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."

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.

Describe ye the land therefore into seven parts, and bring the description to me hither, that I may cast lots for you here before the LORD our God.

And the men arose and went their way. And Joshua charged them that went to describe the land saying, "Hence, and go through the land and describe it, and come again to me hither: and I will cast lots for you before the LORD in Shiloh."

and went from thence to the south side of Luz, otherwise called Bethel: and descended to Atarothaddar upon the hill that lieth on the south side of the nether Bethhoron.

And the west coast draweth and compasseth southward, even from the hill that lieth before Bethhoron, and goeth out at Kiriathbaal which is Kiriathjearim, a city of the children of Judah: and this is the west quarter.

and cometh down to the edge of the hill that lieth before the valley of the son of Hinnom which is in the valley of Rephaim northward, and descendeth through the valley of Hinnom unto the side of Jebusi southward and goeth down to the well of Rogel.

And compasseth from the north and goeth forth to Enshemesh and to the coasts that lie before the going up unto Adummim; and goeth down to the stone of Bohan the son of Ruben;

And thereto all the villages that lie round about these cities, even unto Baalathbeer and Ramah, southward. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon in their kindreds.

and went up to the sea and to Mareal, and touched at Dabbesheth, and met at the river that lieth before Jokneam;

Mejarkon and Rakkon with the country that lieth before Joppa.

that the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly, may flee thither. And those cities shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.

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 he shall dwell in the said city until he stand before the congregation in judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days. And then shall the slayer return and come unto his own city and unto his own house, and unto the city from whence he fled.'"

These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and to the strangers that Sojourned among them that whosoever killed any person ignorantly, the same might flee thither and should not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.

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 the kindreds of the children of Kohath that were Levities - that is to say the other children of Kohath - had the cities of their lot, out of the tribe of Ephraim.

So that all the cities which were given unto the kindreds of the other children of Kohath, were ten with their suburbs.

So that all the cities of the Gershonites in their kindreds were thirteen with their Suburbs.

so that all the cities of the children of Merari in their kindreds, which were the rest of the kindreds of the Levites, were by their lot, twelve cities.

And all the cities that the Levites had in the possession of the children of Israel were forty eight with their suburbs.

And the LORD gave the rest round about according to all that he sware unto their fathers. So that there stood not a man of all their enemies before them. But the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hands.

and said unto them, "Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you:

But in any wise take exceeding good heed that ye do the commandment and law which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you: which is, that ye love the LORD your God, and walk in his ways and keep his commandments, and cleave unto him, and serve him with all your hearts and all your souls."

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.

"Thus say the whole congregation of the LORD: 'What transgression is this that ye have transgressed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from after the LORD and to build you an altar for to rebel this day against the LORD?

But that ye also should turn away this day from following the LORD: ye shall rebel today against the LORD, and tomorrow he shall be wroth with all the congregation.

Did not Achan the son of Zerah trespass in the excommunicate things, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel, so that he alone perished not for his wickedness?'"

Saying, 'That the LORD hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Ruben and of Gad: ye have no part therefore in the LORD.' And so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the LORD.

but it shall be a witness between us and you and our generations after us, that we should serve the LORD, with our offerings, sacrifices and peace offerings: and that your children should not say to ours in time to come: ye have no part in the LORD.'

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.'

God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD and that we should turn this day from after him, and build an altar for burnt offerings nor sacrifices, save the altar of the LORD our God that is before his tabernacle."

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 Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Ruben, of Gad and of Manasseh, "This day we perceive that the LORD is among us, because ye have not done this trespass against the LORD. Now have ye delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD."

And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed, because it is a witness between us, that the LORD is God.

And it came to pass, a long season after that the LORD had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old and was stricken in years.

And ye have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto all these nations before your faces: for the LORD your God he fought for you.

Behold, I have appointed these nations that remain to be the inheritance of your tribes: even from Jordan, and all the nations that I have destroyed, even unto the great sea.

Be, therefore, exceeding strong that ye take heed to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye bow not aside therefrom, to the righthand or to the left:

and that ye go not unto these nations that remain with you: and that ye neither make mention or swear by the names of their gods, and that ye neither serve them nor bow yourselves unto them.

But that ye stick fast unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto this day.

Take good heed therefore unto your souls, that ye love the LORD your God.

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.

Behold, I walk this day, by the way of all the world: call ye to mind in all your hearts and in all your souls, that nothing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD your God promised you. All are come to pass, and nothing hath failed thereof.

Then I sent Moses and Aaron. And I plagued Egypt, after the manner as I did among them, and after that I brought you out,

But if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, then choose you this day, whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served, that were on the other side of the water, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land, ye dwelt. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

And the people answered and said, "God forbid that we should forsake the LORD and serve strange gods.

For the LORD our God, he it is that brought us and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, the house of bondage, and which did those miracles in our sight, and preserved us in all the way we went and among all the nations which we came through.

But when ye have forsaken the LORD and have served strange gods, he will turn and do you evil and consume you, after that he hath done you good."

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."

And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone and pitched it on end in the said place, even under an oak that stood in the sanctuary of the LORD.

And after these things, the time came that Joshua the son of Nun and the servant of the LORD died being a hundredth and ten years old.

And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had seen all the works of the LORD that he had done to Israel.

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 after that, the children of Judah went even to fight against the Cananites that dwelt in the mountain, in the south, and in the low country.

And Judah went unto the Cananites that dwelt in Hebron, which before time was called Kiriatharba. And slew Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai.

And Caleb said, "He that smiteth Kiriathsepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife."

And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law, went up out of the city of palm trees, with the children of Judah, into the wilderness of Judah that lieth in the South of Arad, and dwelt among the people.

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 the children of Benjamin did not cast out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem, but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day.

In like manner Ephraim expelled not the Cananites that dwelt in Gezer, but the Cananites dwelt still in Gezer among them.

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.

And the angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, "I brought you out of Egypt and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers. And I said that I would never break my covenant with you,

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."

And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, and had seen all the great works of the LORD that he did to Israel.

And even so, all that generation were put unto their fathers. And there arose another generation after them which neither knew the LORD, nor yet the works which he did unto Israel.

and forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed strange gods, even of the gods of the nations that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and angered the LORD.

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.

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."

he left the five lords of the Philistines, and all the Cananites, the Sidonians, the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon: even from mount Baalhermon unto Hamath.

Therefore the LORD was angry with Israel and delivered them into the hands of Cushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia. So that the children of Israel served Cushanrishathaim eight years.

And the spirit of the LORD came upon him. And he judged Israel, and went out to war. And the LORD sold Cushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. So that his hand was mighty over Cushanrishathaim.

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 when he had delivered the present, he let the people go that had carried the present,

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.

so that the hilt went in also, and the fat closed upon the hilt: for he drew not the dagger out of his belly. And filthiness departed from him.

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 so the Moabites were subdued that day, under the hands of Israel: and the land had rest eighty years.

And the LORD sold them into the hands of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor, whose captain of war was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the gentiles.

And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam, out of Kadesh in Naphtali, and said unto him, "The LORD God of Israel commandeth thee, that thou go and draw to mount Tabor and take with thee ten thousand men, of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun.

And then it was showed unto Sisera how that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor.

And Sisera called for all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and for all the people that he had, from Harosheth of the gentiles unto the river of Kishon.

But Barak followed after the chariots and after the host, even unto Harosheth of the gentiles. And all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword, that there was not a man left.

And so God brought Jabin the king of Canaan into subjection that day, before the children of Israel.

"Praise the LORD in them that were willing, while others sat still in Israel.

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.

Mine heart loveth the maintainers of the law in Israel, that are willing among the people.

Bless the LORD, ye that ride on goodly asses and sit in judgment. And ye that walk by the ways, make ditties.

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

Ephraim was the first against Amalek, and after them Benjamin, among the people. Of Machir came learned men in the law, and of Zebulun that well could draw with the pen of a scribe.

But Zebulun is a people that put their lives in jeopardy of death, and Naphtali in like manner, even unto the top of the fields.

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.

The river of Kishon caught them away: that ancient river, the river Kishon. My soul, tread thou the mighty underfoot.

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

Through a window looked Sisera's mother and howled through a lattice, 'Why abideth his chariot so long, that it cometh not? Why tarry the wheels of his wagons?'