Israel Defeats a Northern Coalition

11 When King Jabin of Hazor heard the news about Israel’s victories,^[a] he organized a coalition, including^[b] King Jobab of Madon, the king of Shimron, the king of Acshaph, ² and the northern kings who ruled in^[c] the hill country, in the rift valley south of Kinnereth,^[d] in the foothills, and on the heights of Dor to the west. ³ Canaanites came^[e] from the east and west; Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, and Jebusites from the hill country; and Hivites from below Hermon in the area^[f] of Mizpah. ⁴ These kings came out with their armies; they were as numerous as the sand on the seashore and had a large number of horses and chariots.^{[g] 5} All these kings gathered and joined forces^[h] at the Waters of Merom to fight Israel.

⁶ The Lord told Joshua, “Don’t be afraid of them, for about this time tomorrow I will cause all of them to lie dead before Israel. You must hamstring their horses and burn^[i] their chariots.” ⁷ Joshua and his whole army caught them by surprise at the Waters of Merom and attacked them.^{[j] 8} The Lord handed them over to Israel, and they struck them down and chased them all the way to Greater Sidon, Misrephoth Maim,^[k] and the Mizpah Valley to the east. They struck them down until no survivors remained. ⁹ Joshua did to them as the Lord had commanded him; he hamstrung their horses and burned^[l] their chariots.

¹⁰ At that time Joshua turned, captured Hazor, and struck down its king with the sword, for Hazor was at that time^[m] the leader of all these kingdoms. ¹¹ They annihilated everyone who lived there with the sword^[n]—no one who breathed remained—and burned^[o] Hazor.

¹² Joshua captured all these royal cities and all their kings and annihilated them with the sword,^[p] as Moses the Lord’s servant had commanded. ¹³ But Israel did not burn any of the cities located on mounds^[q] except for Hazor; it was the only one Joshua burned. ¹⁴ The Israelites plundered all the goods of these cities and the cattle, but they totally destroyed all the people^[r] and allowed no one who breathed to live.

² The Lord turned them over to^[a] King Jabin of Canaan, who ruled in Hazor.^[b] The general of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim.^[c]

⁷ I will bring Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to you at the Kishon River, along with his chariots and huge army.^[a] I will hand him over to you.”

¹⁷ Now Sisera ran away on foot to the tent of Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, for King Jabin of Hazor and the family of Heber the Kenite had made a peace treaty.^[a]

²³ That day God humiliated King Jabin of Canaan before the Israelites.

²⁴ Israel’s power continued to overwhelm^[a] King Jabin of Canaan until they did away with^[b] him.^[c]