Northern Kings Defeated
1
When Jabin king of Hazor heard of this, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon,
to the kings of Shimron and Acshaph,
2
and to the northern kings who were in the mountains,
in the Arabah south of Kinnereth, in the western foothills
and in Naphoth Dor on the west;
3
to the Canaanites in the east and west; to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites
and Jebusites in the hill country; and to the Hivites below Hermon
in the region of Mizpah.
4
They came out with all their troops and a large number of horses and chariots -
a huge army, as numerous as the sand on the seashore.
5
All these kings joined forces and made camp together at the Waters of Merom,
to fight against Israel.
6
The LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow
I will hand all of them over to Israel, slain. You are to hamstrung their horses
and burn their chariots."
7
So Joshua and his whole army came against them suddenly at the Waters of Merom
and attacked them,
8
and the LORD gave them into the hand of Israel. They defeated them and pursued
them all the way to Greater Sidon, to Misrephoth Maim,
and to the Valley of Mizpah on the east, until no survivors were left.
9
Joshua did to them as the LORD had directed:
He hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots.
10
At that time Joshua turned back and captured Hazor and put its king to the sword.
(Hazor had been the head of all these kingdoms.)
11
Everyone in it they put to the sword. They totally destroyed them,
nor sparing anything that breathed, and he burned up Hazor itself.
12
Joshua tool all these royal cities and their kings and put them to the sword.
He totally destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded.
13
Yet Israel did not burn any of the cities built on their mounds -
except Hazor, which Joshua burned.
14
The Israelites carried off themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities,
but all the people they put to the sword until they completely destroyed them,
not sparing anyone that breathed.
15
As the LORD commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua,
and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded
Moses.
16
So Joshua took the entire land; the hill country, all the Negev,
the whole region of Goshen, the western foothills, the Arabah
and the mountains of Israel with their foothills,
17
from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir,
to Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon.
He captured all the kings and struck them down, putting them to death.
18
Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time.
19
Except for the Hivites living in Gibeon, not one city made a treaty of peace
with the Israelites, who took them all in battle.
20
For it was the LORD himself who hardened their hearts to wage war
against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally,
extinguishing them without mercy, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
21
AAt that time Joshua went and destroyed the Anakites from the hill country:
from Hebron. Debir and Anab, from all the hill country of Judah,
and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua totally destroyed them
and their towns.
22
No Anakites were left in Isralite territory;
only in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod did any survive.
23
So Joshua took the entire land, just as the LORD had directed Moses,
and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions.
Then the land had rest from war.
