6:1 Now Jericho ¹  was shut tightly ²  because of the Israelites. No one was allowed to leave or enter. ³  6:2 The Lord told Joshua, “See, I am about to defeat Jericho for you, ⁴  along with its king and its warriors. 6:3 Have all the warriors march around the city one time; ⁵  do this for six days. 6:4 Have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns ⁶  in front of the ark. On the seventh day march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the horns. 6:5 When you hear the signal from the ram’s horn, ⁷  have the whole army give a loud battle cry. ⁸  Then the city wall will collapse ⁹  and the warriors should charge straight ahead.” ¹⁰ 

6:6 So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and instructed them, “Pick up the ark of the covenant, and seven priests must carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark of the Lord.” 6:7 And he told ¹¹  the army, ¹²  “Move ahead ¹³  and march around the city, with armed troops going ahead of the ark of the Lord.”

6:8 When Joshua gave the army its orders, ¹⁴  the seven priests carrying the seven rams’ horns before the Lord moved ahead and blew the horns as the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed behind. 6:9 Armed troops marched ahead of the priests blowing the horns, while the rear guard followed along behind the ark blowing rams’ horns. 6:10 Now Joshua had instructed the army, ¹⁵  “Do not give a battle cry ¹⁶  or raise your voices; say nothing ¹⁷  until the day I tell you, ‘Give the battle cry.’ ¹⁸  Then give the battle cry!” ¹⁹  6:11 So Joshua made sure they marched the ark of the Lord around the city one time. ²⁰  Then they went back to the camp and spent the night there. ²¹ 

6:12 Bright and early the next morning Joshua had the priests pick up the ark of the Lord. ²²  6:13 The seven priests carrying the seven rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord marched along blowing their horns. Armed troops marched ahead of them, while the rear guard followed along behind the ark of the Lord blowing rams’ horns. 6:14 They marched around the city one time on the second day, then returned to the camp. They did this six days in all.

6:15 On the seventh day they were up at the crack of dawn ²³  and marched around the city as before – only this time they marched around it seven times. ²⁴  6:16 The seventh time around, the priests blew the rams’ horns and Joshua told the army, ²⁵  “Give the battle cry, ²⁶  for the Lord is handing the city over to you! ²⁷  6:17 The city and all that is in it must be set apart for the Lord, ²⁸  except for Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house, because she hid the spies ²⁹  we sent. 6:18 But be careful when you are setting apart the riches for the Lord. If you take any of it, you will make the Israelite camp subject to annihilation and cause a disaster. ³⁰  6:19 All the silver and gold, as well as bronze and iron items, belong to the Lord. ³¹  They must go into the Lord’s treasury.”

6:20 The rams’ horns sounded ³²  and when the army ³³  heard the signal, ³⁴  they gave a loud battle cry. ³⁵  The wall collapsed ³⁶  and the warriors charged straight ahead into the city and captured it. ³⁷  6:21 They annihilated with the sword everything that breathed in the city, ³⁸  including men and women, young and old, as well as cattle, sheep, and donkeys. 6:22 Joshua told the two men who had spied on the land, “Enter the prostitute’s house ³⁹  and bring out the woman and all who belong to her as you promised her.” ⁴⁰  6:23 So the young spies went and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, and all who belonged to her. They brought out her whole family and took them to a place outside ⁴¹  the Israelite camp. 6:24 But they burned ⁴²  the city and all that was in it, except for the silver, gold, and bronze and iron items they put in the treasury of the Lord’s house. ⁴³  6:25 Yet Joshua spared ⁴⁴  Rahab the prostitute, her father’s family, ⁴⁵  and all who belonged to her. She lives in Israel ⁴⁶  to this very day because she hid the messengers Joshua sent to spy on Jericho. ⁴⁷  6:26 At that time Joshua made this solemn declaration: ⁴⁸  “The man who attempts to rebuild ⁴⁹  this city of Jericho ⁵⁰  will stand condemned before the Lord. ⁵¹  He will lose his firstborn son when he lays its foundations and his youngest son when he erects its gates!” ⁵²  6:27 The Lord was with Joshua and he became famous throughout the land. ⁵³ 

7:1 But the Israelites disobeyed the command about the city’s riches. ⁵⁴  Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, ⁵⁵  son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, stole some of the riches. ⁵⁶  The Lord was furious with the Israelites. ⁵⁷ 

7:2 Joshua sent men from Jericho ⁵⁸  to Ai (which is located near Beth Aven, east of Bethel ⁵⁹ ) and instructed them, “Go up and spy on the land.” So the men went up and spied on Ai. 7:3 They returned and reported to Joshua, ⁶⁰  “Don’t send the whole army. ⁶¹  About two or three thousand men are adequate to defeat Ai. ⁶²  Don’t tire out the whole army, for Ai is small.” ⁶³ 

7:4 So about three thousand men went up, but they fled from the men of Ai. 7:5 The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them and chased them from in front of the city gate all the way to the fissures ⁶⁴  and defeated them on the steep slope. ⁶⁵  The people’s ⁶⁶  courage melted away like water. ⁶⁷ 

7:6 Joshua tore his clothes; ⁶⁸  he and the leaders ⁶⁹  of Israel lay face down on the ground before the ark of the Lord until evening ⁷⁰  and threw dirt on their heads. ⁷¹  7:7 Joshua prayed, ⁷²  “O, Master, Lord! Why did you bring these people across the Jordan to hand us over to the Amorites so they could destroy us? 7:8 If only we had been satisfied to live on the other side of the Jordan! O Lord, what can I say now that Israel has retreated ⁷³  before its enemies? 7:9 When the Canaanites and all who live in the land hear about this, they will turn against us and destroy the very memory of us ⁷⁴  from the earth. What will you do to protect your great reputation?” ⁷⁵ 

7:10 The Lord responded ⁷⁶  to Joshua, “Get up! Why are you lying there face down? ⁷⁷  7:11 Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenantal commandment! ⁷⁸  They have taken some of the riches; ⁷⁹  they have stolen them and deceitfully put them among their own possessions. ⁸⁰  7:12 The Israelites are unable to stand before their enemies; they retreat because they have become subject to annihilation. ⁸¹  I will no longer be with you, ⁸²  unless you destroy what has contaminated you. ⁸³  7:13 Get up! Ritually consecrate the people and tell them this: ‘Ritually consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, because the Lord God of Israel says, “You are contaminated, ⁸⁴  O Israel! You will not be able to stand before your enemies until you remove what is contaminating you.” ⁸⁵  7:14 In the morning you must approach in tribal order. ⁸⁶  The tribe the Lord selects ⁸⁷  must approach by clans. The clan the Lord selects must approach by families. ⁸⁸  The family the Lord selects must approach man by man. ⁸⁹  7:15 The one caught with the riches ⁹⁰  must be burned up ⁹¹  along with all who belong to him, because he violated the Lord’s covenant and did such a disgraceful thing in Israel.’”

7:16 Bright and early the next morning Joshua made Israel approach in tribal order ⁹²  and the tribe of Judah was selected. 7:17 He then made the clans of Judah approach and the clan of the Zerahites was selected. He made the clan of the Zerahites approach and Zabdi ⁹³  was selected. ⁹⁴  7:18 He then made Zabdi’s ⁹⁵  family approach man by man ⁹⁶  and Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, was selected. 7:19 So Joshua said to Achan, “My son, honor ⁹⁷  the Lord God of Israel and give him praise! Tell me what you did; don’t hide anything from me!” 7:20 Achan told Joshua, “It is true. I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel in this way: ⁹⁸  7:21 I saw among the goods we seized a nice robe from Babylon, ⁹⁹  two hundred silver pieces, ¹⁰⁰  and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels. I wanted them, so I took them. They are hidden in the ground right in the middle of my tent with the silver underneath.”

7:22 Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent. The things were hidden right in his tent, with the silver underneath. ¹⁰¹  7:23 They took it all from the middle of the tent, brought it to Joshua and all the Israelites, and placed ¹⁰²  it before the Lord. 7:24 Then Joshua and all Israel took Achan, son of Zerah, along with the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons, daughters, ox, donkey, sheep, tent, and all that belonged to him and brought them up to the Valley of Disaster. ¹⁰³  7:25 Joshua said, “Why have you brought disaster ¹⁰⁴  on us? The Lord will bring disaster on you today!” All Israel stoned him to death. (They also stoned and burned the others.) ¹⁰⁵  7:26 Then they erected over him a large pile of stones (it remains to this very day ¹⁰⁶ ) and the Lord’s anger subsided. So that place is called the Valley of Disaster to this very day.

8:1 The Lord told Joshua, “Don’t be afraid and don’t panic! ¹⁰⁷  Take the whole army with you and march against Ai! ¹⁰⁸  See, I am handing over to you ¹⁰⁹  the king of Ai, along with his people, city, and land. 8:2 Do to Ai and its king what you did to Jericho ¹¹⁰  and its king, except you may plunder its goods and cattle. Set an ambush behind the city!”

8:3 Joshua and the whole army marched against Ai. ¹¹¹  Joshua selected thirty thousand brave warriors and sent them out at night. 8:4 He told ¹¹²  them, “Look, set an ambush behind the city. Don’t go very far from the city; all of you be ready! 8:5 I and all the troops ¹¹³  who are with me will approach the city. When they come out to fight us like before, we will retreat from them. 8:6 They will attack ¹¹⁴  us until we have lured them from the city, for they will say, ‘They are retreating from us like before.’ We will retreat from them. 8:7 Then you rise up from your hiding place ¹¹⁵  and seize ¹¹⁶  the city. The Lord your God will hand it over to you. 8:8 When you capture the city, set it ¹¹⁷  on fire. Do as the Lord says! See, I have given you orders.” ¹¹⁸  8:9 Joshua sent them away and they went to their hiding place ¹¹⁹  west of Ai, between Bethel ¹²⁰  and Ai. ¹²¹  Joshua spent that night with the army. ¹²² 

8:10 Bright and early the next morning Joshua gathered ¹²³  the army, ¹²⁴  and he and the leaders ¹²⁵  of Israel marched ¹²⁶  at the head of it ¹²⁷  to Ai. 8:11 All the troops that were with him marched up and drew near the city. ¹²⁸  They camped north of Ai on the other side of the valley. ¹²⁹  8:12 He took five thousand men and set an ambush west of the city between Bethel ¹³⁰  and Ai. 8:13 The army was in position – the main army north of the city and the rear guard west of the city. That night Joshua went into ¹³¹  the middle of the valley.

8:14 When the king of Ai saw Israel, he and his whole army quickly got up the next day and went out to fight Israel at the meeting place near the Arabah. ¹³²  But he did not realize ¹³³  men were hiding behind the city. ¹³⁴  8:15 Joshua and all Israel pretended to be defeated by them and they retreated along the way to the desert. 8:16 All the reinforcements ¹³⁵  in Ai ¹³⁶  were ordered ¹³⁷  to chase them; they chased Joshua and were lured away from the city. 8:17 No men were left in Ai or Bethel; ¹³⁸  they all went out after Israel. ¹³⁹  They left the city wide open and chased Israel.

8:18 The Lord told Joshua, “Hold out toward Ai the curved sword in your hand, for I am handing the city ¹⁴⁰  over to you.” So Joshua held out toward Ai the curved sword in his hand. 8:19 When he held out his hand, the men waiting in ambush rose up quickly from their place and attacked. ¹⁴¹  They entered the city, captured it, and immediately set it on fire. 8:20 When the men of Ai turned around, they saw ¹⁴²  the smoke from the city ascending into the sky and were so shocked they were unable to flee in any direction. ¹⁴³  In the meantime the men who were retreating to the desert turned against their pursuers. 8:21 When Joshua and all Israel saw that the men in ambush had captured the city and that the city was going up in smoke, ¹⁴⁴  they turned around and struck down the men of Ai. 8:22 At the same time the men who had taken the city came out to fight, and the men of Ai were trapped in the middle. ¹⁴⁵  The Israelites struck them down, leaving no survivors or refugees. 8:23 But they captured the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua.

8:24 When Israel had finished killing all the men ¹⁴⁶  of Ai who had chased them toward the desert ¹⁴⁷  (they all fell by the sword), ¹⁴⁸  all Israel returned to Ai and put the sword to it. 8:25 Twelve thousand men and women died ¹⁴⁹  that day, including all the men of Ai. 8:26 Joshua kept holding out his curved sword until Israel had annihilated all who lived in Ai. ¹⁵⁰  8:27 But Israel did plunder the cattle and the goods of the city, in accordance with the Lord’s orders to Joshua. ¹⁵¹  8:28 Joshua burned Ai and made it a permanently uninhabited mound (it remains that way to this very day). ¹⁵²  8:29 He hung the king of Ai on a tree, leaving him exposed until evening. ¹⁵³  At sunset Joshua ordered that his corpse be taken down from the tree. ¹⁵⁴  They threw it down at the entrance of the city gate and erected over it a large pile of stones (it remains to this very day). ¹⁵⁵ 

8:30 Then Joshua built an altar for the Lord God of Israel on Mount Ebal, 8:31 just as Moses the Lord’s servant had commanded the Israelites. As described in the law scroll of Moses, it was made with uncut stones untouched by an iron tool. ¹⁵⁶  They offered burnt sacrifices on it and sacrificed tokens of peace. ¹⁵⁷  8:32 There, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua inscribed on the stones a duplicate of the law written by Moses. ¹⁵⁸  8:33 All the people, ¹⁵⁹  rulers, ¹⁶⁰  leaders, and judges were standing on either side of the ark, in front of the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord. Both resident foreigners and native Israelites were there. ¹⁶¹  Half the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and the other half in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the Lord’s servant had previously instructed to them to do for the formal blessing ceremony. ¹⁶²  8:34 Then ¹⁶³  Joshua read aloud all the words of the law, including the blessings and the curses, just as they are written in the law scroll. 8:35 Joshua read aloud every commandment Moses had given ¹⁶⁴  before the whole assembly of Israel, including the women, children, and resident foreigners who lived among them. ¹⁶⁵ 

9:1 When the news reached all the kings on the west side of the Jordan ¹⁶⁶  – in the hill country, the lowlands, ¹⁶⁷  and all along the Mediterranean coast ¹⁶⁸  as far as ¹⁶⁹  Lebanon (including the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites) – 9:2 they formed an alliance to fight against Joshua and Israel. ¹⁷⁰ 

9:3 When the residents of Gibeon heard what Joshua did to Jericho ¹⁷¹  and Ai, 9:4 they did something clever. They collected some provisions ¹⁷²  and put worn-out sacks on their donkeys, along with worn-out wineskins that were ripped and patched. 9:5 They had worn-out, patched sandals on their feet and dressed in worn-out clothes. All their bread ¹⁷³  was dry and hard. ¹⁷⁴  9:6 They came to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant land. Make a treaty with us.” 9:7 The men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live near us. ¹⁷⁵  So how can we make a treaty with you?” 9:8 But they said to Joshua, “We are willing to be your subjects.” ¹⁷⁶  So Joshua said to them, “Who are you and where do you come from?” 9:9 They told him, “Your subjects ¹⁷⁷  have come from a very distant land because of the reputation ¹⁷⁸  of the Lord your God, for we have heard the news about all he did in Egypt ¹⁷⁹  9:10 and all he did to the two Amorite kings on the other side of the Jordan – King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan in Ashtaroth. 9:11 Our leaders and all who live in our land told us, ‘Take provisions for your journey and go meet them. Tell them, “We are willing to be your subjects. ¹⁸⁰  Make a treaty with us.”’ 9:12 This bread of ours was warm when we packed it in our homes the day we started out to meet you, ¹⁸¹  but now it is dry and hard. ¹⁸²  9:13 These wineskins we filled were brand new, but look how they have ripped. Our clothes and sandals have worn out because it has been a very long journey.” 9:14 The men examined ¹⁸³  some of their provisions, but they failed to ask the Lord’s advice. ¹⁸⁴  9:15 Joshua made a peace treaty with them and agreed to let them live. The leaders of the community ¹⁸⁵  sealed it with an oath. ¹⁸⁶ 

9:16 Three days after they made the treaty with them, the Israelites found out they were from the local area and lived nearby. ¹⁸⁷  9:17 So the Israelites set out and on the third day arrived at their cities – Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim. 9:18 The Israelites did not attack them because the leaders of the community had sworn an oath to them in the name of the Lord God of Israel. ¹⁸⁸  The whole community criticized ¹⁸⁹  the leaders, 9:19 but all the leaders told the whole community, “We swore an oath to them in the name of ¹⁹⁰  the Lord God of Israel. So now we can’t hurt ¹⁹¹  them! 9:20 We must let them live so we can escape the curse attached to the oath we swore to them.” ¹⁹²  9:21 The leaders then added, ¹⁹³  “Let them live.” So they became ¹⁹⁴  woodcutters and water carriers for the whole community, as the leaders had decided. ¹⁹⁵ 

9:22 ¹⁹⁶ 

Joshua summoned the Gibeonites ¹⁹⁷  and said to them, “Why did you trick ¹⁹⁸  us by saying, ‘We live far away from you,’ when you really live nearby? ¹⁹⁹  9:23 Now you are condemned to perpetual servitude as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.” ²⁰⁰  9:24 They said to Joshua, “It was carefully reported to your subjects ²⁰¹  how the Lord your God commanded Moses his servant to assign you the whole land and to destroy all who live in the land from before you. Because of you we were terrified ²⁰²  we would lose our lives, so we did this thing. 9:25 So now we are in your power. ²⁰³  Do to us what you think is good and appropriate. ²⁰⁴  9:26 Joshua did as they said; he kept the Israelites from killing them ²⁰⁵  9:27 and that day made them woodcutters and water carriers for the community and for the altar of the Lord at the divinely chosen site. (They continue in that capacity to this very day.) ²⁰⁶ 

10:1 Adoni-Zedek, king of Jerusalem, ²⁰⁷  heard how Joshua captured Ai and annihilated it and its king as he did Jericho ²⁰⁸  and its king. ²⁰⁹  He also heard how ²¹⁰  the people of Gibeon made peace with Israel and lived among them. 10:2 All Jerusalem was terrified ²¹¹  because Gibeon was a large city, like one of the royal cities. It was larger than Ai and all its men were warriors. 10:3 So King Adoni-Zedek of Jerusalem sent this message to King Hoham of Hebron, King Piram of Jarmuth, King Japhia of Lachish, and King Debir of Eglon: 10:4 “Come to my aid ²¹²  so we can attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.” 10:5 So the five Amorite kings (the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon) and all their troops gathered together and advanced. They deployed their troops and fought against Gibeon. ²¹³ 

10:6 The men of Gibeon sent this message to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, “Do not abandon ²¹⁴  your subjects! ²¹⁵  Rescue us! Help us! For all the Amorite kings living in the hill country are attacking us.” ²¹⁶  10:7 So Joshua and his whole army, including the bravest warriors, marched up from Gilgal. ²¹⁷  10:8 The Lord told Joshua, “Don’t be afraid of them, for I am handing them over to you. ²¹⁸  Not one of them can resist you.” ²¹⁹  10:9 Joshua attacked them by surprise after marching all night from Gilgal. ²²⁰  10:10 The Lord routed ²²¹  them before Israel. Israel ²²²  thoroughly defeated them ²²³  at Gibeon. They chased them up the road to the pass ²²⁴  of Beth Horon and struck them down all the way to Azekah and Makkedah. 10:11 As they fled from Israel on the slope leading down from ²²⁵  Beth Horon, the Lord threw down on them large hailstones from the sky, ²²⁶  all the way to Azekah. They died – in fact, more died from the hailstones than the Israelites killed with the sword.

10:12 The day the Lord delivered the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua prayed to the Lord before Israel: ²²⁷ 

“O sun, stand still over Gibeon!

O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon!”

10:13 The sun stood still and the moon stood motionless while the nation took vengeance on its enemies. The event is recorded in the Scroll of the Upright One. ²²⁸  The sun stood motionless in the middle of the sky and did not set for about a full day. ²²⁹  10:14 There has not been a day like it before or since. The Lord obeyed ²³⁰  a man, for the Lord fought for Israel! 10:15 Then Joshua and all Israel returned to the camp at Gilgal.

10:16 The five Amorite kings ²³¹  ran away and hid in the cave at Makkedah. 10:17 Joshua was told, “The five kings have been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah.” 10:18 Joshua said, “Roll large stones over the mouth of the cave and post guards in front of it. ²³²  10:19 But don’t you delay! Chase your enemies and catch them! ²³³  Don’t allow them to retreat to ²³⁴  their cities, for the Lord your God is handing them over to you.” ²³⁵  10:20 Joshua and the Israelites almost totally wiped them out, but some survivors did escape to the fortified cities. ²³⁶  10:21 Then the whole army safely returned to Joshua at the camp in Makkedah. ²³⁷  No one ²³⁸  dared threaten the Israelites. ²³⁹  10:22 Joshua said, “Open the cave’s mouth and bring the five kings ²⁴⁰  out of the cave to me.” 10:23 They did as ordered; ²⁴¹  they brought the five kings ²⁴²  out of the cave to him – the kings of Jerusalem, ²⁴³  Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. 10:24 When they brought the kings out to Joshua, he ²⁴⁴  summoned all the men of Israel and said to the commanders of the troops who accompanied him, “Come here ²⁴⁵  and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came up ²⁴⁶  and put their feet on their necks. 10:25 Then Joshua said to them, “Don’t be afraid and don’t panic! ²⁴⁷  Be strong and brave, for the Lord will do the same thing to all your enemies you fight. 10:26 Then Joshua executed them ²⁴⁸  and hung them on five trees. They were left hanging on the trees until evening. 10:27 At sunset Joshua ordered his men to take them down from the trees. ²⁴⁹  They threw them into the cave where they had hidden and piled large stones over the mouth of the cave. (They remain to this very day.) ²⁵⁰ 

10:28 That day Joshua captured Makkedah and put the sword to it and its king. He annihilated everyone who lived in it; he left no survivors. He did to its king what he had done to the king of Jericho. ²⁵¹ 

10:29 Joshua and all Israel marched from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against it. ²⁵²  10:30 The Lord handed it and its king over to Israel, and Israel ²⁵³  put the sword to all who lived there; they ²⁵⁴  left no survivors. They ²⁵⁵  did to its king what they ²⁵⁶  had done to the king of Jericho. ²⁵⁷ 

10:31 Joshua and all Israel marched from Libnah to Lachish. He deployed his troops ²⁵⁸  and fought against it. 10:32 The Lord handed Lachish over to Israel and they ²⁵⁹  captured it on the second day. They put the sword to all who lived there, just as they had done to Libnah. 10:33 Then King Horam of Gezer came up to help Lachish, but Joshua struck down him and his army ²⁶⁰  until no survivors remained.

10:34 Joshua and all Israel marched from Lachish to Eglon. They deployed troops ²⁶¹  and fought against it. 10:35 That day they captured it and put the sword to all who lived there. That day they ²⁶²  annihilated it just as they ²⁶³  had done to Lachish.

10:36 Joshua and all Israel marched up from Eglon to Hebron and fought against it. 10:37 They captured it and put the sword to its king, all its surrounding cities, and all who lived in it; they ²⁶⁴  left no survivors. As they ²⁶⁵  had done at Eglon, they ²⁶⁶  annihilated it and all who lived there.

10:38 Joshua and all Israel turned to Debir and fought against it. 10:39 They ²⁶⁷  captured it, its king, and all its surrounding cities and put the sword to them. They annihilated everyone who lived there; they ²⁶⁸  left no survivors. They ²⁶⁹  did to Debir and its king what they ²⁷⁰  had done to Libnah and its king and to Hebron. ²⁷¹ 

10:40 Joshua defeated the whole land, including the hill country, the Negev, the lowlands, ²⁷²  the slopes, and all their kings. He left no survivors. He annihilated everything that breathed, just as the Lord God of Israel had commanded. 10:41 Joshua conquered the area between Kadesh Barnea and Gaza and the whole region of Goshen, all the way to Gibeon. ²⁷³  10:42 Joshua captured in one campaign ²⁷⁴  all these kings and their lands, for the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel. 10:43 Then Joshua and all Israel returned to the camp at Gilgal.

11:1 When King Jabin of Hazor ²⁷⁵  heard the news, he organized a coalition, including ²⁷⁶  King Jobab of Madon, the king of Shimron, the king of Acshaph, 11:2 and the northern kings who ruled in ²⁷⁷  the hill country, the Arabah south of Kinnereth, ²⁷⁸  the lowlands, and the heights of Dor to the west. 11:3 Canaanites came ²⁷⁹  from the east and west; Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, and Jebusites from the hill country; and Hivites from below Hermon in the area ²⁸⁰  of Mizpah. 11:4 These kings came out with their armies; they were as numerous as the sand on the seashore and had a large number of horses and chariots. ²⁸¹  11:5 All these kings gathered and joined forces ²⁸²  at the Waters of Merom to fight Israel.

11:6 The Lord told Joshua, “Don’t be afraid of them, for about this time tomorrow I will cause all of them to lie dead before Israel. You must hamstring their horses and burn ²⁸³  their chariots.” 11:7 Joshua and his whole army caught them by surprise at the Waters of Merom and attacked them. ²⁸⁴  11:8 The Lord handed them over to Israel and they struck them down and chased them all the way to Greater Sidon, ²⁸⁵  Misrephoth Maim, ²⁸⁶  and the Mizpah Valley to the east. They struck them down until no survivors remained. 11:9 Joshua did to them as the Lord had commanded him; he hamstrung their horses and burned ²⁸⁷  their chariots.

11:10 At that time Joshua turned, captured Hazor, ²⁸⁸  and struck down its king with the sword, for Hazor was at that time ²⁸⁹  the leader of all these kingdoms. 11:11 They annihilated everyone who lived there with the sword ²⁹⁰  – no one who breathed remained – and burned ²⁹¹  Hazor.

11:12 Joshua captured all these royal cities and all their kings and annihilated them with the sword, ²⁹²  as Moses the Lord’s servant had commanded. 11:13 But Israel did not burn any of the cities located on mounds, ²⁹³  except for Hazor; ²⁹⁴  it was the only one Joshua burned. 11:14 The Israelites plundered all the goods of these cities and the cattle, but they totally destroyed all the people ²⁹⁵  and allowed no one who breathed to live. 11:15 Moses the Lord’s servant passed on the Lord’s commands to Joshua, and Joshua did as he was told. He did not ignore any of the commands the Lord had given Moses. ²⁹⁶ 

11:16 Joshua conquered the whole land, ²⁹⁷  including the hill country, all the Negev, all the land of Goshen, the lowlands, ²⁹⁸  the Arabah, the hill country of Israel and its lowlands, 11:17 from Mount Halak on up to Seir, as far as Baal Gad in the Lebanon Valley below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings and executed them. ²⁹⁹  11:18 Joshua campaigned against ³⁰⁰  these kings for quite some time. ³⁰¹  11:19 No city made peace with the Israelites (except the Hivites living in Gibeon); ³⁰²  they had to conquer all of them, ³⁰³  11:20 for the Lord determined to make them obstinate so they would attack Israel. He wanted Israel to annihilate them without mercy, as he had instructed Moses. ³⁰⁴ 

11:21 At that time Joshua attacked and eliminated the Anakites from the hill country ³⁰⁵  – from Hebron, Debir, Anab, and all the hill country of Judah and Israel. ³⁰⁶  Joshua annihilated them and their cities. 11:22 No Anakites were left in Israelite territory, though some remained in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod. 11:23 Joshua conquered ³⁰⁷  the whole land, just as the Lord had promised Moses, ³⁰⁸  and he assigned Israel their tribal portions. ³⁰⁹  Then the land was free of war.