At the same time the men who had taken the city came out to fight, and the men of Ai were trapped in the middle. The Israelites struck them down, leaving no survivors or refugees.

When Israel had finished killing all the men of Ai who had chased them toward the desert (they all fell by the sword), all Israel returned to Ai and put the sword to it.

Joshua kept holding out his curved sword until Israel had annihilated all who lived in Ai.

But Israel did plunder the cattle and the goods of the city, in accordance with the Lord's orders to Joshua.

He hung the king of Ai on a tree, leaving him exposed until evening. At sunset Joshua ordered that his corpse be taken down from the tree. They threw it down at the entrance of the city gate and erected over it a large pile of stones (it remains to this very day).

Then Joshua built an altar for the Lord God of Israel on Mount Ebal,

just as Moses the Lord's servant had commanded the Israelites. As described in the law scroll of Moses, it was made with uncut stones untouched by an iron tool. They offered burnt sacrifices on it and sacrificed tokens of peace.

There, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua inscribed on the stones a duplicate of the law written by Moses.

All the people, rulers, leaders, and judges were standing on either side of the ark, in front of the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord. Both resident foreigners and native Israelites were there. Half the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and the other half in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the Lord's servant had previously instructed to them to do for the formal blessing ceremony.

Then Joshua read aloud all the words of the law, including the blessings and the curses, just as they are written in the law scroll.

When the news reached all the kings on the west side of the Jordan -- in the hill country, the lowlands, and all along the Mediterranean coast as far as Lebanon (including the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites) --

they formed an alliance to fight against Joshua and Israel.

When the residents of Gibeon heard what Joshua did to Jericho and Ai,

they did something clever. They collected some provisions and put worn-out sacks on their donkeys, along with worn-out wineskins that were ripped and patched.

They had worn-out, patched sandals on their feet and dressed in worn-out clothes. All their bread was dry and hard.

They came to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, "We have come from a distant land. Make a treaty with us."

They told him, "Your subjects have come from a very distant land because of the reputation of the Lord your God, for we have heard the news about all he did in Egypt

and all he did to the two Amorite kings on the other side of the Jordan -- King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan in Ashtaroth.

Our leaders and all who live in our land told us, 'Take provisions for your journey and go meet them. Tell them, "We are willing to be your subjects. Make a treaty with us."'

This bread of ours was warm when we packed it in our homes the day we started out to meet you, but now it is dry and hard.

Joshua made a peace treaty with them and agreed to let them live. The leaders of the community sealed it with an oath.

So the Israelites set out and on the third day arrived at their cities -- Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim.

The Israelites did not attack them because the leaders of the community had sworn an oath to them in the name of the Lord God of Israel. The whole community criticized the leaders,

but all the leaders told the whole community, "We swore an oath to them in the name of the Lord God of Israel. So now we can't hurt them!

Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said to them, "Why did you trick us by saying, 'We live far away from you,' when you really live nearby?

They said to Joshua, "It was carefully reported to your subjects how the Lord your God commanded Moses his servant to assign you the whole land and to destroy all who live in the land from before you. Because of you we were terrified we would lose our lives, so we did this thing.

So now we are in your power. Do to us what you think is good and appropriate.

and that day made them woodcutters and water carriers for the community and for the altar of the Lord at the divinely chosen site. (They continue in that capacity to this very day.)

All Jerusalem was terrified because Gibeon was a large city, like one of the royal cities. It was larger than Ai and all its men were warriors.

The men of Gibeon sent this message to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, "Do not abandon your subjects! Rescue us! Help us! For all the Amorite kings living in the hill country are attacking us."

The Lord told Joshua, "Don't be afraid of them, for I am handing them over to you. Not one of them can resist you."

As they fled from Israel on the slope leading down from Beth Horon, the Lord threw down on them large hailstones from the sky, all the way to Azekah. They died -- in fact, more died from the hailstones than the Israelites killed with the sword.

The sun stood still and the moon stood motionless while the nation took vengeance on its enemies. The event is recorded in the Scroll of the Upright One. The sun stood motionless in the middle of the sky and did not set for about a full day.

The five Amorite kings ran away and hid in the cave at Makkedah.

Joshua was told, "The five kings have been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah."

Joshua said, "Roll large stones over the mouth of the cave and post guards in front of it.

Then the whole army safely returned to Joshua at the camp in Makkedah. No one dared threaten the Israelites.

When they brought the kings out to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the commanders of the troops who accompanied him, "Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings." So they came up and put their feet on their necks.

Then Joshua executed them and hung them on five trees. They were left hanging on the trees until evening.

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

The Lord handed Lachish over to Israel and they captured it on the second day. They put the sword to all who lived there, just as they had done to Libnah.

They captured it and put the sword to its king, all its surrounding cities, and all who lived in it; they left no survivors. As they had done at Eglon, they annihilated it and all who lived there.

Joshua captured in one campaign all these kings and their lands, for the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel.

When King Jabin of Hazor heard the news, he organized a coalition, including King Jobab of Madon, the king of Shimron, the king of Acshaph,

and the northern kings who ruled in the hill country, the Arabah south of Kinnereth, the lowlands, and the heights of Dor to the west.

Canaanites came from the east and west; Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, and Jebusites from the hill country; and Hivites from below Hermon in the area of Mizpah.

These kings came out with their armies; they were as numerous as the sand on the seashore and had a large number of horses and chariots.

They annihilated everyone who lived there with the sword -- no one who breathed remained -- and burned Hazor.

But Israel did not burn any of the cities located on mounds, except for Hazor; it was the only one Joshua burned.

The Israelites plundered all the goods of these cities and the cattle, but they totally destroyed all the people and allowed no one who breathed to live.

Moses the Lord's servant passed on the Lord's commands to Joshua, and Joshua did as he was told. He did not ignore any of the commands the Lord had given Moses.

from Mount Halak on up to Seir, as far as Baal Gad in the Lebanon Valley below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings and executed them.

No city made peace with the Israelites (except the Hivites living in Gibeon); they had to conquer all of them,

No Anakites were left in Israelite territory, though some remained in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod.

Now these are the kings of the land whom the Israelites defeated and drove from their land on the east side of the Jordan, from the Arnon Valley to Mount Hermon, including all the eastern Arabah:

King Sihon of the Amorites who lived in Heshbon and ruled from Aroer (on the edge of the Arnon Valley) -- including the city in the middle of the valley and half of Gilead -- all the way to the Jabbok Valley bordering Ammonite territory.

The territory of King Og of Bashan, one of the few remaining Rephaites, who lived in Ashtaroth and Edrei

These are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the Israelites defeated on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal Gad in the Lebanon Valley to Mount Halak on up to Seir. Joshua assigned this territory to the Israelite tribes,

the king of Jericho (one), the king of Ai -- located near Bethel -- (one),

the king of Jerusalem (one), the king of Hebron (one),

the king of Jarmuth (one), the king of Lachish (one),

the king of Eglon (one), the king of Gezer (one),

the king of Debir (one), the king of Geder (one),

the king of Hormah (one), the king of Arad (one),

the king of Libnah (one), the king of Adullam (one),

the king of Makkedah (one), the king of Bethel (one),

the king of Tappuah (one), the king of Hepher (one),

the king of Aphek (one), the king of Lasharon (one),

the king of Madon (one), the king of Hazor (one),

the king of Shimron Meron (one), the king of Acshaph (one),

the king of Taanach (one), the king of Megiddo (one),

the king of Kedesh (one), the king of Jokneam near Carmel (one),

the king of Dor -- near Naphath Dor -- (one), the king of Goyim -- near Gilgal -- (one),

the king of Tirzah (one), a total of thirty-one kings.

When Joshua was very old, the Lord told him, "You are very old, and a great deal of land remains to be conquered.

from the Shihor River east of Egypt northward to the territory of Ekron (it is regarded as Canaanite territory), including the area belonging to the five Philistine lords who ruled in Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, as well as Avvite land

to the south; all the Canaanite territory, from Arah in the region of Sidon to Aphek, as far as Amorite territory;

I will drive out before the Israelites all who live in the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim, all the Sidonians; you be sure to parcel it out to Israel as I instructed you."

Their territory started from Aroer (on the edge of the Arnon Valley), included the city in the middle of the valley, the whole plain of Medeba as far as Dibon,

and all the cities of King Sihon of the Amorites who ruled in Heshbon, and ended at the Ammonite border.

the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan, who ruled in Ashtaroth and Edrei. (He was one of the few remaining Rephaites.) Moses defeated them and took their lands.

However, Moses did not assign land as an inheritance to the Levites; their inheritance is the sacrificial offerings made to the Lord God of Israel, as he instructed them.

Their territory started at Aroer (on the edge of the Arnon Valley) and included the city in the middle of the valley, the whole plain of Medeba,

Heshbon and all its surrounding cities on the plain, including Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon,

Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar on the hill in the valley,

It encompassed all the cities of the plain and the whole realm of King Sihon of the Amorites who ruled in Heshbon. Moses defeated him and the Midianite leaders Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba (they were subjects of Sihon and lived in his territory).

Their territory started at Mahanaim and encompassed all Bashan, the whole realm of King Og of Bashan, including all sixty cities in Havvoth Jair in Bashan.

Half of Gilead, Ashtaroth, and Edrei, cities in the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were assigned to the descendants of Makir son of Manasseh, to half the descendants of Makir by their clans.

These are the land assignments made by Moses on the plains of Moab east of the Jordan River opposite Jericho.

However, Moses did not assign land as an inheritance to the Levites; their inheritance is the Lord God of Israel, as he instructed them.

The following is a record of the territory assigned to the Israelites in the land of Canaan by Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the Israelite tribal leaders.

The descendants of Joseph were considered as two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. The Levites were allotted no territory, though they were assigned cities in which to live, along with the grazing areas for their cattle and possessions.

The men of Judah approached Joshua in Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, "You know what the Lord said about you and me to Moses, the man of God, at Kadesh Barnea.

I was forty years old when Moses, the Lord's servant, sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy on the land and I brought back to him an honest report.

That day Moses made this solemn promise: 'Surely the land on which you walked will belong to you and your descendants permanently, for you remained loyal to the Lord your God.'

Today I am still as strong as when Moses sent me out. I can fight and go about my daily activities with the same energy I had then.

Now, assign me this hill country which the Lord promised me at that time! No doubt you heard at that time that the Anakites live there in large, fortified cities. But, assuming the Lord is with me, I will conquer them, as the Lord promised."

The land allotted to the tribe of Judah by its clans reached to the border of Edom, to the Wilderness of Zin in the Negev far to the south.

It then went up to Debir from the Valley of Achor, turning northward to Gilgal (which is opposite the Pass of Adummim south of the valley), crossed to the waters of En Shemesh and extended to En Rogel.

It then went up the Valley of Ben Hinnom to the slope of the Jebusites on the south (that is, Jerusalem), going up to the top of the hill opposite the Valley of Ben Hinnom to the west, which is at the end of the Valley of the Rephaites to the north.