He told the Israelites, “When your children someday ask their fathers, ‘What do these stones represent?’

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.

They annihilated with the sword everything that breathed in the city, including men and women, young and old, as well as cattle, sheep, and donkeys.

But they burned the city and all that was in it, except for the silver, gold, and bronze and iron items they put in the treasury of the Lord’s house.

I and all the troops who are with me will approach the city. When they come out to fight us like before, we will retreat from them.

All the troops that were with him marched up and drew near the city. They camped north of Ai on the other side of the valley.

The army was in position – the main army north of the city and the rear guard west of the city. That night Joshua went into the middle of the valley.

All the reinforcements in Ai were ordered to chase them; they chased Joshua and were lured away from the city.

No men were left in Ai or Bethel; they all went out after Israel. They left the city wide open and chased Israel.

But Israel did plunder the cattle and the goods of the city, in accordance with the Lord’s orders to Joshua.

There, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua inscribed on the stones a duplicate of the law written by Moses.

They told him, “Your subjects have come from a very distant land because of the reputation of the Lord your God, for we have heard the news about all he did in Egypt

These wineskins we filled were brand new, but look how they have ripped. Our clothes and sandals have worn out because it has been a very long journey.”

Three days after they made the treaty with them, the Israelites found out they were from the local area and lived nearby.

We must let them live so we can escape the curse attached to the oath we swore to them.”

and that day made them woodcutters and water carriers for the community and for the altar of the Lord at the divinely chosen site. (They continue in that capacity to this very day.)

These kings came out with their armies; they were as numerous as the sand on the seashore and had a large number of horses and chariots.

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

No city made peace with the Israelites (except the Hivites living in Gibeon); they had to conquer all of them,

The other half of Manasseh, Reuben, and Gad received their allotted tribal lands beyond the Jordan, just as Moses, the Lord’s servant, had assigned them.