Joshua assembled all the Israelite tribes at Shechem. He summoned Israel’s elders, rulers, judges, and leaders, and they appeared before God.

Then you rise up from your hiding place ¹  and seize ²  the city. The Lord your God will hand it over to you.

Joshua kept holding out his curved sword until Israel had annihilated all who lived in Ai. ¹ 

The land assignments to the nine-and-a-half tribes were made by drawing lots, as the Lord had instructed Moses. ¹ 

The third lot belonged to the tribe of Zebulun ¹  by its clans. The border of their territory ²  extended to Sarid.

When the Canaanites and all who live in the land hear about this, they will turn against us and destroy the very memory of us ¹  from the earth. What will you do to protect your great reputation?” ² 

Be strong and brave! You must lead these people in the conquest of this land that I solemnly promised their ancestors I would hand over to them. ¹ 

When Joshua was near ¹  Jericho, ²  he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him holding a drawn sword. ³  Joshua approached him and asked him, “Are you on our side or allied with our enemies?” ⁴ 

Today I am still as strong as when Moses sent me out. I can fight and go about my daily activities with the same energy I had then. ¹ 

They marched around the city one time on the second day, then returned to the camp. They did this six days in all.

The commander of the Lord’s army answered Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, because the place where you stand is holy.” Joshua did so.

The second lot belonged to the tribe of Simeon by its clans. ¹ 

Do to Ai and its king what you did to Jericho ¹  and its king, except you may plunder its goods and cattle. Set an ambush behind the city!”

The whole hill country ¹  will be yours; though it is a forest, you can clear it and it will be entirely yours. ²  You can conquer the Canaanites, though they have chariots with iron-rimmed wheels and are strong.”

Half of Gilead, Ashtaroth, and Edrei, cities in the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were assigned to the descendants of Makir son of Manasseh, to half the descendants of Makir by their clans.

Then Rahab ¹  let them down by a rope ²  through the window. (Her ³  house was built as part of the city wall; she lived in the wall.) ⁴ 

But Israel did plunder the cattle and the goods of the city, in accordance with the Lord’s orders to Joshua. ¹ 

Now, divide up this land ¹  among the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”

Joshua asked God to empower Caleb son of Jephunneh and assigned him Hebron. ¹ 

The men said to her, “If you ¹  die, may we die too! ²  If you do not report what we’ve been up to, ³  then, when the Lord hands the land over to us, we will show unswerving allegiance ⁴  to you.” ⁵