Book of Joshua

In the Vulgate, Liber Josue ; in Hebrew, simply Y^ehošua'‘ ; in the Septuagint, Άησοΰζ Ναυή (instead of Nun.) or Άησοΰζ υίòς Ναυή: these are the various titles of the book in the original text and in the main versions.

These titles have been extracted from the subject matter, which they summarize very accurately. Not that the text contains, strictly speaking, a biography of the valiant warrior who had the honor of succeeding Moses as leader of the Hebrew people and of fully introducing the Israelites into the Promised Land; but Joshua is in fact the hero, and the book opens at the very moment of the son of Nun's accession to power, only to end immediately after his death. Preparations for the conquest of the land of Canaan, the conquest itself amidst dazzling miracles, the division of the Holy Land among the tribes of Israel, and then Joshua's last words and last breath: this, in brief, is the content of this sixth book of the Bible. "Arise, cross this Jordan, you and all these people, to enter the land that I am giving to the children of Israel." (Josh. 1:2) "Be strong and courageous, for you will lead these people to possess the land I swore to their ancestors to give them." (Joshua 1:6). These opening lines of the work provide a fairly complete summary.

The few dates indicated (Jos. 4, 19; 5, 6; 11, 18; 14, 7-10; 23, 1, 31) seem to require, for the events recounted, a period of about fifty years.

Two parts, followed by an appendix. The first part is entirely historical; the second, although also historical in form, is geographical and somewhat legislative in substance.

Part One: The Conquest of the Promised Land, 1, 1-12, 24. – Two sections: 1° Preparations for the war holy, 1, 1-5, 12; 2° successive and rapid triumphs of the Hebrews, which make them masters of the whole country, 5, 13-12, 24.

Part Two: The division of the Holy Land after the conquest, 13,1-22, 34.- Two sections as well: 1° brief mention of the division previously carried out by Moses east of the Jordan, 13, 1-33; 2° division of the West Bank districts, recently conquered, 14, 1-22, 34.

The last words and deeds of Joshua, 23:1-24:33.

The ancient Jewish writers and the Fathers attribute to Joshua himself the composition of the book that bears his name, and this tradition is based on two biblical passages, both of which have great authority. Josh. 24:26: Joshua also wrote all these things in the book of the law of the Lord; Ecclesiasticus (46:1): Jesus, son of Nahwa, successor of Moses among the prophets (The Greek reads: ἐν προφητείαις, "in the prophecies" or better: "in the prophetic books," as is evident from the prologue of Ecclesiasticus).

Several intrinsic reasons corroborate this traditional view: the use of the first-person plural in three places in the Hebrew text (4:23 and 5:1: '‘obrênu, literally, "the passing away from us," instead of the transiretis Or transit of the Vulgate; 5, 6: "to us," instead of eis); the example of Moses, which was to excite Joshua, his disciple and successor, to recount in turn the important facts of theocratic history in which he had been involved; the multiple passages in the book which reveal the eyewitness (topographical notes, Joshua's intimate relations with God, etc.).

It is true that some episodes have been cited as being more recent than Joshua's time, including Caleb's capture of Hebron (Josh. 15:13-20), the Jebusites' cohabitation in Jerusalem with members of the tribe of Judah (Josh. 15:63), and the Danites' conquest of Leshem (Josh. 19:47): episodes that are sometimes dated back to the time of the Judges, according to Judges 1:10-15; 1:8; 18:7. But it is by no means certain that these incidents do not date from Joshua's time. Or they may have been added, like the account of his death (Josh. 24:29-33), by one of the "elders" who survived him (cf. 24:31), without this calling into question the authenticity or integrity of the book.

The famous theory of the Hexateuch, which connects the pages of the Book of Joshua to the Pentateuch as a "sixth volume," and which also explains its origin by documents added and reworked at different times, does not seem to us to rest on solid foundations. The unity and independence of this text are evident at every turn. Obviously, it is not without some resemblance to the Pentateuch, given that it dates from roughly the same period; but it shows a real originality in both content and form ("The author (of the book of Joshua) assumes the book of the Law is closed, Josh. 8, 31; 23, 6; he reproduces the division of the land east of the Jordan, 13, and the enumeration of the cities of refuge, 20, which were already read in Num. 32, Deut. 4; he is free from a number of archaisms that are observed in the writings of Moses; he has a particular pronunciation for several words, etc… These details testify to his independence.

The purpose of the book of Joshua From an outward standpoint, it consists of continuing the narrative of Israel's history; but even more so, it aims to demonstrate, through this narrative, the Lord's admirable faithfulness to his people. God has admirably kept all his promises, and he has miraculously brought the Hebrews into the land he had so long ago given to their ancestors as an anticipated inheritance: everything that tends to demonstrate this thesis is emphasized; the rest is passed over in silence. As a practical consequence for the people, this necessitates perfect obedience to all of God's precepts.

But the book of Joshua has yet another purpose, far greater than the previous one, though less direct: it is to present us in its hero a remarkable type of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The name of Joshua, Y^ehošua'‘, «God’s salvation» is almost identical to that of Jesus, Yeshua'‘. Cf. Num. 13:16; 14:6, 30. Likewise, the Septuagint and various passages of the Vulgate establish no difference in their reproduction of it (Ecclesiasticus Nawi, Ecclesiasticus 46:1; cf. Acts 7:45; Hebrews 4:8, etc.). The work of Joshua, that is, the conquest and division of the Promised Land, symbolizes that of Jesus Christ, victor over the world and the devil, and our guide into the mystical Palestine of the Church and heaven.

5° Works to consult. — In antiquity, the Questions in Joshua by Théodoret; in modern times, Corneille de la Pierre and Dom Augustin Calmet.

Joshua 1

¹ After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, the Lord spoke to Joshua, son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying: ² «Moses, my servant, is dead; now arise, cross this Jordan, you and all these people, into the land that I am giving to the children of Israel. ³ Every place where you set the sole of your foot, I have given to you, as I said to Moses. ⁴ From the desert and from this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites and as far as the great sea towards the setting sun, all this shall be your territory. ⁵ No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. ⁶ Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. ⁷ Only be strong and courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may be successful in everything you do. ⁸ This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, being careful to do according to all that is written in it, for then you shall prosper in your ways and be successful. ⁹ Have I not commanded you: Be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or fearful, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.» ¹⁰ Joshua gave this order to the officers of the people: ¹¹ «Go through the camp and give this command to the people: Prepare your provisions, for in three days you will cross this Jordan to go and occupy the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.» ¹² And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua spoke thus: ¹³ «Remember what Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded you, saying: The Lord your God has given you rest and given you this land. ¹⁴ Your wives, your grandchildren, and your flocks will remain in the land that Moses gave you beyond the Jordan, but you will cross over armed before your brothers, all you strong and valiant men, and you will help them., ¹⁵ until the Lord has given rest to your brothers as well as to you, and until they too possess the land the Lord your God is giving them. Then you may return to your own land and possess it, the land Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan, toward the rising sun.» ¹⁶ They answered Joshua, saying, «All that you have commanded us, we will do, and wherever you send us, we will go. ¹⁷ Just as we obeyed Moses in everything, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you, as he was with Moses. ¹⁸ Anyone who rebels against your commands and does not obey everything you tell them will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous.»

Joshua 2

¹ Joshua, son of Nun, secretly sent two spies from Setim, telling them, "Go, spy out the land and Jericho." So they set out and arrived at the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. ² The king of Jericho was told, saying, «Behold, some men from among the children of Israel came here by night to spy out the land.» ³ The king of Jericho sent word to Rahab: «Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, for they came to spy out the whole land.» ⁴ The woman took the two men and, having hidden them, she said: «It is true that these men came to my house, but I did not know where they came from, ⁵ And as the city gate was about to be closed that evening, they went out. I don't know where they went; hurry and pursue them, for you will surely overtake them.» ⁶ But she had made them climb onto the roof and hidden them under flax stalks, which she had arranged on the roof. ⁷ These people pursued them along the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as those who pursued them had left, the gate was shut. ⁸ Before the spies went to bed, Rahab went up to them on the roof and said: ⁹ «I know that the Lord has given you this land, and terror of your name has seized us, and all the inhabitants of the land are fainting before you. ¹⁰ For we have heard how the Lord, when you came out of Egypt, dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you, and how you treated the two kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. ¹¹ And when we heard this, our hearts melted, and everyone lost heart at your approach, for it is the Lord your God who is God in heaven above and on earth below. ¹² Now, I beg you, swear to me by the Lord that you will show my father's house the same kindness I have shown you, and give me a sure pledge. ¹³ that you will spare the lives of my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all their relatives, and that you will save us from death.» ¹⁴ These men replied, "We would die for you if you did not reveal our affair. And when the Lord gives us this land, we will act toward you with kindness and faithfulness."« ¹⁵ She lowered them with a rope through the window, for her house was against the city wall and she lived on the wall. ¹⁶ She told them, "Go to the mountain, lest those who are pursuing you find you, and hide there for three days, until they return, after which you may continue on your way."« ¹⁷ These men said to him, "This is how we will fulfill the oath you made us swear: ¹⁸ When we enter the country, tie this scarlet cord to the window through which you let us down, and gather to yourself in your house your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s family. ¹⁹ If any of them leaves the door of your house to go outside, his blood will be on his own head and we will be innocent, but if anyone lays a hand on any of those who are with you in the house, his blood will be on our heads. ²⁰ And if you divulge our case, we will be released from the oath you made us swear.» ²¹ She replied, "Let it be as you say." Then she dismissed them and they left, and she tied the scarlet cord to the window. ²² The spies, having left, came to the mountain and stayed there for three days, until their pursuers returned to Jericho. Their pursuers had searched for them all along the way, without finding them. ²³ The two men returned and, having come down from the mountain, they crossed the Jordan. They came to Joshua, son of Nun, and told him everything that had happened to them. ²⁴ They said to Joshua, «Surely the Lord has given the whole land into our hands, and all the inhabitants of the land are faltering before us.»

Joshua 3

¹ Joshua, having risen early in the morning, departed from Setim, he and all the children of Israel, arriving at the Jordan, they paused before crossing it. ² After three days, the officers toured the camp, ³ and gave this order to the people: «When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests, leave the place where you are encamped and follow it, ⁴  But let there be between you and it a distance of about two thousand cubits; do not approach it, so that you may know the way you should go, for you have never traveled this way before.» ⁵ And Joshua said to the people, «Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will perform wonders among you.» ⁶ Then Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, «Take up the ark of the covenant and go on ahead of the people.» So they took up the ark of the covenant and went on ahead of the people. ⁷ The Lord said to Joshua, «Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so that they may know that I will be with you as I was with Moses. ⁸ »You, give this order to the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: When you reach the banks of the Jordan, you shall stand in the Jordan.” ⁹ Joshua said to the children of Israel, «Come near and listen to the words of the Lord your God.» ¹⁰ And Joshua said, «By this you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Gergesites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. ¹¹ Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will pass before you into the Jordan. ¹² Now, take twelve men from among the tribes of Israel, one man from each tribe. ¹³ And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, set the soles of their feet in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan that flow down from upstream will be cut off and will stand still in a heap.» ¹⁴ When the people had come out of their tents to cross the Jordan, the priests who carried the ark of the covenant walked before the people. ¹⁵ When the bearers of the ark arrived at the Jordan and the feet of the priests who carried the ark dipped into the water's edge, for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the harvest season, 16 then the waters that come down from upstream stopped, they rose up in a heap a very great distance away, near the city of Adom, which is beside Sartan, and those that go down to the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off, and the people crossed over opposite Jericho. ¹⁷ The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on the dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan.

Joshua 4

¹ When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua: ² «Take twelve men from among the people, one man from each tribe” ³ And give them this order: From this place, from the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests stood firm, take twelve stones, carry them with you, and place them in the place where you will camp tonight.» ⁴ Joshua called the twelve men he had chosen from among the children of Israel, one man from each tribe, ⁵ And he said to them, «Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on your shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, ⁶ so that it may be a sign in your midst. When your children ask you one day: What do these stones mean to you? ⁷ You shall tell them: »The waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord when it crossed the Jordan; the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be a memorial forever for the children of Israel.” ⁸ The children of Israel did as Joshua had commanded. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, as the Lord had told Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them with them to the place where they were to spend the night, and they placed them there. ⁹ Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, at the place where the feet of the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood, and they have remained there to this day. ¹⁰ The priests who carried the ark stood in the middle of the Jordan until everything the Lord had commanded Joshua to tell the people had been completed, according to all that Moses had prescribed to Joshua, and the people hastened to cross over. ¹¹ When all the people had finished crossing, the ark of the Lord and the priests passed before the people. ¹² The sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses had told them. ¹³ About forty thousand men, armed for battle, passed before the Lord on the plains of Jericho. ¹⁴ On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they feared him, just as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life. ¹⁵ The Lord spoke to Joshua, saying: ¹⁶ «"Command the priests who carry the ark of the testimony to come out of the Jordan."» ¹⁷ And Joshua gave this order to the priests: «Come out of the Jordan.» ¹⁸ When the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord came out of the middle of the Jordan and the sole of their foot touched dry ground, the waters of the river returned to their place and flowed out as before over all its banks. ¹⁹ The people came out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month and they camped at Gilgal on the eastern edge of the territory of Jericho. ²⁰ Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan, ²¹ And he said to the children of Israel, «When your children ask their fathers in time to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’” ²² You shall instruct your children, saying: Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground. ²³ For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, just as the Lord your God had done to the Red Sea, which he dried up before us until we had crossed over: ²⁴ so that all the peoples of the earth may learn that the hand of the Lord is mighty, and so that you may always fear the Lord your God.»

Joshua 5

¹ When all the kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan to the west and all the kings of the Canaanites by the sea heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the children of Israel until we had crossed over, their hearts melted and they lost all courage before the children of Israel. ² At that time, the Lord said to Joshua, «Make stone knives and circumcise the Israelites a second time.» ³ Joshua made knives of stone and circumcised the children of Israel on the hill of Aralot. ⁴ This is the reason why Joshua circumcised them. All the people who came out of Egypt, the males, all the fighting men, had died in the desert, on the way, after they had come out of Egypt. ⁵ For all the people who came out were circumcised, but all the people born in the desert, on the way, after the exodus from Egypt, had not been circumcised. ⁶ For the children of Israel wandered for forty years in the wilderness until the whole nation had perished, namely the men of war who had come out of Egypt and had not listened to the voice of the Lord, and to whom the Lord had sworn not to let them see the land which he had promised on oath to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. ⁷ He established their children in their place, and it was these whom Joshua circumcised, for they were uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way. ⁸ When the circumcision of the entire nation had been completed, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed. ⁹ And the Lord said to Joshua, «Today I have removed from you the disgrace of Egypt.» And that place was called Gilgal to this day. ¹⁰ The children of Israel camped at Gilgal and they celebrated the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month, at evening, in the plains of Jericho. ¹¹ They ate the day after Passover, some of the produce of the land, unleavened bread and roasted grain, on that very day. ¹² And the manna ceased the day after the Passover, when they ate of the produce of the land; the children of Israel had no more manna and that year they ate of the produce of the land of Canaan. ¹³ As Joshua approached Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing before him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and said, «Are you for us, or for our enemies?» ¹⁴ He replied, "No, but I have come now as commander of the Lord's army." Joshua fell facedown to the ground, prostrated himself, and said to him, "What does my lord say to his servant?"« ¹⁵ And the commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, «Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.» And Joshua did so.

Joshua 6

¹ Jericho was closed and completely shut up because of the children of Israel; no one left it and no one entered it. ² The Lord said to Joshua, «See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its mighty men. ³ March around the city, all of you, men of war, go around the city once, you will do this for six days. ⁴ Seven priests shall carry seven trumpets of sound before the ark, and on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall sound the trumpets. ⁵ When they sound the long blast of the horn and you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people will shout and the city wall will collapse, then the people will go up, each straight ahead.» ⁶ Joshua, son of Nun, having summoned the priests, said to them, «Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests carry seven trumpets of rams» horns before the ark of the Lord.” ⁷ He said to the people, «Go through, march around the city, and let the armed men pass before the ark of the Lord.» ⁸ When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests who carried the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the Lord passed by and blew the trumpets, and the ark of the covenant of the Lord came forward behind them. ⁹ The armed men marched in front of the priests who sounded trumpets, and the rearguard followed the ark; trumpets were sounded during the march. ¹⁰ Joshua had given this order to the people: «You shall not shout, you shall not raise your voice, and no word shall come out of your mouth, until the day I tell you: Shout! Then you shall shout.» ¹¹ The Lord's ark advanced around the city and circled it once, then they returned to the camp, where they spent the night. ¹² Joshua got up the next day and the priests carried the ark of the Lord. ¹³ The seven priests who carried the seven trumpets before the ark of the Lord set out and blew their trumpets. The armed men marched in front of them, and the rearguard followed the ark of the Lord; as they marched, trumpets were blown. ¹⁴ On the second day, they walked once around the city and returned to the camp. They did the same for six days. ¹⁵ On the seventh day, they got up as dawn was breaking and walked around the city seven times in the same way; on that day alone they walked around the city seven times. ¹⁶ On the seventh occasion, as the priests sounded the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, «Shout, for the Lord has given you the city. ¹⁷ The city will be devoted to the Lord by anathema, it and everything in it, only Rahab the prostitute will live, she and all those who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers we had sent. ¹⁸ But beware of what is devoted under curse, lest, by taking something of what you have devoted under curse, you make the camp of Israel under curse and cause confusion there. ¹⁹ All the silver and gold, all the articles of bronze and iron, shall be consecrated to the Lord and shall go into the treasury of the Lord.» ²⁰ The people shouted, and the priests sounded trumpets. And when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, they gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed, and the people went up into the city, each man straight ahead. Having taken the city, ²¹ They gave over to destruction everything that was in the city, men and women, children and old people, even oxen, sheep and donkeys, by the edge of the sword. ²² Joshua said to the two men who had explored the land, «Go into the house of the prostitute and bring out the woman and all her servants, as you swore to her.» ²³ The young men, the spies, went in and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers and all those who belonged to her; they brought out all the people of her family and put them out of the camp of Israel. ²⁴ The children of Israel burned the city and everything in it, except the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron, which they deposited in the treasury of the house of the Lord. ²⁵ Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, her father’s house, and all who belonged to her, and she has lived in the midst of Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers sent by Joshua to explore Jericho. ²⁶ At that time Joshua swore, saying, «Cursed before the Lord be the man who rises up and rebuilds this city of Jericho. At the cost of his firstborn son he shall lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest son he shall raise up its gates.» ²⁷ The Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.

Joshua 7

¹ The children of Israel committed an act of unfaithfulness concerning the curse. Achan, son of Sharmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zereh, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel. ² Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-Aven, east of Bethel, and told them, «Go up and explore the land.» So these men went up and explored Ai. ³ Returning to Joshua, they said to him, «Do not let the whole army go up. Two thousand or three thousand men need only go up and they will defeat Ai. Do not tire all the army out for this city, for its inhabitants are few.» ⁴ About three thousand men of the people went up there, but they fled before the men of Hai. ⁵ The people of Hai killed about thirty-six of them, they chased them from the gate to Sabarim and defeated them on the descent. And the hearts of the people melted and they lost all courage. ⁶ Joshua tore his clothes and bowed down with his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel, and they threw dust on their heads. ⁷ Joshua said, «Ah, Lord God, why did you bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? Why did we not stay on the other side of the Jordan?”. ⁸ Lord, what shall I say, after Israel has turned its back on its enemies? ⁹ The Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear about it, they will surround us and wipe our name from the earth. And what will you do for your great name?» ¹⁰ The Lord said to Joshua, «Get up. Why have you fallen face down like this?” ¹¹ Israel has sinned, even transgressing my covenant which I commanded them to observe, even taking things devoted to anathema, stealing them, lying and hiding them in their baggage. ¹² Therefore, the children of Israel cannot stand before their enemies, but they turn their backs on them, for they have become accursed. I will no longer be with you unless you remove the accursed from among you. ¹³ Arise, consecrate the people and say to them: Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: There is a curse in your midst, Israel, you will not be able to stand before your enemies, until you have removed the curse from among you. ¹⁴ You will approach in the morning according to your tribes, and the tribe that the Lord has taken will approach by families, and the family that the Lord has taken will approach by houses, and the house that the Lord has taken will approach by heads. ¹⁵ "Whoever is seized as having been afflicted by the curse will be consumed by fire, he and all that belongs to him, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord and committed an outrage in Israel."» ¹⁶ The next day, Joshua got up early in the morning and brought Israel near according to their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was captured. ¹⁷ He summoned the families of Judah, and the family of Zareh was captured. He summoned the family of Zareh, house by house, and Zabdi was captured. ¹⁸ He brought the house of Zabdi near by the head, and Achan, son of Sharmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zereh, of the tribe of Judah, was captured. ¹⁹ Joshua said to Achan, «My son, I pray you, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and pay him homage. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.» ²⁰ Achan answered Joshua and said, «It is true, I am the one who has sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I have done: ²¹ Among the spoils I saw a fine Sennacheri robe, two hundred shekels of silver, and a gold ingot weighing fifty shekels. I coveted them and took them; they are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.» ²² Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent and behold, the objects were hidden in the tent of Achan and the silver was underneath. ²³ Having taken them from the middle of the tent, they brought them to Joshua and to all the children of Israel and laid them before the Lord. ²⁴ Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan, son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the ingot of gold, Achan's sons and daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and everything that belonged to him, and they brought them up into the valley of Achor. ²⁵ There Joshua said, «Why have you troubled us? The Lord will trouble you today.» And all Israel stoned him. They burned them with fire and stoned them. ²⁶ And they raised over Achan a great heap of stones, which remains to this day. And the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger. Because of this event, that place has been called the Valley of Achor to this day.

Joshua 8

¹ The Lord said to Joshua, «Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take all your fighting men with you, and go up against Ai. See, I have delivered into your hand the king of Ai and his people, his city and his territory.”. ² You shall treat Ai and its king as you treated Jericho and its king, only you shall plunder its spoils and its livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the city.» ³ Joshua arose with all the fighting men to go up against Ai. Joshua chose thirty thousand valiant men and sent them out by night. ⁴ He gave them this order: «Be on your guard: you will lie in ambush behind the city, but without going far from the city and all of you, be ready. ⁵ I and all the people who are with me will approach the city, and when they come out to meet us, as before, we will flee before them. ⁶ They will come out to pursue us until we have lured them away from the city, for they will say: They are fleeing from us, as before. And we will flee from them. ⁷ Then, coming out of the ambush, you will take possession of the city; the Lord your God will deliver it into your hands. ⁸ When you have taken the city, you will burn it down, you will act according to the word of the Lord. See: I have given you my orders.» ⁹ Joshua sent them out and they went to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, west of Ai. As for Joshua, he spent that night among the people. ¹⁰ Joshua got up early in the morning and, having reviewed the people, he and the elders of Israel went up at the head of the people against Ai. ¹¹ All the warriors who were with him went up and approached, and when they arrived opposite Hai, they camped north of the city, with the valley between them and Hai. ¹² Joshua took about five thousand men and ambushed them between Bethel and Hai, west of the city. ¹³ When the people had thus arranged the whole camp, which was north of the city, and its ambush to the west of the city, Joshua advanced during the night into the middle of the valley. ¹⁴ As soon as the king of Hai saw this, the men of the city rose up quickly early in the morning and went out to meet Israel to fight him. The king advanced with all his people towards the agreed place, opposite the plain, not knowing that there was an ambush set against him behind the city. ¹⁵ Joshua and all Israel allowed themselves to be defeated before them and they fled by way of the desert. ¹⁶ Then all the people who were in the city gathered together to pursue them; they pursued Joshua and were drawn away from the city. ¹⁷ Not a man remained in Hai and Bethel who did not go out to pursue Israel, leaving the city open, they pursued Israel. ¹⁸ The Lord said to Joshua, «Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I am going to give it into your power.» So Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city. ¹⁹ As soon as he had stretched out his hand, the men in the ambush rose hastily from where they were, ran and entered the city and occupied it and they hastened to set fire to the city. ²⁰ The men of Hai, looking behind them, saw the smoke of the city rising towards the sky and they could no longer escape in any direction, the people who were fleeing towards the desert turning against those who were pursuing them. ²¹ And Joshua and all Israel, seeing the city taken by the men of the ambush and the smoke of the city rising, turned back and defeated the men of Ai. ²² The others went out of the city to meet them, and the men of Ai found themselves surrounded by the Israelites, some on one side, others on the other. And the Israelites defeated them, leaving them neither survivor nor fugitive., ²³ They took the king of Hai alive and brought him to Joshua. ²⁴ When Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Hai in the countryside, in the desert, where they had pursued them, and all were put to the last man by the edge of the sword, all Israel returned to the city and put it to the edge of the sword. ²⁵ The total number of those who perished that day was twelve thousand, both men and women, all people from Hai. ²⁶ Joshua did not withdraw his hand, which he held out with the javelin, until he had pronounced anathema upon all the inhabitants of Hai. ²⁷ The Israelites took only the livestock and plunder from that city for themselves, according to the Lord’s command that he had given to Joshua. ²⁸ Joshua burned Hai and made it a heap of ruins forever, which still remains today. ²⁹ He had the king of Hai hanged from a tree and left him there until evening. At sunset, Joshua gave orders to take down his body from the tree, it was thrown at the entrance of the city gate, and a large heap of stones was raised over it, which remains to this day. ³⁰ Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Abal, ³¹ according to the command that Moses, the servant of the Lord, had given to the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of uncut stones, on which no iron had been used. They offered burnt offerings to the Lord and made peace offerings on it. ³² There Joshua wrote on the stones a copy of the law that Moses had written in the presence of the children of Israel. ³³ All Israel, its elders, its officers and its judges, stood on both sides of the ark, before the Levitical priests, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, the foreigners as well as the children of Israel, half on the side of Mount Gerizim, half on the side of Mount Ebal, according to the order that Moses, the servant of the Lord, had previously given to bless the people of Israel. ³⁴ Then Joshua read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to everything written in the book of the law. ³⁵ Not a word of all that Moses had prescribed that Joshua did not read in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, the women and children and the strangers who lived among them.

Joshua 9

¹ Upon hearing of these events, all the kings who were beyond the Jordan, in the hill country and in the lowlands and along the entire coast of the great sea, opposite the Lebanon, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites ² united to fight Joshua and Israel by common agreement. ³ The inhabitants of Gibeon, when they learned how Joshua had treated Jericho and Hai, ⁴ For their part, they resorted to cunning. They set off with travel provisions. They had taken old sacks on their donkeys and old, torn and mended wineskins, ⁵ They had old patched sandals on their feet and old clothes on them; all the bread they carried for food was dried out and in crumbs. ⁶ They went to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal and said to him and to all the men of Israel, «We have come from a distant land, and now make a treaty with us.» ⁷ The men of Israel answered these Hivites, «Perhaps you live among us; how could we make a treaty with you?» ⁸ They said to Joshua, "We are your servants." Joshua said to them, "Who are you and where do you come from?"« ⁹ They told him, «Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the name of the Lord your God, for we have heard about him and all that he did in Egypt, ¹⁰ and how he dealt with the two kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan, Sihon, king of Heshbon, and Og, king of Bashan, who lived in Astaroth. ¹¹ And our elders and all the inhabitants of our country told us: Take provisions with you for the journey, go to meet them and say to them: We are your servants and now make a covenant with us. ¹² This is our bread: it was hot when we stored it in our homes on the day we left to come to you, and now it is dried out and in crumbs. ¹³ These wineskins, which we filled brand new, are now torn, and our clothes and sandals are worn out from the long journey.» ¹⁴ The men of Israel took some of their provisions without consulting the Lord. ¹⁵ and Joshua granted them peace and concluded an alliance with them stipulating that their lives would be spared, and the princes of the assembly swore to them this. ¹⁶ Three days after the conclusion of the covenant, the children of Israel learned that they were their neighbors and that they lived in their midst. ¹⁷ So the children of Israel set out and arrived at their cities on the third day; their cities were Gibeon, Caphira, Beroth, and Cariathiarim. ¹⁸ They did not strike them with the sword, because of the oath that the princes of the assembly had sworn to them in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, but the whole assembly murmured against the princes. ¹⁹ Then all the princes said to the whole assembly, «We have sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them. ²⁰ This is how we will treat them: we will let them live, so as not to bring the Lord's anger upon us, in accordance with the oath we have sworn to them. ²¹ "Let them live then," the princes told them. They were employed in cutting wood and drawing water for the whole assembly, as the princes had told them. ²² Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them thus: «Why have you deceived us, saying: We are very far from you, while you dwell in our midst? ²³ Now you are cursed, and every one of you will be enslaved, cutting wood and drawing water for the house of my God.» ²⁴ They answered Joshua, saying, «It was because your servants were told of the command given by the Lord your God to Moses his servant, to give you the whole land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before you. And we were very afraid for our lives when we came to you, so we did this.”. ²⁵ Now we are in your hands; treat us as you see fit and justly.» ²⁶ Joshua acted towards them as he had said, he delivered them from the hand of the children of Israel, so that they would not put them to death. ²⁷ Joshua appointed them from that day forth to cut wood and draw water for the assembly and for the altar of the Lord, in the place that the Lord would choose: which they still do today.

Joshua 10

¹ Adonisedec, king of Jerusalem, learned that Joshua had captured Ai and devoted it to destruction, that he had treated Ai and its king as he had treated Jericho and its king, and that the inhabitants of Gibeon, having done peace with Israel, were in their midst. ² He was then very afraid, for Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, even larger than Hai, and all its men were valiant. ³ Adonisedek, king of Jerusalem, sent word to Oham, king of Hebron, to Pharam, king of Jerimoth, to Japhia, king of Lachish, and to Dabir, king of Eglon: ⁴ «Come up to me and come to my aid, so that we may strike Gibeon, for she has done peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.» ⁵ So five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jerimoth, the king of Lachish and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up with all their armies, they set up camp near Gibeon and besieged it. ⁶ The people of Gibeon sent word to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal: «Do not withhold your hand from your servants; come up quickly to us and deliver us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who live in the hill country have conspired against us.» ⁷ Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the fighting men with him and all the valiant warriors. ⁸ The Lord said to Joshua, «Do not be afraid of them, for I have given them into your hands, and not one of them will be able to stand against you.» ⁹ Joshua came upon them suddenly; he had come up from Gilgal all night. ¹⁰ And the Lord threw them into confusion before Israel, and Israel inflicted a great defeat upon them near Gibeon, and pursued them on the road which goes up to Beth-horon and defeated them as far as Azekah and Macedah. ¹¹ As they fled before Israel, on the descent from Beth-horon, the Lord caused large stones to fall on them from the sky as far as Azekah, and they died; those who died by the hailstones were more numerous than those who were killed by the sword of the children of Israel. ¹² Then Joshua spoke to the Lord on the day when the Lord delivered the Amorites into the hands of the Israelites, and he said in the sight of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the valley of Aijalon.”. ¹³ And the sun stood still and the moon remained motionless, until the nation had taken revenge on its enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? And the sun stood still in the middle of the sky and did not hasten to set for almost a whole day. ¹⁴ There was no day before or after like that, when the Lord obeyed the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel. ¹⁵ And Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal. ¹⁶ The five kings fled and hid in the cave at Maceda. ¹⁷ It was reported to Joshua, saying, "The five kings were found hiding in the cave at Macedah."« ¹⁸ Joshua said, «Roll large stones to the entrance of the cave and put men there to guard them. ¹⁹ »And you, do not stop, pursue your enemies and attack them from behind; do not let them enter their cities, for the Lord your God has delivered them into your hands.” ²⁰ When Joshua and the children of Israel had finished inflicting a very great defeat upon them, even exterminating them, those who were able to escape took refuge in the fortified cities, ²¹ All the people returned peacefully to the camp, to Joshua, at Macedah, without anyone stirring their tongue against the children of Israel. ²² Joshua said, "Open the entrance to the cave, bring out these five kings of the cave, and bring them to me."« ²³ They did so and brought to him the five kings, whom they had brought out of the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jerimoth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. ²⁴ When they had brought these kings out before Joshua, Joshua called all the men of Israel and said to the commanders of the fighting men who had accompanied him, «Come forward and put your feet on the necks of these kings.» So they came forward and put their feet on their necks. ²⁵ And Joshua said to them, «Do not be afraid or discouraged; be strong and courageous, for this is how the Lord will deal with all your enemies against whom you are fighting.» ²⁶ After that Joshua struck them with the sword and killed them, he hung them on five trees and they remained hanging there until evening. ²⁷ Around sunset, Joshua brought them down from the trees, threw them into the cave where they had hidden, and placed large stones at the entrance of the cave, which have remained there to this very day. ²⁸ On the same day, Joshua captured Macedonia and struck it and its king with the edge of the sword, he devoted the city and all living beings in it to destruction, leaving no one alive, and he treated the king of Macedonia as he had treated the king of Jericho. ²⁹ Joshua and all Israel with him, passed from Macedonia to Lebna and attacked Lebna. ³⁰ The Lord also delivered it, with its king, into the hands of Israel, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and every living creature that was in it, leaving none to escape, and he treated its king as he had treated the king of Jericho. ³¹ Joshua and all Israel with him, passed from Lebnah to Lachish, he set up camp before it and attacked it. ³² And the Lord delivered Lachish into the hands of Israel, who took it on the second day and struck it with the edge of the sword, and all the living creatures that were in it, as he had done to Lebna. ³³ Then Horam, king of Gasher, went up to help Lachish, and Joshua defeated him and his people, leaving no one to escape. ³⁴ Joshua and all Israel with him, passed from Lachish to Eglon, they set up camp before it and attacked it. ³⁵ They took it that same day and struck it with the edge of the sword, all the living creatures that were in it, Joshua devoted them to anathema that day, according to all that he had done for Lachish. ³⁶ Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron and they attacked it. ³⁷ Having captured it, they struck it with the edge of the sword, its king, all the cities of its dependencies and all the living beings that were in them, leaving no one to escape, as Joshua had done to Eglon and he devoted it by anathema, with all the living beings that were in it. ³⁸ Joshua and all Israel with him turned towards Dabir and attacked him. ³⁹ He captured it, its king, and all its dependent cities, and they struck them with the edge of the sword and utterly destroyed every living thing in them, leaving no one alive. Joshua treated Dabir and its king as he had treated Hebron and as he had treated Lebna and its king. ⁴⁰ Joshua struck down the whole land: the Mountain, the Negev, the lowland and the hills, with all their kings, leaving no one to escape, devoting to anathema all that had life, as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded. ⁴¹ Joshua defeated them from Kadesh-Barneh to Gaza and all the land of Goshen as far as Gibeon. ⁴² Joshua took all these kings and all their land in one expedition, for the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel. ⁴³ Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal.

Joshua 11

¹ Jabin, king of Ashor, having learned of these things, sent a message to Jobab, king of Madon, to the king of Shemeron, to the king of Achsaph, ² to the kings who were in the north in the mountains and in the Arabah, south of the Cenereth, in the lowlands and on the heights of Dor in the west, ³ to the Canaanites of the east and west, to the Amorites, to the Hittites, to the Perizzites, to the Jebusites in the hill country and to the Hivites at the foot of Hermon in the land of Maspha. ⁴ They went out, they and all their armies with them, a people as numerous as the sand on the seashore, with a great multitude of horses and chariots. ⁵ All these kings gathered together and came to camp near the waters of Merom, to fight Israel. ⁶ The Lord said to Joshua, «Do not be afraid of them, for tomorrow at this time I will deliver them all up slain before Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots in the fire.» ⁷ Joshua and all the fighting men with him came to them suddenly, near the waters of Merom, and they rushed upon them. ⁸ The Lord delivered them into the hands of Israel, who defeated them and pursued them as far as Sidon the Great, as far as the waters of Maserepoth and as far as the Valley of Maspha to the east, he defeated them, leaving not one to escape. ⁹ Joshua treated them as the Lord had told him: he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots. ¹⁰ At that time Joshua returned and took Ashor and struck its king with the sword, for Ashor was formerly the capital of all these kingdoms. ¹¹ The children of Israel struck down with the edge of the sword all the living creatures that were in it, devoting them to anathema; nothing that had life remained, and Ashor was burned. ¹² Joshua took all the cities of these kings and all their kings and struck them with the edge of the sword, devoting them to anathema, as Moses, the servant of the Lord, had commanded. ¹³ But Israel did not burn any of the cities located on the hills, with the sole exception of Ashor, which Joshua burned. ¹⁴ And all the plunder of these cities and their livestock, the children of Israel plundered for themselves, but they struck all the men with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, leaving nothing that had life. ¹⁵ What the Lord had commanded Moses, his servant, Moses had commanded Joshua, and Joshua carried it out; he neglected nothing of what the Lord had commanded Moses. ¹⁶ Thus Joshua took possession of all this land, the mountain, all the Negev, all the district of Goshen, the lowland, the Arabah, the hill country of Israel and its plains, ¹⁷ from the bare mountain that rises towards Seir to Baal-Gad, in the valley of Lebanon, At the foot of Mount Hermon, he captured all their kings, struck them down, and put them to death. ¹⁸ For many days Joshua did the war against all these kings. ¹⁹ There was no city that did peace with the children of Israel, except the Hivites who lived in Gibeon, they took them all by force of arms. ²⁰ For it was the Lord's purpose that these peoples harden their hearts to do the war to Israel, so that Israel would devote them to anathema, without any mercy for them, and would destroy them, as the Lord had commanded Moses. ²¹ At the same time, Joshua set out and exterminated the Enacim from the Mountain, from Hebron, from Dabir and from Anab, from all the mountain of Judah and from all the mountain of Israel, Joshua devoted them to anathema with their cities. ²² No more Enacim remained in the land of the children of Israel, except in Gaza, Geth, and Azoth. ²³ Joshua took possession of the whole land, according to all that the Lord had said to Moses, and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel, in portions according to their tribes. And the land rested from the war.

Joshua 12

¹ These are the kings of the land whom the children of Israel defeated and whose land they occupied beyond the Jordan, toward the rising sun, from the Arnon Valley to Mount Hermon and all the Arabah east of the river: ² Sihon, king of the Amorites, residing in Hesebon. His dominion extended from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Arnon Valley, and from the middle of the valley, over half of Gilead, to the Jacob River, the border of the Ammonites., ³ on the Arabah, as far as the Sea of Cenereth to the east and on the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, to the east, towards Bethsimoth and on the south side at the foot of the slopes of Mount Phasgah. ⁴ Then the territory of Og, king of Bashan, from among the remnants of the Rephaim, residing in Astaroth and Edrai. ⁵ His dominion extended over Mount Hermon, over Saléha, over all Bashan as far as the border of the Gesurians and the Machaites, and as far as half of Gilead, the territory of Sihon, king of Hesebon. ⁶ Moses, the servant of the Lord, and the children of Israel defeated them, and Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave their land as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half of the tribe of Manasseh. ⁷ These are the kings whom Joshua and the children of Israel defeated on this side of the Jordan, to the west, from Baal-Gad, in the valley of the Lebanon, as far as the bare mountain that rises toward Seir. Joshua gave this land as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel according to their families, ⁸ in the mountains, in the lowlands, on the hillsides, in the desert and in the Negev: the land of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites. ⁹ These are: the king of Jericho, one, the king of Hai, near Bethel, one, ¹⁰ the king of Jerusalem, one, the king of Hebron, one, ¹¹ the king of Jerimoth, one, the king of Lachish, one,¹² the king of Eglon, one, the king of Gazer, one, ¹³ the king of Dabir, one, the king of Gader, one, ¹⁴ the king of Herma, one, the king of Hered, one, ¹⁵ the king of Lebna, one, the king of Odollam, one, ¹⁶ the king of Maceda, one, the king of Bethel, one, ¹⁷ the king of Taphna, one, the king of Opher, one, ¹⁸ the king of Aphec, one, the king of Lasaron, one, ¹⁹ the king of Madon, one, the king of Asor, one, ²⁰ the king of Shemeron, one, the king of Achsaph, one, ²¹ the king of Thanac, one, the king of Mageddo, one, ²² the king of Kadesh, one, the king of Jachanan, in Carmel, one, ²³ the king of Dor, on the heights of Dor, one, the king of Gojim, at Galgal, one, ²⁴ The king of Terah, one. In all, thirty-one kings.

Joshua 13

¹ Joshua was old, advanced in years, the Lord said to him, «You have grown old, you are advanced in years, and there is still a very large country to conquer. ² This is the remaining country: all the districts of the Philistines and all the territory of the Gessurians, ³ From the Shihor River, which flows east of Egypt, to the northern border of Acharon—a region considered Canaanite—the five Philistine princes: the prince of Gaza, the prince of Azoth, the prince of Ashkelon, the prince of Geth, and the prince of Acharon, the Hivites ⁴ to the south, all the land of the Canaanites and Ma'ara which belongs to the Sidonians, as far as Aphek, to the border of the Amorites, ⁵ the land of the Gebalites and all the Lebanon towards the rising sun, from Baal-Gad at the foot of Mount Hermon to the entrance of Hamath, ⁶ all the inhabitants of the mountain, since the Lebanon as far as the waters of Maserepoth, that is, all the Sidonians: I will drive them out from before the children of Israel. Only divide these lands by lot as an inheritance for Israel, as I have commanded. ⁷ And now divide this land as an inheritance among the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.» ⁸ With the other half, the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance, which Moses gave them on the other side of the Jordan, to the east, as Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave it to them: ⁹ from Aroër on the banks of the Arnon stream and from the town which is in the middle of the valley, the entire plain of Médaba as far as Dibon, ¹⁰ all the cities of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who reigned in Hezebon, as far as the border of the Ammonites, ¹¹ Gilead, the territory of the Geshurites and the Machatians, all Mount Hermon and all Bashan, as far as Salécha: ¹² The whole kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Astaroth and Edrai: this was the last remnant of the Rephaim. Moses defeated these kings and drove them out. ¹³ But the children of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites and the Machaites, and Geshur and Macha dwell in the midst of Israel to this day. ¹⁴ The tribe of Levi was the only one to which Moses did not give an inheritance; the sacrifices made by fire before the Lord, the God of Israel, are his inheritance, as he had told him. ¹⁵ Moses had given to the tribe of the sons of Reuben a portion according to their families. ¹⁶ Their territory, starting from Aroer on the banks of the Arnon stream and the town situated in the middle of the valley, encompassed the entire plain near Medaba, ¹⁷ Hesebon and all its cities in the plain, Dibon, Bamoth-Baal, Beth-Baal-Maon, ¹⁸ Jassa, Cedimoth, Mephaath, ¹⁹ Caryathaim, Sabama, Sarath-Asar in the mountain of the valley, ²⁰ Beth Phogor, the slopes of Phasgah, Beth Jesimoth, ²¹ all the other cities of the plain and all the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon: Moses had defeated him and the princes of Midian, Evi, Rechem, Shur, Hur and Rebe, tributaries of Sihon, who lived in the land. ²² The diviner Balaam, son of Beor, was also among those whom the children of Israel put to death with the sword. ²³ Thus the territory of Reuben's sons extended to the Jordan River and its surrounding area. This was the inheritance, the cities and their villages, of Reuben's sons and their families. ²⁴ Moses gave to the tribe of Gad, to the sons of Gad, a portion according to their families. ²⁵ Their territory included Jazer, all the cities of Gilead, half the land of the Ammonites, as far as Aroer, which is opposite Rabbah, ²⁶ from Hezebon to Raboth-Masphe and Betonim, and from Manaim to the border of Dabir, ²⁷ and in the valley, Beth-Haram, Beth-Nemra, Socoth and Saphon, the remnant of the kingdom of Sihon, king of Hesebon, the Jordan and its territory, as far as the end of the Sea of Cenereth, on the other side of the Jordan, to the east. ²⁸ Such was the inheritance, the cities and their villages of the sons of Gad, according to their families. ²⁹ Moses gave to the half-tribe of Manasseh, to the sons of Manasseh, a portion according to their families. ³⁰ Their territory, starting from Manaim, included all of Bashan, all the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair in Bashan, sixty cities. ³¹ Half of Gilead, Astaroth and Edrai, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were given to the sons of Machir, son of Manasseh, to half of the sons of Machir, according to their families. ³² These were the portions that Moses distributed when he was in the plains of Moab, on the other side of the Jordan, opposite Jericho, to the east. ³³ But Moses did not give an inheritance to the tribe of Levi; the Lord, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as he told them.

Joshua 14

¹ This is what the children of Israel received as an inheritance in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families of the tribes of the children of Israel divided among them. ² It was lot that assigned them their inheritance, as the Lord had ordained through Moses, for the nine tribes and the half-tribe. ³ For Moses had given the inheritance to the two tribes and the half-tribe on the other side of the Jordan, but he had not given the Levites an inheritance among them. ⁴ Because the sons of Joseph formed two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim, and the Levites were not given any portion in the land except cities for habitation and their suburbs for their flocks and their possessions. ⁵ The children of Israel carried out the command that the Lord had given to Moses and they divided the land. ⁶ The sons of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb, son of Jephone the Cenezean, said to him, «You know what the Lord said to Moses, the man of God, about me and about you, at Kadesh-barne. ⁷ I was forty years old when Moses, the servant of the Lord, sent me from Kadesh-Barnea to explore the land, and I brought him a report in the sincerity of my heart. ⁸ While my brothers, who had gone up with me, discouraged the people, I followed the Lord my God entirely. ⁹ And on that day Moses swore this oath: The land that your foot has trodden will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God. ¹⁰ And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as he said, for the forty-five years that have passed since the Lord spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness, and now, behold, I am today eighty-five years old. ¹¹ I am still today as strong as the day Moses sent me; my strength now is the same as it was then, whether for fighting, going out, or coming in. ¹² »Give me this mountain, of which the Lord spoke on that day, for you yourself heard on that day that there are Enacim and large fortified cities there; perhaps the Lord will be with me and I will succeed in driving them out, as the Lord has spoken.” ¹³ Joshua blessed Caleb, son of Jephone, and gave him Hebron as an inheritance. ¹⁴ That is why Hebron belongs by inheritance to Caleb, son of Jephone the Cenezean, to this day, because he wholly followed the Lord, the God of Israel. ¹⁵ Hebron was formerly called Cariath-Arbe; Arbe was the greatest man among the Enachim. And the land rested from the war.

Joshua 15

¹ The portion allotted by lot to the tribe of the children of Judah, according to their families, extended towards the border of Edom, as far as the desert of Sin towards the south, at the southern end of Canaan. ² Their southern border began at the tip of the Salt Sea, from the tongue of land facing south, ³ It extended south of the ascent of Akrabbim, passed to Sin and went up south of Cadez-Barne, from there it passed to Esron, went up towards Addar and turned at Carcaa, ⁴ It then passed to Asmon and continued to the Wadi of Egypt, and the border ended at the sea. "This will be your southern border."« ⁵ The eastern border was the Salt Sea as far as the mouth of the Jordan River. The northern border started at the tip of the Salt Sea at the mouth of the Jordan River. ⁶ The border went up towards Beth-Agla, passed north of Beth-Arabah, and the border went up to the stone of Boen, son of Reuben. ⁷ and the border went up to Deberah from the valley of Achor and turned north towards Gilgal, which is opposite the mountain of Adomim, south of the wadi. And the border passed near the waters of En-Shemes and ended at En-Rogel. ⁸ And the border went up through the valley of Ben-Ennom, to the southern slope of the mountain of the Jebusites, which is Jerusalem, and the border then went up to the top of the mountain which is opposite the valley of Ennom to the west and to the end of the plain of the Rephaim to the north. ⁹ From the mountain's summit, the border extended to the source of the waters of Nephtoah, ended at the cities of the mountain of Ephron, and the border extended to Baalah, which is Cariath-Jearim. ¹⁰ From Baala, the border turned west towards Mount Seir, passed through the northern slope of Mount Jarim, which is Cheslon, went down to Bethsames and passed through Tammah. ¹¹ The border ended at the northern slope of Accaron and the border extended towards Secrona, passed through Mount Baala and ended at Jebneel and the border ended at the sea. ¹² The western boundary was the Great Sea and its territory. These were the boundaries of the sons of Judah on all sides, according to their families. ¹³ Caleb, son of Jephone, had been given a portion among the children of Judah, as the Lord had commanded Joshua, namely the city of Arbe, father of Enach: that is Hebron, ¹⁴ Caleb drove out the three sons of Enach, Shesai, Ahiman and Tolmai, descendants of Enach. ¹⁵ From there he went up against the inhabitants of Dabir, which was formerly called Cariath-Sepher. ¹⁶ Caleb said, "To the one who defeats Cariath-Sepher and captures it, I will give my daughter Axah as a wife."« ¹⁷ Othoniel, son of Cenez, brother of Caleb, took possession of it and Caleb gave him his daughter Axah as a wife. ¹⁸ When she went to Othoniel's house, she encouraged him to ask his father for a field. She got off her donkey and Caleb said to her, "What's the matter?"« ¹⁹ She replied, "Give me a present, for you have settled me in the dry land; give me also springs of water." And he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs. ²⁰ This was the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Judah, according to their families. ²¹ The cities located at the edge of the tribe of the children of Judah, towards the border of Edom in the Negev, were: Kabseel, Eder, Jagur ²² Cina, Dimona, Adada ²³ Cadès, Asor and Jethnam ²⁴ Ziph, Telem, Baloth ²⁵ Asor-the-New and Carioth-Hesron, which is Asor ²⁶ Amam, Sama, Molada ²⁷ Ashergadda, Hassemon, Bethphelet ²⁸ Hasersual, Beersheba and Baziothia ²⁹ Baala, Jim, Esem ³⁰ Eltholad, Césil, Harma ³¹ Siceleg, Medemena, Sensenna ³² Lebaoth, Selim, Aen and Remon: twenty-nine cities and their villages in all. ³³ In the Sephelah: Estaol, Sarea, Asena ³⁴ Zanoé, Aen-Gannim, Taphua, Enaïm ³⁵ Jerimoth, Odollam, Socho, Azekah, ³⁶ Sarahim, Adithaim, Gedera and Gederothaim: fourteen cities and their villages. ³⁷ Sanan, Hadassa, Magdal-Gad ³⁸ Déléan, Masépha, Jecthel ³⁹ Lachis, Bascath, Eglon ⁴⁰ Shebbon, Leheman, Cethlis ⁴¹ Gideroth, Beth-Dagon, Naama and Macedah: sixteen cities and their villages. ⁴² Labana ether, Asan ⁴³ Jephtha, Esna, Nesib ⁴⁴ Ceilah, Achzib and Maresa: nine cities and their villages. ⁴⁵ Accaron, with its dependent towns and villages. ⁴⁶ From Accaron, on the western side, all the cities near Azoth and their villages ⁴⁷ Azoth, its dependent cities and villages, Gaza, its dependent cities and villages, as far as the Wadi of Egypt and the Great Sea, which is the boundary. ⁴⁸ In the mountains: Samir, Jether, Socoth ⁴⁹ Danna, Cariath-Senna, who is Dabir ⁵⁰ Anab, Istémo, Anim ⁵¹ Gosen, Olon and Gilo: eleven towns and their villages. ⁵² Arab, Duma, Esaan ⁵³ Janum, Beth-Thaphua, Apheca ⁵⁴ Athmatha, Cariath-Arbe, which is Hebron and Sior: nine cities and their villages. ⁵⁵ Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Jota ⁵⁶ Jezrael, Jucadam, Zanoé ⁵⁷ Accain, Gabaah, Tammah: ten cities and their villages. ⁵⁸ Halhul, Bessur, Gédor ⁵⁹ Mareth, Beth-Anoth and Eltécon: six cities and their villages. ⁶⁰ Cariath-Baal, which is Cariath-Jearim and Arebba: two cities and their villages. ⁶¹ In the desert: Beth-Araba, Meddin, Sachacha ⁶² Nebsan, Ir-Hammélach and En-Gaddi: six cities and their villages. ⁶³ The sons of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites who dwell in Jerusalem, and the Jebusites have dwelt in Jerusalem with the sons of Judah to this day.

Joshua 16

¹ The portion allotted by lot to the sons of Joseph began, on the east side, from the Jordan of Jericho, to the waters of Jericho, then was the desert which goes up from Jericho to Bethel by way of the mountain. ² The border ran from Bethel to Luz and passed towards the Archean border at Ataroth. ³ From there, it went down westward, towards the border of the Jephletians as far as the border of Lower Bethoron and as far as Gazer, and it ended at the sea. ⁴ This was the inheritance that Joseph's sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, received. ⁵ This is the boundary of the sons of Ephraim, according to their families. The limit of their inheritance was, on the east, from Ataroth-Addar to Beth-horon the Upper. ⁶ The border ended, on the western side, towards Machmethath, in the north, and the border turned to the east, towards Thanath-Selo and passed in front of it, towards the east of Janoe. ⁷ From Janoeh, it went down to Ataroth and Naaratha, touched Jericho and ended at the Jordan. ⁸ From Taphuah, it flowed westward to the Wadi of Cana, and ended at the sea. This was the inheritance of the sons of Ephraim according to their families. ⁹ The sons of Ephraim also had separate cities in the midst of the inheritance of the sons of Manasseh, all with their villages. ¹⁰ They did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gazer, and the Canaanites have lived in the midst of Ephraim to this day, but subject to forced labor.

Joshua 17. ¹ There was also a portion allotted by lot to the tribe of Manasseh, because he was the firstborn of Joseph. Machir, the firstborn of Manasseh and father of Gilead, had received Gilead and Bashan, because he was a warrior. ² A lot was also assigned to the other sons of Manasseh, according to their families, to the sons of Abiezer, to the sons of Helech, to the sons of Ezriel, to the sons of Shechem, to the sons of Hepher and to the sons of Shimidah, these are the male children of Manasseh, son of Joseph, according to their families. ³ Salphaad, son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, had no sons, but he had daughters, and these are the names of his daughters: Maalah, Noah, Heglah, Melchah, and Terah. ⁴ They presented themselves before Eleazar the priest, before Joshua son of Nun, and before the princes, saying, "The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers." And they were given an inheritance among their father's brothers, according to the Lord's command. ⁵ Ten portions fell to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which is on the other side of the Jordan. ⁶ For the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons: the land of Gilead was for the other sons of Manasseh. ⁷ The boundary of Manasseh went from Asher to Machmethath, which is opposite Shechem, and the border went to the right, towards the inhabitants of En-Taphua. ⁸ The territory of Taphua fell to Manasseh, but Taphua on the border of Manasseh belonged to the sons of Ephraim. ⁹ The boundary went down to the Cana stream, south of the stream, the cities of that region, which fell to Ephraim, were in the middle of the cities of Manasseh and the boundary of Manasseh was north of the stream and ended at the sea. ¹⁰ Thus, the land to the south belonged to Ephraim, and the land to the north to Manasseh, with the sea forming its border. To the north, they bordered Asher, and to the east, Issachar. ¹¹ Manasseh received in the territories of Issachar and Asher Bethsan and the towns of its dependencies, Jeblaam and the towns of its dependencies, the inhabitants of Dor and the towns of its dependencies, the inhabitants of Endor and the towns of its dependencies, the inhabitants of Thenah and the towns of its dependencies, the inhabitants of Mageddo and the towns of its dependencies: this is the district of the three hills. ¹² The sons of Manasseh were unable to take possession of these cities, and the Canaanites became bolder in remaining in that land. ¹³ When the children of Israel became stronger, they subjected the Canaanites to tribute, but they did not drive them out. ¹⁴ Joseph's sons spoke to Joshua, saying, "Why have you given me only one lot, one portion, as an inheritance, when I am a numerous people whom the Lord has blessed until now?"« ¹⁵ Joshua said to them, «If you are a large people, go up to the forest and clear a place for yourselves in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you.» ¹⁶ Joseph's sons said, "The mountain is not enough for us, and there are iron chariots among all the Canaanites who live in the plain, among those who are in Bethsan and its surrounding towns, and among those who are in the Valley of Jezreel."« ¹⁷ Joshua answered the house of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh: «You are a numerous people and your strength is great; you will not have only one allotment. ¹⁸ For the mountain will belong to you; it is a forest, you will clear it and its paths will be yours, for you will drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots and are strong.»

Joshua 18

¹ The whole assembly of the children of Israel gathered at Shiloh and they pitched the tent of meeting there; the land was subdued before them. ² There remained seven tribes among the children of Israel who had not yet received their inheritance. ³ Joshua said to the children of Israel, «How long will you neglect to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you? ⁴ Choose three men from each tribe and I will send them out; they shall rise up, travel throughout the land, describe it for the purpose of dividing it, and return to me. ⁵ They will divide it into seven portions; Judah will remain within its southern borders, and the house of Joseph will remain within its northern borders. ⁶ You, therefore, shall draw up a list of the land, dividing it into seven parts, and bring it here to me, and I will cast lots for you here before the Lord our God. ⁷ For the Levites will have no portion among you, since the priesthood of the Lord is their inheritance. Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh received their inheritance on the other side of the Jordan, to the east, which Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave them.» ⁸ These men got up and set out, and Joshua gave them his orders as they departed to survey the land, saying, «Go, travel throughout the land, describe it, and come back to me, and I will cast lots for you here before the Lord at Shiloh.» ⁹ These men went out and traveled throughout the country, describing it in a book according to the cities, dividing it into seven portions, and they returned to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh. ¹⁰ Joshua cast lots for them at Shiloh, in the presence of the Lord, and there Joshua divided the land among the children of Israel according to their portions. ¹¹ The lot fell upon the tribe of the sons of Benjamin, according to their families, and the territory which fell to them by lot was between the sons of Judah and the sons of Joseph. ¹² On the northern side, their border started at the Jordan and the border went up north on the slope of Jericho, then went up into the mountains to the west and ended at the desert of Bethaven. ¹³ From there, the border passed to Luz, on the slope of Luz, to the south, that is Bethel, then the border went down to Ataroth-Addar, by the mountain which is south of Lower Bethoron. ¹⁴ And the border extended and turned, on the west side, towards the south, from the mountain located opposite Bethoron in the south and ended at Cariath-Baal, which is Cariath-Jearim, city of the sons of Judah: that was for the west side. ¹⁵ On the southern side, the border started at the end of Cariath-Jearim and ended in the west, it ended at the source of the waters of Nephtoah. ¹⁶ And the border went down to the end of the mountain that faces the valley of the son of Ennom, which is in the plain of the Rephaim, to the north, and then it went down, by the valley of Ennom, to the southern slope of the Jebusites, it went down to the spring of Rogel. ¹⁷ It extended northward and ended at En-Shemes, it ended at Geliloth, which is opposite the ascent of Adommim, and it went down to the stone of Boen, son of Reuben. ¹⁸ It passed along the northern slope of the mountain opposite the Arabah and descended to the Arabah. ¹⁹ The border passed through the northern slope of Beth-Hagla and ended at the tongue north of the Salt Sea, towards the mouth of the Jordan, to the south: this was the southern border. ²⁰ The Jordan River formed its eastern boundary. This was the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin, according to its borders all around, according to their families. ²¹ The cities of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin, according to their families, were: Jericho, Beth-Haglah, Emek-Casis, ²² Beth-Araba, Samaraim, Bethel, ²³ Avim, Aphara, Ophéra, ²⁴ Kephar-Emona, Ophni and Gabea: twelve cities and their villages. ²⁵ Gibeon, Rama, Beroth, ²⁶ Mesphe, Caphara, Amosa, ²⁷ Recem, Jaréphel, Tharéla, ²⁸ Selah, Eleph, Jebus (which is Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Cariath: fourteen cities and their villages. This was the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin, according to their families.

Joshua 19

¹ The second portion fell by lot to Simeon, to the tribe of the sons of Simeon, according to their families: their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the sons of Judah. ² They inherited: Beersabée, Sabée, Molada, ³ Haser-Sual, Bala, Asem, ⁴ Eltholad, Bethul, Harma, ⁵ Siceleg, Beth Marchaboth, Hasersusa, ⁶ Beth-lebaoth and Sarohen: thirteen cities and their villages. ⁷ Ain, Remmon, Athar and Asan, four cities and their villages, ⁸ as well as all the villages around these cities, as far as Baalath-Beer, which is the Ramath of the south. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Simeon according to their families. ⁹ The inheritance of the sons of Simeon was taken from the portion of the sons of Judah, for the portion of the sons of Judah was too large for them, and it was in the middle of their territory that the sons of Simeon received their inheritance. ¹⁰ The third portion fell by lot to the sons of Zebulun according to their families, the boundary of their inheritance extending as far as Sarid. ¹¹ Their border went up towards the west, towards Merala, touched Debbaseth, touched the stream that flows before Jeconam. ¹² From Sarid, it returned eastward, towards the rising sun, to the border of Ceseleth-Thabor, ended at Dabereth and went up to Japhire. ¹³ From there it passed eastward, towards the rising sun at Geth-Hepher, at Thacasin and ended at Remmon, which borders Noah. ¹⁴ The border turned north towards Hanathon and ended at the valley of Jephtahel. ¹⁵ The cities were: Katheth, Naalol, Shemeron, Jedala and Bethlehem: twelve cities and their villages. ¹⁶ This was the inheritance of the sons of Zebulun, according to their families: these cities and their villages. ¹⁷ The fourth portion fell by lot to Issachar, to the sons of Issachar, according to their families. ¹⁸ Their border was Jezreel, Casaloth, and Sunem., ¹⁹ Hapharaim, Seon, Anaharath, ²⁰ Rabboth, Cesion, Abès, ²¹ Rameth, En-Gannim, En-Hadda and Beth-Pheses. ²² The border touched Tabor, Shehesima and Beth-Sames and ended at the Jordan: sixteen cities and their villages. ²³ Such was the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Issachar, according to their families: the cities and their villages. ²⁴ The fifth portion fell by lot to the tribe of the sons of Asher, according to their families. ²⁵ Their border was Halcath, Chali, Beten, Axaph, ²⁶ Elmelech, Amaad and Messal, it bordered, towards the west, on Carmel and Sihor-Labanath, ²⁷ then it turned towards Beth-Dagon, touched Zebulun and the valley of Jephthah, north of Beth-Emek and Nehiel, and ended at Caboul on the left, ²⁸ and to Abran, Rehob, Hamon and Cana, as far as Great Sidon, ²⁹ The border then turned towards Ramath as far as the fortified city of Tyre, and the border turned towards Hosa, ending at the sea near the district of Achziba., ³⁰ In addition: Amma, Aphec and Rohob: twenty-two cities and their villages. ³¹ Such was the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Asher. According to their families: these cities and their villages. ³² The sixth portion fell by lot to the sons of Naphtali, according to their families. ³³ Their border ran from Heleph, from the oak that is in Zaananim, towards Adami-Nekeb and Jebnael, as far as Lecum, and it ended at the Jordan River., ³⁴ the border turned westward at Azanoth-Tabor and from there ended at Hucuca, it touched Zebulun in the south, Asher in the west and Judah, near the Jordan, toward the rising sun. ³⁵ The fortified cities were: Assedim, Ser, Emath, Reccath, Cenereth, ³⁶ Edema, Arama, Asor, ³⁷ Cedes, Edrai, En-Hasor, ³⁸ Jeron, Magdalel, Horem, Beth-Anath and Beth-Sames: nineteen cities and their villages. ³⁹ Such was the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali, according to their families: the cities and their villages. ⁴⁰ The seventh portion fell by lot to the tribe of the sons of Dan, according to their families. ⁴¹ The boundary of their heritage included Saraa, Esthaol, Hir-Sémès, ⁴² Selebin, Ajalon, Jethela, ⁴³ Elon, Themna, Acron, ⁴⁴ Elthece, Gebbethon, Balaath, ⁴⁵ Jud, Bene-barach, Geth-remmon, ⁴⁶ Mé-Jarcon and Arécon, with the territory opposite Joppa. ⁴⁷ The territory of the sons of Dan extended beyond their own, for the sons of Dan went up and fought against Leshem, they captured it and struck it with the edge of the sword, having taken possession of it, they settled there and called it Dan, after the name of Dan, their father. ⁴⁸ Such was the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Dan, according to their families: the cities and their villages. ⁴⁹ When they had finished dividing the land according to its boundaries, the children of Israel gave Joshua, son of Nun, an inheritance in their midst. ⁵⁰ At the Lord's command, they gave him the city he requested, Tamnath-sareh, in the hill country of Ephraim. Joshua rebuilt this city and lived there. ⁵¹ These were the inheritances that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families of the tribes of the children of Israel distributed by lot at Shiloh, before the Lord, at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Thus they completed the division of the land.

Joshua 20

¹ The Lord spoke to Joshua, saying, «Speak to the children of Israel and tell them: ² Designate cities of refuge for yourselves, as I commanded you through Moses. ³ where the murderer who killed someone by mistake, without knowing it, can flee, and they will serve as a refuge for you against the avenger of blood. ⁴ The murderer will flee to one of these cities, he will stop at the entrance of the city gate and present his case to the elders of that city, they will take him in and give him a home to live with them. ⁵ If the avenger of blood pursues him, they will not deliver the murderer into his hands, for it was unknowingly that he killed his neighbor, whom he did not hate before. ⁶ The murderer will remain in that city until he stands trial before the assembly, until the death of the high priest who is serving in those days. Then the murderer will return to his own city and to his own house, to the city from which he fled.» ⁷ They dedicated Cedes in Galilee, in the mountains of Naphtali, Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and Cariath-Arbe, which is Hebron, in the mountains of Judah. ⁸ On the other side of the Jordan, opposite Jericho, to the east, they designated Bozor, in the desert, in the plain, a city of the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead, of the tribe of Gad, and Gaulon in Bashan, of the tribe of Manasseh. ⁹ These were the cities assigned to all the children of Israel and to the stranger who sojourns among them, so that whoever had killed someone unintentionally might take refuge there and not die at the hand of the avenger of blood, before appearing before the assembly.

Joshua 21

¹ The heads of the Levite families approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families of the tribes of the children of Israel, ² They spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, «The Lord has commanded through Moses that we be given cities for our dwellings and their surrounding areas for our livestock.» ³ The children of Israel gave to the Levites, from their inheritance, according to the command of the Lord, the following cities and their suburbs. ⁴ The lot was first cast for the families of the Kaathites, and the sons of Aaron the priest, from among the Levites, obtained by lot thirteen cities from the tribe of Judah, the tribe of Simeon, and the tribe of Benjamin, ⁵ The other sons of Kaath obtained by lot ten cities from the families of the tribe of Ephraim, the tribe of Dan and the half-tribe of Manasseh. ⁶ The sons of Gershon obtained by lot thirteen cities from the families of the tribe of Issachar, the tribe of Asher, the tribe of Naphtali and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. ⁷ The sons of Merari, according to their families, received twelve cities from the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the tribe of Zebulun. ⁸ The children of Israel gave by lot to the Levites these cities and their suburbs, as the Lord had commanded through Moses. ⁹ They gave from the tribe of the sons of Judah and from the tribe of the sons of Simeon the following cities, designated by their names, ¹⁰ This was for the sons of Aaron, from among the families of the Kohathites, from among the sons of Levi, for the lot was cast first for them. ¹¹ They gave them, in the mountains of Judah, the city of Arbe, the father of Enach, which is Hebron and its surrounding suburbs. ¹² But the countryside of that city and its villages they gave as a possession to Caleb, son of Jephone. ¹³ They gave to the sons of Aaron the city of refuge for the murderer, Hebron and its surrounding countryside, as well as Lebna with its surrounding countryside, ¹⁴ Jether and his suburb, Estemo and his suburb, ¹⁵ Holon and its suburbs, Dabir and its suburbs, ¹⁶ Ain and its suburbs, Jeta and its suburbs, Bethsames and its suburbs: nine cities of these two tribes. ¹⁷ From Benjamin's tribe: Gabaon and its suburbs, Gabaa and its suburbs ¹⁸ Anathoth and its suburbs, Almon and its suburbs: four cities. ¹⁹ Total of the cities of the priests, sons of Aaron: thirteen cities and their suburbs. ²⁰ As for the families of the sons of Kaath, the Levites, to the other sons of Kaath, the cities which fell to them by lot were of the tribe of Ephraim. ²¹ The children of Israel gave them the city of refuge for the murderer, Shechem and its surrounding pastures, in the hill country of Ephraim, as well as Gazer and its surrounding pastures, ²² Cibsaïm and its suburbs, Beth-Horon and its suburbs: four cities. ²³ From Dan's tribe: Elthéco and its suburbs, Gabathon and its suburbs, ²⁴ Ajalon and its suburbs, Geth-Remmon and its suburbs: four cities. ²⁵ From the half-tribe of Manasseh: Thanah and its suburbs and Geth-Remmon and its suburbs: two cities. ²⁶ Total: ten towns with their suburbs, for the families of Caath's other sons. ²⁷ To the sons of Gershon, from among the families of the Levites, they gave, from the half-tribe of Manasseh, the city of refuge for the murderer, Gaulon, in Bashan and its suburbs, as well as Bozrah and its suburbs: two cities. ²⁸ From the tribe of Issachar: Caesion and its suburbs, Dabereth and its suburbs, ²⁹ Jaramoth and its suburbs, En-Gannim and its suburbs: four cities. ³⁰ From the tribe of Aser: Masal and its suburbs, Abdon and its suburbs, ³¹ Helcath and its suburbs, Rohob and its suburbs: four cities. ³² From the tribe of Naphtali: the city of refuge for the murderer, Cedes in Galilee and its suburbs, as well as Hamoth-Dor and its suburbs, Carthan and its suburbs: three cities. ³³ Total number of cities in the Gersonites, according to their families: thirteen cities and their suburbs. ³⁴ To the families of the sons of Merari, to the rest of the Levites, they gave, from the tribe of Zebulun: Jecnam and its surrounding countryside, Cartha and its surrounding countryside, ³⁵ Damna and its suburbs, Naalol and its suburbs: four cities. ³⁶ And from the tribe of Gad: the city of refuge for the murderer, Ramoth-gilead and its surrounding countryside, as well as Manaim and its surrounding countryside, ³⁷ Hesebon and its suburbs, Jaser and its suburbs: four cities in all. ³⁸ Total of the cities assigned by lot to the sons of Merari, according to their families, forming the remainder of the families of the Levites: twelve cities. ³⁹ Total of the cities of the Levites in the midst of the possessions of the children of Israel: forty-eight cities and their suburbs. ⁴⁰ Each of these cities had its suburbs all around it; this was the case for all of these cities. ⁴¹ This is how the Lord gave to Israel all the land that he had sworn to give to their fathers; they took possession of it and settled there. ⁴² The Lord granted them rest all around them, as he had sworn to their fathers; none of their enemies could resist them, and the Lord delivered them all into their hands. ⁴³ Of all the good words that the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel, not one failed to effect; all were fulfilled.

Joshua 22

¹ Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, ² And he said to them, «You have observed everything that Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded you, and you have obeyed my voice in everything that I commanded you. ³ You have not abandoned your brothers during this long period of time, until this day, and you have faithfully observed the commandment of the Lord your God. ⁴ Now that the Lord your God has given rest to your brothers, as he had promised them, return and go to your tents in the land that belongs to you, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan. ⁵ Only be very careful to observe the ordinances and the laws that Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded you, loving the Lord your God, walking in all his ways, keeping his commandments, clinging to him, and serving him with all your heart and with all your soul.» ⁶ And Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents. ⁷ Moses had given half the tribe of Manasseh a territory in Bashan, and Joshua gave the other half a territory among their brethren west of the Jordan. As he sent them back to their tents, Joshua blessed them., ⁸ And he said to them, «You will return to your tents with great riches, very numerous livestock, and much silver, gold, bronze, iron, and clothing; divide the spoils of your enemies with your brothers.» ⁹ The sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, having left the children of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, returned to go to the land of Gilead, which was the possession they had received, as the Lord had commanded through Moses. ¹⁰ When they arrived at the districts of the Jordan which are part of the land of Canaan, the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar on the bank of the Jordan, a large altar to behold. ¹¹ The Israelites heard that it was being said, «Look, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar on the edge of the land of Canaan, in the districts of the Jordan, on the side of the Israelites.» ¹² When the Israelites heard about it, the whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh to go up against them and do to them the war. ¹³ The Israelites sent Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead., ¹⁴ and with him ten princes, one prince from a patriarchal house, for each of the tribes of Israel: all were heads of their patriarchal houses among the thousands of Israel. ¹⁵ Having gone to the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, they spoke to them, saying: ¹⁶ «This is what the whole assembly of the Lord says: What unfaithfulness have you committed against the God of Israel, by turning away from the Lord today and building an altar to rebel against the Lord today? ¹⁷ Is it not enough for us that the crime of Phogor, from which we have not yet purified ourselves to this day, despite the plague that struck the assembly of the Lord, ¹⁸ Why should you turn away from the Lord today? If you rebel against the Lord today, tomorrow he will be angry with the whole assembly of Israel. ¹⁹ If you consider the land that is in your possession to be unclean, cross over to the land that is the possession of the Lord, where the dwelling of the Lord is fixed, and settle in our midst, but do not rebel against the Lord and do not rebel against us by building yourselves an altar besides the altar of the Lord our God. ²⁰ Did not Achan, son of Zerah, commit a wicked act concerning the accursed things, and did not the Lord's anger fall upon the whole assembly of Israel? And he was not the only one who perished because of his sin.» ²¹ The sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered and said to the leaders of the thousands of Israel: ²² «"The Almighty, God, the Lord, the Almighty, God, the Lord knows, and Israel will know, if it is through rebellion and unfaithfulness to the Lord, O God, do not save us this day. ²³ If we have built an altar to turn away from the Lord, to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, and peace offerings, may the Lord hold us accountable. ²⁴ And if it is not out of fear of what would happen that we did this, saying to ourselves: Your children will one day say to our children: What have you to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? ²⁵ The Lord has placed the Jordan as a boundary between us and you, sons of Reuben and sons of Gad; you have no share in the Lord. Thus your sons would cause our sons to cease fearing the Lord. ²⁶ And we said to ourselves, “Let us begin to build an altar, not for burnt offerings and sacrifices, ²⁷ but so that he may be a witness between us and you and our descendants after us, that we serve the Lord before him with our burnt offerings, our sacrifices and our peace offerings, so that your children may not one day say to our children, "You have no share in the Lord.". ²⁸ We said: If one day they should speak thus to us or to our descendants, we would answer them: See the form of the altar of the Lord which our fathers built, not to serve for burnt offerings and sacrifices, but to be a witness between us and you. ²⁹ Far be it from us to rebel against the Lord or turn away from him today by building an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings, and sacrifices, besides the altar of the Lord our God, which is before his dwelling place.» ³⁰ When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the assembly, the heads of the thousands of Israel who were with him, heard the words spoken by the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the sons of Manasseh, they were satisfied. ³¹ Then Phinehas, son of Eleazar the priest, said to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the Manassehites, «Now we know that the Lord is among us, because you have not been unfaithful to the Lord; you have delivered the Israelites from the Lord’s hand.» ³² Phinehas, son of Eleazar the priest, and the princes left the Reubenites and the Gadites and returned from the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the Israelites, to whom they reported. ³³ The children of Israel were pleased with this, they blessed God and no longer spoke of taking up arms against them to devastate the land inhabited by the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad. ³⁴ The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad named the altar Ed, for, they said, it is a witness between us that the Lord is the true God.

Joshua 23

¹ A long time had passed since the Lord had given rest to Israel, delivering them from all their surrounding enemies, and Joshua was old, advanced in years. ² Then Joshua summoned all Israel, its elders, its leaders, its judges, and its officers, and said to them, «I have become old, advanced in years. ³ You have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations before you, for it is the Lord your God who has fought for you. ⁴ See: I have distributed to you by lot as an inheritance for your tribes, these nations that remain and all those that I have exterminated, from the Jordan to the great sea toward the setting sun. ⁵ The Lord your God will drive them out before you and expel them before you, and you will possess their land, as the Lord your God has told you. ⁶ Therefore, show great courage to observe and do everything written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left, ⁷ without mingling with these nations that remain among you, do not invoke the name of their gods, do not swear by them, do not serve them, and do not bow down to them, ⁸ But cling to the Lord your God, as you have done until this day. ⁹ The Lord drove out before you great and powerful nations, and no one has been able to stand against you to this day. ¹⁰ One of you alone chased a thousand, for the Lord your God fought for you, as he told you. ¹¹ Therefore, be careful to love the Lord your God. ¹² For if you turn away and cling to the remnant of these nations that remain among you, if you intermarry with them and mingle with them, and they mingle with you, ¹³ Know well that the Lord your God will not continue to drive out these nations before us, but they will be a snare and a trap for you, a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you have perished from this excellent land that the Lord your God has given you. ¹⁴ Behold, I am going today by the way of all the earth; acknowledge with all your heart and with all your soul that, of all the good words which the Lord your God has spoken concerning you, not one word has failed, all have been fulfilled for you, not one word has failed. ¹⁵ Therefore, just as all the good words that the Lord your God has spoken to you have been fulfilled for you, so also the Lord will fulfill all the words of threat against you, until he has destroyed you from this excellent land that the Lord your God has given you. ¹⁶ If you transgress the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and you will soon perish in this good land that he has given you.»

Joshua 24

¹ Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem and summoned the elders of Israel, its leaders, judges, and officers. They presented themselves before God. ² And Joshua said to all the people, «Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Your fathers, Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, originally lived on the other side of the river and they served other gods. ³ I took your father Abraham from the other side of the river and brought him throughout the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac. ⁴ To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau, and I gave Esau the mountain of Seir as an inheritance, and Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt. ⁵ Then I sent Moses and Aaron and I struck Egypt as I did in the midst of it, and then I brought you out of it. ⁶ I brought your ancestors out of Egypt and you came to the sea. The Egyptians pursued your ancestors, with chariots and horsemen, as far as the Red Sea. ⁷ They cried out to the Lord, and the Lord put darkness between you and the Egyptians; he brought the sea upon them, and it covered them. Your eyes have seen what I did in Egypt, and you remained a long time in the desert. ⁸ I brought you to the land of the Amorites, who lived on the other side of the Jordan, and they fought against you. I delivered them into your hands, you took possession of their land, and I destroyed them before you. ⁹ Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel, and summoned Balaam, son of Beor, to curse you. ¹⁰ But I would not listen to Balaam; he blessed you, and I delivered you from the hand of Balak. ¹¹ You crossed the Jordan and arrived at Jericho. The men of Jericho fought against you, then the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Gergesites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, and I delivered them into your hands. ¹² I sent hornets before you, and they drove them out from before you, as well as the two kings of the Amorites; it was not by your sword or by your bow. ¹³ I gave you land that you had not cultivated, cities that you had not built and inhabit, vineyards and olive groves that you had not planted and whose fruit you eat. ¹⁴ Therefore fear the Lord and serve him with integrity and truth, put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the river and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. ¹⁵ »If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” ¹⁶ The people responded and said, «Far be it from us to abandon the Lord to serve other gods.” ¹⁷ for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, and who performed these great wonders before our eyes and who protected us all along the way that we traveled and among all the peoples among whom we passed. ¹⁸ The Lord has driven out from before us all the peoples and the Amorites who inhabited this land. We too will serve the Lord, for he is our God.» ¹⁹ Joshua said to the people, «You cannot serve the Lord, for he is a holy God, he is a jealous God, he will not forgive your transgressions and your sins. ²⁰ If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, he will turn against you and destroy you, after having been good to you.» ²¹ The people said to Joshua, "No, for we will serve the Lord."« ²² Joshua said to the people, «You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord to serve him.» They replied, «We are witnesses.» ²³ He said, «Now put away the foreign gods that are among you and turn your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.» ²⁴ And the people said to Joshua, «We will serve the Lord our God and obey his voice.» ²⁵ Thus Joshua made a covenant with the people that day and gave them laws and ordinances at Shechem. ²⁶ Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God. He took a large stone and set it up there under the oak tree that was in the place consecrated to the Lord. ²⁷ And Joshua said to all the people, «Behold, this stone will be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words that the Lord has spoken to us; it will be a witness against you, lest you deny your God.» ²⁸ And Joshua sent the people away, each to their inheritance. ²⁹ After this, Joshua, son of Nun, servant of the Lord, died at the age of one hundred and ten years. ³⁰ He was buried in the territory he had been allotted, at Tamnath-sareh, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaas. ³¹ Israel served the Lord throughout the life of Joshua and throughout the lives of the elders who outlived Joshua and who knew all that the Lord had done for Israel. ³² The bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel had brought out of Egypt, were buried at Shechem, in the piece of land that Jacob had bought a hundred pieces of land from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, and they became the property of the sons of Joseph. ³³ Eleazar, son of Aaron, died and was buried in Gibeah, the city of Phinehas his son, to whom it had been given, in the hill country of Ephraim.

Notes on the Book of Joshua

1.3 See Deuteronomy 11:24.

1.4 The great sea is one of the names for the Mediterranean. ― Euphrate. See Genesis, 15, 18. ― All the land of Hittites, there Syria, which, in the time of Joshua, belonged to the Hittites.

1.5 See Joshua 3:7; Hebrews 13:5.

1.6 See Deuteronomy 31:7, 23; 1 Samuel 2:2. 1.12 The Rubenites And the Gadites were the Israelites from the tribes of Reuben and Gad.

1.14 See Numbers, 32, 26. ― Numbers, 32, 32. 2.1 See Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25. Setim, also called Abelsatim, opposite Jericho east of the Jordan. ― Jericho. See Joshua, 6, 6. 2.4 See Joshua 6:17.

2.10 See Exodus 14:21; Numbers 21:24.

2.12 See Joshua 6:22. 2.16 Go to the mountains which is now called the quarantine where Our Lord was tempted (see Matthew 4, 1). They are west of Jericho and therefore opposite the road which leads to the fords of the Jordan, the road which those who pursued them were naturally bound to follow, as it is said in verse 7.

3.1 Setim. See Joshua 2:1. 3.7 See Joshua 1:5.

3.11 See Acts of the Apostles, 7, 45.

3.15 See Ecclesiasticus 24:36. The Jordan River overflows its banks throughout the harvest season.. The biblical account corresponds exactly to what we still observe today. The Israelites crossed the Jordan River forty days before Passover. Then, as now, the harvest took place in April and early May, with the barley harvest preceding the wheat harvest by two or three weeks. Then, as now, there is a slight rise in the water level, causing the river to overflow its banks at this time of year and sometimes even bursting its banks where it is shallowest, so that in some places the flood extends onto the part of the riverbank covered with trees and vegetation. Moreover, it is impossible to determine the precise location of the crossing. All we know about it is that it took place opposite Jericho. The Israelites came down from the heights of Moab, probably via the Wadi Heshban, and they camped in the plain at the foot of the mountains, near a town called Setim, which must have taken its name from its groves of acacia trees (see Numbers, 23, 48-49). From there they went to the banks of the Jordan, and they stayed there, before crossing the river, at a place situated opposite, that is to say, east of Jericho. 

3.16-17 It is impossible not to recognize in this crossing of the Jordan a true miracle whose purpose was to preserve the true religion and strengthen the Israelites, especially the youth, in their belief in their one God, creator and ruler of the universe, and in particular protector of the Hebrew people. — The situation of’Adom and that of Sarthan are uncertain.

4.12 See Numbers, 32, 28.

4.20 Galgala, is named here in anticipation (see verse 9). This figure, which is found quite often in the Bible, is also used by secular authors. Thus Virgil said in anticipation (Eneid., 1, 2): Lavinia littora.

4.24 See Exodus 14:21.

5.1 The great sea. See Joshua 1:4.

5.10 The fourteenth day of the month. See Exodus, 12, 2. 5.16 See Exodus 3:5; Acts of the Apostles, 7, 33. 6.17 See Joshua 2:4; Hebrews 11:31. anathema ; that is to say, doomed to destruction. 6.20 See Hebrews 11:30; 2 Maccabees 12:15. The walls, etc. God suddenly caused an earthquake by which these walls were suddenly overturned. 6.22 See Joshua 2:1, 14.

6.23 See Hebrews 11:31.

6.24 See Joshua 8:2. 6.26 That is to say, his firstborn would perish when the foundations of the new Jericho were laid, and his youngest when its gates were put up. This prophecy was fulfilled during the reign of Ahab, in the person of Hiel and his sons, Abiran and Segub. See 1 Samuel 16:34.

7.1 See Joshua 22:20; 1 Chronicles 2:7. — That which had been put under anathema, that which was devoted to destruction, or consecrated to the Lord.

7.2 Bethel. See Genesis, 12, 8.

7.13 See Leviticus 20:7; Numbers 11:18; Joshua 3:5; 1 Samuel 16:5.

7.21 Two hundred shekels. See Exodus 21, 32.

7.23 Before the Lord ; that is, before the ark of the Lord.

7.24 In the valley of Achor. This valley, in the vicinity of Hai, north of Jericho, cannot be precisely determined.

7.26 See 2 Samuel 18:17.

8.1 Hate. See Joshua 7:2.

8.2 See Joshua 6:24.

8.5 See Joshua 7:4.

8.9 Bethel. See Genesis, 12, 8.

8.12 From the city ; that is to say, from Hai.

8.15 Towards the desert ; towards the plain of Gilgal, from where the Israelites had set out.

8.29 The law mandated that the hanged men be taken down before sunset. See Deuteronomy, 21, 23.

8.30-33 Gerizim, Hebal. See Deuteronomy, 11, 29.

8.31 See Exodus 20:25; Deuteronomy 27:5.

9.1 The great sea ; that is to say, the Mediterranean Sea.

9.3 Gabaon. See 1 Samuel, 3, 4.

9.10 See Numbers 21:24; Deuteronomy 1:4.

9.15 See 2 Samuel 21:2.

9.17 Gabaon. See 1 Samuel, 3, 4. ― Caphira or Caphara, now Kefir, became a city of Benjamin. ― Beroth, so named because of its springs, north of Jerusalem. ― Cariathiarim, northwest of Jerusalem. See Judges, 18, 12.

10.1 Hate. See Joshua 7:2.

10.2 Gabaon, See 1 Samuel 3, 4.

10.3 Hebron. See Genesis 13, 18. ― Jerimoth, a city in the Judean plain, on a high hill, three hours from’Eleutheropolis. ― Lachis, later a city of Judah, at the entrance to the plain of Shephelah, to the northwest and not far from Eglon. ― Eglon, today Adjlan, on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza, four hours southwest of Eleutheropolis.

10.11 «Most commentators,” says Calmet, “interpret (this verse) as referring to hail of extraordinary size and hardness. Others take it literally.” [large stones]. » The text and the versions speak positively of hailstones.

10.13 See Ecclesiasticus 46:5; Isaiah 28:21.

10.17 In the cave at Maceda. Maceda was probably located where the last slopes of the mountains meet the plain.

10.26 Joshua…hanged them from five trees. The way Joshua treated defeated kings, whom he had hanged, was common in antiquity. Pharaoh Amenhotep II, for example, personally slaughtered seven of the prisoners he had taken near the Euphrates and then tied their bodies to the bow of the ship that brought him back in triumph to his capital. Upon his return, six of the bodies were hung opposite the walls of Thebes, along with the severed hands of those killed on the battlefields. The seventh victim was sent to Napata, deep in Ethiopia, to be displayed in the same manner.

10.27 See Deuteronomy 21:23. They made them get out, etc. See Joshua 8:29.

10.29 Lebna, a royal city of the Canaanites, in the plain of Sephelah, between Maceda and Lachish, southwest of the latter city. Its precise location is unknown.

10.30 See Joshua 6:2.

10.33 Gazer. See 1 Samuel, 9, 16.

10.38 Dabir, called Cariath-Sepher or city of books. See Judges, 1, 11-12.

10.41 Cadès-barné or Cadès. See Numbers 20, 1. ― Gaza, one of the five major Philistine cities, southwest of Sephelah, on the road between Egypt and the Syria, of which she was the key. Climate Warm, excellent wells, palm and olive trees. ― Gosen, south of the tribe of Judah.

11.1 Asor, a very strong city on a hill, not far from Lake Merom and the city of Cedes ― Madon, Semeron, Achsaph, unknown situation.

11.2 In the mountains of Naphtali. ― Cénéroth, near the Sea of Galilee. ― Dor, at the foot of Mount Carmel, near the sea Mediterranean.

11.4 With a large number of horses and chariots. The Canaanite chariots were fitted with iron, like the Egyptian chariots, which were made of wood with metal nails and wedges.

11.5 Near the waters of Merom. Lake Merom, now el-Huleh, north of the Sea of Galilee.

11.8 The great ; Not that there was a smaller one, but it was truly great in its size, its antiquity, and its riches. Masphé ; same place name as Maspha of verse 3. ― Sidon, north of Tyre, a port on the Mediterranean, capital of Phoenicia before Tyre, which later became more important. ― The waters of Maserepoth are unknown, like Masphé.

11.12 See Deuteronomy 7:1.

11.15 See Exodus 34:11; Deuteronomy 7:1.

11.17 Baal-gad, a city located at the foot of Hermon, also called Baal-Hermon, perhaps the same one that later became Caesarea Philippi.

11.19 Gabaon. See 1 Samuel, 3, 4.

11.20 harden their hearts, etc. See Exodus, 4, 21.

11.21-22 Enacim. See Deuteronomy, 1, 28. ― Hebron. See Genesis 13, 18. ― Dabir. See Joshua 11:38. Anab, a city in the Judean mountains, south of Hebron.

11.22 Gaza, Geth, Azoth, three of the main cities of the Philistines.

11.23 in portions, according to their tribes ; a grammatical figure used by both the Greeks and the Hebrews, for, according to the shares of their tribes. ― Joshua then took all the land, but the Israelites did not retain all their conquests and several cities remained in the power of the Canaanites.

12.1 Arnon, river which formed the northern border of the country of Moab; it originates in the eastern mountains of Moab and flows into the Dead Sea.

12.2 Hesebon, capital of the Amorite kingdom, north of Madaba. ― Aroër, on the Arnon, formed the southern border of Séhon. ― Jacob. See Genesis 32, 22.

12.3 The sea of Cenereth, that is, Gennesaret or Lake Tiberias. ― The desert sea, the Dead Sea. ― Bethsimoth. See Numbers, 33, 49. ― Asedoth, a country abundant in water. It is not a place name. ― Phasga. See Numbers, 21, 20.

12.4 THE remains, etc.; that is to say, of the race of the Raphaim, who were giants. — See Deuteronomy, 1, 4.

12.9 This verse and the following ones are merely an explanation of the words, Here are the names of the kings that Joshua and the children of Israel defeated, etc., from verse 7; it is therefore as if the sacred author had said: Thus, Joshua defeated a king of Jericho, a king of Hai, etc. ― Which one is next to Bethel?. There was another Hai that belonged to the Ammonites. Jericho. See Joshua 7:1. Hate. See Joshua 7:2. Bethel. See Genesis, 12, 8.

12.11 Jeremoth, Lachis. See Joshua 10:3.

12.12 Eglon. See Joshua 10:3. Gazer. See 1 Samuel, 9, 16.

12.13 Dabir. See Joshua 11:38. Gader, today Djedour, between Bethlehem and Hebron.

12.14 Herma or Horma. See Numbers, 14, 45. ― Hered, in Hebrew Arad, south of Hebron, northeast of Moladah.

12.15 Lebna. See Joshua 10:29. Odullam, Adullam, Odollam. See 1 Samuel, 22, 1.

12.16 Maceda. See Joshua 10:17. Bethel. See Genesis, 12, 8.

12.17 Taphna, Opher, unknown sites.

12.18 Aphec, unknown position. ― Lasaron, in the plain of that name, which extends from Caesarea to Jaffa.

12.19 Madon, unknown. ― Asor. See Joshua 11:1.

12.20 Semeron, Achsaph, unknown.

12.21 Thénac, Thaanach, southwest of the Esdrelon Plain. Mageddo, north of Thaanach, in the plain of Esdrelon.

12.22 Cadès. See Judges, 4, 6. ― Jachanan of Carmel, unknown site.

12.23 Many kings of that era ruled only over the city they inhabited. Dor. See Joshua 11:2. Galgal, unknown site.

12.24 Thersa, unknown site.

13.2 Galilee, in northern Palestine. ― The land of the Philistines, the plain of Sephela in southwestern Palestine.

13.3 Accaron, one of the five major Philistine cities, in the plain of Sephelah, as well as Gaza, Azot, Accaron And Geth.

13.4 All these countries and the following are a detailed list of the earth which is mentioned in the first verse.

13.5 From Baalgad. See Joshua 11:17. Emath. See 2 Samuel, 8, 9.

13.6 Maserephoth, Sidon. See Joshua 11:8.

13.8 See Numbers, 32, 33.

13.9 Dibon. See Numbers, 21, 30. ― Aroër is to the south and not far from Dibon. ― Medaba or Madaba north of Dibon and south of Hesebon.

13.11 See Numbers 21,33.

13.12 the last one remains. See Joshua 12:4. Astaroth. See Deuteronomy, 1, 4. ― Edraï. See Numbers, 21, 33.

13.14 See Numbers, 18, 20.

13.21 See Numbers, 31, 8.

13.25 Jaser or Jezer. See Numbers, 21, 32.

13.31 Half of Gilead, etc.; is one of the direct complements of Moses also gave, from verse 29. ― That is to say, halfway ; for Machir was a particular family of Manasseh, (see Numbers, 26, 29). The other half received its portion beyond the Jordan.

13.33 See Numbers, 18, 20.

14.2 See Numbers, 34, 13.

14.6 See Numbers, 14, 24. ― Cadès-barné. See Numbers, 20, 1.

14.8 discouraged the people, by casting terror into it.

14.11 See Ecclesiasticus, 46, 11.

14.12 Joshua had already defeated the Enacim (see Joshua 11:2), a race of giants, but those who remained with the Philistines were able to return to Hebron and rebuild its cities, while Joshua was occupied in the other parts of the country.

14.13 Hebron. See Genesis, 13,18.

15.1 See Numbers, 34, 3.

15.2 The salty sea, the Dead Sea. ― Language, the southern tip of the Dead Sea, which is called el-Lischan, "the tongue".

15.3 See Numbers, 34, 4.

15.4 See Numbers, 34, 4-5. ― The Torrent of Egypt is the muddy river, see Joshua 13:3. ― The great sea, the Mediterranean.

15.7 From the valley of Achor. See Joshua 7:24.

15.9 There source of the waters of Nephtoa, probably Solomon's Ponds, near the spring of Etan.

15.11 Accaron. See Joshua 13:3.

15.13 Cariath-Arbé, the father of Enac ; that is, the city of Enach's father. ― See Joshua 14:15.

15.14 See Judges, 1, 20.

15.15 Dabir, Cariathsépher. See Judges, 1, 11-12.

15.32 Aen and Remmon. See Joshua 19:7.

17.2 See Numbers, 26, 30.

17.3 See Numbers, 27, 1; 36, 11.

17.4 The princes ; leaders of the people.

17.5 Ten servings ; literally ten strings. See Deuteronomy, 32, 9.

17.6 Others, etc., who had remained beyond the Jordan.

17.12 The Canaanites had initially been driven out of these cities, but they later recaptured them and fortified themselves there again.

17.16 iron carts. See Joshua 11:4.

18.1 There they erected the meeting tent. Shiloh, according to the Jews, was the home of the Tabernacle and the Ark for 369 years.

18.8 These men having stood up ; Hebraism, for had prepared themselves, arranged.

18.13 See Genesis 28:19. Ataroth-Addar, today ed-Dâriéh.

19.7 Ain, Remmon. In the Hebrew text, Ain-Remmon is a single city which became a priestly city.

19.9 possession ; That is to say, the inheritance of the children of Simeon (verse 8) was taken from the territory of the children of Judah, because it was too considerable for them. Sharing ; literally : the rope. See Deuteronomy, 32, 9.

19.28 Sidon the Great. See Joshua 11:8.

19.30 Amma, Aphec and Rohob are attributes of their border was, from verse 25.

19.38 Nineteen cities. This number is smaller than the preceding list of names. It is very likely that names which should have been joined have been separated, or that the scribes made a mistake in writing. numbers.

19.47 Lesem-Dan, in the north of Palestine, at the place where one of the three sources of the Jordan emerges, has often since been used to mark the northernmost point of Palestine, in the phrase so often repeated in Scripture: "From Dan to Beersheba."«

19.50 Joshua rebuilt, etc. It has already been noted that in Hebrew build a house, a city, also means there to make expansions, embellishments, etc. - Thamnath-Saré, today Tibneh, about two and a half hours' walk northwest of Jifeneh, the ancient Gophna, in the middle of the mountains of Ephraim.

20.2 See Numbers 35:10; Deuteronomy 19:2.

20.7 Cedes, etc. This is how the Hebrew text reads; See Genesis, 13, 18.

20.8 Bosor. See Deuteronomy, 4, 43.

21.2 See Numbers, 35, 2.

21.4-5 There were several branches in the family of the Kaathites; the most distinguished was that of Aaron, who possessed the priesthood; outside of this branch, there could only be simple Levites.

21.9 See 1 Chronicles, 6, 55.

21.11 Enac's father. See Joshua 15:13. Caryatrab. See Genesis 13:18; Joshua 14:15.

21.12 See Joshua 14:14.

21.13 Lobna, the same as Lebna. See Joshua 10:29.

21.14 Jether, in the mountains of Judah, 24 miles from Eleutheropolis. ― Estémo, also called Esthamo And Istem, in the mountains of Judah, south of Hebron.

21.15 Holon Or Olon (see Joshua 15:51), in the mountains of Judah. ― Dabir. See Joshua 10:38.

21.16 From the two tribes, of Judah and Simeon. ― Ain, perhaps Ain Rimmon, see Joshua 19:7. ― Jeta Or Jota (see Joshua 15:55), today Yuttah or Jutta, south of Hebron. ― Bethsames, today Ain-Schems, about 20 kilometers west of Jerusalem.

21.17 Gabaon. See 1 Samuel, 3, 4. ― Gabaé Or Gabée (see Joshua, 18, 24), north of Jerusalem, different from Gibeah, the homeland of Saul.

21.18 Anathoth, today Anata, a short distance north of Jerusalem. ― Almon, unknown.

21.21 Shechem, in the mountains of Ephraim, in the valley that separates Mount Gerizim from Mount Hebal. ― Gazer, between Béthoron and the Mediterranean.

21.22 Cibsaïm, unknown city. ― Beth-horon. See Joshua 10:10.

21.23 Elthéco, Gabathon, cities not found.

21.24 Ajalon. See Joshua 10:12. Geth-Remmon, unknown site.

21.25 Thanach. See Joshua 12:21. Geth-Remmon. The parallel list in 1 Chronicles 6:70 includes Balaam, which is the same city as Jeblaam, whose location is uncertain.

21.26 Of a lower rank to the priests. See Joshua, note 21.4-5.

21.27 Gaulon in Basan, unknown site in Gaulonitis. ― Bosra, in Hebrew Beeshtera, is the Astaroth spoken of in Deuteronomy, 1, 4.

21.28 Transfer. Unknown. - Dabereth, today Debouriéh, at the foot of Mount Tabor, to the west.

21.29 Jaramoth, called Rameth, see Joshua 19:21, today Rameh. ― En-Gannim, today Djénin, at the entrance to the plain of Esdrelon.

21.30 Masal, named Messal, See Joshua 19:26, concerning the Mediterranean Sea, near Mount Carmel. Abdon, unknown.

21.31 Helcath Or Halcath (see Joshua 19:25), site uncertain. ― Rohob, also unknown.

21.32 Cedes. See Judges, 4, 6. ― Hamoth-Dor, perhaps at the thermal springs near Tiberias. ― Carthan, unknown.

21.34 JecnaM. See Jachanan, Joshua 12:22. Cartha, not found.

21.35 Damna and Naalol, unknowns.

21.36 Ramoth in Gilead, in the midst of the mountains of Gilead. ― Manaïm north of the Jacob.

21.37 Hesebon. See Numbers, 21, 25. ― Jazer. See Joshua 13:25.

22.4 See Numbers 32, 33; Joshua 13, 8.

22.7 this side of the Jordan. See Numbers, 32, 32. ― Basan, See Numbers, note 21.33.

22.17 See Numbers 25:3; Deuteronomy 4:3. Phegor. See Numbers 25, 3.

22.20 See Joshua 7:1.

22.25 No share in the Lord Or with the Lord ; You are not of his people; you have no share in his covenant, his sacrifices, or his inheritance. Compare to verse 27.

22.31 From the hand of the Lord ; that is to say, his blows, his punishments.

23.14 See 1 Samuel 2:2. Today ; Hebraism, for Soon. ― by the way of all the earth ; the path that everyone takes, where all men are forced to enter, the path of death.

23.16 These predictions were fulfilled during the Babylonian captivity, and especially since the death of Jesus Christ.

24.1 At Shechem, in the center of Palestine. See Genesis, 12, 6.

24.2 See Genesis 11:26.

24.3 See Genesis 11:31.

24.4 See Genesis 21:2; 25:26; 36:8; 46:6.

24.5 See Exodus 3:10.

24.6 See Exodus 12:37; 14:9.

24.7 covered them ; that's to say the Lord, or rather the sea ; because it often happens in Hebrew that the complement of a preceding verb serves as the subject of the following verb, without anything in the sentence indicating this double usage.

24.8 See Numbers, 21, 24.

24.9 See Numbers, 22, 5.

24.11 See Joshua 3:14; 6:1; 11:3. YOU arrived in Jericho. See Joshua, 6, 1.

24.12 See Exodus 23:28; Deuteronomy 7:20; Joshua 11:20.

24.14 See 1 Samuel 7:3; Tobit 14:10.

24.19 You cannot, etc. It is clear that Joshua does not mean to tell the Israelites that it is impossible for them to serve the Lord, since in the preceding verses he strongly exhorts them to do so; his aim is simply to encourage them to reflect more seriously on their promise and to rekindle their courage; it is as if he were saying to them: You promise to serve the Lord, but will you be able to do so with your pronounced inclination towards idolatry, and with your great ease in being led astray by it? Will you be firm and courageous enough to persevere in the sentiments that motivate you today?

24.26 By the place consecrated to the Lord, We can hear, with several commentators, of a tent or a temporary sanctuary that had been erected under this oak tree, to place the ark there during the short time it was in Shechem.

34.29-33 It can be assumed that the end of this chapter was inserted into this book by a third, but authorized, hand. The intention was undoubtedly to gather into a single work everything relating to the story of Joshua, as was done for Moses.

34.30 Thamnath-Saré. See Joshua 19:50.

34.32 See Genesis 50:24; Exodus 13:19; 33:19. At Shechem. Joseph's tomb is near Shechem, to the southeast, next to the Samaritan woman's well.

34.33 At Gabaa, the city of Phinehas, next to Thamnath-Saré, southwest of Silo.