Joshua

 

Chapter 1

 

1 And it came to pass after the death of Moses that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, the minister of Moses, saying,

 

2 "Moses my servant has died; now therefore arise and cross over the Jordan, you and all this people, into the land which I am giving to them.

 

3 Every place upon which you shall tread with the sole of your feet, I will give it to you, just as I said to Moses:

 

4 the wilderness and the Antilebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, and as far as the farthest sea toward the setting of the sun shall be your borders.

 

5 No man shall stand against you all the days of your life; and just as I was with Moses, so shall I also be with you, and I will not forsake you nor overlook you.

 

6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall apportion to this people the land which I swore to your fathers to give to them.

 

7 Be strong therefore and courageous, to observe and to do as Moses my servant commanded you; and you shall not turn aside from them to the right hand or to the left, so that you may have understanding in all that you do.

 

8 And the book of this law shall not depart from your mouth, and you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may understand how to do all the things written in it; then you shall prosper and make your ways prosperous, and then you shall have understanding.

 

9 Behold, I have commanded you: be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you in all things, wherever you go."

 

10 And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,

 

11 "Go into the midst of the camp of the people and command the people, saying, 'Prepare provisions, for in three more days you are crossing this Jordan, going in to take possession of the land which the Lord the God of your fathers is giving to you.'"

 

12 And to Reuben and to Gad and to the half-tribe of Manasseh Joshua said, 13 "Remember the word of the Lord, which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, 'The Lord your God has given you rest and has given you this land.'

 

14 Let your wives and your children and your cattle dwell in the land which he has given you; but you shall cross over, armed and ready, before your brothers—every man of strength and you shall fight alongside them,

 

15 until the Lord your God gives your brothers rest, as also to you, and they too inherit the land which the Lord our God is giving to them; and you shall each depart to his own inheritance, which Moses has given you beyond the Jordan toward the rising of the sun."

 

16 And answering Joshua they said, "All that you command us we will do, and to every place wherever you send us we will go;

 

17 in all things, just as we listened to Moses, we will listen to you; only let the Lord our God be with you, as he was with Moses.

 

18 And the man who disobeys you, and whoever does not listen to your words in whatever you command him, let him be put to death. But be strong and courageous." 

 

Chapter 2

 

1 And Joshua son of Nun sent from Shittim two young men to spy, saying, "Go up and see the land and Jericho." And the two young men went and entered Jericho, and they entered the house of a woman, a harlot, whose name was Rahab, and lodged there.

 

2 And it was reported to the king of Jericho, saying, "Men of the sons of Israel have come in here to spy out the land."

 

3 And the king of Jericho sent and said to Rahab, saying, "Bring out the men who have entered your house this night, for they have come to spy out the land."

 

4 And the woman took the men and hid them, and said to them, saying, "The men came in to me;

 

5 but when the gate was being shut at dark, the men went out. I do not know where they have gone. Pursue after them, if you may overtake them."

 

6 But she had brought them up onto the roof and hidden them in the flax stalks piled up by her on the roof.

 

7 And the men pursued after them on the road toward the Jordan, to the fords, and the gate was shut. And it came to pass, when the pursuers had gone out after them,

 

8 and before they lay down to sleep, that she went up to them on the roof

 

9 and said to them, "I know that the Lord has given you the land, for the fear of you has fallen upon us;

 

10 for we have heard that the Lord God dried up the Red Sea before you when you came out of the land of Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.

 

11 And when we heard it, we were amazed in our heart, and there remained no more spirit in any of us because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath.

 

12 And now swear to me by the Lord God, since I deal mercifully with you, that you also will deal mercifully with the house of my father,

 

13 and will spare alive the house of my father, and my mother and my brothers and all my house and all that belongs to them, and will deliver my life from death."

 

14 And the men said to her, "Our life for yours, even unto death." And she said, "When the Lord delivers the city to you, you shall deal with me in mercy and truth."

 

15 And she let them down through the window

 

16 and said to them, "Go away into the hill country, lest the pursuers meet you, and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers turn back after you; and after that you shall go on your way."

 

17 And the men said to her, "We are guiltless with regard to this oath of yours.

 

18 Behold, we are entering a part of the city, and you shall set the sign, this scarlet cord you shall tie in the window through which you let us down; and your father and your mother and your brothers and all the house of your father you shall gather to yourself into your house.

 

19 And it shall be that everyone who goes out of the door of your house shall be liable for himself, and we shall be guiltless with regard to this oath of yours; but as for all who are with you in your house, we shall be liable.

 

20 But if anyone should wrong us, or even reveal these words of ours, we shall be guiltless with regard to this oath of yours."

 

21 And she said to them, "According to your word, so let it be." And she sent them away.

 

22 And they went and came to the hill country and remained there three days; and the pursuers searched all the roads and did not find them.

 

23 And the two young men returned and came down from the mountain and crossed over to Joshua son of Nun and related to him all that had happened to them.

 

24 And they said to Joshua, "The Lord has delivered all the land into our hand, and all the inhabitants of that land are cowering in fear before us." 

  

Chapter 3

 

1 And Joshua rose early in the morning, and they set out from Sattin and came to the Jordan, and they lodged there before crossing over.

 

2 And it came to pass after three days that the scribes went through the camp

 

3 and commanded the people, saying, "When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord our God, and our priests and the Levites carrying it, you shall depart from your places and go after it.

 

4 But let there be a distance between you and it of about two thousand cubits; you shall stand still—do not come near it—so that you may know the way by which you are to go, for you have not traveled this way before now."

 

5 And Joshua said to the people, "Purify yourselves for tomorrow, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you."

 

6 And Joshua said to the priests, "Take up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and go before the people." And the priests took up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and went before the people.

 

7 And the Lord said to Joshua, "On this day I begin to exalt you in the sight of all the sons of Israel, so that they may know that just as I was with Moses, so I will also be with you.

 

8 And now command the priests who carry the ark of the covenant, saying, 'As soon as you enter upon a part of the water of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.'"

 

9 And Joshua said to the sons of Israel, "Come near here and hear the word of the Lord our God.

 

10 By this you shall know that a living God is among you, and that he will utterly destroy from before us the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Amorite and the Girgashite and the Jebusite.

 

11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing the Jordan.

 

12 Choose for yourselves twelve men from the sons of Israel, one from each tribe.

 

13 And it shall be that when the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth rest in the water of the Jordan, the water of the Jordan shall fail, and the water coming down shall stand still."

 

14 And the people set out from their tents to cross the Jordan, and the priests carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord ahead of the people.

 

15 And as the priests carrying the ark of the covenant entered the Jordan, and the feet of the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord were dipped in a part of the water of the Jordan, now the Jordan was filling along its whole bank, as in the days of the wheat harvest,

 

16 then the waters coming down from above stood still; they stood as a single mass, removed a very great distance away, as far as the region of Kariathiarim, while the water flowing down went down into the sea of Araba, the salt sea, until it completely failed; and the people stood opposite Jericho.

 

17 And the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all the sons of Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had finished crossing the Jordan. 

 

Chapter 4

 

1 And when all the people had finished crossing over the Jordan, the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying,

 

2 "Take men from the people, one from each tribe,

 

3 and command them, saying, 'Take up out of the midst of the Jordan twelve ready stones, and carrying these over along with yourselves, set them in your encampment, wherever you camp for the night.'"

 

4 And Joshua called twelve men of the notable ones from the sons of Israel, one from each tribe,

 

5 and said to them, "Come forward before me, before the face of the Lord, into the midst of the Jordan, and let each one take up from there a stone and carry it on his shoulders, according to the number of the twelve tribes of Israel,

 

6 so that these may be for you a sign set in place forever, so that when your son asks you tomorrow, saying, 'What are these stones to you?'

 

7 you shall explain to your son, saying, 'The river Jordan failed from before the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth, as it crossed over it; and these stones shall be a memorial for you, for the sons of Israel, forever.'"

 

8 And the sons of Israel did so, as the Lord commanded Joshua; and taking twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, just as the Lord instructed Joshua at the completion of the crossing of the sons of Israel, they carried them over with themselves into the camp and laid them down there.

 

9 And Joshua also set up twelve other stones in the Jordan itself, in the place that was under the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord; and they are there to this very day.

 

10 And the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood in the Jordan until Joshua had completed everything that the Lord commanded him to announce to the people; and the people hurried and crossed over.

 

11 And it came to pass, when all the people had finished crossing, that the ark of the covenant of the Lord crossed over, and the stones before them.

 

12 And the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over, equipped, before the sons of Israel, just as Moses had commanded them.

 

13 Forty thousand, girded for battle, crossed over before the Lord for war against the city of Jericho.

 

14 On that day the Lord exalted Joshua before all the race of Israel, and they feared him as they had Moses, for as long as he lived.

 

15 And the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying,

 

16 "Command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant of the testimony of the Lord to come up out of the Jordan."

 

17 And Joshua commanded the priests, saying, "Come up out of the Jordan."

 

18 And it came to pass, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord came up out of the Jordan and set their feet upon the land, that the water of the Jordan rushed back into its place and flowed as it had the day before and the day before that, over its whole bank.

 

19 And the people went up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month; and the sons of Israel encamped at Gilgal, in the region toward the rising of the sun from Jericho.

 

20 And these twelve stones, which he took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal,

 

21 saying, "When your sons ask you, saying, 'What are these stones?'

 

22 declare to your sons: 'Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground,

 

23 when the Lord our God dried up the water of the Jordan from before them until they had crossed over, just as the Lord our God did to the Red Sea, which the Lord our God dried up before us until we passed through,

 

24 so that all the nations of the earth may know that the power of the Lord is mighty, and so that you may worship the Lord your God at all times.'" 

  

Chapter 5

 

1 And it came to pass, when the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, and the kings of Phoenicia by the sea, heard that the Lord God had dried up the river Jordan before the sons of Israel as they crossed over, that their hearts melted and they were terrified, and there was no understanding at all in them because of the presence of the sons of Israel.

 

2 And at this time the Lord said to Joshua, "Make for yourself stone knives from sharp rock, and sit down and circumcise the sons of Israel."

 

3 And Joshua made sharp stone knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at the place called the Hill of Foreskins.

 

4 And in this manner Joshua purified the sons of Israel: as many as were born on the way, and as many as were uncircumcised of those who had come out of Egypt

 

5 all these Joshua circumcised.

 

6 For Israel wandered forty-two years in the wilderness of Madbaris; therefore most of their fighting men who had come out of the land of Egypt were uncircumcised, those who disobeyed the commandments of God, concerning whom he also determined that they should not see the land which the Lord swore to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.

 

7 And in their place he raised up their sons, whom Joshua circumcised, because they had been born uncircumcised along the way.

 

8 And having been circumcised, they rested, remaining there in the camp until they were healed.

 

9 And the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, "On this day I have taken away the reproach of Egypt from you." And he called the name of that place Galgala.

 

10 And the sons of Israel kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month, from evening, to the west of Jericho, on the other side of the Jordan, in the plain,

 

11 and they ate of the grain of the land, unleavened bread and new grain. On that day

 

12 the manna ceased, after they had eaten of the grain of the land, and the sons of Israel no longer had manna; and they enjoyed the fruit of the country of the Phoenicians in that year.

 

13 And it came to pass, while Joshua was at Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and saw a man standing before him, with a drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua approached and said to him, "Are you one of ours, or of the enemy?"

 

14 And he said to him, "I am the commander-in-chief of the host of the Lord; I have now come." And Joshua fell on his face upon the ground and said to him, "Master, what do you command your servant?"

 

15 And the commander-in-chief of the Lord said to Joshua, "Loose the sandal from your feet; for the place on which you stand is holy." 

  

Chapter 6

 

1 Now Jericho was shut up and fortified, and no one went out of it, nor did anyone come in.

 

2 And the Lord said to Joshua, "Behold, I deliver Jericho into your hand, and its king who is in it, mighty men of valor.

 

3 But you, set the fighting men around it in a circle,

 

5 and it shall be that when you sound the trumpet, let all the people shout at once, and when they shout, the walls of the city shall fall of themselves, and all the people shall enter, each rushing straight ahead into the city."

 

6 And Joshua the son of Naue went in to the priests

 

7 and spoke to them, saying, "Command the people to go around and encircle the city, and let the fighting men pass along armed before the Lord.

 

8 And let seven priests, having seven sacred trumpets, likewise pass before the Lord and signal vigorously, and let the ark of the covenant of the Lord follow after.

 

9 And let the fighting men pass along in front, and the priests bringing up the rear behind the ark of the covenant of the Lord, going along and sounding the trumpets."

 

10 And Joshua commanded the people, saying, "Do not shout, nor let anyone hear your voice, until the day he himself proclaims that you should shout, and then you shall shout."

 

11 And the ark of the covenant of God, having gone around the city, straightway returned to the camp and lodged there.

 

12 And on the second day Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the covenant of the Lord,

 

13 and the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went on before the Lord, and after them went the fighting men, and the rest of the crowd behind the ark of the covenant of the Lord; and the priests sounded the trumpets, and all the rest of the crowd encircled the city close at hand,

 

14 and returned again to the camp. Thus he did for six days.

 

15 And on the seventh day they rose at dawn and went around the city six times.

 

16 And at the seventh circuit the priests sounded the trumpets, and Joshua said to the sons of Israel, "Shout, for the Lord has delivered the city to you.

 

17 And the city shall be devoted, it and all that is in it, to the Lord Sabaoth; only preserve Raab the harlot, her and all that is in her house.

 

18 But keep yourselves strictly from the devoted thing, lest, having set your desire upon it, you yourselves take from the devoted thing and make the camp of the sons of Israel devoted, and destroy us.

 

19 And all silver or gold or bronze or iron shall be holy to the Lord; it shall be brought into the treasury of the Lord."

 

20 And the priests sounded the trumpets; and when the people heard the sound of the trumpets, all the people shouted together with a great and mighty shout. And the whole wall fell all around, and all the people went up into the city.

 

21 And Joshua devoted it to destruction, and all that was in the city, from man to woman, from young man to old, even to calf and beast of burden, with the edge of the sword.

 

22 And to the two young men who had spied Joshua said, "Go into the house of the woman and bring her out from there, and all that belongs to her."

 

23 And the two young men who had spied out the city went into the house of the woman and brought out Raab the harlot and her father and her mother and her brothers and all that belonged to her, and all her kindred, and they set her outside the camp of Israel.

 

24 And the city was burned with fire, together with everything in it, except the silver and gold and bronze and iron, which they gave to be brought into the treasury of the Lord.

 

25 And Joshua spared alive Raab the harlot and all her father's house, and she dwelt in Israel to this very day, because she hid the spies whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

 

26 And Joshua swore on that day before the Lord, saying, "Cursed be the man who shall build that city; with his firstborn he shall lay its foundation, and with his youngest he shall set up its gates." And thus did Ozan of Bethel: with Abiron his firstborn he laid its foundation, and with his youngest, who survived, he set up its gates.

 

27 And the Lord was with Joshua, and his name was throughout all the land. 

  

Chapter 7

 

1 And the sons of Israel committed a great trespass and took for themselves from the accursed thing; and Achar son of Charmi, son of Zambri, son of Zara, of the tribe of Judah, took from the accursed thing; and the Lord was enraged with anger against the sons of Israel.

2 And Joshua sent men to Ai, which is near Bethel, saying, Spy out Ai. And the men went up and spied out Ai.

 

3 And they returned to Joshua and said to him, Let not all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and besiege the city; do not lead all the people up there, for they are few.

 

4 And about three thousand men went up, and they fled before the men of Ai.

 

5 And the men of Ai killed of them about thirty-six men, and pursued them from the gate and crushed them on the steep descent; and the heart of the people was dismayed and became like water.

 

6 And Joshua tore his garments, and Joshua fell on his face to the ground before the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel, and they put dust on their heads.

 

7 And Joshua said, I beseech you, Lord, why did your servant bring this people across the Jordan, to deliver them to the Amorite to destroy us? Would that we had remained and settled beside the Jordan.

 

8 And what shall I say, since Israel has turned his neck before his enemy?

 

9 And when the Canaanite and all who inhabit the land hear it, they will surround us and wipe us out from the land; and what will you do for your great name?

 

10 And the Lord said to Joshua, Rise; why have you fallen thus on your face?

 

11 The people have sinned and transgressed the covenant which I made with them, and having stolen from the accursed thing they put it among their belongings.

 

12 The sons of Israel will not be able to stand before their enemies; they will turn their neck before their enemies, because they have become accursed. I will no longer be with you unless you remove the accursed thing from among yourselves.

 

13 Rise, sanctify the people, and command them to be sanctified by tomorrow. Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: The accursed thing is among you; you will not be able to stand before your enemies until you remove the accursed thing from among you.

 

14 And you shall all be gathered in the morning by tribes; and the tribe which the Lord shall show, you shall bring forward by families; and the family which the Lord shall show, you shall bring forward by household; and the household which the Lord shall show, you shall bring forward man by man.

 

15 And whoever is pointed out shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he transgressed the covenant of the Lord and committed a lawless deed in Israel.

 

16 And Joshua rose early and brought the people forward by tribes, and the tribe of Judah was pointed out;

 

17 and it was brought forward by families, and the family of the Zaraites was pointed out; and it was brought forward man by man,

 

18 and Achar son of Zambri, son of Zara, was pointed out.

 

19 And Joshua said to Achar, Give glory today to the Lord, the God of Israel, and make confession, and tell me what you did, and do not hide it from me.

 

20 And Achar answered Joshua and said, Truly I have sinned before the Lord, the God of Israel; thus and thus I did:

 

21 I saw in the spoil a beautiful embroidered mantle and two hundred didrachms of silver and one golden tongue of fifty didrachms, and coveting them I took them; and behold, they are hidden in the ground in my tent, and the silver is hidden beneath them.

 

22 And Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent in the camp; and these things were hidden in the tent, and the silver beneath them.

 

23 And they brought them out of the tent and brought them to Joshua and the elders of Israel, and they set them before the Lord.

 

24 And Joshua took Achar son of Zara and brought him up to the ravine of Achor, with his sons and his daughters and his calves and his beasts of burden and all his sheep and his tent and all his possessions, and all the people were with him; and he brought them up to Emekachor.

 

25 And Joshua said to Achar, Why have you destroyed us? May the Lord destroy you as on this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones.

 

26 And they set up over him a great heap of stones. And the Lord ceased from the fury of his anger. Therefore he named it Emekachor to this day. 

  

Chapter 8

 

1 And the Lord said to Joshua, "Do not fear nor be dismayed; take with you all the men of war, and rise up, go up to Ai; behold, I have given into your hands the king of Ai and his land.

 

2 And you shall do to Ai as you did to Jericho and its king, and you shall take the spoil of the cattle for yourself. But set for yourself an ambush against the city behind it."

 

3 And Joshua rose up, and all the people of war, to go up to Ai. And Joshua chose thirty thousand men mighty in strength, and sent them by night.

 

4 And he commanded them, saying, "You lie in ambush behind the city; do not go far from the city, and you shall all be ready.

 

5 And I and all those with me will draw near to the city, and it shall be that when the inhabitants of Ai come out to meet us, as before, we will flee from before them.

 

6 And when they come out after us, we will draw them away from the city; and they will say, 'These are fleeing from before us, just as before.'

 

7 But you shall rise up from the ambush and go into the city.

 

8 According to this word you shall do; behold, I have commanded you."

 

9 And Joshua sent them, and they went to the place of ambush and lay in wait between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai.

 

10 And Joshua rose early in the morning and mustered the people; and he and the elders went up before the people against Ai.

 

11 And all the people of war with him went up, and going forward they came opposite the city from the east,

 

12 and the ambush was on the west side of the city.

 

14 And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, he hastened and went out to meet them straight into battle, he and all the people with him; and he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.

 

15 And Joshua and Israel saw and withdrew from before them.

 

16 And they pursued after the sons of Israel, and they themselves departed from the city;

 

17 there was no one left in Ai who did not pursue after Israel; and they left the city open and pursued after Israel.

 

18 And the Lord said to Joshua, "Stretch out your hand with the javelin that is in your hand toward the city, for into your hands I have delivered it and the ambush shall rise up quickly from their place." And Joshua stretched out his hand, the javelin, toward the city,

 

19 and the ambush rose up quickly from their place and came out when he stretched out his hand, and they came to the city and took it, and hastening they set the city on fire.

 

20 And when the inhabitants of Ai looked behind them, they beheld smoke going up from the city into the sky; and they no longer had anywhere to flee, this way or that.

 

21 And Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and that the smoke of the city went up into the sky, and turning about they struck down the men of Ai.

 

22 And these came out of the city to meet them, and they were caught in the midst of the camp, some on this side and some on that; and they struck them down until there was left of them none saved or escaped.

 

23 And they took the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua.

 

24 And when the sons of Israel had finished killing all who were in Ai, those in the plains and on the mountain at the descent, where they had pursued them from it to the end, then Joshua returned to Ai and struck it with the edge of the sword.

 

25 And those who fell on that day, from man to woman, were twelve thousand, all the inhabitants of Ai,

 

27 except the cattle and the spoils that were in the city; all these the sons of Israel plundered according to the command of the Lord, as the Lord had ordered Joshua.

 

28 And Joshua burned the city with fire; he made it an uninhabited mound forever, until this day.

 

29 And he hanged the king of Ai on a forked tree, and he was on the tree until evening; and as the sun was setting Joshua gave orders, and they took his body down from the tree and cast him into the pit and set over him a heap of stones, until this day. 

  

Chapter 9

 

1 And when the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan heard—those in the hill country and those in the plain and those along all the coast of the great sea and those toward Antilebanon, and the Hittites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Amorites and the Girgashites and the Jebusites

 

2 they gathered together at the same place to make war on Joshua and Israel, all of them together.

 

2a Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Gaibal,

 

2b just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the sons of Israel, as it is written in the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, upon which iron had not been laid; and he offered up there whole burnt offerings to the Lord and a sacrifice of salvation.

 

2c And Joshua wrote upon the stones the deuteronomy, the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the sons of Israel.

 

2d And all Israel and their elders and their judges and their scribes passed along on this side and on that of the ark, opposite it, and the priests and the Levites lifted the ark of the covenant of the Lord, both the proselyte and the native-born, half of whom were near Mount Garizin, and half of whom were near Mount Gaibal, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded to bless the people first.

 

2e And after this Joshua thus read all the words of this law, the blessings and the curses, according to all that was written in the law of Moses.

 

2f There was not a word of all that Moses commanded Joshua which Joshua did not read in the ears of the whole assembly of the sons of Israel, to the men and the women and the children and the proselytes who joined themselves to Israel.

 

3 And the inhabitants of Gibeon heard all that the Lord had done to Jericho and to Ai.

 

4 And they, for their part, acted with cunning: they came, took provisions, and made themselves ready; and they took old sacks upon their donkeys, and old wineskins, torn and tied up,

 

5 and the soles of their shoes and their sandals were old and patched on their feet, and their garments upon them were worn out, and the bread of their provisions was dry and moldy and eaten away.

 

6 And they came to Joshua at the camp of Israel at Gilgal, and they said to Joshua and Israel: We have come from a land far away; and now make a covenant with us.

 

7 And the sons of Israel said to the Horite: See to it that you do not dwell among me and how then can I make a covenant with you?

 

8 And they said to Joshua: We are your servants. And Joshua said to them: Where are you from, and from where have you come?

 

9 And they said: From a land very far away your servants have come, in the name of the Lord your God; for we have heard his name and all that he did in Egypt,

 

10 and all that he did to the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan, who dwelt in Ashtaroth and in Edrei.

 

11 And when they heard this, our elders and all the inhabitants of our land said to us, saying: Take provisions for yourselves for the journey and go to meet them, and you shall say to them: We are your servants, and now make a covenant with us. 1

 

2 This bread, we took it warm as provisions on the day we set out to come to you; but now it has dried up and become eaten away;

 

13 and these wineskins, which we filled new, even these are torn; and our garments and our shoes have become utterly worn out from the very long journey.

 

14 And the rulers took of their provisions, and they did not inquire of the Lord.

 

15 And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them to preserve them, and the rulers of the congregation swore to them.

 

16 And it came to pass three days after the covenant had been made with them, they heard that they were near them and that they dwelt among them.

 

17 And the sons of Israel set out and came to their cities; and their cities were Gibeon and Chephirah and Beeroth and the city of Jarin.

 

18 And the sons of Israel did not fight against them, because all the rulers had sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel; and the whole congregation murmured against the rulers.

 

19 And the rulers said to the whole congregation: We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we shall not be able to touch them.

 

20 This we will do: take them alive, and we will preserve them, and there shall not be wrath against us because of the oath which we swore to them.

 

21 They shall live and shall be hewers of wood and drawers of water for the whole congregation, just as the rulers said to them.

 

22 And Joshua called them together and said to them: Why did you deceive me, saying, We are very far from you? Yet you are natives of those who dwell among us.

 

23 And now you are accursed: there shall by no means fail from among you a slave, nor a hewer of wood, for me and for my God.

 

24 And they answered Joshua, saying: It was reported to us all that the Lord your God commanded Moses his servant, to give you this land and to utterly destroy us and all who dwell upon it from before you; and we feared greatly for our lives because of you, and we did this thing.

 

25 And now, behold, we are in your hands; as it pleases you and as it seems good to you, do to us.

 

26 And they did so to them; and Joshua delivered them on that day out of the hands of the sons of Israel, and they did not kill them.

 

27 And Joshua made them on that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the whole congregation and for the altar of God; therefore the inhabitants of Gibeon became hewers of wood and drawers of water for the altar of God until this day, and for the place which the Lord should choose. 

  

Chapter 10

 

1 And when Adonibezek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai and utterly destroyed it, as they had done to Jericho and its king, so they did to Ai and its king and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had deserted to Joshua and to Israel,

 

2 they were greatly afraid among themselves; for he knew that Gibeon was a great city, like one of the mother-cities, and all its men were mighty.

 

3 And Adonibezek king of Jerusalem sent to Elam king of Hebron, and to Phidon king of Jerimuth, and to Jephtha king of Lachish, and to Dabir king of Odollam, saying,

 

4 Come up to me and help me, and let us make war on Gibeon; for they have deserted to Joshua and to the sons of Israel.

 

5 And the five kings of the Jebusites went up, the king of Jerusalem, and the king of Hebron, and the king of Jerimuth, and the king of Lachish, and the king of Odollam, they and all their people, and they encamped around Gibeon and besieged it.

 

6 And the inhabitants of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp of Israel at Gilgal, saying, Do not slacken your hands from your servants; come up to us quickly and rescue us and help us; for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hill country are gathered against us.

 

7 And Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, every man mighty in strength.

 

8 And the Lord said to Joshua, Do not fear them; for I have delivered them into your hands; not one of them shall be left standing before you.

 

9 And Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal.

 

10 And the Lord threw them into confusion before the sons of Israel, and the Lord crushed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and they pursued them along the way of the ascent of Horonin and cut them down as far as Azekah and as far as Makkedah.

 

11 And as they fled from before the sons of Israel at the descent of Horonin, the Lord cast upon them hailstones from heaven as far as Azekah; and those who died by the hailstones were more than those whom the sons of Israel slew with the sword in the battle.

 

12 Then Joshua spoke to the Lord, on the day when God delivered the Amorite into the hand of Israel, when he crushed them at Gibeon and they were crushed before the sons of Israel; and Joshua said, Let the sun stand still over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Aijalon.

 

13 And the sun and the moon stood still, until God had taken vengeance on their enemies. And the sun stood in the midst of heaven; it did not go on toward its setting until the end of one day.

 

14 And there was no day like it, either before or after, that God should hearken to a man; for the Lord fought alongside Israel.

 

16 And these five kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.

 

17 And it was reported to Joshua, saying, The five kings have been found hidden in the cave at Makkedah.

 

18 And Joshua said, Roll stones upon the mouth of the cave, and set men to guard them,

 

19 but do not stand still yourselves; pursue after your enemies and overtake their rear guard, and do not let them enter into their cities; for the Lord our God has delivered them into our hands.

 

20 And it came to pass, when Joshua and every son of Israel had ceased cutting them down with a very great slaughter, even to the end, and those who escaped had escaped into the fortified cities,

 

21 all the people returned to Joshua at Makkedah unharmed, and none of the sons of Israel muttered with his tongue.

 

22 And Joshua said, Open the cave, and bring out these five kings from the cave.

 

23 And they brought the five kings out of the cave: the king of Jerusalem, and the king of Hebron, and the king of Jerimuth, and the king of Lachish, and the king of Odollam.

 

24 And when they had brought them out to Joshua, Joshua called together all Israel and the chiefs of the war who went with him, saying to them, Come forward and set your feet upon their necks. And they came forward and set their feet upon their necks.

 

25 And Joshua said to them, Do not fear them nor be dismayed; be manly and strong, for thus shall the Lord do to all your enemies against whom you make war.

 

26 And Joshua slew them and hanged them on five trees, and they hung upon the trees until evening.

 

27 And it came to pass toward the setting of the sun that Joshua gave command, and they took them down from the trees and cast them into the cave into which they had fled, and they rolled stones upon the cave, which remain to this day.

 

28 And they took Makkedah on that day and slaughtered it with the edge of the sword, and they utterly destroyed everything that breathed in it, and there was left in it no one escaped or fled; and they did to the king of Makkedah as they had done to the king of Jericho.

 

29 And Joshua departed, and all Israel with him, from Makkedah to Libnah, and he besieged Libnah.

 

30 And the Lord delivered it into the hands of Israel, and they took it and its king, and slaughtered it with the edge of the sword, and everything breathing in it; and there was not left in it even one escaped or fled; and they did to its king as they had done to the king of Jericho.

 

31 And Joshua departed, and all Israel with him, from Libnah to Lachish, and he encamped around it and besieged it.

 

32 And the Lord delivered Lachish into the hands of Israel, and he took it on the second day, and they slaughtered it with the edge of the sword and utterly destroyed it, as they had done to Libnah.

 

33 Then Elam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish, and Joshua smote him with the edge of the sword, and his people, until there was not left of them one saved or escaped.

 

34 And Joshua departed, and all Israel with him, from Lachish to Odollam, and he encamped around it and besieged it.

 

35 And the Lord delivered it into the hand of Israel, and he took it on that day and slaughtered it with the edge of the sword, and everything breathing in it they slew, as they had done to Lachish.

 

36 And Joshua departed, and all Israel with him, to Hebron, and he encamped around it.

 

37 And he smote it with the edge of the sword, and everything breathing, whatever was in it; there was none saved; as they had done to Odollam, they utterly destroyed it and all that was in it.

 

38 And Joshua turned back, and all Israel, to Dabir, and encamping around it

 

39 they took it and its king and its villages, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed it and everything breathing in it, and left in it no one saved; as they had done to Hebron and to its king, so they did to Dabir and to its king.

 

40 And Joshua smote all the land of the hill country and the Negeb and the plain and Asedoth and its kings; they left of them none saved; and everything breathing with life he utterly destroyed, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded,

 

41 from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza, all Goshen as far as Gibeon;

 

42 and all their kings and their land Joshua smote at one stroke, because the Lord God of Israel fought alongside Israel. 

  

Chapter 11

 

1 And when Jabin king of Hazor heard, he sent to Jobab king of Marron and to the king of Symoon and to the king of Aziph,

 

2 and to the kings near great Sidon, into the hill country and into Raba opposite Kenneroth and into the plain and into Naphedor,

 

3 and to the Canaanites on the coast from the east and to the Amorites on the coast, and the Hivites and Jebusites and Perizzites who were in the mountain, and the Hittites who were under Hermon in the land of Massepha.

 

4 And they went out, they and their kings with them, like the sand of the sea in multitude, and horses and very many chariots.

 

5 And all these kings assembled and came together and encamped at the water of Marron to fight against Israel.

 

6 And the Lord said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid before them, for tomorrow at this hour I deliver them up, routed, before Israel; you shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire."

 

7 And Joshua and all the warrior people came upon them at the water of Marron suddenly, and they fell upon them in the hill country.

 

8 And the Lord delivered them into the hands of Israel, and cutting them down they pursued them as far as great Sidon and as far as Maseron and as far as the plains of Massoch toward the east; and they cut them down until not one survivor of them was left.

 

9 And Joshua did to them as the Lord had commanded him: he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.

 

10 And Joshua turned back at that time and took Hazor and its king; now Hazor was formerly the ruler of all these kingdoms.

 

11 And they killed every breathing thing in it with the sword and utterly destroyed all, and no breathing thing was left in it; and they burned Hazor with fire.

 

12 And all the cities of the kings and their kings Joshua took, and he slew them with the edge of the sword, and they utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the Lord had directed.

 

13 But all the cities set on mounds Israel did not burn; only Hazor alone Joshua burned.

 

14 And all its spoils the sons of Israel plundered for themselves, but all the people they utterly destroyed with the edge of the sword, until he had destroyed them; they left of them not even one breathing thing.

 

15 As the Lord had directed Moses his servant, so Moses likewise commanded Joshua, and thus Joshua did; he transgressed nothing of all that Moses had directed him.

 

16 And Joshua took all the hill country and all the Negeb and all the land of Goshen and the lowland and the land toward the west and the mountain of Israel and the low places,

 

17 those by the mountain from mount Achel, and that which goes up to Seir, and as far as Baalgad, and the plains of Lebanon under mount Hermon; and all their kings he took, and slew them, and put them to death.

 

18 And for many days Joshua made war against these kings,

 

19 and there was no city that Israel did not take; they took everything in war.

 

20 For it came about through the Lord to harden their heart to meet Israel in war, so that they might be utterly destroyed, in order that no mercy be given them, but that they might be utterly destroyed, as the Lord had said to Moses.

 

21 And Joshua came at that time and utterly destroyed the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron and from Dabir and from Anaboth and from every stock of Israel and from all the mountain of Judah with their cities; and Joshua utterly destroyed them.

 

22 None of the Anakim was left among the sons of Israel; only in Gaza and in Geth and in Asedoth were some left.

 

23 And Joshua took all the land, as the Lord had commanded Moses, and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel by division according to their tribes. And the land rested from war. 

  

Chapter 12

 

1 And these are the kings of the land whom the sons of Israel slew, and whose land they took possession of beyond the Jordan, from the rising of the sun, from the valley of Arnon as far as Mount Hermon, and all the land of Arabah on the east:

 

2 Sihon the king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, ruling from Aroer, which is in the valley, along the side of the valley, and half of Gilead as far as Jabbok, the borders of the sons of Ammon,

 

3 and the Arabah as far as the sea of Chinnereth eastward, and as far as the sea of Arabah, the Salt Sea on the east, the way toward Asimoth, from Teman that is below Ashdoth-Pisgah;

 

4 and Og king of Bashan, who was left of the giants, who dwelt in Ashtaroth and in Edrei,

 

5 ruling from Mount Hermon and from Salecah, and all Bashan as far as the borders of the Geshurite and the Maachathite, and half of Gilead, to the borders of Sihon king of Heshbon.

 

6 Moses the servant of the Lord and the sons of Israel smote them; and Moses gave it as an inheritance to Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

 

7 And these are the kings of the Amorites whom Joshua and the sons of Israel slew beyond the Jordan by the sea, from Baal-gad in the plain of Lebanon and as far as Mount Halak, going up to Seir; and Joshua gave it to the tribes of Israel to inherit according to their lot,

 

8 in the hill country and in the plain and in the Arabah and in Ashdoth and in the wilderness and in the Negeb: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite:

 

9 the king of Jericho and the king of Ai, which is near Bethel,

 

10 the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron,

 

11 the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish,

 

12 the king of Eglon, the king of Gezer, 1

 

3 the king of Debir, the king of Geder,

 

14 the king of Hormah, the king of Arad,

 

15 the king of Libnah, the king of Adullam,

 

16 the king of Makkedah,

 

17 the king of Tappuah, the king of Hepher,

 

18 the king of Aphek of Sharon,

 

19 the king of Hazor,

 

20 the king of Shimron, the king of Madon, the king of Achshaph,

 

21 the king of Kedesh, the king of Taanach,

 

22 the king of Megiddo, the king of Jokneam of Carmel,

 

23 the king of Dor of Naphath-dor, the king of Goiim of Galilee,

 

24 the king of Tirzah: all these kings, twenty-nine. 

  

Chapter 13

 

1 Now Joshua was old and advanced in days. And the Lord said to Joshua, "You are advanced in days, and much land remains to be inherited.

 

2 And this is the land that remains: the borders of the Philistines, the Geshurite and the Canaanite;

 

3 from the uninhabited land facing Egypt as far as the borders of Ekron, on the left of the Canaanites, it is reckoned to the five satrapies of the Philistines: to the Gazite and the Ashdodite and the Ashkelonite and the Gittite and the Ekronite; and to the Hivite,

 

4 from Teman and all the land of Canaan before Gaza, and the Sidonians as far as Aphek, as far as the borders of the Amorites;

 

5 and all the land of Gebal of the Philistines and all Lebanon from the rising of the sun, from Gilgal below Mount Hermon as far as the entrance of Hamath;

 

6 everyone inhabiting the hill country from Lebanon as far as Misrephoth-maim, all the Sidonians. I myself will destroy them from before Israel; but distribute it by lot to Israel, as I have commanded you.

 

7 And now divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and to the half tribe of Manasseh; from the Jordan as far as the great sea toward the setting of the sun you shall give it; the great sea shall be the boundary."

 

8 But to the two tribes and to the half tribe of Manasseh, to Reuben and to Gad, Moses gave land beyond the Jordan toward the rising of the sun; Moses the servant of the Lord gave it,

 

9 from Aroer, which is on the edge of the wadi Arnon, and the city in the midst of the valley, and all the Mishor from Medeba as far as Dibon;

 

10 all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the borders of the sons of Ammon;

 

11 and Gilead and the borders of the Geshurite and of the Maacathite, all Mount Hermon and all Bashan as far as Salecah;

 

12 all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei—he was left of the giants, and Moses struck him and destroyed him.

 

13 But the sons of Israel did not destroy the Geshurite and the Maacathite and the Canaanite, and the king of Geshur and the Maacathite dwelt among the sons of Israel until this day.

 

14 Only to the tribe of Levi no inheritance was given; the Lord, the God of Israel, he is their inheritance, as the Lord said to them. And this is the division which Moses divided to the sons of Israel in Araboth Moab, beyond the Jordan opposite Jericho.

 

15 And Moses gave to the tribe of Reuben according to their clans.

 

16 And their borders were from Aroer, which faces the valley of Arnon, and the city in the valley of Arnon, and all the Mishor

 

17 as far as Heshbon, and all the cities that are in the Mishor, and Dibon and Bamoth-baal and the house of Baal-meon

 

18 and Jahaz and Kedemoth and Mephaath

 

19 and Kiriathaim and Sibmah and Zereth and Zior on the mountain of Emak

 

20 and Beth-peor and Ashdoth-pisgah and Beth-jeshimoth

 

21 and all the cities of the Mishor and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, whom Moses struck, him and the leaders of Midian: Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba, princes under Sihon, and those inhabiting the land.

 

22 And Balaam the son of Beor, the diviner, they killed in the rout.

 

23 And the borders of Reuben were: the Jordan was the boundary. This is the inheritance of the sons of Reuben according to their clans, their cities and their villages.

 

24 And Moses gave to the sons of Gad according to their clans.

 

25 And their borders were Jazer, all the cities of Gilead and half the land of the sons of Ammon as far as Aroer, which faces Rabbah,

 

26 and from Heshbon as far as Ramoth by Mizpeh and Betonim and Mahanaim as far as the borders of Debir

 

27 and in the valley Beth-haram and Beth-nimrah and Succoth and Zaphon and the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon; and the Jordan shall be the boundary as far as the edge of the sea of Chinnereth, beyond the Jordan eastward.

 

28 This is the inheritance of the sons of Gad according to their clans, their cities and their villages.

 

29 And Moses gave to the half tribe of Manasseh according to their clans.

 

30 And their borders were from Mahanaim, and all the kingdom of Bashan and all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan and all the villages of Jair, which are in Bashan, sixty cities,

 

31 and half of Gilead, and in Ashtaroth and in Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan; and they were given to the sons of Machir son of Manasseh, and to the half of the sons of Machir son of Manasseh according to their clans.

 

32These are they whom Moses gave inheritance beyond the Jordan in Araboth Moab, beyond the Jordan opposite Jericho, on the east. 

 

Chapter 14

1 And these are they who received the inheritance of the children of Israel in the land of Canaan, to whom Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the children of Israel distributed the inheritance.

 

2 They inherited by lots, as the Lord commanded by the hand of Joshua to the nine tribes and the half tribe,

 

3 from beyond the Jordan; and to the Levites he gave no inheritance among them.

 

4 For the sons of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim; and no portion was given in the land to the Levites, but only cities to dwell in, and the lands set apart for them for their cattle, and their cattle.

 

5 As the Lord commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did, and they divided the land.

 

6 And the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, You know the word which the Lord spoke to Moses the man of God concerning me and you in Kadesh Barnea.

 

7 For I was forty years old when Moses the servant of God sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I answered him word according to his mind.

 

8 But my brethren who went up with me turned aside the heart of the people; but I continued to follow the Lord my God.

 

9 And Moses swore on that day, saying, The land upon which you have gone up shall be yours for an inheritance, and your children's forever, because you have continued to follow after the Lord our God.

 

10 And now the Lord has kept me alive, as he said: this is the forty-fifth year since the Lord spoke this word to Moses, and Israel journeyed in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am today eighty-five years old.

 

11 I am still strong today, as when Moses sent me; so am I strong now to go out and to come in for war.

 

12 And now I ask of you this mountain, as the Lord said on that day; for you heard this word on that day. And now the Anakim are there, cities fortified and great; if then the Lord be with me, I will utterly destroy them, as the Lord said to me.

 

13 And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh, the son of Kenaz, for an inheritance.

 

14 Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he followed the commandment of the Lord God of Israel.

 

15 And the name of Hebron before was the city of Arba: it was the metropolis of the Anakim. And the land rested from war. 

  

Chapter 15

 

1 And the borders of the tribe of Judah according to their clans were from the borders of Idumea, from the wilderness of Sin as far as Kadesh toward the southwest.

 

2 And their borders were from the southwest as far as part of the salt sea, from the ridge that leads toward the southwest,

 

3 and it passes on opposite the ascent of Akrabin and goes around Senna and goes up from the southwest to Kadesh Barnea and goes out to Asoron and goes up to Addara and goes around the place west of Kadesh,

 

4 and it goes on to Asemona and shall pass through as far as the ravine of Egypt, and the outlet of its borders shall be at the sea; this is their border from the southwest.

 

5 And the borders from the east: all the salt sea as far as the Jordan. And their borders from the north are both from the ridge of the sea and from the part of the Jordan:

 

6 the borders go up to Baithagla and pass along from the north to Baitharaba, and the borders go up to the stone of Baion son of Reuben,

 

7 and the borders go up to the fourth part of the ravine of Achor and go down to Galgal, which is opposite the approach of Addamin, which is to the southwest of the ravine, and it shall pass through to the water of the spring of the sun, and its outlet shall be the spring of Rogel,

 

8 and the borders go up into the ravine of Onom, along the ridge of Jebus from the southwest (this is Jerusalem), and the borders pass through to the summit of the mountain which is before the ravine of Onom toward the sea, which is at the edge of the land of Raphain toward the north,

 

9 and the border passes from the summit of the mountain to the spring of the water of Naphtho and passes through to Mount Ephron, and the border shall lead out to Baal (this is the city of Iarim),

 

10 and the border shall go around from Baal to the sea and shall pass on to Mount Assares along the ridge, past the city of Iarim on the north (this is Chaslon), and shall go down to the City of the Sun and shall pass on toward the southwest,

 

11 and the border shall pass through along the ridge of Akkaron toward the north, and the borders shall pass through to Sakcharona and shall go past the mountain of Bala and shall pass through to Jabnel, and the outlet of the borders shall be at the sea.

 

12 And their borders from the sea: the great sea shall be the boundary. These are the borders of the sons of Judah round about according to their clans.

 

13 And to Caleb the son of Jephonne he gave a portion in the midst of the sons of Judah by the command of God, and Joshua gave him the city of Arbok, the mother city of Enak.

 

14 And Caleb the son of Jephonne utterly destroyed from there the three sons of Enak: Sousi and Tholmi and Achima.

 

15 And Caleb went up from there against those dwelling in Dabir; and the name of Dabir was formerly the City of Letters.

 

 

16 And Caleb said, "Whoever takes and cuts down the City of Letters and becomes master of it, to him I will give my daughter Achsa as wife."

 

17 And Gothoniel the son of Kenez, the younger brother of Caleb, took it, and he gave him his daughter Achsa as his wife.

 

18 And it came to pass, as she was going in, that she counseled with him, saying, "I will ask my father for a field"; and she cried out from the donkey. And Caleb said to her, "What is it with you?"

 

19 And she said to him, "Give me a blessing, for you have given me into the land of Nageb; give me Golathmain." And Caleb gave her upper Golathmain and lower Golathmain.

 

20 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Judah.

 

21 And their cities were: the first city of the tribe of the sons of Judah on the borders of Edom in the wilderness was Kaibaiseleel and Ara and Asor

 

22 and Ikam and Regma and Arouel

 

23 and Kades and Asorionain

 

24 and Mainam and Balmainan and their villages

 

25 and the cities of Aseron

 

26 and Sen and Salmaa and Molada

 

27 and Seri and Baiphalad

 

28 and Cholaseola and Bersabee and their villages and their farmsteads,

 

29 Bala and Bakok and Asom

 

30 and Elboudad and Baithel and Erma

 

31 and Sekelak and Macharim and Sethennak

 

32 and Labos and Sale and Eromoth: twenty-nine cities and their villages.

 

33 In the plain: Astaol and Raa and Assa

 

34 and Ramen and Tano and Ilouthoth and Maiani

 

35 and Iermouth and Odollam and Membra and Saocho and Azeka

 

36 and Sakarim and Gadera and its farmsteads: fourteen cities and their villages;

 

37 Senna and Adasan and Magadagad

 

38 and Dalal and Maspha and Iakareel

 

39 and Laches and Basedoth and Ideadalea

 

40 and Chabra and Maches and Maachos

 

41 and Geddor and Bagadiel and Noman and Makedan: sixteen cities and their villages;

 

42 Lemna and Ithak

 

43 and Anoch and Iana and Nasib

 

44 and Keilam and Akiezi and Kezib and Bathesar and Ailon: ten cities and their villages;

 

45 Akkaron and its villages and their farmsteads;

 

46 from Akkaron, Gemna and all that are near Asedoth, and their villages;

 

47 Asiedoth and its villages and its farmsteads; Gaza and its villages and its farmsteads as far as the brook of Egypt; and the great sea forms the boundary.

 

48 And in the hill country: Samir and Iether and Socha

 

49 and Renna and the City of Letters

 

50 and Anon and Eskaiman and Aisam

 

51 and Gosom and Chalou and Channa: eleven cities and their villages;

 

52 Airem and Remna and Soma

 

53 and Iemain and Baithachou and Phakoua

 

54 and Euma and the city of Arbok and Sorth: nine cities and their farmsteads;

 

55 Maor and Chermel and Ozib and Itan 56 and Iariel and Iarikam and Zakanaim

 

57 and Gabaa and Thamnatha: nine cities and their villages;

 

58 Aloua and Baithsour and Geddon

 

59 and Magaroth and Baithanam and Thekoum: six cities and their villages;

 

59a Theko and Ephratha and Phagor and Aitan and Koulon and Tatam and Eobes and Karem and Galem and Thether and Manocho: eleven cities and their villages;

 

60 Kariathbaal and Sotheba: two cities and their farmsteads;

 

61 and Baddargis and Tharabaam and Ainon and Aichioza

 

62 and Naphlazon and the cities of Sadom and Ankades: seven cities and their villages.

 

63 And the Jebusite dwelt in Jerusalem, and the sons of Judah were not able to destroy them; and the Jebusites have dwelt in Jerusalem until that day. 

 

Chapter 16

 

1 And the borders of the sons of Joseph were from the Jordan by Jericho on the east, and shall go up from Jericho into the hill country, the wilderness, to Baithel Louza,

 

2 and shall go out to Baithel and pass along to the borders of the Chatarothi,

 

3 and shall pass through toward the sea to the borders of Aptalim as far as the borders of lower Baithoron, and their outgoing shall be at the sea.

 

4 And the sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, received their inheritance.

 

5 And the borders of the sons of Ephraim were according to their families; and the borders of their inheritance were on the east Ataroth and Erok as far as upper Baithoron and Gazara,

 

6 and the borders shall pass through toward the sea to Ikasmon north of Therma; it shall go around eastward to Thenasa and Sellesa, and shall pass along on the east to Ianoka,

 

7 and to Macho and Ataroth and their villages; and it shall come to Jericho and shall come out at the Jordan,

 

8 and from Taphou the borders shall go toward the sea to Chelkana, and their outgoing shall be at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of Ephraim according to their families.

 

9 And the cities set apart for the sons of Ephraim were in the midst of the inheritance of the sons of Manasseh, all the cities and their villages.

 

10 And Ephraim did not destroy the Canaanite who dwelt in Gazer; and the Canaanite dwelt in Ephraim until this day, until Pharaoh king of Egypt came up and took it and burned it with fire, and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites and those dwelling in Gazer, and Pharaoh gave it as a dowry to his daughter. 

  

Chapter 17

 

1 And the borders of the tribe of the sons of Manasseh came to be, for he was the firstborn of Joseph: to Machir, the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead (for he was a man of war), in Gilead and in Bashan.

 

2 And it came to the rest of the sons of Manasseh according to their families: to the sons of Iezer and to the sons of Kelez and to the sons of Ieziel and to the sons of Shechem and to the sons of Symarim and to the sons of Opher; these are the males according to their families.

 

3 And as for Zelophehad son of Opher, he had no sons but only daughters, and these are the names of the daughters of Zelophehad: Mahlah and Noah and Hoglah and Milcah and Tirzah.

 

4 And they stood before Eleazar the priest and before Joshua and before the rulers, saying, "God commanded by the hand of Moses to give us an inheritance in the midst of our brothers." And there was given to them, by the command of the Lord, an allotment among the brothers of their father.

 

5 And their measured portion fell from Anassa and the plain of Labek out of Gilead, which is beyond the Jordan;

 

6 for the daughters of the sons of Manasseh inherited an allotment in the midst of their brothers; and the land of Gilead came to the remaining sons of Manasseh.

 

7 And the borders of the sons of Manasseh were Delanath, which is facing the sons of Anath, and it proceeds along the borders to Iamin and Iassib, to the spring of Thaphthoth;

 

8 it shall belong to Manasseh, and Thapheth on the borders of Manasseh belongs to the sons of Ephraim.

 

9 And the borders shall go down to the ravine of Karana, southward along the ravine of Iariel, a terebinth belongs to Ephraim in the midst of the city of Manasseh and the borders of Manasseh are toward the north to the brook, and its outlet shall be the sea.

 

10 From the south it belongs to Ephraim, and toward the north to Manasseh, and the sea shall be their border; and they shall border on Asher to the north and on Issachar from the east.

 

11 And Manasseh shall have, in Issachar and in Asher, Beth-shan and their villages, and the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages, and the third part of Napheta and its villages.

 

12 And the sons of Manasseh were not able to destroy these cities, and the Canaanite began to dwell in this land;

 

13 and it came to pass that, when the sons of Israel grew strong, they made the Canaanites subject, but they did not utterly destroy them.

 

14 And the sons of Joseph spoke against Joshua, saying, "Why have you given us as inheritance one allotment and one measured portion? For I am a numerous people, and God has blessed me."

 

15 And Joshua said to them, "If you are a numerous people, go up into the forest and clear it out for yourself, if the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you."

 

16 And they said, "The hill country of Ephraim will not suffice us, and the Canaanite who dwells in it has choice horses and iron, in Beth-shan and in its villages, in the valley of Jezreel."

 

17 And Joshua said to the sons of Joseph, "If you are a numerous people and have great strength, you shall not have one allotment only;

 

18 for the forest shall be yours, because it is a forest, and you shall clear it out, and it shall be yours; and when you utterly destroy the Canaanite, though he has choice horses, for you are stronger than he." 

  

Chapter 18

 

1 And the whole congregation of the sons of Israel was assembled at Shiloh, and there they pitched the tent of witness, and the land was subdued by them.

 

2 And there remained the sons of Israel who had not received their inheritance, seven tribes.

 

3 And Joshua said to the sons of Israel, "How long will you be slack to inherit the land which the Lord our God has given?

 

4 Appoint from among you three men from each tribe, and let them rise up and go through the land and map it out before me, as it will be necessary to divide it."

 

5 "Judah shall stand as their border on the south, and the sons of Joseph shall stand as their border on the north.

 

6 But you, divide the land into seven portions and bring it to me here, and I will cast a lot for you before the Lord our God.

 

7 For there is no portion for the sons of Levi among you, for the priesthood of the Lord is his portion; and Gad and Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh received their inheritance beyond the Jordan to the east, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave them."

 

8 And the men rose up and went, and Joshua commanded the men who were going to survey the land, saying, "Go and survey the land and come back to me, and here I will cast a lot for you before the Lord in Shiloh."

 

9 And they went and surveyed the land and saw it and wrote it down according to its cities, in seven portions, in a book, and brought it to Joshua.

 

10 And Joshua cast a lot for them in Shiloh before the Lord.

 

11 And the lot of the tribe of Benjamin came out first according to their families, and the borders of their lot came out between Judah and the sons of Joseph.

 

12 And their borders were on the north from the Jordan; the border shall go up along the back of Jericho on the north and shall go up to the mountain toward the sea, and its outlet shall be the Madbaritis of Baithon;

 

13 and from there the border shall pass through to Louza, along the back of Louza on the south, and the border shall go down to Maataroth-orech to the hill country which is south of lower Bethhoron;

 

14 and the border shall pass through and go around to the part facing the sea, on the south, from the mountain in front of Bethhoron southward, and its outlet shall be at Kiriath-baal; this is the part toward the sea.

 

15 And the part toward the south is from the region of Kiriath-baal, and the border shall pass through to Gasin, to the spring of the water of Naphtho;

 

16 and the border shall go down to the edge of the mountain which is in front of the valley of Onnam, which is on the side of Emek-raphain on the north, and it shall go down to Gai-enna along the back of Jebus on the south and shall go down to the spring of Rogel;

 

17 and it shall pass through to the spring of Bethsamys and shall pass along to Galiloth, which is opposite the ascent of Aithamin, and shall go down to the stone of Baion of the sons of Reuben;

 

18 and it shall pass along the back of Betharaba on the north and shall go down

 

19 to the borders along the back of Bethagla on the north, and the outlet of the borders shall be at the ridge of the Salt Sea on the north, to the end of the Jordan on the south; these are the borders on the south.

 

20 And the Jordan shall be the border on the east side. This is the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin, its borders round about according to their families.

 

21 And the cities of the sons of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho and Baithegliо and Amekasis

 

22 and Baithabara and Sara and Besana

 

23 and Aiin and Phara and Ephratha

 

24 and Karapha and Kephira and Moni and Gabaa, twelve cities with their villages;

 

25 Gabaon and Rama and Beerotha

 

26 and Massema and Miron and Amoke

27 and Phira and Kaphan and Nakan and Selekan and Thareela

28 and Jebus (this is Jerusalem) and cities and Gabaoth-jearim, thirteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin according to their families. 

  

Chapter 19

 

1 And the second lot came out for the sons of Symeon, and their inheritance was in the midst of the lots of the sons of Iouda.

 

2 And their lot was Bersabee and Samaa and Koladam

 

3 and Arsola and Bola and Asom

 

4 and Elthoula and Boula and Erma

 

5 and Sikelak and Baithmachereb and Sarsousin

 

6 and Batharoth and their fields, thirteen cities and their villages;

 

7 Eremmon and Thalcha and Ether and Asan, four cities and their villages

 

8 round about their cities as far as Barek, going toward Bameth to the southwest. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Symeon according to their clans.

 

9 From the lot of Iouda came the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Symeon, because the portion of the sons of Iouda was greater than theirs; and the sons of Symeon inherited in the midst of their lot.

 

10 And the third lot came out for Zaboulon according to their clans. The borders of their inheritance shall be Esedek

 

11 Gola; their borders are the sea and Maragella, and it shall reach to Baitharaba, to the ravine which is opposite Iekman,

 

12 and it turned back from Seddouk on the opposite side, from the east of Baithsamys, to the borders of Chaselothaith, and shall pass on to Dabiroth and shall go up to Phangai

 

13 and from there it shall go around on the opposite side eastward to Gebere, to the city of Katasem, and shall pass on to Remmona Amathar Aoza

 

14 and the borders shall go around northward to Amoth, and their outlet shall be at Gaiphael

 

15 and Katanath and Nabaal and Symoon and Iericho and Baithman.

 

16 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Zaboulon according to their clans, the cities and their villages.

 

17 And for Issachar the fourth lot came out.

 

18 And their borders were Iazel and Chasaloth and Sounan

 

19 and Agin and Siona and Reeroth and Anachereth

 

20 and Dabiron and Kison and Rebes

 

21 and Remmas and Ieon and Tomman and Aimarek and Bersaphes,

 

22 and the borders shall reach to Gaithbor and to Salim by the sea and Baithsamys, and the outlet of its borders shall be the Jordan.

 

23 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Issachar according to their clans, the cities and their villages.

 

24 And the fifth lot came out for Aser.

 

25 And their borders were from Eleketh and Aleph and Baithok and Keaph

 

26 and Elimelek and Amiel and Maasa, and it shall reach to Carmel by the sea and to Sion and Labanath

 

27 and it shall turn back from the rising of the sun and Baithegeneth, and shall reach to Zaboulon and from Gai and Phthaiel toward the north, and the borders shall enter Saphthaibaithme and Inael, and shall pass through to Choba masomel

 

28 and Elbon and Raab and Ememaon and Kanthan as far as great Sidon,

 

29 and the borders shall turn back to Rama and as far as the spring of Masphassat and of the Tyrians, and the borders shall turn back to Iasiph, and its outlet shall be the sea, and from Leb and Echozob

 

30 and Archob and Aphek and Raau.

 

31 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Aser according to their clans, the cities and their villages.

 

32 And for Nephthali the sixth lot came out.

 

33 And their borders were Moolam and Mola and Besemiin and Arme and Nabok and Iephthamai as far as Dodam, and its outlets were the Jordan;

 

34 and the borders shall turn back westward to Enath Thabor and shall pass from there to Iakana and shall reach to Zaboulon on the south, and shall reach Aser by the sea, and the Jordan from the rising of the sun.

 

35 And the walled cities of the Tyrians: Tyre and Omatha, Daketh and Kenereth

 

36 and Armaith and Arael and Asor

 

37 and Kades and Assari and the spring of Asor

 

38 and Keroe and Megala, Arim and Baiththame and Thessamys.

 

39 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Nephthali.

 

40 And for Dan the seventh lot came out.

 

41 And their borders were Sarath and Asa, the cities of Sammaus

 

42 and Salabin and Ammon and Silatha

 

43 and Ailon and Thamnatha and Akkaron

 

44 and Alkatha and Begethon and Gebeelan

 

45 and Azor and Banaibakat and Gethremmon,

 

46 and from the sea, Ierakon is the border near Ioppe.

 

47 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Dan according to their clans, their cities and their villages.

 

47a And the sons of Dan did not drive out the Amorite who oppressed them in the mountain; and the Amorites did not allow them to come down into the valley, and they pressed away from them the border of their portion.

 

48 And the sons of Iouda went and made war against Lachis and seized it and struck it with the edge of the sword, and they dwelt in it and called its name Lasendak.

 

48a And the Amorite persisted in dwelling in Elom and in Salamin; and the hand of Ephraim grew heavy upon them, and they became tributary to them.

 

49 And they went to take possession of the land according to their border. And the sons of Israel gave a lot to Iesous the son of Naue among them

 

50 by the command of God; and they gave him the city which he asked for, Thamnasarach, which is in Mount Ephraim; and he built the city and dwelt in it.

 

51 These are the divisions which Eleazar the priest and Iesous the son of Naue and the heads of the fathers' houses among the tribes of Israel distributed by lot in Selo before the Lord, at the doors of the tent of witness; and they went to take possession of the land. 

  

Chapter 20

 

1 And the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying,

 

2 "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'Appoint the cities of refuge of which I spoke to you through Moses,

 

3 a refuge for the slayer who strikes a soul unintentionally; and the cities shall be for you a refuge, and the slayer shall not be put to death by the avenger of blood until he stands before the congregation for judgment.'"

 

7 And he set apart Kadesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and the city of Arbok in the hill country of Judah.

 

8 And beyond the Jordan he gave Bosor in the wilderness on the plain from the tribe of Reuben, and Aremoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Gaulon in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh.

 

9 These were the cities appointed for the sons of Israel and for the stranger sojourning among them, that anyone who strikes a soul unintentionally might flee there, so that he should not die by the hand of the avenger of blood until he stands before the congregation for judgment. 

  

Chapter 21

 

1 And the heads of the families of the sons of Levi came to Eleazar the priest and to Joshua the son of Nun and to the heads of the families of the tribes of Israel,

 

2 and they spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, "The Lord commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in, and their pasture lands for our cattle."

 

3 And the sons of Israel gave to the Levites, in their allotting by the command of the Lord, the cities and their pasture lands.

 

4 And the lot came out for the family of Kohath, and it fell to the sons of Aaron, the priests, the Levites, from the tribe of Judah and from the tribe of Simeon and from the tribe of Benjamin, by lot, thirteen cities;

 

5 and to the sons of Kohath who were left, from the tribe of Ephraim and from the tribe of Dan and from the half-tribe of Manasseh, by lot, ten cities;

 

6 and to the sons of Gershon, from the tribe of Issachar and from the tribe of Asher and from the tribe of Naphtali and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities;

 

7 and to the sons of Merari according to their families, from the tribe of Reuben and from the tribe of Gad and from the tribe of Zebulun, by lot, twelve cities.

 

8 And the sons of Israel gave to the Levites the cities and their pasture lands, as the Lord had commanded Moses, by lot.

 

9 And the tribe of the sons of Judah and the tribe of the sons of Simeon, and from the tribe of the sons of Benjamin, gave the cities, and they were assigned by name

 

10 to the sons of Aaron, of the family of Kohath, of the sons of Levi, for to them fell the lot.

 

11 And he gave them Kiriath-arba, the mother city of the Anakim, in the hill country of Judah; but the pasture lands around it

 

12 and the fields of the city and its villages Joshua gave to the sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh as a possession;

 

13 and to the sons of Aaron he gave the city of refuge for the manslayer, Hebron, and the lands set apart with it, and Libnah and the lands set apart by it,

 

14 and Ailom and its set-apart lands, and Tema and its set-apart lands,

 

15 and Gella and its set-apart lands, and Debir and its set-apart lands,

 

16 and Asa and its set-apart lands, and Tany and its set-apart lands, and Beth-shemesh and its set-apart lands, nine cities from these two tribes.

 

17 And from the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon and its set-apart lands, and Gatheth and its set-apart lands,

 

18 and Anathoth and its set-apart lands, and Gamala and its set-apart lands—four cities.

 

19 All the cities of the sons of Aaron the priests: thirteen.

 

20 And to the families of the sons of Kohath, the Levites who were left of the sons of Kohath, there was a city of their borders from the tribe of Ephraim,

 

21 and they gave them the city of refuge for the manslayer, Shechem, and its set-apart lands, and Gezer and its surroundings and its set-apart lands,

 

22 and Kibzaim and the lands set apart by it, and upper Beth-horon and its set-apart lands, four cities.

 

23 And from the tribe of Dan, Elkothaim and its set-apart lands, and Gethedan and its set-apart lands,

 

24 and Aijalon and its set-apart lands, and Gath-rimmon and its set-apart lands—four cities.

 

25 And from the half-tribe of Manasseh, Taanach and its set-apart lands, and Jebatha and its set-apart lands, two cities.

 

26 All the cities: ten, with the lands set apart by them, for the families of the sons of Kohath who remained.

 

27 And to the sons of Gershon, the Levites, from the half-tribe of Manasseh, the cities set apart for the manslayers: Golan in Bashan and its set-apart lands, and Bosora and its set-apart lands, two cities;

 

28 and from the tribe of Issachar, Kishon and its set-apart lands, and Debba and its set-apart lands,

 

29 and Remmath and its set-apart lands, and the Spring of Letters and its set-apart lands, four cities.

 

30 And from the tribe of Asher, Basellan and its set-apart lands, and Dabbon and its set-apart lands,

 

31 and Helkath and its set-apart lands, and Rehob and its set-apart lands—four cities.

 

32 And from the tribe of Naphtali, the city set apart for the manslayer, Kedesh in Galilee, and its set-apart lands, and Hammath and its set-apart lands, and Themmon and its set-apart lands, three cities.

 

33 All the cities of Gershon according to their families: thirteen cities.

 

34 And to the family of the sons of Merari, the remaining Levites, from the tribe of the sons of Zebulun, Maan and its pasture lands, and Kadesh and its pasture lands,

 

35 and Dimnah and its pasture lands, and Sella and its pasture lands—four cities.

 

36 And beyond the Jordan opposite Jericho, from the tribe of Reuben, the city of refuge for the manslayer, Bezer in the wilderness, in Misor, and its pasture lands, and Jazer and its pasture lands,

 

37 and Dekmon and its pasture lands, and Mapha and its pasture lands—four cities.

 

38 And from the tribe of Gad, the city of refuge for the manslayer, Ramoth in Gilead, and its pasture lands, and Kamin and its pasture lands,

 

39 and Heshbon and its pasture lands, and Jazer and its pasture lands, in all four cities.

 

40 All the cities for the sons of Merari according to their families, of those left of the tribe of Levi: their borders came to twelve cities.

 

41 All the cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the sons of Israel: forty-eight cities with their pasture lands

 

42 around these cities—each city with its pasture lands around the city, for all these cities.

 

42a And Joshua finished dividing the land within their borders.

 

42b And the sons of Israel gave a portion to Joshua according to the command of the Lord; they gave him the city which he asked for: they gave him Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim.

 

42c And Joshua built the city and dwelt in it.

 

42d And Joshua took the knives of stone with which he had circumcised the sons of Israel who were born on the way in the wilderness, and he placed them in Timnath-serah.

 

43 And the Lord gave to Israel all the land which he swore to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it.

 

44 And the Lord gave them rest round about, as he had sworn to their fathers; not one of all their enemies stood up against them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hands.

 

45 Not one of all the good words which the Lord spoke to the sons of Israel failed; all came to pass. 

  

Chapter 22

 

1 Then Joshua called together the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh,

 

2 and said to them, "You have heard all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and you have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you.

 

3 You have not forsaken your brothers these many days up to this day; you have kept the commandment of the Lord your God.

 

4 And now the Lord our God has given rest to our brothers, as he said to them; now therefore turn and depart to your homes and to the land of your possession, which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan.

 

5 But take great care to do the commandments and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded us to do: to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to keep his commandments and to cleave to him and to serve him with all your mind and with all your soul."

 

6 And Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their homes. —

 

7 Now to the half tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a portion in Bashan, and to the other half Joshua gave a portion with their brothers beyond the Jordan by the sea. And when Joshua sent them away to their homes and blessed them,

 

8 they departed to their homes with much wealth, and very many cattle, and silver and gold and iron and much clothing, and they divided the spoil of their enemies with their brothers.

 

9 And the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half tribe of the sons of Manasseh went from the sons of Israel, from Shiloh in the land of Canaan, to depart to the land of Gilead, to the land of their possession, which they inherited by the command of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

 

10 And they came to Gilgal of the Jordan, which is in the land of Canaan, and the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben and the half tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, a great altar to behold.

 

11 And the sons of Israel heard it said, "Behold, the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben and the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar on the borders of the land of Canaan, at Gilead of the Jordan, on the side belonging to the sons of Israel."

 

12 And all the sons of Israel gathered together at Shiloh, so as to go up and make war against them.

 

13 And the sons of Israel sent to the sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad and to the half tribe of Manasseh into the land of Gilead Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the high priest,

 

14 and ten of the leaders with him, one leader from each ancestral house from all the tribes of Israel; they were heads of ancestral houses, chiliarchs of Israel.

 

15 And they came to the sons of Gad and to the sons of Reuben and to the halves of the tribe of Manasseh into the land of Gilead, and spoke to them, saying,

 

16 "Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord: What is this transgression which you have committed before the God of Israel, to turn away today from the Lord by building for yourselves an altar, so that you become apostates from the Lord?

 

17 Is the sin of Peor a small thing to us? For we have not been cleansed from it to this day, and there came a plague upon the congregation of the Lord.

 

18 And will you turn away today from the Lord? And it shall be, if you rebel today against the Lord, tomorrow the wrath shall be upon all Israel.

 

19 And now, if the land of your possession is too small for you, cross over into the land of the Lord's possession, where the tabernacle of the Lord dwells, and take an inheritance among us; and do not become apostates from God, and do not rebel against the Lord by building yourselves an altar apart from the altar of the Lord our God.

 

20 Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a transgression concerning the devoted thing, and wrath came upon the whole congregation of Israel? And he was one man alone; did he alone die for his own sin?"

 

21 And the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh answered and spoke to the chiliarchs of Israel, saying,

 

22 "God, God is the Lord, and God, God the Lord — he knows, and Israel itself shall know: if we have transgressed in apostasy before the Lord, may he not deliver us in this day;

 

23 and if we built for ourselves an altar so as to rebel against the Lord our God, so as to offer upon it a sacrifice of whole burnt offerings, or so as to make upon it a peace offering, the Lord will require it.

 

24 But we did this out of anxious concern over a matter, saying: Lest tomorrow your children say to our children, 'What have you to do with the Lord the God of Israel?

 

25 For the Lord has set the Jordan as a boundary between us and you, and you have no portion in the Lord.' And your sons would estrange our sons, so that they would not worship the Lord.

 

26 So we said to do thus, to build this altar not for offerings nor for sacrifices,

 

27 but that it might be a witness between us and you and between our generations after us, that we perform the service of the Lord before him with our offerings and our sacrifices and our peace offerings; and your children will not say to our children tomorrow, 'You have no portion in the Lord.'

 

28 And we said, If it should ever happen that they speak to us or to our generations tomorrow, then they will say, 'Behold the likeness of the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for offerings nor for sacrifices, but it is a witness between you and us and between our sons.'

 

29 Far be it from us, therefore, to turn away from the Lord in these days, to rebel against the Lord so as to build an altar for offerings and for the sacrifices of peace and for the peace offering, apart from the altar of the Lord which is before his tabernacle."

 

30 And when Phinehas the priest and all the leaders of the congregation of Israel who were with him heard the words which the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them.

 

31 And Phinehas the priest said to the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh, "Today we know that the Lord is with us, because you have not committed this transgression before the Lord, and because you have delivered the sons of Israel from the hand of the Lord."

 

32 And Phinehas the priest and the leaders returned from the sons of Reuben and from the sons of Gad and from the half tribe of Manasseh, out of the land of Gilead into the land of Canaan, to the sons of Israel, and reported the words to them,

 

33 and it pleased the sons of Israel. And they spoke to the sons of Israel, and they blessed the God of the sons of Israel, and said no longer to go up against them for war, to destroy the land of the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh. And they dwelt upon it.

 

34 And Joshua named the altar of the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh, and said, "It is a witness among them that the Lord is their God." 

  

Chapter 23

 

1 And it came to pass, many days after the Lord had given Israel rest from all their enemies round about, that Joshua was old and advanced in days.

 

2 And Joshua called together all the sons of Israel and their elders and their rulers and their scribes and their judges, and said to them, "I have grown old and am advanced in days.

 

3 And you have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations before your face, for the Lord your God is the one who fought for you.

 

4 See that I have cast to you these nations that remain to you by lot for your tribes: from the Jordan all the nations which I destroyed, and from the great sea it shall be your boundary toward the setting of the sun.

 

5 And the Lord your God, he will destroy them from before your face, until they perish, and he will send against them the wild beasts, until he destroys them and their kings from before your face; and you shall inherit their land, as the Lord your God spoke to you.

 

6 Be very strong, therefore, to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that you turn not aside to the right hand or to the left,

 

7 so that you enter not in among these nations that remain; and the names of their gods shall not be named among you, neither shall you worship them nor serve them,

 

8 but you shall cleave to the Lord your God, as you have done until this day.

 

9 And the Lord destroyed them from before your face—great and mighty nations and no one has stood against you before you until this day.

 

10 One of you has chased a thousand, for the Lord your God fought for you, just as he said to you.

 

11 And take great heed to love the Lord your God.

 

12 For if you turn away and join yourselves to these nations that are left, which are among you, and make marriages with them and mingle with them, and they with you,

 

13 know that the Lord will no more destroy these nations from before your face, and they shall be to you snares and stumbling-blocks and nails in your heels and darts in your eyes, until you perish from this good land which the Lord your God has given you.

 

14 But I am going the way, as also all who are upon the earth; and you shall know in your heart and in your soul that not one word has fallen from all the words which the Lord your God spoke concerning all that pertains to you; not one of them has failed.

 

15 And it shall be, just as all the good things have come upon you which the Lord spoke to you, so the Lord God will bring upon you all the evil things, until he destroys you from this good land which the Lord has given you,

 

16 when you transgress the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and worship them." 

  

Chapter 24

 

1 And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shiloh, and he called together their elders and their scribes and their judges, and he set them before God.

 

2 And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: 'Beyond the river your fathers dwelt from the beginning Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor and they served other gods.

 

3 And I took your father Abraham from beyond the river and led him through all the land, and I multiplied his seed and gave him Isaac,

 

4 and to Isaac Jacob and Esau; and I gave to Esau Mount Seir for him to inherit, and Jacob and his sons went down into Egypt and became there a great and numerous and mighty nation.

 

5 And the Egyptians afflicted them, and the Lord struck Egypt with what he did to them, and after this he brought you out

 

6 of Egypt, and you entered the Red Sea. And the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and with horses into the Red Sea,

 

7 and we cried out to the Lord, and he set a cloud and darkness between us and the Egyptians, and he brought the sea upon them, and it covered them, and your eyes saw all that the Lord did in the land of Egypt. And you were in the wilderness many days.

 

8 And he brought you into the land of the Amorites who dwelt beyond the Jordan, and they arrayed themselves against you, and the Lord delivered them into your hands, and you inherited their land and utterly destroyed them from before you.

 

9 And Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and arrayed himself against Israel, and sending, he summoned Balaam to curse you;

 

10 and the Lord your God was not willing to destroy you, and he blessed you with a blessing, and delivered you out of their hands and gave them over.

 

11 And you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho; and the inhabitants of Jericho fought against you, the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite and the Hittite and the Girgashite and the Lord delivered them into your hands.

 

12 And he sent before you the hornet, and it drove them out from before you, twelve kings of the Amorites, not by your sword nor by your bow.

 

13 And he gave you a land on which you did not labor, and cities that you did not build, and you settled in them; and vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant—you shall eat of them.'

 

14 And now fear the Lord and serve him in uprightness and in righteousness, and put away the foreign gods that your fathers served beyond the river and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.

 

15 But if it does not please you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve, whether the gods of your fathers who were beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites among whom you dwell in their land; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord, for he is holy."

 

16 And the people answered and said, "Far be it from us to forsake the Lord so as to serve other gods.

 

17 The Lord our God, he is God; he brought us and our fathers up out of Egypt, and he preserved us in all the way in which we went, and among all the nations through whom we passed;

 

18 and the Lord drove out the Amorite and all the nations dwelling in the land from before us. But we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God."

 

19 And Joshua said to the people, "You will not be able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God, and being jealous, he will not forgive your sins and your transgressions;

 

20 when you forsake the Lord and serve other gods, then he will come upon you and afflict you and consume you, in return for the good he did you."

 

21 And the people said to Joshua, "No, but we will serve the Lord."

 

22 And Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves, that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him."

 

23 "And now put away the foreign gods that are among you, and set your heart straight toward the Lord, the God of Israel."

 

24 And the people said to Joshua, "We will serve the Lord, and we will listen to his voice."

 

25 And Joshua made a covenant with the people on that day, and gave them a law and a judgment at Shiloh before the tabernacle of the God of Israel.

 

26 And he wrote these words in a book, the law of God; and he took a great stone, and Joshua set it up under the terebinth before the Lord.

 

27 And Joshua said to the people, "Behold, this stone shall be among you for a witness, for it has heard all the things said to it by the Lord, whatever he spoke to us today; and it shall be among you for a witness in the last days, whenever you deal falsely with the Lord my God."

 

28 And Joshua sent the people away, and they went each to his own place.

 

29 And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who prolonged their time with Joshua and who had seen all the works of the Lord, all that he did for Israel.

 

30 And it came to pass after these things that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, at a hundred and ten years old.

 

31 And they buried him at the borders of his inheritance in Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash;

 

31a there they placed with him in the tomb in which they buried him there, the flint knives with which he circumcised the sons of Israel at Gilgal, when he brought them out of Egypt, as the Lord commanded them, and there they are to this day.

 

32 And the bones of Joseph the sons of Israel brought up out of Egypt and buried at Shechem, in the portion of the field which Jacob acquired from the Amorites who dwelt in Shechem for a hundred lambs, and he gave it to Joseph as a portion.

 

33 And it came to pass after these things that Eleazar the son of Aaron, the high priest, died and was buried in Gibeah of Phinehas his son, which he had given him in the hill country of Ephraim.

 

33a On that day the sons of Israel took the ark of God and carried it about among themselves, and Phinehas served as priest in place of Eleazar his father, until he died and was buried in his own Gibeah.

 

33b And the sons of Israel departed each to their own place and to their own city. And the sons of Israel worshiped Astarte and Ashtaroth and the gods of the nations around them; and the Lord delivered them into the hands of Eglon, king of Moab, and he ruled over them eighteen years.