Then the children of Joseph said again, "The hill will not be gotten of us: for all the Cananites that dwell in the low country have chariots of iron, and so have they that inhabit Bethshean, and the towns of the same, and they also that dwell in the valley of Jezreel."

But the hill shall be yours, for it is a wood country and ye shall bring it to fashion, and it shall be yours even unto the ends of it, for ye shall be able to cast out the Cananites for all their iron chariots and for all they be so strong."

Bring of every tribe three men that I may send them. And that they may rise and walk through the land and distribute it by their inheritances and come again to me.

And their north coasts were from Jordan and went up to the side of Jericho on the north side, and went up through the mountains westward, and they ended at the wilderness of Bethaven;

When they had made an end of dividing the land by her coasts then the children of Israel gave an inheritance unto Joshua the son of Nun among them:

at the mouth of the LORD they gave him the city which he asked, even Timnathserah in mount Ephraim. And he built the city and dwelt therein.

And the slayer shall flee unto one of those Cities and shall stand in the entering of the gate of the city and shall show his cause in the ears of the elders of the said city. And they shall take him into the city unto them, and shall give him a place that he may dwell among them.

And when the avenger of blood followeth after him they shall not deliver the slayer unto his hand: because he smote his friend ignorantly, and hated him not before time.

And they appointed Kadesh in Galilee, in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kiriatharba which is Hebron, in the mountains of Judah.

And on the other side Jordan over against Jericho eastward, they gave Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain, out of the tribe of Reuben and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.

And they gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these cities by name:

And they gave them Kiriatharba of the father of Anak, which is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with the suburbs of the same round about it.

But the country that pertained to the city and the villages thereof, they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh, to be his possession.

And thus they gave to the children of Aaron the priest the franchised cities of the slayer, Hebron with her suburbs, and Libnah with her suburbs;

And out of the tribe of Benjamin they gave Gibeon with her suburbs; Geba with her suburbs;

And they gave them the free city of the slayer: Shechem with her suburbs, in mount Ephraim; and Gezer with her suburbs;

And unto the children of Gershon which were of the kindreds of the Levites, they gave out of the other half tribe of Manasseh, the city of refuge for the slayer, Golan in Bashan with her suburbs; Beeshterah with her suburbs: Two cities.

And unto the kindreds of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, they gave out of the tribe of Zebulon: Jokneam with her suburbs; Kartah with her suburbs;

And out of the tribe of Reuben, they gave Bezer with her suburbs; Jahaz with her suburbs;

And out of the tribe of Gad, they gave the franchised city of the slayer, Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs; Mahanaim with her suburbs;

And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers. And they conquered it, and dwelt therein.

And so Joshua blessed them and sent them away. And they went unto their tents.

And the children of Ruben, the children of Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh, returned and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh which is in the land of Canaan, to go unto the country of Gilead, and to the land of their possession, wherein they were possessed at the mouth of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

And when they came unto the coasts of Jordan that lie in the land of Canaan: there the children of Ruben, the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh, built an altar fast by Jordan, and that a great altar to see to.

And they went unto the children of Reuben, of Gad and to the half tribe of Manasseh, unto the land of Gilead and spake with them, saying,

And we thought if they should so say to us, or to our generations in time to come, that we would say again, 'Behold the fashion of the altar which our fathers made, neither for burnt offerings nor sacrifices, but that it should be a witness between us and you.'

And when Phinehas the priest and the lords of the congregation and heads over the thousands of Israel, which were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben, the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spake, they were well content.

And the answer pleased the children of Israel well, and they praised God, and did not intend to go against them in battle, to destroy the land which the children of Ruben and Gad dwelt in.

But and if ye shall go back and cleave unto the rest of these nations that remain with you and shall make marriages with them, and shall go to them and they come to you:

be sure that the LORD your God will not cast out all these nations before you. But they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges for your sides, and pricks in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.

And they cried unto the LORD. And he put darkness between you and the Egyptians and brought the sea upon them and covered them. And your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt. And ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season.

And I brought you into the land of the Amorites which dwelt on the other side Jordan. And they fought with you: and I gave them into your hands. And ye conquered their country. And I destroyed them in your sight.

Then Joshua said unto the folk, "Ye are witnesses unto yourselves, that ye have chosen you the LORD, to serve him." And they said, "We are witnesses."

Whom they buried in the country of his inheritance, even in Timnathserah which is in mount Ephraim, on the north side of the hill of Gaash.

And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought out of Egypt, they buried in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem, for a hundredth pieces of silver, which parcel became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.

And Eleazar the son of Aaron died, whom they buried in Gibeah that pertained to Phinehas his son and was given him in Mount Ephraim.

And Judah went up, and the LORD delivered the Cananites and Perezites into their hands. And they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men.

And they found Adonibezek in Bezek. And they fought against him, and slew the Cananites and Perezites.

But Adonibezek fled, and they followed after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.

Then Adonibezek said, "Three score and ten kings having their thumbs and great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table wherefore as I have done so God hath done to me again." And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.

And from thence they went to the inhabiters of Debir, whose name in old time was called Kiriathsepher.

and as they went she counseled him to ask of her father a field. And then she lighted off her ass, and Caleb said unto her, "What aileth thee?"

And Judah went and Simeon with him, and they slew the Cananites that inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it, and called the name of the city Hormah.

And the LORD was with Judah that he conquered the mountains, but they could not drive out the inhabiters of the valleys, because they had chariots of iron.

And they gave Hebron unto Caleb as Moses said. And he expelled thence the three sons of Anak.

And the spies saw a man come out of the city and they said unto him, "Show us the way into the city, and we will show thee mercy."

And he showed them the way into the city, and they smote it with the edge of the sword, but let the man and all his household go free.

But as soon as Israel was waxed mighty, they put the Cananites to tribute: but expelled them not.

And so the Amorites went and dwelled in mount Heres in Aijalon and in Shaalbim. Neverthelater, the hand of Joseph waxed heavy upon them, so that they became tributaries.

Wherefore I have likewise determined that I will not cast them out before you: that they may be a fall unto you, and their gods shall be snares unto you."

whom they buried in the coasts of his inheritance: even in Timnathserah in mount Ephraim on the north side of the hill Gaash.

And so they forsook the LORD and served Baal and Ashtaroth.

Wherefore the LORD waxed angry with Israel, and delivered them unto the hands of raveners to spoil them and sold them into the hands of their enemies round about them, so that they had no power any longer to stand before their enemies.

But unto whatsoever thing they went, the hand of the LORD was upon them with evil luck, even as the LORD promised them, and as he sware unto them. And they were sore vexed.

and yet for all that they would not hearken unto their judges: But went a whoring after strange gods and bowed themselves unto them, and turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in obeying the commandments of the LORD, and did not so.

And when the LORD raised up judges unto them, the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hands of their enemies all the days of the judge: for the LORD had compassion over their sorrowings which they had by the reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.

Yet for all that, as soon as the judge was dead they turned and did worse than their fathers in following strange gods, and in serving them, and ceased not from their inventions nor from their malicious ways.

and that to prove Israel through them whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk therein as their fathers did or not."

Those remained to prove Israel by, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

they took the daughters of them to be their wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

And then the children of Israel went to again, and committed wickedness in the sight of the LORD. And then the LORD hardened Eglon the king of the Moabites, against the children of Israel, because they had committed wickedness before the LORD.

And then they cried unto the LORD. And the LORD stirred them up a saver, Ehud the son of Gera, the son of Jemini, a man that could do nothing handsomely with his right hand. And when the children of Israel sent a present by him unto Eglon the king of the Moabites,

and he himself turned back from the idols at Gilgal, and caused to say thus: "I have a secret thing to tell thee, O king." And the king commanded to keep silence, and all they that stood about him went out from him.

When he was gone out, his servants came and looked. And behold, the doors of the parlor were locked. And they said, "Ah, he is doing of his easement in his summer chamber."

And when they had tarried till they were ashamed, for no man did the doors of the parlor open: then they took a key and opened them. And behold, their lord was fallen down dead upon the earth.

But Ehud escaped while they tarried, and was gone beyond the idols and escaped into Seirah.

And he said unto them, "Follow me: for the LORD hath delivered your enemies, the Moabites into your hands." And they descended after him and took the passages of Jordan from the Moabites, and suffered not a man to pass over.

And they slew of the Moabites, the same time, upon a ten thousand men, all nobles, and men of might: that there escaped not a man,

And the hand of the children of Israel prospered and was sore upon Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had brought him to nought.

In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath and in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied. And they that walked by paths, went by ways that set compasses about.

"God chose new fashions of war, for when they had war at their gates: there was not seen, among forty thousand, either shield or spear in Israel.

Now the archers did cry, where men draw water; there shall they tell of the justice of the LORD, and of the justice of his uplandish folk in Israel. And then the people of the LORD went down unto the gates.

"Then they that had escaped, reigned over the proudest of the people. The LORD reigneth over the strong.

Kings came and fought. Then fought the king of Canaan at Taanach, upon the water of Megiddo. But the silver that they coveted, they carried not away.

Then they mauled the horses' legs, that their mighty coursers left prancing.

'Curse Meroz,' bade the angel of the LORD, 'Curse, Curse the inhabiters thereof because they came not forth to help the LORD, to help the LORD among the mighty.'

'Haply, they have found, and divide, the spoil. A maid, yea two maids for a piece: a spoil of divers colours for Sisera, a spoil of divers colours with broidered works, divers coloured broidered works for the neck for a prey.'

So, perish all thine enemies LORD: but they that love thee, let them be as the sun rising in his might!" And the land had rest forty years.

For when Israel had sown then came the Midianites, the Amalekites, and they of the east country upon them and pitched their tents against them,

for they came with their cattle and households even as grasshoppers in multitude: so that both they and also their camels were without number. And they entered the land to destroy it.

But then the LORD said unto him, "I will be with thee: and thou shalt smite the Midianites, as they were but one man."

And they said one to another, "Who hath done this thing?" And they enquired and asked. And it was told them that Gideon the son of Joash had done it.

When all the Midianites, the Amalekites and they of the east were gathered together and had gone and pitched in the valley of Jezreel,

And they took victuals with them for the folk, and their trumpets. And he sent all the rest of Israel, every man unto his tent, and kept the three hundred with him. And the host of Midian was beneath him in a valley.

and hearken what they say, and so shall thine hands be strong, and then thou shalt go down unto the host." Then he went down with Phurah his lad, even hard unto the men of arms that were in the host.

And the Midianites, the Amalekites, and all they of the east, lay along in the valley, like unto grasshoppers in multitude, and their camels were without number, even as the sand by the seaside in multitude.

And so Gideon, and the three hundred men that were with him, came unto the side of the host in the beginning of the middle watch, and raised up the watchmen. And they blew with their trumpets and brake the pitchers that were in their hands.

And all three companies blew with trumpets and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right, to blow with all. And they cried, "The sword of the LORD and of Gideon!"

And they stood still, every man in his place round about the host. And all the host ran and cried and fled.

And as the three hundred blew with trumpets, the LORD set every man's sword upon his neighbour, throughout all the host. And the host fled until they came to Bethshittah, to Zererah, and to the edge of Abelmeholah beside Tabbath.

And they took two captains of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb, and slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb at the press Zeeb and followed after Midian. And brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.

And the men of Ephraim said unto him, "Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledest us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites?" And they chode with him a good.

And he said unto the men of Succoth, "Give I pray you cakes of bread unto the people that follow me: for they be fainty, that I may follow after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian."

Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor and their hosts with them, upon a fifteen thousand, which were all that were left of all the hosts of them of the east. And they that were slain were a hundred and twenty thousand men that drew swords.

And then said unto Zebah and Zalmunna, "What manner men were they which ye slew at Tabor?" And they answered, "The likeness of thee and them is all one, even after the fashion of the children of a king."

And he said, "They were my brethren, even my mother's children. And as truly as the LORD liveth, if ye had saved their lives, I would not slay you."

Neverthelater, Gideon said unto them, "I would desire a certain request of you: even that you would give me, every man, the earrings of his prey." For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.

And they said, "We will do it." And they spread a mantle and did cast thereinto every man the earrings of his prey.

Thus were the Midianites brought low before the children of Israel, so that they lift up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon.

Neither showed they mercy on the house of Jerubbaal, otherwise called Gideon, according to all the goodness which he showed them.