Joshua Captures Towns in the North
1 King Jabin of Hazor heard about Joshua's victories, so he sent messages to many nearby kings and asked them to join him in fighting Israel. He sent these messages to King Jobab of Madon, the kings of Shimron and Achshaph, 2 the kings in the northern hill country and in the Jordan River valley south of Lake Galilee, and the kings in the foothills and in Naphath-Dor to the west. 3 He sent messages to the Canaanite kings in the east and the west, to the Amorite, Hittite, Perizzite, and Jebusite kings in the hill country, and to the Hivite kings in the region of Mizpah, near the foot of Mount Hermon.
4-5 The kings and their armies went to Merom Pond, where they set up camp, and got ready to fight Israel. It seemed as though there were more soldiers and horses and chariots than there are grains of sand on a beach.
6 The Lord told Joshua:
Don't let them frighten you! I'll help you defeat them, and by this time tomorrow they will be dead.
When you attack, the first thing you have to do is to cripple their horses. Then after the battle is over, burn their chariots.
7 Joshua and his army made a surprise attack against the enemy camp at Merom Pond 8-9 and crippled the enemies' horses. Joshua followed the Lord's instructions, and the Lord helped Israel defeat the enemy. The Israelite army even chased enemy soldiers as far as Misrephoth-Maim to the northwest, the city of Sidon to the north, and Mizpeh Valley to the northeast. None of the enemy soldiers escaped alive. The Israelites came back after the battle and burned the enemy's chariots.
10 Up to this time, the king of Hazor had controlled the kingdoms that had joined together to attack Israel, so Joshua led his army back and captured Hazor. They killed its king 11 and everyone else, then they set the town on fire.
12-15 Joshua captured all the towns where the enemy kings had ruled. These towns were built on small hills, and Joshua did not set fire to any of these towns, except Hazor. The Israelites kept the animals and everything of value from these towns, but they killed everyone who lived in them, including their kings. That's what the Lord had told his servant Moses to do, that's what Moses had told Joshua to do, and that's exactly what Joshua did.
16 Joshua and his army took control of the northern and southern hill country, the foothills to the west, the Southern Desert, the whole region of Goshen, and the Jordan River valley. 17-18 They took control of the land from Mount Halak near the country of Edom in the south to Baal-Gad in Lebanon Valley at the foot of Mount Hermon in the north. Joshua and his army were at war with the kings in this region for a long time, but finally they captured and put to death the last king.
19-20 The Lord had told Moses that he wanted the towns in this region destroyed and their people killed without mercy. That's why the Lord made the people in the towns stubborn and determined to fight Israel. The only town that signed a peace treaty with Israel was the Hivite town of Gibeon. The Israelite army captured the rest of the towns in battle.
21 During this same time, Joshua and his army killed the Anakim from the northern and southern hill country. They also destroyed the towns where the Anakim had lived, including Hebron, Debir, and Anab. 22 There were not any Anakim left in the regions where the Israelites lived, although there were still some in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod.
23 That's how Joshua captured the land, just as the Lord had commanded Moses, and Joshua divided it up among the tribes.
Finally, there was peace in the land.
1 And whe Iabin King of Hazor had heard this, then he sent to Iobab King of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph, 2 And vnto the Kings that were by ye North in the mountaines and plaines toward the Southside of Cinneroth, and in the valleys, and in the borders of Dor Westward, 3 And vnto the Canaanites, both by East, and by West, and vnto the Amorites, and Hittites, and Perizzites, and Iebusites in the mountaines, and vnto the Hiuites vnder Hermon in the land of Mizpeh. 4 And they came out and all their hostes with them, many people as the sande that is on the sea shore for multitude, with horses and charets exceeding many. 5 So all these Kings met together, and came and pitched together at the waters of Merom, for to fight against Israel. 6 Then the Lord sayd vnto Ioshua, Be not afrayd for them: for to morowe about this time will I deliuer them all slaine before Israel: thou shalt hough their horses, and burne their charets with fire. 7 Then came Ioshua and al the men of warre with him against them by the waters of Merom suddenly, and fell vpon them. 8 And the Lord gaue them into the hand of Israel: and they smote them, and chased them vnto great Zidon, and vnto Misrephothmaim, and vnto the valley of Mizpeh Eastward, and smote them vntill they had none remaining of them. 9 And Ioshua did vnto them as the Lord bade him: he houghed their horses, and burnt their charets with fire. 10 At that time also Ioshua turned backe, and tooke Hazor, and smote the King thereof with the sword: for Hazor before time was the head of all those kingdomes. 11 Moreouer, they smote all the persons that were therein with the edge of the sworde, vtterly destroying all, leauing none aliue, and hee burnt Hazor with fire. 12 So all ye cities of those Kings, and all the kings of them did Ioshua take, and smote them with the edge of the sword, and vtterly destroyed them, as Moses the seruant of the Lord had commanded. 13 But Israel burnt none of the cities that stoode still in their strength, saue Hazor onely, that Ioshua burnt. 14 And all the spoyle of these cities and the cattel the children of Israel tooke for their praye, but they smote euery man with the edge of the sword vntill they had destroyed them, not leauing one aliue. 15 As the Lord had commanded Moses his seruant, so did Moses commande Ioshua, and so did Ioshua: he left nothing vndone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses. 16 So Ioshua tooke all this land of the mountaines, and all the South, and all the lande of Goshen, and the lowe countrey, and the plaine, and the mountaine of Israel, and the lowe countrey of the same, 17 From the mount Halak, that goeth vp to Seir, euen vnto Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon, vnder mount Hermon: and all their Kings he tooke, and smote them, and slewe them. 18 Ioshua made warre long time with all those Kings, 19 Neither was there any citie that made peace with the children of Israel, saue those Hiuites that inhabited Gibeon: all other they tooke by battell. 20 For it came of the Lord, to harden their heartes that they shoulde come against Israel in battell to the intent that they shoulde destroye them vtterly, and shewe them no mercie, but that they shoulde bring them to nought: as the Lord had commanded Moses. 21 And that same season came Ioshua, and destroyed the Anakims out of the mountaines: as out of Hebron, out of Debir, out of Anab, and out of all the mountaines of Iudah, and out of all the mountaines of Israel: Ioshua destroyed them vtterly with their cities. 22 There was no Anakim left in the lande of the children of Israel: onely in Azzah, in Gath, and in Ashdod were they left. 23 So Ioshua tooke the whole land, according to all that the Lord had saide vnto Moses: and Ioshua gaue it for an inheritance vnto Israel according to their portion through their tribes: then the land was at rest without warre.