Chapter 1
1Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it was, that the
LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, 2Moses my servant
is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land
which I give to them, even to the children of Israel. 3Every place that the sole of
your foot shall tread upon, that I have given to you, as I said to Moses. 4From the
wilderness and this Lebanon even to the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land
of the Hittites and to the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your
coast. 5No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life:
as I was with Moses, so I will be with you: I will not fail you, nor forsake you.
6Be strong and of good courage: for you shall divide the land which I swore to their fathers to give
to this people for an
inheritance. 7Only be strong and very
courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my
servant commanded you: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you
may prosper wherever you go. 8This book of the law shall not depart out of your
mouth; but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do
according to all that is written in it: for then you shall make your way prosperous,
and then you shall have good success. 9Have I not commanded you? Be strong and
of good courage; Do not afraid, nor be dismayed: for the LORD your God is with
you wherever you go.
10Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11Pass through the
host and command the people, saying, Prepare food; for within three days you shall
pass over the Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God gives
you to possess. 12And Joshua spoke to the Reubenites and to the Gadites and to half the tribe
of Manasseh, saying, 13Remember the word which Moses the servant
of the LORD commanded you, saying, The LORD your God has given you rest,
and has given you this land. 14Your wives, your little ones and your cattle, shall
remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan; but you shall
pass before your brothers armed, all the mighty men of valor and help them;
15Until the LORD has given your brothers rest, as he has given you and they also
have possessed the land which the LORD your God gives them: then you shall
return to the land of your possession and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD'S
servant gave you on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrising.
16And they answered Joshua, saying, All that you command us we will do and
wherever you send us, we will go. 7Just as we listened to Moses in all things, so we
will listen to you: only the LORD your God be with you, as he was with Moses.
8Whoever rebels against your commandment and will not listen to your
words in all that you command him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of
good courage.
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Chapter 2
1. And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying,
Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went and came into a harlot's house,
named Rahab and lodged there. 2 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying,
Behold, men came in here tonight from the children of Israel to search out the
country. 3And the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, Bring out the men who
have come to you, who have entered into your house: for they have come to search
out all the country. 4And the woman took the two men and hid them and said thus, Men came to me,
but I did not know where they were from 5And it was about the time of
shutting the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: where the men went I do not know: pursue after
them quickly; for you shall overtake them. 6But she had brought them up to the roof of the house and
hidden them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof. 7And the men pursued after
them the way to the Jordan to the fords: and as soon as they who pursued after them were gone out, they
shut the gate.
8And before they were laid down, she came up to them on the roof; 9And she
said to the men, I know that the LORD has given you the land and that your terror has fallen upon us,
and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. 10For we have heard how the LORD dried up the
water of the Red Sea for you,
when you came out of Egypt; and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites,
who were on the other side the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.
11And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts melted, neither did there remain any more
courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above and in earth
beneath. 12Now therefore, I beseech you, swear to me by the LORD, since I have shown you kindness, that you
will also
show kindness to my father's house and give me a true token: 13And 14And the men answered her, Our life
for yours, if you do not utter this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD has
given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you. 15Then she let them
down by a cord through the window: for her house was on the town wall and she
lived on the wall. 16And she said to them, Go to the mountain, lest the pursuers
meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers are returned: and
afterward you may go your way. 17And the men said to her, We will be blameless of
this your oath which you have made us swear. 18Behold, when we come into the
land, you shall bind this line of scarlet thread in the window by which you let us down:
and you shall bring your father and your mother and your brothers and all
your father's household, home to you. 19And it shall be, that whoever shall go out
of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his head and we
will be guiltless: and whoever shall be with you in the house, his blood shall be on
our head, if any hand be on him. 20And if you utter this our business, then we
will be released from your oath which you have made us swear. 21And she said,
According to your words, so be it. And she sent them away and they departed: and
she bound the scarlet line in the window.
22And they went and came to the mountain and stayed there three days, until
the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought them through all the way, but
did not find them. 23So the two men returned and descended from the mountain,
and passed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun and told him all things that
befell them: 24And they said to Joshua, Truly the LORD has delivered all the land
into our hands; for even all the inhabitants of the country faint because of us.
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Chapter 3
1And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they moved from Shittim and
came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel and lodged there before they
passed over. 2And after three days, the officers went through the
host; 3And they commanded the people, saying, When you see the ark of the
covenant of the LORD your God and the priests the Levites bearing it, then you
shall move from your place and go after it. 4Yet there shall be a space between you
and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: do not come near to it, so that you
may know the way by which you must go: for you have not passed this way before.
5And Joshua said to the people, Sanctify yourselves: because tomorrow the LORD
will do wonders among you. 6And Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, Take up the
ark of the covenant and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of
the covenant and went before the people.
7And the LORD said to Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify you in the sight
of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.
8And you shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying,
When you are come to the brink of the water of the Jordan, you shall stand still in
the Jordan. 9And Joshua said to the children of Israel, Come here and hear the
words of the LORD your God. 10And Joshua said, Hereby you shall know that the
living God is among you and that he will drive out from before you the
Canaanites without fail and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites,
and the Amorites and the Jebusites. 11Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of
all the earth passes over before you into the Jordan. 12Now therefore take twelve
men out of the tribes of Israel, a man out of each tribe. 13And it shall come to pass,
as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD, the
Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the
Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall
stand up in a heap.
14And it was when the people moved from their tents, to pass over the
Jordan and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people; 15And as
they who bore the ark were come to the Jordan and the feet of the priests who bore
the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for the Jordan overflows all its banks
all the time of harvest,) 16That the waters which came down from above stood and
rose up as a heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those
which came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut
off: and the people passed over opposite Jericho. 17And the priests who bore the ark
of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan,
and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were completely
passed over the Jordan.
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Chapter 4
1And when all the people were completely passed over the
Jordan, it happened that the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying, 2Take twelve men out of the
people, out of every tribe a man, 3And command them, saying, Take twelve stones
from here out of the midst of the Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet
stood firm and you shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging
place, where you shall lodge this night. 4Then Joshua called the twelve men of the
children of Israel, whom he had prepared out of every tribe a man: 5And Joshua
said to them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the
Jordan and every man take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the
number of the tribes of the children of Israel: 6That this may be a sign among you,
so that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What do you
mean by these stones? 7Then you shall answer them, That the waters of the Jordan
were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over the
Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be a memorial
to the children of Israel for ever. 8And the children of Israel did so as Joshua
commanded and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as the LORD
spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel and
carried them over with them to the place where they lodged and laid them down
there. 9And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place
where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood: and they are
there to this day.
10For the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan, until every
thing was finished which the LORD commanded Joshua to speak to the people,
according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hurried and passed
over. 11And it was when all the people were completely passed over, that
the ark of the LORD and the priests passed over in the presence of the people.
12And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and half the tribe of
Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spoke to them:
13About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the LORD to the plains
of Jericho to battle, 14On that day the LORD magnified Joshua in the sight of all
Israel; and they feared him as they feared Moses, all the days of his life. 15And the
LORD spoke to Joshua, saying, 16Command the priests who bear the ark of the
testimony, that they come up out of the Jordan. 17Joshua therefore commanded the
priests, saying, Come up out of the Jordan. 18And when the priests
who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD were come up out of the midst of
the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up to the dry land, then the
waters of the Jordan returned to their place and flowed over all its banks, as they
did before. 19And the people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first
month and camped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho.
20And Joshua pitched those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan in Gilgal.
21And he spoke to the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall
ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What do these stones mean? 22Then you
shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.
23For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you, until you
had passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up
before us until we had gone over: 24So that all the people of the earth might know
the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that you might fear the LORD your God
for ever.
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Chapter 5
1And when all the kings of the Amorites, who were on the westward side
of Jordan and all the kings of the Canaanites, who were by the sea, heard that
the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel,
until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them
any more, because of the children of Israel. 2At that time the LORD said to Joshua,
Make sharp knives and circumcise the children of Israel the second time. 3And
Joshua made sharp knives and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the
foreskins. 4And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised: All the people who
came out of Egypt, who were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness
by the way, after they came out of Egypt. 5Now all the people who came out were
circumcised: but they had not circumcised all the people who were born in the
wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt. 6For the children of Israel
walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people who were men of war, who
came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they did not obey the voice of the
LORD: to whom the LORD swore that he would not show them the land, which the
LORD swore to their fathers that he would give us, a land that flows with milk and
honey. 7And Joshua circumcised their children, whom he raised up in their place:
for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the
way. 8And it was when they had done circumcising all the people, that
they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole. 9And the LORD said to
Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you. Wherefore the
name of the place is called Gilgal to this day.
10And the children of Israel camped in Gilgal and kept the passover on the
fourteenth day of the month at evening in the plains of Jericho. 11And they ate of the
old corn of the land on the morning after the passover, unleavened cakes and
parched corn in the selfsame day. 12And the manna ceased on the morning after they
had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither did the children of Israel have manna any
more; but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
13And it was when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and
looked and, behold, a man stood opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand:
and Joshua went to him and said to him, are you for us, or for our adversaries?
14And he said, No; but I am now come. as captain of the host of the LORD And
Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, What does my
lord say to his servant? 15And the captain of the LORD'S host said to Joshua,
Loose your shoe from off your foot; for the place on which you stand is holy. And
Joshua did so.
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Chapter 6
1Now Jericho was completely shut up because of the children of Israel: no one
went out and no one came in. 2And the LORD said to Joshua, See, I have given
Jericho and its king and the mighty men of valor into your hand. 3And you shall
compass the city, all you men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shall
you do six days. 4And seven priests shall bear the ark before you and seven rams' horn
trumpets: and the seventh day you shall compass the city seven
times and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5And it shall be that
when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of
the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city
will fall down flat and the people shall go up every man straight before him.
6And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, Take up the ark
of the covenant and let seven priests bear seven rams' horn trumpets before the
ark of the LORD. 7And he said to the people, Pass on and compass the city and let
him who is armed pass on before the ark of the LORD. 8And it was, when
Joshua had spoken to the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets
of rams' horns passed on before the LORD and blew with the trumpets: and the
ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them. 9And the armed men went before
the priests who blew the trumpets and those behind came after the ark, the
priests going on and blowing the trumpets. 10And Joshua had commanded the
people, saying, you shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither
shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you to shout; then you
shall shout. 11So the ark of the LORD surrounded the city, going about it once: and
they came into the camp and lodged in the camp. 12And Joshua rose early in the
morning and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. 13And seven priests bearing
seven rams' horn trumpets before the ark of the LORD went on continually and
blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; and those behind
came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on and blowing with the
trumpets. 1>4And the second day they went around the city once and returned into
the camp: so they did six days. 15And it was on the seventh day, that they
rose early about the dawning of the day and went around the city after the same
manner seven times: only on that day they went around the city seven times. 16And
it was at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua
said to the people, Shout; for the LORD has given you the city.
17And the city shall be accursed, It and all who are in it, to the LORD:
only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because
she hid the messengers whom we sent. 18And in every way keep yourselves from
the cursed thing, lest you make yourselves cursed, if you take of the cursed
thing and make the camp of Israel a curse and trouble it. 19But all the silver and
gold and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated to the LORD: they shall come
into the treasury of the LORD. 20So the people shouted when 21And they utterly destroyed all who were in the city with the edge of the sword,
both man and woman, young and old and ox and sheep and ass. 22But Joshua had
said to the two men who had spied out the country, Go into the harlot's house and
bring out the woman from there and all who she has, as you swore to her. 23And
the young men who were spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and
her mother and her brothers and all who she had; and they brought out all her
relatives and left them out side the camp of Israel. 24And they burned the city with
fire and all who were in it: only the silver and the gold and the vessels of brass
and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. 25And Joshua
saved Rahab the harlot and her father's household alive and all who she had and
she dwells in Israel even to this day; because she hid the messengers, who Joshua
sent to spy out Jericho. 26And Joshua swore at that time, saying, Cursed is
the man before the LORD, who rises up and builds this city Jericho: he shall lay its
foundation in his firstborn and in his youngest son shall he set up its gates. 27So the
LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country.
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Chapter 7
1But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan,
the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of
the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of
Israel. 2And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the
east side of Bethel and spoke to them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the
men went up and viewed Ai. 3And they returned to Joshua and said to him, Let not
all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and strike Ai;
do not make all the people to labor there; for they are few 4So there went up about three thousand men
of the people: and they fled before the men of Ai. 5And
the men of Ai struck of them about thirty six men: for they chased them from before
the gate even to Shebarim and struck them in the going down: wherefore the hearts
of the people melted and became as water.
6And Joshua tore his clothes and he and the elders of Israel fell to the earth upon
their faces before the ark of the LORD until the evening and put dust upon their
heads. 7And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, why have you at all brought this
people over the Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us?
would to God we had been content and dwelled on the other side the Jordan! 8O
Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turns their backs before their enemies! 9For the
Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it and shall
surround and cut off our name from the earth: and what will you do to your great
name?
10And the LORD said to Joshua, Get up; why do you lie thus upon your face?
11Israel has sinned and they have also transgressed my covenant which I
commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing and have also
stolen and deceived also and they have put it even among their own stuff.
12Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned
their backs before their enemies, because they were cursed: neither will I be with
you any more, except you destroy the cursed from among you. 13Get up, sanctify the
people and say, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow: for thus says the LORD
God of Israel, A cursed thing is in the midst of you, O Israel: you can not
stand before your enemies, until you take away the cursed thing from among you.
14In the morning therefore you shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall
be, that the tribe which the LORD takes shall come according to its families; and
the family which the LORD takes shall come by households; and the household
which the LORD takes shall come man by man. 15And it shall be 16So Joshua rose up early in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes; and
the tribe of Judah was taken: 17And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the
family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and
Zabdi was taken: 18And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son
of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. 19And
Joshua said to Achan, My son, I ask of you give glory to the LORD God of Israel,
and make confession to him; and tell me now what you have done; do not hide it
from me. 20And Achan answered Joshua and said, Indeed I have sinned against the
LORD God of Israel and thus and thus have I done: 21When I saw among the spoils
a goodly Babylonish garment and two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of
gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them and took them; and, behold, they
are hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent and the silver under it. 22So Joshua sent
messengers and they ran to the tent; and, behold, it was hidden in his tent and the
silver under it. 23And they took them out of the midst of the tent and brought them
to Joshua and to all the children of Israel and laid them out before the LORD.
24And Joshua and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah and the silver,
and the garment and the wedge of gold and his sons and his daughters and his
oxen and his asses and his sheep and his tent and all that he had: and they
brought them to the valley of Achor. 25And Joshua said, Why have you troubled us?
the LORD shall trouble you this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones and
burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones. 26And they raised
over him a great heap of stones to this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness
of his anger. Therefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, to
this day.
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Chapter 8
1And the LORD said to Joshua, Fear not, neither be dismayed: take all the
people of war with you and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given the king of Ai and
his people and his city and his land into your hand: 2And you shall do to Ai and
her king as you did to Jericho and her king: except you shall take for a prey its spoil and the
cattle to yourselves. Lay an ambush for the city behind it.
3So Joshua arose and all the people of war, to go up against Ai: and Joshua
chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valor and sent them away by night. 4And
he commanded them, saying, Behold, you shall lie in wait opposite the city, even
behind the city: Do not go very far from the city, but all be ready: 5And I and all the
people who are with me will approach the city: and it shall be when they
come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them, 6(For they will
come out after us) till we have drawn them from the city; for they will say, They
flee before us, as at the first: therefore we will flee before them. 7Then you shall
rise up from the ambush and seize the city: for the LORD your God will
deliver it into your hand. 8And it shall be, when you have taken the city, that you
shall set the city on fire: you shall do according to the commandment of the LORD.
See, I have commanded you. 9Joshua therefore sent them out: and they went to lie
in ambush and stayed between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai: but Joshua
lodged that night among the people. 10And Joshua rose up early in the morning and
numbered the people and he and the elders of Israel went up before the people to
Ai. 11And all the people, even the people of war who were with him went up and
drew near and came before the city and pitched on the north side of Ai. Now there
was a valley between them and Ai. 12And he took about five thousand men and set
them to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city. 13And
when they had set the people, even all the host that was on the north of the city and
their liers in wait on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the
valley. 14And it was when the king of Ai saw it, that they hurried and rose
up early and he and all his people, the men of the city went out against Israel to
battle at a time appointed, before the plain; but he did not know that there were liers
in ambush against him behind the city. 15And Joshua and all Israel made as if they
were beaten before them and fled by the way of the wilderness. 16And all the
people who were in Ai were called together to pursue after them: and they pursued
after Joshua and were drawn away from the city. 17And there was not a man left in
Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel: and they left the city open and pursued
after Israel. 18And the LORD said to Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in your
hand toward Ai; for I will give it into your hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear
that he had in his hand toward the city. 19And the ambush arose quickly out of their
place and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand: and they entered into
the city and took it and hurried and set the city on fire. 20And when the men of Ai
looked behind them, they saw and, behold the smoke of the city ascended up to
heaven and they had no power to flee this way or that way: and the people who fled
to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers. 21And when Joshua and all Israel
saw that the ambush had taken the city and that the smoke of the city ascended,
then they turned again and killed the men of Ai. 22And the other issued out of the
city against them; so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side and some
on that side: and they struck them, so that they let none of them remain or escape.
23And they took the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua. 24And it was when Israel had
finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the
wilderness in which they chased them and when they were all fallen on the edge of
the sword until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned to Ai and struck
it with the edge of the sword. 25And so it was, that all who fell that day, both of
men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai. 26For Joshua did
not draw his hand back, with which he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly
destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. 27Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel
took for a prey to themselves, according to the word of the LORD which he
commanded Joshua. 28And Joshua burnt Ai and made it a heap for ever, even a
desolation to this day. 29And he hanged the king of Ai on a tree until eventide: and
as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcase
down from the tree and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city and raise on it
a great heap of stones, that remains to this day.
30Then Joshua built an altar to the LORD God of Israel in Mount Ebal, 31As
Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in
the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man had
lifted up any iron: and they offered on it burnt offerings to the LORD and
sacrificed peace offerings. 32And he wrote there on the stones a copy of the law of
Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel. 33And all Israel and
their elders and officers and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side
before the priests the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, the
stranger, as well as he who was born among them; half of them opposite Mount
Gerizim and half of them opposite Mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the LORD
had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel. 34And afterward
he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is
written in the book of the law. 35There was not a word of all that Moses
commanded, which Joshua did not read before all the congregation of Israel, with
the women and the little ones and the strangers who walked among them.
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Chapter 9
1And it was, when all the kings heard of it who were on this side the
Jordan, in the hills and in the valleys and in all the coasts of the great sea opposite
Lebanon, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and
the Jebusite; 2That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with
Israel, with one accord.
3And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and
to Ai, 4They worked craftfully and went and made as if they had been
ambassadors and took old sacks upon their asses and wine bottles, old and torn
and bound up; 5And old shoes and clouted upon their feet and old garments upon
them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy. 6And they went to
Joshua to the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, We are come
from a far country: now therefore make a league with us. 7And the men of Israel
said to the Hivites, Perhaps you dwell among us; and how shall we make a league
with you? 8And they said to Joshua, We are your servants. And Joshua said to
them, Who are you? and from where do you come? 9And they said to him, Your
servants are come from a very far country because of the name of the LORD your
God: for we have heard the fame of him and all that he did in Egypt, 10And all that
he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king
of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth. 11Therefore our
elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, Take provisions
with you for the journey and go to meet them and say to them, We are your
servants: therefore now make a league with us. 12This our bread we took hot for our
provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go to you; but now, behold,
it is dry and it is moldy: 13And these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new;
and, behold, they are torn: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by
reason of the very long journey. 14And the men took of their provisions and did not
ask counsel at the mouth of the LORD.
15And Joshua made peace with them and made a league with them, to let them
live: and the princes of the congregation swore to them. 16And it was at the
end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they
were their neighbors and that they dwelled among them. 17And the children of
Israel journeyed and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were
Gibeon and Chephirah and Beeroth and Kirjathjearim. 18And the children of Israel
did not strike them, because the princes of the congregation had sworn to them by
the LORD God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes.
19But all the princes said to all the congregation, We have sworn to them by the
LORD God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them. 20This we will do to
them; we will even let them live, lest anger come on us, because of the oath which we
swore to them. 21And the princes said to them, Let them live; but let them be hewers
of wood and drawers of water to all the congregation; as the princes had promised
them.
22And Joshua called for them and he spoke to them, saying, Why have you
beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you; when you dwell among us? 23Now
therefore you are cursed and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen,
and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God. 24And they
answered Joshua and said, Because it was certainly told your servants, how that the
LORD your God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to
destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you, therefore we were sore
afraid for our lives because of you and have done this thing. 25And now, behold,
we are in your hand: do to us as it seems good and right to you to do. 26And so he
did to them and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, so that they
did not kill them. 27And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of
water for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, even to this day, in the
place which he should choose.
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Chapter 10
1Now it was, when Adonizedek king of Jerusalem had heard how
Joshua had taken Ai and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her
king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had
made peace with Israel and were among them; 2That they feared greatly, because
Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities and because it was greater than
Ai and all the men of it were mighty. 3Therefore Adonizedek king of Jerusalem
sent to Hoham king of Hebron and to Piram king of Jarmuth and to Japhia king of
Lachish and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, 4Come up to me and help me, that we
may strike Gibeon: for it has made peace with Joshua and with the children of
Israel. 5Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of
Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, gathered
themselves together and went up, they and all their hosts and camped before
Gibeon and made war against it. 6And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua to the
camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not your hand from your servants; come up to us
quickly and save us and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the
mountains are gathered together against us.
7So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him and all
the mighty men of valor. 8And the LORD said to Joshua, Do not fear them: for I
have delivered them into your hand; there shall not a man of them stand before you.
9Joshua therefore came to them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all night. 10And
the LORD confused them before Israel and killed them with a great slaughter at
Gibeon and chased them along the way that goes up to Bethhoron and struck them
to Azekah and to Makkedah. 11And it was as they fled from before Israel,
and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD cast down great stones
from heaven upon them to Azekah and they died: they were more who died with
hailstones than they whom the children of Israel killed with the sword. 12Then
Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites
before the children of Israel and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, you stand still
on Gibeon; and you, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. 13And the sun stood still and
the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not
this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven and
hurried not to go down about a whole day. 14And there was no day like that before
it or after it, when the LORD listened to the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for
Israel.
15And Joshua returned and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal. 16But these
five kings fled and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah. 17And it was told
Joshua, saying, The five kings are found hidden in a cave at Makkedah. 18And
Joshua said, Roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave and set men by it to keep
them: 19And do not stay, but pursue after your enemies and strike the rearmost
of them; do not suffer them to enter into their cities: for the LORD your God has
delivered them into your hand. 20And it was, when Joshua and the children
of Israel had finished killing them with a very great slaughter, till they were
consumed, that the rest who remained of them entered into fenced cities. 21And all
the people returned in peace to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah: none moved his
tongue against any of the children of Israel. 22Then Joshua said, Open the mouth of
the cave and bring those five kings out of the cave to me. 23And they did so,
and brought forth to him those five kings out of the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the
king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.
24And when they brought out those kings to Joshua, that Joshua
called for all the men of Israel and said to the captains of the men of war who went
with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came
near and put their feet upon their necks. 25And Joshua said to them, Fear not, nor
be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all your
enemies against whom you fight. 26And afterward Joshua struck them and killed
them and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the
evening. 27And at the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded and they took
them down from the trees and cast them into the cave in
which they had been hidden and laid great stones in the cave's mouth, which
remain until this very day.
28And that day Joshua took Makkedah and struck it with the edge of the sword,
and its king. He utterly destroyed them and all the souls who were in it; he let none
remain: and he did to the king of Makkedah as he did to the king of Jericho. 29Then
Joshua and all Israel with him passed from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against
Libnah: 30And the LORD delivered it also and its king into the hand of Israel; and
he struck it with the edge of the sword and all the souls who were in it; he let none
remain in it; but did to its king as he did to the king of Jericho. 31And Joshua and all
Israel with him passed from Libnah to Lachish and camped against it and fought
against it: 32And the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, who took it on
the second day and struck it with the edge of the sword and all the souls who were
in it, according to all that he had done to Libnah. 33Then Horam king of Gezer came
up to help Lachish; and Joshua struck him and his people, until he had left him no
one remaining. 34And from Lachish Joshua and all Israel with him passed to Eglon,;
and they camped against it and fought against it: 35And they took it on that day and
struck it with the edge of the sword and all the souls who were in it he utterly
destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish. 36And Joshua and
all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron; and they fought against it:
37And they took it and struck it with the edge of the sword and its king and all its
cities and all the souls who were in it; he left no one remaining, according to all
that he had done to Eglon; but utterly destroyed it and all the souls who were in it.
38And Joshua and all Israel with him returned to Debir; and fought against it: 39And
he took it and its king and all its cities; and they struck them with the edge of the
sword and utterly destroyed all the souls who were in it; he left no one remaining:
as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and to its king; as he had done also to
Libnah and to her king. 40So Joshua struck all the country of the hills and of the
south and of the vale and of the springs and all their kings: he left none
remaining, but utterly destroyed all who breathed, as the LORD God of Israel
commanded. 41And Joshua struck them from Kadeshbarnea even to Gaza and all
the country of Goshen, even to Gibeon. 42And all these kings and their land Joshua
took at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel. 43And Joshua
and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal.
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Chapter 11
1And when Jabin king of Hazor had heard those things, that he
sent to Jobab king of Madon and to the king of Shimron and to the king of
Achshaph, 2And to the kings who were on the north of the mountains and of the
plains south of Chinneroth and in the valley and in the borders of Dor on the west,
3And to the Canaanite on the east and on the west and to the Amorite and the
Hittite and the Perizzite and the Jebusite in the mountains and to the Hivite under
Hermon in the land of Mizpeh. 4And they went out, they and all their hosts with
them, many people, even as the sand that is on the sea shore in multitude, with
horses and very many chariots. 5And when all these kings were met together, they
came and pitched together to fight against Israel at the waters of Merom. 6And the
LORD said to Joshua, Do not be afraid because of them: for tomorrow about this
time I will deliver them up all slain before Israel: you shall hough their horses and
burn their chariots with fire. 7So Joshua and all the people of war with him came
against them suddenly by the waters of Merom; and they fell upon them. 8And the
LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who struck them and chased them to
great Zidon and to Misrephothmaim and to the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and
they struck them, until they left them no one remaining. 9And Joshua did to them
as the LORD asked him: he houghed their horses and burnt their chariots with fire.
10And Joshua turned back at that time and took Hazor and struck its king with
the sword: for Hazor previously was the head of all those kingdoms. 11And they
struck all the souls who were in it with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying
them: there was not any left to breathe: and he burned Hazor with fire. 12And all the
cities of those kings and Joshua took all their kings and struck them with the edge
of the sword, and he utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the LORD
commanded. 13But as for the cities that still stood in their strength, Israel burned
none of them, except Joshua burned Hazor only. 14And all the spoil of these cities,
and the cattle, the children of Israel took for a prey to themselves; but they struck
every man with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, neither did
they leave any to breathe.
15As the LORD commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua,
and so Joshua did; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses.
16So Joshua took all that land, the hills and all the south country and all the land of
Goshen and the valley and the plain and the mountain of Israel and the valley of
the same; 17Even from the Mount Halak, that goes up to Seir, even to Baalgad in the
valley of Lebanon under Mount Hermon: and he took all their kings and struck
them and killed them. 18Joshua made war a long time with all those kings. 19There
was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, except the Hivites the
inhabitants of Gibeon: all others they took in battle. 20For it was of the LORD to
harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might
destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favor, but he might destroy them,
as the LORD commanded Moses. 21And at that time Joshua came and cut off the
Anakims from the mountains, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab and from all
the mountains of Judah and from all the mountains of Israel: Joshua utterly
destroyed them with their cities. 22There was none of the Anakim left in the land of
the children of Israel: they remained only in Gaza, in Gath and in Ashdod. 23So
Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD said to Moses; and
Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes.
And the land rested from war.
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Chapter 12
1Now these are the kings of the land, who the children of Israel struck and
possessed their land on the other side of the Jordan toward the rising of the sun,
from the river Arnon to Mount Hermon and all the plain on the east: 2Sihon king of
the Amorites, who dwelled in Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is on the
bank of the river Arnon and from the middle of the river and from half Gilead,
even to the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon; 3And from
the plain to the sea of Chinneroth on the east and to the sea of the plain, even the
salt sea on the east, the way to Bethjeshimoth; and from the south, under
Ashdothpisgah: 4And the coast of Og king of Bashan, which was of the remnant
of the giants, who dwelled at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, 5And reigned in Mount
Hermon and in Salcah and in all Bashan, to the border of the Geshurites and the
Maachathites and half Gilead, the border of Sihon king of Heshbon. 6Them Moses
the servant of the LORD and the children of Israel struck: and Moses the servant of
the LORD gave it for a possession to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half
tribe of Manasseh.
7And these are the kings of the country who Joshua and the children of Israel
struck on this side of the Jordan on the west, from Baalgad in the valley of Lebanon
even to the Mount Halak, that goes up to Seir; which Joshua gave to the tribes of
Israel for a possession according to their divisions; 8In the mountains and in the
valleys and in the plains and in the springs and in the wilderness and in the south
country; the Hittites, the Amorites and the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites,
and the Jebusites: 9The king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel,
one; 10The king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one; 11The king of Jarmuth,
one; the king of Lachish, one; 12The king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one;
13The king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one; 14The king of Hormah, one; the
king of Arad, one; 15The king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one; 16The king
of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one; 17The king of Tappuah, one; the king of
Hepher, one; 18The king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one; 19The king of
Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one; 20The king of Shimronmeron, one; the king of
Achshaph, one; 21The king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one; 22The king
of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam of Carmel, one; 23The king of Dor in the coast
of Dor, one; the king of the nations of Gilgal, one; 24The king of Tirzah, one: all the
kings thirty and one.
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Chapter 13
1Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said to him, You are
old and stricken in years and there remains yet very much land to be possessed.
2This is the land that yet remains: all the borders of the Philistines and all Geshuri,
3From Sihor, which is before Egypt, even to the borders of Ekron northward, which
is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites and the
Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites and the Ekronites; also the Avites: 4From
the south, all the land of the Canaanites and Mearah that is beside the Sidonians, to
Aphek, to the borders of the Amorites: 5And the land of the Giblites and all
Lebanon, toward the sunrising, from Baalgad under Mount Hermon to the entering
into Hamath. 6All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to
Misrephothmaim, and all the Sidonians, them will I drive out from before the
children of Israel: only divide it by lot to the Israelites for an inheritance, as I
have commanded you.
7Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half
tribe of Manasseh, 8With whom the Reubenites and the Gadites have received their
inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond the Jordam eastward, even as Moses
the servant of the LORD gave them; 9From Aroer, that is upon the bank of the river
Arnon and the city that is in the midst of the river and all the plain of Medeba to
Dibon; 10And all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon,
to the border of the children of Ammon; 11And Gilead and the border of the
Geshurites and Maachathites and all Mount Hermon and all Bashan to Salcah;
12All the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei, who
remained of the remnant of the giants: for these Moses struck and cast them out.
13But the children of Israel did nor expel the Geshurites, nor the Maachathites: but
the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day. 14Only he
gave no inheritance
to the tribe of Levi; the sacrifices of the LORD God of
Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as he said to them. 15And Moses gave to
the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their families. 16And
their coast was from Aroer, that is on the bank of the river Arnon and the city that
is in the midst of the river and all the plain by Medeba; 17Heshbon and all her
cities that are in the plain; Dibon and Bamothbaal and Bethbaalmeon, 18And
Jahazah and Kedemoth and Mephaath, 19And Kirjathaim and Sibmah and
Zarethshahar in the Mount of the valley, 20And Bethpeor and Ashdothpisgah and
Bethjeshimoth, 21And all the cities of the plain and all the kingdom of Sihon king
of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses struck with the princes of
Midian, Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba, who were dukes of Sihon,
dwelling in the country. 22 Also Balaam the son of Beor the soothsayer, was among those who were
slain by the children of Israel who were killed with the sword. 23And the
border of the children of Reuben was the Jordan and the border of it. This was the
inheritance of the children of Reuben after their families, the cities and the villages
of it. 24And Moses gave inheritance to the tribe of Gad, even to the
children of Gad
according to their families. 25And their coast was Jazer and all the cities of Gilead,
and half the land of the children of Ammon, to Aroer that is before Rabbah; 26And
from Heshbon to Ramathmizpeh and Betonim; and from Mahanaim to the border
of Debir; 27And in the valley, Betharam and Bethnimrah and Succoth and
Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, the Jordan and his
border, even to the edge of the sea of Chinners on the other side the Jordan
eastward. 28This is the inheritance of the children of Gad after their families, the
cities and their villages. 29And Moses gave inheritance to the half tribe of
Manasseh: and this was the possession of the half tribe of the children of Manasseh
by their families. 30And their coast was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the
kingdom of Og king of Bashan and all the towns of Jair, which are in Bashan,
sixty cities: 31And half Gilead and Ashtaroth and Edrei, cities of the kingdom
of Og in Bashan, were pertaining to the children of Machir the son of Manasseh,
even to the one half of the children of Machir by their families. 32These are the
countries which Moses distributed for inheritance in the plains of Moab, on the
other side the Jordan, by Jericho, eastward. 33But Moses did not
give an inheritance to the tribe of Levi: the LORD God of Israel was their
inheritance, as he said to them.
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Chapter 14
1And these are the countries which the children of Israel inherited in the land of
Canaan, which Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the heads of the
fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed for inheritance to them.
2Their inheritance was by
lot, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses, for the
nine tribes and for the half tribe. 3For Moses had given the inheritance of two tribes
and a half tribe on the other side the Jordan: but he gave no
inheritance among the Levites. 4For the children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and
Ephraim: therefore they gave no part in the land to the Levites, save cities to dwell
in, with their suburbs for their cattle and for their substance. 5As the LORD
commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did and they divided the land.
6Then the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of
Jephunneh the Kenezite said to him, You know the thing that the LORD said to
Moses the man of God concerning me and you in Kadeshbarnea. 7I wasForty years old when Moses
the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadeshbarnea to spy out
the land; and I brought him word again as it was in my heart. 8But my brothers who
went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the
LORD my God. 9And Moses swore on that day, saying, Surely the land on which
your feet have trodden shall be your inheritance and your children's for ever,
because you have wholly followed the LORD my God. 10And now, behold, the
LORD has kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the
LORD spoke this word to Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the
wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day eighty five years old.
11As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me:
as my strength was then,
even so is my strength for war now,, both to go out and to come in. 12Now
therefore give me this mountain, which the LORD spoke of in that day; for you
heard in that day how the Anakims were there and that the cities
were great and
fenced: if the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as
the LORD said. 13And Joshua blessed him and gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh
Hebron for an inheritance. 14Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the
son of Jephunneh the Kenezite to this day, because he wholly followed the
LORD God of Israel. 15And the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba; which
Arba was a great man among the Anakims. And the land had rest from war.
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Chapter 15
1This then was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah by their families;
even to the border of Edom the wilderness of Zin southward was the uttermost part of the
south coast. 2And their south border was from the shore of the salt sea, from the bay
that looks southward: 3And it went out to the south side to Maalehacrabbim and
passed along to Zin and ascended up on the south side to Kadeshbarnea and
passed along to Hezron and went up to Adar and went around to Karkaa: 4From
there it passed toward Azmon and went out to the river of Egypt; and the goings
out of that coast were at the sea: this shall be your south coast. 5And the east border
was the salt sea, even to the end of the Jordan. And their border in the
north quarter was from the bay of the sea at the uttermost part of the Jordan: 6And the border
went up to Bethhogla and passed along by the north of Betharabah; and the border
went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben: 7And the border went up toward
Debir from the valley of Achor and so northward, looking toward Gilgal, that is
before the going up to Adummim, which is on the south side of the river: and the
border passed toward the waters of Enshemesh and the goings out of it were at
Enrogel: 8And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom to the south
side of the Jebusite; the same is Jerusalem: and the border went up to the top of the
mountain that lies before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is northward at the
end of the valley of the giants: 9And the border was drawn from the top of the hill to
the fountain of the water of Nephtoah and went out to the cities of Mount Ephron;
and the border was drawn to Baalah, which is Kirjathjearim: 10And the border went
round from Baalah westward to Mount Seir and passed along to the side of Mount
Jearim, which is Chesalon, on the north side and went down to Bethshemesh and
passed on to Timnah: 11And the border went out to the side of Ekron northward:
and the border was drawn to Shicron and passed along to Mount Baalah and went
out to Jabneel; and the goings out of the border were at the sea. 12And the west
border was to the great sea and its coast. This is the coast of the children of
Judah round about according to their families.
13And he gave a part among the children of
Judah to Caleb the son of Jephunneh, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua,
even the city of
Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron. 14And Caleb drove out the three
sons of Anak, Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai, the children of Anak. 15And he
went up there to the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was
Kirjathsepher. 16And Caleb said, He who strikes Kirjathsepher and takes it, I will
give Achsah my daughter to him for a wife. 17And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the
brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter for a wife. 18And it
was, as she came to him, that she moved him to ask a field: of her father
and she lighted off her ass; and Caleb said to her, What do you want? 19Who answered,
Give me a blessing; for you have given me a south land; give me also
springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs and the nether springs.
20This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their
families. 21And the uttermost cities of the tribe of the children of Judah toward the
coast of Edom southward were Kabzeel and Eder and Jagur, 22And Kinah and
Dimonah and Adadah, 23And Kedesh and Hazor and Ithnan, 24Ziph and Telem,
and Bealoth, 25And Hazor, Hadattah and Kerioth, and Hezron, which is Hazor,
26Amam and Shema and Moladah, 27And Hazargaddah and Heshmon and
Bethpalet, 28And Hazarshual and Beersheba and Bizjothjah, 29Baalah and Iim and
Azem, 30And Eltolad and Chesil and Hormah, 31And Ziklag and Madmannah and
Sansannah, 32And Lebaoth and Shilhim and Ain and Rimmon: all the cities are
twenty and nine, with their villages: 33And in the valley, Eshtaol and Zoreah and
Ashnah, 34And Zanoah and Engannim, Tappuah and Enam, 35Jarmuth and
Adullam, Socoh and Azekah, 36And Sharaim and Adithaim and Gederah and
Gederothaim; fourteen cities with their villages: 37Zenan and Hadashah and
Migdalgad, 38And Dilean and Mizpeh and Joktheel, 39Lachish and Bozkath and
Eglon, 40And Cabbon and Lahmam and Kithlish, 41And Gederoth, Bethdagon and
Naamah and Makkedah; sixteen cities with their villages: 42Libnah and Ether and
Ashan, 43And Jiphtah and Ashnah and Nezib, 44And Keilah and Achzib and
Mareshah; nine cities with their villages: 45Ekron, with her towns and her villages:
46From Ekron even to the sea, all that lay near Ashdod, with their villages:
47Ashdod with her towns and her villages, Gaza with her towns and her villages, to
the river of Egypt and the great sea and the its border: 48And in the mountains,
Shamir and Jattir and Socoh, 49And Dannah and Kirjathsannah, which is Debir,
50And Anab and Eshtemoh and Anim, 51And Goshen and Holon and Giloh;
eleven cities with their villages: 52Arab and Dumah and Eshean, 53And Janum and
Bethtappuah and Aphekah, 54And Humtah and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron and
Zior; nine cities with their villages: 55Maon, Carmel and Ziph and Juttah, 56And
Jezreel and Jokdeam and Zanoah, 57Cain, Gibeah and Timnah; ten cities with their
villages: 58Halhul, Bethzur and Gedor, 59And Maarath and Bethanoth and Eltekon;
six cities with their villages: 60Kirjathbaal, which is Kirjathjearim and Rabbah; two
cities with their villages: 61In the wilderness, Betharabah, Middin and Secacah,
62And Nibshan and the city of Salt and Engedi; six cities with their villages. 63As
for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive
them out: but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this
day.
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Chapter 16
1And the lot of the children of Joseph fell from the Jordan by Jericho, to the
water of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goes up from Jericho throughout
Mount Bethel, 2And goes out from Bethel to Luz and passes along to the borders
of Archi to Ataroth, 3And goes down westward to the coast of Japhleti, to the coast
of Bethhoron the nether and to Gezer: and the goings out of it are at the sea. 4So the
children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance.
5And the border of the children of Ephraim according to their families was thus:
even the border of their inheritance on the east side was Atarothaddar, to Bethhoron
the upper; 6And the border went out toward the sea to Michmethah on the north
side; and the border went about eastward to Taanathshiloh and passed by it on the
east to Janohah; 7And it went down from Janohah to Ataroth and to Naarath and
came to Jericho and went out at the Jordan. 8The border went out from Tappuah
westward to the river Kanah; and the goings out of it were at the sea. This is the
inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim by their families. 9And the
separate cities for the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the
children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages. 10And they did not drive out
the Canaanites who dwelled in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell among the
Ephraimites to this day and serve under tribute.
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Chapter 17
1There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh; for he was the firstborn of
Joseph; to wit, for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead: because
he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan. 2There was also a lot for
the rest of the children of Manasseh by their families; for the children of Abiezer,
and for the children of Helek and for the children of Asriel and for the children of
Shechem and for the children of Hepher and for the children of Shemida: these
were the male children of Manasseh the son of Joseph by their families. 3But
Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of
Manasseh, had no sons, but daughters: and these are the names of his daughters,
Mahlah and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. 4And they came near before
Eleazar the priest and before Joshua the son of Nun and before the princes, saying,
The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.
Therefore according to the commandment of the LORD he gave them an
inheritance among the brothers of their father. 5And ten portions fell to Manasseh,
beside the land of Gilead and Bashan, which were on the other side of the Jordan;
6Because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons: and the
rest of Manasseh's sons had the land of Gilead.
7And the coast of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethah, that lies before
Shechem; and the border went along on the right hand to the inhabitants of
Entappuah. 8Now Manasseh had the land of Tappuah: but Tappuah on the border of
Manasseh belonged to the children of Ephraim; 9And the coast descended to the
river Kanah, southward of the river: these cities of Ephraim are among the cities of
Manasseh: the coast of Manasseh also was on the north side of the river and its
borders were at the sea: 10Southward it was Ephraim's and northward it was
Manasseh's and the sea is its border; and they met together in Asher on the north,
and in Issachar on the east. 11And Manasseh had in Issachar and in Asher
Bethshean and her towns and Ibleam and her towns and the inhabitants of Dor and
her towns and the inhabitants of Endor and her towns and the inhabitants of
Taanach and her towns and the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns, even three
countries. 12Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of
those cities; but the Canaanites dwelled in that land. 13Yet it was when the
children of Israel had grown strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute; but did
not utterly drive them out.
14And the children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, Why have you given me
but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the
LORD has blessed me until now? 15And Joshua answered them, If you are a great
people, if Mount Ephraim is too narrow for you thengo up to the wood country,
and cut down for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants.
16And the children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us: and all the
Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who
are of Bethshean and her towns and they who are of the valley of Jezreel.
17And
Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying,
You are a great people and have great power: you shall not have only one lot: 18But
the mountain shall be yours; for it is a wood and you shall cut it down: and its
borders shall be yours: for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have
iron chariots, and though they are strong.
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Chapter 18
1And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at
Shiloh and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was
subdued before them.
2And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, who had not yet
received their inheritance. 3And Joshua said to the children of Israel, How long are
you slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers has given
you? 4Give out from among you three men for each tribe: and I will send them and
they shall rise and go through the land and describe it according to the inheritance
of them; and they shall come again to me. 5And they shall divide it into seven parts:
Judah shall abide in their coast on the south and the house of Joseph shall abide in
their coasts on the north. 6 Therefore you shall devide the land into seven parts and
bring the devision here to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the LORD
our God. 7But the Levites have no part among you; for the priesthood of the LORD
is their inheritance: and Gad and Reuben and half the tribe of Manasseh, have
received their inheritance beyond the Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant
of the LORD gave them. 8And the men arose and went away: and Joshua charged
them who went to describe the land, saying, Go and walk through the land and
devide it and come again to me, that I may cast lots here for you before the
LORD in Shiloh. 9And the men went and passed through the land and devided it
by cities into seven parts in a book and came again to Joshua to the host at Shiloh.
10And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD: and there Joshua
divided the land to the children of Israel according to their divisions.
11And the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their
families: and the coast of their lot came forth between the children of Judah and the
children of Joseph. 12And their border on the north side was from the Jordan; and
the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north side and went up through the
mountains westward; and the goings out of it were at the wilderness of Bethaven.
13And the border went over from there toward Luz, to the side of Luz, which is
Bethel, southward; and the border descended to Atarothadar, near the hill that lies
on the south side of the nether Bethhoron. 14And the border was drawn there and
surrounded the corner of the sea southward, from the hill that lies before Bethhoron
southward; and the goings out of it were at Kirjathbaal, which is Kirjathjearim, a
city of the children of Judah: this was the west quarter. 15And the south quarter was
from the end of Kirjathjearim and the border went out on the west and went out to
the well of waters of Nephtoah: 16And the border came down to the end of the
mountain that lies before the valley of the son of Hinnom, and which is in the valley
of the giants on the north and descended to the valley of Hinnom, to the side of
Jebusi on the south and descended to Enrogel, 17And was drawn from the north,
and went forth to Enshemesh and went forth toward Geliloth, which is opposite the
going up of Adummim and descended to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben,
18And passed along toward the side opposite Arabah northward and went down to
Arabah: 19And the border passed along to the side of Bethhoglah northward: and
the edge of the border were at the north bay of the salt sea at the south end of
the Jordan: this was the south coast. 20And the Jordan was the border of it on the
east side. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, by the coasts of it
round about, according to their families. 21Now the cities of the tribe of the children
of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho and Bethhoglah and the
valley of Keziz, 22And Betharabah and Zemaraim and Bethel, 23And Avim and
Parah and Ophrah, 24And Chepharhaammonai and Ophni and Gaba; twelve cities
with their villages: 25Gibeon and Ramah and Beeroth, 26And Mizpeh and
Chephirah and Mozah, 27And Rekem and Irpeel and Taralah, 28And Zelah, Eleph,
and Jebusi, which is Jerusalem, Gibeath, and Kirjath; fourteen cities with their
villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their
families.
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Chapter 19
1And the second lot came forth to Simeon, even for the tribe of the children of
Simeon according to their families: and their inheritance was within the inheritance
of the children of Judah. 2And they had in their inheritance Beersheba, or Sheba,
and Moladah, 3And Hazarshual and Balah and Azem, 4And Eltolad and Bethul,
and Hormah, 5And Ziklag and Bethmarcaboth and Hazarsusah, 6And Bethlebaoth,
and Sharuhen; thirteen cities and their villages: 7Ain, Remmon and Ether and
Ashan; four cities and their villages: 8And all the villages that were round about
these cities to Baalathbeer, Ramath of the south. This is the inheritance of the tribe
of the children of Simeon according to their families. 9Out of the portion of the
children of Judah was the inheritance of the children of Simeon: for the part of the
children of Judah was too much for them: therefore the children of Simeon had
their inheritance within the inheritance of them.
10And the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun according to their
families: and the border of their inheritance was to Sarid: 11And their border went
up toward the sea and Maralah and reached to Dabbasheth and reached to the
river that is before Jokneam; 12And turned from Sarid eastward toward the sunrising
to the border of Chislothtabor and then goes out to Daberath and goes up to
Japhia, 13And from there passes on along on the east to Gittahhepher, to Ittahkazin,
and goes out to Remmonmethoar to Neah; 14And the border compasses it on the
north side to Hannathon: and the borders of it are in the valley of Jiphthahel:
1And Kattath and Nahallal and Shimron and Idalah and Bethlehem: twelve cities
with t5heir villages. 16This is the inheritance of the children of Zebulun according to
their families, these cities with their villages.
17And the fourth lot came out to Issachar, for the children of Issachar according
to their families. 18And their border was toward Jezreel and Chesulloth and
Shunem, 19And Hapharaim and Shion and Anaharath, 20And Rabbith and
Kishion and Abez, 21And Remeth and Engannim and Enhaddah and Bethpazzez;
22And the coast reaches to Tabor and Shahazimah and Bethshemesh; and the
edge of their borders were at the Jordan: sixteen cities with their villages. 23This
is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Issachar according to their families,
the cities and their villages.
24And the fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher according to
their families. 25And their border was Helkath and Hali and Beten and Achshaph,
26And Alammelech and Amad and Misheal; and reaches to Carmel westward and
to Shihorlibnath; 27And turns toward the sunrising to Bethdagon and reaches to
Zebulun and to the valley of Jiphthahel toward the north side of Bethemek and
Neiel and goes out to Cabul on the left hand, 28And Hebron and Rehob and
Hammon and Kanah, even to great Zidon; 29And then the coast turns to Ramah,
and to the strong city Tyre; and the coast turns to Hosah; its borders are at the sea
from the coast to Achzib: 30Ummah also and Aphek and Rehob: twenty two cities
with their villages. 31This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Asher
according to their families, these cities with their villages.
32The sixth lot came out to the children of Naphtali, even for the children of
Naphtali according to their families. 33And their coast was from Heleph, from Allon
to Zaanannim and Adami, Nekeb and Jabneel, to Lakum; and the borders of it
were at the Jordan: 34And then the coast turns westward to Aznothtabor and goes
out from there to Hukkok and reaches to Zebulun on the south side and reaches to
Asher on the west side and to Judah upon the Jordan toward the sunrising. 35And
the fenced cities are Ziddim, Zer and Hammath, Rakkath and Chinnereth, 36And
Adamah and Ramah and Hazor, 37And Kedesh and Edrei and Enhazor, 38And
Iron and Migdalel, Horem and Bethanath and Bethshemesh; nineteen cities with
their villages. 39This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Naphtali
according to their families, the cities and their villages.
40And the seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to
their families. 41And the coast of their inheritance was Zorah and Eshtaol and
Irshemesh, 42And Shaalabbin and Ajalon and Jethlah, 43And Elon and
Thimnathah and Ekron, 44And Eltekeh and Gibbethon and Baalath, 45And Jehud,
and Beneberak and Gathrimmon, 46And Mejarkon and Rakkon, with the border
before Japho. 47And the coast of the children of Dan went out too little for them:
therefore the children of Dan went up to fight against Leshem and took it and
struck it with the edge of the sword and possessed it and dwelled in it and called
Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father. 48This is the inheritance of the
tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities with their
villages.
49When they had finished dividing the land for inheritance by their coasts, the
children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun among them:
50According to the word of the LORD they gave him the city which he asked, even
Timnathserah in Mount Ephraim: and he built the city and dwelled in it. 51These
are the inheritances, which Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the
heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, divided for an inheritance
by lot in Shiloh before the LORD, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
So they finished dividing the country.
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Chapter 20
1The LORD also spoke to Joshua, saying, 2Speak to the children of Israel,
saying, Appoint out cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you by the hand of
Moses: 3That the killer who kills any person unaware and unwittingly may flee
there: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. 4And when he who
flees to one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city and shall
declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into their
city and give him a place, that he may dwell among them. 5And if the avenger of
blood pursues after him, then they shall not deliver the killer up into his hand;
because he struck his neighbor unwittingly and did not hate him previously. 6And
he shall dwell in that city, until he stands before the congregation for judgment, and
until the death of the high priest who shall be in those days: then shall the killer
return and come to his own city and to his own house, to the city from where he
fled.
7And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in Mount Naphtali and Shechem in
Mount Ephraim and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah. 8And
on the other side the Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the
wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben and Ramoth in Gilead out of
the tribe of Gad and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh. 9These were the
cities appointed for all the children of Israel and for the stranger who sojourns
among them, that whoever kills any person unaware might flee there and not die by
the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.
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Chapter 21
1Then the heads of the fathers of the Levites came near to Eleazar the priest and
to Joshua the son of Nun and to the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children
of Israel; 2And they spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, The
LORD commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with the
suburbs of it for our cattle. 3And the children of Israel gave to the Levites out of
their inheritance, at the commandment of the LORD, these cities and their suburbs.
4And the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites: and the children of Aaron
the priest, who were of the Levites had thirteen cities by lot out of the tribe of
Judah and out of the tribe of Simeon and out of the tribe of Benjamin. 5And the
rest of the children of Kohath had ten cities by lot out of the families of the tribe of
Ephraim and out of the tribe of Dan and out of the half tribe of Manasseh. 6And
the children of Gershon had thirteen cities by lot out of the families of the tribe of
Issachar and out of the tribe of Asher and out of the tribe of Naphtali and out of
the half tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. 7The children of Merari by their families had
twelve cities out of the tribe of Reuben and out of the tribe of Gad and out of the
tribe of Zebulun. 8And the children of Israel gave to the Levites these cities by lot
with their suburbs, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.
9And they gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah and out of the tribe of
the children of Simeon, these cities which are here mentioned by name, 10Which
the children of Aaron, being of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the
children of Levi had: for theirs was the first lot. 11And they gave them the city of
Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with its
suburbs round about it. 12But they gave the fields of the city and its villages to
Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession. 13Thus they gave to the children of
Aaron the priest Hebron with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the killer; and
Libnah with her suburbs, 14And Jattir with her suburbs and Eshtemoa with her
suburbs, 15And Holon with her suburbs and Debir with her suburbs, 16And Ain
with her suburbs and Juttah with her suburbs, and Bethshemesh with her suburbs;
nine cities out of those two tribes. 17And out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with
her suburbs, Geba with her suburbs, 18Anathoth with her suburbs and Almon with
her suburbs; four cities. 19All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were
thirteen cities with their suburbs. 20And the families of the children of Kohath, the
Levites who remained of the children of Kohath, even they had the cities of their lot
out of the tribe of Ephraim. 21For they gave them Shechem with her suburbs in
Mount Ephraim, to be a city of refuge for the killer; and Gezer with her suburbs,
22And Kibzaim with her suburbs and Bethhoron with her suburbs; four cities.
23And out of the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh with her suburbs, Gibbethon with her
suburbs, 24Aijalon with her suburbs, Gathrimmon with her suburbs; four cities.
25And out of the half tribe of Manasseh, Tanach with her suburbs and Gathrimmon
with her suburbs; two cities. 26All the cities were ten with their suburbs for the
families of the children of Kohath who remained. 27And to the children of Gershon,
of the families of the Levites, out of the other half tribe of Manasseh they gave
Golan in Bashan with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the killer; and
Beeshterah with her suburbs; two cities. 28And out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishon
with her suburbs, Dabareh with her suburbs, 29Jarmuth with her suburbs, Engannim
with her suburbs; four cities. 30And out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with her
suburbs, Abdon with her suburbs, 31Helkath with her suburbs and Rehob with her
suburbs; four cities. 32And out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with her
suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the killer; and Hammothdor with her suburbs and
Kartan with her suburbs; three cities. 33All the cities of the Gershonites according to
their families were thirteen cities with their suburbs. 34And to the families of the
children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with
her suburbs and Kartah with her suburbs, 35Dimnah with her suburbs, Nahalal with
her suburbs; four cities. 36And out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with her suburbs,
and Jahazah with her suburbs, 37Kedemoth with her suburbs and Mephaath with
her suburbs; four cities. 38And out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with her
suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the killer; and Mahanaim with her suburbs,
39Heshbon with her suburbs, Jazer with her suburbs; four cities in all. 40So all the
cities for the children of Merari by their families, who were remaining of the
families of the Levites, were by their lot twelve cities. 41All the cities of the Levites
within the possession of the children of Israel were forty eight cities with their
suburbs. 42These cities had every one their suburbs round about them: thus
were all these cities.
43And the LORD gave to Israel all the land which he swore to give to their
fathers; and they possessed it and dwelled in it. 44And the LORD gave them rest
round about, according to all that he swore to their fathers: and there did not stand a
man of all their enemies before them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into
their hand. 45There did not fail any of any good things which the LORD had spoken
to the house of Israel; all came to pass.
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Chapter 22
1Then Joshua called the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half tribe of
Manasseh, 2And said to them, you have kept all that Moses the servant of the
LORD commanded you and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you:
3You have not left your brothers these many days to this day, but have kept the
charge of the commandment of the LORD your God. 4And now the LORD your
God has given rest to your brothers, as he promised them: therefore now return and
go to your tents, and to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the
LORD gave you on the other side the Jordan. 5But take diligent heed to do the
commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to
love the LORD your God and to walk in all his ways and to keep his
commandments and to cleave to him and to serve him with all your heart and with
all your soul. 6So Joshua blessed them and sent them away: and they went to their
tents. 7Now to the one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given possession in
Bashan: but to the other half of it Joshua gave a portion among their brothers on this side
of the
Jordan westward. And when Joshua sent them away also to their tents, then he
blessed them, 8And he spoke to them, saying, Return with much riches to your
tents and with very much cattle, with silver and with gold and with brass and
with iron and with very much raiment: divide the spoil of your enemies with your
brothers. 9And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of
Manasseh returned and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is
in the land of Canaan, to go to the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession,
which they possessed, according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.
10And when they came to the borders of the Jordan, that are in the land of
Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of
Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan, a great altar to see. 11And the children
of Israel heard it said, Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and
the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar opposite the and of Canaan, in the
borders of the Jordan, at the passage of the children of Israel. 12And when the
children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel
gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up to war against them. 13And the
children of Israel sent Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest into the land of Gilead
to the children of Reuben and to the children of Gad and to the half tribe of
Manasseh, 14And ten princes with him, of each chief house a prince throughout all
the tribes of Israel; and each one was a head of the house of their fathers among the
thousands of Israel. 15And they came to the children of Reuben and to the children
of Gad and to the half tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead and they spoke with
them, saying, 16Thus says the whole congregation of the LORD, What trespass is
this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from
following the LORD, in that you have built an altar, that you might rebel this day
against the LORD? 17 Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not
cleansed until this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the
LORD, 18That you must turn away this day from following the LORD? and it
will be, seeing you rebel today against the LORD, that tomorrow he will be angry
with the whole congregation of Israel. 19But, if the land of your
possession is unclean, then pass over to the land of the possession of the LORD, in
which the LORD'S tabernacle dwells and take possession among us: but do not rebel against
the LORD, nor rebel against us, in building an altar beside the altar of the
LORD our God. 20Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the
accursed thing and anger fell on all the congregation of Israel? and that man did not perish
alone in his iniquity.
21Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of
Manasseh answered and said to the heads of the thousands of Israel, 22The LORD
God of gods, the LORD God of gods, he knows and Israel he shall know. If it is in
rebellion, or if in transgression against the LORD, do not save us this day, 23If we
have built an altar to turn from following the LORD, or if to offer burnt
offerings or meat offerings on it, or if to offer peace offerings on it, let the LORD himself
require it; 24And if we have not rather done it for fear
of this thing, saying, In time
to come your children might speak to our children, saying, What have you to do
with the LORD God of Israel? 25For the LORD has made the Jordan a border
between us and you, you children of Reuben and children of Gad; you have no part
in the LORD: so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the
LORD. 26Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build an altar, not for burnt
offering, nor for sacrifice: 27But that it may be a witness between us,
and you and
our generations after us, that we might do the service of the LORD before him with
our burnt offerings and with our sacrifices and with our peace offerings; that your
children may not say to our children in time to come, you have no part in the
LORD. 28Therefore we said, that it shall be, when they should say to us or to our
generations in time to come, that we may say again, Behold the pattern of the altar
of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices;
but it is a witness between us and you. 29God forbid that we should rebel against the
LORD and turn this day from following the LORD, to build an altar for burnt
offerings, for meat offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of the LORD our
God that is before his tabernacle.
30And when Phinehas the priest and the princes of the congregation and heads
of the thousands of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the children of
Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spoke, it pleased
them. 31And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the children of Reuben,
and to the children of Gad and to the children of Manasseh, This day we perceive
that the LORD is among us, because you have not committed this trespass against
the LORD: now you have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the
LORD. 32And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest and the princes, returned
from the children of Reuben and from the children of Gad, out of the land of
Gilead, to the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel and brought them word
again. 33And the thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children of Israel
blessed God and did not intend to go up against them in battle, to destroy the land
in which the children of Reuben and Gad dwelled. 34And the children of Reuben
and the children of Gad called the altar Ed: for it shall be a witness between us that
the LORD is God.
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Chapter 23
1And after a long time after that the LORD had given rest to Israel
from all their enemies round about, that Joshua grew old and stricken in age. 2And
Joshua called for all Israel, and for their elders and for their heads and for their
judges and for their officers and said to them, I am old and stricken in age: 3And
you have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations because of
you; for the LORD your God is he who has fought for you. 4Behold, I have divided
to you by lot these nations who remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from the
Jordan, with all the nations whom I have cut off, even westward to the great sea.
5And the LORD your God shall expel them from before you and drive them out of
your sight; and you shall possess their land, as the LORD your God has promised to
you. 6Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book
of the law of Moses, that you turn not aside from it to the right hand or to the left;
7So that you do not come among these nations, these that remain among you;
neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither
serve them, nor bow yourselves to them: 8But cleave to the LORD your God, as you
have done to this day. 9For the LORD has driven out great and strong nations from
before you: but as for you, no man has been able to stand before you to this day.
10One man of you shall chase a thousand: for it is the LORD your God, who fights
for you, as he has promised you.
11Take good heed therefore to yourselves, that you love the LORD your God.
12Or else if you in any way go back and cleave to the remnant of these nations,
even these who remain among you and shall make marriages with them and go in
to them and they to you: 13Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no
more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and
traps to you and scourges in your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish
from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you. 14And, behold,
this day I am going the way of all the earth: and you know in all your hearts and in
all your souls, that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD
your God spoke concerning you; all have come to you, and not one thing has
failed of it. 15Therefore it shall be that as all good things are come to
you which the LORD your God promised you; so shall the LORD bring to you
all evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land which the LORD
your God has given you. 16When you have transgressed the covenant of the LORD
your God, which he commanded you and have gone and served other gods and
bowed yourselves to them; then shall the anger of the LORD be kindled against
you and you shall perish quickly from off the good land which he has given to you.
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Chapter 24
1And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and called for the
elders of Israel and for their heads and for their judges and for their officers; and
they presented themselves before God. 2And Joshua said to all the people, Thus says
the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelled on the other side of the flood in old
time, even Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nachor: and they served
other gods. 3And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood and
led him throughout all the land of Canaan and multiplied his seed and gave him
Isaac. 4And I gave to Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave to Esau Mount Seir, to
possess it; but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt. 5I sent Moses also and
Aaron and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did among them: and
afterward I brought you out. 6And I brought your fathers out of Egypt: and you
came to the sea; and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and
horsemen to the Red Sea. 7And when they cried to the LORD, he put darkness
between you and the Egyptians and brought the sea upon them and covered them;
and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt: and you dwelled in the
wilderness a long season. 8And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, who
dwelled on the other side the Jordan; and they fought with you: and I gave them into
your hand, that you might possess their land; and I destroyed them from before you.
9Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel and
sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you: 10But I would not listen to
Balaam; therefore he still blessed you: so I delivered you out of his hand. 11And you
went over the Jordan and came to Jericho: and the men of Jericho fought against
you, the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites and the Hittites and the
Girgashites, the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I delivered them into your hand.
12And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out from before you, even the
two kings of the Amorites; but not with your sword, nor with your bow. 13And I
have given you a land for which you did not labor and cities which you did not
build and you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive yards which you
did not plant. 14Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in
truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the
flood and in Egypt; and serve the LORD.
15And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom you
will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served who were on the other side
of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me
and my house, we will serve the LORD. 16And the people answered and said, God
forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods; 17For the LORD our
God, is he who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the
house of bondage and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in
all the way in which we went and among all the people through whom we passed:
18And the LORD drove out from before us all the people, even the Amorites who
dwelled in the land: therefore we will also serve the LORD; for he is our God.
19And 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 nor your sins. 20If you
forsake the LORD and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt and
consume you, after that he has done you good. 21And the people said to Joshua, No;
but we will serve the LORD. 22And 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. 23Now therefore, he said, put away the strange gods
which are
among you and incline your heart to the LORD God of Israel. 24And the people
said to Joshua, We will serve the LORD our God and his voice we will obey. 25So
Joshua made a covenant with the people that day and set a statute and an
ordinance for them in Shechem. 26And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of
God and took a great stone and set it up there under an oak, that was by the
sanctuary of the LORD. 27And Joshua said to all the people, Behold, this stone shall
be a witness to us; for it has heard all the words of the LORD which he spoke to us:
therefore it shall be a witness to you, lest you deny your God. 28So Joshua let the
people depart, every man to his inheritance.
29And after these things, Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of
the LORD, died, being one hundred ten years old. 30And they buried him in the
border of his inheritance in Timnathserah, which is in Mount Ephraim, on the north
side of the hill of Gaash. 31And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua and
all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and who had known all the works of
the LORD that he had done for Israel. 32And they buried the bones of Joseph,
which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, in Shechem, in a parcel of
ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a
hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.
33And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him in a hill that pertained to
Phinehas his son, which was given him in Mount Ephraim.