JOS.htm
Joshua 4
1 And it came to pass, when all the
people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto
Joshua, saying,
2 Take you twelve men out of the
people, out of every tribe a man,
3 And command ye them, saying, Take
you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the
priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them
over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye
shall lodge this night.
4 Then Joshua called the twelve men,
whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every
tribe a man:
5 And Joshua said unto them, Pass
over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan,
and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder,
according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:
6 That this may be a sign among you,
that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying,
What mean ye by these stones?
7 Then ye shall answer them, That the
waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of
the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were
cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the
children of Israel for ever.
8 And the children of Israel did so
as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst
of Jordan, as the LORD spake unto Joshua, according to the number
of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over
with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down
there.
9 And Joshua set up twelve stones in
the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests
which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto
this day.
10 For the priests which bare the ark
stood in the midst of Jordan, until everything was finished that
the LORD commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to
all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed
over.
11 And it came to pass, when all the
people were clean passed over, that the ark of the LORD passed
over, and the priests, in the presence of the people.
12 And the children of Reuben, and
the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over
armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them:
13 About
forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the LORD unto
battle, to the plains of Jericho.
14 On that day the LORD magnified
Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they
feared Moses, all the days of his life.
15 And the LORD spake unto Joshua,
saying,
16 Command the priests that bear the
ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan.
17 Joshua therefore commanded the
priests, saying, Come ye up out of Jordan.
18 And it came to pass, when the
priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD were come
up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet
were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan
returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they
did before.
19 And the people came up out of
Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and
encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho.
20 And those twelve stones, which
they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.
21 And he spake unto the children of
Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in
time to come, saying, What mean these stones?
22 Then ye shall let your children
know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.
23 For the LORD your God dried up the
waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as
the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from
before us, until we were gone over:
24 That all the people of the earth
might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might
fear the LORD your God for ever.
Joshua 9
1 And it came to pass, when all the
kings which were on this side Jordan, in the hills, and in the
valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea over against
Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the
Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard thereof;
2 That they gathered themselves
together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.
3 And when the inhabitants of Gibeon
heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai,
4 They did work wilily, and went and
made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon
their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up;
5 And old shoes and clouted upon
their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of
their provision was dry and mouldy.
6 And they went to Joshua unto the
camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We
be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with
us.
7 And
the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell
among us; and how shall we make a league with you?
8 And
they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua
said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?
9 And they said unto him, From a very
far country thy servants are come because of the name of the LORD
thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did
in Egypt,
10 And all that he did to the two
kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of
Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth.
11 Wherefore
our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake to us,
saying, Take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet
them, and say unto them, We are your servants: therefore now make
ye a league with us.
12 This our bread we took hot for our
provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto
you; but now, behold, it is dry, and it is mouldy:
13 And these bottles of wine, which
we filled, were new; and, behold, they be rent: and these our
garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long
journey.
14 And the men took of their victuals,
and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.
15 And Joshua made peace with
them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and
the princes of the congregation sware unto them.
16 And it came to pass at the end of
three days after they had made a league with them, that they
heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among
them.
17 And the children of Israel
journeyed, and came unto their cities on the third day. Now their
cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjathjearim.
18 And the children of Israel
smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn
unto them by the LORD God of Israel. And all the congregation
murmured against the princes.
19 But all the princes said unto all
the congregation, We have sworn unto them by the LORD God of
Israel: now therefore we may not touch them.
20 This we will do to them; we will
even let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath
which we sware unto them.
21 And the princes said unto them, Let
them live; but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water
unto all the congregation; as the princes had promised them.
22 And Joshua called for them, and he
spake unto them, saying, Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying,
We are very far from you; when ye dwell among us?
23 Now therefore ye are
cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen,
and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.
24 And they answered Joshua, and said,
Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that the LORD thy
God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land,
and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you,
therefore we were sore afraid of our lives because of you, and
have done this thing.
25 And now, behold, we are in thine
hand: as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do.
26 And so did he unto them, and
delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that
they slew them not.
27 And Joshua made them that
day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and
for the altar of the LORD, even unto this day, in the place which
he should choose.
Joshua 11
1 And it came to pass, when Jabin
king of Hazor had heard those things, that he sent to Jobab king
of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph,
2 And to the kings that were on the
north of the mountains, and of the plains south of Chinneroth,
and in the valley, and in the borders of Dor on the west,
3 And to the Canaanite on the east
and on the west, and to the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the
Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains, and to the Hivite
under Hermon in the land of Mizpeh.
4 And they went out, they and all
their hosts with them, much people, even as the sand that is upon
the sea shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many.
5 And when all these kings were met
together, they came and pitched together at the waters of Merom,
to fight against Israel.
6 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Be
not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time will I
deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough (cut
the hamstring and thereby cripple) their horses, and burn
their chariots with fire.
7 So Joshua came, and all the people
of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly;
and they fell upon them.
8 And the LORD delivered them into
the hand of Israel, who smote them, and chased them unto great
Zidon, and unto Misrephothmaim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh
eastward; and they smote them, until they left them none
remaining.
9 And Joshua did unto them as the
LORD bade him: he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots
with fire.
10 And Joshua at that time turned
back, and took Hazor, and smote the king thereof with the sword:
for Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms.
11 And they smote all the
souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly
destroying them: there was not any left to breathe: and he burnt
Hazor with fire.
12 And all the cities of
those kings, and all the kings of them, did Joshua take, and
smote them with the edge of the sword, and he utterly destroyed
them, as Moses the servant of the LORD commanded.
13 But as for the cities that stood
still in their strength, Israel burned none of them, save Hazor
only; that did Joshua burn.
14 And
all the spoil of these cities, and the cattle, the children of
Israel took for a prey unto themselves; but every man they smote
with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them,
neither left they any to breathe.
15 As the LORD commanded Moses his
servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua; he left
nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses.
16 So Joshua took all that land, the
hills, and all the south country, and all the land of Goshen, and
the valley, and the plain, and the mountain of Israel, and the
valley of the same;
17 Even from the mount Halak, that
goeth up to Seir, even unto Baalgad in the valley of Lebanon
under mount Hermon: and all their kings he took, and smote them,
and slew them.
18 Joshua made war a long
time with all those kings.
19 There was not a city that made
peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites the
inhabitants of Gibeon: all other they took in battle.
20 For it was of the LORD to harden
their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle,
that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no
favour, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded
Moses.
21 And at that time came Joshua, and
cut off the Anakims from the mountains, from Hebron, from Debir,
from Anab, and from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the
mountains of Israel: Joshua destroyed them utterly with
their cities.
22 There was none of the
Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza,
in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained.
23 So Joshua took the whole land,
according to all that the LORD said unto Moses; and Joshua
gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to
their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war.
Joshua 24
1 And Joshua gathered all the tribes
of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and
for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers;
and they presented themselves before God.
2 And Joshua said unto all the people,
Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on
the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father
of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.
3 And I took your father Abraham from
the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land
of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.
4 And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and
Esau: and I gave unto Esau mount Seir, to possess it; but Jacob
and his children went down into Egypt.
5 I sent Moses also and Aaron,
and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did among
them: and afterward I brought you out.
6 And I brought your fathers out of
Egypt: and ye came unto the sea; and the Egyptians pursued after
your fathers with chariots and horsemen unto the Red sea.
7 And when they cried unto the LORD,
he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the
sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes have seen what I
have done in Egypt: and ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season.
8 And I brought you into the land of
the Amorites, which dwelt on the other side Jordan; and they
fought with you: and I gave them into your hand, that ye might
possess their land; and I destroyed them from before you.
9 Then Balak the son of Zippor, king
of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and sent and called
Balaam the son of Beor to curse you:
10 But I would not hearken unto
Balaam; therefore he blessed you still: so I delivered you out of
his hand.
11 And
you went over Jordan, and came unto Jericho: and the men of
Jericho fought against you, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and
the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Girgashites, the
Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I delivered them into your hand.
12 And
I sent the hornet before you, which drave them out from before
you, even the two kings of the Amorites; but not with thy sword,
nor with thy bow.
13 And
I have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities
which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and
oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat.
14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and
serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which
your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt;
and serve ye the LORD.
15 And if it seem evil unto you to
serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether
the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of
the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell:
but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
16 And the people answered and said,
God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;
17 For the LORD our God, he it is
that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from
the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our
sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among
all the people through whom we passed:
18 And the LORD drave out from before
us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land:
therefore will we also serve the LORD; for he is our God.
19 And Joshua said unto the people,
Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous
God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.
20 If ye forsake the LORD, and serve
strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you,
after that he hath done you good.
21 And the people said unto Joshua,
Nay; but we will serve the LORD.
22 And Joshua said unto the people,
Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the
LORD, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses.
23 Now therefore put away, said he,
the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto
the LORD God of Israel.
24 And the people said unto Joshua,
The LORD our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.
25 So Joshua made a covenant with the
people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in
Shechem.
26 And Joshua wrote these words in
the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up
there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the LORD.
27 And Joshua said unto all the
people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it
hath heard all the words of the LORD which he spake unto us: it
shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God.
28 So Joshua let the people depart,
every man unto his inheritance.
29 And it came to pass after these
things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died,
being an hundred and ten years old.
30 And they buried him in the border
of his inheritance in Timnathserah, which is in mount Ephraim, on
the north side of the hill of Gaash.
31 And Israel served the LORD all the
days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived
Joshua, and which had known all the works of the LORD, that he
had done for Israel.
32 And the bones of Joseph, which the
children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in
Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of
Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and
it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.
33 And Eleazar the son of Aaron died;
and they buried him in a hill that pertained to Phinehas his son,
which was given him in mount Ephraim.