JOSHUA
§ I will be with you
¤1 °1 After the death of Moses,
Yahweh spoke to Joshua, the son of Nun and the minister of Moses, and said to
him: °2 “My servant
Moses is dead; therefore, the hour has come for you to cross the Jordan
River, and all the people shall go with you to the land which I give to the
sons of Israel. °3 I give you all the
places where you set your feet, as I promised Moses. °4 Your frontiers will extend
from the mountain of Lebanon in the north, to the desert in the south, as far
as the great Euphrates in the east and the Great Sea in the west. °5 As long as you live, no
one will be able to stand against you. I will be with you as I was with
Moses. I will not leave you or abandon you. °6 Be valiant and have courage for I will give this
people the land I swore to their fathers I would give them. °7 Therefore, be brave and
faithfully fulfill the whole Law which Moses, my servant, gave you. Do not
turn aside from it either to the right or to the left, and you shall succeed
wherever you go. °8 Constantly read the book
of this Law and meditate on it day and night that you may truly do what it
says. So shall your plans be fulfilled and you shall succeed in everything. °9 It is I who command you;
be strong, then, and be valiant. Do not tremble or be afraid, because Yahweh,
your God, is with you wherever you go.” °10 Joshua
ordered the secretaries of the people: °11 “Pass through the camp and give
this command: ‘Store up enough food for, in three days’ time, you shall cross
the Jordan and enter the land which Yahweh, your God, will give you’.” °12 To the
people of the tribes of Reuben and Gad and to half of the tribe of Manasseh,
Joshua said, °13 “Remember
the command of Moses, the servant of Yahweh; Yahweh has provided you with a
place of rest and has given you all this region. °14 The women and children, as well
as the livestock, shall remain on this side of the Jordan, in the region
which Moses gave you; but you who are valiant shall cross over, armed, ahead
of your brothers and shall help them °15 until Yahweh gives them rest, as
he has given you, that they may also conquer the land which Yahweh, our God,
gives them. So you shall return to the region which Moses gave us and take
possession of that land at the east of the Jordan.” °16 They
answered Joshua: “We will do all you have commanded us and go wherever you
send us. Just as we have obeyed Moses, so shall we obey you in the same way. °17 May
Yahweh, your God, be with you as he was with Moses. °18 He who
contradicts your words and disobeys your orders shall die. But be valiant and
courageous.” § The history of Rahab¤2
°1 Joshua
sent two spies secretly from Shittim with the following order “Go and look
over the land well, especially the city of Jericho.” The spies went and as
soon as they came to Jericho, they went to the house of the prostitute named
Rahab. °2 But
someone told the king of Jericho: “Some Israelites have entered here tonight
to spy on us.” °3 So
the king of Jericho sent word to Rahab: “Send those men out of your house
because they came to spy on the land.” °4 But the woman had hidden them, so
she said: “It is true; they came to my house but I did not know where they
came from. °5 And
at nightfall, shortly before the city gates were to be closed, they went out.
I do not know where they went, but hurry and you will surely overtake them.” °6 The woman
had hidden them on the roof of the house, under the stalks of flax which she
kept there. °7 The
pursuers went to search for them by the road leading to the valley of the
Jordan, and as they went out, the city gates were closed. °8 Then the
woman went up to where she had hidden the spies of Joshua, °9 and she
said to them: “I know that Yahweh, your God, has given this land to you; we
are frightened and the inhabitants of the land tremble before you. °10 We know how
Yahweh dried up the waters of the Red Sea to let you cross when you came out
of Egypt. We know what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who lived at
the other side of the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you destroyed by
anathema. °11 The news
has frightened us, and everyone has lost courage because of you, for Yahweh,
your God, is God in heaven above as he is on earth below. °12 Now then,
swear to me by Yahweh that just as I have been faithful to you, so shall you
be towards my family, °13 and
respect the life of my father, mother, brothers and sisters, and all that
belong to them.” °14 The men
answered: “Provided that you do not reveal our talk, then we will pay back
life for life when Yahweh hands over to us this land, and we will deal
generously and faithfully with you.” °15 Then she
let them down by a rope through the window, since her house was built into
the city wall. °16 But
she said to them: “Go through the mountains so that you do not meet those who
pursue you. Remain in hiding for three days, until they return, and then you
may go your way.” °17 They
answered: “See how we shall fulfill our oath. °18 When we enter this land, tie this
scarlet cord as a sign on the window through which we have escaped. Bring
into your house your father, mother, brothers and sisters, and all your
relatives. °19 If
any of them leaves the house, he shall be the one responsible for his death,
and the guilt will not be ours. But if anyone who is with you is killed, then
may the punishment for his death come upon us. °20 However, be careful not to reveal
our plan. If you do, then we are freed from the oath we have sworn.” °21 Rahab
said to them: “So be it.” And after she had sent them off, she tied the
scarlet cord to the window. °22 The men
went into the mountains and hid there for three days, until their pursuers
had returned. These men had searched in vain for them everywhere. °23 Then the
two spies came down again from the mountains and, crossing the Jordan River,
came to Joshua, son of Nun, and gave him an account of their mission and
everything that had happened. °24 They
said to Joshua: “Yahweh has given all this land into our hands; their
inhabitants already tremble before us.” § Crossing the Jordan¤3 °1 Early in the morning,
Joshua rose and set out from Shittim with all the people of Israel and came
to the Jordan River. There they encamped while waiting to cross the river. °2 After three days, the
officers went around the camp °3 and ordered the
Israelites: “When you see the Ark of the Covenant of Yahweh go by, carried by
the priests from the tribe of Levi, then you shall set out from your camp and
follow it, °4 that you may
know the way you shall go. Because you have never been that way before. But
you shall follow it at a distance of a thousand meters. Do not go near it.” °5 Joshua said to the
Israelites: “Purify yourselves, for tomorrow Yahweh will be in your midst
doing wonders.” °6 And Joshua
ordered the priests: “Take the Ark of the Covenant and cross the river at the
head of the people.” °7 Then
Yahweh said to Joshua: “Today I will begin to make you great in the eyes of
Israel and they shall know that I am with you as I was with Moses. °8 Give this
order to the priests who carry the Ark of the Covenant: As soon as you come
to the banks of the Jordan, stand still in the river.” °9 And
Joshua said to the Israelites: “Come nearer and listen to the words of
Yahweh, our God. °10 Do
you want a sign that Yahweh, the living God, is in your midst, he who drives
away before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, as well as the
Girgashites, Jebusites and Amorites? °11 See, the Ark of the Covenant of
the Lord of all the earth is going to cross the Jordan before you. °12 Now,
choose twelve men from the twelve tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. °13 When the
priests who carry the Ark of the Lord of all the earth put their feet into
the water of the Jordan, the water coming from upstream shall stop flowing
and stand in one single mass.” °14 When the people set out
from their camp to cross the Jordan, the priests who carried the Ark of the
Covenant went before them. °15 There was much
water in the Jordan, for it was overflowing its banks at this time of the
barley harvest. Nevertheless, when those who carried the Ark went down to the
river and their feet touched the edge of the water, the water from upstream
stopped flowing. °16 The water stood still,
forming something like a dam very far from that place, near Adam, the
neighboring city of Zarethan. The water flowing down to the Dead Sea was
completely cut off, and so the people could cross opposite Jericho. °17 The priests who carried
the Ark of the Covenant remained in the middle of the river which dried up,
until all the Israelites had crossed the Jordan. ¤4
°1 Once
the whole nation had crossed, °2 Yahweh
said to Joshua: “Choose twelve men, one from each tribe, °3 and give
them the following order: Take twelve stones from the riverbed of the Jordan,
from the very place where the priests stood still. Bring them with you and
put them where you will encamp tonight.” °4 Joshua
then called the twelve men he had chosen from the twelve tribes of Israel °5 and
ordered them: “Walk to the Ark, up to the middle of the Jordan and take from
there a stone for each tribe and carry it upon your shoulder. °6 They will
remain with you as a sign of what happened, so that when your children ask
you in the future: What do these stones mean for you? °7 you may
answer: When the Ark of Yahweh crossed the Jordan, the water parted before
it. So these stones shall serve as a memorial to the Israelites forever.” °8 The
Israelites carried out Joshua’s order and picked up twelve stones from the
riverbed of the Jordan, one for each tribe, just as Yahweh had ordered Joshua.
They brought these to the place where they encamped and placed them there. °9 Joshua
piled up twelve stones on the riverbed of the Jordan, at the spot where the
priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant stood. They are still there to
this day. °10 The
priests who carried the Ark stood in the middle of the Jordan until Joshua
finished saying everything that Yahweh had ordered him. °11 Then when
all the people had finished crossing the river, the Ark also crossed, and the
priests walked at the head of the people again. °12 The men
from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh went ahead
armed, as Moses had ordered them to do. °13 They were about forty thousand,
well-armed, and they marched before Yahweh, ready for battle, to the plains
of Jericho. °14 On that
day, Yahweh exalted Joshua before all Israel, and henceforth they respected
him all the days of his life as they had done with Moses. °15 Yahweh
said to Joshua: °16 “Command
the priests who carry the Ark of the Divine Words to come up from the
Jordan.” °17 Joshua,
therefore, ordered them to come up from the river. °18 And when these priests who
carried the Ark of the Covenant of Yahweh came up from the middle of the
Jordan, when their feet touched the banks, the waters of the Jordan returned
as abundantly as on previous days and overflowed its banks. °19 It was on
the tenth day of the first month when the people came up out of the Jordan
and encamped in Gilgal, on the eastern border of Jericho. °20 There in
Gilgal, Joshua set up the twelve stones taken from the riverbed of the
Jordan. °21 Then
Joshua said to the Israelites: “When your children ask you in the future what
these stones mean, °22 then
you shall tell them that the people of Israel crossed the Jordan without
getting their feet wet, °23 for
Yahweh, our God, dried up the waters of the Jordan before us just as he did
to the Red Sea which he also dried up before us to let us cross. °24 He did
this so that the people of this land may know the power of Yahweh, our God,
and that you yourselves may fear him forever.” § The Israelites are circumcised at Gilgal¤5
°1 The
kings of the Amorites on the west of the Jordan and all the kings of the
Canaanites who lived in the neighboring lands of the Mediterranean Sea came to
know how Yahweh dried up the bed of the Jordan for the Israelites to cross.
So they lost their courage and spirit to face the Israelites. °2 At that
time, Yahweh said to Joshua: “Make flint knives and celebrate a new
circumcision for the sons of Israel.” °3 Joshua obeyed the order of Yahweh
and circumcised the Israelites at a place called the Hill of the Foreskins. °4 This is
the reason why Joshua did this second circumcision: all the men of Israel who
left Egypt were circumcised, but they died during their journey in the
desert. °5 But
all those born in the desert were not circumcised. °6 For the Israelites walked in the
desert for forty years until the whole nation died – the whole generation who
did not obey Yahweh. For Yahweh had sworn that they would not enter the land
flowing with milk and honey which he promised to their ancestors. °7 But it
was their children, whom Joshua circumcised. °8 After
circumcising all, they rested in the camp until they were healed. °9 Then
Yahweh said to Joshua: “Today I have removed from you the shame of Egypt.” So
the place is called Gilgal up to this day. °10 The
Israelites encamped in Gilgal where they celebrated the Passover on the
evening of the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho. °11 On the
following day, they ate of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and
roasted grain on that very day. °12
And from that day on when they ate of the produce of
the land, the manna ceased. There was no more
manna for the Israelites, and that year they ate of the fruit of the land of
Canaan. °13 When
Joshua was near Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and saw before him a man with
a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua approached him and said: “Are you for us or
for our enemies?” °14 And
he answered: “No, I have come as the commander of the army of Yahweh.” Joshua
lay prostrate on the ground, worshiped him and said: “What does my Lord ask
of his servant?” °15 The
commander of the army of Yahweh said to him: “Take off your sandals from your
feet; the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so. § The conquest of Jericho
¤6 °1 The inhabitants of Jericho
had closed the city and had fastened their bolts so that the Israelites could
not enter. No one came in and no one went out. °2 But Yahweh said to Joshua: “I will give you the
city, its king and all its men of war. °3 For this, you shall have to go around the city
once every day for six days. °4 Seven priests
shall go before the Ark bearing the seven trumpets used in the time of the
Jubilee. On the seventh day, they shall march around the city seven times, °5 and when they blow the
horn, all the people shall come up to attack, shouting their battle cry. At
that moment, the walls of the city will fall and everyone shall enter
straight ahead of him.” °6 Joshua,
son of Nun, called the priests and said to them: “You shall carry the Ark of
the Covenant; seven priests shall go ahead with the trumpets they use for the
Jubilee.” °7 Then
Joshua said to the people: “You shall march around the city and the vanguard
of the army shall go before the Ark of Yahweh.” °8 When
Joshua finished speaking, the priests began to blow the seven trumpets they
used to blow on the Feast of the Jubilee, and they went before the Ark of
Yahweh. °9 The
vanguard of the people went before the priests, and the rest of the people
came after the Ark. °10 The
trumpets blew continually. Joshua had given this order: “Do not shout or
utter anything, nor let even a single word be heard, until the day comes when
I say: Shout and cry out!” °11 That day
he had the Ark of Yahweh carried around the city once, then all returned to
the camp where they spent the night. °12 On the following day, Joshua rose
early in the morning °13 and
the priests took the Ark and those who blew the seven trumpets again went
before the Ark. The vanguard went before them and the rest followed the Ark
while the trumpets blew. °14 So they did the next day,
and for six days they marched once a day around the city and then returned to
the camp. °15 On the seventh
day, the Israelites rose early at dawn and marched around Jericho in the same
way as on the previous days. But on that day, they did it seven times. °16 At the seventh time, as
the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua ordered the people: “Shout your battle
cry for Yahweh has given you the city! °17 The city
and all that is in it shall be given in anathema to Yahweh. Only Rahab the
prostitute with all who may be with her in her house shall live, since she hid
the spies we sent. °18 But
for your part, be careful not to touch anything, big or small since
everything shall be consecrated in anathema; do not take anything for
yourself lest the curse be upon the camp of Israel and bring trouble upon it.
°19 All
the gold, silver, copper and iron are to be consecrated to Yahweh and shall
go into the treasury of Yahweh.” °20 The people shouted and the
trumpets blew. At this precise moment, the walls of the city fell. Then
everyone went straight into the city to the place before him. °21 They seized Jericho. And
with sword in hand, they killed all the men and women, both young and old, as
well as the oxen, sheep and asses, and they gave these as anathema or,
rather, sacrificed them to God. °22 Two men
had been sent to explore Jericho, (and upon entering the city, were hidden by
a prostitute). Then Joshua said to them: “Go into the house of the prostitute
and bring her out with all her family as you had sworn to her.” °23 These
young men then brought out the woman named Rahab, her father, her mother, her
brothers and sisters with all her relatives to safety outside the camp of
Israel. °24 Afterwards,
they burned the city and all that was in it. They saved only the silver, gold
and the vessels of bronze and iron which they put with the precious things in
the Sanctuary of Yahweh. °25 Joshua
saved the prostitute and all her family, and she lived in Israel, because she
had kept the spies sent by Joshua. °26 Joshua
asked the people to pronounce this curse: “May Yahweh curse the man who
rebuilds Jericho. May its foundation rise on the body of his eldest son, and
the gates on that of his youngest son.” °27 So Yahweh
was with Joshua and made him famous in all the land. § The sacrilege of Achan is punished¤7 °1
The Israelites did not keep the anathema. It
happened that Achan, son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe
of Judah, appropriated for himself some of the things consecrated by
anathema, and because of this, the anger of Yahweh burned against Israel. °2 Joshua
sent men from Jericho to Ai, which was near Bethaven, east of the city of
Bethel. And he said to them: “Go up and explore the land.” °3 The spies
said to Joshua on their return: “It would not be necessary to mobilize the
whole army: some two or three thousand men will be enough to conquer the
land. It would be useless to tire the people for that nation is but few in
number.” °4 So about
three thousand men attacked Ai but were repulsed by the city’s defenders. °5 The
people of Ai killed thirty-six men and pursued them outside the gate as far
as Shebarim, defeating them on the slopes. Upon seeing this, all the people
were disheartened. °6 Then
Joshua and all the leaders of Israel rent their garments, put ashes on their
heads and remained prostrate before the Ark of Yahweh until evening. Joshua
lamented: °7 “Alas,
Yahweh, why have you made this people cross the river Jordan just to give us
into the hands of the Amorites who will destroy us? It would have been
better for us to remain on the other side of the Jordan. °8 Yahweh,
my God, what can I say when I see Israel fleeing from their enemies? °9 The
Canaanites and all the inhabitants of this land will know of this. They will
unite to surround us and drive us out. And you, what are you going to do for
the honor of your Name?” °10 Yahweh
answered: “Stand up! Why are you prostrate on the ground? °11 Israel
sinned and has violated my covenant; Israelites have taken from what was set
apart by anathema and have hidden stolen objects with their belongings. °12 So Israel
cannot face its enemies, but shall flee from them, since it has come to be an
anathema. I will not be with you anymore unless you remove the curse from
your midst. °13 Go
then, and sanctify the people. Say to them: ‘Cleanse yourselves for tomorrow.
Yahweh, the God of Israel, says to you: Oh, Israel, the anathema is in your
midst and you shall not face your enemies until you have removed the anathema
from you. °14 Therefore
in the morning you shall come near, grouped according to tribes. The tribe
that Yahweh designates by lot shall present itself by families. And the
family that Yahweh designates shall present itself by households, and the
household by individuals. °15 He
who turns out to be responsible for this offense shall be burned, together
with all his household goods, for having violated the covenant of Yahweh and
having done a detestable crime in Israel.” °16 Joshua
rose early in the morning and ordered the tribes of Israel to present
themselves. °17 The
lot fell on the tribe of Judah. Lots were drawn among the families, and the
family of Zerah was left. Lots were drawn among the households of this family
and the household of Zabdi was left. °18 And then lots were drawn among
the members of this household which revealed that the guilty one was Achan,
son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zoreh, of the tribe of Judah. °19 Joshua
then said to him: “My son, confess the truth before Yahweh, the God of
Israel, and render him praise. Tell me what you have done without hiding
anything.” °20 Achan
answered: “It is true that I have sinned against Yahweh. This is what I have
done: °21 I
saw among the plunder a beautiful mantle from Shinar, two hundred shekels of
silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels. I was tempted so I took
them. Then I hid them in the ground inside my tent with the silver
underneath.” °22 Joshua
then sent some messengers who ran to the tent of Achan and found the booty
inside the tent with the silver underneath. °23 They took all these and presented
them to Joshua and to the people; everything was put before Yahweh. °24 Then
Joshua took Achan together with the silver, the mantle and the gold, his sons
as well as his daughters, his oxen, asses and sheep, his tent and all that he
had. All Israel accompanied him and they brought them to the Valley of Achor.
°25 There
Joshua said to him: “Since you brought us misfortune, may Yahweh bring this
misfortune upon you today.” Then all the people stoned him. °26 And of
those that were his, some were crushed and others were burned. They piled on
him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the Lord turned
from his anger. Henceforth the place
was called the Valley of Achor. § Joshua conquers Ai¤8 °1
Then Yahweh said to Joshua: “Do not fear or be discouraged.
March with all your warriors against the city of Ai. I will give into your
hands its king and its people, the city and its territory. °2 You shall
deal with Ai as you have dealt with Jericho and its king. But you may take
possession of the plunder and all the animals. So now, prepare an ambush
behind the city.” °3 So Joshua
left with all his warriors and went up to Ai. Then he chose thirty thousand
valiant warriors, and sent them out by night. °4 And he commanded them: “Lie in
ambush behind the city. Do not go very far and be ready. °5 I and all
the people who are with me shall close in on the city. But when they come out
against us, as they did before, we shall flee from them. °6 Then they
shall pursue us and go out far from the city, thinking that we are fleeing
from them as before. °7 But
then you shall rise from where you are hiding and occupy the city. Yahweh,
our God, will give it to us. °8 After
taking the city,you shall burn it according to what Yahweh has commanded.
These are my orders.” °9 So Joshua
sent them out and they went to the place of ambush, between Bethel and Ai, to
the west of the city, while Joshua slept that night in the midst of his
people. °10 Very
early in the morning, Joshua rose and mustered his army, and then marched at
the head of the people, accompanied by the leaders. °11 All the
warriors who were with him went up and marched until they reached the front
of the city. Then they encamped opposite the northern side of the city. The
valley separated them from the city. °12 (Then he
took five thousand men whom he set in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the
west of the city.) °13 The
people then set up their camp to the north of the city and their rearguard to
the west. That night Joshua was in the valley. § Battle of Ai°14 When the
king of Ai saw the situation, he made haste with all his people to attack
Israel on the slope opposite the valley of Jordan, without knowing that the
Israelites had prepared an ambush behind the city. °15 Joshua and the Israelites
pretended that they were being defeated, and so fled to the road leading to
the wilderness. °16 Then
all the people of the city began to shout and left to pursue them. °17 No one
remained to defend the city, and they left the city open. °18 Then
Yahweh said to Joshua: “Stretch out toward Ai the javelin you have in your
hand because I have given you this city.” °19 So Joshua did this, and at this
sign the warriors rose out of their places in the ambush and ran to the city.
They entered and seized the city, and set it on fire. °20 The men
of Ai looked back and saw the smoke of the city rising up to heaven, and at
the same time, the Israelites who were fleeing turned back upon them. °21 They lost
their courage as they were trapped by the Israelites: °22 for on
one side were Joshua and all the people of Israel, and on the other, those
who had just set the city on fire. The Israelites killed
them until none were left to survive or to escape. °23 Only the king of Ai was taken
alive and they brought him to Joshua. °24 The Israelites
killed the inhabitants of Ai who went into the fields or who fled to the
wilderness; they killed them all. Then they returned to the city and killed
all by the sword. °25 The
total of those who fell that day was twelve thousand. °26 Joshua
did not give the order to stop the war until all the inhabitants of Ai had
been killed in accordance with anathema.
°27 But
the Israelites took for themselves the livestock and plunder as Yahweh had
commanded. °28 Joshua
burned the city and left it in ruins. That place has remained as it was to
this day. °29 As
for the king of Ai, Joshua had him hanged on a tree until the sun set. Then
he had his body taken down; they cast it at the entrance of the city and
raised over it a great heap of stones which can be seen to this day. § Joshua renews the Covenant in Shechem°30 Joshua
then built an altar to Yahweh, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal. °31 He
fulfilled what Moses had commanded the children of Israel. And according to
what is written in the book of the Law of Moses, the altar was made of uncut
stones and was built without the use of an iron tool. On this altar, he
offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to Yahweh. °32 There in
the presence of the Israelites he wrote upon the stones a copy of the Law
which Moses had written. °33 All the
people stood on both sides of the Ark, with their leaders, secretaries and
judges. Opposite it were the priests and the Levites who carried the Ark of
Yahweh. Israelites by birth and aliens were together. Half the people were in
front of Mount Gerizim and the other half were near Mount Ebal according to
Moses’ commandment for the blessing of Israel. °34 Joshua
proceeded to read the words of blessing and curse, and all that is written in
the book of the Law. °35 He
did not omit any word from all that was written by Moses. He read it with a
loud voice before the assembly of all Israel, including women, children and
foreigners who lived among them. § The ruse of the Gibeonites
¤9 °1
The kings who lived west of the Jordan, on the
mountain, on the plain and on the seacoast heard of these events. The
Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites °2 made a
pact and came to an agreement to fight as one against Joshua and Israel. °3 The
inhabitants of Gibeon came to know what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, °4 and
decided to deceive the Israelites. They prepared provisions for themselves,
loaded some worn-out, torn and mended sacks and wineskins on their asses, °5 put on worn-out
and patched sandals and clothes. For their journey, they brought some dry
bread, broken into pieces. °6 Then
they went to Joshua, to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him: “We come from a
far land to make a pact with you.” °7 The
Israelites answered: “Do you live near us? If so, then we cannot make a pact
with you.” °8 They
answered Joshua: “We are your servants.” And Joshua asked them: “Who are you?
Where do you come from?” °9 They
answered: “Your servants come from a very far country and through the
greatness of Yahweh, your God, we came to know of his power and all that he
did in Egypt °10 and
with the two kings of the Amorites who reigned in the eastern part of the
Jordan – Sihon, the king of Heshbon, and Og, the king of Bashan, who lived in
Ashtaroth. °11 The
leaders and the rest of the inhabitants of our country told us: ‘Take
provisions for a long journey, go out to meet them and say to them: We are
your servants; may you make a covenant with us.’ °12 Look at our bread which was warm
when we took it from our houses to come and meet you, but see how dry it has
become and how it has broken into pieces. °13 These wineskins that we filled up
with wine were new, now they are ripped and worn-out. The clothes and sandals
that we use have worn out because of the very long journey.” °14 The
Israelites shared their food with them without having asked Yahweh what must
be done. °15 Joshua
made a covenant with them without waiting for any answer from Yahweh. So he
as well as the leaders of the community promised to let them live. °16 Three
days later, the Israelites learned that these people lived near their own
territory. °17 On
hearing this, the Israelites set out and entered their cities: Gibeon,
Chephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath-Jearim. °18 They spared their lives because
of what the leaders of the people had sworn to them by the name of Yahweh. °19 But all
the people criticized their leaders. Then all the leaders said to them: “We
have sworn by the name of Yahweh, therefore, we cannot kill them. °20 But this
we can do: we shall let them live so that the anger of Yahweh may not be upon
us, °21 but
they shall serve by cutting firewood and fetching water for the community of
Israel.” °22 Then
Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and told them about the decision of the leaders:
“Why did you deceive us and say to us that you come from very far when in
fact, you live right in our midst? °23 Henceforth, you are cursed and
shall always cut wood and fetch water for the House of my God.” °24 The
Gibeonites answered: “We came to know that Yahweh had commanded Moses to
destroy all the inhabitants of the land he gave you. We were afraid so we
opted for this measure. °25 And
now, we are in your hands: do with us whatever seems good and just to you.” °26 Joshua fulfilled
his promise and did not let the Israelites kill them. °27 But from
that day on, they cut firewood and fetched water for the whole community and
for the altar of Yahweh in the place he would choose. § “The sun stood still”
¤10 °1 Adonizedek king of Jerusalem came
to know how Joshua had conquered and leveled Ai, doing to it and its king
what he had done to Jericho and its king. He also knew how the Gibeonites had
made peace with the Israelites and were living in their midst. °2 He feared
greatly, for Gibeon was a very important city, a royal city greater than Ai
and its men were very brave. °3 In view of this, Adonizedek
sent for Hoham king of Hebron, for Aram king of Jarmuth, for Japhia king of
Lachish and for Debir king of Eglon saying: °4 “Come and help me conquer Gibeon
for it has made a pact with Joshua and the Israelites.” °5 So the
five kings of the Amorites – the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish
and Eglon – joined forces and set out, each one with troops. They encamped
opposite Gibeon and surrounded it. °6 The
Gibeonites sent word to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal: “Do not leave us alone,
but come and help us, for all the Amorite kings who live on the mountains
have united against us.” °7 So Joshua
left Gilgal that day with all his valiant warriors. °8 Then
Yahweh said to Joshua: “Do not be afraid because I have placed them in your
hands and no one among them will be able to stand up against you.” °9 Joshua
marched from Gilgal, journeying throughout the night and came upon the
Amorites by surprise. °10 Yahweh
defeated them. The Israelites gained a great victory in Gibeon and pursued
the Amorites by the slope of Beth-Horon up to Azekah and Makkedah. °11 As they
were fleeing, Yahweh rained huge hailstones on them and pursued them up to Azekah,
and they were killed. There were more who died because of the hailstones than
by the sword of the Israelites. °12 On that
day when Yahweh gave the Amorites over to them, Joshua addressed Yahweh and
said in the sight of all Israel: “Sun, stand still at
Gibeon, and you, moon, in the valley of Aijalon.” °13 And the
sun stood still and the moon stopped until the people had taken revenge on
their enemies: so it is written in the Book of the Just, “The sun stood still
in mid-heaven and did not hasten to set for almost a whole day. °14 There has
not been a day like this before or after in which Yahweh obeyed the order of
a man. It was Yahweh who fought for Israel.” °15 Then
Joshua and all Israel returned to the camp at Gilgal. °16 But the
five kings fled and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah. °17 And so it
was told to Joshua: “We have found the five kings. They are hiding in a cave
at Makkedah.” °18 So Joshua
ordered: “Roll great stones against the entrance of the cave and set men to
guard it. °19 But
do not stay there. Pursue your enemies and fall upon their rear. Do not let
them return to their cities for Yahweh, our God, has placed them in our
hands.” °20 Joshua
and the Israelites destroyed and finished them off. Only a few survivors were
left who took refuge in the fortified cities °21 while all Israel returned
unscathed to the camp with Joshua. Henceforth, no one dared challenge them. °22 Then
Joshua ordered: “Open the entrance of the cave, take the five kings out and
bring them to me.” °23 They
did this and brought the five kings before Joshua: the kings of Jerusalem,
Hebron, Lachish, Jarmuth and Eglon. °24 Joshua assembled all Israel and
said to the captains of the troops: “Come here and step on the necks of these
kings.” So they came near and
put their feet on the necks of the kings. °25 Then
Joshua said to them: “Do not be afraid or lose courage, be valiant and firm,
for Yahweh will do so to all your enemies against whom you will fight.” °26 Joshua immediately
put them to death by hanging them on five trees until evening. °27 At
nightfall, they took down the bodies of the kings and threw them into the
same cave where they had hidden and closed it with great stones which remain
there to this day. § Joshua conquers the southern part of Canaan°28 On that
same day Joshua seized Makkedah. He slew its king and its inhabitants. And he
consecrated it and all that was in it in anathema to Yahweh, without sparing
anyone. The king suffered the same fate as did the king of Jericho. °29 Then
Joshua and all Israel went to attack Libnah. °30 Yahweh gave the city and its king
to the Israelites, and they put to the sword all its inhabitants without
sparing anyone. The king met the same fate as the king of Jericho. °31 From
Libnah Joshua went to Lachish, laid siege to it and attacked it. °32 Yahweh
also gave them this city and its king and inhabitants suffered the same fate
as Libnah. °33 Then
Horam king of Gezer came to help Lachish but Joshua destroyed him together with
all his people without leaving anyone alive. °34 From
Lachish he then went to Eglon; he besieged it and conquered it on the same
day. °35 The
king and the inhabitants of Eglon were also put to death by the sword. They
consecrated the city in anathema as they had done to Lachish. °36 From
Eglon they went to Hebron. Joshua conquered it together with °37 all the
towns which were subject to it, put to the sword its king and all its
inhabitants, without letting anyone survive. He consecrated it in anathema as
he had dealt with Eglon. °38 Joshua
and all Israel with him turned back to Debir and attacked it. He took it as
well as the towns subject to it. °39
He put to the sword its king and inhabitants,
consecrating them in anathema, without sparing anyone. Debir and its king
received the same punishment as Hebron and Libnah. °40 In this
way, Joshua struck the whole region of the Mountains, the Negeb Desert, the
Plains and the mountain slopes with their kings. He did not let anyone
survive but consecrated all living beings in anathema according to what
Yahweh had commanded. °41 Joshua
destroyed them all from Kadesh-Barnea to Gaza and from Goshen to Gibeon. °42 Joshua
defeated all these kings and seized all these lands in one single campaign
because Yahweh fought for Israel. °43 Then he
and all Israel returned to their camp at Gilgal. § Conquest of the North¤11 °1 When Jabin king of Hazor came to
know all this, he sent ambassadors to Jobab king of Madon, to the king of
Shimron, to the king of Achshaph, °2
to the kings in the northern mountains, on the
steppes to the south of Chineroth in the plains, and in the heights of Dor on
the west, °3 to
the Canaanites in the east and the west, to the Amorites, Hittites,
Perizzites and Jebusites in the mountains, and the Hivites at the foot of
Mount Hermon in the region of Mizpah. °4 And they set out with their
troops, a multitude as numerous as the sand of the sea, accompanied by a
great number of horses and chariots ready for combat. °5 All
these kings joined forces and encamped together at the spring of Merom to
attack Israel. °6 Then
Yahweh said to Joshua: “Do not be afraid, for tomorrow at this hour I will
give them to you that you may sacrifice them to me. Cut the hocks of their
horses and burn their chariots of war.” °7 So Joshua
and all the armed men with him went to Merom and attacked them by surprise. °8 Yahweh
gave them into the hand of Israel; the Israelites destroyed and pursued them
as far as Great Sidon and Misrephoth-Maim and as far as Mizpah to the east,
without leaving anyone alive. °9 Joshua
also carried out what Yahweh had commanded – cutting the hocks of the horses
and burning the chariots. °10 At once
Joshua turned back and conquered Hazor, and killed its king. At that time,
Hazor was the capital of all those kingdoms. °11 He put to the sword all the
inhabitants of that city, consecrating it in anathema. No one was left alive,
and they immediately set the city on fire. °12 Joshua
took all the cities of these kings and all their kings, and consecrated them
in anathema according to what Moses, the servant of Yahweh, had commanded. °13 Israel
set on fire all the cities except those lying on the slopes and on the
heights; of these only Hazor was burned by Joshua. °14 The
Israelites divided among themselves the plunder and the livestock of these
cities, but they put to the sword the whole population without sparing
anyone. °15 So
what Yahweh had commanded Moses, and what Moses had entrusted to Joshua was
completely fulfilled: Joshua did not neglect anything that Yahweh had
commanded Moses. °16 So Joshua
conquered all this land: the mountains, the Negeb, Goshen, the plains, the
steppes, and the mountains of Israel with its plains. °17 From the
region of the mountain range that rises up to Seir, as far as Baalgad in the
valley of Lebanon, to the foot of Mount Hermon, he destroyed all their kings
– vanquishing and killing them. °18 The war
Joshua waged against these kings lasted a long time; °19 there was
no city that made peace with the Israelites except the Hivites of Gibeon; all
were conquered. °20 Yahweh
gave all of them courage to fight against Israel, so that at the end, they
could be consecrated in anathema and destroyed without pity as Yahweh had commanded
Moses. °21 At that
time, Joshua came back and wiped out the Anakim from the mountains, from
Hebron, from Debir, from Anab and from all the mountains of Judah and Israel.
They and their cities were given in anathema. °22 No Anakim
was left in the land of Israel except in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod. °23 Joshua
seized the whole land as Yahweh had directed Moses and gave it as an
inheritance to the Israelites to be distributed among their tribes. With
this, the land rested from war. ¤12 °1 These are the kings of the
country whom the Israelites defeated, taking their land beyond the Jordan
eastward, from the valley of Arnon to Mount Hermon, including all the
lowland. °2 Sihon,
king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is on
the edge of the Arnon (the border was at the middle of the valley), as far as
the Jabbok river, that was the boundary with the Ammonites. °3 To him
belonged half of Gilead and the lowland from the east side of the Lake of
Chinneroth to the Beth-Jeshimot road, on the east side of the sea of the
lowland, that is the Salt Sea, at the foot of the slopes of Pisgah. °4 Og, king
of Bashan, one of the survivors of the Rephaim, who lived at Ashtaroth and
Edrei, °5 ruled
over Mount Hermon, Salecah and all Bashan to the boundary of the Geshurites
and Macathites, and over half of Gilead beyond the land of Sihon, king of
Heshbon. °6 Moses,
the servant of Yahweh, with the Israelites, defeated them and Moses gave
their land to the Reubenites, the Gadites and half the tribe of Mannaseh as
their inheritance. °7 Now these
are the kings of the country whom Joshua and the Israelites defeated on the
west side of the Jordan, from Baalgad, in the valley of Lebanon, to Mount
Halak rising toward Seir. This is the land that Joshua divided among the
tribes of Israel: °8 the
hill country and the lowlands, the Arabah, the hillsides, the wilderness and
the Negeb. This land had belonged to the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites,
Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And these were the defeated kings: °9 king of
Jericho, king of Ai near Bethel. °10 king of
Jerusalem, king of Hebron. °11 king of
Jarmuth, king of Lachish. °12 king of
Eglon, king of Gezer. °13 king of
Debir, king of Geder. °14 king of
Hormah, king of Arad. °15 king of
Libnah, king of Adullam. °16 king of
Makkedah, king of Bethel. °17 king of
Tappuah, king of Hepher. °18 king of
Aphek, king of Sharon. °19 king of
Madon, king of Hazor. °20 king of
Symoon, king of Achshaph. °21 king of
Taanach, king of Megiddo. °22 king of
Kedesh, king of Jokneam in Carmel. °23 king of
Dor on the hillsides of Dor. king of Goiim in
Galilee, °24 and
king of Tirzah. Total number of all
these kings: thirty-one. §|II. DIVISION OF THE LAND AMONG
THE TRIBES
§ Joshua divides the country of Canaan¤13 °1 Now Joshua had grown old and
advanced in years. Yahweh said to him, “You are old now, yet much of the land
is still unconquered, including: °2 All the
territory of the Philistines and the Geshurites. °3 All the land from the river east
of Egypt, to the boundary of Ekron in the north that is considered Canaanite
territory. (The five chief towns of the Philistines: Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon,
Gath and Ekron; the Avvites also in the south.) °4 The whole
country of the Canaanites from Arah, which the Sidonians hold, to Aphekah at
the Amorite border, °5 and
then the country of the Gebalites with all Lebanon eastward from Baagad at
the foot of Mount Hermon to the Pass of Hamath. °6 All the land of the Sidonians who
live in the highlands from Lebanon to Misrephoth-Maim westward. I myself will drive
them all out before the Israelites. In the meantime, share out the land among
the Israelites by drawing lots as I have commanded you. °7 The time
has come to divide this land among the nine tribes and half the tribe of
Mannaseh: from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea westward you shall
give it to them; the Mediterranean will mark their boundary.” °8 As for
the other half tribe of Mannaseh, they and the tribes of Reuben and Gad had
already received the land given them by Moses on the east side of the Jordan
River. Moses the servant of Yahweh had given them °9 the land as far as Aroer, which
lies on the edge of the Arnon valley, with the city in the middle of that
valley and all the high, flat land from Medeba to Dibon. °10 All the
towns of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had reigned in Heshbon, were
included, as far as the boundary of the Ammonites. °11 Gilead and the territory of the
Geshurites and Maacathites with all the highlands of Hermon and with the
whole of Bashan as far as Salecah. °12 In Bashan the whole kingdom of
Og, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei and was the last survivor of the
Rephaim. Moses had conquered these people and driven them out. °13 But the
Israelites did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites, and therefore
Geshur and Maacah still live in the midst of Israel to this day. °14 To the
tribe of Levi alone no land was given; Yahweh the God of Israel was their
inheritance, as he had told them. § Land given to Reuben, Gad and Manasseh°15 Moses had
given the tribe of Reuben a part of the land according to their clans. °16 The land
they received stretched from Aroer, on the edge of the Arnon Valley,
including the town within the valley itself, and all the high, flat land up
to Medeba, °17 and
Heshbon and all the towns on the high, flat land: Dibon, Bamoth-Baal,
Beth-Baal-Meon, °18 Jahaz,
Kedemoth Mephaath, °19 Kiriathaim,
Sibmah and Zereth-Shahar in the highlands of Gor; °20 Beth-Peor, the slopes of Pisgah,
Beth-Jeshimoth, °21 all
these towns and the whole kingdom of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who
reigned in Heshbon; he had been defeated by Moses, and with him the princes
of Midian, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, who had ruled the land for King
Sihon who used to live in this country. °22 As for Balaam son of Beor, the
seer, the Israelites had put him to the sword with others they had killed. °23 Thus the
land of the Reubenites stretched to the Jordan River. This was the
inheritance of the tribe of Reuben according to their clans, with the towns
and their outlying villages. °24 Moses had
given the tribe of Gad, a part of the land according to their clans: °25 Jazer,
all the towns of Gilead, half the country of the Ammonites as far as Aroer
facing Rabbah, °26 and
from Heshbon to Ramathmizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim as far as the
territory of Lodebar, °27 and
lastly, in the Jordan valley: Beth-Haram, Bethnimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon,
the rest of the kingdom of Sihon the king of Heshbon. The Jordan River was
their western border as far north as the Sea of Galilee, on the eastern side
of the Jordan. °28 This
was the inheritance of the tribe of Gad according to their clans, with the
towns and their outlying villages. °29 Moses had
given half the tribe of Manasseh a part of the land according to their clans:
°30 from
Mahanaim right through Bashan, including the whole kingdom of Og the king of
Bashan and all sixty villages of Jair in Bashan. °31 Half of Gilead as well as
Ashtaroth and Edrei, the royal cities of Og in Bashan, were given to half the
families from Machir, son of Manasseh. °32 This was
how Moses divided the land when he was in the plains of Moab, beyond the
Jordan east of Jericho. °33 But
to the tribe of Levi, Moses had given no land; Yahweh the God of Israel is
their inheritance, as he has told them. ¤14 °1 The land of Canaan was divided
among the Israelites by Eleazar the priest and by Joshua son of Nun and by
the heads of the families of the tribes of Israel. °2 They divided the land by drawing
lots as Yahweh had commanded through Moses for the nine. °3 (Remember
that Moses had given the two and a half tribes beyond the Jordan their own
property; to the Levites, he had given no land, °4 but the sons of Joseph were two
tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim.) The Levites were given no share of the land
except certain towns to live in, with pasture lands nearby for their cattle
and property. °5 In
dividing the land, the Israelites did as Yahweh had commanded Moses to do. § Land given to Caleb
°6 When the sons
of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal, Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, said
to him, “You know what Yahweh said to Moses, the man of God, at Kadesh-Barnea
concerning you and me. °7 I
was forty years old when Moses, the servant of Yahweh, sent me from
Kadesh-Barnea to spy on this land, and I made an honest report about it to
him. °8 But
the men who had gone with me discouraged the people, whereas I myself
faithfully obeyed Yahweh my God. °9 That day
Moses made this promise to me, ‘Because you have obeyed Yahweh my God, the
land your foot may walk upon shall be the land which you and your children
will own forever.’ °10 From
then till now, Yahweh has kept me alive in accordance with his promise. It is
forty-five years since Yahweh made this promise to Moses (Israel was then
journeying through the wilderness), and now I am eighty-five years old. °11 Today I
am still as strong as the day when Moses sent me out on the raid; for
fighting, for going and coming, I am as strong now as then. °12 Give me
then the highlands that Yahweh promised me. You know that there are a race of
giants called the Anakim and their towns are great and strong. But if Yahweh
is with me, I shall drive them out as Yahweh said.” °13 Joshua
blessed Caleb, son of Jephunneh, and gave him the city of Hebron as an
inheritance. °14 And
hence Hebron down to the present day belongs to the descendants of Caleb son
of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, because he obeyed Yahweh the God of Israel. °15 The name
of Hebron in earlier times was Kiriath-Arba. Arba had been the greatest man
of the Anakim. And the country had
rest from war. § Boundaries of the tribe of Judah
¤15 °1 The land given to the tribe of
Judah according to their clans was near the border of Edom from the
wilderness of Zin to Kadesh southwestward. °2 Their southern border began at
the end of the Dead Sea; °3 went
south from the Ascent of Akrabbim and crossed through Zin. It went south of
Kadesh-Barnea, passed Hezron, went up to Addar and from there turned toward
Karka, °4 skirted
Azmon, came out at the stream on the border of Egypt and ended at the
Mediterranean. °5 On the
east, the border was formed by the Dead Sea as far as the mouth of the
Jordan. °6 On the
north the border began at the Sea Tongue at the mouth of the Jordan. This
border went up to Beth-Hoglah, passed through the north of Beth-Arabah and
reached the Stone of Bohan of Reuben. °7 The border then went up to Debir
from Acor Valley and turned toward the circle of stones opposite the Ascent
of Adummim, south of the valley; the border went on to the waters of
En-Shemesh and ended at Enrogel. °8
Then it went on up the Benhinnom Valley on the south
side of the hill where the Jebusite city, that is to say, Jerusalem, was located.
The border then climbed to the top of the mountain on the west side of Hinnom
Valley and at the northern end of the plain of Rephaim. °9 From the
mountain the border bent toward the source of the waters of Nephtoah, passed
from there toward Mount Ephron and then turned toward Baalah, that is to say,
Kiriath-Jearim. °10 From
Baalah the border bent westward to the mountain country of Seir, went on the
northern slope of Mount Jearim, that is to say, Chesalon, went down to
Beth-Shemesh and through Timnah, °11
reached the north side of Ekron, turned toward
Shikkeron, passed by the Hill of Baalah, then on to Jabneel, and ended at the
Big Sea, that is, the Mediterranean. °12 The
western border was the Big Sea itself. This was the border that enclosed the
lands given to the clans of the tribe of Judah. °13 Caleb son
of Jephunneh was given part of the territory of Judah, as Yahweh had
commanded Joshua to do. Joshua gave him Kiriath-Arba, the chief city of the
Anakim, which is now Hebron. °14 Caleb
drove the descendants of Anak out of it: the clans of Sheshai, Ahiman and
Talmai. °15 From
there he marched up to attack the people living in Debir, the name of which
was once Kiriath-Sepher. °16 Then
Caleb said, “To the man who conquers and captures Kiriath-Sepher, I will give
my daughter Achsah as wife.” °17 Othniel,
son of Kenaz, Caleb’s brother conquered the city; Caleb gave him his daughter
Achsah in marriage. °18 When
she came to her husband, he urged her to ask her father for a field. When she
jumped down from her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What do you want?” °19 She
answered, “Grant me a favor; since you have sent me away to the wilderness of
the Negeb, at least grant me some springs of water.” So he gave her the upper
springs and the lower springs. § List of the cities of Judah°20 This was
the land given to the tribe of Judah according to their clans. °21 These are
the furthermost towns of the tribe of Judah, toward the boundary of Edom in
the Negeb: Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, °22
Kinah, Dimon, Adadah, °23 Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, °24 Ziph,
Telem, Bealoth, °25 Hazor-Hadattah,
Kerioth-Hezron (that is to say, Hazor), °26 Amam, Shema, Moladah, °27 Hazar-Gaddah,
Heshmon, Beth-Pelet, °28 Hazar-Shual,
Beer-Sheba, Biziothiah, °29 Baalah,
Lim, Ezem, °30 Eltolad,
Chesil, Hormah, °31 Ziklag,
Madmannah, Sansannah, °32 Lebaoth,
Shilhim, En-Rimmon. In all, twenty-nine towns, with their outlying villages. °33 In the
lowlands there were fourteen towns with their villages: Eshtaol, Zorah,
Ashnah, °34 Zanoah,
En-Gannim, Tappuah, Enam, °35 Jarmuth,
Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, °36 Shaaraim,
Adithaim, Gederah. °37 Zenan,
Hadashah, Migdalgad, °38 Dilean,
Mizpah, Joktheel, °39 Lachish,
Bozkath, Eglon, °40 Cabbon,
Lahmas, Chitlish, °41 Gederoth,
Beth-Dagon, Naamah, Makkedah, altogether sixteen towns with their villages. °42 Libnah,
Ether, Ashan, °43 Iphtah,
Ashnah, Nezib, °44 Keilah,
Achzib, Mareshah, altogether nine towns with their villages. °45 Ekron
with its towns and villages near Ashdod. °46 From
Ekron to the sea, °47 Ashdod
and Gaza with their towns and villages as far as the stream on the border of
Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea. °48 In the
highlands: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, °49
Dannah, Kiriath-Sannah, which is now Debir, °50 Anab,
Eshtemoh, Anim, °51 Goshen,
Holon, Giloh – eleven towns with their villages. °52 Arab,
Dumah, Eshan, °53 Janum,
Beth-Tappuah, Aphekah, °54 Humtah,
Kiriath-Arba, which is now Hebron, Zior – nine towns with their villages. °55 Maon,
Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, °56 Jezreel,
Jokdeam, Zanoah, °57 Kain,
Gibeah, Timnah – ten towns with their villages. °58 Halhul,
Beth-Zur, Gedor, °59 Maarath,
Beth-Anoth, Eltekon – six towns with their villages. Tekoa, Ephrathah,
which is now Bethlehem, Peor, Etam, Kulon, Tatam, Sores, Carem, Gallim,
Bether, Manach – eleven towns with their villages. °60 Kiriath-Baal,
which is now Kiriath-Jearim, and Rabbah – two towns with their villages. °61 In the
wilderness: Beth-Arabah, Middin, Secacah, °62 Nibshan, the City of Salt and
Engedi – six towns with their villages. °63 But the
people of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem; the
Jebusites lived there side by side with the sons of Judah, as they still do
today. § The tribe of Ephraim¤16 °1 The land given by lot to the
descendants of Joseph stretched from the Jordan opposite Jericho eastward.
From Jericho onward the southern border climbed the highlands into the hill
country as far as Bethel; °2 it
left Bethel and Luz and went on toward the border of the Archites of Ataroth;
°3 then it
went westward to the area of the Japhletites as far as the area of Lower
Beth-Horon. From there it went to Gezer, and reached the Mediterranean Sea. °4 The
tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim, descendants of Joseph, divided this
inheritance among themselves. °5 The
border of the tribe of Ephraim ran from Ataroth-Addar as far as Upper
Beth-Horon, °6 and
it ended at the Mediterranan Sea. Michmethath was to the north. From there
the border turned east towards Tanaath-Shiloh and ran beyond it on the east
to Janoah. °7 Then
it went down from Janaoah to Ataroth and Naarah, touched Jericho and ended at
the Jordan. °8 From
Tappuah the border went westward to the stream Kanah and ended at the
Mediterranean Sea. This was the land given to the tribe of Ephraim according
to their clans, °9 as
well as the towns set apart for the Ephraimites inside the territory of the
descendants of Manasseh, all those towns and their villages. °10 The
Canaanites living in Gezer were not driven out; they have lived among the
Ephraimites to the present day, but are submitted to obligatory works. § The tribe of Manasseh
¤17 °1 A part of the land awarded to
Manasseh, who was Joseph’s firstborn son, was given to Machir, Manasseh’s
eldest son and father of Gilead. To him was given, as was fitting for a
military hero, the country of Gilead and Bashan. °2 Land was also given to other
families descended from Manasseh according to their clans: the families of
Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, Shemida. These were the clans of the
male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph. °3 Zelophehad
son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, had no sons,
only daughters, whose names are: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. °4 These
daughters went to the priest Eleazar and to Joshua the son of Nun and to the
leaders, and said, “Yahweh commanded Moses to give us some of the land among
our brothers as our own.” According to Yahweh’s command, therefore, they were
given land along with their male relatives. °5 In this way
Manasseh received ten shares besides the country of Gilead and Bashan which
lies across the Jordan, °6 since
Manasseh’s female descendants received a share in the land as well as his
male descendants. The country of Gilead itself belonged to the rest of the
descendants of Manasseh. °7 The border of Manasseh
stretched from Asher to Michmethath, which is opposite Shechem. From there
the border went south to the spring of Tappuah. °8 The land surrounding Tappuah
belonged to Manasseh, but the town of Tappuah on Manasseh’s border belonged
to the descendants of Ephraim. °9 The
border passed down to the stream, south of the river, where the towns set
apart for Ephraim from among the towns of Manasseh were situated. The border
of Manasseh passed north of the stream and ended at the sea. °10 Ephraim
was to the south and Manasseh to the north, and both were bounded on the west
by the Mediterranan Sea. They touched Asher to the north and Issachar to the
east. °11 Within
the territories of Issachar and Asher, Manasseh had Beth-Shean and Ibleam
with their surrounding towns, as well as Dor and Endor, Taanach and Megiddo
and their surrounding towns, and a third of the Nepheth. °12 But the
people of Manasseh could not conquer these towns, and the Canaanites
continued to live there. °13 However,
when the Israelites became stronger, they forced the Canaanites to work for
them, but they never drove them out. °14 The
descendants of Joseph spoke to Joshua, “Why have you given us only one share
of the land when there are so many of us because Yahweh blessed us?” °15 Joshua
answered, “If your people are so many, go up to the forest and clear out a
place for yourselves in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the
highlands of Ephraim are too small for you.” °16 The descendants of Joseph
answered, “The highlands are not enough for us, and, in the plain, the
Canaanites have iron chariots, and so have those in Beth-Shean and its
surrounding towns, and those in the plain of Jezreel.” °17 Joshua
said to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, “You are a numerous people and
very powerful; you will not be left with only this share °18 for you
will go up to the forest and clear it. All the land shall be yours, and you
will drive out the Canaanites despite their iron chariots and great
strength.” § Joshua divides the rest of the land¤18 °1 After they had conquered the
land, the whole community of Israel gathered at Shiloh, and the Tent of
Meeting was set up there. °2 Among the
Israelites were seven tribes which had not yet been given their share of the
land. °3 Then
Joshua said to them, “How much longer will you wait before going in and
taking possession of the land which Yahweh, the God of your fathers has given
you? °4 Choose
three men from each tribe. I will send them out to make a survey of the whole
territory so that it can be divided. °5 They must divide the land into
seven parts, because those of the tribe of Judah have already their territory
to the south, and those of the tribe of Joseph have their territory to the
north. °6 You
are to survey the land in seven divisions and bring your findings to me here,
so that I can cast lots for you before Yahweh our God. °7 The
Levites have no share in the land with the rest of you; their share is to
serve as priests of Yahweh, and the tribes of Gad and Reuben and half the
tribe of Manasseh have received their land beyond the Jordan eastward, as
Moses, Yahweh’s servant, gave it to them.” °8 To those
who were to survey the country, Joshua gave this command before they started
on their way: “Go, survey and map the whole country, and then come back to
me. Here in Shiloh I will consult Yahweh for you by drawing lots.” °9 So the
men left and went all over the country, making a list of all the towns and
how they were to be divided into seven parts. When they brought it back to
Joshua in the camp at Shiloh, °10 he
drew lots to consult Yahweh for them and divided the land among the
Israelites according to their clans. § The tribe of Benjamin
°11 The first
share of land went to the tribe of Benjamin according to their clans: their
territory lay between that of the tribes of Judah and Joseph. °12 The
northern border began at the Jordan, climbed to the northern side of Jericho,
rose through the hill country westward and ended at the wilderness of
Beth-Aven. °13 From
there it continued toward the south side of Luz which is now called Bethel;
then downward to Ata-Roth-Addar, on the mountain south of Lower Beth-Horon. °14 The
border then curved, and on the western side of this mountain turned southward
and ended at Kiriath-Baal, which is now called Kiriath-Jearim, a city of the
tribe of Judah. This was the western border. °15 The
southern border ran from the edge of Kiriath-Jearim toward Gasin, and to the
spring of Nephtoah. °16 It
continued to the foot of the mountain facing the Valley of Ben-Hinnom, at the
north end of Rephaim Valley. It then went south through the Valley of Hinnom,
south of the mountainside of the Jebusites and reached En-Rogel. °17 It then
curved northward to En-Shemesh coming out at the circles of stones facing the
Ascent of Adummim, °18 then
on to Cheteph in sight of the Arabah and down to the Arabah and °19 the stone
of Bohan (Bohan was a son of Reuben) and from there passed north of the
mountainside overlooking the Jordan Valley. The border ended at the bay of
the Dead Sea, at the mouth of the Jordan. This was the southern border. °20 The
Jordan itself was the eastern border. Such was the land given to the tribe of
Benjamin, with the borders defining it. °21 The towns
of the tribe of Benjamin, according to their clans, were Jericho,
Beth-Hoglah, Emek-Keziz; °22 Beth-Arabah,
Zemaraim, Bethel; °23 Avvim,
Parah, Ophrah, °24 Chephar-Ammoni,
Ophni, Geba: twelve towns and their surrounding villages. °25 Gibeon,
Ramah, Beeroth; °26 Mizpeh,
Chephirah, Mozah; °27 Rekem,
Irpeel, Taralah; °28 Zela,
Haeleph, Jerusalem, Gibeah and Kiriath: fourteen towns with their surrounding
villages. This was the land given to the tribe of Benjamin, according to
their clans. § The share of the other tribes
¤19 °1 The second share of land went to
the tribe of Simeon, according to their clans; their land was encircled by
the land of the tribe of Judah. °2
For they had Beer-Sheba, Shema, Moladah; °3 Hazarshual,
Balah, Ezem; °4 Eltolad,
Bethul, Hormah; °5 Ziglag,
Beth-Marcaboth, Hazar-Susah; °6 Beth-Lebaoth
and Sharuhen – thirteen towns and their surrounding villages: °7 Ain,
Rimmon, Ether and Ashan – four towns and their surrounding villages. °8 Moreover,
they were given all the villages lying outside these towns as far as
Baalath-Beer, Ramah of the Negeb. This was the land given to the tribe of
Simeon according to their clans. °9 This land
was taken from the territory of Judah, because their share of these was too large
for them; this is why the tribe of Simeon was given land within the territory
of the tribe of Judah. °10 The third
share of land went to the tribe of Zebulun according to their clans; their
border reached as far as Sarid. °11
From there the border climbed westward to Maraalah,
touching Dabbesheth first and then the stream east of Jokneam. °12 From
Sarid it went eastward toward the sunrise to the border of Chisloth-Tabor,
then to Dobrath and to Japhia. °13
From there it continued eastward to Gathhepher and
Ittah-Kazin; it came out at Rimmon and turned toward Neah. °14 On the
north the border bent toward Hannathon and ended at the valley of Iphtahel. °15 It
included Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Iralah and Bethlehem – twelve towns with
their surrounding villages. °16 This
was the land received by the tribe of Zebulun according to their clans: these
towns and their surrounding villages. °17 The
fourth share of land went to the tribe of Issachar, according to their clans.
°18 Their
border reached to Jezreel and included Chesulloth and Shunem; °19 Hapharaim,
Shion, Anaharath; °20 Dobrath,
Kishion, Ebez; °21 Remeth
and En-Gannim, En-Haddah and Beth-Pazzez. °22 Their border touched Tabor and
Shahazimah and Beth-Shemesh, and ended at the Jordan: sixteen towns with
their surrounding villages. °23 This
was the land given to the tribe of Issachar, according to their clans: the
towns with their surrounding villages. °24 The fifth
share of land went to the tribe of Asher, according to their clans. °25 Within
their territory were Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph, °26 Allammelech,
Amad and Mishal; on the west their border touched Carmel and the stream of
the Libnath; °27 on
the other side it went eastward to Beth-Dagon, touching Zebulun and the Valley
of Iphtahel on the way north to Beth-Emek and Neiel. It continued north to
Cabul, °28 Abdon,
Rehob, Hammon and Kanah as far as Sidon the Great. °29 The
border then turned back toward Ramah reaching the fortress city of Tyre. From
there it turned to Hosah and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. It included
Mahalab, Achzib, °30 Acco,
Aphek, Rehob: twenty-two towns with their surrounding villages. °31 This was
the land given to the tribe of Asher, according to their clans; these towns
with their surrounding villages. °32 The sixth
share of land went to the tribe of Naphtali according to their clans. °33 Their
border went from Heleph and the Oak of Zanaannim to Adami-Negeb, to Jabneel
as far as Lakkum, and ended at the Jordan. °34 From there the border ran west to
Aznoth-Tabor and went on to Hukkok, touching Zebulun on the south, Asher on
the west and the Jordan on the east. °35 The fortified towns were Ziddim,
Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth; °36 Adamah, Ramah, Hazor; °37 Kedesh,
Edrei, En-Hazor; °38 Yiron,
Migdalel, Horem, Beth-Anath, Beth-Shemesh: nineteen towns with their
surrounding villages. °39 This
was the land given to the tribe of Naphtali according to their clans. °40 The
seventh share of the land went to the tribe of Dan according to their clans, °41 Within
their territory were Zorah, Eshtaol, Irshemesh; °42 Sha-Alabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah; °43 Elon,
Timnah, Ekron, °44 Eltekeh,
Gibbethon, °45 Baalath;
Jehud, Bene-Berak, Gathrimmon; °46
Mejarkon and Rakkon with the land around Joppa. °47 But the
territory of the tribe of Dan was too small for them; and therefore they went
up and attacked Leshem and captured it and killed its people. Having seized
the town they settled in it, and changed the name of Leshem to Dan after Dan
their ancestor. °48 This
was the land of the tribe of Dan, according to their clans: these towns with
their surrounding villages. °49 When the
Israelites finished distributing the land by drawing lots, they gave Joshua
son of Nun a part of the land as his own; °50 at the command of Yahweh, they
gave him the town he had asked for, Timnath-Serah in the hill country of
Ephraim; he rebuilt the city and settled there. °51 These are
the shares of land which Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads
of each family divided among the tribes of Israel by drawing lots at Shiloh,
in Yahweh’s presence, at the door of the Tent of Meeting; and thus they
finished dividing the land. § The cities of refuge
¤20 °1 Yahweh said to Joshua, °2 “Speak to
the Israelites and say to them: Choose the cities of refuge about which I
told you through Moses, °3 towns
where a person who kills someone accidentally may find safety; they are to be
your refuge from the dead person’s relative who is looking for revenge. °4 The man
who has killed may run away to one of these towns; he shall appear at the
entrance to the town and explain his case to the elders of the place. They
shall welcome him and assign him a place to live among them. °5 If the
person who wants revenge follows him there, they are not to hand him over,
since he has killed his neighbor accidentally and not out of hatred. °6 The man
who has killed must remain in that town until he has received a public trial
and until the death of the high priest then in office. Only then may the man
who has killed go back to his own town and his own house, to the town from
which he has escaped.” °7 For this
purpose they set aside Kedesh in Galilee, in the hill country of Naphtali,
Shechem in the highlands of Ephraim, and Kiriath-Arba, which is now Hebron,
in the hill country of Judah. °8 East of
the Jordan, in the desert east of Jericho, they chose Bezer in the territory
of Reuben, Ramoth-Gilead in the territory of Gad, and Golan in Bashan in the
territory of Manasseh. °9 These
were the towns set aside for all the Israelites and for any foreigner living
among them, where anyone who had killed a person accidentally could find
safety from the dead person’s relative looking for revenge, until he had been
given a public trial. § The Levitical towns
¤21 °1 The heads of families among the
Levites came to Eleazar the priest and to Joshua son of Nun and to the heads
of families of all the tribes of Israel. °2 At Shiloh in the land of Canaan,
they said to them, “Yahweh commanded through Moses that we should be given
towns to live in, with the pasture land around them for our cattle.” °3 In
accordance with Yahweh’s command, the Israelites gave the Levites certain
cities and pasture lands out of their own territories. °4 First
among the Levite clan of Kohath, the families descended from Aaron the
priest, were given thirteen towns from the territories of Judah, Simeon and
Benjamin; °5 the
other Kohath families received, clan by clan, ten towns from the territories
of Ephraim, Dan and half the tribe of Manasseh. °6 The clan of Gershon was given
thirteen towns from the territories of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali and half the
tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. °7 The
families of the clan of Merari were given twelve towns from the territories
of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun. °8 These
towns and the pasture lands near them the Israelites gave to the Levites by
drawing lots, as Yahweh had commanded through Moses. °9 These are
the towns of Judah and Simeon that Joshua gave °10 to the descendants of Aaron who were
of the Kohathite clan of the Levites, the first to be given some cities. °11 They gave
them Kiriath-Arba, the chief city of the Anakim, which is now Hebron, in the
hill country of Judah, with the pasture lands around it. °12 But the
fields and surrounding villages of this town had already been given to Caleb
son of Jephunneh as his property. °13
To the descendants of Aaron the priest, they gave
Hebron, a city of refuge, and the pasture lands near it; also Libnah with its
pasture lands, °14 and
Jattir, Eshtemoa, °15 Holon,
Debir, °16 Ashan,
Juttah and Bethshemesh, each with its pasture lands: nine towns taken from
these two tribes. °17 From
the territory of Benjamin four towns: Gibeon and Geba with their pasture
lands, °18 Anathoth
and Almon with theirs. °19 The
towns of the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were thirteen towns in all,
with their pasture lands. °20 Some
towns from the territory of Ephraim were given to the other families of the
Levite clan of Kohath: °21 the
city of refuge, Shechem, with its pasture lands, in the hill country of
Ephraim, together with Gezer, °22 Kibzaim
and Beth-Horon, each with its pasture lands: four towns. °23 From the
territory of Dan, Elteke, Gibbethon, °24 Aijalon and Gathrimmon with their
pasture lands: four towns. °25 From
the territory of half the tribe of Manasseh they were given two towns:
Taanach and Jibleam with their pasture lands. °26 In all, ten towns with their
pasture lands were given to the families of the clan of Kohath. °27 To the
Levite clan of Gershon were given the city of refuge Golan in Bashan and also
Ashtaroth, each with its pasture lands: two towns, both from the territory of
the half tribe of Manasseh. °28 From
the territory of Issachar four towns: Kishion, Dobrath, °29 Jarmuth
and En-Gannim, each with its pasture lands. °30 From the territory of Asher four
towns: Mishal, Abdon, °31 Helkath
and Rehob, each with its pasture lands. °32 From the territoy of Naphtali
three towns: Kedesh, the city of refuge in Galilee, Hammoth-Dor and Rakkath,
each with its pasture lands. °33 The
Gershonites according to their clans were given thirteen towns in all with
their pasture lands. °34 To the
clans of Merari, the rest of the Levites, were given four towns with their
pasture lands from the territory of Zebulun: °35 Jokneam, Kartah, Rimmon and
Nahalal. °36 From
the territory of Reuben, beyond the Jordan four towns: the city of refuge
Bezer, Jahaz, °37 Kedemoth
and Mephaath, each with its pasture lands. °38 From the tribeof Gad four towns:
the city of refuge Ramoth-Gilead, Mahanaim, °39 Heshbon and Jazer, each with
pasture lands. °40 A
total of twelve towns were given to the clan of Merari. °41 The towns
thus given to the Levites from the Israelite inheritance were °42 forty-eight,
with their pasture lands. All these towns, as well as the pasture lands
around them, were given to the Levites. °43 So it was
that Yahweh gave the Israelites all the land he had solemnly promised to give
their ancestors. They took possession of it and began to live there. °44 Yahweh gave
them peace throughout their land just as he had promised their ancestors. Not
one of their enemies was able to stand against them; Yahweh gave them victory
over all their enemies °45 and
kept all the promises he had made to the people of Israel. § The question of the altar across the Jordan¤22 °1 Then Joshua summoned the
Reubenites, the Gadites and the halftribe of Manasseh °2 and said
to them, °3 “You
have observed all that Moses, the servant of Yahweh ordered you, and you have
obeyed me constantly. You have never deserted your brothers over this long
period of time; at every point you have obeyed the orders of Yahweh your God.
°4 Now that
Yahweh your God has granted your brothers the rest he promised them, go back
to your tents, to the land given into your possession by Moses the servant of
Yahweh, beyond the Jordan. °5 But take
care above all to keep the commandments of the Law which Moses the servant of
Yahweh gave you: love Yahweh your God, follow his paths always, keep his
commandments, be faithful to him and serve him with all your heart and all
your soul.” °6 So
Joshua blessed them and sent them away; they went home to their tents. °7 Moses had
given territory in Bashan to one half of the tribe of Manasseh; because of
this Joshua gave land to the other half of Manasseh among their brothers on
the west bank of the Jordan. As Joshua sent them home to their tents he
blessed them °8 and
said to them, “You are going back to your tents with great wealth, with
cattle in plenty, with silver and gold, bronze and iron and great quantities
of clothing; these are the spoils of your enemies that you shared with your
brothers.” °9 The
Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh went home again; they
left the Israelites at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, and made their way back
to the land of Gilead, the territory which belonged to them and where they
had settled in accordance with the order of Yahweh given through Moses. °10 When they
came to the circles of stones at the Jordan which are in Canaanite territory,
the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there beside
the Jordan, an imposing altar of great size. °11 The Israelites were told, “The
Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built this altar
facing the land of Canaan near the circles of stones at the Jordan, beyond
the territory of the Israelites.” °12 At this
news the children of Israel summoned the whole community at Shiloh, ready to
make war on them. °13 The
Israelites sent the priest Phinehas son of Eleazar to the Reubenites, the
Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, °14 and with
him ten leading men, one leader from each tribe in Israel; every one of them
was head of his family among the clans of Israel. °15 When they came to the Reubenites,
the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead, they said
to them: °16 “The
whole community of Yahweh asks you: What do you mean by this treachery
committed against the God of Israel? Why turn aside from Yahweh today, building
yourselves an altar? You are sinning against Yahweh himself. °17 Was the
sin at Peor not enough, the sin from which we are not cleansed even now, in
spite of the plague that ravaged the whole community of Yahweh? °18 You have
stopped following Yahweh today, and you have set yourselves in revolt against
him today. Tomorrow his anger will be roused against the whole community of
Israel. °19 Do you
think your land is unclean? Then cross over into the territory of Yahweh,
where his Holy Tent is and come to live among us. But do not rebel against
Yahweh or set yourselves apart by building an altar to vie with the altar of
Yahweh our God. °20 When
Achan, son of Zerah betrayed his trust in the matter of the anathema, did not
Yahweh vent his anger on the whole community of Israel, although he was only
one man? Did he not have to die for his sin?” °21 The
Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered the heads of
the clans of Israel: °22 “Yahweh is
the God of gods! Yahweh well knows, and let Israel know it too: Let Yahweh
punish us immediately if there has been defiance or treachery on our part
against Yahweh. °23 Let
Yahweh punish us if we have built an altar to turn away from Yahweh and offer
holocaust and oblation and communion sacrifice on it. °24 We made
it to prevent what might happen one day when your children say to ours: ‘What
link have you with Yahweh the God of Israel? °25 Has not Yahweh set the boundary
of the Jordan between us and you, you sons of Reuben and sons of Gad? You
have no share in Yahweh.’ Thus your children might make us turn aside from
Yahweh. °26 So we
said to each other, ‘Let us build this altar, not for holocausts or other
sacrifices °27 but
as a witness between us and you and among our descendants after us. It will
prove that we, too, worship Yahweh with our holocausts, our victims and our
communion sacrifices in his presence. So that your children will never be
able to say to ours: You have no share in Yahweh. °28 For, in this case, we should say
to them: Look at this structure, Yahweh’s altar made by our ancestors not for
holocausts or other sacrifices but as a witness between us and you.’ °29 We have
no intention of defying Yahweh or turning away from him today. We are not
building an altar for holocaust or oblations or sacrifices to compete with
the altar of Yahweh our God that stands before his tabernacle!” °30 When
Phinehas the priest, and the leaders of the community who were with him,
heard the answer of the sons of Gad and of Reuben and of Manasseh, they
approved of them. °31 Then
the priest Phinehas son of Eleazar said to the sons of Reuben and sons of Gad
and sons of Manasseh, “Now we clearly see that Yahweh is among us, because
you have not sinned against him; you have saved the children of Israel from
the punishment of Yahweh.” °32 The
priest Phinehas son of Eleazar and the leaders left the Reubenites and the
Gadites and returned from the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, and they
brought back this answer to the Israelites. °33 The Israelites were pleased to
hear this; they gave thanks to God and spoke no more of making war and
ravaging the country where the sons of Reuben and of Gad had settled. °34 The
Reubenites and the Gadites named the altar: ‘Witness’, “Because,” they said,
“it will be a witness between us that Yahweh is God.” § Joshua’s last discourse¤23 °1 A long time after Yahweh gave
peace to Israel in all its borders, °2 Joshua, who was now very old and
burdened with age, summoned all Israel – their elders, leaders, secretaries
and judges – and he said to them: “I am now very old. °3 You have
seen all that Yahweh has done to all these nations for your sake and how he
himself has fought for you. °4 See,
I have distributed to you the territory of all these nations that we
destroyed from the Jordan to the Great Sea, as well as those nations that
still remain. °5 Yahweh,
our God, will continue driving them back before you and will deprive them of
their lands that you may take them as Yahweh has promised you. °6 Therefore
be very valiant and have the determination to do all that is written in the
book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside from it either to the right
or to the left. °7 Do
not intermingle with these nations that are left among you. Do not call upon
their gods or swear by their name. Do not serve them or bow before them, °8 but
remain united to Yahweh, our God, as you have done to this day. °9 For that
reason, Yahweh has driven away before you many powerful nations: no one was able
to stand before your presence. °10
One of you pursued a thousand since Yahweh, our God,
fought for you as he had promised. °11 So then, be very careful to love
Yahweh, your God. °12 But if
you separate yourselves from him and become one with the rest of these
nations that still remain among you, if they come to be your relatives and
you intermarry with them, °13 know
very well that Yahweh shall no longer drive out these nations before you, but
they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a scourge on your sides, and thorns
in your eyes, until you perish from this beautiful land Yahweh, our God, has
given you. °14 I am now
about to go the way of all creatures, so I say to you: know in your soul and
in your conscience that all the promises of Yahweh, our God, have been
fulfilled; not one of them has failed. °15 But just as all these promises of
Yahweh in your favor have been fulfilled, so shall Yahweh bring all the evil
he has threatened against you until you have been wiped out from this
magnificent land he has given you, °16 if you break the covenant that
Yahweh, our God, has given us. If you follow and serve other gods and bow
before them, the wrath of Yahweh shall rise against you, and you shall
suddenly perish from this fertile land he has given you.” § The Covenant renewed at Shechem¤24 °1 Joshua summoned all the tribes of
Israel in Shechem, and assembled the elders, leaders, judges and secretaries.
And together they presented themselves before God. °2 Addressing the people,
Joshua said to them: “Yahweh, the God of Israel, commands me to say to you:
Your ancestors lived beyond the Euphrates River – Terah the father of Abraham
and Nahor – serving other gods. °3
But I brought Abraham your father from beyond the Euphrates and led
him through the whole land of Canaan. Then I gave him a son Isaac, that he
might have numerous descendants. °4
And to Isaac, I gave two sons: Esau and Jacob. Esau received the
mountains of Seir as his inheritance, while Jacob and his sons went down to
Egypt. °5 Then I sent Moses and Aaron
to punish Egypt in the way that you know, that you might leave. °6 Then I brought your
ancestors out of Egypt and you came to the sea. The Egyptians pursued you
with chariots and horses as far as the Red Sea. °7 Then you cried to Yahweh, and he put immense
darkness between you and the Egyptians. He made the sea go back on them and
they were drowned. You have witnessed all the things he did in Egypt, and
then you lived in the desert for a long time. °8 Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites who
were on the east of the Jordan. You fought them but it was I who gave them
into your hand; you destroyed them and you seized their lands. °9 Balak, the son of Zippor,
king of Moab, declared war on Israel and commanded Balaam son of Beor to
curse you. °10 But I would not
listen to him, so Balaam blessed you and I saved you from the hands of Balak. °11 Then you crossed the
Jordan and came to Jericho. And the landlords of Jericho fought against you:
the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and
Jebusites declared war on you, but I gave them to you. °12 The two Amorite kings fled
from you because of the swarm of hornets that attacked them and not because
of your sword and bow. °13 I gave you
lands which you have not tilled, cities which you did not build but in which
you now live. I gave you vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant
but from which you now eat. °14 So fear Yahweh, and be
sincere and faithful in serving him. Set aside those gods your ancestors worshiped
in Mesopotamia and Egypt. Serve only Yahweh. °15 But if you do not want to serve Yahweh, make known
this very day whom you shall serve – whether they be the gods your ancestors
served in Mesopotamia or the gods of the Amorites who formerly occupied the
land in which you now live. As for me, I and my household will serve Yahweh.” °16 The people answered: “May
God not permit that we ever abandon Yahweh to serve other gods! °17 For it was he who brought
us and our ancestors out of Egypt, the house of slavery. It was he who did
those great wonders that we have seen; he protected us on the way and through
all the land where we passed, °18 driving away
before us all the nations especially the Amorites who lived in this land. So
we shall also serve Yahweh: he is our God!” °19 Joshua asked the people:
“Will you be able to serve Yahweh? He is a Holy God, a Jealous God who does
not tolerate wickedness or faults. °20 If you abandon Yahweh to serve other gods, he will
turn against you and just as he has done you so much good, so shall he punish
you and destroy you.” °21 The people
replied: “No, may it not be as you say. We will serve Yahweh.” °22 Joshua said: “You
yourselves are witnesses that you have chosen Yahweh to serve him.” They
answered: “We are witnesses.” °23 Joshua then said, “Remove
now from your midst any other gods and serve Yahweh, the God of Israel, with
all your heart.” °24 The people
answered: “We will serve Yahweh, our God, and obey his commands.” °25 On that day at Shechem,
Joshua made a covenant with the people and fixed laws and ordinances. °26 He also wrote down
everything expressed in the book of the Law of God; he chose a great stone
and put it under the oak tree in the sacred place of Yahweh. °27 Then Joshua said to the
people: “This stone shall be a witness to all that Yahweh said to us, for it
heard all these words. It shall be a witness against you, lest you deal
falsely with Yahweh.” °28 Joshua
immediately sent the people away and everyone returned to his land. °29 After all
these deeds, Joshua, son of Nun and servant of Yahweh, died at the age of a
hundred and ten. °30 They
buried him in his land at Timnath-Serah, in the hill country of Ephraim, to
the north of Mount Gaash. °31 Israel
served Yahweh throughout the whole life of Joshua and of the elders who
outlived Joshua and who had witnessed all the wonders Yahweh did for Israel. °32 The
Israelites brought from Egypt the bones of Joseph. They buried them at
Shechem in a place in the field which Jacob bought from the children of
Hamor, the father of Shechem, for a hundred pieces of money. This became the
possession of the children of Joseph. °33 Eleazar
the son of Aaron also died and they buried him on the hill given to his son
Phinehas on the mountains of Ephraim. The End. |