He has done this so all the nations of the earth might recognize the Lord’s power and so you might always obey the Lord your God.”

This is why Joshua had to circumcise them: All the men old enough to fight when they left Egypt died on the journey through the desert after they left Egypt.

Now all the men who left were circumcised, but all the sons born on the journey through the desert after they left Egypt were uncircumcised.

Twelve thousand men and women died that day, including all the men of Ai.

Then Joshua read aloud all the words of the law, including the blessings and the curses, just as they are written in the law scroll.

but all the leaders told the whole community, “We swore an oath to them in the name of the Lord God of Israel. So now we can’t hurt them!

That day they captured it and put the sword to all who lived there. That day they annihilated it just as they had done to Lachish.

They annihilated everyone who lived there with the sword – no one who breathed remained – and burned Hazor.

Not one of the Lord’s faithful promises to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; every one was realized.

and told them: “You have carried out all the instructions of Moses the Lord’s servant, and you have obeyed all I have told you.

You saw everything the Lord your God did to all these nations on your behalf, for the Lord your God fights for you.

These were the nations the Lord permitted to remain so he could use them to test Israel – he wanted to test all those who had not experienced battle against the Canaanites.

That day they killed about ten thousand Moabites – all strong, capable warriors; not one escaped.

When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, you also blow your trumpets all around the camp. Then say, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’”

All the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo assembled and then went and made Abimelech king by the oak near the pillar in Shechem.

The leaders of all the people from all the tribes of Israel took their places in the assembly of God’s people, which numbered four hundred thousand sword-wielding foot soldiers.

Among this army were seven hundred specially-trained left-handed soldiers. Each one could sling a stone and hit even the smallest target.

That day twenty-five thousand sword-wielding Benjaminites fell in battle, all of them capable warriors.

Now, my dear, don’t worry! I intend to do for you everything you propose, for everyone in the village knows that you are a worthy woman.

You will see trouble in my dwelling place! Israel will experience blessings, but there will not be an old man in your house for all time.