Bible in 90 Days
15 The land allotted to the tribe of Judah by its clans reached to the border of Edom, to the wilderness of Zin in the Negev far to the south.[a] 2 Their southern border started at the southern tip of the Salt Sea,[b] 3 extended[c] south of the Scorpion Ascent,[d] crossed to Zin, went up from the south to Kadesh Barnea, crossed to Hezron, went up to Addar, and turned toward Karka. 4 It then crossed to Azmon, extended to the Stream of Egypt,[e] and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. This was their[f] southern border.
5 The eastern border was the Salt Sea to the mouth[g] of the Jordan River.[h]
The northern border started north of the Salt Sea at the mouth of the Jordan,[i] 6 went up to Beth Hoglah, crossed north of Beth Arabah, and went up to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben. 7 It then went up to Debir from the Valley of Achor, turning northward to Gilgal (which is opposite the Pass[j] of Adummim south of the valley), crossed to the waters of En Shemesh and extended to En Rogel. 8 It then went up the Valley of Ben Hinnom to the slope of the Jebusites on the south (that is, Jerusalem), going up to the top of the hill opposite the Valley of Ben Hinnom to the west, which is at the end of the Valley of the Rephaites to the north. 9 It then went from the top of the hill to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah, extended to the cities of Mount Ephron, and went to Baalah (that is, Kiriath Jearim). 10 It then turned from Baalah westward to Mount Seir, crossed to the slope of Mount Jearim on the north (that is Kesalon), descended to Beth Shemesh, and crossed to Timnah. 11 It then extended to the slope of Ekron to the north, went toward Shikkeron, crossed to Mount Baalah, extended to Jabneel, and ended at the sea.
12 The western border was the Mediterranean Sea.[k] These were the borders of the tribe of Judah and its clans.[l]
13 Caleb son of Jephunneh was assigned Kiriath Arba (that is Hebron) within the tribe of Judah, according to the Lord’s instructions to Joshua. (Arba was the father of Anak.)[m] 14 Caleb drove out[n] from there three Anakites—Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, descendants of Anak. 15 From there he attacked the people of Debir.[o] (Debir used to be called Kiriath Sepher.) 16 Caleb said, “To the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher I will give my daughter Achsah as a wife.” 17 When Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s brother,[p] captured it, Caleb[q] gave Achsah his daughter to him as a wife.
18 One time Achsah[r] came and charmed her father[s] so that she could ask him for some land. When she got down from her donkey, Caleb said to her, “What would you like?” 19 She answered, “Please give me a special present.[t] Since you have given me land in the Negev, now give me springs of water.” So he gave her both the upper and lower springs.
20 This is the land assigned to the tribe of Judah by its clans:[u] 21 These cities were located at the southern extremity of Judah’s tribal land near the border of Edom:[v] Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, 22 Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, 23 Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, 24 Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, 25 Hazor Hadattah, Kerioth Hezron (that is, Hazor), 26 Amam, Shema, Moladah, 27 Hazar Gaddah, Heshbon, Beth Pelet, 28 Hazar Shual, Beer Sheba, Biziothiah, 29 Baalah, Iim, Ezem, 30 Eltolad, Kesil, Hormah, 31 Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, 32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon—a total of twenty-nine cities and their towns.[w]
33 These cities were[x] in the foothills:[y] Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, 34 Zanoah, En Gannim, Tappuah, Enam, 35 Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, 36 Shaaraim, Adithaim, and Gederah (or Gederothaim)—a total of fourteen cities and their towns.
37 Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal Gad, 38 Dilean, Mizpah, Joktheel, 39 Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, 40 Cabbon, Lahmas, Kitlish, 41 Gederoth, Beth Dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah—a total of sixteen cities and their towns.
42 Libnah, Ether, Ashan, 43 Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, 44 Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah—a total of nine cities and their towns.
45 Ekron and its surrounding towns[z] and settlements; 46 from Ekron westward, all those in the vicinity of Ashdod and their towns; 47 Ashdod with its surrounding towns and settlements, and Gaza with its surrounding towns and settlements, as far as the Stream of Egypt[aa] and the border at the Mediterranean Sea.[ab]
48 These cities were[ac] in the hill country: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, 49 Dannah, Kiriath Sannah (that is, Debir), 50 Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, 51 Goshen, Holon, and Giloh—a total of eleven cities and their towns.
52 Arab, Dumah,[ad] Eshan, 53 Janim, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah, 54 Humtah, Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior—a total of nine cities and their towns.
55 Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, 56 Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, 57 Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah—a total of ten cities and their towns.
58 Halhul, Beth Zur, Gedor, 59 Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon—a total of six cities and their towns.
60 Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim) and Rabbah—a total of two cities and their towns.
61 These cities were[ae] in the wilderness: Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah, 62 Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En Gedi—a total of six cities and their towns.
63 The men of Judah were unable to conquer the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. The Jebusites live with the people of Judah in Jerusalem to this very day.[af]
Joseph’s Tribal Lands
16 The land allotted to Joseph’s descendants extended from the Jordan at Jericho to the waters of Jericho to the east, through the desert and on up from Jericho into the hill country of Bethel.[ag] 2 The southern border[ah] extended from Bethel to Luz,[ai] and crossed to Arkite territory at Ataroth. 3 It then descended westward to Japhletite territory, as far as the territory of lower Beth Horon and Gezer, and ended at the sea.
4 Joseph’s descendants, Manasseh and Ephraim, were assigned their land.[aj] 5 The territory of the tribe of Ephraim by its clans included the following:[ak] The border of their assigned land to the east was Ataroth Addar as far as upper Beth Horon. 6 It then extended on to the sea, with Micmethath on the north. It turned eastward to Taanath Shiloh and crossed it on the east to Janoah. 7 It then descended from Janoah to Ataroth and Naarah, touched Jericho, and extended to the Jordan River.[al] 8 From Tappuah it went westward to the Valley of Kanah and ended at the sea. This is the land assigned to the tribe of Ephraim[am] by its clans. 9 Also included were the cities set apart for the tribe of Ephraim within Manasseh’s territory, along with their towns.[an]
10 The Ephraimites[ao] did not conquer the Canaanites living in Gezer. The Canaanites live among the Ephraimites to this very day and do hard labor as their servants.
17 The tribe of Manasseh, Joseph’s firstborn son, was also allotted land.[ap] The descendants of Makir, Manasseh’s firstborn and the father of Gilead, received land, for they were warriors.[aq] They were assigned Gilead and Bashan.[ar] 2 The rest of Manasseh’s descendants were also assigned land[as] by their clans, including the descendants of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These are the male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph by their clans.
3 Now Zelophehad son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Makir, son of Manasseh, had no sons, only daughters. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 4 They went before Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders and said, “The Lord told Moses to assign us land among our relatives.”[at] So Joshua[au] assigned them land among their uncles, as the Lord had commanded.[av] 5 Manasseh was allotted ten shares of land,[aw] in addition to the land of Gilead and Bashan east of the Jordan, 6 for the daughters of Manasseh were assigned land among his sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the descendants of Manasseh.
7 The border of Manasseh went[ax] from Asher to Micmethath, which is near[ay] Shechem. It then went south toward those who live by En Tappuah.[az] 8 (The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but Tappuah, located on the border of Manasseh, belonged to the tribe of Ephraim.) 9 The border then descended southward to the Valley of Kanah. Ephraim was assigned cities there among the cities of Manasseh,[ba] but the border of Manasseh was north of the valley and ended at the sea. 10 Ephraim’s territory was to the south, and Manasseh’s to the north. The sea was Manasseh’s[bb] western border and their territory[bc] touched Asher on the north and Issachar on the east. 11 Within Issachar’s and Asher’s territories Manasseh was assigned Beth Shean, Ibleam, the residents of Dor, the residents of Endor, the residents of Taanach, the residents of Megiddo, the three of Napheth,[bd] and the towns surrounding all these cities.[be] 12 But the men[bf] of Manasseh were unable to conquer these cities; the Canaanites managed[bg] to remain in those areas. 13 Whenever the Israelites were strong militarily, they forced the Canaanites to do hard labor, but they never totally conquered them.[bh]
14 The descendants of Joseph said to Joshua, “Why have you assigned us only one tribal allotment? After all, we have many people, for until now the Lord has enabled us to increase in number.”[bi] 15 Joshua replied to them, “Since you have so many people,[bj] go up into the forest and clear out a place to live in the land of the Perizzites and Rephaites, if the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you.” 16 The descendants of Joseph said, “The whole hill country[bk] is inadequate for us, and the Canaanites living down in the valley in Beth Shean and its surrounding towns and in the Valley of Jezreel have chariots with iron-rimmed wheels.”[bl] 17 Joshua said to the family[bm] of Joseph—to both Ephraim and Manasseh: “You have many people and great military strength. You will not have just one tribal allotment. 18 The whole hill country[bn] will be yours; though it is a forest, you can clear it, and it will be entirely yours.[bo] You can conquer the Canaanites, though they have chariots with iron-rimmed wheels and are strong.”
The Tribes Meet at Shiloh
18 The entire Israelite community assembled at Shiloh and there they set up the tent of meeting.[bp] Though they had subdued the land,[bq] 2 seven Israelite tribes had not been assigned their allotted land.[br] 3 So Joshua said to the Israelites: “How long do you intend to put off occupying[bs] the land the Lord God of your ancestors[bt] has given you? 4 Pick three men from each tribe. I will send them out to walk through the land and make a map of it for me.[bu] 5 Divide it into seven regions.[bv] Judah will stay[bw] in its territory in the south, and the family[bx] of Joseph in its territory in the north. 6 But as for you, map out the land into seven regions and bring it to me. I will draw lots for you here before the Lord our God. 7 But the Levites will not have an allotted portion among you, for their inheritance is to serve the Lord.[by] Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have already received their allotted land[bz] east of the Jordan, which Moses the Lord’s servant assigned them.”
8 When the men started out, Joshua told those going to map out the land, “Go, walk through the land, map it out, and return to me. Then I will draw lots for you before the Lord here in Shiloh.” 9 The men journeyed[ca] through the land and mapped it and its cities out into seven regions on a scroll. Then they came to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh. 10 Joshua drew lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord and divided the land among the Israelites according to their allotted portions.
Benjamin’s Tribal Lands
11 The first lot belonged to the tribe of Benjamin[cb] by its clans. Their allotted territory was between Judah and Joseph.[cc] 12 Their northern border started at the Jordan, went up to the slope of Jericho on the north, ascended westward to the hill country, and extended to the wilderness of Beth Aven. 13 It then crossed from there to Luz, to the slope of Luz to the south (that is, Bethel), and descended to Ataroth Addar located on the hill that is south of lower Beth Horon. 14 It then turned on the west side southward from the hill near Beth Horon on the south and extended to Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim), a city belonging to the tribe[cd] of Judah. This is the western border.[ce] 15 The southern side started on the edge of Kiriath Jearim and extended westward to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah. 16 The border then descended to the edge of the hill country near the Valley of Ben Hinnom located in the Valley of the Rephaites to the north. It descended through the Valley of Hinnom to the slope of the Jebusites to the south and then down to En Rogel. 17 It went northward, extending to En Shemesh and Geliloth opposite the Pass[cf] of Adummim, and descended to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben. 18 It crossed to the slope in front of the rift valley to the north and descended into the rift valley.[cg] 19 It then crossed to the slope of Beth Hoglah to the north and ended at the northern tip of the Salt Sea[ch] at the mouth of the Jordan River.[ci] This was the southern border. 20 The Jordan River bordered it on the east. These were the borders of the land assigned to the tribe of Benjamin by its clans.[cj]
21 These cities belonged to the tribe[ck] of Benjamin by its clans: Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz, 22 Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, 23 Avvim, Parah, Ophrah, 24 Kephar Ammoni, Ophni, and Geba—a total of twelve cities and their towns.
25 Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, 26 Mizpah, Kephirah, Mozah, 27 Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, 28 Zelah, Haeleph, the Jebusite city[cl] (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Kiriath—a total of fourteen cities and their towns.[cm] This was the land assigned to the tribe of Benjamin[cn] by its clans.
Simeon’s Tribal Lands
19 The second lot belonged to the tribe of Simeon by its clans.[co] Their assigned land was in the middle of Judah’s assigned land. 2 Their assigned land included[cp] Beer Sheba,[cq] Moladah, 3 Hazar Shual, Balah, Ezem, 4 Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, 5 Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susah, 6 Beth Lebaoth, and Sharuhen—a total of thirteen cities and their towns, 7 Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan—a total of four cities and their towns, 8 as well as all the towns around these cities as far as Baalath Beer (Ramah of the Negev). This was the land assigned to the tribe of Simeon by its clans.[cr] 9 Simeon’s assigned land was taken from Judah’s allotted portion, for Judah’s territory was too large for them; so Simeon was assigned land within Judah.[cs]
Zebulun’s Tribal Lands
10 The third lot belonged to the tribe of Zebulun[ct] by its clans. The border of their territory[cu] extended to Sarid. 11 Their border went up westward to Maralah and touched Dabbesheth and the valley near[cv] Jokneam. 12 From Sarid it turned eastward[cw] to the territory of Kisloth Tabor, extended to Daberath, and went up to Japhia. 13 From there it crossed eastward to Gath Hepher and Eth Kazin and extended to Rimmon, turning toward Neah. 14 It then turned on the north to Hannathon and ended at the Valley of Iphtah El. 15 Their territory included Kattah, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem; in all they had twelve cities and their towns.[cx] 16 This was the land assigned to the tribe of Zebulun[cy] by its clans, including these cities and their towns.
Issachar’s Tribal Lands
17 The fourth lot belonged to the tribe of Issachar[cz] by its clans. 18 Their assigned land[da] included Jezreel, Kesulloth, Shunem, 19 Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, 20 Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez, 21 Remeth, En Gannim, En Haddah and Beth Pazzez. 22 Their border touched Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth Shemesh, and ended at the Jordan. They had sixteen cities and their towns. 23 This was the land assigned to the tribe of Issachar[db] by its clans, including these cities and their towns.
Asher’s Tribal Lands
24 The fifth lot belonged to the tribe of Asher[dc] by its clans. 25 Their territory included Helkath, Hali, Beten, Acshaph, 26 Alammelech, Amad, and Mishal. Their border touched Carmel to the west and Shihor Libnath. 27 It turned eastward toward Beth Dagon, touched Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtah El to the north, as well as Beth Emek and Neiel, and extended to Cabul on the north[dd] 28 and on to Ebron,[de] Rehob, Hammon, and Kanah, as far as Greater Sidon. 29 It then turned toward Ramah as far as the fortified city of Tyre, turned to Hosah, and ended at the sea near Hebel, Achzib, 30 Umah, Aphek, and Rehob. In all they had[df] twenty-two cities and their towns. 31 This was the land assigned to the tribe of Asher[dg] by its clans, including these cities and their towns.
Naphtali’s Tribal Lands
32 The sixth lot belonged to the tribe of Naphtali[dh] by its clans. 33 Their border started at Heleph and the oak of Zaanannim, went to Adami Nekeb, Jabneel and on to Lakkum,[di] and ended at the Jordan River.[dj] 34 It turned westward to Aznoth Tabor, extended from there to Hukok, touched Zebulun on the south, Asher on the west, and the Jordan[dk] on the east. 35 The fortified cities included Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Kinnereth, 36 Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, 37 Kedesh, Edrei, En Hazor, 38 Yiron,[dl] Migdal El, Horem, Beth Anath, and Beth Shemesh. In all they had[dm] nineteen cities and their towns. 39 This was the land assigned to the tribe of Naphtali[dn] by its clans, including these cities and their towns.
Dan’s Tribal Lands
40 The seventh lot belonged to the tribe of Dan[do] by its clans. 41 Their assigned land included Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir Shemesh, 42 Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah, 43 Elon, Timnah, Ekron, 44 Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, 45 Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon, 46 the waters of Jarkon, and Rakkon, including the territory in front of Joppa. 47 (The Danites failed to conquer their territory,[dp] so they went up and fought with Leshem and captured it. They put the sword to it, took possession of it, and lived in it. They renamed it[dq] Dan after their ancestor.[dr]) 48 This was the land assigned to the tribe of Dan[ds] by its clans, including these cities and their towns.
Joshua Receives Land
49 When they finished dividing the land into its regions, the Israelites gave Joshua son of Nun some land.[dt] 50 As the Lord had instructed, they gave him the city he requested—Timnath Serah in the Ephraimite hill country. He built up the city and lived in it.
51 These are the land assignments that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the Israelite tribal leaders[du] made by drawing lots in Shiloh before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting.[dv] So they finished dividing up the land.
Israel Designates Cities of Refuge
20 The Lord instructed Joshua: 2 “Have the Israelites select[dw] the cities of refuge[dx] that I told you about through Moses. 3 Anyone who accidentally kills someone can escape there;[dy] these cities will be a place of asylum from the avenger of blood. 4 The one who committed manslaughter[dz] should escape to one of these cities, stand at the entrance of the city gate, and present his case to the leaders of that city.[ea] They should then bring him into the city, give him a place to stay, and let him live there.[eb] 5 When the avenger of blood comes after him, they must not hand over to him the one who committed manslaughter, for he accidentally killed his fellow man without premeditation.[ec] 6 He must remain[ed] in that city until his case is decided by the assembly,[ee] and the high priest dies.[ef] Then the one who committed manslaughter may return home to the city from which he escaped.”[eg]
7 So they selected[eh] Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. 8 Beyond the Jordan east of Jericho they selected[ei] Bezer in the wilderness on the plain belonging to the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead belonging to the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan belonging to the tribe of Manasseh. 9 These were the cities of refuge[ej] appointed for all the Israelites and for resident foreigners living among them. Anyone who accidentally killed someone could escape there and not be executed by[ek] the avenger of blood, at least until his case was reviewed by the assembly.[el]
Levitical Cities
21 The tribal leaders of the Levites went before Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and the Israelite tribal leaders 2 in Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said, “The Lord told Moses to assign us cities in which to live along with the grazing areas for our cattle.” 3 So the Israelites assigned these cities and their grazing areas to the Levites from their own holdings, as the Lord had instructed.
4 The first lot belonged to[em] the Kohathite clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest were allotted thirteen cities from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. 5 The rest of Kohath’s descendants were allotted ten cities from the clans of the tribe of Ephraim, and from the tribe of Dan and the half-tribe of Manasseh. 6 Gershon’s descendants were allotted thirteen cities from the clans of the tribe of Issachar, and from the tribes of Asher and Naphtali and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. 7 Merari’s descendants by their clans were allotted twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. 8 So the Israelites assigned to the Levites by lot these cities and their grazing areas, as the Lord had instructed Moses.
9 They assigned from the tribes of Judah and Simeon the cities listed below. 10 (They were assigned to the Kohathite clans of the Levites who were descendants of Aaron,[en] for the first lot fell to them.) 11 They assigned them Kiriath Arba (Arba was the father of Anak), that is, Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, along with its surrounding grazing areas. 12 (Now the city’s fields and surrounding towns they had assigned to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his property.) 13 So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they assigned Hebron (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter), Libnah, 14 Jattir, Eshtemoa, 15 Holon, Debir, 16 Ain, Juttah, and Beth Shemesh, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of nine cities taken from these two tribes. 17 From the tribe of Benjamin they assigned[eo] Gibeon, Geba, 18 Anathoth, and Almon, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities. 19 The priests descended from Aaron received thirteen cities and their grazing areas.
20 The rest of the Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted cities from the tribe of Ephraim. 21 They assigned them Shechem (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter) in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer, 22 Kibzaim, and Beth Horon, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities. 23 From the tribe of Dan they assigned Eltekeh, Gibbethon, 24 Aijalon, and Gath Rimmon, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities. 25 From the half-tribe of Manasseh they assigned Taanach and Gath Rimmon,[ep] along with the grazing areas of each—a total of two cities. 26 The rest of the Kohathite clans received ten cities and their grazing areas.
27 They assigned to the Gershonite clans of the Levites the following cities:[eq] from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter) and Beeshtarah, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of two cities; 28 from the tribe of Issachar: Kishon, Daberath, 29 Jarmuth, and En Gannim, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities; 30 from the tribe of Asher: Mishal, Abdon, 31 Helkath, and Rehob, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities; 32 from the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter), Hammoth Dor, and Kartan, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of three cities. 33 The Gershonite clans received thirteen cities and their grazing areas.
34 They assigned to the Merarite clans (the remaining Levites) the following cities: from the tribe of Zebulun: Jokneam, Kartah, 35 Dimnah, and Nahalal, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities; 36 [er] from the tribe of Reuben: Bezer, Jahaz, 37 Kedemoth, and Mephaath, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities; 38 from the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter), Mahanaim, 39 Heshbon, and Jazer, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities. 40 The Merarite clans (the remaining Levites) were allotted twelve cities.
41 The Levites received within the land owned by the Israelites[es] forty-eight cities in all and their grazing areas. 42 Each of these cities had grazing areas around it; they were alike in this regard.[et]
43 So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had solemnly promised to their ancestors,[eu] and they conquered[ev] it and lived in it. 44 The Lord made them secure,[ew] in fulfillment of all he had solemnly promised their ancestors.[ex] None of their enemies could resist them.[ey] The Lord handed all their enemies over to them.[ez] 45 Not one of the Lord’s faithful promises to the family of Israel[fa] was left unfulfilled; every one was realized.[fb]
Joshua Sends Home the Eastern Tribes
22 Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh 2 and told them: “You have carried out all the instructions of Moses the Lord’s servant, and you have obeyed all I have told you.[fc] 3 You have not abandoned your fellow Israelites[fd] this entire time,[fe] right up to this very day. You have completed the task given you by the Lord your God.[ff] 4 Now the Lord your God has made your fellow Israelites secure,[fg] just as he promised them. So now you may turn around and go to your homes[fh] in your own land[fi] that Moses the Lord’s servant assigned to you east of the Jordan. 5 But carefully obey the commands and instructions Moses the Lord’s servant gave you. Love[fj] the Lord your God, follow all his instructions,[fk] obey[fl] his commands, be loyal to him,[fm] and serve him with all your heart and being!”[fn]
6 Joshua rewarded[fo] them and sent them on their way; they returned to their homes.[fp] 7 (Now to one half-tribe of Manasseh, Moses had assigned land in Bashan; and to the other half Joshua had assigned land on the west side of the Jordan with their fellow Israelites.) When Joshua sent them home,[fq] he rewarded[fr] them, 8 saying, “Take home[fs] great wealth, a lot of cattle,[ft] silver, gold, bronze, iron, and a lot of[fu] clothing. Divide up the goods captured from your enemies with your brothers.” 9 So the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites in Shiloh in the land of Canaan and headed home to their own land in Gilead,[fv] which they acquired by the Lord’s command through Moses.
Civil War is Averted
10 The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh came to Geliloth near the Jordan in the land of Canaan and built there, near the Jordan, an impressive altar.[fw] 11 The Israelites received this report:[fx] “Look, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar at the entrance to[fy] the land of Canaan, at Geliloth near the Jordan on the Israelite side.” 12 When the Israelites heard this, the entire Israelite community assembled at Shiloh to launch an attack against them.[fz]
13 The Israelites sent Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, to the land of Gilead to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. 14 He was accompanied by ten leaders, one from each of the Israelite tribes, each one a family leader among the Israelite clans.[ga] 15 They went to the land of Gilead to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and said to them: 16 “The entire community of the Lord says, ‘Why have you disobeyed the God of Israel by turning back today from following the Lord? You built an altar for yourselves and have rebelled today against the Lord.[gb] 17 The sin we committed at Peor was bad enough. To this very day we have not purified ourselves; it even brought a plague on the community of the Lord.[gc] 18 Now today you dare to turn back[gd] from following the Lord! You are rebelling today against the Lord; tomorrow he may break out in anger against[ge] the entire community of Israel. 19 But if your own land[gf] is impure,[gg] cross over to the Lord’s own land,[gh] where the Lord himself lives,[gi] and settle down among us.[gj] But don’t rebel against the Lord or us[gk] by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the Lord our God. 20 When Achan son of Zerah disobeyed the command about the city’s riches, the entire Israelite community was judged,[gl] though only one man had sinned. He most certainly died for his sin!’”[gm]
21 The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered the leaders[gn] of the Israelite clans: 22 “El, God, the Lord![go] El, God, the Lord! He knows the truth![gp] Israel must also know! If we have rebelled or disobeyed the Lord,[gq] don’t spare us[gr] today! 23 If we have built[gs] an altar for ourselves to turn back from following the Lord by making[gt] burnt sacrifices and grain offerings on it, or by offering[gu] tokens of peace[gv] on it, the Lord himself will punish us.[gw] 24 We swear we have done this because we were worried that[gx] in the future your descendants would say to our descendants, ‘What relationship do you have with the Lord God of Israel?[gy] 25 The Lord made the Jordan a boundary between us and you Reubenites and Gadites. You have no right to worship the Lord.’[gz] In this way your descendants might cause our descendants to stop obeying[ha] the Lord. 26 So we decided to build this altar, not for burnt offerings and sacrifices, 27 but as a reminder to us and you[hb] and our descendants who follow us, that we will honor the Lord in his very presence[hc] with burnt offerings, sacrifices, and tokens of peace.[hd] Then in the future your descendants will not be able to say to our descendants, ‘You have no right to worship the Lord.’[he] 28 We said, ‘If in the future they say such a thing[hf] to us or to our descendants, we will reply, “See the model of the Lord’s altar that our ancestors[hg] made, not for burnt offerings or sacrifices, but as a reminder to us and you.”’[hh] 29 Far be it from us to rebel against the Lord by turning back today from following after the Lord by building an altar for burnt offerings, sacrifices, and tokens of peace[hi] aside from the altar of the Lord our God located in front of his dwelling place!”[hj]
30 When Phinehas the priest and the community leaders and Israel’s clan leaders who accompanied him heard the defense of the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the Manassehites,[hk] they were satisfied.[hl] 31 Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, said to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the Manassehites,[hm] “Today we know that the Lord is among us, because you have not disobeyed the Lord in this.[hn] Now[ho] you have rescued the Israelites from the Lord’s judgment.”[hp]
32 Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, and the leaders left the Reubenites and Gadites in the land of Gilead and reported back to the Israelites in the land of Canaan.[hq] 33 The Israelites were satisfied with their report and gave thanks to God.[hr] They said nothing more about launching an attack to destroy the land in which the Reubenites and Gadites lived.[hs] 34 The Reubenites and Gadites named the altar, “Surely it is a Reminder to us[ht] that the Lord is God.”
Joshua Challenges Israel to be Faithful
23 A long time[hu] passed after the Lord made Israel secure from all their enemies,[hv] and Joshua was very old.[hw] 2 So Joshua summoned all Israel, including the elders, rulers, judges, and leaders, and told them: “I am very old. 3 You saw everything the Lord your God did to all these nations on your behalf, for the Lord your God fights for you.[hx] 4 See, I have parceled out to your tribes these remaining nations,[hy] from the Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea[hz] in the west, including all the nations I defeated.[ia] 5 The Lord your God will drive them out from before you and remove them,[ib] so you can occupy[ic] their land as the Lord your God promised[id] you. 6 Be very strong! Carefully obey[ie] all that is written in the law scroll of Moses so you won’t swerve from it to the right or the left, 7 or associate with these nations that remain near[if] you. You must not invoke or make solemn declarations by the names of their gods![ig] You must not worship[ih] or bow down to them! 8 But you must be loyal to[ii] the Lord your God, as you have been[ij] to this very day.
9 “The Lord drove out from before you great and mighty nations; no one has been able to resist you[ik] to this very day. 10 One of you makes a thousand run away,[il] for the Lord your God fights for you,[im] as he promised you he would.[in] 11 Watch yourselves carefully! Love the Lord your God![io] 12 But if you ever turn away and make alliances with[ip] these nations that remain near you,[iq] and intermarry with them and establish friendly relations with them,[ir] 13 know for certain that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations from before you. They will trap and ensnare you;[is] they will be a whip that tears[it] your sides and thorns that blind[iu] your eyes until you disappear[iv] from this good land the Lord your God gave you.
14 “Look, today I am about to die.[iw] You know with all your heart and being[ix] that not even one of all the faithful promises the Lord your God made to you is left unfulfilled; every one was realized—not one promise is unfulfilled![iy] 15 But in the same way every faithful promise the Lord your God made to you has been realized,[iz] it is just as certain that if you disobey, then the Lord will bring on you every judgment[ja] until he destroys you from this good land that the Lord your God gave you. 16 If you violate the covenantal laws of the Lord your God which he commanded you to keep,[jb] and follow, worship, and bow down to other gods,[jc] then the Lord will be very angry with you and you will disappear[jd] quickly from the good land that he gave to you.”
Israel Renews its Commitment to the Lord
24 Joshua assembled all the Israelite tribes at Shechem. He summoned Israel’s elders, rulers, judges, and leaders, and they appeared before God. 2 Joshua told all the people, “This is what the Lord God of Israel has said: ‘In the distant past your ancestors lived beyond the Euphrates River,[je] including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor. They worshiped[jf] other gods, 3 but I took your father Abraham from beyond the Euphrates[jg] and brought him into[jh] the entire land of Canaan. I made his descendants numerous; I gave him Isaac, 4 and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I assigned Mount Seir,[ji] while Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt. 5 I sent Moses and Aaron, and I struck Egypt down when I intervened in their land.[jj] Then I brought you out. 6 When I brought your fathers out of Egypt, you arrived at the sea. The Egyptians chased your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. 7 Your fathers[jk] cried out for help to the Lord; he made the area between you and the Egyptians dark,[jl] and then he drowned them in the sea.[jm] You witnessed with your very own eyes[jn] what I did in Egypt. You lived in the wilderness for a long time.[jo] 8 Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought with you, but I handed them over to you; you conquered[jp] their land, and I destroyed them from before you. 9 Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, launched an attack[jq] against Israel. He summoned[jr] Balaam son of Beor to call down judgment on[js] you. 10 I refused to respond to Balaam; he kept[jt] prophesying good things about[ju] you, and I rescued you from his power.[jv] 11 You crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The leaders[jw] of Jericho, as well as the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites, fought with you, but I handed them over to you. 12 I sent terror[jx] ahead of you to drive out before you the two[jy] Amorite kings. I gave you the victory; it was not by your swords or bows.[jz] 13 I gave you a land in[ka] which you had not worked hard; you took up residence in cities you did not build, and you are eating the produce of[kb] vineyards and olive groves you did not plant.’
14 “Now[kc] obey[kd] the Lord and worship[ke] him with integrity and loyalty. Put aside the gods your ancestors[kf] worshiped[kg] beyond the Euphrates[kh] and in Egypt, and worship[ki] the Lord. 15 If you have no desire[kj] to worship[kk] the Lord, then choose today whom you will worship,[kl] whether it be the gods whom your ancestors[km] worshiped[kn] beyond the Euphrates,[ko] or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But I and my family[kp] will worship[kq] the Lord.”
16 The people responded, “Far be it from us to abandon the Lord so we can[kr] worship[ks] other gods! 17 For the Lord our God took us and our fathers out of slavery[kt] in the land of Egypt[ku] and performed these awesome miracles[kv] before our very eyes. He continually protected us as we traveled and when we passed through nations.[kw] 18 The Lord drove out from before us all the nations, including the Amorites who lived in the land. So we too will worship[kx] the Lord, for he is our God!”
19 Joshua warned[ky] the people, “You will not keep worshiping[kz] the Lord, for[la] he is a holy God.[lb] He is a jealous God who will not forgive[lc] your rebellion or your sins. 20 If[ld] you abandon the Lord and worship[le] foreign gods, he will turn against you;[lf] he will bring disaster on you and destroy you,[lg] though he once treated you well.”[lh]
21 The people said to Joshua, “No! We really will[li] worship[lj] the Lord.” 22 Joshua said to the people, “Do you agree to be witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to worship the Lord?”[lk] They replied, “We are witnesses!”[ll] 23 Joshua said,[lm] “Now put aside the foreign gods that are among you and submit to[ln] the Lord God of Israel.”
24 The people said to Joshua, “We will worship[lo] the Lord our God and obey him.”[lp]
25 That day Joshua drew up an agreement[lq] for the people, and he established rules and regulations[lr] for them in Shechem. 26 Joshua wrote these words in the Law Scroll of God. He then took a large stone and set it up there under the oak tree near the Lord’s sanctuary. 27 Joshua said to all the people, “Look, this stone will be a witness against us, for it has heard everything the Lord said to us.[ls] It will be a witness against you if[lt] you deny your God.” 28 When Joshua dismissed the people, they went to their allotted portions of land.[lu]
An Era Ends
29 After all this[lv] Joshua son of Nun, the Lord’s servant, died at the age of 110. 30 They buried him in his allotted territory[lw] in Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 31 Israel worshiped[lx] the Lord throughout Joshua’s lifetime and as long as the elderly men who outlived him remained alive.[ly] These men had experienced firsthand everything the Lord had done for Israel.[lz]
32 The bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the part of the field that Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for 100 pieces of money.[ma] So it became the inheritance of the tribe of Joseph.[mb]
33 Eleazar son of Aaron died, and they buried him in Gibeah in the hill country of Ephraim, where his son Phinehas had been assigned land.[mc]
Judah Takes the Lead
1 After Joshua died, the Israelites asked[md] the Lord, “Who should lead the invasion against the Canaanites and launch the attack?”[me] 2 The Lord said, “The men of Judah should take the lead.[mf] Be sure of this! I am handing the land over to them.”[mg] 3 The men of Judah said to their relatives, the men of Simeon,[mh] “Invade our allotted land with us and help us attack the Canaanites.[mi] Then we[mj] will go with you into your allotted land.” So the men of Simeon went with them.
4 The men of Judah attacked,[mk] and the Lord handed the Canaanites and Perizzites over to them. They killed 10,000 men at Bezek. 5 They met[ml] Adoni-Bezek at Bezek and fought him. They defeated the Canaanites and Perizzites. 6 When Adoni-Bezek ran away, they chased him and captured him. Then they cut off his thumbs and big toes. 7 Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings, with thumbs and big toes cut off, used to lick up[mm] food scraps[mn] under my table. God has repaid me for what I did to them.”[mo] They brought him to Jerusalem, where he died. 8 The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem and captured it. They put the sword to it and set the city on fire.
9 Later the men of Judah went down to attack the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev,[mp] and the foothills.[mq] 10 The men of Judah attacked the Canaanites living in Hebron. (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba.) They killed Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai. 11 From there they attacked the people of Debir.[mr] (Debir used to be called Kiriath Sepher.) 12 Caleb said, “To the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher I will give my daughter Achsah as a wife.” 13 When Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother,[ms] captured it, Caleb[mt] gave him his daughter Achsah as a wife.
14 One time Achsah[mu] came and charmed her father[mv] so she could ask him for some land. When she got down from her donkey, Caleb said to her, “What would you like?” 15 She answered, “Please give me a special present.[mw] Since you have given me land in the Negev, now give me springs of water.” So Caleb gave her both the upper and lower springs.[mx]
16 Now the descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up with the people of Judah from the city of date palm trees[my] to Arad in the wilderness of Judah,[mz] located in the Negev.[na] They went and lived with the people of Judah.[nb]
17 The men of Judah went with their brothers the men of Simeon[nc] and defeated the Canaanites living in Zephath. They wiped out Zephath.[nd] So people now call the city Hormah.[ne] 18 The men of Judah captured Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron, and the territory surrounding each of these cities.[nf]
19 The Lord was with the men of Judah. They conquered[ng] the hill country, but they could not[nh] conquer the people living in the coastal plain, because they had chariots with iron-rimmed wheels.[ni] 20 Caleb received[nj] Hebron, just as Moses had promised. He drove out the three Anakites. 21 The men of Benjamin, however, did not conquer the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. The Jebusites live with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this very day.[nk]
Partial Success
22 When the men[nl] of Joseph attacked[nm] Bethel, the Lord was with them. 23 When the men of Joseph spied out Bethel (it used to be called Luz), 24 the spies spotted[nn] a man leaving the city. They said to him, “If you show us a secret entrance into the city, we will reward you.” 25 He showed them a secret entrance into the city, and they put the city to the sword. But they let the man and his extended family leave safely. 26 He[no] moved to Hittite country and built a city. He named it Luz, and it has kept that name to this very day.
27 The men of Manasseh did not conquer Beth Shean, Taanach, or their surrounding towns. Nor did they conquer the people living in Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo or their surrounding towns.[np] The Canaanites managed[nq] to remain in those areas.[nr] 28 Whenever Israel was strong militarily, they forced the Canaanites to do hard labor, but they never totally conquered them.
29 The men of Ephraim did not conquer the Canaanites living in Gezer. The Canaanites lived among them in Gezer.
30 The men of Zebulun did not conquer the people living in Kitron and Nahalol.[ns] The Canaanites lived among them and were forced to do hard labor.
31 The men of Asher did not conquer the people living in Acco or Sidon, nor did they conquer Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphek, or Rehob.[nt] 32 The people of Asher live among the Canaanites residing in the land because they did not conquer them.
33 The men of Naphtali did not conquer the people living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath.[nu] They live among the Canaanites residing in the land. The Canaanites[nv] living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath were forced to do hard labor for them.
34 The Amorites forced the people of Dan to live in the hill country. They did not allow them to live in[nw] the coastal plain. 35 The Amorites managed[nx] to remain in Har Heres,[ny] Aijalon, and Shaalbim. Whenever the tribe of Joseph was strong militarily,[nz] the Amorites were forced to do hard labor. 36 The border of Amorite territory ran from the Scorpion Ascent[oa] to Sela and on up.[ob]
Confrontation and Repentance at Bokim
2 The angel of the Lord[oc] went up from Gilgal to Bokim. He said, “I brought you up from Egypt and led you into the land I had solemnly promised to give to your ancestors.[od] I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, 2 but you must not make an agreement with the people who live in this land. You should tear down the altars where they worship.’[oe] But you have disobeyed me.[of] Why would you do such a thing?[og] 3 At that time I also warned you,[oh] ‘If you disobey,[oi] I will not drive out the Canaanites[oj] before you. They will ensnare you[ok] and their gods will lure you away.’”[ol]
4 When the angel of the Lord finished speaking these words to all the Israelites, the people wept loudly.[om] 5 They named that place Bokim[on] and offered sacrifices to the Lord there.
The End of an Era
6 When Joshua dismissed[oo] the people, the Israelites went to their allotted portions of territory,[op] intending to take possession of the land. 7 The people worshiped[oq] the Lord throughout Joshua’s lifetime and as long as the elderly men[or] who outlived him remained alive. These men had witnessed[os] all the great things the Lord had done for Israel.[ot] 8 Joshua son of Nun, the Lord’s servant, died at the age of 110. 9 The people[ou] buried him in his allotted land[ov] in Timnath Heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 10 That entire generation passed away;[ow] a new generation grew up[ox] that had not personally experienced the Lord’s presence or seen what he had done for Israel.[oy]
A Monotonous Cycle
11 The Israelites did evil before[oz] the Lord by worshiping[pa] the Baals. 12 They abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors[pb] who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods—the gods of the nations who lived around them. They worshiped[pc] them and made the Lord angry. 13 They abandoned the Lord and worshiped Baal and the Ashtoreths.[pd]
14 The Lord was furious with Israel[pe] and handed them over to robbers who plundered them.[pf] He turned them over to[pg] their enemies who lived around them. They could no longer withstand their enemies’ attacks.[ph] 15 Whenever they went out to fight,[pi] the Lord did them harm,[pj] just as he had warned and solemnly vowed he would do.[pk] They suffered greatly.[pl]
16 The Lord raised up leaders[pm] who delivered them from these robbers.[pn] 17 But they did not obey[po] their leaders. Instead they prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped[pp] them. They quickly turned aside from the path[pq] their ancestors[pr] had walked. Their ancestors had obeyed the Lord’s commands, but they did not.[ps] 18 When the Lord raised up leaders for them, the Lord was with each leader and delivered the people[pt] from their enemies while the leader remained alive. The Lord felt sorry for them[pu] when they cried out in agony because of what their harsh oppressors did to them.[pv] 19 When a leader died, the next generation[pw] would again[px] act more wickedly than the previous one.[py] They would follow after other gods, worshiping them[pz] and bowing down to them. They did not give up[qa] their practices or their stubborn ways.
A Divine Decision
20 The Lord was furious with Israel.[qb] He said, “This nation[qc] has violated the terms of the covenant I made with their ancestors[qd] by disobeying me.[qe] 21 So I will no longer remove before them any of the nations that Joshua left unconquered when he died, 22 in order to test Israel.[qf] [qg] I want to see[qh] whether or not the people[qi] will carefully walk in the path[qj] marked out by[qk] the Lord, as their ancestors[ql] were careful to do.” 23 This is why[qm] the Lord permitted these nations to remain and did not conquer them immediately;[qn] he did not hand them over to Joshua.
3 These were the nations the Lord permitted to remain so he could use them to test Israel—he wanted to test all those who had not experienced battle against the Canaanites.[qo] 2 He left those nations simply because he wanted to teach the subsequent generations of Israelites, who had not experienced the earlier battles, how to conduct holy war.[qp] 3 These were the nations:[qq] the five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath.[qr] 4 They were left to test Israel, so the Lord would know if his people would obey the commands he gave their ancestors through Moses.[qs]
5 The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 6 They took the Canaanites’ daughters as wives and gave their daughters to the Canaanites;[qt] they worshiped[qu] their gods as well.
Othniel: A Model Leader
7 The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight.[qv] They forgot the Lord their God and worshiped the Baals and the Asherahs.[qw] 8 The Lord was furious with Israel[qx] and turned them over to[qy] King Cushan Rishathaim[qz] of Armon Haraim.[ra] They were Cushan Rishathaim’s subjects[rb] for eight years. 9 When the Israelites cried out for help to the Lord, he[rc] raised up a deliverer for the Israelites who rescued[rd] them. His name was Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.[re] 10 The Lord’s Spirit empowered him[rf] and he led Israel. When he went to do battle, the Lord handed over to him King Cushan Rishathaim of Armon[rg] and he overpowered him.[rh] 11 The land had rest for forty years; then Othniel son of Kenaz died.
Deceit, Assassination, and Deliverance
12 The Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight.[ri] The Lord gave King Eglon of Moab control over Israel[rj] because they had done evil in the Lord’s sight. 13 Eglon formed alliances with[rk] the Ammonites and Amalekites. He came and defeated Israel, and they seized the city of date palm trees.[rl] 14 The Israelites were subject to[rm] King Eglon of Moab for eighteen years.
15 When the Israelites cried out for help to the Lord, he[rn] raised up a deliverer for them. His name was Ehud son of Gera the Benjaminite, a left-handed man.[ro] The Israelites sent him to King Eglon of Moab with their tribute payment.[rp] 16 Ehud made himself a sword—it had two edges and was 18 inches long.[rq] He strapped it under his coat on his right thigh. 17 He brought the tribute payment to King Eglon of Moab. (Now Eglon was a very fat man.)
18 After Ehud brought the tribute payment, he dismissed the people who had carried it.[rr] 19 But he went back[rs] once he reached[rt] the carved images[ru] at Gilgal. He said to Eglon,[rv] “I have a secret message for you, O king.” Eglon[rw] said, “Be quiet!”[rx] All his attendants left. 20 When Ehud approached him, he was sitting in his well-ventilated[ry] upper room all by himself. Ehud said, “I have a message from God[rz] for you.” When Eglon rose up from his seat,[sa] 21 Ehud reached with his left hand, pulled the sword from his right thigh, and drove it into Eglon’s[sb] belly. 22 The handle went in after the blade, and the fat closed around the blade, for Ehud[sc] did not pull the sword out of his belly.[sd] 23 As Ehud went out into the vestibule,[se] he closed the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.
24 When Ehud had left, Eglon’s[sf] servants came and saw the locked doors of the upper room. They said, “He must be relieving himself[sg] in the well-ventilated inner room.”[sh] 25 They waited so long they were embarrassed, but he still did not open the doors of the upper room. Finally they took the key and opened the doors.[si] Right before their eyes was their master, sprawled out dead on the floor![sj] 26 Now Ehud had escaped while they were delaying. When he passed the carved images, he escaped to Seirah.
27 When he reached Seirah,[sk] he blew a trumpet[sl] in the Ephraimite hill country. The Israelites went down with him from the hill country, with Ehud in the lead.[sm]
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