Joshua 11
EasyEnglish Bible
Joshua fights against kings in the north
11 Jabin, king of Hazor, heard what had happened. So he sent a message to Jobab, king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron and the king of Acshaph. 2 He also sent a message to the kings of the hill country in the north, in the Jordan Valley, south of Galilee.[a] He also sent a message to people in the low hills and Naphoth Dor in the west. 3 So Canaanite people came from the east and from the west. They were Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites and Jebusites who lived in the hills. They were also Hivites who lived near Hermon mountain, in the region of Mizpah. 4 All these kings came with their big armies. They had many horses and chariots. The soldiers were too many to count. 5 These kings all joined together to fight against the Israelites. They put up their tents near the water at Merom.
6 The Lord said to Joshua, ‘Do not be afraid of them. This time tomorrow they will all be dead! I will give all of them to you Israelites. You must cut the legs of their horses so that they cannot run well. You must also burn their chariots.’
7 So Joshua and his whole army went to attack them at the Waters of Merom. They quickly attacked them by surprise. 8 The Lord caused the Israelites to win against them. The Israelite soldiers chased them as far as Sidon, Misrephoth Maim and the valley of Mizpah in the east. They killed their enemies as they chased them, until they were all dead. 9 Joshua did what the Lord had commanded him to do. He cut their horses' legs and he burned their chariots.
10 At that time, Hazor was the most important city among all those kingdoms that fought against the Israelites. So Joshua turned back and attacked Hazor. He killed its king. 11 The Israelites killed everyone who lived there. Nothing in the city was left alive. They burned the city and destroyed it.
12 Joshua took all these cities and he killed all their kings. He destroyed them all, as the Lord's servant Moses had told him to do. 13 But the Israelites did not burn the cities that were built on small hills. Hazor was the only city like that which Joshua did burn. 14 The Israelites took for themselves all the animals and the valuable things from those cities. But they killed all the people. They did not let any of them live. 15 Moses had told all the Lord's commands to Joshua. Joshua obeyed all the Lord's commands. He did everything that the Lord had told Moses.
The land that Joshua took for the Israelites
16 Joshua's army won against all the people who were living in the land. He took the hill country, the Negev in the south, and the land of Goshen. He took the low hills in the west and the Jordan Valley. He took the mountains and the hills of Israel. 17 The land went from Halak mountain near Edom country, to Baal Gad in the Lebanon valley, below Hermon mountain. He caught all the kings of those regions and he killed them all. 18 Joshua was fighting against those kings for a long time. 19 None of those kingdoms agreed not to fight against the Israelites, except the Hivites who lived in Gibeon. The Israelites fought battles against all the other kingdoms and they won. 20 The Lord had caused the minds of those people to become hard. So they all decided to fight against the Israelites. The Lord wanted the Israelites to destroy those people completely, as he had commanded Moses.
21 During that time, Joshua went to fight against the Anakites, who lived in the hill country. They lived in Hebron, Debir and Anab, and among the hills of Judah and Israel. Joshua destroyed them all, and all their towns. 22 So no Anakites remained in Israel, except for a few who lived in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod.
23 In that way, Joshua took the whole land. The Lord had promised Moses that he would give the land to his people. Joshua gave a part of the land to each tribe, for them to live in.
After all that, the people did not have to fight any more.
Footnotes
- 11:2 Kinnereth was an old name for Galilee.
Joshua 11
King James Version
11 And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor had heard those things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph,
2 And to the kings that were on the north of the mountains, and of the plains south of Chinneroth, and in the valley, and in the borders of Dor on the west,
3 And to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and to the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains, and to the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpeh.
4 And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, much people, even as the sand that is upon the sea shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many.
5 And when all these kings were met together, they came and pitched together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel.
6 And the Lord said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire.
7 So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them.
8 And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote them, and chased them unto great Zidon, and unto Misrephothmaim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them, until they left them none remaining.
9 And Joshua did unto them as the Lord bade him: he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire.
10 And Joshua at that time turned back, and took Hazor, and smote the king thereof with the sword: for Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms.
11 And they smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them: there was not any left to breathe: and he burnt Hazor with fire.
12 And all the cities of those kings, and all the kings of them, did Joshua take, and smote them with the edge of the sword, and he utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the Lord commanded.
13 But as for the cities that stood still in their strength, Israel burned none of them, save Hazor only; that did Joshua burn.
14 And all the spoil of these cities, and the cattle, the children of Israel took for a prey unto themselves; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, neither left they any to breathe.
15 As the Lord commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses.
16 So Joshua took all that land, the hills, and all the south country, and all the land of Goshen, and the valley, and the plain, and the mountain of Israel, and the valley of the same;
17 Even from the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir, even unto Baalgad in the valley of Lebanon under mount Hermon: and all their kings he took, and smote them, and slew them.
18 Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.
19 There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon: all other they took in battle.
20 For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the Lord commanded Moses.
21 And at that time came Joshua, and cut off the Anakims from the mountains, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel: Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities.
22 There was none of the Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained.
23 So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war.
Joshua 11
English Standard Version
Conquests in Northern Canaan
11 When Jabin, king of Hazor, heard of this, he (A)sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph, 2 and to the kings who were in the northern hill country, and in the (B)Arabah south of (C)Chinneroth, and in the lowland, and (D)in Naphoth-dor on the (E)west, 3 to the Canaanites in the east and the west, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, and the (F)Jebusites in the hill country, and the (G)Hivites under (H)Hermon in the land of (I)Mizpah. 4 And they came out with all their troops, a great horde, in number (J)like the sand that is on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots. 5 And all these kings joined their forces and came and encamped together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.
6 And the Lord said to Joshua, (K)“Do not be afraid of them, for tomorrow at this time I will give over all of them, slain, to Israel. You shall (L)hamstring their horses and burn their (M)chariots with fire.” 7 So Joshua and all his warriors came (N)suddenly against them by the waters of Merom and fell upon them. 8 And the Lord gave them into the hand of Israel, who struck them and chased them as far as (O)Great Sidon and (P)Misrephoth-maim, and eastward as far as the Valley of (Q)Mizpeh. And they struck them until he left none remaining. 9 And Joshua did to them (R)just as the Lord said to him: he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.
10 And Joshua turned back at that time and captured (S)Hazor and struck its king with the sword, for Hazor formerly was the head of all those kingdoms. 11 And they struck with the sword all who were in it, devoting them to destruction;[a] (T)there was none left that breathed. And he burned Hazor with fire. 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, (U)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 (V)Just as the Lord had commanded Moses his servant, (W)so Moses commanded Joshua, (X)and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses.
16 So Joshua took all that land, (Y)the hill country and all the Negeb and (Z)all the land of Goshen (AA)and the lowland (AB)and the Arabah (AC)and the hill country of Israel and its lowland 17 (AD)from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, as far as (AE)Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon below (AF)Mount Hermon. And he captured (AG)all their kings and struck them and put them to death. 18 Joshua made war (AH)a long time with all those kings. 19 There was not a city that made peace with the people of Israel except (AI)the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. They took them all in battle. 20 For it was the Lord's doing (AJ)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, (AK)just as the Lord commanded Moses.
21 And Joshua came at that time and cut off (AL)the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua devoted them to destruction with their cities. 22 There was none of the Anakim left in the land of the people of Israel. Only in Gaza, (AM)in Gath, and in Ashdod did some remain. 23 So Joshua took the whole land, (AN)according to all that the Lord had spoken to Moses. (AO)And Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel (AP)according to their tribal allotments. And the land had rest from war.
Footnotes
- Joshua 11:11 That is, setting apart (devoting) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction); also verses 12, 20, 21
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