Joshua read aloud every commandment Moses had given<n id="1" /> before the whole assembly of Israel, including the women, children, and resident foreigners who lived among them.<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Adoni-Zedek, king of Jerusalem,<n id="1" /> heard how Joshua captured Ai and annihilated it and its king as he did Jericho<n id="2" /> and its king.<n id="3" /> He also heard how<n id="4" /> the people of Gibeon made peace with Israel and lived among them.

The <sc>Lordsc> handed it and its king over to Israel, and Israel<n id="1" /> put the sword to all who lived there; they<n id="2" /> left no survivors. They<n id="3" /> did to its king what they<n id="4" /> had done to the king of Jericho.<n id="5" />p>

The <sc>Lordsc> handed Lachish over to Israel and they<n id="1" /> captured it on the second day. They put the sword to all who lived there, just as they had done to Libnah.

<p class="bodytext">Joshua defeated the whole land, including the hill country, the Negev, the lowlands,<n id="1" /> the slopes, and all their kings. He left no survivors. He annihilated everything that breathed, just as the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel had commanded.

<p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> told Joshua, &#8220;Don&#8217;t be afraid of them, for about this time tomorrow I will cause all of them to lie dead before Israel. You must hamstring their horses and burn<n id="1" /> their chariots.&#8221;

The <sc>Lordsc> handed them over to Israel and they struck them down and chased them all the way to Greater Sidon,<n id="1" /> Misrephoth Maim,<n id="2" /> and the Mizpah Valley to the east. They struck them down until no survivors remained.

The Israelites plundered all the goods of these cities and the cattle, but they totally destroyed all the people<n id="1" /> and allowed no one who breathed to live.

<t /><p class="bodytext">Joshua conquered the whole land,<n id="1" /> including the hill country, all the Negev, all the land of Goshen, the lowlands,<n id="2" /> the Arabah, the hill country of Israel and its lowlands,

for the <sc>Lordsc> determined to make them obstinate so they would attack Israel. He wanted Israel to annihilate them without mercy, as he had instructed Moses.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="bodytext">At that time Joshua attacked and eliminated the Anakites from the hill country<n id="1" /> &#8211; from Hebron, Debir, Anab, and all the hill country of Judah and Israel.<n id="2" /> Joshua annihilated them and their cities.

<p class="bodytext">Now these are the kings of the land whom the Israelites defeated and drove from their land<n id="1" /> on the east side of the Jordan,<n id="2" /> from the Arnon Valley to Mount Hermon, including all the eastern Arabah:p>

I will drive out before the Israelites all who live in the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim,<n id="1" /> all the Sidonians; you be sure to parcel it out to Israel as I instructed you.&#8221;<n id="2" />

So Hebron remains the assigned land of Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this very day<n id="1" /> because he remained loyal to the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel.

So Joshua said to the Israelites: &#8220;How long do you intend to put off occupying<n id="1" /> the land the <sc>Lordsc> God of your ancestors<n id="2" /> has given you?

<p class="bodytext">These are the land assignments which Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the Israelite tribal leaders<n id="1" /> made by drawing lots in Shiloh before the <sc>Lordsc> at the entrance of the tent of meeting.<n id="2" /> So they finished dividing up the land.p>

These were the cities of refuge<n id="1" /> appointed for all the Israelites and for resident foreigners living among them. Anyone who accidentally killed someone could escape there and not be executed by<n id="2" /> the avenger of blood, at least until his case was reviewed by the assembly.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="bodytext">The Israelites sent Phinehas, son of Eleazar, the priest, to the land of Gilead to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

&#8220;The entire community of the <sc>Lordsc> says, &#8216;Why have you disobeyed the God of Israel by turning back today from following the <sc>Lordsc>? You built an altar for yourselves and have rebelled today against the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="1" />

When Achan son of Zerah disobeyed the command about the city&#8217;s riches, the entire Israelite community was judged,<n id="1" /> though only one man had sinned. He most certainly died for his sin!&#8217;&#8221;<n id="2" />p>