the young spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her relatives and all who belonged to her. All her relatives they brought out and put them outside the camp of Israel.

²⁴ Then they burned the city with fire and all that was in it. Only the silver, the gold and the vessels of bronze and iron did they put into the treasury of the House of Adonai. ²⁵ But Rahab the harlot, her father’s household and all who belonged to her, Joshua spared. She has lived in the midst of Israel to this day, because she hid the scouts whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

²⁶ At that time Joshua made an oath saying:

²⁷ So Adonai was with Joshua, and his fame was throughout the region.

Achan’s Trouble

7 But Bnei-Yisrael unfaithfully violated the ban. Achan son of Carmi son of Zabdi son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the banned things^[e]. So Adonai’s anger burned against Bnei-Yisrael.

² Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and spoke to them saying: “Go up and spy out the land.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.

³ When they returned to Joshua, they reported to him: “Let not all the people go up—only about two or three thousand men need go up and strike Ai, so don’t wear out all the people there, for they are just a few.” ⁴ So about 3,000 men from the people went up there, but they fled before the men of Ai. ⁵ The men of Ai struck down about 36 of their men, and they chased them from outside the gate as far as Shebarim,^[f] striking them down on the slope. So the hearts of the people melted and became like water.

⁶ Joshua then tore his clothes and fell to the ground on his face before the ark of Adonai until evening, both he and the elders of Israel, and they put dust on their heads. ⁷ “Alas, Adonai Elohim!” Joshua said. “Why did You ever bring this people across the Jordan? Is it to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites—to destroy us? If only we had been content and dwelled beyond the Jordan! ⁸ Oh my Lord, what can I say, now that Israel has turned its back before its enemies? ⁹ For when the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land hear of it, they will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great Name?”

¹⁰ Then Adonai said to Joshua, “Arise! Why are you fallen on your face? ¹¹ Israel has sinned. Yes, they have also transgressed My covenant, which I commanded them. Now they have even taken of the things under the ban of destruction. So they have also stolen and even deceived, and even put them among their own possessions. ¹² So Bnei-Yisrael cannot stand before their enemies. So they turn their necks before their enemies, because they have come under the ban. I will not be with you any more unless you destroy whatever is under the ban from among you. ¹³ Arise! Consecrate the people and say, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for thus says Adonai, the God of Israel: Something under the ban is in the midst of you, Israel. You will not be able to stand up before your enemies until you remove whatever is under the ban from among you. ¹⁴ In the morning you will approach by your tribes. It will be that the tribe that Adonai takes will come forward by families, and the family that Adonai takes will come forward by households, and the household that Adonai takes will come forward man by man. ¹⁵ Then whoever is taken with whatever is under the ban must be burned with fire, he and all belonging to him, because he has transgressed the covenant of Adonai, and because he has committed a disgrace in Israel.’”

¹⁶ So Joshua rose up early in the morning and brought Israel forward by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken. ¹⁷ Then he brought forward the clans of Judah, and He took the family of the Zerahites. Then he brought forward the family of the Zerahites man by man, and Zabdi was taken. ¹⁸ Then he brought forward his household man by man, and Achan son of Carmi son of Zabdi son of Zerah of the tribe of Judah was taken. ¹⁹ So Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory now to Adonai, God of Israel, and give praise to Him, and confess to me now what you have done—hide nothing from me.”

²⁰ Achan responded to Joshua and said: “It’s true! I have sinned against Adonai, God of Israel! This is what I have done: ²¹ When I saw among the spoil a beautiful Shinar mantle and 200 shekels of silver and a wedge of gold 50 shekels in weight, I coveted them and took them. Look, they are buried in the ground in the middle of my tent, with the silver under it.”

²² So Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent, and behold, it was buried in his tent with the silver underneath it. ²³ Then they took them from the middle of the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all Bnei-Yisrael, and they laid them down before Adonai. ²⁴ Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the mantle, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep and his tent, and all that he had, and they brought them up to the Valley of Achor.

²⁵ Then Joshua said, “Why have you brought trouble on us? Adonai will trouble you this day.” Then all Israel stoned him with stones, burned them with fire and stoned them with stones. ²⁶ They raised over him a great heap of stones that stands to this day. Then Adonai turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Achor to this day.

8 Then Adonai said to Joshua: “Do not be afraid or dismayed. Take all the people of war with you and arise, go up to Ai. Behold, I have given the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land into your hand. ² Then you will do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king—except you will take its spoil and its cattle as booty for yourselves. Set an ambush for the city behind it.”

³ So Joshua and all the people of war arose to go up to Ai. Joshua selected 30,000 men, valiant warriors, and sent them at night. ⁴ He commanded them saying: “Look, you are going to ambush the city from behind it. Don’t go too far from the city, but all of you be ready. ⁵ Then I and all the troops with me will approach the city. Then it will be when they come out against us, like the first time, that we will flee before them. ⁶ So they will come out after us until we have drawn them away from the city. For they will think, ‘They are fleeing before us like the first time.’ While we are fleeing before them, ⁷ you will rise up from the ambush and take possession of the city, for Adonai your God will give it into your hand. ⁸ Now when you have seized the city, you will set the city on fire—according to the word of Adonai you must do. See that you do as I have ordered you.”

⁹ So Joshua sent them off, and they went to the ambush site, taking position between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai. But Joshua spent that night among the people. ¹⁰ Then Joshua rose up early in the morning and mustered the people. He and the elders of Israel marched before the people to Ai. ¹¹ All the people of war with him went up, advanced, and came in front of the city. They camped to the north of Ai, with a valley between him and Ai. ¹² But he had taken about 5,000 men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city. ¹³ So they stationed the people, the main army that was to the north of the city, and its rear guard to the west of the city. Then Joshua walked that night in the midst of the valley.

¹⁴ So it came to pass when the king of Ai saw this, the men of the city hurried and rose up early, and went out to meet Israel in battle, he and all his people at the appointed place facing the Arabah. But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city. ¹⁵ So Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten before them and fled by the way of the wilderness. ¹⁶ Then all the people who were in Ai were summoned to pursue them, so they pursued Joshua and were drawn away from the city. ¹⁷ Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel, so they left the city open as they chased after Israel.

¹⁸ Then Adonai said to Joshua, “Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” So Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city. ¹⁹ As soon as he stretched out his hand, the ambush arose quickly from their place, ran and entered the city and captured it; and immediately set the city on fire. ²⁰ Now the men of Ai looked back and saw, behold, the smoke of the city rising up to the sky! They had no place to flee this way or that, since the people who had been fleeing to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers. ²¹ When Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had captured the city and that the smoke of the city rose up, they turned back and struck down the men of Ai. ²² The others also came out of the city against them, so they were surrounded by Israel, some on this side and some on that side. They struck them down until not one survivor or fugitive was left. ²³ But they captured the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua.

²⁴ After Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the field in the wilderness where they pursued them, and all of them were fallen by the edge of the sword until they were consumed, all Israel returned to Ai and struck it with the edge of the sword. ²⁵ All who fell that day, both men and women, were 12,000—all the people of Ai. ²⁶ For Joshua did not draw back his hand with which he stretched out the javelin, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. ²⁷ Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took as their booty, according to the word of Adonai which He had commanded Joshua. ²⁸ So Joshua burnt Ai and made it a permanent heap of desolation to this day. ²⁹ Then he hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening. At sunset Joshua commanded that they take his carcass down from the tree, cast it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and piled over it a great heap of stones, which remains to this day.

³⁰ Then Joshua built an altar to Adonai, God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, ³¹ as Moses the servant of Adonai had commanded Bnei-Yisrael, as written in the scroll of the Torah of Moses, an altar of uncut stones on which no man had wielded any iron tool. They offered on it burnt offerings to Adonai and sacrificed fellowship offerings. ³² There on the stones he wrote a copy of the Torah of Moses, which he had written, in the presence of Bnei-Yisrael. ³³ Then all Israel, with their elders and officials, and their judges, were standing on both sides of the ark facing the Levitical kohanim carrying the ark of the covenant of Adonai—the outsider as well as the native-born. Half of them stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal—just as Moses the servant of Adonai had commanded before—in order to bless the people of Israel.

³⁴ Then afterward he read all the words of the Torah—the blessing and the curse—according to all that is written in the book of the Torah. ³⁵ There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, including the women and the little ones and the outsiders walking among them.

Gibeonites Connive a Treaty

9 Now when all the kings who were west of the Jordan, in the hill country, in the lowland and along the shore of the Great Sea to the vicinity of Lebanon—the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites—heard about it, ² they gathered themselves together as a unified alliance to fight against Joshua and Israel.

³ But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, ⁴ they acted craftily. They went and traveled as ambassadors, took worn-out sacks for their donkeys and worn-out wine skins, cracked and patched up, ⁵ along with worn-out, patched up sandals on their feet and worn-out clothes on them. All the bread of their provision was dry and had become crumbly. ⁶ Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country. So now, make a treaty-covenant with us.”

⁷ Then the men of Israel said to the Hivites: “Perhaps you are living among us. How then should we make a covenant with you?”

⁸ But they said to Joshua, “We are your servants.”

Then Joshua asked them, “Who are you? Where do you come from?”

⁹ So they replied to him: “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the Name of Adonai your God. For we have heard the report of Him and all that He did in Egypt, ¹⁰ and all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan—to King Sihon of Heshbon and to King Og of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth. ¹¹ So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us saying, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey, go to meet them and say to them: “We will be your subjects, so now make a treaty-covenant with us.’” ¹² This is our bread, which was hot when we took it for our provision from our homes on the day we left to come to you, but now behold, it is dry and crumbly. ¹³ And these wineskins, which we were new when we filled them, but now see, they are cracked. Also these our garments and our sandals are worn-out because of the very long journey.”

¹⁴ So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, and did not seek counsel from Adonai’s mouth. ¹⁵ So Joshua made peace with them and cut a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the community swore to them.

¹⁶ But it came about at the end of three days after they had cut a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors, and were living among them. ¹⁷ So Bnei-Yisrael journeyed and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. ¹⁸ But Bnei-Yisrael did not strike them, because the leaders of the community had sworn to them by Adonai, God of Israel. Then the entire community murmured against the leaders, ¹⁹ but all the leaders answered the entire community, “We have sworn to them by Adonai, God of Israel, so now we cannot touch them. ²⁰ This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, lest wrath be upon us because of the oath which we swore to them.” ²¹ “Yes, let them live,” the leaders said further, “but let them chop wood and draw water for the entire community.” So the leaders decreed concerning them.

²² Then Joshua summoned them and he spoke to them saying: “Why have you deceived us saying: ‘We are very far from you,’ when you are living among us? ²³ Now therefore, you are cursed, and you will never cease to be servants, wood-choppers and water-carriers for the House of my God.”

²⁴ So they answered Joshua and said: “It was because your servants were clearly told that Adonai your God had commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before you. So we were very afraid for our lives because of you, and so we did this. ²⁵ Now behold, we are in your hand. Whatever seems good and right in your eyes to do to us, do.”

²⁶ Thus he did to them, delivering them from the hand of Bnei-Yisrael, so they did not slay them. ²⁷ On that day Joshua made them wood-choppers and water-carriers for the community, and for the altar of Adonai in the place which He would choose. So it is to this day.

Sun Stands Still

10 Now it came to pass that Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it—just as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king—and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and remained among them. ² So he feared greatly, because Gibeon was a large city, as one of the royal cities—in fact, larger than Ai—and all its men were mighty. ³ Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish and Debir king of Eglon saying: ⁴ “Come up and help me! Let’s attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and Bnei-Yisrael.” ⁵ So the five kings of the Amorites—the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish and the king of Eglon—gathered themselves and went up, they and all their armies, camped against Gibeon and attacked it.

⁶ Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua in camp at Gilgal saying: “Don’t abandon your servants! Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, for all the kings of the Amorites living in the hill country have gathered against us.” ⁷ So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him and all the mighty men of valor.

⁸ Adonai said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will stand before you.” ⁹ So Joshua came upon them suddenly by marching all night from Gilgal. ¹⁰ Adonai threw them into confusion before Israel, defeated them with a crushing defeat at Gibeon, chased them by the road that goes up to Beth-horon, and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. ¹¹ While they were fleeing before Israel down the descent of Beth-horon, Adonai cast down great stones from heaven on them all the way to Azekah so they died—more of them died from the hailstones than those Bnei-Yisrael killed with the sword.

¹² Then Joshua spoke to Adonai, on the day Adonai gave the Amorites over to Bnei-Yisrael, and said in the eyes of Israel:

¹³ So the sun stood still and the moon stopped until the nation took vengeance on its enemies. (Is it not written in the Book of Jashar?) Thus the sun halted in the middle of the sky, and did not hurry to go down for about a full day. ¹⁴ There was no day like that before it or after it, when Adonai listened to the voice of a man. For Adonai fought for Israel.

¹⁵ Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal. ¹⁶ Now these five kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah. ¹⁷ So it was reported to Joshua, “The five kings are found hidden in the cave at Makkedah.” ¹⁸ Joshua said, “Roll large stones onto the mouth of the cave, assign men over it to guard them, ¹⁹ but don’t stay there yourselves. Chase after your enemies and attack them at the rear. Don’t let them enter their cities, for Adonai your God has given them into your hand.”

²⁰ So it was that Joshua and Bnei-Yisrael finished striking them with a very great slaughter until they were wiped out, though some of their survivors escaped into the fortified cities. ²¹ Then all the people returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. No one dared sharpen his tongue against Bnei-Yisrael.

²² Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring out those five kings to me from the cave.” ²³ So they did so, and brought out those five kings to him from the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon. ²⁴ When they brought out those kings to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, “Come forward and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came forward and put their feet on their necks. ²⁵ Then Joshua said to them, “Never fear or be dismayed. Chazak! Be strong! For thus will Adonai do to all your enemies whom you will fight.” ²⁶ After this, Joshua struck them and put them to death, then hanged them on five trees, and they remained hanging on the trees until evening. ²⁷ It came about at sunset that Joshua commanded that they be taken down from the trees and thrown into the cave where they had hidden themselves. Then they placed large stones at the mouth of the cave which are there to this very day.

²⁸ On that day Joshua captured Makkedah and struck it and its king with the edge of the sword, putting it and every single soul in it under a ban of destruction, leaving no survivors. So he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho. ²⁹ Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against Libnah. ³⁰ Adonai also gave it with its king into the hand of Israel. So he struck it and every single soul in it with the edge of the sword, leaving no survivors in it. So he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.

³¹ Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Libnah to Lachish, camped against it and fought against it. ³² Adonai delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, so he captured it on the second day, and struck it and every single soul in it with the edge of the sword, just as he had done to Libnah. ³³ Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish, but Joshua defeated him and his people until he had left him no survivors.

³⁴ Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Lachish to Eglon, camped against it and fought against it. ³⁵ They captured it on that day and struck it and every single soul in it with the edge of the sword, putting them under the ban that day, just as he had done to Lachish.

³⁶ Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron, and they fought against it. ³⁷ They captured it and struck it, its king, all its towns, and every single soul that was in it with the edge of the sword, leaving no survivors, just as he had done to Eglon, putting it and every single soul in it under the ban.

³⁸ Then Joshua and all Israel with him turned back to Debir and fought against it. ³⁹ He captured it and its king, and all its towns, struck them with the edge of the sword and put every single soul in it under the ban, leaving no survivors. Just as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king, as he had also done to Libnah and its king.

⁴⁰ So Joshua conquered the entire country—the hill country, the Negev, the lowland and the slopes—with all their kings. He left no survivors, but he put everything that breathed under the ban, just as Adonai God of Israel had commanded. ⁴¹ Thus Joshua defeated them from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, all the country of Goshen as far as Gibeon. ⁴² Thus Joshua captured all those kings and their lands at a single stroke, because Adonai God of Israel fought for Israel. ⁴³ Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal.

Conquering the North

11 Now when Jabin king of Hazor heard about it, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon, to the king of Shimron, to the king of Achshaph, ² and to the kings in the north, in the hill country, in the Arabah south of Chinneroth, in the lowland and in the regions of Dor to the west, ³ the Canaanites in the east and west, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites in the hill country and the Hivites at the foot of Hermon in the land of Mizpah. ⁴ So they came out, they and all their armies with them, a multitude with as many people as the sand on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots. ⁵ All these kings joined forces, came and camped together at the waters of Merom to fight with Israel.

⁶ But Adonai said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow at this time I will give all of them slain before Israel. You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.” ⁷ So Joshua and all the people of war with him attacked them suddenly at the waters of Merom and fell upon them. ⁸ Then Adonai gave them into the hand of Israel, so they defeated them and chased them as far as Great Zidon and Misrephoth-maim, and up to the Valley of Mizpeh eastward. They struck them down until they left them no survivors. ⁹ Joshua did to them as Adonai had instructed him—he hamstrung their horses and burnt their chariots with fire.

¹⁰ At that time Joshua turned back and captured Hazor and struck its king with the sword, because Hazor had formerly been the head of all those kingdoms. ¹¹ They struck down every single soul in it with the edge of the sword, putting them to the ban. There was none left that breathed after he burned Hazor with fire. ¹² Thus Joshua captured all the cities of those kings and all their kings, and he struck them with the edge of the sword, putting them to the ban, just as Moses the servant of Adonai had commanded. ¹³ But as for the cities that stood on their mounds, Israel did not burn any of them, except Hazor alone, which Joshua did burn. ¹⁴ All the spoil of these cities and the cattle, Bnei-Yisrael took as their booty, but they struck down every person with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them, not sparing anyone who breathed.

¹⁵ Just as Adonai had commanded Moses His servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that Adonai had commanded Moses. ¹⁶ So Joshua captured all this land: the hill country, the Negev, all the land of Goshen, the lowland, the Arabah, the hill country of Israel and its lowland, ¹⁷ from the Mount Halak^[g] that ascends to Seir all the way to Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon at the foot of Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings, struck them down and put them to death. ¹⁸ For a long time Joshua made war with all those kings. ¹⁹ There was not a city that made peace with Bnei-Yisrael except the Hivites who inhabited Gibeon. All the rest they took in battle. ²⁰ For it was of Adonai to harden their hearts to encounter Israel in battle, that they might be put to the ban, that they might receive no mercy, in order to destroy them as Adonai had commanded Moses.

²¹ At that time Joshua went and cut off the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, Debir, Anab, and from the entire hill country of Judah and from the entire hill country of Israel. Joshua put a ban on them with their cities. ²² There was none of the Anakim left in the land of Bnei-Yisrael, except some were left in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod.

²³ So Joshua captured the whole country, according to all that Adonai had spoken to Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Then the land had rest from war.

The Conquered Kings

12 Now these are the kings of the land whom Bnei-Yisrael defeated and possessed their land beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise, from the valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon, and all the Arabah eastward: ² King Sihon of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon and ruled from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and the middle of the valley, and half Gilead, even up to the Jabbok River, the border of the children of Ammon; ³ and the Arabah up to the Sea of Chinneroth eastward, and as far as the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, eastward the way to Beth-jeshimoth, and on the south, at the foot of the slopes of Pisgah. ⁴ Also the territory of King Og of Bashan, one of the remnant of the Rephaim, who lived at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, ⁵ and ruled over Mount Hermon and Salcah and all Bashan, as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and half of Gilead, as far as the border of King Sihon of Heshbon. ⁶ Moses the servant of Adonai and Bnei-Yisrael defeated them, then Moses the servant of Adonai gave it as a possession to the Reubenites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh.

⁷ Now these are the kings of the land whom Joshua and Bnei-Yisrael defeated beyond the Jordan westward, from Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak that goes up to Seir (Joshua gave it to the tribes of Israel for a possession according to their divisions: ⁸ in the hill country, in the lowland, in the Arabah, on the slopes, in the wilderness, and in the Negev, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites): ⁹ one king of Jericho, one king of Ai which was near Bethel, ¹⁰ one king of Jerusalem, one king of Hebron, ¹¹ one king of Jarmuth, one king of Lachish, ¹² one king of Eglon, one king of Gezer, ¹³ one king of Debir, one king of Geder, ¹⁴ one king of Hormah, one king of Arad, ¹⁵ one king of Libnah, one king of Adullam, ¹⁶ one king of Makkedah, one king of Bethel, ¹⁷ one king of Tappuah, one king of Hepher, ¹⁸ one king of Aphek, one king of Sharon, ¹⁹ one king of Madon, one king of Hazor, ²⁰ one king of Shimron-meron, one king of Achshaph, ²¹ one king of Taanach, one king of Megiddo, ²² one king of Kedesh, one king of Jokneam in Carmel, ²³ one king of Dor in the region of Dor, one king of Goiim in the Gilgal, ²⁴ one king of Tirzah, for a total of 31 kings.

Territories Yet Unconquered

13 Now Joshua was old and advanced in years when Adonai said to him, “You are old and getting on in years, yet very much of the land is still left to possess. ² This is the land still left: all the regions of the Philistines and all the Geshurites; ³ from the Shihor which is near Egypt to the territory of Ekron northward (counted as Canaanite); the five Philistine lords of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron; also the Avvim ⁴ in the south, all the land of the Canaanites—from Mearah of the Sidonians to Aphek, as far as the border of the Amorites; ⁵ the land of the Gebalites; and all Lebanon toward the sunrise, from Baal-gad at the foot of Mount Hermon to the entrance of Hamath; ⁶ all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim, all the Sidonians.

“I Myself will drive them out from before Bnei-Yisrael. Only allot it to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded you. ⁷ So now, divide this land as an inheritance for the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”

Inheritance East of Jordan

⁸ With the half-tribe, the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance, which Moses gave them beyond the Jordan eastward, just as Moses the servant of Adonai gave them; ⁹ from Aroer, that is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the flatland from Medeba to Dibon; ¹⁰ and all the cities of King Sihon of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, up to the border of the children of Ammon; ¹¹ and Gilead, and the territory of the Geshurites and Maacathites, and all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan up to Salcah; ¹² all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei (he was left of the remnant of the Rephaim), for Moses defeated them and drove them out. ¹³ Nevertheless, Bnei-Yisrael did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites; but Geshur and Maacath lived among Israel to this day.

¹⁴ Only to the tribe of Levi he gave no inheritance—the fire offerings of Adonai God of Israel are his inheritance, as He spoke to him.

¹⁵ To the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their clans, Moses gave as ¹⁶ their territory: from Aroer on the edge of the Arnon Valley, along with the city in the middle of the valley, and all the tableland up to Medeba, ¹⁷ Heshbon and all its towns on the tableland, Dibon, Bamoth-baal, Beth-baal-meon, ¹⁸ Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, ¹⁹ Kiriathhaim, Sibmah and Zereth-shahar on the hill of the valley, ²⁰ Beth-peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth-Jeshimoth— ²¹ all the towns of the tableland and the entire kingdom of King Sihon of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon. (Moses defeated him with the chiefs of Midian, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba, the princes of Sihon who were living in the land, ²² and Balaam son of Beor the diviner, whom Bnei-Yisrael killed with the sword among the rest of their slain. ²³ As for the border of the children of Reuben, the Jordan was their border. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben according to their clans, the towns and their villages.

²⁴ To the tribe of Gad, Moses gave the children of Gad according to their clans ²⁵ as their territory: Jazer, all the towns of Gilead, half the land of the children of Ammon up to Aroer which is near Rabbah, ²⁶ from Heshbon to Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the border of Lidbir. ²⁷ In the valley, Beth-haram, Beth-nimrah, Succoth and Zaphon—that is, the rest of the kingdom of King Sihon of Heshbon, with the Jordan as its border, to the lowest part of the Sea of Chinneroth beyond the Jordan eastward. ²⁸ This is the inheritance of the children of Gad according to their clans, the towns and their villages.

²⁹ To the half-tribe of Manasseh, Moses also gave inheritance. For the half-tribe of the children of Manasseh according to their clans, ³⁰ their territory was from Mahanaim all of Bashan, the entire kingdom of King Og of Bashan and all the tent-villages of Jair which are in Bashan—60 towns; ³¹ also half of Gilead, with Ashtaroth and Edrei, the cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were for the children of Machir son of Manasseh, for half of the children of Machir according to their clans.

³² These are the inheritances that Moses apportioned in the plains of Moab, across the Jordan to the east of Jericho. ³³ But to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance—Adonai God of Israel is their inheritance, as He had spoken to them.