Joshua
Outline of Contents
Chapter 1
	Jehovah encourages Joshua (1-9)
		Read the Law in an undertone (8)
	Preparations to cross the Jordan (10-18)
Chapter 2
	Joshua sends two spies to Jericho (1-3)
	Rahab hides the spies (4-7)
	Promise to Rahab (8-21a)
		Scarlet cord as a sign (18)
	The spies return to Joshua (21b-24)
Chapter 3
	Israel crosses the Jordan (1-17)
Chapter 4
	Stones to serve as a memorial (1-24)
Chapter 5
	Circumcision at Gilgal (1-9)
	Passover celebrated; manna stops (10-12)
	Prince of Jehovah’s army (13-15)
Chapter 6
	Wall of Jericho falls (1-21)
	Rahab and her family spared (22-27)
Chapter 7
	Israel defeated at Ai (1-5)
	Joshua’s prayer (6-9)
	Sin cause of Israel’s defeat (10-15)
	Achan exposed and stoned (16-26)
Chapter 8
	Joshua sets ambush against Ai (1-13)
	Ai successfully captured (14-29)
	Law read at Mount Ebal (30-35)
Chapter 9
	Shrewd Gibeonites seek peace (1-15)
	Gibeonites’ trick exposed (16-21)
	Gibeonites to fetch wood and water (22-27)
Chapter 10
	Israel defends Gibeon (1-7)
	Jehovah fights for Israel (8-15)
		Hailstones on fleeing enemies (11)
		The sun stands still (12-14)
	The attacking five kings killed (16-28)
	Cities in the south captured (29-43)
Chapter 11
	Cities in the north captured (1-15)
	Summary of Joshua’s conquests (16-23)
Chapter 12
	Kings defeated east of the Jordan (1-6)
	Kings defeated west of the Jordan (7-24)
Chapter 13
	Land yet to be conquered (1-7)
	Division of the land east of the Jordan (8-14)
	Reuben’s inheritance (15-23)
	Gad’s inheritance (24-28)
	Manasseh’s inheritance in the east (29-32)
	Jehovah is Levites’ inheritance (33)
Chapter 14
	Division of the land west of the Jordan (1-5)
	Caleb inherits Hebron (6-15)
Chapter 15
	Judah’s inheritance (1-12)
	Caleb’s daughter gets land (13-19)
	Cities of Judah (20-63)
Chapter 16
	Inheritance of Joseph’s descendants (1-4)
	Ephraim’s inheritance (5-10)
Chapter 17
	Manasseh’s inheritance in the west (1-13)
	Additional land for Joseph’s descendants (14-18)
Chapter 18
	Rest of the land distributed at Shiloh (1-10)
	Benjamin’s inheritance (11-28)
Chapter 19
	Simeon’s inheritance (1-9)
	Zebulun’s inheritance (10-16)
	Issachar’s inheritance (17-23)
	Asher’s inheritance (24-31)
	Naphtali’s inheritance (32-39)
	Dan’s inheritance (40-48)
	Joshua’s inheritance (49-51)
Chapter 20
	Cities of refuge (1-9)
Chapter 21
	Cities for the Levites (1-42)
		For Aaron’s descendants (9-19)
		For the rest of the Kohathites (20-26)
		For the Gershonites (27-33)
		For the Merarites (34-40)
	Jehovah’s promises fulfilled (43-45)
Chapter 22
	Eastern tribes return home (1-8)
	Altar built at the Jordan (9-12)
	Meaning of the altar explained (13-29)
	Conflict settled (30-34)
Chapter 23
	Joshua’s farewell to Israel’s leaders (1-16)
		None of Jehovah’s words failed (14)
Chapter 24
	Joshua reviews Israel’s history (1-13)
	Exhortation to serve Jehovah (14-24)
		“As for me and my household, we will serve Jehovah” (15)
	Joshua’s covenant with Israel (25-28)
	Joshua’s death and burial (29-31)
	Joseph’s bones buried at Shechem (32)
	Eleazar’s death and burial (33)
Chapter 1
1 After the death of Moses the servant of Jehovah, Jehovah said to Joshua the son of Nun, the minister of Moses: 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now get up, cross the Jordan, you and all this people, and go into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. 3 I will give you every place on which you set your foot, just as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the wilderness up to Lebanon and to the great river, the Euphrates—all the land of the Hittites—and to the Great Sea on the west. 5 No one will be able to take a stand against you as long as you live. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will neither desert you nor abandon you. 6 Be courageous and strong, for you are the one who will cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their forefathers I would give to them.
7 “Only be courageous and very strong, and observe carefully the entire Law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not deviate from it either to the right or to the left, so that you may act wisely wherever you go. 8 This book of the Law should not depart from your mouth, and you must read it in an undertone day and night, in order to observe carefully all that is written in it; for then your way will be successful and then you will act wisely. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be courageous and strong. Do not be struck with terror or fear, for Jehovah your God is with you wherever you go.”
10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people: 11 “Pass throughout the camp and give this command to the people, ‘Get provisions ready, because in three days you will cross the Jordan to go in and take possession of the land that Jehovah your God is giving you to possess.’”
12 And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said: 13 “Remember what Moses the servant of Jehovah commanded you: ‘Jehovah your God is giving you rest and has given you this land. 14 Your wives, your children, and your livestock will dwell in the land that Moses has given you on this side of the Jordan, but all you mighty warriors should cross over in battle formation ahead of your brothers. You must help them 15 until Jehovah gives your brothers rest, just as he has given you, and they also take possession of the land that Jehovah your God is giving them. Then return to the land you were given to occupy and take possession of it, the land that Moses the servant of Jehovah gave you on the east side of the Jordan.’”
16 They answered Joshua: “We will do all that you have commanded, and we will go wherever you send us. 17 Just as we listened to everything Moses said, so we will listen to you. Only may Jehovah your God be with you just as he was with Moses. 18 Any man who rebels against your order and does not obey every command you give him will be put to death. Only be courageous and strong.”
Chapter 2
1 Then Joshua the son of Nun secretly sent two men out from Shittim as spies. He told them: “Go and inspect the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab, and they stayed there. 2 The king of Jericho was told: “Look! Israelite men have come in here tonight to spy out the land.” 3 At that the king of Jericho sent word to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came and are staying in your house, for they have come to spy out the entire land.”
4 But the woman took the two men and hid them. Then she said: “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. 5 And at dark when the city gate was about to be closed, the men went out. I do not know where the men went, but if you quickly chase after them, you will catch up with them.” 6 (However, she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them among stalks of flax laid in rows on the roof.) 7 So the men chased after them in the direction of the Jordan at the fords, and the city gate was shut once the pursuers had gone out.
8 Before the men lay down to sleep, she came up to them on the roof. 9 She said to the men: “I do know that Jehovah will give you the land and that the fear of you has fallen upon us. All the inhabitants of the land are disheartened because of you, 10 for we heard how Jehovah dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you left Egypt and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites, Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction on the other side of the Jordan. 11 When we heard about it, we lost heart, and no one has any courage because of you, for Jehovah your God is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. 12 Now, please, swear to me by Jehovah that, because I showed loyal love to you, you will also show loyal love to my father’s household; and you must give me a sign of good faith. 13 You must spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and you must save us from death.”
14 At that the men said to her: “We will give our lives for yours! If you do not tell about our mission, then we will show loyal love and faithfulness toward you when Jehovah gives us the land.” 15 After that she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on a side of the city wall. In fact, she was dwelling on the wall. 16 Then she said to them: “Go to the mountainous region and hide there for three days, so that those pursuing you may not find you. Then, after your pursuers have come back, you can go on your way.”
17 The men said to her: “We will be free from guilt respecting this oath that you made us swear 18 unless, when we come into the land, you tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window by which you let us down. You should gather your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household with you into the house. 19 Then if anyone goes out the doors of your house into the open, his blood will be on his own head, and we will be free from guilt. But if harm comes to anyone who remains with you in the house, his blood will be on our heads. 20 But if you report our mission, we will be free from guilt respecting your oath that you made us swear.” 21 She replied: “Let it be according to your words.”
With that she sent them off, and they went their way. Afterward, she tied the scarlet cord in the window. 22 So they left and went to the mountainous region and stayed there for three days, until the pursuers returned. The pursuers had been looking for them on every road but did not find them. 23 The two men then descended from the mountainous region and crossed the river and came to Joshua the son of Nun. They related to him all the things that had happened to them. 24 Then they said to Joshua: “Jehovah has handed over the entire land to us. In fact, all the inhabitants of the land are disheartened because of us.”
Chapter 3
1 Then Joshua got up early in the morning, and he and all the Israelites departed from Shittim and came to the Jordan. They spent the night there before crossing over.
2 After three days, the officers passed throughout the camp 3 and commanded the people: “As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of Jehovah your God being carried by the Levitical priests, you should depart from your place and follow it. 4 But keep a distance of about 2,000 cubits from it; do not come any nearer to it, so that you may know which is the way to go, for you have not traveled on this way before.”
5 Joshua now said to the people: “Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow Jehovah will do wonderful things among you.”
6 Then Joshua said to the priests: “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass ahead of the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went ahead of the people.
7 Then Jehovah said to Joshua: “This day I will start to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so that they may know that I will be with you just as I was with Moses. 8 You should give this command to the priests carrying the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you should stand still in the Jordan.’”
9 And Joshua said to the Israelites: “Come here and listen to the words of Jehovah your God.” 10 Joshua then said: “By this you will know that a living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive away from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. 11 Look! The ark of the covenant of the Lord of the whole earth is passing ahead of you into the Jordan. 12 Now take 12 men from the tribes of Israel, one man for each tribe, 13 and as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests carrying the Ark of Jehovah, the Lord of the whole earth, touch the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan flowing from upstream will be halted and they will stand still like a dam.”
14 So when the people departed from their tents just before crossing the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of the people. 15 As soon as the carriers of the Ark reached the Jordan and the priests carrying the Ark dipped their feet into the edge of the waters (now the Jordan overflows its banks all the days of harvest), 16 the waters flowing from upstream stood still. They rose up like a dam very far away at Adam, the city near Zarethan, while the waters descending toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, drained away. They were halted, and the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 While the priests carrying the ark of Jehovah’s covenant kept standing still on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, all Israel crossed over on dry ground until the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan.
Chapter 4
1 As soon as the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, Jehovah said to Joshua: 2 “Take 12 men from the people, one man from each tribe, 3 and give them this command: ‘Take up 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood still, and carry them over with you and set them down in the place where you will spend the night.’”
4 So Joshua called the 12 men whom he had appointed from the Israelites, one man from each tribe, 5 and Joshua said to them: “Pass ahead of the Ark of Jehovah your God to the middle of the Jordan, and each of you should lift up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 6 to serve as a sign among you. If your children should later ask you, ‘Why do you have these stones?’ 7 you must tell them: ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were halted from before the ark of Jehovah’s covenant. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were halted. These stones will serve as a lasting memorial to the people of Israel.’”
8 So the Israelites did just as Joshua had commanded. They took up 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan, just as Jehovah had instructed Joshua, to correspond to the number of the tribes of the Israelites. They took them over to the place where they would spend the night and set them down there.
9 Joshua also set up 12 stones in the middle of the Jordan at the place where the feet of the priests who carried the ark of the covenant stood, and the stones are there to this day.
10 The priests carrying the Ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything that Jehovah had ordered Joshua to tell the people to do was completed, in harmony with all that Moses had commanded Joshua. All the while, the people hurried across. 11 As soon as all the people had finished crossing over, the Ark of Jehovah and the priests crossed over in the sight of the people. 12 And the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh crossed over in battle formation ahead of the other Israelites, just as Moses had instructed them. 13 About 40,000 soldiers armed for battle crossed over before Jehovah onto the desert plains of Jericho.
14 On that day Jehovah exalted Joshua in the eyes of all Israel, and they deeply respected him all the days of his life, just as they had deeply respected Moses.
15 Then Jehovah said to Joshua: 16 “Command the priests carrying the ark of the Testimony to come up out of the Jordan.” 17 So Joshua commanded the priests: “Come up out of the Jordan.” 18 When the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of Jehovah came up from the middle of the Jordan and the soles of the feet of the priests stepped onto dry ground, the waters of the Jordan resumed their course and overflowed the banks as before.
19 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 As for the 12 stones that they had taken out of the Jordan, Joshua set these up at Gilgal. 21 Then he said to the Israelites: “In the future when your children ask their fathers, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22 you must explain to your children: ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry land 23 when Jehovah your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before them until they had crossed it, just as Jehovah your God did to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we crossed it. 24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth may know how mighty Jehovah’s hand is and so that you may always fear Jehovah your God.’”
Chapter 5
1 As soon as all the kings of the Amorites who were on the west side of the Jordan and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea heard that Jehovah had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, they lost heart, and they lost all courage because of the Israelites.
2 At that time Jehovah said to Joshua: “Make for yourself flint knives and circumcise the men of Israel again, a second time.” 3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the men of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. 4 This is why Joshua circumcised them: All the males of the people who left Egypt, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the journey after they left Egypt. 5 All the people who left Egypt were circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness on the journey after they left Egypt were not circumcised. 6 The Israelites had walked for 40 years in the wilderness until the entire nation had died off, that is, the men of war who left Egypt who did not obey the voice of Jehovah. Jehovah swore to them that he would never let them see the land that Jehovah had sworn to their forefathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 So he raised up their sons instead of them. These Joshua circumcised; they were uncircumcised because they had not circumcised them during the journey.
8 When they finished circumcising the entire nation, they remained where they were in the camp until they recovered.
9 Then Jehovah said to Joshua: “Today I have rolled away from you the reproach of Egypt.” So that place has been called Gilgal until this day.
10 The Israelites continued to camp at Gilgal, and they observed the Passover on the 14th day of the month, in the evening, on the desert plains of Jericho. 11 And they began to eat the produce of the land the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and roasted grains, on this same day. 12 And the manna stopped on the following day when they had eaten some of the produce of the land; there was no longer manna for the Israelites, but they began to eat the produce of the land of Canaan in that year.
13 When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua walked up to him and asked: “Are you on our side or on the side of our adversaries?” 14 To this he said: “No, but I have come as prince of Jehovah’s army.” With that Joshua fell with his face to the ground and prostrated himself and said to him: “What does my lord have to say to his servant?” 15 The prince of Jehovah’s army replied to Joshua: “Remove your sandals from your feet, because the place where you are standing is holy.” At once Joshua did so.
Chapter 6
1 Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites; no one was leaving and no one was entering.
2 Jehovah then said to Joshua: “See, I have handed over to you Jericho and its king and its mighty warriors. 3 All you fighting men should march around the city, going around the city once. That is what you should do for six days. 4 Have seven priests carry seven ram’s horns before the Ark. But on the seventh day, you should march around the city seven times and the priests should blow the horns. 5 When the ram’s horn is sounded—as soon as you hear the sound of the horn—all the people should shout a great war cry. Then the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people must go up, each one straight ahead.”
6 So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests together and told them: “Take up the ark of the covenant, and seven priests should carry seven ram’s horns before the Ark of Jehovah.” 7 Then he told the people: “Move on and march around the city, and the armed troops should go ahead of the Ark of Jehovah.” 8 And just as Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying seven ram’s horns before Jehovah went forward and blew the horns, and the ark of the covenant of Jehovah was following them. 9 And the armed troops went ahead of the priests who were blowing the horns, and the rear guard followed the Ark as the horns were blown continuously.
10 Now Joshua had commanded the people: “Do not shout nor let your voices be heard. Not a word should come out of your mouths until the day I say to you, ‘Shout!’ Then shout.” 11 He had the Ark of Jehovah go around the city, going around it once, after which they returned to the camp and spent the night there.
12 The next morning Joshua got up early, and the priests took up the Ark of Jehovah, 13 and seven priests carrying seven ram’s horns walked before the Ark of Jehovah, continuously blowing the horns. The armed troops were walking ahead of them while the rear guard was following the Ark of Jehovah as the horns were blown continuously. 14 They marched around the city on the second day once, after which they returned to the camp. That was what they did for six days.
15 On the seventh day they got up early, as soon as the dawn broke, and they marched around the city in the same manner seven times. It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. 16 And on the seventh time, the priests blew the horns, and Joshua told the people: “Shout, for Jehovah has given you the city! 17 The city and everything in it is to be devoted to destruction; it all belongs to Jehovah. Only Rahab the prostitute may keep living, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers we sent out. 18 But keep away from what is devoted to destruction, so that you do not desire something devoted to destruction and take it, making the camp of Israel something devoted to destruction by bringing disaster on it. 19 But all the silver and the gold and the articles of copper and iron are holy to Jehovah. They should go into the treasury of Jehovah.”
20 Then the people shouted when the horns were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the horn and shouted a great war cry, the wall fell down flat. After that the people went up into the city, each one straight ahead, and they captured the city. 21 They devoted all that was in the city to destruction by the sword, man and woman, young and old, bull, sheep, and donkey.
22 Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land: “Go into the house of the prostitute and bring out the woman and all who belong to her, just as you swore to her.” 23 So the young spies went in and brought out Rahab, along with her father, her mother, her brothers, and all who belonged to her; yes, they brought out her whole family, and they brought them safely to a place outside the camp of Israel.
24 Then they burned the city and everything in it with fire. But the silver, the gold, and the articles of copper and iron, they gave to the treasury of Jehovah’s house. 25 Only Rahab the prostitute and her father’s household and all who belonged to her were spared by Joshua; and she lives in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent out to spy on Jericho.
26 At that time Joshua pronounced this oath: “Cursed be the man before Jehovah who undertakes to rebuild this city of Jericho. At the cost of his firstborn he will lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest he will put up its doors.”
27 So Jehovah was with Joshua, and his fame spread through all the earth.
Chapter 7
1 But the Israelites were unfaithful with regard to what had been devoted to destruction, for Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was devoted to destruction. At this Jehovah’s anger blazed against the Israelites.
2 Then Joshua sent men out from Jericho to Ai, which is close by Beth-aven and east of Bethel, telling them: “Go up and spy on the land.” So the men went up and spied on Ai. 3 When they returned to Joshua, they told him: “Not all the people need to go up. About two or three thousand men are enough to defeat Ai. Do not tire out all the people by making them go, for there are only a few of them.”
4 So about 3,000 men went up there, but they had to flee from the men of Ai. 5 The men of Ai struck down 36 men, and they pursued them from outside the city gate as far as Shebarim, and they continued striking them down on the descent. So the courage of the people melted and flowed away like water.
6 At this Joshua ripped his garments and fell with his face to the ground before the Ark of Jehovah until the evening, he and the elders of Israel, and they kept throwing dust on their heads. 7 Joshua said: “Alas, Sovereign Lord Jehovah, why did you bring this people all the way across the Jordan just to hand us over to the Amorites to be destroyed? If only we had been satisfied to remain on the other side of the Jordan! 8 Pardon me, O Jehovah, what can I say now that Israel has retreated before his enemies? 9 When the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land hear about it, they will surround us and wipe out our very name from the earth, and what will you do about your great name?”
10 Jehovah replied to Joshua: “Get up! Why are you lying on your face? 11 Israel has sinned. They have violated my covenant that I commanded them to keep. They took some of what was devoted to destruction, stealing it and secretly putting it among their own possessions. 12 Therefore, the Israelites will not be able to stand against their enemies. They will turn their backs and flee from their enemies, because they have become something devoted to destruction. I will not be with you again unless you annihilate from your midst what was devoted to destruction. 13 Get up and sanctify the people! Tell them, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, for this is what Jehovah the God of Israel says: “What is devoted to destruction is among you, O Israel. You will not be able to stand against your enemies until you remove from your midst the thing devoted to destruction. 14 You are to present yourselves in the morning, tribe by tribe, and the tribe that Jehovah selects will come near, family by family, and the family that Jehovah selects will come near, household by household, and the household that Jehovah selects will come near, man by man. 15 And the one who is caught with the thing devoted to destruction will be burned with fire, he and all that belongs to him, because he has violated the covenant of Jehovah and because he has committed a disgraceful act in Israel.”’”
16 So Joshua rose early the next morning and had Israel come near, tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was selected. 17 He had the families of Judah come near and the family of the Zerahites was selected, after which he had the family of the Zerahites come near, man by man, and Zabdi was selected. 18 Finally he had the household of Zabdi come near, man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was selected. 19 Then Joshua said to Achan: “My son, please, honor Jehovah the God of Israel and make confession to him. Tell me, please, what you have done. Do not hide it from me.”
20 Achan answered Joshua: “For a fact I am the one who sinned against Jehovah the God of Israel, and this is what I have done. 21 When I saw among the spoil a good-looking official garment from Shinar and 200 shekels of silver and one gold bar weighing 50 shekels, I desired them, so I took them. They are now hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the money underneath.”
22 At once Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent, and there the garment was hidden in his tent, with the money underneath it. 23 So they took the things out of the tent and brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites and placed them before Jehovah. 24 Joshua and all Israel with him then took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the official garment, and the bar of gold, along with his sons, his daughters, his bull, his donkey, his flock, his tent, and everything that was his, and they brought them up to the Valley of Achor. 25 Joshua said: “Why have you brought disaster upon us? Jehovah will bring disaster upon you on this day.” With that all Israel stoned him, after which they burned them with fire. Thus they stoned all of them. 26 And they raised a huge pile of stones over him that remains to this day. At this Jehovah’s hot anger subsided. That is why the name of that place is Valley of Achor to this day.
Chapter 8
1 Then Jehovah said to Joshua: “Do not be afraid or be terrified. Take with you all the fighting men and go up against Ai. See, I have handed over to you the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land. 2 Do to Ai and to its king just as you did to Jericho and its king, except you may plunder its spoil and its livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the city.”
3 So Joshua and all the fighting men went up against Ai. Joshua chose 30,000 mighty warriors and sent them off by night. 4 He gave them this command: “See, you are to lie in ambush behind the city. Do not go very far from the city, and all of you be ready. 5 I and all the people with me will approach the city, and when they come out against us as before, we will retreat from them. 6 When they come out after us, we will draw them away from the city, for they will say, ‘They are retreating from us just as before.’ And we will retreat from them. 7 Then you should rise up from the ambush and capture the city; Jehovah your God will hand it over to you. 8 As soon as you have seized the city, you should set it on fire. You should do according to Jehovah’s word. See, I have given you your orders.”
9 Then Joshua sent them out, and they marched to the place of ambush; they took a position between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai, while Joshua spent that night with the people.
10 After Joshua rose up early in the morning and gathered the troops, he and the elders of Israel led them to Ai. 11 All the fighting men who were with him marched up and advanced to the front of the city. They camped to the north of Ai, with the valley between them and Ai. 12 In the meantime, he had taken about 5,000 men and had set them as an ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city. 13 So the people set the main camp to the north of the city and the rear guard west of the city, and Joshua went that night into the middle of the valley.
14 And as soon as the king of Ai saw this, he and the men of the city hurried out early in the morning to meet Israel in battle at a certain place overlooking the desert plain. But he did not know that there was an ambush set against him to the rear of the city. 15 When the men of Ai attacked, Joshua and all Israel fled along the road in the direction of the wilderness. 16 Then all the people who were in the city were summoned to pursue them; and as they pursued Joshua they were drawn away from the city. 17 Not a man was remaining in Ai and Bethel who did not go out after Israel. They left the city wide open and pursued Israel.
18 Jehovah now said to Joshua: “Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for into your hand I will give it.” So Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city. 19 The moment he stretched out his hand, the ambush rose up quickly from its place and ran into the city and captured it. They immediately set the city on fire.
20 When the men of Ai turned around, they saw the smoke of the city rising to the sky, and they had no strength to flee in any direction. Then the people who had been fleeing toward the wilderness turned on their pursuers. 21 When Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had captured the city and saw the smoke of the city rising, they turned around and attacked the men of Ai. 22 And the others came out of the city to meet them, so that the men of Ai were trapped in the middle, with some Israelites on this side and some on that side, and they struck them down until there was not one survivor or escapee remaining. 23 But they caught the king of Ai alive and brought him before Joshua.
24 After Israel finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness where they had pursued them, and every last one of them had fallen by the sword, then all Israel returned to Ai and struck it with the sword. 25 All those who fell on that day, from man to woman, amounted to 12,000, all the people of Ai. 26 Joshua did not draw back his hand with which he had stretched out the javelin until he had devoted all the inhabitants of Ai to destruction. 27 However, Israel took the livestock and the spoil of that city for themselves, according to the orders that Jehovah had given to Joshua.
28 Then Joshua burned Ai and reduced it to a permanent mound of ruins, as it remains to this day. 29 He hung the king of Ai on a stake until the evening, and as the sun was about to set, Joshua gave the order to take his dead body down from the stake. Then they pitched it at the entrance of the city gate and raised up a great pile of stones over him, which is there to this day.
30 It was then that Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal to Jehovah the God of Israel, 31 just as Moses the servant of Jehovah had commanded the Israelites and as it is written in the book of the Law of Moses: “An altar of whole stones on which no iron tool has been wielded.” On it they offered up burnt offerings to Jehovah as well as communion sacrifices.
32 Then he wrote there on the stones a copy of the Law that Moses had written before the Israelites. 33 All Israel, their elders, the officers, and their judges were standing on both sides of the Ark in front of the Levitical priests who were carrying the ark of the covenant of Jehovah. The foreign residents were there as well as the natives. Half of them stood in front of Mount Gerizim, and the other half in front of Mount Ebal (just as Moses the servant of Jehovah had previously commanded), to bless the people of Israel. 34 After this he read aloud all the words of the Law, the blessings and the curses, according to all that is written in the book of the Law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read aloud in front of all the congregation of Israel, including the women and children and the foreign residents who were living among them.
Chapter 9
1 When all the kings who were on the west side of the Jordan heard what had happened, those in the mountainous region, in the Shephelah, along the entire coast of the Great Sea, and in front of Lebanon—the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites— 2 they formed an alliance to fight against Joshua and Israel.
3 The inhabitants of Gibeon also heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai. 4 So they acted shrewdly and put provisions into worn-out sacks on their donkeys, along with worn-out wineskins that had burst and had been mended; 5 they also had worn-out and patched sandals on their feet, and they were wearing worn-out garments. All the bread of their provisions was dry and crumbly. 6 Then they went to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel: “We have come from a distant land. Now make a covenant with us.” 7 But the men of Israel said to the Hivites: “Perhaps you are living near us. So how can we make a covenant with you?” 8 They replied to Joshua: “We are your servants.”
Then Joshua said to them: “Who are you, and where do you come from?” 9 At this they said to him: “Your servants have come from a very distant land out of regard for the name of Jehovah your God, because we have heard about his fame and about all he did in Egypt 10 and about all he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan, who was in Ashtaroth. 11 So our elders and all the inhabitants of our land told us, ‘Take provisions with you for the journey and go to meet them. Tell them: “We will be your servants; now make a covenant with us.”’ 12 This bread that we took as our provisions was still hot on the day we left our houses to come here to you. Now you can see it is dry and crumbly. 13 And these wineskins were new when we filled them, but now they have burst. And our garments and sandals have worn out because of the great length of the journey.”
14 At that the men took some of their provisions, but they did not inquire of Jehovah. 15 So Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them to let them live, and that is what the chieftains of the assembly swore to them in an oath.
16 At the end of three days, after they made a covenant with them, they heard that they lived nearby, in their vicinity. 17 Then the Israelites set out and came to their cities on the third day; their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. 18 But the Israelites did not attack them, because the chieftains of the assembly had sworn an oath to them by Jehovah the God of Israel. So all the assembly began to murmur against the chieftains. 19 At this all the chieftains said to the entire assembly: “Since we swore an oath to them by Jehovah the God of Israel, we are not allowed to hurt them. 20 This is what we will do: We will let them live, so that there is no indignation against us because of the oath that we swore to them.” 21 And the chieftains added: “Let them live, but let them become gatherers of wood and drawers of water for all the assembly.” This is what the chieftains promised them.
22 Joshua now called them and said to them: “Why did you trick us by saying, ‘We are from a place very far away from you,’ when you really live right among us? 23 From now on you are cursed, and you will always occupy a slave’s position as gatherers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.” 24 They answered Joshua: “It was because your servants were plainly told that Jehovah your God had commanded Moses his servant to give you all the land and to annihilate all its inhabitants from before you. So we were afraid for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this. 25 Now we are at your mercy. Do to us whatever you think is good and right.” 26 And that is what he did with them; he saved them from the hands of the Israelites, and they did not kill them. 27 But that day Joshua made them gatherers of wood and drawers of water for the assembly and for Jehovah’s altar at the place that He should choose, and they remain so to this day.
Chapter 10
1 As soon as King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai and devoted it to destruction, doing to Ai and its king just as he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and remained among them, 2 he was greatly alarmed, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities. It was greater than Ai, and all its men were warriors. 3 So Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent this message to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon: 4 “Come to my aid, and let us attack Gibeon, because it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.” 5 At this 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 together along with their armies, and they marched on and encamped against Gibeon to fight against it.
6 Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal: “Do not forsake your slaves. Come quickly! Rescue us and help us! All the kings of the Amorites from the mountainous region have gathered against us.” 7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal with all the fighting men and the mighty warriors.
8 Jehovah then said to Joshua: “Do not be afraid of them, for I have handed them over to you. Not one of them will be able to stand against you.” 9 Joshua came against them by surprise after marching all night long from Gilgal. 10 Jehovah threw them into confusion before Israel, and they inflicted a great slaughter on them at Gibeon, pursuing them by way of the ascent of Beth-horon and striking them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. 11 While they were fleeing from Israel and were on the descent of Beth-horon, Jehovah hurled great hailstones from the sky on them as far as Azekah, and they perished. In fact, more died from the hail than from the sword of the Israelites.
12 It was then, on the day that Jehovah routed the Amorites before the eyes of the Israelites, that Joshua said to Jehovah before Israel:
“Sun, stand still over Gibeon,
And moon, over the Valley of Aijalon!”
13 So the sun stood still and the moon did not move until the nation could take vengeance on its enemies. Is it not written in the book of Jashar? The sun stood still in the middle of the sky and did not hasten to set for about a whole day. 14 There has never been a day like that one, either before it or after it, when Jehovah listened to the voice of a man, for Jehovah was fighting for Israel.
15 After that Joshua together with all Israel returned to the camp at Gilgal.
16 Meanwhile, the five kings fled and hid in the cave at Makkedah. 17 Then it was reported to Joshua: “The five kings have been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah.” 18 So Joshua said: “Roll large stones over the mouth of the cave and assign men to guard them. 19 But the rest of you should not stop. Pursue your enemies and strike them from the rear. Do not allow them to enter into their cities, for Jehovah your God has given them into your hands.”
20 After Joshua and the Israelites had finished inflicting a very great slaughter on them, to the point of wiping them out except for some survivors who escaped and entered into the fortified cities, 21 all the people returned safely to Joshua at the camp at Makkedah. Not a man dared to utter a word against the Israelites. 22 Then Joshua said: “Open the mouth of the cave and bring the five kings out of the cave to me.” 23 So they brought to him from the cave these five kings: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. 24 When they brought these kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the commanders of the fighting men who had gone with him: “Come forward. Place your feet on the backs of the necks of these kings.” So they came forward and placed their feet on the backs of their necks. 25 Then Joshua said to them: “Do not be afraid or be terrified. Be courageous and strong, for this is what Jehovah will do to all your enemies against whom you are fighting.”
26 Then Joshua struck them and put them to death and hung them on five stakes, and they remained hanging on the stakes until the evening. 27 At sunset Joshua ordered that they be taken down off the stakes and thrown into the cave where they had hidden themselves. Then large stones were placed at the mouth of the cave, and these remain to this very day.
28 Joshua captured Makkedah on that day and struck it with the sword. He devoted its king and everyone in it to destruction, letting no survivor remain. He did to the king of Makkedah just as he had done to the king of Jericho.
29 Then Joshua together with all Israel went from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against Libnah. 30 Jehovah also gave it and its king into Israel’s hand, and they struck it and everyone in it with the sword, not letting a survivor remain in it. So they did to its king just as they had done to the king of Jericho.
31 Next Joshua together with all Israel went from Libnah to Lachish and camped there and fought against it. 32 Jehovah gave Lachish into Israel’s hand, and they captured it on the second day. They struck it and everyone in it with the sword, just as they had done to Libnah.
33 Then Horam king of Gezer went up to help Lachish, but Joshua struck him and his people down until not one survivor remained.
34 Then Joshua together with all Israel went from Lachish to Eglon and camped there and fought against it. 35 They captured it on that day and struck it with the sword. They devoted everyone in it to destruction on that day, just as they had done to Lachish.
36 Then Joshua together with all Israel went up from Eglon to Hebron and fought against it. 37 They captured it and struck it, its king, its towns, and everyone in it with the sword, not letting any survivor remain. Just as he had done to Eglon, he devoted it and everyone in it to destruction.
38 Finally Joshua together with all Israel turned toward Debir and fought against it. 39 He captured it, its king, and all its towns, and they struck them down with the sword, devoting everyone in it to destruction, not letting any survivor remain. He did to Debir and its king just as he had done to Hebron and to Libnah and its king.
40 Joshua conquered all the land of the mountainous region, the Negeb, the Shephelah, and the slopes, and all their kings, not letting any survivor remain; he devoted everything that breathed to destruction, just as Jehovah the God of Israel had commanded. 41 Joshua conquered them from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza and all the land of Goshen and up to Gibeon. 42 Joshua captured all these kings and their land, all at the same time, because it was Jehovah the God of Israel who was fighting for Israel. 43 Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.
Chapter 11
1 As soon as Jabin king of Hazor heard of it, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, the king of Achshaph, 2 the kings who were in the northern mountainous region, those in the plains south of Chinnereth, those in the Shephelah and on the slopes of Dor to the west, 3 the Canaanites to the east and the west, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites in the mountainous region, and the Hivites at the base of Hermon in the land of Mizpah. 4 So they came out with all their armies, a vast multitude as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore, together with very many horses and war chariots. 5 All these kings agreed to meet, and they came and camped together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.
6 At this Jehovah said to Joshua: “Do not be afraid because of them, for about this time tomorrow, I am giving over all of them slain to Israel. Their horses you must hamstring, and their chariots you must burn in the fire.” 7 Joshua together with all the fighting men then launched a surprise attack against them along the waters of Merom. 8 Jehovah gave them into Israel’s hand, and they defeated them and pursued them as far as Great Sidon and Misrephoth-maim and the Valley of Mizpeh to the east, and they struck them down until no survivors remained. 9 Joshua then did to them just as Jehovah had told him; he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots in the fire.
10 Moreover, Joshua then returned and captured Hazor and struck down its king with the sword, because Hazor had formerly been the head of all these kingdoms. 11 They struck down everyone in it with the sword, devoting them to destruction. Not a breathing thing was left. Then he burned Hazor in the fire. 12 Joshua captured all the cities of these kings and defeated all their kings with the sword. He devoted them to destruction, just as Moses the servant of Jehovah had commanded. 13 However, Israel did not burn any of the cities that stood on their mounds except Hazor; it was the only one Joshua burned. 14 All the spoil of these cities and the livestock, the Israelites plundered for themselves. But they struck every human with the sword until they had annihilated each one. They did not let anyone who breathed remain. 15 Just as Jehovah had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that Jehovah had commanded Moses.
16 Joshua conquered all this land, the mountainous region, all the Negeb, all the land of Goshen, the Shephelah, the Arabah, and the mountainous region of Israel and its Shephelah, 17 from Mount Halak, which goes up to Seir, and as far as Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon at the base of Mount Hermon, and he captured all their kings and defeated them, putting them to death. 18 Joshua waged war with all these kings for quite some time. 19 There was no city that made peace with the Israelites except the Hivites inhabiting Gibeon. They conquered all the others by war. 20 It was Jehovah who allowed their hearts to become stubborn so that they waged war against Israel, in order for him to devote them to destruction without any favorable consideration. They were to be annihilated, just as Jehovah had commanded Moses.
21 At that time Joshua wiped out the Anakim from the mountainous region, from Hebron, Debir, Anab, and all the mountainous region of Judah and all the mountainous region of Israel. Joshua devoted them and their cities to destruction. 22 There were no Anakim left in the land of the Israelites; they remained only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod. 23 So Joshua took control of all the land, just as Jehovah had promised Moses, and then Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel by their shares to be divided among their tribes. And the land had rest from war.
Chapter 12
1 Now these are the kings of the land whom the Israelites defeated, whose land they took possession of on the east side of the Jordan, from the Arnon Valley up to Mount Hermon and all the Arabah toward the east: 2 King Sihon of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon and ruled from Aroer, which was on the rim of the Arnon Valley, and from the middle of the valley, and half of Gilead as far as the Valley of Jabbok, the boundary of the Ammonites. 3 He also ruled over the Arabah as far as the Sea of Chinnereth toward the east and as far as the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, to the east in the direction of Beth-jeshimoth, and toward the south under the slopes of Pisgah.
4 Also the territory of King Og of Bashan, who was one of the last of the Rephaim and who lived in Ashtaroth and Edrei 5 and ruled in Mount Hermon, in Salecah, and in all Bashan, as far as the boundary of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and half of Gilead, to the territory of King Sihon of Heshbon.
6 Moses the servant of Jehovah and the Israelites defeated them, after which Moses the servant of Jehovah gave their land as a possession to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh.
7 These are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the Israelites defeated on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon and as far as Mount Halak, which goes up to Seir, after which Joshua gave their land to the tribes of Israel as a possession by their shares, 8 in the mountainous region, in the Shephelah, in the Arabah, on the slopes, in the wilderness, and in the Negeb—the land of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites:
9 The king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which was beside Bethel, one;
10 the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one;
11 the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one;
12 the king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one;
13 the king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one;
14 the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one;
15 the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one;
16 the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one;
17 the king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one;
18 the king of Aphek, one; the king of Lassharon, one;
19 the king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one;
20 the king of Shimron-meron, one; the king of Achshaph, one;
21 the king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one;
22 the king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam in Carmel, one;
23 the king of Dor on the slopes of Dor, one; the king of Goiim in Gilgal, one;
24 the king of Tirzah, one; a total of 31 kings.
Chapter 13
1 Now Joshua had grown old and was advanced in years. So Jehovah said to him: “You have grown old and are advanced in years; but much of the land remains to be taken in possession. 2 This is the land remaining: all the regions of the Philistines and all the Geshurites 3 (from the branch of the Nile that is east of Egypt up to the border of Ekron to the north, which used to be considered Canaanite territory) including that of the five lords of the Philistines—the Gazites, the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; that of the Avvim 4 to the south; all the land of the Canaanites; Mearah, which belongs to the Sidonians, as far as Aphek, to the border of the Amorites; 5 the land of the Gebalites and all of Lebanon toward the east, from Baal-gad at the base of Mount Hermon to Lebo-hamath; 6 all the inhabitants of the mountainous region from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim; and all the Sidonians. I will drive them out before the Israelites. You have only to assign it to Israel as an inheritance, just as I have commanded you. 7 Now you must apportion this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half tribe of Manasseh.”
8 With the other half tribe, the Reubenites and the Gadites took their inheritance that Moses gave them on the east side of the Jordan, just as Moses the servant of Jehovah had given them: 9 from Aroer, which is on the rim of the Arnon Valley, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the tableland of Medeba as far as Dibon; 10 and all the cities of King Sihon of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, up to the border of the Ammonites; 11 also Gilead and the territory of the Geshurites and the Maacathites and all Mount Hermon and all Bashan as far as Salecah; 12 all the royal realm of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei. (He was one of the last of the Rephaim.) Moses defeated them and drove them out. 13 But the Israelites did not drive out the Geshurites and the Maacathites, for Geshur and Maacath live in the midst of Israel to this day.
14 It was only to the tribe of the Levites that he did not give an inheritance. The offerings made by fire to Jehovah the God of Israel are their inheritance, just as he promised them.
15 Then Moses gave an inheritance to the tribe of the Reubenites by their families, 16 and their territory was from Aroer, which is on the rim of the Arnon Valley, and the city in the middle of the valley, and all the tableland by Medeba; 17 Heshbon and all its towns on the tableland, Dibon, Bamoth-baal, Beth-baal-meon, 18 Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, 19 Kiriathaim, Sibmah, and Zereth-shahar on the mountain of the valley, 20 Beth-peor, the slopes of Pisgah, Beth-jeshimoth, 21 all the cities of the tableland, and all the royal realm of King Sihon of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon. Moses defeated him and the Midianite chieftains Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, vassals of Sihon who were dwelling in the land. 22 Balaam the son of Beor, the diviner, was one whom the Israelites killed with the sword along with the rest who were slain. 23 The boundary of the Reubenites was the Jordan; and this territory was the inheritance of the Reubenites by their families, with the cities and their settlements.
24 Furthermore, Moses gave an inheritance to the tribe of Gad, the Gadites by their families, 25 and their territory included Jazer and all the cities of Gilead and half of the land of the Ammonites as far as Aroer, which faces Rabbah; 26 and from Heshbon to Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir; 27 and in the valley, Beth-haram, Beth-nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the royal realm of King Sihon of Heshbon, with the Jordan as the border from the lower end of the Sea of Chinnereth on the east side of the Jordan. 28 This was the inheritance of the Gadites by their families, with the cities and their settlements.
29 Further, Moses gave an inheritance to the half tribe of Manasseh, to half of the tribe of Manasseh by their families. 30 And their territory extended from Mahanaim and took in all of Bashan, all the royal realm of King Og of Bashan, and all the tent villages of Jair in Bashan, 60 towns. 31 And half of Gilead, and Ashtaroth and Edrei, the cities of the royal realm of Og in Bashan, went to the sons of Machir the son of Manasseh, to half of the sons of Machir by their families.
32 These were the inheritances that Moses gave them on the desert plains of Moab beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho.
33 But to the tribe of the Levites, Moses did not give an inheritance. Jehovah the God of Israel is their inheritance, just as he promised them.
Chapter 14
1 Now this is what the Israelites took as an inheritance in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the heads of the paternal houses of the tribes of Israel gave them to inherit. 2 Their inheritance was by lot, just as Jehovah had commanded through Moses for the nine and a half tribes. 3 Moses had given the inheritance of the other two and a half tribes on the other side of the Jordan, and to the Levites he did not give an inheritance among them. 4 The descendants of Joseph were considered two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim; and they did not give a share in the land to the Levites, except cities to dwell in and their pastures for their livestock and their property. 5 So the Israelites apportioned the land just as Jehovah had commanded Moses.
6 Then the men of Judah approached Joshua in Gilgal, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him: “You well know what Jehovah said to Moses the man of the true God about you and me at Kadesh-barnea. 7 I was 40 years old when Moses the servant of Jehovah sent me out of Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I returned with a forthright report. 8 Although my brothers who went up with me caused the people to lose heart, I followed Jehovah my God wholeheartedly. 9 Moses swore on that day, saying: ‘The land on which your foot has walked will become a lasting inheritance for you and your sons, because you have followed Jehovah my God wholeheartedly.’ 10 Now just as he promised, Jehovah has preserved me alive these 45 years since Jehovah made this promise to Moses when Israel walked in the wilderness; I am still here today, 85 years old. 11 And today I am as strong as on the day Moses sent me out. My strength is now as it was then, for war and for other activities. 12 Therefore, give me this mountainous region that Jehovah promised on that day. Though you heard on that day that there were Anakim there with great fortified cities, surely Jehovah will be with me, and I will drive them out, just as Jehovah promised.”
13 So Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance. 14 That is why Hebron belongs to Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite as an inheritance to this day, because he followed Jehovah the God of Israel wholeheartedly. 15 The name of Hebron was previously Kiriath-arba (Arba was the great man among the Anakim). And the land had rest from war.
Chapter 15
1 The land allotted to the tribe of Judah for their families extended to the boundary of Edom, the wilderness of Zin, to the Negeb at its southern end. 2 Their southern boundary ran from the extremity of the Salt Sea, from the bay that faces southward. 3 And it extended south to the ascent of Akrabbim, passed over to Zin, then went up from the south to Kadesh-barnea, over to Hezron, up to Addar, and went around toward Karka. 4 Then it passed on to Azmon and extended to the Wadi of Egypt, and the boundary ended at the Sea. This was their southern boundary.
5 The eastern boundary was the Salt Sea up to the end of the Jordan, and the boundary at the northern corner was at the bay of the sea, at the end of the Jordan. 6 The boundary went up to Beth-hoglah and passed over at the north of Beth-arabah, and the boundary went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben. 7 The boundary went up to Debir at the Valley of Achor and turned northward to Gilgal, which is in front of the ascent of Adummim that is south of the wadi, and the boundary passed over to the waters of En-shemesh and ended at En-rogel. 8 The boundary went up to the Valley of the Son of Hinnom to the slope of the Jebusite at the south, that is, Jerusalem, and the boundary went up to the top of the mountain that faces the Valley of Hinnom to the west, which is at the extremity of the Valley of Rephaim to the north. 9 And the boundary was marked from the top of the mountain to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah and extended to the cities of Mount Ephron; and the boundary was marked to Baalah, that is, Kiriath-jearim. 10 The boundary went around from Baalah westward to Mount Seir and passed over to the slope of Mount Jearim at the north, that is, Chesalon, and it went down to Beth-shemesh and passed over to Timnah. 11 And the boundary extended to the slope of Ekron to the north, and the boundary was marked to Shikkeron and passed over to Mount Baalah and extended to Jabneel, and the boundary ended at the sea.
12 The western boundary was at the Great Sea and its coast. This was the boundary of the descendants of Judah by their families on all sides.
13 And to Caleb the son of Jephunneh, he gave a share among the descendants of Judah at the order of Jehovah to Joshua, namely, Kiriath-arba (Arba was the father of Anak), that is, Hebron. 14 So Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, descendants of Anak. 15 Then he went up from there against the inhabitants of Debir. (The name of Debir was previously Kiriath-sepher.) 16 Caleb then said: “To the man who strikes Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give my daughter Achsah as a wife.” 17 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s brother, captured it. So he gave him his daughter Achsah as a wife. 18 While she was going home, she urged him to ask her father for a field. Then she dismounted from her donkey. Caleb asked her: “What do you want?” 19 She said: “Please grant me a blessing, for you have given me a piece of land in the south; give me also Gulloth-maim.” So he gave her Upper Gulloth and Lower Gulloth.
20 This was the inheritance of the tribe of Judah by their families.
21 The cities at the extremity of the tribe of Judah toward the boundary of Edom in the south were: Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, 22 Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, 23 Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, 24 Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, 25 Hazor-hadattah, and Kerioth-hezron, that is, Hazor, 26 Amam, Shema, Moladah, 27 Hazar-gaddah, Heshmon, Beth-pelet, 28 Hazar-shual, Beer-sheba, Biziothiah, 29 Baalah, Iim, Ezem, 30 Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah, 31 Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, 32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon—a total of 29 cities together with their settlements.
33 In the Shephelah, there were: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, 34 Zanoah, En-gannim, Tappuah, Enam, 35 Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, 36 Shaaraim, Adithaim, and Gederah and Gederothaim—14 cities and their settlements.
37 Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal-gad, 38 Dilean, Mizpeh, Joktheel, 39 Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, 40 Cabbon, Lahmam, Chitlish, 41 Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah—16 cities and their settlements.
42 Libnah, Ether, Ashan, 43 Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, 44 Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah—nine cities and their settlements.
45 Ekron and its dependent towns and its settlements; 46 from Ekron westward, all that is alongside Ashdod and their settlements.
47 Ashdod, its dependent towns and its settlements; Gaza, its dependent towns and its settlements, down to the Wadi of Egypt, the Great Sea, and the adjacent region.
48 And in the mountainous region, Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, 49 Dannah, Kiriath-sannah, that is, Debir, 50 Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, 51 Goshen, Holon, and Giloh—11 cities and their settlements.
52 Arab, Dumah, Eshan, 53 Janim, Beth-tappuah, Aphekah, 54 Humtah, Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron, and Zior—nine cities and their settlements.
55 Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, 56 Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, 57 Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah—ten cities and their settlements.
58 Halhul, Beth-zur, Gedor, 59 Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon—six cities and their settlements.
60 Kiriath-baal, that is, Kiriath-jearim, and Rabbah—two cities and their settlements.
61 In the wilderness, Beth-arabah, Middin, Secacah, 62 Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En-gedi—six cities and their settlements.
63 As for the Jebusites who were dwelling in Jerusalem, the men of Judah were not able to drive them away, so the Jebusites continue dwelling with the people of Judah in Jerusalem to this day.
Chapter 16
1 And the land that fell by lot to the descendants of Joseph was from the Jordan at Jericho to the waters east of Jericho, through the wilderness going up from Jericho into the mountainous region of Bethel. 2 It extended from Bethel belonging to Luz and continued to the boundary of the Archites at Ataroth, 3 then it went down westward to the boundary of the Japhletites as far as the boundary of Lower Beth-horon and Gezer, and it ended at the sea.
4 So Joseph’s descendants, Manasseh and Ephraim, took possession of their land. 5 The boundary of the descendants of Ephraim by their families was as follows: The boundary of their inheritance to the east was Ataroth-addar, as far as Upper Beth-horon, 6 and the boundary extended to the sea. Michmethath was on the north, and the boundary went around east to Taanath-shiloh, and it passed on the east to Janoah. 7 Then it went down from Janoah to Ataroth and Naarah and reached to Jericho and extended to the Jordan. 8 From Tappuah the boundary continued westward to the Wadi of Kanah, and it ended at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of Ephraim by their families; 9 the descendants of Ephraim also had enclave cities in the midst of the inheritance of Manasseh, all the cities and their settlements.
10 But they did not drive away the Canaanites who were dwelling in Gezer, and the Canaanites continue to dwell among Ephraim to this day and have been subjected to forced labor.
Chapter 17
1 Then the lot fell for the tribe of Manasseh, because he was Joseph’s firstborn. Since Machir, the firstborn of Manasseh and the father of Gilead, was a man of war, he received Gilead and Bashan. 2 And the lot fell for the rest of the descendants of Manasseh according to their families, for the sons of Abi-ezer, the sons of Helek, the sons of Asriel, the sons of Shechem, the sons of Hepher, and the sons of Shemida. These were the descendants of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the males according to their families. 3 But Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, did not have sons, only daughters, and these were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 4 So they presented themselves before Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the chieftains, saying: “It was Jehovah who commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.” So at the order of Jehovah, he gave them an inheritance among the brothers of their father.
5 There were also ten allotments that fell to Manasseh apart from the land of Gilead and Bashan, which were on the other side of the Jordan, 6 for the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance along with his sons, and the land of Gilead became the property of the rest of the descendants of Manasseh.
7 And the boundary of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethath, which faces Shechem, and the boundary continued toward the south to the land of the inhabitants of En-Tappuah. 8 The land of Tappuah became Manasseh’s, but Tappuah on Manasseh’s boundary belonged to the descendants of Ephraim. 9 And the boundary went down to the Wadi of Kanah, south of the wadi. There were cities of Ephraim among the cities of Manasseh, and the boundary of Manasseh was on the north of the wadi, and it ended at the sea. 10 To the south it belonged to Ephraim, and to the north it belonged to Manasseh, and the sea was his boundary, and on the north they reached to Asher, and on the east, to Issachar.
11 In the territories of Issachar and Asher, Manasseh was given Beth-shean and its dependent towns, Ibleam and its dependent towns, the inhabitants of Dor and its dependent towns, the inhabitants of En-dor and its dependent towns, the inhabitants of Taanach and its dependent towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its dependent towns, three of the heights.
12 But the descendants of Manasseh were not able to take possession of these cities; the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in this land. 13 When the Israelites grew strong, they subjected the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not drive them out entirely.
14 The descendants of Joseph said to Joshua: “Why have you given us as an inheritance only one lot and one allotment? We are a numerous people, for Jehovah has blessed us until now.” 15 Joshua replied to them: “If you are such a numerous people, go up to the forest and clear out a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the mountainous region of Ephraim is too cramped for you.” 16 Then the descendants of Joseph said: “The mountainous region is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who are dwelling in the land of the valley have war chariots with iron scythes, both those in Beth-shean and its dependent towns and those in the Valley of Jezreel.” 17 So Joshua said this to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh: “You are a numerous people, and you have great power. You will not receive only one lot, 18 but the mountainous region will also be yours. Although it is a forest, you will clear it, and it will be the extremity of your territory. For you will drive away the Canaanites, even though they are strong and have war chariots with iron scythes.”
Chapter 18
1 Then all the assembly of the Israelites congregated at Shiloh, and they set up the tent of meeting there, as the land was now subdued before them. 2 But there were still seven tribes left of the Israelites whose inheritance had not been allotted. 3 So Joshua said to the Israelites: “How long will you put off going in to take possession of the land that Jehovah the God of your forefathers has given you? 4 Give me three men from each tribe to send out; they should go out and walk throughout the land and map it out according to their inheritance. Then they should return to me. 5 They must apportion it among themselves into seven shares. Judah will remain in his territory to the south, and the house of Joseph will remain in their territory to the north. 6 As for you, map out the land into seven shares, and bring them here to me, and I will cast lots here for you before Jehovah our God. 7 But the Levites will not be given a share among you, because the priesthood of Jehovah is their inheritance; and Gad, Reuben, and the half tribe of Manasseh have already taken their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan, which Moses the servant of Jehovah gave them.”
8 The men prepared to go, and Joshua commanded those who were to map out the land: “Go and walk through the land and map it out and return to me, and I will cast lots for you here before Jehovah in Shiloh.” 9 With that the men went and traveled through the land and mapped it out by cities into seven shares, recording it in a book. After that they returned to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh. 10 Joshua then cast lots for them in Shiloh before Jehovah. There Joshua apportioned the land to the Israelites by their shares.
11 The lot came up for the tribe of Benjamin by their families, and the territory of their lot was between the people of Judah and the people of Joseph. 12 On the north side, their boundary started at the Jordan, and the boundary went up to the slope of Jericho on the north and went up on the mountain westward, and it extended to the wilderness of Beth-aven. 13 And the boundary continued from there to Luz, at the southern slope of Luz, that is, Bethel; the boundary went down to Ataroth-addar on the mountain that is south of Lower Beth-horon. 14 And the boundary was marked at the western side and went around toward the south from the mountain that faces Beth-horon to the south; it ended at Kiriath-baal, that is, Kiriath-jearim, a city of Judah. This is the western side.
15 The south side was from the extremity of Kiriath-jearim, and the boundary extended westward; it went out to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah. 16 The boundary went down to the extremity of the mountain that faces the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, which is in the Valley of Rephaim to the north, and it went down to the Valley of Hinnom, to the slope of the Jebusite on the south, and down to En-rogel. 17 And it was marked northward and extended to En-shemesh and then out to Geliloth, which is in front of the ascent of Adummim, and it went down to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben. 18 And it continued to the northern slope in front of the Arabah and went down to the Arabah. 19 And the boundary continued to the northern slope of Beth-hoglah, and the boundary ended at the northern bay of the Salt Sea at the southern end of the Jordan. This was the southern boundary. 20 And the Jordan served as its boundary on the eastern side. This was the inheritance of the descendants of Benjamin by their families, according to its boundaries on all sides.
21 And the cities of the tribe of Benjamin by their families were: Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz, 22 Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, 23 Avvim, Parah, Ophrah, 24 Chephar-ammoni, Ophni, and Geba—12 cities and their settlements.
25 Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, 26 Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah, 27 Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, 28 Zelah, Ha-eleph, Jebusi, that is, Jerusalem, Gibeah, and Kiriath—14 cities and their settlements.
This was the inheritance of the descendants of Benjamin by their families.
Chapter 19
1 Then the second lot came out for Simeon, for the tribe of Simeon by their families. And their inheritance was within the inheritance of Judah. 2 Their inheritance was Beer-sheba with Sheba, Moladah, 3 Hazar-shual, Balah, Ezem, 4 Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, 5 Ziklag, Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susah, 6 Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuhen—13 cities and their settlements; 7 Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan—four cities and their settlements; 8 and all the settlements that were around these cities as far as Baalath-beer, Ramah of the south. This was the inheritance of the tribe of Simeon by their families. 9 The inheritance of the descendants of Simeon was taken out of the allotment of Judah, because the share of Judah was too large for them. So the descendants of Simeon received a possession within their inheritance.
10 Next the third lot came up for the descendants of Zebulun by their families, and the boundary of their inheritance went as far as Sarid. 11 Their boundary went up westward to Mareal and reached to Dabbesheth and then to the valley in front of Jokneam. 12 And it went from Sarid eastward toward the sunrise, to the border of Chisloth-tabor and out to Daberath and then up to Japhia. 13 And from there it continued eastward toward the sunrise to Gath-hepher, to Eth-kazin, and out to Rimmon, and it extended to Neah. 14 And the boundary went around it on the north to Hannathon, and it ended at the Valley of Iphtah-el, 15 and Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem—12 cities and their settlements. 16 This was the inheritance of the descendants of Zebulun by their families. These were the cities and their settlements.
17 The fourth lot came out for Issachar, for the descendants of Issachar by their families. 18 And their boundary was to Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem, 19 Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, 20 Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez, 21 Remeth, En-gannim, En-haddah, and Beth-pazzez. 22 And the boundary reached to Tabor and Shahazumah and Beth-shemesh, and the end of their border was at the Jordan—16 cities and their settlements. 23 This was the inheritance of the tribe of Issachar by their families, the cities and their settlements.
24 Then the fifth lot came out for the tribe of Asher by their families. 25 And their boundary was Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph, 26 Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal. It reached westward to Carmel and to Shihor-libnath, 27 and it went back toward the east to Beth-dagon and reached to Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtah-el to the north, to Beth-emek and Neiel, and it extended to Cabul on the left, 28 and to Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, and Kanah as far as Great Sidon. 29 And the boundary went back to Ramah and as far as the fortified city of Tyre. Then the boundary went back to Hosah, and it ended at the sea in the region of Achzib, 30 Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob—22 cities and their settlements. 31 This was the inheritance of the tribe of Asher by their families. These were the cities and their settlements.
32 The sixth lot came out for the descendants of Naphtali, for the descendants of Naphtali by their families. 33 Their boundary was from Heleph, from the big tree in Zaanannim, and Adami-nekeb and Jabneel as far as Lakkum; and it ended at the Jordan. 34 The boundary went back westward to Aznoth-tabor and extended from there to Hukkok and reached to Zebulun on the south and to Asher on the west and to Judah at the Jordan toward the east. 35 And the fortified cities were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth, 36 Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, 37 Kedesh, Edrei, En-hazor, 38 Yiron, Migdal-el, Horem, Beth-anath, and Beth-shemesh—19 cities and their settlements. 39 This was the inheritance of the tribe of Naphtali by their families, the cities and their settlements.
40 The seventh lot came out for the tribe of Dan by their families. 41 And the border of their inheritance was Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir-shemesh, 42 Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah, 43 Elon, Timnah, Ekron, 44 Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, 45 Jehud, Bene-berak, Gath-rimmon, 46 Me-jarkon, and Rakkon, with the border facing Joppa. 47 But the territory of Dan was too cramped for them. So they went up and fought against Leshem and captured it and struck it with the sword. Then they took possession of it and settled in it, and they changed the name of Leshem to Dan, after the name of Dan their forefather. 48 This was the inheritance of the tribe of Dan by their families. These were the cities and their settlements.
49 Thus they finished dividing the land for inheritance by its territories. Then the Israelites gave Joshua the son of Nun an inheritance in their midst. 50 At the order of Jehovah they gave him the city he asked for, Timnath-serah, in the mountainous region of Ephraim, and he built up the city and settled in it.
51 These were the inheritances that Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the paternal houses of the tribes of Israel distributed by lot in Shiloh before Jehovah, at the entrance of the tent of meeting. So they finished apportioning the land.
Chapter 20
1 Then Jehovah said to Joshua: 2 “Tell the Israelites, ‘Select for yourselves the cities of refuge about which I spoke to you through Moses, 3 so that the manslayer who unintentionally or accidentally kills someone may flee there. And they will serve as a refuge for you from the avenger of blood. 4 He must flee to one of these cities and stand at the entrance of the city gate and present his case in the hearing of the elders of that city. Then they must receive him into the city and give him a place and he will live with them. 5 If the avenger of blood chases after him, they should not surrender the manslayer into his hand, for he killed his fellow man accidentally and he did not previously hate him. 6 He must dwell in that city until he stands trial before the assembly and remain there until the death of the high priest who is in office at that time. Then the manslayer may return to the city from which he fled, and he may enter his city and his house.’”
7 So they gave a sacred status to Kedesh in Galilee in the mountainous region of Naphtali, Shechem in the mountainous region of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron, in the mountainous region of Judah. 8 In the region of the Jordan, east of Jericho, they selected Bezer in the wilderness on the tableland out of the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.
9 These became the cities appointed for all the Israelites and for the foreign residents residing among them, so that anyone who unintentionally killed someone could flee there and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.
Chapter 21
1 The heads of the paternal houses of the Levites now approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the paternal houses of the tribes of Israel, 2 and they spoke to them in Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying: “Jehovah through Moses commanded that we be given cities in which to dwell, along with their pastures for our livestock.” 3 So at the order of Jehovah, the Israelites gave the Levites these cities and their pastures out of their own inheritance.
4 The lot came out for the families of the Kohathites, and the Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest were given by lot 13 cities out of the tribe of Judah, the tribe of Simeon, and the tribe of Benjamin.
5 And for the rest of the Kohathites, there were allotted ten cities out of the families of the tribe of Ephraim, the tribe of Dan, and the half tribe of Manasseh.
6 And for the Gershonites, there were allotted 13 cities out of the families of the tribe of Issachar, the tribe of Asher, the tribe of Naphtali, and the half tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.
7 For the Merarites by their families, there were 12 cities out of the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the tribe of Zebulun.
8 Thus the Israelites gave the Levites these cities and their pastures by lot, just as Jehovah had commanded through Moses.
9 So from the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Simeon, they gave these cities here mentioned by name, 10 and they were given to the sons of Aaron of the Kohathite families of the Levites, because they received the first lot. 11 They gave them Kiriath-arba (Arba was the father of Anak), that is, Hebron, in the mountainous region of Judah, and its surrounding pastures. 12 But the field of the city and its settlements they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as his possession.
13 And to the sons of Aaron the priest, they gave the city of refuge for the manslayer, namely, Hebron with its pastures, also Libnah with its pastures, 14 Jattir with its pastures, Eshtemoa with its pastures, 15 Holon with its pastures, Debir with its pastures, 16 Ain with its pastures, Juttah with its pastures, and Beth-shemesh with its pastures—nine cities out of these two tribes.
17 And from the tribe of Benjamin: Gibeon with its pastures, Geba with its pastures, 18 Anathoth with its pastures, and Almon with its pastures—four cities.
19 All the cities given to the descendants of Aaron, the priests, were 13 cities with their pastures.
20 And the rest of the Kohathite families among the Levites were given by lot cities from the tribe of Ephraim. 21 They gave them the city of refuge for the manslayer, namely, Shechem with its pastures in the mountainous region of Ephraim, Gezer with its pastures, 22 Kibzaim with its pastures, and Beth-horon with its pastures—four cities.
23 And from the tribe of Dan: Elteke with its pastures, Gibbethon with its pastures, 24 Aijalon with its pastures, Gath-rimmon with its pastures—four cities.
25 And from the half tribe of Manasseh: Taanach with its pastures and Gath-rimmon with its pastures—two cities.
26 All the cities together with their pastures that the rest of the families of the Kohathites received were ten.
27 And the Gershonites of the families of the Levites received from the half tribe of Manasseh the city of refuge for the manslayer, namely, Golan, in Bashan, with its pastures and Beeshterah with its pastures—two cities.
28 And from the tribe of Issachar: Kishion with its pastures, Daberath with its pastures, 29 Jarmuth with its pastures, and En-gannim with its pastures—four cities.
30 And from the tribe of Asher: Mishal with its pastures, Abdon with its pastures, 31 Helkath with its pastures, and Rehob with its pastures—four cities.
32 And from the tribe of Naphtali: the city of refuge for the manslayer, namely, Kedesh in Galilee with its pastures, Hammoth-dor with its pastures, and Kartan with its pastures—three cities.
33 All the cities of the Gershonites by their families were 13 cities with their pastures.
34 And the families of the Merarites, the rest of the Levites, received from the tribe of Zebulun: Jokneam with its pastures, Kartah with its pastures, 35 Dimnah with its pastures, and Nahalal with its pastures—four cities.
36 And from the tribe of Reuben: Bezer with its pastures, Jahaz with its pastures, 37 Kedemoth with its pastures, and Mephaath with its pastures—four cities.
38 And from the tribe of Gad: the city of refuge for the manslayer, namely, Ramoth in Gilead with its pastures, Mahanaim with its pastures, 39 Heshbon with its pastures, and Jazer with its pastures—a total of four cities.
40 All the cities that were allotted to the Merarites by their families, the rest of the families of the Levites, were 12 cities.
41 All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the Israelites were 48 cities together with their pastures. 42 Each of these cities had its pastures all around it—this was the case for all these cities.
43 So Jehovah gave Israel all the land that he had sworn to give to their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled in it. 44 Furthermore, Jehovah gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers, and not one of all their enemies could stand against them. Jehovah gave all their enemies into their hand. 45 Not a promise failed out of all the good promises that Jehovah had made to the house of Israel; all of them came true.
Chapter 22
1 Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh 2 and said to them: “You have done all that Moses the servant of Jehovah commanded you, and you have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you. 3 You have not forsaken your brothers all this time, down to this day; and you have kept the obligation of the commandment of Jehovah your God. 4 Now Jehovah your God has given your brothers rest, just as he promised them. So now you may return to your tents in the land that Moses the servant of Jehovah gave you to possess on the other side of the Jordan. 5 Only be very careful to carry out the commandment and the Law that Moses the servant of Jehovah gave you, by loving Jehovah your God, by walking in all his ways, by keeping his commandments, by sticking to him, and by serving him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
6 Then Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents. 7 And to the half tribe of Manasseh, Moses had given an inheritance in Bashan, and to the other half of the tribe, Joshua gave land on the west side of the Jordan, along with their brothers. Moreover, when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed them 8 and said to them: “Return to your tents with many riches, with very much livestock, with silver and gold, copper and iron, and garments in very great quantity. Take your share of the spoil of your enemies, along with your brothers.”
9 After that the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh departed from the other Israelites, from Shiloh in the land of Canaan, and they returned to the land of Gilead, the land of their possession where they had settled at the order of Jehovah through Moses. 10 When they came to the regions of the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan, a large, impressive altar. 11 Later the other Israelites heard it said: “Look! The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar on the frontier of the land of Canaan in the regions of the Jordan on the side belonging to the Israelites.” 12 When the Israelites heard about it, the whole assembly of the Israelites congregated at Shiloh to go to war against them.
13 Then the Israelites sent Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead, 14 and ten chieftains were with him, one chieftain of each paternal house of all the tribes of Israel, each a head of his paternal house among the thousands of Israel. 15 When they came to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead, they said to them:
16 “This is what all the assembly of Jehovah says: ‘What is this act of unfaithfulness that you have committed against the God of Israel? You have turned back today from following Jehovah by building yourselves an altar and rebelling against Jehovah. 17 Was the error of Peor not enough for us? We have not cleansed ourselves from it down to this day, even though a plague came upon the assembly of Jehovah. 18 And you would turn back today from following Jehovah! If you rebel today against Jehovah, then tomorrow he will be indignant against the entire assembly of Israel. 19 Now if it is because the land of your possession is unclean, cross over to the land of Jehovah’s possession where the tabernacle of Jehovah resides and settle among us, but do not rebel against Jehovah, and do not make us rebels by building yourselves an altar in addition to the altar of Jehovah our God. 20 When Achan the son of Zerah committed an act of unfaithfulness regarding what was devoted to destruction, did not indignation come against all the assembly of Israel? And he was not the only man to die for his error.’”
21 At this the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh said in answer to the heads of the thousands of Israel: 22 “The God of gods, Jehovah! The God of gods, Jehovah! He knows, and Israel will also know. If we were rebellious and unfaithful to Jehovah, do not spare us this day. 23 If we built ourselves an altar to turn back from following Jehovah and to offer burnt offerings, grain offerings, and communion sacrifices on it, Jehovah will exact the penalty. 24 No, it was because of another concern that we did this, for we said, ‘In the future, your sons will say to our sons: “What do you have to do with Jehovah the God of Israel? 25 Jehovah has put the Jordan as a boundary between us and you, the Reubenites and the Gadites. You have no share in Jehovah.” And your sons will hinder our sons from worshipping Jehovah.’
26 “So we said, ‘Let us by all means take action by building an altar, not for burnt offerings or sacrifices, 27 but to be a witness between you and us and our descendants after us that we will carry out our service to Jehovah before him with our burnt offerings and our sacrifices and our communion sacrifices, so that your sons may not say to our sons in the future: “You have no share in Jehovah.”’ 28 So we said, ‘If they should say that to us and to our descendants in the future, we will then say: “See the replica of Jehovah’s altar that our forefathers made, not for burnt offerings or sacrifices, but to be a witness between you and us.”’ 29 It is unthinkable for us to rebel against Jehovah and to turn back today from following Jehovah by building an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings, and sacrifices, other than the altar of Jehovah our God that is before his tabernacle!”
30 When Phinehas the priest, the chieftains of the assembly, and the heads of the thousands of Israel who were with him heard the words that the descendants of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh spoke, they were satisfied. 31 So Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the descendants of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh: “Today we know that Jehovah is among us, because you have not committed this act of unfaithfulness against Jehovah. Now you have saved the Israelites out of the hand of Jehovah.”
32 Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest and the chieftains returned from the Reubenites and the Gadites in the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, and they brought back word to the other Israelites. 33 And the Israelites were satisfied with the report. The Israelites then praised God, and they said nothing more about going to war against the Reubenites and the Gadites to destroy the land in which they were dwelling.
34 So the Reubenites and the Gadites named the altar, because “it is a witness between us that Jehovah is the true God.”
Chapter 23
1 Many days after Jehovah had given Israel rest from all its surrounding enemies, when Joshua was old and advanced in years, 2 Joshua summoned all Israel, its elders, its heads, its judges, and its officers, and he said to them: “I have grown old; I am advanced in years. 3 And you have seen for yourselves all that Jehovah your God did to all these nations in your behalf because Jehovah your God was the one who was fighting for you. 4 See, I assigned to you by lot the land of the nations that remain as an inheritance for your tribes, as well as that of all the nations that I destroyed, from the Jordan to the Great Sea on the west. 5 And Jehovah your God was the one who kept thrusting them away from before you, and he drove them out for you, and you took possession of their land, just as Jehovah your God promised you.
6 “Now you must be very courageous to observe and carry out all that is written in the book of the Law of Moses by never deviating from it to the right or to the left, 7 by never mingling with these nations that remain with you. You must not even mention the names of their gods nor swear by them, and you must never serve them nor bow down to them. 8 But you must stick to Jehovah your God, just as you have done down to this day. 9 Jehovah will drive away great and mighty nations from before you, for not a man has been able to stand before you to this day. 10 Just one man of you will chase a thousand, because Jehovah your God is fighting for you, just as he promised you. 11 So be on guard constantly by loving Jehovah your God.
12 “But if you should turn back at all and stick to what is left of these nations that remain with you and you form marriage alliances with them and associate with them and they with you, 13 you should know for sure that Jehovah your God will not continue to drive out these nations for you. They will become a trap and a snare and a scourge on your flanks and thorns in your eyes until you have perished from this good land that Jehovah your God has given you.
14 “Now look! I am about to die, and you well know with all your heart and with all your soul that not one word out of all the good promises that Jehovah your God has spoken to you has failed. They have all come true for you. Not one word of them has failed. 15 But just as all the good promises that Jehovah your God has spoken to you have come upon you, so Jehovah will bring upon you all the calamity that he promised and will annihilate you from this good land that Jehovah your God has given you. 16 If you violate the covenant of Jehovah your God that he commanded you to keep and if you go and serve other gods and bow down to them, then Jehovah’s anger will blaze against you and you will quickly perish from the good land that he has given you.”
Chapter 24
1 Joshua then assembled all the tribes of Israel together at Shechem and summoned the elders of Israel, its heads, its judges, and its officers, and they stood before the true God. 2 Joshua said to all the people: “This is what Jehovah the God of Israel says, ‘It was on the other side of the River that your forefathers lived a long time ago—Terah the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor—and they used to serve other gods.
3 “‘In time I took your forefather Abraham from the other side of the River and had him walk through all the land of Canaan and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac; 4 then to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. Later to Esau I gave Mount Seir as his possession; and Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt. 5 I later sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did among them, and then I brought you out. 6 When I was bringing your fathers out of Egypt and you came to the sea, the Egyptians were chasing after your fathers with war chariots and cavalrymen as far as the Red Sea. 7 They began to cry out to Jehovah, so he placed a darkness between you and the Egyptians and brought the sea over them and covered them, and your own eyes saw what I did in Egypt. Then you dwelled in the wilderness many years.
8 “‘And I brought you to the land of the Amorites who were dwelling on the other side of the Jordan, and they fought against you. But I gave them into your hand so that you could take possession of their land, and I annihilated them from before you. 9 Then Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, rose up and fought against Israel. So he summoned Balaam the son of Beor to curse you. 10 But I would not listen to Balaam. So he blessed you repeatedly, and I rescued you from his hand.
11 “‘Then you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. And the leaders of Jericho, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites fought against you, but I gave them into your hand. 12 So I sent the feeling of dejection ahead of you, and it drove them out from before you—two kings of the Amorites. It was not by your sword and not by your bow. 13 Thus I gave you a land for which you had not toiled and cities that you had not built, and you settled in them. You are eating from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’
14 “Therefore, fear Jehovah and serve him with integrity and faithfulness, and remove the gods that your forefathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt, and serve Jehovah. 15 Now if it seems bad to you to serve Jehovah, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve, whether the gods that your forefathers served on the other side of the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are dwelling. But as for me and my household, we will serve Jehovah.”
16 At this the people answered: “It is unthinkable for us to abandon Jehovah and to serve other gods. 17 It is Jehovah our God who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who performed these great signs before our eyes and who kept guarding us the entire way in which we walked and among all the peoples through whom we passed. 18 Jehovah drove out all the peoples, including the Amorites, who lived in the land before us. Therefore, we too will serve Jehovah, because he is our God.”
19 Then Joshua said to the people: “You are not able to serve Jehovah, for he is a holy God; he is a God who requires exclusive devotion. He will not pardon your transgressions and your sins. 20 If you abandon Jehovah and serve foreign gods, he will also turn against you and exterminate you after doing good for you.”
21 But the people said to Joshua: “No, but we will serve Jehovah!” 22 So Joshua said to the people: “You are witnesses against yourselves that of your own accord, you have chosen for yourselves to serve Jehovah.” To this they said: “We are witnesses.”
23 “Therefore, remove the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your hearts to Jehovah the God of Israel.” 24 The people said to Joshua: “We will serve Jehovah our God, and we will obey his voice!”
25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people on that day and established a regulation and a ruling for them in Shechem. 26 Then Joshua wrote these words in the book of God’s Law and took a great stone and set it up under the large tree that is by the sanctuary of Jehovah.
27 Joshua went on to say to all the people: “Look! This stone will serve as a witness against us, because it has heard everything Jehovah said to us, and it will serve as a witness against you, so that you may not deny your God.” 28 With that Joshua sent the people away, each one to his inheritance.
29 After these things, Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Jehovah, died at the age of 110. 30 So they buried him in the territory of his inheritance in Timnath-serah, which is in the mountainous region of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 31 Israel continued to serve Jehovah all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and who had known all of Jehovah’s deeds in behalf of Israel.
32 The bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought up out of Egypt, were buried in Shechem in the portion of the field that Jacob had acquired from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for 100 pieces of money; and it became the inheritance of the sons of Joseph.
33 Also, Eleazar the son of Aaron died. So they buried him in the Hill of Phinehas his son, which had been given to him in the mountainous region of Ephraim.