Joshua 11

The Northern Kings Gather

1When Jabin king of Hazor heard of this, he sent to Jobab king of Madon, to the king of Shimron, to the king of Achshaph, 2and to the kings who were in the north, in the hill country, in the Arabah south of Chinneroth, in the foothills, and in the heights of Dor on the west, 3to the Canaanites in the east and west, the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites in the hill country, and Hivites under Hermon in the land of Mizpah. 4They went out, they and all their armies with them, a people as numerous as the sand that is on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots. 5All these kings met together and came and camped together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.

The LORD Gives Them into Joshua’s Hand

6The LORD said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for tomorrow about this time I will give all of them slain before Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.” 7So Joshua and all the people of war with him came against them suddenly by the waters of Merom and fell upon them. 8The LORD gave them into the hand of Israel, and they struck them and pursued them as far as Great Sidon, Misrephoth-Maim, and the Valley of Mizpeh toward the east. They struck them until no survivor remained to them. 9Joshua did to them as the LORD had spoken to him: he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.

Hazor Is Burned

10Joshua turned back at that time and captured Hazor and struck its king with the sword, for Hazor formerly was the head of all these kingdoms. 11They struck every life in it with the edge of the sword, devoting them to destruction. Nothing breathing remained, and he burned Hazor with fire. 12Joshua captured all the cities of these kings and all their kings and struck them with the edge of the sword. He devoted them to destruction, as Moses servant of the LORD had commanded. 13But Israel did not burn any of the cities standing on their mounds, except Hazor alone, which Joshua burned. 14All the plunder of these cities and the livestock the children of Israel took as plunder for themselves. But every human being they struck with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them; they left none breathing.

Joshua Carries Out What Moses Commanded

15As the LORD had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He did not leave undone a word of all that the LORD had commanded Moses. 16Thus Joshua took all that land: the hill country, all the Negev, all the land of Goshen, the foothills, the Arabah, the hill country of Israel and its foothills, 17from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, as far as Baal-Gad in the Valley of Lebanon under Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings, struck them, and put them to death. 18Joshua made war with all these kings for many days. 19There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. They took all in battle. 20For it was from the LORD to harden their hearts to meet Israel in battle, so that he might devote them to destruction, that there might be no favor for them, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

The Anakim Are Cut Off

21At that time Joshua came and cut off the Anakim from the hill country—from Hebron, Debir, Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah and all the hill country of Israel. Joshua devoted them and their cities to destruction. 22None of the Anakim was left in the land of the children of Israel; only in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod did some remain. 23So Joshua took the whole land according to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses. Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land had rest from war.