Joshua
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After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the
LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying, 2 "My servant Moses
is dead. Now proceed to cross the Jordan, you and all this people, into the land
that I am giving to them, to the Israelites. 3 Every place that the sole of your
foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I promised to Moses. 4 From the
wilderness and the Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all
the land of the Hittites, to the Great Sea in the west shall be your territory.
5 No one shall be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was
with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. 6 Be
strong and courageous; for you shall put this people in possession of the land
that I swore to their ancestors to give them. 7 Only be strong and very
courageous, being careful to act in accordance with all the law that my servant
Moses commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so
that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 This book of the law shall not
depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you
may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you
shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful. 9 I hereby
command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the
LORD your God is with you wherever you go." 10 Then Joshua commanded the
officers of the people, 11 "Pass through the camp, and command the people:
'Prepare your provisions; for in three days you are to cross over the Jordan, to
go in to take possession of the land that the LORD your God gives you to
possess.'" 12 To the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh
Joshua said, 13 "Remember the word that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded
you, saying, 'The LORD your God is providing you a place of rest, and will give
you this land.' 14 Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain
in the land that Moses gave you beyond the Jordan. But all the warriors among
you shall cross over armed before your kindred and shall help them, 15 until the
LORD gives rest to your kindred as well as to you, and they too take possession
of the land that the LORD your God is giving them. Then you shall return to your
own land and take possession of it, the land that Moses the servant of the LORD
gave you beyond the Jordan to the east." 16 They answered Joshua: "All that you
have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17 Just as we
obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be
with you, as he was with Moses! 18 Whoever rebels against your orders and
disobeys your words, whatever you command, shall be put to death. Only be strong
and courageous." Return to Top
Then Joshua son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as
spies, saying, "Go, view the land, especially Jericho." So they went, and
entered the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and spent the night
there. 2 The king of Jericho was told, "Some Israelites have come here tonight
to search out the land." 3 Then the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab, "Bring
out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come
only to search out the whole land." 4 But the woman took the two men and hid
them. Then she said, "True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they
came from. 5 And when it was time to close the gate at dark, the men went out.
Where the men went I do not know. Pursue them quickly, for you can overtake
them." 6 She had, however, brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the
stalks of flax that she had laid out on the roof. 7 So the men pursued them on
the way to the Jordan as far as the fords. As soon as the pursuers had gone out,
the gate was shut. 8 Before they went to sleep, she came up to them on the roof
9 and said to the men: "I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that
dread of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt in
fear before you. 10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red
Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of
the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly
destroyed. 11 As soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no
courage left in any of us because of you. The LORD your God is indeed God in
heaven above and on earth below. 12 Now then, since I have dealt kindly with
you, swear to me by the LORD that you in turn will deal kindly with my family.
Give me a sign of good faith 13 that you will spare my father and mother, my
brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from
death." 14 The men said to her, "Our life for yours! If you do not tell this
business of ours, then we will deal kindly and faithfully with you when the LORD
gives us the land." 15 Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for
her house was on the outer side of the city wall and she resided within the wall
itself. 16 She said to them, "Go toward the hill country, so that the pursuers
may not come upon you. Hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers have
returned; then afterward you may go your way." 17 The men said to her, "We will
be released from this oath that you have made us swear to you 18 if we invade
the land and you do not tie this crimson cord in the window through which you
let us down, and you do not gather into your house your father and mother, your
brothers, and all your family. 19 If any of you go out of the doors of your
house into the street, they shall be responsible for their own death, and we
shall be innocent; but if a hand is laid upon any who are with you in the house,
we shall bear the responsibility for their death. 20 But if you tell this
business of ours, then we shall be released from this oath that you made us
swear to you." 21 She said, "According to your words, so be it." She sent them
away and they departed. Then she tied the crimson cord in the window. 22 They
departed and went into the hill country and stayed there three days, until the
pursuers returned. The pursuers had searched all along the way and found
nothing. 23 Then the two men came down again from the hill country. They crossed
over, came to Joshua son of Nun, and told him all that had happened to them. 24
They said to Joshua, "Truly the LORD has given all the land into our hands;
moreover all the inhabitants of the land melt in fear before us." Return to Top
Early in the morning Joshua rose and set out from Shittim with all
the Israelites, and they came to the Jordan. They camped there before crossing
over. 2 At the end of three days the officers went through the camp 3 and
commanded the people, "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God
being carried by the levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place.
Follow it, 4 so that you may know the way you should go, for you have not passed
this way before. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, a distance of
about two thousand cubits; do not come any nearer to it." 5 Then Joshua said to
the people, "Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among
you." 6 To the priests Joshua said, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass
on in front of the people." So they took up the ark of the covenant and went in
front of the people. 7 The LORD said to Joshua, "This day I will begin to exalt
you in the sight of all Israel, so that they may know that I will be with you as
I was with Moses. 8 You are the one who shall command the priests who bear the
ark of the covenant, 'When you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you
shall stand still in the Jordan.'" 9 Joshua then said to the Israelites, "Draw
near and hear the words of the LORD your God." 10 Joshua said, "By this you
shall know that among you is the living God who without fail will drive out from
before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites,
and Jebusites: 11 the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is going
to pass before you into the Jordan. 12 So now select twelve men from the tribes
of Israel, one from each tribe. 13 When the soles of the feet of the priests who
bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the
Jordan, the waters of the Jordan flowing from above shall be cut off; they shall
stand in a single heap." 14 When the people set out from their tents to cross
over the Jordan, the priests bearing the ark of the covenant were in front of
the people. 15 Now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of
harvest. So when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of
the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the edge of the water, 16 the waters
flowing from above stood still, rising up in a single heap far off at Adam, the
city that is beside Zarethan, while those flowing toward the sea of the Arabah,
the Dead Sea, were wholly cut off. Then the people crossed over opposite
Jericho. 17 While all Israel were crossing over on dry ground, the priests who
bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood on dry ground in the middle of
the Jordan, until the entire nation finished crossing over the Jordan. Return to Top
When the entire nation had finished crossing over the Jordan, the
LORD said to Joshua: 2 "Select twelve men from the people, one from each tribe,
3 and command them, 'Take twelve stones from here out of the middle of the
Jordan, from the place where the priests' feet stood, carry them over with you,
and lay them down in the place where you camp tonight.'" 4 Then Joshua summoned
the twelve men from the Israelites, whom he had appointed, one from each tribe.
5 Joshua said to them, "Pass on before the ark of the LORD your God into the
middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, one for
each of the tribes of the Israelites, 6 so that this may be a sign among you.
When your children ask in time to come, 'What do those stones mean to you?' 7
then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off in front of
the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed over the Jordan, the waters
of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the Israelites a
memorial forever." 8 The Israelites did as Joshua commanded. They took up twelve
stones out of the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of
the Israelites, as the LORD told Joshua, carried them over with them to the
place where they camped, and laid them down there. 9 (Joshua set up twelve
stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests
bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day.) 10
The priests who bore the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan,
until everything was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to tell the people,
according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people crossed over in
haste. 11 As soon as all the people had finished crossing over, the ark of the
LORD, and the priests, crossed over in front of the people. 12 The Reubenites,
the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the
Israelites, as Moses had ordered them. 13 About forty thousand armed for war
crossed over before the LORD to the plains of Jericho for battle. 14 On that day
the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of
him, as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life. 15 The LORD
said to Joshua, 16 "Command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, to
come up out of the Jordan." 17 Joshua therefore commanded the priests, "Come up
out of the Jordan." 18 When the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the
LORD came up from the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet
touched dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and
overflowed all its banks, as before. 19 The people came up out of the Jordan on
the tenth day of the first month, and they camped in Gilgal on the east border
of Jericho. 20 Those twelve stones, which they had taken out of the Jordan,
Joshua set up in Gilgal, 21 saying to the Israelites, "When your children ask
their parents in time to come, 'What do these stones mean?' 22 then you shall
let your children know, 'Israel crossed over the Jordan here on dry ground.' 23
For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you
crossed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us
until we crossed over, 24 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the
hand of the LORD is mighty, and so that you may fear the LORD your God forever." Return to Top
When all the kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan to the west,
and all the kings of the Canaanites by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up
the waters of the Jordan for the Israelites until they had crossed over, their
hearts melted, and there was no longer any spirit in them, because of the
Israelites. 2 At that time the LORD said to Joshua, "Make flint knives and
circumcise the Israelites a second time." 3 So Joshua made flint knives, and
circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath-haaraloth. 4 This is the reason why Joshua
circumcised them: all the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the
warriors, had died during the journey through the wilderness after they had come
out of Egypt. 5 Although all the people who came out had been circumcised, yet
all the people born on the journey through the wilderness after they had come
out of Egypt had not been circumcised. 6 For the Israelites traveled forty years
in the wilderness, until all the nation, the warriors who came out of Egypt,
perished, not having listened to the voice of the LORD. To them the LORD swore
that he would not let them see the land that he had sworn to their ancestors to
give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 So it was their children, whom he
raised up in their place, that Joshua circumcised; for they were uncircumcised,
because they had not been circumcised on the way. 8 When the circumcising of all
the nation was done, they remained in their places in the camp until they were
healed. 9 The LORD said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away from you the
disgrace of Egypt." And so that place is called Gilgal to this day. 10 While the
Israelites were camped in Gilgal they kept the passover in the evening on the
fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho. 11 On the day after the
passover, on that very day, they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes
and parched grain. 12 The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the
land, and the Israelites no longer had manna; they ate the crops of the land of
Canaan that year. 13 Once when Joshua was by Jericho, he looked up and saw a man
standing before him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went to him and said
to him, "Are you one of us, or one of our adversaries?" 14 He replied, "Neither;
but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." And Joshua fell on
his face to the earth and worshiped, and he said to him, "What do you command
your servant, my lord?" 15 The commander of the army of the LORD said to Joshua,
"Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy." And
Joshua did so. Return to Top
Now Jericho was shut up inside and out because of the Israelites;
no one came out and no one went in. 2 The LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have
handed Jericho over to you, along with its king and soldiers. 3 You shall march
around the city, all the warriors circling the city once. Thus you shall do for
six days, 4 with seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the
ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, the priests
blowing the trumpets. 5 When they make a long blast with the ram's horn, as soon
as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a
great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and all the people
shall charge straight ahead." 6 So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and
said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and have seven priests carry
seven trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark of the LORD." 7 To the people
he said, "Go forward and march around the city; have the armed men pass on
before the ark of the LORD." 8 As Joshua had commanded the people, the seven
priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the LORD went forward,
blowing the trumpets, with the ark of the covenant of the LORD following them. 9
And the armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets; the rear guard
came after the ark, while the trumpets blew continually. 10 To the people Joshua
gave this command: "You shall not shout or let your voice be heard, nor shall
you utter a word, until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout." 11
So the ark of the LORD went around the city, circling it once; and they came
into the camp, and spent the night in the camp. 12 Then Joshua rose early in the
morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. 13 The seven priests
carrying the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD passed on,
blowing the trumpets continually. The armed men went before them, and the rear
guard came after the ark of the LORD, while the trumpets blew continually. 14 On
the second day they marched around the city once and then returned to the camp.
They did this for six days. 15 On the seventh day they rose early, at dawn, and
marched around the city in the same manner seven times. It was only on that day
that they marched around the city seven times. 16 And at the seventh time, when
the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, "Shout! For the
LORD has given you the city. 17 The city and all that is in it shall be devoted
to the LORD for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her
in her house shall live because she hid the messengers we sent. 18 As for you,
keep away from the things devoted to destruction, so as not to covet and take
any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel an object for destruction,
bringing trouble upon it. 19 But all silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and
iron, are sacred to the LORD; they shall go into the treasury of the LORD." 20
So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard
the sound of the trumpets, they raised a great shout, and the wall fell down
flat; so the people charged straight ahead into the city and captured it. 21
Then they devoted to destruction by the edge of the sword all in the city, both
men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys. 22 Joshua said to the
two men who had spied out the land, "Go into the prostitute's house, and bring
the woman out of it and all who belong to her, as you swore to her." 23 So the
young men who had been spies went in and brought Rahab out, along with her
father, her mother, her brothers, and all who belonged to her--they brought all
her kindred out--and set them outside the camp of Israel. 24 They burned down
the city, and everything in it; only the silver and gold, and the vessels of
bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. 25 But
Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, Joshua
spared. Her family has lived in Israel ever since. For she hid the messengers
whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. 26 Joshua then pronounced this oath,
saying, "Cursed before the LORD be anyone who tries to build this city--this
Jericho! At the cost of his firstborn he shall lay its foundation, and at the
cost of his youngest he shall set up its gates!" 27 So the LORD was with Joshua;
and his fame was in all the land. Return to Top
But the Israelites broke faith in regard to the devoted things:
Achan son of Carmi son of Zabdi son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some
of the devoted things; and the anger of the LORD burned against the Israelites.
2 Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel,
and said to them, "Go up and spy out the land." And the men went up and spied
out Ai. 3 Then they returned to Joshua and said to him, "Not all the people need
go up; about two or three thousand men should go up and attack Ai. Since they
are so few, do not make the whole people toil up there." 4 So about three
thousand of the people went up there; and they fled before the men of Ai. 5 The
men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them, chasing them from outside the gate as
far as Shebarim and killing them on the slope. The hearts of the people melted
and turned to water. 6 Then Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the ground on
his face before the ark of the LORD until the evening, he and the elders of
Israel; and they put dust on their heads. 7 Joshua said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Why have
you brought this people across the Jordan at all, to hand us over to the
Amorites so as to destroy us? Would that we had been content to settle beyond
the Jordan! 8 O Lord, what can I say, now that Israel has turned their backs to
their enemies! 9 The Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of
it, and surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. Then what will you do
for your great name?" 10 The LORD said to Joshua, "Stand up! Why have you fallen
upon your face? 11 Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I
imposed on them. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen,
they have acted deceitfully, and they have put them among their own belongings.
12 Therefore the Israelites are unable to stand before their enemies; they turn
their backs to their enemies, because they have become a thing devoted for
destruction themselves. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the
devoted things from among you. 13 Proceed to sanctify the people, and say,
'Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the LORD, the God of Israel,
"There are devoted things among you, O Israel; you will be unable to stand
before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you." 14
In the morning therefore you shall come forward tribe by tribe. The tribe that
the LORD takes shall come near by clans, the clan that the LORD takes shall come
near by households, and the household that the LORD takes shall come near one by
one. 15 And the one who is taken as having the devoted things shall be burned
with fire, together with all that he has, for having transgressed the covenant
of the LORD, and for having done an outrageous thing in Israel.'" 16 So Joshua
rose early in the morning, and brought Israel near tribe by tribe, and the tribe
of Judah was taken. 17 He brought near the clans of Judah, and the clan of the
Zerahites was taken; and he brought near the clan of the Zerahites, family by
family, and Zabdi was taken. 18 And he brought near his household one by one,
and Achan son of Carmi son of Zabdi son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was
taken. 19 Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, give glory to the LORD God of
Israel and make confession to him. Tell me now what you have done; do not hide
it from me." 20 And Achan answered Joshua, "It is true; I am the one who sinned
against the LORD God of Israel. This is what I did: 21 when I saw among the
spoil a beautiful mantle from Shinar, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a
bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, then I coveted them and took them. They now
lie hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath." 22 So
Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and there it was, hidden in
his tent with the silver underneath. 23 They took them out of the tent and
brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites; and they spread them out before
the LORD. 24 Then Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan son of Zerah, with
the silver, the mantle, and the bar of gold, with his sons and daughters, with
his oxen, donkeys, and sheep, and his tent and all that he had; and they brought
them up to the Valley of Achor. 25 Joshua said, "Why did you bring trouble on
us? The LORD is bringing trouble on you today." And all Israel stoned him to
death; they burned them with fire, cast stones on them, 26 and raised over him a
great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from his
burning anger. Therefore that place to this day is called the Valley of Achor. Return to Top
Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear or be dismayed; take
all the fighting men with you, and go up now to Ai. See, I have handed over to
you the king of Ai with his people, his city, and his land. 2 You shall do to Ai
and its king as you did to Jericho and its king; only its spoil and its
livestock you may take as booty for yourselves. Set an ambush against the city,
behind it." 3 So Joshua and all the fighting men set out to go up against Ai.
Joshua chose thirty thousand warriors and sent them out by night 4 with the
command, "You shall lie in ambush against the city, behind it; do not go very
far from the city, but all of you stay alert. 5 I and all the people who are
with me will approach the city. When they come out against us, as before, we
shall flee from them. 6 They will come out after us until we have drawn them
away from the city; for they will say, 'They are fleeing from us, as before.'
While we flee from them, 7 you shall rise up from the ambush and seize the city;
for the LORD your God will give it into your hand. 8 And when you have taken the
city, you shall set the city on fire, doing as the LORD has ordered; see, I have
commanded you." 9 So Joshua sent them out; and they went to the place of ambush,
and lay between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai; but Joshua spent that night in
the camp. 10 In the morning Joshua rose early and mustered the people, and went
up, with the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai. 11 All the fighting men
who were with him went up, and drew near before the city, and camped on the
north side of Ai, with a ravine between them and Ai. 12 Taking about five
thousand men, he set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the
city. 13 So they stationed the forces, the main encampment that was north of the
city and its rear guard west of the city. But Joshua spent that night in the
valley. 14 When the king of Ai saw this, he and all his people, the inhabitants
of the city, hurried out early in the morning to the meeting place facing the
Arabah to meet Israel in battle; but he did not know that there was an ambush
against him behind the city. 15 And Joshua and all Israel made a pretense of
being beaten before them, and fled in the direction of the wilderness. 16 So all
the people who were in the city were called together to pursue them, and as they
pursued Joshua they were drawn away from the city. 17 There was not a man left
in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel; they left the city open, and
pursued Israel. 18 Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Stretch out the sword that is
in your hand toward Ai; for I will give it into your hand." And Joshua stretched
out the sword that was in his hand toward the city. 19 As soon as he stretched
out his hand, the troops in ambush rose quickly out of their place and rushed
forward. They entered the city, took it, and at once set the city on fire. 20 So
when the men of Ai looked back, the smoke of the city was rising to the sky.
They had no power to flee this way or that, for the people who fled to the
wilderness turned back against the pursuers. 21 When Joshua and all Israel saw
that the ambush had taken the city and that the smoke of the city was rising,
then they turned back and struck down the men of Ai. 22 And the others came out
from the city against them; so they were surrounded by Israelites, some on one
side, and some on the other; and Israel struck them down until no one was left
who survived or escaped. 23 But the king of Ai was taken alive and brought to
Joshua. 24 When Israel had finished slaughtering all the inhabitants of Ai in
the open wilderness where they pursued them, and when all of them to the very
last had fallen by the edge of the sword, all Israel returned to Ai, and
attacked it with the edge of the sword. 25 The total of those who fell that day,
both men and women, was twelve thousand--all the people of Ai. 26 For Joshua did
not draw back his hand, with which he stretched out the sword, until he had
utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. 27 Only the livestock and the spoil
of that city Israel took as their booty, according to the word of the LORD that
he had issued to Joshua. 28 So Joshua burned Ai, and made it forever a heap of
ruins, as it is to this day. 29 And he hanged the king of Ai on a tree until
evening; and at sunset Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the
tree, threw it down at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raised over it
a great heap of stones, which stands there to this day. 30 Then Joshua built on
Mount Ebal an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, 31 just as Moses the servant
of the LORD had commanded the Israelites, as it is written in the book of the
law of Moses, "an altar of unhewn stones, on which no iron tool has been used";
and they offered on it burnt offerings to the LORD, and sacrificed offerings of
well-being. 32 And there, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua wrote on the
stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. 33 All Israel, alien as
well as citizen, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on
opposite sides of the ark in front of the levitical priests who carried the ark
of the covenant of the LORD, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of
them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded at
the first, that they should bless the people of Israel. 34 And afterward he read
all the words of the law, blessings and curses, according to all that is written
in the book of the law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that
Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the
little ones, and the aliens who resided among them. Return to Top
Now when all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill
country and in the lowland all along the coast of the Great Sea toward
Lebanon--the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the
Hivites, and the Jebusites--heard of this, 2 they gathered together with one
accord to fight Joshua and Israel. 3 But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard
what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, 4 they on their part acted with
cunning: they went and prepared provisions, and took worn-out sacks for their
donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, 5 with worn-out, patched
sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes; and all their provisions were dry
and moldy. 6 They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to
the Israelites, "We have come from a far country; so now make a treaty with us."
7 But the Israelites said to the Hivites, "Perhaps you live among us; then how
can we make a treaty with you?" 8 They said to Joshua, "We are your servants."
And Joshua said to them, "Who are you? And where do you come from?" 9 They said
to him, "Your servants have come from a very far country, because of the name of
the LORD your God; for we have heard a report of him, of all that he did in
Egypt, 10 and of all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were
beyond the Jordan, King Sihon of Heshbon, and King Og of Bashan who lived in
Ashtaroth. 11 So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us,
'Take provisions in your hand for the journey; go to meet them, and say to them,
"We are your servants; come now, make a treaty with us."' 12 Here is our bread;
it was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey,
on the day we set out to come to you, but now, see, it is dry and moldy; 13
these wineskins were new when we filled them, and see, they are burst; and these
garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey." 14 So the
leaders partook of their provisions, and did not ask direction from the LORD. 15
And Joshua made peace with them, guaranteeing their lives by a treaty; and the
leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them. 16 But when three days had
passed after they had made a treaty with them, they heard that they were their
neighbors and were living among them. 17 So the Israelites set out and reached
their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth,
and Kiriath-jearim. 18 But the Israelites did not attack them, because the
leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel.
Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders. 19 But all the leaders
said to all the congregation, "We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of
Israel, and now we must not touch them. 20 This is what we will do to them: We
will let them live, so that wrath may not come upon us, because of the oath that
we swore to them." 21 The leaders said to them, "Let them live." So they became
hewers of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, as the leaders had
decided concerning them. 22 Joshua summoned them, and said to them, "Why did you
deceive us, saying, 'We are very far from you,' while in fact you are living
among us? 23 Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall always be
slaves, hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God." 24 They
answered Joshua, "Because it was told to your servants for a certainty that the
LORD your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to
destroy all the inhabitants of the land before you; so we were in great fear for
our lives because of you, and did this thing. 25 And now we are in your hand: do
as it seems good and right in your sight to do to us." 26 This is what he did
for them: he saved them from the Israelites; and they did not kill them. 27 But
on that day Joshua made them hewers of wood and drawers of water for the
congregation and for the altar of the LORD, to continue to this day, in the
place that he should choose. Return to Top
When King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai,
and had utterly destroyed it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho
and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and
were among them, 2 he became greatly frightened, because Gibeon was a large
city, like one of the royal cities, and was larger than Ai, and all its men were
warriors. 3 So King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent a message to King Hoham of
Hebron, to King Piram of Jarmuth, to King Japhia of Lachish, and to King Debir
of Eglon, saying, 4 "Come up and help me, and let us attack Gibeon; for it has
made peace with Joshua and with the Israelites." 5 Then the five kings of the
Amorites--the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the
king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon--gathered their forces, and went up with
all their armies and camped against Gibeon, and made war against it. 6 And the
Gibeonites sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, "Do not abandon your
servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us; for all the kings of
the Amorites who live in the hill country are gathered against us." 7 So Joshua
went up from Gilgal, he and all the fighting force with him, all the mighty
warriors. 8 The LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear them, for I have handed them
over to you; not one of them shall stand before you." 9 So Joshua came upon them
suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal. 10 And the LORD threw them
into a panic before Israel, who inflicted a great slaughter on them at Gibeon,
chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon, and struck them down as far
as Azekah and Makkedah. 11 As they fled before Israel, while they were going
down the slope of Beth-horon, the LORD threw down huge stones from heaven on
them as far as Azekah, and they died; there were more who died because of the
hailstones than the Israelites killed with the sword. 12 On the day when the
LORD gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the LORD; and he
said in the sight of Israel, "Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and Moon, in the
valley of Aijalon." 13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the
nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of
Jashar? The sun stopped in midheaven, and did not hurry to set for about a whole
day. 14 There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD heeded a
human voice; for the LORD fought for Israel. 15 Then Joshua returned, and all
Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal. 16 Meanwhile, these five kings fled and
hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah. 17 And it was told Joshua, "The five
kings have been found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah." 18 Joshua said, "Roll
large stones against the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to guard them; 19
but do not stay there yourselves; pursue your enemies, and attack them from the
rear. Do not let them enter their towns, for the LORD your God has given them
into your hand." 20 When Joshua and the Israelites had finished inflicting a
very great slaughter on them, until they were wiped out, and when the survivors
had entered into the fortified towns, 21 all the people returned safe to Joshua
in the camp at Makkedah; no one dared to speak against any of the Israelites. 22
Then Joshua said, "Open the mouth of the cave, and bring those five kings out to
me from the cave." 23 They did so, and brought the five kings out to him from
the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the
king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. 24 When they brought the kings out to
Joshua, Joshua summoned all the Israelites, and said to the chiefs of the
warriors who had gone with him, "Come near, put your feet on the necks of these
kings." Then they came near and put their feet on their necks. 25 And Joshua
said to them, "Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous; for thus
the LORD will do to all the enemies against whom you fight." 26 Afterward Joshua
struck them down and put them to death, and he hung them on five trees. And they
hung on the trees until evening. 27 At sunset Joshua commanded, and they took
them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden
themselves; they set large stones against the mouth of the cave, which remain to
this very day. 28 Joshua took Makkedah on that day, and struck it and its king
with the edge of the sword; he utterly destroyed every person in it; he left no
one remaining. And he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of
Jericho. 29 Then Joshua passed on from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, to
Libnah, and fought against Libnah. 30 The LORD gave it also and its king into
the hand of Israel; and he struck it with the edge of the sword, and every
person in it; he left no one remaining in it; and he did to its king as he had
done to the king of Jericho. 31 Next Joshua passed on from Libnah, and all
Israel with him, to Lachish, and laid siege to it, and assaulted it. 32 The LORD
gave Lachish into the hand of Israel, and he took it on the second day, and
struck it with the edge of the sword, and every person in it, as he had done to
Libnah. 33 Then King Horam of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua struck
him and his people, leaving him no survivors. 34 From Lachish Joshua passed on
with all Israel to Eglon; and they laid siege to it, and assaulted it; 35 and
they took it that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword; and every
person in it he utterly destroyed that day, as he had done to Lachish. 36 Then
Joshua went up with all Israel from Eglon to Hebron; they assaulted it, 37 and
took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and its king and its towns,
and every person in it; he left no one remaining, just as he had done to Eglon,
and utterly destroyed it with every person in it. 38 Then Joshua, with all
Israel, turned back to Debir and assaulted it, 39 and he took it with its king
and all its towns; they struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly
destroyed every person in it; he left no one remaining; just as he had done to
Hebron, and, as he had done to Libnah and its king, so he did to Debir and its
king. 40 So Joshua defeated the whole land, the hill country and the Negeb and
the lowland and the slopes, and all their kings; he left no one remaining, but
utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel commanded. 41 And
Joshua defeated them from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, and all the country of Goshen,
as far as Gibeon. 42 Joshua took all these kings and their land at one time,
because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel. 43 Then Joshua returned, and
all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal. Return to Top
When King Jabin of Hazor heard of this, he sent to King Jobab of
Madon, to the king of Shimron, to the king of Achshaph, 2 and to the kings who
were in the northern hill country, and in the Arabah south of Chinneroth, and in
the lowland, and in Naphoth-dor on the west, 3 to the Canaanites in the east and
the west, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, and the Jebusites in the
hill country, and the Hivites under Hermon in the land of Mizpah. 4 They came
out, with all their troops, a great army, in number like the sand on the
seashore, with very many horses and chariots. 5 All these kings joined their
forces, and came and camped together at the waters of Merom, to fight with
Israel. 6 And the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them, for tomorrow
at this time I will hand over all of them, slain, to Israel; you shall hamstring
their horses, and burn their chariots with fire." 7 So Joshua came suddenly upon
them with all his fighting force, by the waters of Merom, and fell upon them. 8
And the LORD handed them over to Israel, who attacked them and chased them as
far as Great Sidon and Misrephoth-maim, and eastward as far as the valley of
Mizpeh. They struck them down, until they had left no one remaining. 9 And
Joshua did to them as the LORD commanded him; he hamstrung their horses, and
burned their chariots with fire. 10 Joshua turned back at that time, and took
Hazor, and struck its king down with the sword. Before that time Hazor was the
head of all those kingdoms. 11 And they put to the sword all who were in it,
utterly destroying them; there was no one left who breathed, and he burned Hazor
with fire. 12 And all the towns of those kings, and all their kings, Joshua
took, and struck them with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them, as
Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded. 13 But Israel burned none of the
towns that stood on mounds except Hazor, which Joshua did burn. 14 All the spoil
of these towns, and the livestock, the Israelites took for their booty; but all
the people they struck down with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed
them, and they did not leave any who breathed. 15 As the LORD had commanded his
servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did; he left nothing
undone of all that the LORD had commanded Moses. 16 So Joshua took all that
land: the hill country and all the Negeb and all the land of Goshen and the
lowland and the Arabah and the hill country of Israel and its lowland, 17 from
Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, as far as Baal-gad in the valley of
Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He took all their kings, struck them down, and put
them to death. 18 Joshua made war a long time with all those kings. 19 There was
not a town that made peace with the Israelites, except the Hivites, the
inhabitants of Gibeon; all were taken in battle. 20 For it was the Lord's doing
to harden their hearts so that they would come against Israel in battle, in
order that they might be utterly destroyed, and might receive no mercy, but be
exterminated, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 21 At that time Joshua came
and wiped out the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from
Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of
Israel; Joshua utterly destroyed them with their towns. 22 None of the Anakim
was left in the land of the Israelites; some remained only in Gaza, in Gath, and
in Ashdod. 23 So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had
spoken to Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to
their tribal allotments. And the land had rest from war. Return to Top
Now these are the kings of the land, whom the Israelites
defeated, whose land they occupied beyond the Jordan toward the east, from the
Wadi Arnon to Mount Hermon, with all the Arabah eastward: 2 King Sihon of the
Amorites who lived at Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is on the edge of the
Wadi Arnon, and from the middle of the valley as far as the river Jabbok, the
boundary of the Ammonites, that is, half of Gilead, 3 and the Arabah to the Sea
of Chinneroth eastward, and in the direction of Beth-jeshimoth, to the sea of
the Arabah, the Dead Sea, southward to the foot of the slopes of Pisgah; 4 and
King Og of Bashan, one of the last of the Rephaim, who lived at Ashtaroth and at
Edrei 5 and ruled over Mount Hermon and Salecah and all Bashan to the boundary
of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and over half of Gilead to the boundary
of King Sihon of Heshbon. 6 Moses, the servant of the LORD, and the Israelites
defeated them; and Moses the servant of the LORD gave their land for a
possession to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh. 7
The following are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the Israelites defeated
on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon to Mount
Halak, that rises toward Seir (and Joshua gave their land to the tribes of
Israel as a possession according to their allotments, 8 in the hill country, in
the lowland, in the Arabah, in the slopes, in the wilderness, and in the Negeb,
the land of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and
Jebusites): 9 the king of Jericho one the king of Ai, which is next to Bethel
one 10 the king of Jerusalem one the king of Hebron one 11 the king of Jarmuth
one the king of Lachish one 12 the king of Eglon one the king of Gezer one 13
the king of Debir one the king of Geder one 14 the king of Hormah one the king
of Arad one 15 the king of Libnah one the king of Adullam one 16 the king of
Makkedah one the king of Bethel one 17 the king of Tappuah one the king of
Hepher one 18 the king of Aphek one the king of Lasharon one 19 the king of
Madon one the king of Hazor one 20 the king of Shimron-meron one the king of
Achshaph one 21 the king of Taanach one the king of Megiddo one 22 the king of
Kedesh one the king of Jokneam in Carmel one 23 the king of Dor in Naphath-dor
one the king of Goiim in Galilee, one 24 the king of Tirzah one thirty-one kings
in all. Return to Top
Now Joshua was old and advanced in years; and the LORD said to
him, "You are old and advanced in years, and very much of the land still remains
to be possessed. 2 This is the land that still remains: all the regions of the
Philistines, and all those of the Geshurites 3 (from the Shihor, which is east
of Egypt, northward to the boundary of Ekron, it is reckoned as Canaanite; there
are five rulers of the Philistines, those of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and
Ekron), and those of the Avvim, 4 in the south, all the land of the Canaanites,
and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians, to Aphek, to the boundary of the
Amorites, 5 and the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the east,
from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo-hamath, 6 all the inhabitants of the
hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim, even all the Sidonians. I will
myself drive them out from before the Israelites; only allot the land to Israel
for an inheritance, as I have commanded you. 7 Now therefore divide this land
for an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh." 8 With
the other half-tribe of Manasseh the Reubenites and the Gadites received their
inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond the Jordan eastward, as Moses the
servant of the LORD gave them: 9 from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Wadi
Arnon, and the town that is in the middle of the valley, and all the tableland
from Medeba as far as Dibon; 10 and all the cities of King Sihon of the
Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the boundary of the Ammonites; 11
and Gilead, and the region of the Geshurites and Maacathites, and all Mount
Hermon, and all Bashan to Salecah; 12 all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who
reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei (he alone was left of the survivors of the
Rephaim); these Moses had defeated and driven out. 13 Yet the Israelites did not
drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites; but Geshur and Maacath live within
Israel to this day. 14 To the tribe of Levi alone Moses gave no inheritance; the
offerings by fire to the LORD God of Israel are their inheritance, as he said to
them. 15 Moses gave an inheritance to the tribe of the Reubenites according to
their clans. 16 Their territory was from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Wadi
Arnon, and the town that is in the middle of the valley, and all the tableland
by Medeba; 17 with Heshbon, and all its towns that are in the tableland; Dibon,
and Bamoth-baal, and Beth-baal-meon, 18 and Jahaz, and Kedemoth, and Mephaath,
19 and Kiriathaim, and Sibmah, and Zereth-shahar on the hill of the valley, 20
and Beth-peor, and the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth-jeshimoth, 21 that is, all the
towns of the tableland, and all the kingdom of King Sihon of the Amorites, who
reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses defeated with the leaders of Midian, Evi and
Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba, as princes of Sihon, who lived in the land. 22
Along with the rest of those they put to death, the Israelites also put to the
sword Balaam son of Beor, who practiced divination. 23 And the border of the
Reubenites was the Jordan and its banks. This was the inheritance of the
Reubenites, according to their families with their towns and villages. 24 Moses
gave an inheritance also to the tribe of the Gadites, according to their
families. 25 Their territory was Jazer, and all the towns of Gilead, and half
the land of the Ammonites, to Aroer, which is east of Rabbah, 26 and from
Heshbon to Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the territory of
Debir, 27 and in the valley Beth-haram, Beth-nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, the
rest of the kingdom of King Sihon of Heshbon, the Jordan and its banks, as far
as the lower end of the Sea of Chinnereth, eastward beyond the Jordan. 28 This
is the inheritance of the Gadites according to their clans, with their towns and
villages. 29 Moses gave an inheritance to the half-tribe of Manasseh; it was
allotted to the half-tribe of the Manassites according to their families. 30
Their territory extended from Mahanaim, through all Bashan, the whole kingdom of
King Og of Bashan, and all the settlements of Jair, which are in Bashan, sixty
towns, 31 and half of Gilead, and Ashtaroth, and Edrei, the towns of the kingdom
of Og in Bashan; these were allotted to the people of Machir son of Manasseh
according to their clans--for half the Machirites. 32 These are the inheritances
that Moses distributed in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan east of Jericho.
33 But to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance; the LORD God of Israel is
their inheritance, as he said to them. Return to Top
These are the inheritances that the Israelites received in the
land of Canaan, which the priest Eleazar, and Joshua son of Nun, and the heads
of the families of the tribes of the Israelites distributed to them. 2 Their
inheritance was by lot, as the LORD had commanded Moses for the nine and
one-half tribes. 3 For Moses had given an inheritance to the two and one-half
tribes beyond the Jordan; but to the Levites he gave no inheritance among them.
4 For the people of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim; and no portion
was given to the Levites in the land, but only towns to live in, with their
pasture lands for their flocks and herds. 5 The Israelites did as the LORD
commanded Moses; they allotted the land. 6 Then the people of Judah came to
Joshua at Gilgal; and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, "You
know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God in Kadesh-barnea concerning you
and me. 7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from
Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land; and I brought him an honest report. 8 But my
companions who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I
wholeheartedly followed the LORD my God. 9 And Moses swore on that day, saying,
'Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you
and your children forever, because you have wholeheartedly followed the LORD my
God.' 10 And now, as you see, the LORD has kept me alive, as he said, these
forty-five years since the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, while
Israel was journeying through the wilderness; and here I am today, eighty-five
years old. 11 I am still as strong today as I was on the day that Moses sent me;
my strength now is as my strength was then, for war, and for going and coming.
12 So now give me this hill country of which the LORD spoke on that day; for you
heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities; it may
be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall drive them out, as the LORD said."
13 Then Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh for an
inheritance. 14 So Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb son of Jephunneh the
Kenizzite to this day, because he wholeheartedly followed the LORD, the God of
Israel. 15 Now the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath-arba; this Arba was the
greatest man among the Anakim. And the land had rest from war. Return to Top
The lot for the tribe of the people of Judah according to their
families reached southward to the boundary of Edom, to the wilderness of Zin at
the farthest south. 2 And their south boundary ran from the end of the Dead Sea,
from the bay that faces southward; 3 it goes out southward of the ascent of
Akrabbim, passes along to Zin, and goes up south of Kadesh-barnea, along by
Hezron, up to Addar, makes a turn to Karka, 4 passes along to Azmon, goes out by
the Wadi of Egypt, and comes to its end at the sea. This shall be your south
boundary. 5 And the east boundary is the Dead Sea, to the mouth of the Jordan.
And the boundary on the north side runs from the bay of the sea at the mouth of
the Jordan; 6 and the boundary goes up to Beth-hoglah, and passes along north of
Beth-arabah; and the boundary goes up to the Stone of Bohan, Reuben's son; 7 and
the boundary goes up to Debir from the Valley of Achor, and so northward,
turning toward Gilgal, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim, which is on the
south side of the valley; and the boundary passes along to the waters of
En-shemesh, and ends at En-rogel; 8 then the boundary goes up by the valley of
the son of Hinnom at the southern slope of the Jebusites (that is, Jerusalem);
and the boundary goes up to the top of the mountain that lies over against the
valley of Hinnom, on the west, at the northern end of the valley of Rephaim; 9
then the boundary extends from the top of the mountain to the spring of the
Waters of Nephtoah, and from there to the towns of Mount Ephron; then the
boundary bends around to Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim); 10 and the boundary
circles west of Baalah to Mount Seir, passes along to the northern slope of
Mount Jearim (that is, Chesalon), and goes down to Beth-shemesh, and passes
along by Timnah; 11 the boundary goes out to the slope of the hill north of
Ekron, then the boundary bends around to Shikkeron, and passes along to Mount
Baalah, and goes out to Jabneel; then the boundary comes to an end at the sea.
12 And the west boundary was the Mediterranean with its coast. This is the
boundary surrounding the people of Judah according to their families. 13
According to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, he gave to Caleb son of
Jephunneh a portion among the people of Judah, Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron
(Arba was the father of Anak). 14 And Caleb drove out from there the three sons
of Anak: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak. 15 From there he
went up against the inhabitants of Debir; now the name of Debir formerly was
Kiriath-sepher. 16 And Caleb said, "Whoever attacks Kiriath-sepher and takes it,
to him I will give my daughter Achsah as wife." 17 Othniel son of Kenaz, the
brother of Caleb, took it; and he gave him his daughter Achsah as wife. 18 When
she came to him, she urged him to ask her father for a field. As she dismounted
from her donkey, Caleb said to her, "What do you wish?" 19 She said to him,
"Give me a present; since you have set me in the land of the Negeb, give me
springs of water as well." So Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower
springs. 20 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Judah
according to their families. 21 The towns belonging to the tribe of the people
of Judah in the extreme South, toward the boundary of Edom, were Kabzeel, Eder,
Jagur, 22 Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, 23 Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, 24 Ziph, Telem,
Bealoth, 25 Hazor-hadattah, Kerioth-hezron (that is, Hazor), 26 Amam, Shema,
Moladah, 27 Hazar-gaddah, Heshmon, Beth-pelet, 28 Hazar-shual, Beer-sheba,
Biziothiah, 29 Baalah, Iim, Ezem, 30 Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah, 31 Ziklag,
Madmannah, Sansannah, 32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon: in all, twenty-nine
towns, with their villages. 33 And in the Lowland, Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, 34
Zanoah, En-gannim, Tappuah, Enam, 35 Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, 36
Shaaraim, Adithaim, Gederah, Gederothaim: fourteen towns with their villages. 37
Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal-gad, 38 Dilan, Mizpeh, Jokthe-el, 39 Lachish, Bozkath,
Eglon, 40 Cabbon, Lahmam, Chitlish, 41 Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naamah, and
Makkedah: sixteen towns with their villages. 42 Libnah, Ether, Ashan, 43 Iphtah,
Ashnah, Nezib, 44 Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah: nine towns with their villages.
45 Ekron, with its dependencies and its villages; 46 from Ekron to the sea, all
that were near Ashdod, with their villages. 47 Ashdod, its towns and its
villages; Gaza, its towns and its villages; to the Wadi of Egypt, and the Great
Sea with its coast. 48 And in the hill country, Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, 49
Dannah, Kiriath-sannah (that is, Debir), 50 Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, 51 Goshen,
Holon, and Giloh: eleven towns with their villages. 52 Arab, Dumah, Eshan, 53
Janim, Beth-tappuah, Aphekah, 54 Humtah, Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), and
Zior: nine towns with their villages. 55 Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, 56 Jezreel,
Jokdeam, Zanoah, 57 Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah: ten towns with their villages. 58
Halhul, Beth-zur, Gedor, 59 Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon: six towns with
their villages. 60 Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), and Rabbah: two towns
with their villages. 61 In the wilderness, Beth-arabah, Middin, Secacah, 62
Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En-gedi: six towns with their villages. 63 But
the people of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites, the inhabitants of
Jerusalem; so the Jebusites live with the people of Judah in Jerusalem to this
day. Return to Top
The allotment of the Josephites went from the Jordan by Jericho,
east of the waters of Jericho, into the wilderness, going up from Jericho into
the hill country to Bethel; 2 then going from Bethel to Luz, it passes along to
Ataroth, the territory of the Archites; 3 then it goes down westward to the
territory of the Japhletites, as far as the territory of Lower Beth-horon, then
to Gezer, and it ends at the sea. 4 The Josephites--Manasseh and
Ephraim--received their inheritance. 5 The territory of the Ephraimites by their
families was as follows: the boundary of their inheritance on the east was
Ataroth-addar as far as Upper Beth-horon, 6 and the boundary goes from there to
the sea; on the north is Michmethath; then on the east the boundary makes a turn
toward Taanath-shiloh, and passes along beyond it on the east to Janoah, 7 then
it goes down from Janoah to Ataroth and to Naarah, and touches Jericho, ending
at the Jordan. 8 From Tappuah the boundary goes westward to the Wadi Kanah, and
ends at the sea. Such is the inheritance of the tribe of the Ephraimites by
their families, 9 together with the towns that were set apart for the
Ephraimites within the inheritance of the Manassites, all those towns with their
villages. 10 They did not, however, drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer:
so the Canaanites have lived within Ephraim to this day but have been made to do
forced labor. Return to Top
Then allotment was made to the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the
firstborn of Joseph. To Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead,
were allotted Gilead and Bashan, because he was a warrior. 2 And allotments were
made to the rest of the tribe of Manasseh, by their families, Abiezer, Helek,
Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida; these were the male descendants of
Manasseh son of Joseph, by their families. 3 Now Zelophehad son of Hepher son of
Gilead son of Machir son of Manasseh had no sons, but only daughters; and these
are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 4 They
came before the priest Eleazar and Joshua son of Nun and the leaders, and said,
"The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance along with our male kin." So
according to the commandment of the LORD he gave them an inheritance among the
kinsmen of their father. 5 Thus there fell to Manasseh ten portions, besides the
land of Gilead and Bashan, which is on the other side of the Jordan, 6 because
the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance along with his sons. The land
of Gilead was allotted to the rest of the Manassites. 7 The territory of
Manasseh reached from Asher to Michmethath, which is east of Shechem; then the
boundary goes along southward to the inhabitants of En-tappuah. 8 The land of
Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but the town of Tappuah on the boundary of
Manasseh belonged to the Ephraimites. 9 Then the boundary went down to the Wadi
Kanah. The towns here, to the south of the wadi, among the towns of Manasseh,
belong to Ephraim. Then the boundary of Manasseh goes along the north side of
the wadi and ends at the sea. 10 The land to the south is Ephraim's and that to
the north is Manasseh's, with the sea forming its boundary; on the north Asher
is reached, and on the east Issachar. 11 Within Issachar and Asher, Manasseh had
Beth-shean and its villages, Ibleam and its villages, the inhabitants of Dor and
its villages, the inhabitants of En-dor and its villages, the inhabitants of
Taanach and its villages, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages (the
third is Naphath). 12 Yet the Manassites could not take possession of those
towns; but the Canaanites continued to live in that land. 13 But when the
Israelites grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not
utterly drive them out. 14 The tribe of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, "Why
have you given me but one lot and one portion as an inheritance, since we are a
numerous people, whom all along the LORD has blessed?" 15 And Joshua said to
them, "If you are a numerous people, go up to the forest, and clear ground there
for yourselves in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the hill
country of Ephraim is too narrow for you." 16 The tribe of Joseph said, "The
hill country is not enough for us; yet all the Canaanites who live in the plain
have chariots of iron, both those in Beth-shean and its villages and those in
the Valley of Jezreel." 17 Then Joshua said to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim
and Manasseh, "You are indeed a numerous people, and have great power; you shall
not have one lot only, 18 but the hill country shall be yours, for though it is
a forest, you shall clear it and possess it to its farthest borders; for you
shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron, and though
they are strong." Return to Top
Then the whole congregation of the Israelites assembled at
Shiloh, and set up the tent of meeting there. The land lay subdued before them.
2 There remained among the Israelites seven tribes whose inheritance had not yet
been apportioned. 3 So Joshua said to the Israelites, "How long will you be
slack about going in and taking possession of the land that the LORD, the God of
your ancestors, has given you? 4 Provide three men from each tribe, and I will
send them out that they may begin to go throughout the land, writing a
description of it with a view to their inheritances. Then come back to me. 5
They shall divide it into seven portions, Judah continuing in its territory on
the south, and the house of Joseph in their territory on the north. 6 You shall
describe the land in seven divisions and bring the description here to me; and I
will cast lots for you here before the LORD our God. 7 The Levites have no
portion among you, for the priesthood of the LORD is their heritage; and Gad and
Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond the
Jordan eastward, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them." 8 So the men
started on their way; and Joshua charged those who went to write the description
of the land, saying, "Go throughout the land and write a description of it, and
come back to me; and I will cast lots for you here before the LORD in Shiloh." 9
So the men went and traversed the land and set down in a book a description of
it by towns in seven divisions; then they came back to Joshua in the camp at
Shiloh, 10 and Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD; and there
Joshua apportioned the land to the Israelites, to each a portion. 11 The lot of
the tribe of Benjamin according to its families came up, and the territory
allotted to it fell between the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Joseph. 12 On
the north side their boundary began at the Jordan; then the boundary goes up to
the slope of Jericho on the north, then up through the hill country westward;
and it ends at the wilderness of Beth-aven. 13 From there the boundary passes
along southward in the direction of Luz, to the slope of Luz (that is, Bethel),
then the boundary goes down to Ataroth-addar, on the mountain that lies south of
Lower Beth-horon. 14 Then the boundary goes in another direction, turning on the
western side southward from the mountain that lies to the south, opposite
Beth-horon, and it ends at Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), a town
belonging to the tribe of Judah. This forms the western side. 15 The southern
side begins at the outskirts of Kiriath-jearim; and the boundary goes from there
to Ephron, to the spring of the Waters of Nephtoah; 16 then the boundary goes
down to the border of the mountain that overlooks the valley of the son of
Hinnom, which is at the north end of the valley of Rephaim; and it then goes
down the valley of Hinnom, south of the slope of the Jebusites, and downward to
En-rogel; 17 then it bends in a northerly direction going on to En-shemesh, and
from there goes to Geliloth, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim; then it
goes down to the Stone of Bohan, Reuben's son; 18 and passing on to the north of
the slope of Beth-arabah it goes down to the Arabah; 19 then the boundary passes
on to the north of the slope of Beth-hoglah; and the boundary ends at the
northern bay of the Dead Sea, at the south end of the Jordan: this is the
southern border. 20 The Jordan forms its boundary on the eastern side. This is
the inheritance of the tribe of Benjamin, according to its families, boundary by
boundary all around. 21 Now the towns of the tribe of Benjamin according to
their families were Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz, 22 Beth-arabah, Zemaraim,
Bethel, 23 Avvim, Parah, Ophrah, 24 Chephar-ammoni, Ophni, and Geba--twelve
towns with their villages: 25 Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, 26 Mizpeh, Chephirah,
Mozah, 27 Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, 28 Zela, Haeleph, Jebus (that is, Jerusalem),
Gibeah and Kiriath-jearim--fourteen towns with their villages. This is the
inheritance of the tribe of Benjamin according to its families. Return to Top
The second lot came out for Simeon, for the tribe of Simeon,
according to its families; its inheritance lay within the inheritance of the
tribe of Judah. 2 It had for its inheritance Beer-sheba, Sheba, Moladah, 3
Hazar-shual, Balah, Ezem, 4 Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, 5 Ziklag, Beth-marcaboth,
Hazar-susah, 6 Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuhen--thirteen towns with their villages; 7
Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan--four towns with their villages; 8 together with
all the villages all around these towns as far as Baalath-beer, Ramah of the
Negeb. This was the inheritance of the tribe of Simeon according to its
families. 9 The inheritance of the tribe of Simeon formed part of the territory
of Judah; because the portion of the tribe of Judah was too large for them, the
tribe of Simeon obtained an inheritance within their inheritance. 10 The third
lot came up for the tribe of Zebulun, according to its families. The boundary of
its inheritance reached as far as Sarid; 11 then its boundary goes up westward,
and on to Maralah, and touches Dabbesheth, then the wadi that is east of
Jokneam; 12 from Sarid it goes in the other direction eastward toward the
sunrise to the boundary of Chisloth-tabor; from there it goes to Daberath, then
up to Japhia; 13 from there it passes along on the east toward the sunrise to
Gath-hepher, to Eth-kazin, and going on to Rimmon it bends toward Neah; 14 then
on the north the boundary makes a turn to Hannathon, and it ends at the valley
of Iphtah-el; 15 and Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem--twelve
towns with their villages. 16 This is the inheritance of the tribe of Zebulun,
according to its families--these towns with their villages. 17 The fourth lot
came out for Issachar, for the tribe of Issachar, according to its families. 18
Its territory included Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem, 19 Hapharaim, Shion,
Anaharath, 20 Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez, 21 Remeth, En-gannim, En-haddah,
Beth-pazzez; 22 the boundary also touches Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth-shemesh,
and its boundary ends at the Jordan--sixteen towns with their villages. 23 This
is the inheritance of the tribe of Issachar, according to its families--the
towns with their villages. 24 The fifth lot came out for the tribe of Asher
according to its families. 25 Its boundary included Helkath, Hali, Beten,
Achshaph, 26 Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal; on the west it touches Carmel and
Shihor-libnath, 27 then it turns eastward, goes to Beth-dagon, and touches
Zebulun and the valley of Iphtah-el northward to Beth-emek and Neiel; then it
continues in the north to Cabul, 28 Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, Kanah, as far as Great
Sidon; 29 then the boundary turns to Ramah, reaching to the fortified city of
Tyre; then the boundary turns to Hosah, and it ends at the sea; Mahalab, Achzib,
30 Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob--twenty-two towns with their villages. 31 This is the
inheritance of the tribe of Asher according to its families--these towns with
their villages. 32 The sixth lot came out for the tribe of Naphtali, for the
tribe of Naphtali, according to its families. 33 And its boundary ran from
Heleph, from the oak in Zaanannim, and Adami-nekeb, and Jabneel, as far as
Lakkum; and it ended at the Jordan; 34 then the boundary turns westward to
Aznoth-tabor, and goes from there to Hukkok, touching Zebulun at the south, and
Asher on the west, and Judah on the east at the Jordan. 35 The fortified towns
are Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth, 36 Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, 37
Kedesh, Edrei, En-hazor, 38 Iron, Migdal-el, Horem, Beth-anath, and
Beth-shemesh--nineteen towns with their villages. 39 This is the inheritance of
the tribe of Naphtali according to its families--the towns with their villages.
40 The seventh lot came out for the tribe of Dan, according to its families. 41
The territory of its inheritance included Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir-shemesh, 42
Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah, 43 Elon, Timnah, Ekron, 44 Eltekeh, Gibbethon,
Baalath, 45 Jehud, Bene-berak, Gath-rimmon, 46 Me-jarkon, and Rakkon at the
border opposite Joppa. 47 When the territory of the Danites was lost to them,
the Danites went up and fought against Leshem, and after capturing it and
putting it to the sword, they took possession of it and settled in it, calling
Leshem, Dan, after their ancestor Dan. 48 This is the inheritance of the tribe
of Dan, according to their families--these towns with their villages. 49 When
they had finished distributing the several territories of the land as
inheritances, the Israelites gave an inheritance among them to Joshua son of
Nun. 50 By command of the LORD they gave him the town that he asked for,
Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim; he rebuilt the town, and settled
in it. 51 These are the inheritances that the priest Eleazar and Joshua son of
Nun and the heads of the families of the tribes of the Israelites distributed by
lot at Shiloh before the LORD, at the entrance of the tent of meeting. So they
finished dividing the land. Return to Top
Then the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying, 2 "Say to the Israelites,
'Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses, 3 so that
anyone who kills a person without intent or by mistake may flee there; they
shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood. 4 The slayer shall flee to
one of these cities and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city, and
explain the case to the elders of that city; then the fugitive shall be taken
into the city, and given a place, and shall remain with them. 5 And if the
avenger of blood is in pursuit, they shall not give up the slayer, because the
neighbor was killed by mistake, there having been no enmity between them before.
6 The slayer shall remain in that city until there is a trial before the
congregation, until the death of the one who is high priest at the time: then
the slayer may return home, to the town in which the deed was done.'" 7 So they
set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the
hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country
of Judah. 8 And beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, they appointed Bezer in the
wilderness on the tableland, from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead,
from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manasseh. 9 These
were the cities designated for all the Israelites, and for the aliens residing
among them, that anyone who killed a person without intent could flee there, so
as not to die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until there was a trial
before the congregation. Return to Top
Then the heads of the families of the Levites came to the priest
Eleazar and to Joshua son of Nun and to the heads of the families of the tribes
of the Israelites; 2 they said to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, "The
LORD commanded through Moses that we be given towns to live in, along with their
pasture lands for our livestock." 3 So by command of the LORD the Israelites
gave to the Levites the following towns and pasture lands out of their
inheritance. 4 The lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. So those
Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest received by lot thirteen towns
from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. 5 The rest of the Kohathites
received by lot ten towns from the families of the tribe of Ephraim, from the
tribe of Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. 6 The Gershonites received by lot
thirteen towns from the families of the tribe of Issachar, from the tribe of
Asher, from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in
Bashan. 7 The Merarites according to their families received twelve towns from
the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the tribe of Zebulun. 8 These towns
and their pasture lands the Israelites gave by lot to the Levites, as the LORD
had commanded through Moses. 9 Out of the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Simeon
they gave the following towns mentioned by name, 10 which went to the
descendants of Aaron, one of the families of the Kohathites who belonged to the
Levites, since the lot fell to them first. 11 They gave them Kiriath-arba (Arba
being the father of Anak), that is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, along
with the pasture lands around it. 12 But the fields of the town and its villages
had been given to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his holding. 13 To the descendants
of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, the city of refuge for the slayer, with
its pasture lands, Libnah with its pasture lands, 14 Jattir with its pasture
lands, Eshtemoa with its pasture lands, 15 Holon with its pasture lands, Debir
with its pasture lands, 16 Ain with its pasture lands, Juttah with its pasture
lands, and Beth-shemesh with its pasture lands--nine towns out of these two
tribes. 17 Out of the tribe of Benjamin: Gibeon with its pasture lands, Geba
with its pasture lands, 18 Anathoth with its pasture lands, and Almon with its
pasture lands--four towns. 19 The towns of the descendants of Aaron--the
priests--were thirteen in all, with their pasture lands. 20 As to the rest of
the Kohathites belonging to the Kohathite families of the Levites, the towns
allotted to them were out of the tribe of Ephraim. 21 To them were given
Shechem, the city of refuge for the slayer, with its pasture lands in the hill
country of Ephraim, Gezer with its pasture lands, 22 Kibzaim with its pasture
lands, and Beth-horon with its pasture lands--four towns. 23 Out of the tribe of
Dan: Elteke with its pasture lands, Gibbethon with its pasture lands, 24 Aijalon
with its pasture lands, Gath-rimmon with its pasture lands--four towns. 25 Out
of the half-tribe of Manasseh: Taanach with its pasture lands, and Gath-rimmon
with its pasture lands--two towns. 26 The towns of the families of the rest of
the Kohathites were ten in all, with their pasture lands. 27 To the Gershonites,
one of the families of the Levites, were given out of the half-tribe of
Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with its pasture lands, the city of refuge for the
slayer, and Beeshterah with its pasture lands--two towns. 28 Out of the tribe of
Issachar: Kishion with its pasture lands, Daberath with its pasture lands, 29
Jarmuth with its pasture lands, En-gannim with its pasture lands--four towns; 30
Out of the tribe of Asher: Mishal with its pasture lands, Abdon with its pasture
lands, 31 Helkath with its pasture lands, and Rehob with its pasture lands--four
towns. 32 Out of the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee with its pasture
lands, the city of refuge for the slayer, Hammoth-dor with its pasture lands,
and Kartan with its pasture lands--three towns. 33 The towns of the several
families of the Gershonites were in all thirteen, with their pasture lands. 34
To the rest of the Levites--the Merarite families--were given out of the tribe
of Zebulun: Jokneam with its pasture lands, Kartah with its pasture lands, 35
Dimnah with its pasture lands, Nahalal with its pasture lands--four towns. 36
Out of the tribe of Reuben: Bezer with its pasture lands, Jahzah with its
pasture lands, 37 Kedemoth with its pasture lands, and Mephaath with its pasture
lands--four towns. 38 Out of the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead with its pasture
lands, the city of refuge for the slayer, Mahanaim with its pasture lands, 39
Heshbon with its pasture lands, Jazer with its pasture lands--four towns in all.
40 As for the towns of the several Merarite families, that is, the remainder of
the families of the Levites, those allotted to them were twelve in all. 41 The
towns of the Levites within the holdings of the Israelites were in all
forty-eight towns with their pasture lands. 42 Each of these towns had its
pasture lands around it; so it was with all these towns. 43 Thus the LORD gave
to Israel all the land that he swore to their ancestors that he would give them;
and having taken possession of it, they settled there. 44 And the LORD gave them
rest on every side just as he had sworn to their ancestors; not one of all their
enemies had withstood them, for the LORD had given all their enemies into their
hands. 45 Not one of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house
of Israel had failed; all came to pass. Return to Top
Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the
half-tribe of Manasseh, 2 and said to them, "You have observed all that Moses
the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed me in all that I have
commanded you; 3 you have not forsaken your kindred these many days, down to
this day, but have been careful to keep the charge of the LORD your God. 4 And
now the LORD your God has given rest to your kindred, as he promised them;
therefore turn and go to your tents in the land where your possession lies,
which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side of the Jordan. 5
Take good care to observe the commandment and instruction that Moses the servant
of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways,
to keep his commandments, and to hold fast to him, and to serve him with all
your heart and with all your soul." 6 So Joshua blessed them and sent them away,
and they went to their tents. 7 Now to the one half of the tribe of Manasseh
Moses had given a possession in Bashan; but to the other half Joshua had given a
possession beside their fellow Israelites in the land west of the Jordan. And
when Joshua sent them away to their tents and blessed them, 8 he said to them,
"Go back to your tents with much wealth, and with very much livestock, with
silver, gold, bronze, and iron, and with a great quantity of clothing; divide
the spoil of your enemies with your kindred." 9 So the Reubenites and the
Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned home, parting from the
Israelites at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of
Gilead, their own land of which they had taken possession by command of the LORD
through Moses. 10 When they came to the region near the Jordan that lies in the
land of Canaan, the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh
built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of great size. 11 The Israelites
heard that the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh had
built an altar at the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region near the
Jordan, on the side that belongs to the Israelites. 12 And when the people of
Israel heard of it, the whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh, to
make war against them. 13 Then the Israelites sent the priest Phinehas son of
Eleazar to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the
land of Gilead, 14 and with him ten chiefs, one from each of the tribal families
of Israel, every one of them the head of a family among the clans of Israel. 15
They came to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the
land of Gilead, and they said to them, 16 "Thus says the whole congregation of
the LORD, 'What is this treachery that you have committed against the God of
Israel in turning away today from following the LORD, by building yourselves an
altar today in rebellion against the LORD? 17 Have we not had enough of the sin
at Peor from which even yet we have not cleansed ourselves, and for which a
plague came upon the congregation of the LORD, 18 that you must turn away today
from following the LORD! If you rebel against the LORD today, he will be angry
with the whole congregation of Israel tomorrow. 19 But now, if your land is
unclean, cross over into the Lord's land where the Lord's tabernacle now stands,
and take for yourselves a possession among us; only do not rebel against the
LORD, or rebel against us by building yourselves an altar other than the altar
of the LORD our God. 20 Did not Achan son of Zerah break faith in the matter of
the devoted things, and wrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel? And he
did not perish alone for his iniquity!'" 21 Then the Reubenites, the Gadites,
and the half-tribe of Manasseh said in answer to the heads of the families of
Israel, 22 "The LORD, God of gods! The LORD, God of gods! He knows; and let
Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in breach of faith toward the
LORD, do not spare us today 23 for building an altar to turn away from following
the LORD; or if we did so to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or
offerings of well-being on it, may the LORD himself take vengeance. 24 No! We
did it from fear that in time to come your children might say to our children,
'What have you to do with the LORD, the God of Israel? 25 For the LORD has made
the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you Reubenites and Gadites; you have
no portion in the LORD.' So your children might make our children cease to
worship the LORD. 26 Therefore we said, 'Let us now build an altar, not for
burnt offering, nor for sacrifice, 27 but to be a witness between us and you,
and between the generations after us, that we do perform the service of the LORD
in his presence with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and offerings of
well-being; so that your children may never say to our children in time to come,
"You have no portion in the LORD."' 28 And we thought, If this should be said to
us or to our descendants in time to come, we could say, 'Look at this copy of
the altar of the LORD, which our ancestors made, not for burnt offerings, nor
for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you.' 29 Far be it from us
that we should rebel against the LORD, and turn away this day from following the
LORD by building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice,
other than the altar of the LORD our God that stands before his tabernacle!" 30
When the priest Phinehas and the chiefs of the congregation, the heads of the
families of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the Reubenites and
the Gadites and the Manassites spoke, they were satisfied. 31 The priest
Phinehas son of Eleazar said to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the
Manassites, "Today we know that the LORD is among us, because you have not
committed this treachery against the LORD; now you have saved the Israelites
from the hand of the LORD." 32 Then the priest Phinehas son of Eleazar and the
chiefs returned from the Reubenites and the Gadites in the land of Gilead to the
land of Canaan, to the Israelites, and brought back word to them. 33 The report
pleased the Israelites; and the Israelites blessed God and spoke no more of
making war against them, to destroy the land where the Reubenites and the
Gadites were settled. 34 The Reubenites and the Gadites called the altar
Witness; "For," said they, "it is a witness between us that the LORD is God." Return to Top
A long time afterward, when the LORD had given rest to Israel
from all their enemies all around, and Joshua was old and well advanced in
years, 2 Joshua summoned all Israel, their elders and heads, their judges and
officers, and said to them, "I am now old and well advanced in years; 3 and you
have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations for your
sake, for it is the LORD your God who has fought for you. 4 I have allotted to
you as an inheritance for your tribes those nations that remain, along with all
the nations that I have already cut off, from the Jordan to the Great Sea in the
west. 5 The LORD your God will push them back before you, and drive them out of
your sight; and you shall possess their land, as the LORD your God promised you.
6 Therefore be very steadfast to observe and do all that is written in the book
of the law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right nor to the left,
7 so that you may not be mixed with these nations left here among you, or make
mention of the names of their gods, or swear by them, or serve them, or bow
yourselves down to them, 8 but hold fast to the LORD your God, as you have done
to this day. 9 For the LORD has driven out before you great and strong nations;
and as for you, no one has been able to withstand you to this day. 10 One of you
puts to flight a thousand, since it is the LORD your God who fights for you, as
he promised you. 11 Be very careful, therefore, to love the LORD your God. 12
For if you turn back, and join the survivors of these nations left here among
you, and intermarry with them, so that you marry their women and they yours, 13
know assuredly that the LORD your God will not continue to drive out these
nations before you; but they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a scourge on
your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land that
the LORD your God has given you. 14 "And now I am about to go the way of all the
earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one thing has
failed of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you;
all have come to pass for you, not one of them has failed. 15 But just as all
the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you have been
fulfilled for you, so the LORD will bring upon you all the bad things, until he
has destroyed you from this good land that the LORD your God has given you. 16
If you transgress the covenant of the LORD your God, which he enjoined on you,
and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, then the anger of the LORD
will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from the good land
that he has given to you." Return to Top
Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and
summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they
presented themselves before God. 2 And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says
the LORD, the God of Israel: Long ago your ancestors--Terah and his sons Abraham
and Nahor--lived beyond the Euphrates and served other gods. 3 Then I took your
father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan
and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac; 4 and to Isaac I gave Jacob and
Esau. I gave Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his
children went down to Egypt. 5 Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt
with what I did in its midst; and afterwards I brought you out. 6 When I brought
your ancestors out of Egypt, you came to the sea; and the Egyptians pursued your
ancestors with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. 7 When they cried out to
the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and made the sea come
upon them and cover them; and your eyes saw what I did to Egypt. Afterwards you
lived in the wilderness a long time. 8 Then I brought you to the land of the
Amorites, who lived on the other side of the Jordan; they fought with you, and I
handed them over to you, and you took possession of their land, and I destroyed
them before you. 9 Then King Balak son of Zippor of Moab, set out to fight
against Israel. He sent and invited Balaam son of Beor to curse you, 10 but I
would not listen to Balaam; therefore he blessed you; so I rescued you out of
his hand. 11 When you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho, the citizens of
Jericho fought against you, and also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the
Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I
handed them over to you. 12 I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove out
before you the two kings of the Amorites; it was not by your sword or by your
bow. 13 I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and towns that you had
not built, and you live in them; you eat the fruit of vineyards and oliveyards
that you did not plant. 14 "Now therefore revere the LORD, and serve him in
sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served
beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 Now if you are unwilling
to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your
ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in
whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the
LORD." 16 Then the people answered, "Far be it from us that we should forsake
the LORD to serve other gods; 17 for it is the LORD our God who brought us and
our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who
did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we
went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; 18 and the LORD drove
out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we
also will serve the LORD, for he is our God." 19 But Joshua said to the people,
"You cannot serve the LORD, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will
not forgive your transgressions or your sins. 20 If you forsake the LORD and
serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm, and consume you, after
having done you good." 21 And the people said to Joshua, "No, we will serve the
LORD!" 22 Then Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves
that you have chosen the LORD, to serve him." And they said, "We are witnesses."
23 He said, "Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your
hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel." 24 The people said to Joshua, "The LORD
our God we will serve, and him we will obey." 25 So Joshua made a covenant with
the people that day, and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem. 26
Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a large
stone, and set it up there under the oak in the sanctuary of the LORD. 27 Joshua
said to all the people, "See, this stone shall be a witness against us; for it
has heard all the words of the LORD that he spoke to us; therefore it shall be a
witness against you, if you deal falsely with your God." 28 So Joshua sent the
people away to their inheritances. 29 After these things Joshua son of Nun, the
servant of the LORD, died, being one hundred ten years old. 30 They buried him
in his own inheritance at Timnath-serah, which is in the hill country of
Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 31 Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua,
and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and had known all the work
that the LORD did for Israel. 32 The bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had
brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shechem, in the portion of ground that
Jacob had bought from the children of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for one
hundred pieces of money; it became an inheritance of the descendants of Joseph.
33 Eleazar son of Aaron died; and they buried him at Gibeah, the town of his son
Phinehas, which had been given him in the hill country of Ephraim.
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