1 After the death of Yahweh’s servant Mosheh (Moses), Yahweh spoke to Mosheh’s servant Yehoshua (Joshua) (the son of Nun), saying, 2 “Now that my servant Mosheh is dead, you and all these people should pack up and cross over this River Yarden (Jordan) to go to the land that I am about to give to them—to Yisrael’s (Israel) descendants. 3 I’ll give you all every place that the soles of your feet tread on, just like I told Mosheh.[ref] 4 Your territory will extend from the wilderness in the south to the Levanon mountains in the north, and from the large Perat (Euphrates) River in the east, and right to the Mediterranean sea in the west, including all of the Hittim’ land. 5 No man will be able to challenge your leadership as long as you live—I’ll be with you just as I was with Mosheh—I won’t fail you or abandon you.[ref] 6 Be strong and be courageous, for you yourself will lead these people to inherit the land that I promised their ancestors that I’d give to them.[ref] 7 Just be strong and very courageous—making sure that you obey everything that my servant Mosheh instructed you. Don’t turn away to the right or to the left from it, so that you’ll be wise in every situation that you end up in. 8 That book of the law must always be on your lips and you should meditate on it day and night, so that you’ll be careful to follow everything that’s written in it, because then you’ll make your ways prosperous and then you’ll be wise. 9 Didn’t I order you to be strong and courageous? Don’t tremble or be discouraged because your god Yahweh will be with you wherever you go.”

10 Then Yehoshua (Joshua) instructed the leaders of the people, 11 “Go right through the camp and tell the people: Get everything ready that you’ll all need because in three days we’ll be ready to cross over this river and enter the land that your god Yahweh is about to give to you, and to take control of it.”

12 To the descendants of Re’uven and Gad, and to the half-tribe of Menasheh (Manasseh),[ref] Yehoshua said, 13 “Remember what Yahweh’s servant Mosheh (Moses) informed you: Your god Yahweh is about give this land to you and to enable you all to settle down. 14 Your women and children and your livestock will stay here in the land that Mosheh allocated to you on this eastern side of the Yarden (Jordan) River. But your soldiers must dress for battle and cross over ahead of your brothers and help them 15 until Yahweh enables your brothers to take over the land that your god Yahweh is about to give them so they can settle like you all have. Then you’ll all be able to return to this land which Yahweh’s servant Mosheh gave you on this eastern side of the Yarden and take full control of it.”

16 “We’ll do everything you’ve told us to,” the people answered, “and we’ll go wherever you send us. 17 We’ll listen to you just like we listened to everything Mosheh said. May your god Yahweh be with you, just like he was with Mosheh. 18 We’ll put anyone to death who rebels against your words or refuses to follow your instructions. Just stay strong and courageous.”

2 Then from there at Acacia Grove, Yehoshua (Joshua) (Nun’s son) secretly sent off two spies, saying, “Go and learn about the land over there, especially around Yeriho (Jericho) City.” So they went off, and over there, they entered the house of a woman—a prostitute named Rahav—and they lay down there.[ref] 2 However, someone told Yeriho’s king, “Listen, some Israeli men arrived here tonight to check out our land.” 3 So the king sent guards to tell Rahav, “Bring out the men who went to your place and stayed the night, because they’ve come here to check out our land!”

4 However, Rahav had hidden the two men so she answered, “Indeed, the men arrived here, but I didn’t know where they were from. 5 But as the city gate was about to shut last night, the men went out. I don’t know to where they went—if you all hurry, you might be able to catch them.” 6 (But actually she had taken them up onto her flat roof and hidden them in bundles of flax that were drying there.) 7 So the guards hurried out on the road to the fords on the Yarden (Jordan) River and the city gate was kept shut after they had left.

8 Before the Israeli men lay down to sleep that night, Rahav went up them on the roof 9 and told them, “We know that Yahweh has given this land to you all and we’re all terrified of you. Everyone that lives here is trembling at the thought of your coming 10 because we’ve heard that Yahweh dried up the water of the Red Sea ahead of you all when you left Mitsrayim (Egypt).[ref] And we heard what you all did to two of the Amori kings Sihon and Og over the Yarden there—how you all completely destroyed them.[ref] 11 Yes, we’ve heard the reports and we trembled and lost our courage to fight you all because your god Yahweh, he’s God over the heavens above and the earth below. 12 So now, please promise me by Yahweh that because I’ve been kind to both of you, you all will act kindly towards my father’s household. Give me a guarantee that you’ll do what you promise 13 and spare my parents and my siblings and their families from death.”

14 “Our lives for your lives,” the two men agreed. “If you don’t tell anyone about our agreement, then when Yahweh gives us this land, we’ll show kindness and faithfulness to you.”

15 Then she put a rope out through the window to let them down to escape from the city, because her house where she lived was actually built into the side of the wall. 16 “Go to the hill country,” she told them, “so those searching for you won’t find you, and hide up there for three days. Then once the searchers have returned, you’ll be able to safely return to your camp.”

17 “This promise that you made us make,” the men told her, “won’t apply unless you do this: 18 Take this red cord and when we invade the land, tie it in this window in the wall. Make sure that your parents and your siblings and their households are all here in your house. 19 If any of them leaves the house, their life will then be in their own hands and we’ll be innocent if they’re killed. But if anyone with you in this house gets injured, we’ll be responsible for that. 20 Also, if you tell anyone else about this agreement, then we’ll be released from this promise that you made us make.” 21 “Sure, let it be as you say,” Rahav responded. Then she sent them off, and after they’d gone, she tied the red cord in her window.

22 The two men went up into the hills and stayed there for three days until the search party returned to the city after searching all the roads and not finding them. 23 So the two men went down to the river and crossed over and returned to Yehoshua (Joshua) (Nun’s son), and they told him everything that had happened. 24 “Yahweh has certainly given this land to us,” they told Yehoshua. “The people there won’t be able to resist us because they’re so terrified.”

3 Early the next morning, Yehoshua (Joshua) and the people got up early and set off from Acacia Grove and went as far as the Yarden (Jordan) River and camped there without crossing over. 2 After three days, the leaders went throughout the camp 3 and instructed the people, “As soon as you all see the box containing the agreement with your god Yahweh, and see the Levitical priests carrying it, then you yourselves should move out from your places and follow after it. 4 But keep about nine hundred metres back from it. Don’t go any closer than that so that you all can see the way to go, because we haven’t been this way before.”

5 Then Yehoshua told the people, “Make sure you all do the ritual washing to make yourselves pure, because tomorrow Yahweh will do miracles among us.” 6 And he told the priests, “Lift up the box with the agreement, and walk across here in front of the people.” So they lifted up the sacred chest and went and stood in front of all the people.

7 Then Yahweh told Yehoshua, “Today I’ll begin to make you powerful in the eyes of all Yisrael (Israel) so they’ll know that I’m with you just like I was with Mosheh (Moses). 8 Tell the priests who are carrying the sacred chest that as soon as they come to the edge of the river, they should go in just a little and then stop there.”

9 Then Yehoshua told the Israelis, “Gather around here and listen to your god Yahweh’s message.” 10 He told them, “This is how you’ll all know that God, who can do anything, is among you. With your own eyes, you’ll all see how he’ll take away the land from the Kena’anim (Canaanites), the Hittim, the Hivim, the Perizzim, the Girgashim, the Amorim, and the Yevusim. 11 Listen, the sacred chest containing the slabs that belongs to the master who owns the whole world, is about to be taken across the Yarden (Jordan) in front of you. 12 So now, select one man from each of your twelve tribes, 13 and as soon as the priests carrying the sacred chest go into the Yarden, as soon as their feet touch the water, the river water on the upstream side will pile up in a heap.”

14 So once the people had packed up their tents ready to cross the river, the priests carrying the sacred box walked ahead in front of them. 15 Then as soon as those priests steeped into the edge of the fast-flowing river (because it overflowed its banks at harvest time in the spring), 16 then the water coming from upstream suddenly stopped flowing. The water far upstream piled up near a town called Adam (near Tseretan), and the water that normally flowed down towards the Sea of Aravah (also called the Dead Sea or the Salt Sea) stopped flowing, so the people were able to cross what was the Yarden River opposite Yeriho (Jericho). 17 The priests carrying the sacred chest with Yahweh’s agreement in it, stood on firm, dry ground in what had been the middle of the river. All the Israelis crossed over on dry ground until everyone was across.

4 Once all the people had crossed over the Yarden (Jordan) River, Yahweh told Yehoshua (Joshua), 2 “Take those twelve men that the people selected from each tribe, 3 and give them these instructions: Pick up twelve boulders from here in the middle of the Yarden from near where the priests are standing, and bring them over with you, and put them in the place where you all camp tonight.”

4 So Yehoshua called over the twelve men, one from each tribe, 5 and told them, “Cross back to where your god Yahweh’s box is in the middle of the Yarden and each of you should pick up a rock and carry it back on your shoulder—one stone each on your shoulder to match the number of tribes of Yisrael’s (Israel) sons. 6 Those boulders will be a monument for all the people. In the future when your children ask what those boulders mean, 7 then you’ll all be able to tell them that the water in the Yarden River was cut off ahead of the box with Yahweh’s agreement. When it crossed over into the river, the water in the river stopped flowing, and those boulders are a memorial for the Israelis forever.

8 So the Israelis did just what Yehoshua had told them to do, and they picked up twelve boulders from the Yarden, just as Yahweh had instructed Yehoshua, and brought them over to where the people were camping and placed them down there. 9 Then Yehoshua stacked up twelve other boulders in the middle of the Yarden where the feet of the priests carrying the box with the agreement had been, and they remain there until today. 10 The priests carrying the box had stood in the middle of the Yarden until everything that Yahweh had instructed Yehoshua to pass on to the people was done, just as Mosheh (Moses) had also instructed Yehoshua, and the people had rapidly crossed over.

11 As soon as all the people had crossed over, the priests carrying Yahweh’s box also crossed over in front of the people. 12 The soldiers from the tribes of Re’uven, and Gad and the half-tribe of Menasheh (Manasseh) had marched over ahead of the rest of the Israeli, as Mosheh had agreed with them. 13 (There were around forty thousand of them, armed and ready for battle, and they were heading to the plains of Yeriho (Jericho) for the battle there.) 14 On that day, Yahweh helped Yehoshua to look powerful in the eyes of the people, and they respected him just as they had respected Mosheh all the days of his[fn] life.

15 Then Yahweh told Yehoshua, 16 “Now order the priests carrying the box with the agreement to come up out of what was the Yarden River,” 17 so Yehoshua instructed the priests to come on up from the Yarden. 18 As soon as the priests carrying the box with Yahweh’s agreement came up out of what had been the Yarden River and their feet stepped onto what had been dry land, the river water returned to its place and overflowed its banks as it had been doing for the previous few days.

19 The people had come up from the river valley around the end of March and they camped east of Yeriho at Gilgal, 20 which was where they had set up the monument of twelve boulders. 21 Then Yehoshua told the Israelis, “In the future when your descendants ask why these boulders are here, 22 tell them that this is where Yisrael (Israel) crossed the Yarden River on dry land. 23 Your god Yahweh dried up the river water ahead of you until you’d all crossed over, just as he had done when he dried up the Red Sea before we crossed over. 24 Yahweh did that so that all the peoples in the world would know that he is powerful, and so that you’ll always all respect him.

5 When all the Amori kings who were on the west side of the Yarden (towards the ocean) and all the Kena’ani (Canaanite) kings (beside the ocean) heard how Yahweh had dried up the water in the Yarden River until the Israelis had crossed over, they trembled with fear and lost their nerve to stand against Yisrael.

2 At that time, Yahweh told Yehoshua (Joshua), “Make yourself flint knives and again circumcise the male Israelis.” 3 So Yehoshua had flint knives made and the male Israelis were circumcised at a place they named ‘The hill of foreskins’. 4 (This was done because all the men who’d left Mitsrayim (Egypt) and who were old enough to join the army had been circumcised but had died in the wilderness since then,[ref] 5 and because all the boys who’d been born while they were in the wilderness after they’d left Mitsrayim hadn’t been circumcised. 6 The Israelis had spent forty years moving around the wilderness until the last of those men who’d left Mitsrayim but hadn’t listened to Yahweh had died. Yahweh had promised not to let them see the land that he’d promised to their ancestors to give them—a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 It was the sons of those people that Yehoshua had circumcised this time because they hadn’t been circumcised on the way.)

8 After all their males had been circumcised, they remained in that camp until they’d healed up. 9 Then Yahweh told Yehoshua, “Today I’ve rolled away the disgrace of Mitsrayim from you,” and that place is named Gilgal[fn] until this day.

10 In the evening of the fourth day that the people had been camped at Gilgal there on the plains near Yeriho (Jericho), they celebrated the ‘pass-over’.[ref]

11 The next day they ate roasted grain that they’d taken from that area, and ate flat bread that same day. 12 The day after they’d eaten some of the produce from that area, there was no manna on the ground to be collected and so it stopped[ref]—instead they’d eat the produce from the Kena’an (Canaan) region beginning that year.

13 While Yehoshua (Joshua) was in the Yeriho (Jericho) area, he looked up and saw a man in front of him. The man had drawn his sword and was holding it in his hand so Yehoshua approached him and asked, “Are you on our side, or with our enemies?”

14 “No,” the man answered, “but I, the leader of Yahweh’s army, have come now.”

Then Yehoshua fell to his knees and bowed down with his face to the ground, and asked him, “What’s my master going to command to his servant?”

15 “Take off your sandals,” the commander of Yahweh’s army told him, “because the ground that you’re standing is holy.” So Yehoshua took them off.

6 Now Yeriho (Jericho) city was shut-up tightly because of the Israelis, so no one was coming out and no one could go in. 2 Then Yahweh told Yehoshua (Joshua), “Listen, I’ve given you victory over Yeriho and its king, and their mighty army warriors. 3 All your soldiers must go around the city once every day for six days 4 with seven priests blowing ram’s horns going ahead of the sacred box. On the seventh day, you all must go around the city seven times while the priests are blowing the horns. 5 Finally, with a long blast of the horn, when you all hear that then all the people must shout loudly and the wall around the city will fall down flat, and all the soldiers should go straight in from where they’re standing.”

6 So Yehoshua summoned the priests and told them, “Carry the box with the agreement, and have seven priests hold up seven rams’ horns ahead of Yahweh’s box.” 7 Then he told the people, “Go across in front and go around the city, with the soldiers going ahead of Yahweh’s box.”

8 After Yehoshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests with their seven rams’ horns went across in front and blew the horns, and the box with Yahweh’s covenant was carried along behind them. 9 The soldiers walked ahead of the priests blowing the horns, with the rear guard walking behind the box. So they were walking and blowing the horns, 10 and Yehoshua told the people, “Don’t shout or even speak or make a noise until the day I tell you all to shout—then you all should shout loudly.”

11 So Yahweh’s box was carried once around the city, then the people went back to the camp and stayed the night there.

12 Yehoshua got up early the next morning, and the priests picked up Yahweh’s box 13 and the seven priests holding the seven rams’ horns went in front of it—blowing the horns as they kept walking. The soldiers walking in front of them, and the rear guard walked behind Yahweh’s box while the horns were being blown. 14 They went once around the city on that second day and then returned to their camp again—doing that for six days.

15 Then on the seventh day they got up early at dawn and went around the city as before, except this day they went around seven times. 16 After that seventh time around, the priests blew a long blast on the rams’ horns and Yehoshua told the people, “Shout, because Yahweh has given you all the city! 17 However, everything in the city is sacred to Yahweh. Only the prostitute Rahav and those who are in her house will be allowed to live, because she hid the spies that we sent in. 18 But for all of you, everything inside the city is forbidden—if any of you take anything out of the city then our camp would also then be marked for destruction and it would cause a lot of trouble. 19 All the silver and gold, bronze and iron is dedicated to Yahweh and must go into his treasury.

20 So the people shouted when that horn blew—as soon as they heard it the people shouted loudly and the wall fell down on itself[ref] and the people went up and over into the city from wherever they were standing and captured the city. 21 They killed every living thing in the city with their swords, including men and women, young and old, even cattle, sheep, and donkeys.

22 Then Yehoshua commanded the two men who had spied on the area, “Go to the prostitute’s house and bring the woman out of it and all who are related to her, just as you promised her.” 23 So the young men who’d gone in as spies went in and brought out Rahav and her parents and all her relatives and settled them outside of the camp of the Israelis. 24 Then the warriors set fire to the city and burnt everything that was in it. Only the silver and gold, and bronze and iron were first removed and put into the treasury of Yahweh’s house. 25 But Yehoshua spared the prostitute Rahav and her father’s household and her other relatives because she hid the men that Yehoshua had sent in to spy on Yeriho (Jericho),[ref] and she still lives in Yisrael (Israel) to this day.

26 At that time, Yehoshua made the people take an oath, saying,

“May Yahweh curse anyone who rebuilds this city, Yeriho.

When that person lays its foundation, may his oldest son die.

And when he finishes building the city wall and sets up its gates, may his youngest son die.”[ref]

27 So Yahweh was with Yehoshua and everyone in that region had heard about him.

7 However the Israelis disobeyed the command about not taking anything. Akan (son of Karmi, son of Zavdi, son of Zerah, from the tribe of Yehudah (Judah)) took something that was prohibited, so Yahweh was angry with the Israelis.

2 Meanwhile, Yehoshua (Joshua) sent some of his men from Yeriho (Jericho) to Ay (east of Beyt-El (Bethel) and near Beyt-Aven) and told them, “Go to Ay and spy out the land.” So the men went and checkout out Ay. 3 When they returned to Yehoshua, they told him, “Don’t send all the warriors—only around two to three thousand men should go and attack them. Don’t bother everyone else because Ay is small.” 4 So around three thousand warriors went to attack Ay, but they were defeated and had to flee back. 5 The men from Ay chased them from the city gate downhill to Shevarim and fought them on the slopes. About thirty-six of them were killed, and the Israelis became very afraid and lost all their courage.

6 Yehoshua and the Israeli elders tore their clothes in grief and fell to their knees in front of Yahweh’s box until evening, throwing dust onto their heads in despair. 7 Then Yehoshua asked, “Yahweh, my master, why did you bring these people across the Yarden (Jordan) and then let us be defeated and killed by the Amorim? If only we’d been content and stayed on the other side of the river. 8 Please, my master, what can I say now that we have had to flee in shame from our enemies? 9 When the Kena’anim (Canaanites) and the other people living in this land hear about this, they’ll surround us and kill all of us. Then what would you do to defend your honour?

10 But Yahweh told Yehoshua, “Stand up! Why is your face on the ground like that? 11 Yisrael (Israel) has sinned and disobeyed my agreement[fn] that I made with them. They’ve also taken prohibited things—stealing, deceiving, and put it with their own possessions. 12 That’s why they were unable to defeat their enemies—they had to flee from them because they took what was prohibited. I won’t be with you all again unless you all destroy what was taken. 13 So get up and tell the people, ‘Purify yourselves for tomorrow, because our God Yahweh says that we took something prohibited and we won’t be able to better our enemies until it’s removed from among us. 14 Tomorrow morning you all must present yourselves by your tribes. Then the tribe that Yahweh singles out, must present yourselves by your clans, and the clan that Yahweh singles out, must present yourselves by household. Then the household that Yahweh singles out, must present yourselves individually. 15 The man who is caught will be destroyed by fire, along with everything that belongs to him, because he’s violated Yahweh’s agreement and committed a disgraceful sin among Yisrael.”

16 So Yehoshua got up early the next morning and ordered each tribe to come forward singly, and the tribe of Yehudah (Judah) was singled out. 17 Then each of the clans came forward and the Zerahite clan was singled out, and when their families came forwards, Zavdi’s household was singled out. 18 When everyone in that extended family came forward, Akan (son of Karmi, son of Zavdi, son of Zerah, from the tribe of Yehudah) was singled out. 19 Then Yehoshua told Akan, “My son, now honour Yahweh the god of Yisrael and give thanks to him. And tell me now what you’ve done—don’t hide it from me.”

20 “It’s true,” Akan replied, “I’ve sinned against Yahweh the god of Yisrael. This is what I did: 21 I saw a beautiful Babylonian cloak and two hundred silver pieces and a tongue-shaped piece of gold (weighing six-hundred grams) there inside Yeriho (Jericho). I wanted them so I took them, and they’re hidden in the ground under my tent, with the silver underneath.”

22 Yehoshua sent some messengers and they ran to the tent, and sure enough, it was all hidden there in the ground with the silver underneath. 23 They took it out of the tent and brought it back to Yehoshua and all the people, and spread it out in front of Yahweh.

24 Then Yehoshua took Akan and the silver, the cloak, the gold along with his children and his animals, his tent and everything he owned, and took them to the Akor Valley along with all the people, 25 and he said, “Why did you cause trouble for us? Yahweh will trouble you today.” And the people executed him by throwing rocks at him. Then they threw rocks at them all and burnt the bodies 26 and piled rocks over them which are still there to this day and Yahweh’s anger subsided. That’s why that place is called ‘Akor’ (i.e., ‘Trouble’) Valley to this day.

8 Then Yahweh told Yehoshua (Joshua), “Don’t be afraid or discouraged. Take all your warriors with you and go to Ay. Listen, I’ve given you victory over Ay’s king and his people and his city and his land. 2 You’ll do to Ay and its king what you did to Yeriho (Jericho) and its king,[fn] except that you all can plunder its spoil and its livestock for yourselves. Ambush the city from behind.”

3 So Yehoshua led his warriors towards Ay. He chose thirty thousand of the bravest and strongest warriors and sent them ahead in the darkness 4 and told them, “Listen, you all lie in ambush against the city from close behind it, and make sure you all stay alert and ready to attack. 5 I will bring those warriors who are with me and we’ll approach the city, then when they come out to attack us like last time, we’ll run back away from them. 6 They’ll think we’re running away from them like we did before, so they’ll chase after us until we’ve drawn them away from the city. 7 Then you’ll all move in from your ambush position and capture the city, and your god Yahweh will give the city to you all. 8 After you capture the city, set fire to it. Do what I’ve ordered you all which in turn has come from Yahweh. 9 So Yehoshua sent them to set up the ambush between Ay and Beyt-El (Bethel) (so west of Ay). Meanwhile, he stayed overnight at the camp.

10 Yehoshua got up early in the morning and gathered the warriors, then he and the Israeli elders went in front of them to go and attack Ay. 11 They all went close to the city and camped there slightly to the north, with just a valley between them and Ay. 12 (He had sent around five thousand warriors to lie in ambush between Beyt-El and Ay, west of the city, 13 so the main group was to the north and the rear guard to the west.) That night Yehoshua went down into the valley. 14 When the king of Ay saw the Israelis, he hurriedly got his men ready, and went out early to meet Yisrael (Israel) for the battle. The king and his people went to a prepared spot overlooking the Yarden (Jordan) valley, but he didn’t know that another group lay in ambush behind the city. 15 Yehoshua and the Israeli group allowed themselves to be struck by them, then they fled back towards the wilderness 16 and all the men in the city were called out to chase them. So they chased after Yehoshua and were drawn away from the city, 17 and there wasn’t a single man left in Ay or Beyt-El who didn’t join the chase—they left the city wide open and chased after the Israelis.

18 Then Yahweh told Yehoshua, “Hold your spear out pointing towards Ay, because I will allow you to defeat it.” So Yehoshua held the spear that was in his hand out toward the city. 19 When the warriors in the ambush saw that, they rushed out from their place and entered the city and captured it, and quickly set it on fire. 20 When the men from Ay turned and looked behind them, the smoke from their city was going up into the sky, but they had nowhere to escape to. Then Yehoshua’s men who’d been fleeing towards the wilderness turned back around towards their pursuers 21 and saw that the ambush had captured the city and the smoke was rising. So they continued back towards Ay, killing their men. 22 Meanwhile, their warriors came back out of the city, so the men from Ay ended up in the middle of the two groups, and the Israelis fought until they’d killed them all. 23 However they captured the king of Ay alive and brought him to Yehoshua.

24 Then after the Israelis had finished killing the men of Ay who had chased them towards the wilderness, they returned to Ay and slaughtered the people still in there, 25 so a total of twelve thousand men and women from Ay were killed that day. 26 Yehoshua didn’t lower his spear until everyone who lived in Ay had been completely destroyed. 27 The Israelis only took the livestock and the goods from Ay, just as Yahweh had instructed Yehoshua, 28 then Yehoshua burnt the city and made it a permanent pile of rubble where no one lives to this day. 29 He hanged the king of Ay on a tree, but as the sun was going down, he commanded that the corpse be brought down from the tree. They threw it into the city gateway and piled a big heap of rocks on top of it which is still there today.

30 Then Yehoshua (Joshua) built an altar to Yisrael’s (Israel) god, Yahweh on Mt. Eyval[ref] 31 just like Yahweh’s servant Mosheh (Moses) had instructed them. (It was written in the scroll of the rules from Mosheh that it must be an altar made from whole stones that haven’t been chiselled with iron tools.)[ref] Then they offered burnt offerings to Yahweh on it, plus they sacrificed peace offerings, 32 and while the Israelis watched, Yehoshua inscribed onto the stones there,[fn] a copy of the rules passed on by Mosheh. 33 Then all of Yisrael and their elders and officials and judges were standing some on each side of the box containing Yahweh’s agreement, facing the priests and the Levites who carried the box. Any resident foreigners were also there. Half of the people stood on the Mt. Gerizim side, and half on the Mt. Eyval side of the valley, just like the way that Yahweh’s servant Mosheh had originally commanded for blessing the people.[ref]

34 Then Yehoshua read all the law, including the blessings and the curses, as per everything that’s written in the book of the law. 35 He read out every single word that Mosheh had written, in front of the entire assembly of Yisrael, including the women, children, and foreigners living among them.

9 There were several kings who ruled in regions on this west side of the Yarden (Jordan) —the Hittim and Amorim, the Kena’anim (Canaanites) and Perizzim, the Hivim and the Yevusim. Some were in the hill country, some in the lowlands, and some along the Mediterranean coast south of Levanon. When they heard about what had happened at Ay, 2 they formed an alliance to fight together against Yehoshua (Joshua) and Yisrael (Israel).

3 However, when the people who live in Giveon heard what Yehoshua had done to Yeriho (Jericho) and Ay, 4 they decided to use cunning instead. They found old, worn-out sacks to throw over their donkeys and old, worn-out wineskins that had been torn and mended, then sent men to act as ambassadors. 5 They found worn-out sandals that had been patched, and wore worn-out clothes. All the food that they took for the journey was already dry and disintegrating into crumbs. 6 They went to Yehoshua in the camp at Gilgal and told him, “We’ve come from a far-off land and want you to make a treaty with us.”

7 An Israeli man asked the Hivi (because Gilead was in the Hivi region), “Perhaps you really live near by? How could we make a treaty with you?”[ref]

8 They addressed Yehoshua, “We are your servants.”

Yehoshua asked them, “Who are you? And where have you come from?”

9 “Your servants have come from a very distant land,” they replied, “because of the reputation of your god, Yahweh. We’ve heard the reports about him and everything that he did in Mitsrayim (Egypt), 10 and everything that he did to the two Amori kings on the other side of the Yarden (Jordan)—King Sihon of Heshbon, and King Og of the Bashan who lived in Ashtarot.[ref] 11 So our elders and all those who live in our area instructed us, ‘Take provisions for the journey and go to meet them, and tell them, “We are your servants. Now make a treaty with us.” ’ 12 This bread of ours was warm from our ovens when we loaded it for our journey, and now, look, it’s all dry and crumbling. 13 And these wineskins were new when we filled them, and look, now they’re all torn. Same with our clothes and our sandals—they’re all worn-out from the very long journey.”

14 The Israeli leaders tasted some of their provisions, but they didn’t ask Yahweh for advice. 15 So Yehoshua agreed to make peace with them, and they made a treaty not to attack their people, and all the Israeli leaders promised that.

16 However, three days after making the treaty, they discovered that those people actually lived quite close to where they were. 17 Then the Israelis went on forward and they arrived at those cities on the third day—the cities of Giveon, Kefirah, Be’erot, and Kiryat-Yearim. 18 But they didn’t attack those cities because their leaders had made a promise by the god of Yisrael (Israel), Yahweh.

All the Israelis grumbled against their leaders for making that treaty, 19 but their leaders told them, “We ourselves have promised them by our God Yahweh so now we can’t touch them. 20 We’re forced now to let them live, otherwise God’s anger would be against us for breaking our promise to them. 21 So we’ll let them live but make them our slaves.” As a result of that, the Gibeonites became woodcutters and water-carriers for all the Israelis.

22 Then Yehoshua (Joshua) summoned them and asked them, “Why did you all deceive us by telling us that you lived far away when really you were very close? 23 Because of that, you’re all cursed and you’ll always be our slaves—you’ll all be the woodcutters and water-carriers for the house of my god.”

24 “Because it was made very clear to your servants,” they answered, “that your god Yahweh had commanded his servant Mosheh (Moses) to give to you all the land and to destroy everyone who lives in the region. We feared for our lives when you came closer, so that’s what we did. 25 So now we’re in your power—do to us whatever you think is good and right.” 26 So that’s what Yehoshua did and he prevented the Israelis from killing them. 27 Instead he made them move to where he wanted, to become woodcutters and water-carriers for the people and for Yahweh’s altar until this day.

10 Once King Adoni-Tsedek of Yerushalem (Jerusalem) heard that Yehoshua (Joshua) had captured Ay and completely destroyed it, and that he’d treated the king of Ay the same as he had treated the king of Yeriho (Jericho), and he heard that the Gibeonites had made peace with Yisrael (Israel) and were now working for them, 2 the people of Yerushalem were very afraid because Giveon had been a powerful city, stronger than Ay, and all its warriors were powerful. 3 So King Adoni-Tsedek sent to King Hoham of Hevron, King Piram of Yarmut, King Yafia of Lakish, and King Devir of Eglon, saying, 4 “Come here and help me. We’ll attack Giveon because they’ve made peace with Yehoshua and the Israelis.” 5 So those five Amori kings (from Yerushalem, Hevron, Yarmut, Lakish, and Eglon) joined together to go to Giveon and their armies camped there to fight against it.

6 The leaders of Giveon hurriedly sent to Yehoshua in the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Don’t abandon your servants. Come quickly and help us, and save us because all the kings of the Amorim who live in the hill country have combined against us.” 7 So Yehoshua and his warriors and prize fighters headed off from Gilgal, 8 and Yahweh told him, “Don’t be afraid of them, because you’ll have the victory over them—none of them will be able to stand against you.”

9 Yehoshua and his men spent the night moving in, and then surprised the alliance, 10 and Yahweh confused them as the Israelis approached and caused them to be badly defeated at Giveon. Then they chased them on the road going to Beyt-Horon and killed them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. 11 As they fled from the Israelis on the slope down from Beyt-Horon heading towards Azekah, Yahweh hurled large hailstones down on them from the sky and they died—actually more of them died from the hail than were killed with swords by the Israelis.

12 Then Yehoshua spoke to Yahweh on the day that he gave them victory over the Amorim, and in front of the Israelis he said,

“Sun, stay still over Giveon,

≈ and moon, over the Ayyalon Valley.

13 Then the sun stood still and the moon stood still until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies. (Isn’t that written about in the Jashar scroll?[ref] The sun stood still in the middle of the sky and it didn’t hurry to go around for almost a whole day. 14 There had never before been a day like that, and nothing like it since then, when Yahweh listened to a man’s voice, because he was fighting for Yisrael (Israel).)

15 Then Yehoshua and all Yisrael returned to their camp at Gilgal.

16 Meanwhile those five kings had fled away and hidden at Makkedah in a cave, 17 and Yehoshua (Joshua) was told, “The five kings have been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah.” 18 Yehoshua said, “Roll large rocks across the mouth of the cave and assign men to guard them there, 19 but the rest of you, don’t stay there. Chase after your enemies and attack them from behind. Don’t let them get into their cities, because your god Yahweh wants you all to defeat them. 20 So Yehoshua and the Israelis finished most of them off, although some did manage to escape and get back into their fortified cities. 21 Then all the people returned to Yehoshua in the camp at Makkedah. After that, no one dared to criticise the Israelis.

22 Then Yehoshua said, “Open up the cave and bring those five kings to me.” 23 They did it and brought the five kings out from the cave—the kings of Yerushalem (Jerusalem), Hevron, Yarmut, Lakish, and Eglon. 24 When they took them to Yehoshua, he summoned all the warriors and told the commanders, “Come over here. Put your feet on the necks of these kings.” 25 Then he told them, “Don’t be afraid and don’t be dismayed. Be strong and courageous, because this is what Yahweh will do to all your enemies—including the ones that you all still have to fight.” 26 Then Yehoshua executed the five kings and hanged them on five trees, where their bodies were left until evening. 27 As the sun was going down, he commanded that the bodies be brought down and thrown into the cave where they had hidden, and they placed large rocks over the cave entrance again, which are still there to this day.

28 Then Yehoshua (Joshua) captured Makkedah that same day. They killed the king and everyone else in the city, leaving no survivors, and Yehoshua did the same to the king of Makkedah as he’d done to the king of Yeriho (Jericho).[fn]

29 Then Yehoshua and all Yisrael (Israel) went southwest from Makkedah to Livnah and fought against it. 30 Yahweh also allowed Yisrael to conquer it and its king, and Yehoshua again killed everyone in the city, leaving no survivors, and he did the same to the king of Livnah as he’d done to the king of Yeriho.

31 Then Yehoshua and all Yisrael went south from Livnah to Lakish, where they took a position against the city and fought against it. 32 On the second day of the battle, Yahweh helped Yisrael defeat Lakish, and they captured it and killed everyone in the city like they had done to Livnah. 33 King Horam of Gezer arrived to help Lakish, but Yehoshua defeated him and his men, leaving no survivors.

34 Then Yehoshua and the Israelis went west from Lakish to Eglon, where they took a position against the city and fought against it. 35 That day they captured it and killed everyone in the city like they had done to Lakish.

36 Then Yehoshua and the Israelis went west from Eglon up into the hills to Hevron, and fought against it. 37 They captured it and killed the king and everyone in all their towns, leaving no survivors the same as Eglon.

38 Then Yehoshua and the Israelis went to the city of Devir and fought against it. 39 They captured the city and its king and all their towns, killing everyone and leaving no survivors. They treated Devir and its king just like they had to Livnah and Hevron and their kings.

40 So Yehoshua attacked and conquered the entire region—the hill country and the Negev, the lowlands and the slopes, and all their kings. He didn’t leave any survivors but destroyed everything living, just as Yisrael’s (Israel) god Yahweh had commanded. 41 Yehoshua attacked and conquered them from Kadesh-Barnea and as far as Azah (Gaza), all the land of Goshen and as far as Giveon. 42 In one swoop, Yehoshua captured all those kings and their land, because Yisrael’s god Yahweh had fought for Yisrael. 43 Then Yehoshua and his warriors returned to their camp at Gilgal.

11 Now when King Yavin of Hatsor heard about all that, he sent to King Yovav of Madon and the kings of Shimron and Akshaf, 2 as well as the kings from the hill country in the north and in the rift valley plains south of Lake Galil, and in the lowlands and in the heights of Dor in the west, 3 and the kings of the Kena’anim (Canaanites) both east and west, and the Amorim, Hittim, Perizzim, and the Yevusim who lived in the hill country, and to the Hivim by Mt. Hermon in the Mitspah region. 4 So they all came out with their warriors—so many people that they were as many as the grains of sand on the seashore, along with many horses and chariots. 5 All those kings gathered together at the time they’d specified and took up positions at the Merom stream to fight against Yisrael (Israel).

6 But Yahweh told Yehoshua (Joshua), “Don’t be afraid that they look overwhelming, because tomorrow at this time, I’ll ensure that they’re all slain by Yisrael. You’ll hamstring their horses and burn their chariots.” 7 Then Yehoshua and all his warriors went to Merom and attacked them without warning 8 and Yahweh enabled them to defeat them. 9 Then Yehoshua did what Yahweh had instructed him—he crippled their horses and set fire to their chariots.

10 After that, Yehoshua returned to Hatsor city and captured it and killed the king—in the past it had been the head of all those kingdoms. 11 They killed everything in the city—not leaving anything that breathes—and then set fire to it.

12 So Yehoshua had captured all those kings and their cities, and completely destroyed them and their people just as Yahweh’s servant Mosheh (Moses) had commanded. 13 ⇔However, other than Hatsor, they didn’t burn any of the other more defensible cities built up on mounds. 14 The Israelis took any valuables and any livestock from those cities, but they killed everyone and everything else. 15 Yehoshua did everything exactly as Yahweh had instructed his servant Mosheh (and as Mosheh had then instructed him), not forgetting or ignoring anything.

16 Yehoshua (Joshua) conquered the whole region—the hill country and all the Negev, all of the Goshen region, the lowlands and the rift valley plains, the hill country of Yisrael (Israel) and its lowlands 17 from Mt. Halak downhill towards Se’ir, and as far as Ba’al-Gad in the Levanon valley below Mt. Hermon. He attacked and captured all their kings and executed them. 18 Yehoshua had spent quite some time battling with those kings. 19 No city made peace with the Israelis except for the Hivim who lived in Giveon—all the rest were taken in battle 20 because it was Yahweh who’d made them stubborn so they’d fight against Yisrael and be completely destroyed without any mercy. Yes, they were annihilated just as Yahweh had instructed Mosheh (Moses).[ref]

21 At that time, Yehoshua also went and exterminated the Anakim from the hill country, from Hevron, Devir, Anab, and all the hill country of Yehudah (Judah) and Yisrael. He completely destroyed them from their cities. 22 No descendants of Anak were left in Yisrael, except that some remained in Azah (Gaza), in Gat, and in Ashdod.

23 Yehoshua captured the entire region, just as Yahweh had told Mosheh, and Yehoshua gave it as an inheritance to Yisrael, divided into portions according to their tribes, and then the region was peaceful.

12 These are the kings in the region who the Israelis defeated on the eastern side of the Yarden (Jordan) river and took possession of their land from the Arnon riverbed in the south to Mt. Hermon in the north, including all of the eastern rift valley plains:[ref] 2 King Sihon of the Amorim who lived in Heshbon and ruled over Aroer (on the edge of the Arnon riverbed) and over half of Gilead up to the Yabok riverbed which formed the border with the Ammonim, 3 as well as the eastern rift valley plains down to Lake Galil and to the Sea of Aravah (also called the Dead Sea or the Salt Sea), the road to Beyt-Hyeshimot and the area southward below the slopes of Mt. Pisgah.

4 The Israelis also defeated King Og from Bashan, one of the few remaining Refaim, who lived in Ashtarot and at Edre’i, 5 and ruled over Mt. Hermon, Salkah, all of Bashan to the border of the Geshurim and Maakatim, as well as half of Gilead to the border with King Sihon from Heshbon.

6 Yahweh’s servant Mosheh (Moses) and the Israelis had defeated them and Mosheh had given that region as a possession to the descendants of Re’uven and Gad and to the half-tribe of Menasheh (Manasseh).[ref]

7 These are the kings in the region that Yehoshua (Joshua) and the Israelis defeated on the western side of the Yarden (Jordan) river from Ba’al-Gad in the Levanon valley to Mt. Halak which goes up toward Se’ir. Yehoshua divided up that region as a possession to the various tribes of Yisrael (Israel), 8 as well as the hill country, the lowlands, the rift valley, the slopes, the wilderness and the Negev—the land of the Hittim, Amorim, Kena’anim (Canaanites), Perizzim, Hivim, and the Yevusim: 9 the king of Yeriho (Jericho), the king of Ay (near Beyt-El (Bethel)), 10 the king of Yerushalem (Jerusalem), the king of Hevron, 11 the king of Yarmut, the king of Lakish, 12 the king of Eglon, the king of Gezer, 13 the king of Devir, the king of Geder, 14 the king of Hormah, the king of Arad, 15 the king of Livnah, the king of Adullam, 16 the king of Makkedah, the king of Beyt-El, 17 the king of Tapuah, the king of Hefer, 18 the king of Afek, the king of Lasharon, 19 the king of Madon, the king of Hatsor, 20 the king of Shimron Meron, the king of Akshaf, 21 the king of Taanak, the king of Megiddon, 22 the king of Kedesh, the king of Yakeneam in Karmel, 23 the king of Dor of Nafoth Dor, the king of Goyim in Gilgal, 24 and the king of Tirtsah—a total of thirty-one kings.

13 Now the years had passed and Yehoshua (Joshua) had grown old, and Yahweh said to him, “You’re old now and there’s still a lot of land that needs to be captured. 2 This is the remaining land: all the territories of the Pelishtim, and all of the Geshurim, 3 from Shihor (east of Mitsrayim (Egypt)) and as far as the border of Ekron to the north (it’s considered to be Kena’ani (Canaanite)), the five rulers of the Pelishtim (in Azah (Gaza), Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gat, and Ekron), and the Avvim. 4 In the south: all the land of the Kena’anim (Canaanites), and a Mearah that belongs to the Tsidonim, as far as Afek, as far as the border of the Amorim, 5 plus the land of the Givlim, all Levanon towards the east, from Ba’al-Gad below Mt. Hermon as far as Levo-Hamat. 6 I myself will drive out all those who live in the hill country from Levanon as far as Misrefot-Maim, and all the Tsidonim. Make sure that it’s given to the Israelis as an inheritance, just as I instructed you.[ref] 7 All that land should be divided up as an inheritance for the nine tribes plus half of the half-tribe of Menasheh (Manasseh).

8 Along with the other half of the half-tribe of Menasheh (Manasseh), the tribes of Re’uven and Gad had taken their inheritance on the other (eastern) side of the Yarden (Jordan) as approved by Yahweh’s servant Mosheh (Moses),[ref] 9 from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Arnon riverbed, and the city that’s in the middle of the valley, and all the plateau near Meydeva, to Divon. 10 Also, all the cities of King Sihon of the Amorim who ruled in Heshbon, as far as the border with the Ammonim, 11 and Gilead, and the territory of the Geshurim and the Maakatim, and all Mt. Hermon, and all the Bashan as far as Salkah, 12 all the kingdom of Og in the Bashan, who reigned in Ashtarot and in Edre’i (what remained from the remnant of the Refaim). Mosheh had attacked them and captured their lands. 13 But the Israelis didn’t capture the land of the Geshurim or the Maakatim and so those peoples live among the Israelis to this day.

14 The only tribe that didn’t receive an inheritance was the tribe of Levi because the offerings given to Yisrael’s (Israel) god Yahweh are their inheritance, just like he’d told them.[ref]

15 This was the land that Mosheh (Moses) gave to the tribe of Re’uven, according to their clans: 16 The area from Aroer (on the edge of the Arnon riverbed) along to the town in the middle of the valley, to the plateau near Meydeva, 17 Heshbon and all its cities on the plateau, including Divon, Bamot-Ba’al, Beyt-Ba’al-Me’on, 18 Yahats, Kedemot, Mofaat, 19 Kiryatayim, Sibmah, and Zeret-Shahar on the hill within the valley. 20 It also includes Beyt-Pe’or, the slopes of the Pisgah, Beyt-Hyeshimot, 21 and all the cities on the plateau, and all the kingdom of Sihon (the king of the Amorim who had reigned in Heshbon) who Mosheh had defeated, he and the leaders of Midyan: Evi and Rekem and Tsur and Hur and Reba (the princes of Sihon who had lived in the land). 22 The Israelis also killed Bil’am (Balaam) (Be’or’s son who practiced divination) along with others. 23 The border for Re’uven’s descendants was the Yarden (Jordan) River. So that was the inheritance of Re’uven’s descendants—all the cities and their villages allocated to their clans.

24 This was the land that Mosheh (Moses) gave to the tribe of Gad, according to their clans: 25 It included Yazer and all the cities of Gilead and half of the land where the Ammonim had lived as far as Aroer opposite Rabah, 26 then from Heshbon to Ramat-Mitspah and Betonim, and from Mahanayim to the Devir border. 27 Also in the valley, Beyt-Haram, Beyt-Nimrah, Sukkot, Zafon, and the rest of the kingdom of Sihon (the king of Heshbon), with the Yarden (Jordan) and the border, as far as the end of Lake Galil, eastward beyond the Yarden River. 28 So that was the inheritance of Gad’s descendants—all the cities and their villages allocated to their clans.