^14:1These are the inheritances which the children of Israel took in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed to them, ^14:2by the lot of their inheritance, as Yahweh commanded by Moses, for the nine tribes, and for the half-tribe. ^14:3For Moses had given the inheritance of the two tribes and the half-tribe beyond the Jordan; but to the Levites he gave no inheritance among them. ^14:4For the children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. They gave no portion to the Levites in the land, except cities to dwell in, with their suburbs for their livestock and for their property. ^14:5The children of Israel did as Yahweh commanded Moses, and they divided the land. ^14:6Then the children of Judah came near to Joshua in Gilgal. Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know the thing that Yahweh spoke to Moses the man of God concerning me and concerning you in Kadesh Barnea. ^14:7I was forty years old when Moses the servant of Yahweh sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land. I brought him word again as it was in my heart. ^14:8Nevertheless, my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; but I wholly followed Yahweh my God. ^14:9Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land where you walked shall be an inheritance to you and to your children forever, because you have wholly followed Yahweh my God.’ ^14:10“Now, behold, Yahweh has kept me alive, as he spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that Yahweh spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. Now, behold, I am eighty-five years old, today. ^14:11As yet I am as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me. As my strength was then, even so is my strength now for war, to go out and to come in. ^14:12Now therefore give me this hill country, of which Yahweh spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and great and fortified cities. It may be that Yahweh will be with me, and I shall drive them out, as Yahweh said.” ^14:13Joshua blessed him; and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance. ^14:14Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he followed Yahweh, the God of Israel wholeheartedly. ^14:15Now the name of Hebron before was Kiriath Arba, after the greatest man among the Anakim. Then the land had rest from war.

^15:1The lot for the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families was to the border of Edom, even to the wilderness of Zin southward, at the uttermost part of the south. ^15:2Their south border was from the uttermost part of the Salt Sea, from the bay that looks southward; ^15:3and it went out southward of the ascent of Akrabbim, and passed along to Zin, and went up by the south of Kadesh Barnea, and passed along by Hezron, went up to Addar, and turned towards Karka; ^15:4and it passed along to Azmon, went out at the brook of Egypt; and the border ended at the sea. This shall be your south border. ^15:5The east border was the Salt Sea, even to the end of the Jordan. The border of the north quarter was from the bay of the sea at the end of the Jordan. ^15:6The border went up to Beth Hoglah, and passed along by the north of Beth Arabah; and the border went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben. ^15:7The border went up to Debir from the valley of Achor, and so northward, looking toward Gilgal, that faces the ascent of Adummim, which is on the south side of the river. The border passed along to the waters of En Shemesh, and ended at En Rogel. ^15:8The border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom to the side of the Jebusite (also called Jerusalem) southward; and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lies before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the farthest part of the valley of Rephaim northward. ^15:9The border extended from the top of the mountain to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah, and went out to the cities of Mount Ephron; and the border extended to Baalah (also called Kiriath Jearim); ^15:10and the border turned about from Baalah westward to Mount Seir, and passed along to the side of Mount Jearim (also called Chesalon) on the north, and went down to Beth Shemesh, and passed along by Timnah; ^15:11and the border went out to the side of Ekron northward; and the border extended to Shikkeron, and passed along to Mount Baalah, and went out at Jabneel; and the goings out of the border were at the sea. ^15:12The west border was to the shore of the great sea. This is the border of the children of Judah according to their families. ^15:13He gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh a portion among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of Yahweh to Joshua, even Kiriath Arba, named after the father of Anak (also called Hebron). ^15:14Caleb drove out the three sons of Anak: Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak. ^15:15He went up against the inhabitants of Debir: now the name of Debir before was Kiriath Sepher. ^15:16Caleb said, “He who strikes Kiriath Sepher, and takes it, to him I will give Achsah my daughter as wife.” ^15:17Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife. ^15:18When she came, she had him ask her father for a field. She got off her donkey, and Caleb said, “What do you want?” ^15:19She said, “Give me a blessing. Because you have set me in the land of the South, give me also springs of water.” So he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs. ^15:20This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families. ^15:21The farthest cities of the tribe of the children of Judah toward the border of Edom in the South were Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, ^15:22Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, ^15:23Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, ^15:24Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, ^15:25Hazor Hadattah, Kerioth Hezron (also called Hazor), ^15:26Amam, Shema, Moladah, ^15:27Hazar Gaddah, Heshmon, Beth Pelet, ^15:28Hazar Shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah, ^15:29Baalah, Iim, Ezem, ^15:30Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah, ^15:31Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, ^15:32Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon. All the cities are twenty-nine, with their villages. ^15:33In the lowland, Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, ^15:34Zanoah, En Gannim, Tappuah, Enam, ^15:35Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, ^15:36Shaaraim, Adithaim and Gederah (or Gederothaim); fourteen cities with their villages. ^15:37Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal Gad, ^15:38Dilean, Mizpah, Joktheel, ^15:39Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, ^15:40Cabbon, Lahmam, Chitlish, ^15:41Gederoth, Beth Dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah; sixteen cities with their villages. ^15:42Libnah, Ether, Ashan, ^15:43Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, ^15:44Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages. ^15:45Ekron, with its towns and its villages; ^15:46from Ekron even to the sea, all that were by the side of Ashdod, with their villages. ^15:47Ashdod, its towns and its villages; Gaza, its towns and its villages; to the brook of Egypt, and the great sea with its coastline. ^15:48In the hill country, Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, ^15:49Dannah, Kiriath Sannah (which is Debir), ^15:50Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, ^15:51Goshen, Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages. ^15:52Arab, Dumah, Eshan, ^15:53Janim, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah, ^15:54Humtah, Kiriath Arba (also called Hebron), and Zior; nine cities with their villages. ^15:55Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Jutah, ^15:56Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, ^15:57Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages. ^15:58Halhul, Beth Zur, Gedor, ^15:59Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages. ^15:60Kiriath Baal (also called Kiriath Jearim), and Rabbah; two cities with their villages. ^15:61In the wilderness, Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah, ^15:62Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En Gedi; six cities with their villages. ^15:63As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah couldn’t drive them out; but the Jebusites live with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.

^16:1The lot came out for the children of Joseph from the Jordan at Jericho, at the waters of Jericho on the east, even the wilderness, going up from Jericho through the hill country to Bethel. ^16:2It went out from Bethel to Luz, and passed along to the border of the Archites to Ataroth; ^16:3and it went down westward to the border of the Japhletites, to the border of Beth Horon the lower, and on to Gezer; and ended at the sea. ^16:4The children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance. ^16:5This was the border of the children of Ephraim according to their families. The border of their inheritance eastward was Ataroth Addar, to Beth Horon the upper. ^16:6The border went out westward at Michmethath on the north. The border turned about eastward to Taanath Shiloh, and passed along it on the east of Janoah. ^16:7It went down from Janoah to Ataroth, to Naarah, reached to Jericho, and went out at the Jordan. ^16:8From Tappuah the border went along westward to the brook of Kanah; and ended at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim according to their families; ^16:9together with the cities which were set apart for the children of Ephraim in the middle of the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages. ^16:10They didn’t drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwell in the territory of Ephraim to this day, and have become servants to do forced labor.

^17:1This was the lot for the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph. As for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, because he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan. ^17:2So this was for the rest of the children of Manasseh according to their families: for the children of Abiezer, for the children of Helek, for the children of Asriel, for the children of Shechem, for the children of Hepher, and for the children of Shemida. These were the male children of Manasseh the son of Joseph according to their families. ^17:3But Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but daughters. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. ^17:4They came to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the princes, saying, “Yahweh commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.” Therefore according to the commandment of Yahweh he gave them an inheritance among the brothers of their father. ^17:5Ten parts fell to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which is beyond the Jordan; ^17:6because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the sons of Manasseh. ^17:7The border of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethath, which is before Shechem. The border went along to the right hand, to the inhabitants of En Tappuah. ^17:8The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh; but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the children of Ephraim. ^17:9The border went down to the brook of Kanah, southward of the brook. These cities belonged to Ephraim among the cities of Manasseh. The border of Manasseh was on the north side of the brook, and ended at the sea. ^17:10Southward it was Ephraim’s, and northward it was Manasseh’s, and the sea was his border. They reached to Asher on the north, and to Issachar on the east. ^17:11Manasseh had three heights in Issachar, in Asher Beth Shean and its towns, and Ibleam and its towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Endor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns. ^17:12Yet the children of Manasseh couldn’t drive out the inhabitants of those cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land. ^17:13When the children of Israel had grown strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, and didn’t utterly drive them out. ^17:14The children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, “Why have you given me just one lot and one part for an inheritance, since we are a numerous people, because Yahweh has blessed us so far?” ^17:15Joshua said to them, “If you are a numerous people, go up to the forest, and clear land for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the Rephaim; since the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you.” ^17:16The children of Joseph said, “The hill country is not enough for us. All the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both those who are in Beth Shean and its towns, and those who are in the valley of Jezreel.” ^17:17Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph, that is, to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, “You are a numerous people, and have great power. You shall not have one lot only; ^17:18but the hill country shall be yours. Although it is a forest, you shall cut it down, and it’s farthest extent shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron, and though they are strong.”

^18:1The whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled themselves together at Shiloh, and set up the Tent of Meeting there. The land was subdued before them. ^18:2Seven tribes remained among the children of Israel, which had not yet divided their inheritance. ^18:3Joshua said to the children of Israel, “How long will you neglect to go in to possess the land, which Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has given you? ^18:4Appoint for yourselves three men from each tribe. I will send them, and they shall arise, walk through the land, and describe it according to their inheritance; and they shall come to me. ^18:5They shall divide it into seven portions. Judah shall live in his borders on the south, and the house of Joseph shall live in their borders on the north. ^18:6You shall survey the land into seven parts, and bring the description here to me; and I will cast lots for you here before Yahweh our God. ^18:7However, the Levites have no portion among you; for the priesthood of Yahweh is their inheritance. Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance east of the Jordan, which Moses the servant of Yahweh gave them.” ^18:8The men arose and went. Joshua commanded those who went to survey the land, saying, “Go walk through the land, survey it, and come again to me. I will cast lots for you here before Yahweh in Shiloh.” ^18:9The men went and passed through the land, and surveyed it by cities into seven portions in a book. They came to Joshua to the camp at Shiloh. ^18:10Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before Yahweh. There Joshua divided the land to the children of Israel according to their divisions. ^18:11The lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families. The border of their lot went out between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph. ^18:12Their border on the north quarter was from the Jordan. The border went up to the side of Jericho on the north, and went up through the hill country westward. It ended at the wilderness of Beth Aven. ^18:13The border passed along from there to Luz, to the side of Luz (also called Bethel), southward. The border went down to Ataroth Addar, by the mountain that lies on the south of Beth Horon the lower. ^18:14The border extended, and turned around on the west quarter southward, from the mountain that lies before Beth Horon southward; and ended at Kiriath Baal (also called Kiriath Jearim), a city of the children of Judah. This was the west quarter. ^18:15The south quarter was from the farthest part of Kiriath Jearim. The border went out westward, and went out to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah. ^18:16The border went down to the farthest part of the mountain that lies before the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is in the valley of Rephaim northward. It went down to the valley of Hinnom, to the side of the Jebusite southward, and went down to En Rogel. ^18:17It extended northward, went out at En Shemesh, and went out to Geliloth, which is over against the ascent of Adummim. It went down to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben. ^18:18It passed along to the side over against the Arabah northward, and went down to the Arabah. ^18:19The border passed along to the side of Beth Hoglah northward; and the border ended at the north bay of the Salt Sea, at the south end of the Jordan. This was the south border. ^18:20The Jordan was its border on the east quarter. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, by the borders around it, according to their families. ^18:21Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz, ^18:22Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, ^18:23Avvim, Parah, Ophrah, ^18:24Chephar Ammoni, Ophni, and Geba; twelve cities with their villages. ^18:25Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, ^18:26Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah, ^18:27Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, ^18:28Zelah, Eleph, the Jebusite (also called Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kiriath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.

^19:1The second lot came out for Simeon, even for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families. Their inheritance was in the middle of the inheritance of the children of Judah. ^19:2They had for their inheritance Beersheba (or Sheba), Moladah, ^19:3Hazar Shual, Balah, Ezem, ^19:4Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, ^19:5Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susah, ^19:6Beth Lebaoth, and Sharuhen; thirteen cities with their villages; ^19:7Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan; four cities with their villages; ^19:8and all the villages that were around these cities to Baalath Beer, Ramah of the South. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families. ^19:9Out of the part of the children of Judah was the inheritance of the children of Simeon; for the portion of the children of Judah was too much for them. Therefore the children of Simeon had inheritance in the middle of their inheritance. ^19:10The third lot came up for the children of Zebulun according to their families. The border of their inheritance was to Sarid. ^19:11Their border went up westward, even to Maralah, and reached to Dabbesheth. It reached to the brook that is before Jokneam. ^19:12It turned from Sarid eastward toward the sunrise to the border of Chisloth Tabor. It went out to Daberath, and went up to Japhia. ^19:13From there it passed along eastward to Gath Hepher, to Ethkazin; and it went out at Rimmon which stretches to Neah. ^19:14The border turned around it on the north to Hannathon; and it ended at the valley of Iphtah El; ^19:15Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem: twelve cities with their villages. ^19:16This is the inheritance of the children of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their villages. ^19:17The fourth lot came out for Issachar, even for the children of Issachar according to their families. ^19:18Their border was to Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem, ^19:19Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, ^19:20Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez, ^19:21Remeth, Engannim, En Haddah, and Beth Pazzez. ^19:22The border reached to Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth Shemesh. Their border ended at the Jordan: sixteen cities with their villages. ^19:23This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Issachar according to their families, the cities with their villages. ^19:24The fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families. ^19:25Their border was Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph, ^19:26Allammelech, Amad, Mishal. It reached to Carmel westward, and to Shihorlibnath. ^19:27It turned toward the sunrise to Beth Dagon, and reached to Zebulun, and to the valley of Iphtah El northward to Beth Emek and Neiel. It went out to Cabul on the left hand, ^19:28and Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, and Kanah, even to great Sidon. ^19:29The border turned to Ramah, to the fortified city of Tyre; and the border turned to Hosah. It ended at the sea by the region of Achzib; ^19:30Ummah also, and Aphek, and Rehob: twenty-two cities with their villages. ^19:31This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families, these cities with their villages. ^19:32The sixth lot came out for the children of Naphtali, even for the children of Naphtali according to their families. ^19:33Their border was from Heleph, from the oak in Zaanannim, Adami-nekeb, and Jabneel, to Lakkum. It ended at the Jordan. ^19:34The border turned westward to Aznoth Tabor, and went out from there to Hukkok. It reached to Zebulun on the south, and reached to Asher on the west, and to Judah at the Jordan toward the sunrise. ^19:35The fortified cities were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth, ^19:36Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, ^19:37Kedesh, Edrei, En Hazor, ^19:38Iron, Migdal El, Horem, Beth Anath, and Beth Shemesh; nineteen cities with their villages. ^19:39This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Naphtali according to their families, the cities with their villages. ^19:40The seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families. ^19:41The border of their inheritance was Zorah, Eshtaol, Irshemesh, ^19:42Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah, ^19:43Elon, Timnah, Ekron, ^19:44Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, ^19:45Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon, ^19:46Me Jarkon, and Rakkon, with the border over against Joppa. ^19:47The border of the children of Dan went out beyond them; for the children of Dan went up and fought against Leshem, and took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and lived therein, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their forefather. ^19:48This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages. ^19:49So they finished distributing the land for inheritance by its borders. The children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun among them. ^19:50According to Yahweh’s commandment, they gave him the city which he asked, even Timnathserah in the hill country of Ephraim; and he built the city, and lived there. ^19:51These are the inheritances, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed for inheritance by lot in Shiloh before Yahweh, at the door of the Tent of Meeting. So they finished dividing the land.

^20:1Yahweh spoke to Joshua, saying, ^20:2“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘Assign the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you by Moses, ^20:3that the man slayer who kills any person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there. They shall be to you for a refuge from the avenger of blood. ^20:4He shall flee to one of those cities, and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city, and declare his case in the ears of the elders of that city. They shall take him into the city with them, and give him a place, that he may live among them. ^20:5If the avenger of blood pursues him, then they shall not deliver up the man slayer into his hand; because he struck his neighbor unintentionally, and didn’t hate him before. ^20:6He shall dwell in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days. Then the man slayer shall return, and come to his own city, and to his own house, to the city he fled from.’” ^20:7They set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (also called Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. ^20:8Beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness in the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh. ^20:9These were the appointed cities for all the children of Israel, and for the alien who lives among them, that whoever kills any person unintentionally might flee there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stands trial before the congregation.

^21:1Then the heads of fathers’ houses of the Levites came near to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of fathers’ houses of the tribes of the children of Israel. ^21:2They spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, “Yahweh commanded through Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with their suburbs for our livestock.” ^21:3The children of Israel gave to the Levites out of their inheritance, according to the commandment of Yahweh, these cities with their suburbs. ^21:4The lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. The children of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, had thirteen cities by lot out of the tribe of Judah, out of the tribe of the Simeonites, and out of the tribe of Benjamin. ^21:5The rest of the children of Kohath had ten cities by lot out of the families of the tribe of Ephraim, out of the tribe of Dan, and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh. ^21:6The children of Gershon had thirteen cities by lot out of the families of the tribe of Issachar, out of the tribe of Asher, out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. ^21:7The children of Merari according to their families had twelve cities out of the tribe of Reuben, out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun. ^21:8The children of Israel gave these cities with their suburbs by lot to the Levites, as Yahweh commanded by Moses. ^21:9They gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these cities which are mentioned by name: ^21:10and they were for the children of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi; for theirs was the first lot. ^21:11They gave them Kiriath Arba, named after the father of Anak (also called Hebron), in the hill country of Judah, with its suburbs around it. ^21:12But they gave the fields of the city and its villages to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession. ^21:13To the children of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the man slayer, Libnah with its suburbs, ^21:14Jattir with its suburbs, Eshtemoa with its suburbs, ^21:15Holon with its suburbs, Debir with its suburbs, ^21:16Ain with its suburbs, Juttah with its suburbs, and Beth Shemesh with its suburbs: nine cities out of those two tribes. ^21:17Out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its suburbs, Geba with its suburbs, ^21:18Anathoth with its suburbs, and Almon with its suburbs: four cities. ^21:19All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their suburbs. ^21:20The families of the children of Kohath, the Levites, even the rest of the children of Kohath, had the cities of their lot out of the tribe of Ephraim. ^21:21They gave them Shechem with its suburbs in the hill country of Ephraim, the city of refuge for the man slayer, and Gezer with its suburbs, ^21:22Kibzaim with its suburbs, and Beth Horon with its suburbs: four cities. ^21:23Out of the tribe of Dan, Elteke with its suburbs, Gibbethon with its suburbs, ^21:24Aijalon with its suburbs, Gath Rimmon with its suburbs: four cities. ^21:25Out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Taanach with its suburbs, and Gath Rimmon with its suburbs: two cities. ^21:26All the cities of the families of the rest of the children of Kohath were ten with their suburbs. ^21:27They gave to the children of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, out of the half-tribe of Manasseh Golan in Bashan with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the man slayer, and Be Eshterah with its suburbs: two cities. ^21:28Out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishion with its suburbs, Daberath with its suburbs, ^21:29Jarmuth with its suburbs, En Gannim with its suburbs: four cities. ^21:30Out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with its suburbs, Abdon with its suburbs, ^21:31Helkath with its suburbs, and Rehob with its suburbs: four cities. ^21:32Out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the man slayer, Hammothdor with its suburbs, and Kartan with its suburbs: three cities. ^21:33All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their suburbs. ^21:34To the families of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its suburbs, Kartah with its suburbs, ^21:35Dimnah with its suburbs, and Nahalal with its suburbs: four cities. ^21:36Out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with its suburbs, Jahaz with its suburbs, ^21:37Kedemoth with its suburbs, and Mephaath with its suburbs: four cities. ^21:38Out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the man slayer, and Mahanaim with its suburbs, ^21:39Heshbon with its suburbs, Jazer with its suburbs: four cities in all. ^21:40All these were the cities of the children of Merari according to their families, even the rest of the families of the Levites. Their lot was twelve cities. ^21:41All the cities of the Levites among the possessions of the children of Israel were forty-eight cities with their suburbs. ^21:42Each of these cities included their suburbs around them. It was this way with all these cities. ^21:43So Yahweh gave to Israel all the land which he swore to give to their fathers. They possessed it, and lived in it. ^21:44Yahweh gave them rest all around, according to all that he swore to their fathers. Not a man of all their enemies stood before them. Yahweh delivered all their enemies into their hand. ^21:45Nothing failed of any good thing which Yahweh had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.

^22:1Then Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, ^22:2and said to them, “You have kept all that Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded you, and have listened to my voice in all that I commanded you. ^22:3You have not left your brothers these many days to this day, but have performed the duty of the commandment of Yahweh your God. ^22:4Now Yahweh your God has given rest to your brothers, as he spoke to them. Therefore now return and go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of Yahweh gave you beyond the Jordan. ^22:5Only take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded you, to love Yahweh your God, to walk in all his ways, to keep his commandments, to hold fast to him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” ^22:6So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away; and they went to their tents. ^22:7Now to the one half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given inheritance in Bashan; but to the other half gave Joshua among their brothers beyond the Jordan westward. Moreover when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed them, ^22:8and spoke to them, saying, “Return with much wealth to your tents, with very much livestock, with silver, with gold, with brass, with iron, and with very much clothing. Divide the plunder of your enemies with your brothers.” ^22:9The children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, to the land of their possession, which they owned, according to the commandment of Yahweh by Moses. ^22:10When they came to the region about the Jordan, that is in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, a great altar to look at. ^22:11The children of Israel heard this, “Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar in the border of the land of Canaan, in the region around the Jordan, on the side that belongs to the children of Israel.” ^22:12When the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up against them to war. ^22:13The children of Israel sent to the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest. ^22:14With him were ten princes, one prince of a fathers’ house for each of the tribes of Israel; and they were each head of their fathers’ houses among the thousands of Israel. ^22:15They came to the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them, saying, ^22:16“Thus says the whole congregation of Yahweh, ‘What trespass is this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away today from following Yahweh, in that you have built yourselves an altar, to rebel today against Yahweh? ^22:17Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day, although there came a plague on the congregation of Yahweh, ^22:18that you must turn away today from following Yahweh? It will be, since you rebel today against Yahweh, that tomorrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel. ^22:19However, if the land of your possession is unclean, then pass over to the land of the possession of Yahweh, in which Yahweh’s tabernacle dwells, and take possession among us; but don’t rebel against Yahweh, nor rebel against us, in building an altar other than Yahweh our God’s altar. ^22:20Didn’t Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the devoted thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? That man didn’t perish alone in his iniquity.’” ^22:21Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered, and spoke to the heads of the thousands of Israel, ^22:22“The Mighty One, God, Yahweh, the Mighty One, God, Yahweh, he knows; and Israel shall know: if it was in rebellion, or if in trespass against Yahweh (don’t save us today), ^22:23that we have built us an altar to turn away from following Yahweh; or if to offer burnt offering or meal offering, or if to offer sacrifices of peace offerings, let Yahweh himself require it. ^22:24“If we have not out of concern done this, and for a reason, saying, ‘In time to come your children might speak to our children, saying, “What have you to do with Yahweh, the God of Israel? ^22:25For Yahweh has made the Jordan a border between us and you, you children of Reuben and children of Gad. You have no portion in Yahweh.”’ So your children might make our children cease from fearing Yahweh. ^22:26“Therefore we said, ‘Let’s now prepare to build ourselves an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice; ^22:27but it will be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we may perform the service of Yahweh before him with our burnt offerings, with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings;’ that your children may not tell our children in time to come, ‘You have no portion in Yahweh.’ ^22:28“Therefore we said, ‘It shall be, when they tell us or our generations this in time to come, that we shall say, “Behold the pattern of Yahweh’s altar, which our fathers made, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice; but it is a witness between us and you.”’ ^22:29“Far be it from us that we should rebel against Yahweh, and turn away today from following Yahweh, to build an altar for burnt offering, for meal offering, or for sacrifice, besides Yahweh our God’s altar that is before his tabernacle!” ^22:30When Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation, even the heads of the thousands of Israel that were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them well. ^22:31Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the children of Reuben, to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, “Today we know that Yahweh is among us, because you have not committed this trespass against Yahweh. Now you have delivered the children of Israel out of Yahweh’s hand.” ^22:32Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the princes, returned from the children of Reuben, and from the children of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, to the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word again. ^22:33The thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children of Israel blessed God, and spoke no more of going up against them to war, to destroy the land in which the children of Reuben and the children of Gad lived. ^22:34The children of Reuben and the children of Gad named the altar “A Witness Between Us that Yahweh is God.”

^23:1After many days, when Yahweh had given rest to Israel from their enemies all around, and Joshua was old and well advanced in years, ^23:2Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders and for their heads, and for their judges and for their officers, and said to them, “I am old and well advanced in years. ^23:3You have seen all that Yahweh your God has done to all these nations because of you; for it is Yahweh your God who has fought for you. ^23:4Behold, I have allotted to you these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from the Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even to the great sea toward the going down of the sun. ^23:5Yahweh your God will thrust them out from before you, and drive them from out of your sight. You shall possess their land, as Yahweh your God spoke to you. ^23:6“Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that you not turn away from it to the right hand or to the left; ^23:7that you not come among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow down yourselves to them; ^23:8but hold fast to Yahweh your God, as you have done to this day. ^23:9“For Yahweh has driven great and strong nations out from before you. But as for you, no man has stood before you to this day. ^23:10One man of you shall chase a thousand; for it is Yahweh your God who fights for you, as he spoke to you. ^23:11Take good heed therefore to yourselves, that you love Yahweh your God. ^23:12“But if you do at all go back, and hold fast to the remnant of these nations, even these who remain among you, and make marriages with them, and go in to them, and they to you; ^23:13know for a certainty that Yahweh your God will no longer drive these nations from out of your sight; but they shall be a snare and a trap to you, a scourge in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which Yahweh your God has given you. ^23:14“Behold, today I am going the way of all the earth. You know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which Yahweh your God spoke concerning you. All have happened to you. Not one thing has failed of it. ^23:15It shall happen that as all the good things have come on you of which Yahweh your God spoke to you, so Yahweh will bring on you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land which Yahweh your God has given you, ^23:16when you disobey the covenant of Yahweh your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods, and bow down yourselves to them. Then Yahweh’s anger will be kindled against you, and you will perish quickly from off the good land which he has given to you.”

^24:1Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God. ^24:2Joshua said to all the people, “Yahweh says, the God of Israel, ‘Your fathers lived of old time beyond the River, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor: and they served other gods. ^24:3I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his offspring, and gave him Isaac. ^24:4I gave to Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave to Esau Mount Seir, to possess it. Jacob and his children went down into Egypt. ^24:5“‘I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did among them: and afterward I brought you out. ^24:6I brought your fathers out of Egypt: and you came to the sea. The Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and with horsemen to the Red Sea. ^24:7When they cried out to Yahweh, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea on them, and covered them; and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. You lived in the wilderness many days. ^24:8“‘I brought you into the land of the Amorites, that lived beyond the Jordan. They fought with you, and I gave them into your hand. You possessed their land, and I destroyed them from before you. ^24:9Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel. He sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you, ^24:10but I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he blessed you still. So I delivered you out of his hand. ^24:11“‘You went over the Jordan, and came to Jericho. The men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; and I delivered them into your hand. ^24:12I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; not with your sword, nor with your bow. ^24:13I gave you a land whereon you had not labored, and cities which you didn’t build, and you live in them. You eat of vineyards and olive groves which you didn’t plant.’ ^24:14“Now therefore fear Yahweh, and serve him in sincerity and in truth. Put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, in Egypt; and serve Yahweh. ^24:15If it seems evil to you to serve Yahweh, choose today whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh.” ^24:16The people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake Yahweh, to serve other gods; ^24:17for it is Yahweh our God who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way in which we went, and among all the peoples through the middle of whom we passed. ^24:18Yahweh drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve Yahweh; for he is our God.” ^24:19Joshua said to the people, “You can’t serve Yahweh, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your disobedience nor your sins. ^24:20If you forsake Yahweh, and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you evil, and consume you, after he has done you good.” ^24:21The people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve Yahweh.” ^24:22Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen Yahweh yourselves, to serve him.” They said, “We are witnesses.” ^24:23“Now therefore put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to Yahweh, the God of Israel.” ^24:24The people said to Joshua, “We will serve Yahweh our God, and we will listen to his voice.” ^24:25So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. ^24:26Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a great stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of Yahweh. ^24:27Joshua said to all the people, “Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us, for it has heard all Yahweh’s words which he spoke to us. It shall be therefore a witness against you, lest you deny your God.” ^24:28So Joshua sent the people away, each to his own inheritance. ^24:29After these things, Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Yahweh, died, being one hundred ten years old. ^24:30They buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathserah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash. ^24:31Israel served Yahweh all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, and had known all the work of Yahweh, that he had worked for Israel. ^24:32They buried the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, in Shechem, in the parcel of ground which Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of silver. They became the inheritance of the children of Joseph. ^24:33Eleazar the son of Aaron died. They buried him in the hill of Phinehas his son, which was given him in the hill country of Ephraim.

Judges

^1:1After the death of Joshua, the children of Israel asked of Yahweh, saying, “Who should go up for us first against the Canaanites, to fight against them?” ^1:2Yahweh said, “Judah shall go up. Behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.” ^1:3Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with you into your lot.” So Simeon went with him. ^1:4Judah went up, and Yahweh delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand. They struck ten thousand men in Bezek. ^1:5They found Adoni-Bezek in Bezek, and they fought against him. They struck the Canaanites and the Perizzites. ^1:6But Adoni-Bezek fled. They pursued him, caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his big toes. ^1:7Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings, having their thumbs and their big toes cut off, scavenged under my table. As I have done, so God has done to me.” They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there. ^1:8The children of Judah fought against Jerusalem, took it, struck it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire. ^1:9After that, the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who lived in the hill country, and in the South, and in the lowland. ^1:10Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron. (The name of Hebron before that was Kiriath Arba.) They struck Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai. ^1:11From there he went against the inhabitants of Debir. (The name of Debir before that was Kiriath Sepher.) ^1:12Caleb said, “I will give Achsah my daughter as wife to the man who strikes Kiriath Sepher, and takes it.” ^1:13Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it, so he gave him Achsah his daughter as his wife. ^1:14When she came, she got him to ask her father for a field. She got off her donkey; and Caleb said to her, “What would you like?” ^1:15She said to him, “Give me a blessing; because you have set me in the land of the South, give me also springs of water.” Then Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs. ^1:16The children of the Kenite, Moses’ brother-in-law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which is in the south of Arad; and they went and lived with the people. ^1:17Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they struck the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. The name of the city was called Hormah. ^1:18Also Judah took Gaza with its border, and Ashkelon with its border, and Ekron with its border. ^1:19Yahweh was with Judah; and drove out the inhabitants of the hill country; for he could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron. ^1:20They gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had said, and he drove the three sons of Anak out of there. ^1:21The children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem, but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day. ^1:22The house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and Yahweh was with them. ^1:23The house of Joseph sent to spy out Bethel. (The name of the city before that was Luz.) ^1:24The watchers saw a man come out of the city, and they said to him, “Please show us the entrance into the city, and we will deal kindly with you.” ^1:25He showed them the entrance into the city, and they struck the city with the edge of the sword; but they let the man and all his family go. ^1:26The man went into the land of the Hittites, built a city, and called its name Luz, which is its name to this day. ^1:27Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shean and its towns, nor Taanach and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land. ^1:28When Israel had grown strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, and did not utterly drive them out. ^1:29Ephraim didn’t drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, but the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them. ^1:30Zebulun didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites lived among them, and became subject to forced labor. ^1:31Asher didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Acco, nor the inhabitants of Sidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob; ^1:32but the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out. ^1:33Naphtali didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh, nor the inhabitants of Beth Anath; but he lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh and of Beth Anath became subject to forced labor. ^1:34The Amorites forced the children of Dan into the hill country, for they would not allow them to come down to the valley; ^1:35but the Amorites would dwell in Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim. Yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became subject to forced labor. ^1:36The border of the Amorites was from the ascent of Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward.

^2:1Yahweh’s angel came up from Gilgal to Bochim. He said, “I brought you out of Egypt, and have brought you to the land which I swore to give your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you. ^2:2You shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land. You shall break down their altars.’ But you have not listened to my voice. Why have you done this? ^2:3Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.’” ^2:4When Yahweh’s angel spoke these words to all the children of Israel, the people lifted up their voice, and wept. ^2:5They called the name of that place Bochim, and they sacrificed there to Yahweh. ^2:6Now when Joshua had sent the people away, the children of Israel each went to his inheritance to possess the land. ^2:7The people served Yahweh all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of Yahweh that he had worked for Israel. ^2:8Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Yahweh, died, being one hundred ten years old. ^2:9They buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath Heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash. ^2:10After all that generation were gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them, who didn’t know Yahweh, nor the work which he had done for Israel. ^2:11The children of Israel did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and served the Baals. ^2:12They abandoned Yahweh, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed themselves down to them; and they provoked Yahweh to anger. ^2:13They abandoned Yahweh, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth. ^2:14Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies. ^2:15Wherever they went out, Yahweh’s hand was against them for evil, as Yahweh had spoken, and as Yahweh had sworn to them; and they were very distressed. ^2:16Yahweh raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them. ^2:17Yet they didn’t listen to their judges; for they prostituted themselves to other gods, and bowed themselves down to them. They quickly turned away from the way in which their fathers walked, obeying Yahweh’s commandments. They didn’t do so. ^2:18When Yahweh raised up judges for them, then Yahweh was with the judge, and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for it grieved Yahweh because of their groaning by reason of those who oppressed them and troubled them. ^2:19But when the judge was dead, they turned back, and dealt more corruptly than their fathers in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down to them. They didn’t cease what they were doing, or give up their stubborn ways. ^2:20Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel; and he said, “Because this nation transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not listened to my voice, ^2:21I also will no longer drive out any of the nations that Joshua left when he died from before them; ^2:22that by them I may test Israel, to see if they will keep Yahweh’s way to walk therein, as their fathers kept it, or not.” ^2:23So Yahweh left those nations, without driving them out hastily. He didn’t deliver them into Joshua’s hand.

^3:1Now these are the nations which Yahweh left, to test Israel by them, even as many as had not known all the wars of Canaan; ^3:2only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at least those who knew nothing of it before: ^3:3the five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to the entrance of Hamath. ^3:4They were left to test Israel by them, to know whether they would listen to Yahweh’s commandments, which he commanded their fathers by Moses. ^3:5The children of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. ^3:6They took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons and served their gods. ^3:7The children of Israel did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and forgot Yahweh their God, and served the Baals and the Asheroth. ^3:8Therefore Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel served Cushan Rishathaim eight years. ^3:9When the children of Israel cried to Yahweh, Yahweh raised up a savior to the children of Israel, who saved them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. ^3:10Yahweh’s Spirit came on him, and he judged Israel; and he went out to war, and Yahweh delivered Cushan Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. His hand prevailed against Cushan Rishathaim. ^3:11The land had rest forty years, then Othniel the son of Kenaz died. ^3:12The children of Israel again did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and Yahweh strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight. ^3:13He gathered the children of Ammon and Amalek to himself; and he went and struck Israel, and they possessed the city of palm trees. ^3:14The children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. ^3:15But when the children of Israel cried to Yahweh, Yahweh raised up a savior for them, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. The children of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab. ^3:16Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length; and he wore it under his clothing on his right thigh. ^3:17He offered the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. ^3:18When he had finished offering the tribute, he sent away the people who carried the tribute. ^3:19But he himself turned back from the stone idols that were by Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” The king said, “Keep silence!” All who stood by him left him. ^3:20Ehud came to him; and he was sitting by himself alone in the cool upper room. Ehud said, “I have a message from God to you.” He arose out of his seat. ^3:21Ehud put out his left hand, and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his body: ^3:22and the handle also went in after the blade; and the fat closed on the blade, for he didn’t draw the sword out of his body; and it came out behind. ^3:23Then Ehud went out onto the porch, and shut the doors of the upper room on him, and locked them. ^3:24After he had gone, his servants came and saw that the doors of the upper room were locked. They said, “Surely he is covering his feet in the upper room.” ^3:25They waited until they were ashamed; and behold, he didn’t open the doors of the upper room. Therefore they took the key and opened them, and behold, their lord had fallen down dead on the floor. ^3:26Ehud escaped while they waited, passed beyond the stone idols, and escaped to Seirah. ^3:27When he had come, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he led them. ^3:28He said to them, “Follow me; for Yahweh has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” They followed him, and took the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, and didn’t allow any man to pass over. ^3:29They struck at that time about ten thousand men of Moab, every strong man, and every man of valor. No man escaped. ^3:30So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. Then the land had rest eighty years. ^3:31After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck six hundred men of the Philistines with an ox goad. He also saved Israel.

^4:1The children of Israel again did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, when Ehud was dead. ^4:2Yahweh sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth of the Gentiles. ^4:3The children of Israel cried to Yahweh, for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and he mightily oppressed the children of Israel for twenty years. ^4:4Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, judged Israel at that time. ^4:5She lived under Deborah’s palm tree between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. ^4:6She sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh Naphtali, and said to him, “Hasn’t Yahweh, the God of Israel, commanded, ‘Go and lead the way to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun? ^4:7I will draw to you, to the river Kishon, Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into your hand.’” ^4:8Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” ^4:9She said, “I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the journey that you take won’t be for your honor; for Yahweh will sell Sisera into a woman’s hand.” Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh. ^4:10Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali together to Kedesh; and ten thousand men followed him; and Deborah went up with him. ^4:11Now Heber the Kenite had separated himself from the Kenites, even from the children of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law, and had pitched his tent as far as the oak in Zaanannim, which is by Kedesh. ^4:12They told Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to Mount Tabor. ^4:13Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people who were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles, to the river Kishon. ^4:14Deborah said to Barak, “Go; for this is the day in which Yahweh has delivered Sisera into your hand. Hasn’t Yahweh gone out before you?” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him. ^4:15Yahweh confused Sisera, all his chariots, and all his army, with the edge of the sword before Barak. Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled away on his feet. ^4:16But Barak pursued the chariots and the army to Harosheth of the Gentiles; and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword. There was not a man left. ^4:17However Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. ^4:18Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, “Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; don’t be afraid.” He came in to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. ^4:19He said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink; for I am thirsty.” She opened a bottle of milk, and gave him a drink, and covered him. ^4:20He said to her, “Stand in the door of the tent, and if any man comes and inquires of you, and says, ‘Is there any man here?’ you shall say, ‘No.’” ^4:21Then Jael Heber’s wife took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him, and struck the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground; for he was in a deep sleep; so he fainted and died. ^4:22Behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you seek.” He came to her; and behold, Sisera lay dead, and the tent peg was in his temples. ^4:23So God subdued Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel on that day. ^4:24The hand of the children of Israel prevailed more and more against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.

^5:1Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying, ^5:2“Because the leaders took the lead in Israel, because the people offered themselves willingly, be blessed, Yahweh! ^5:3“Hear, you kings! Give ear, you princes! I, even I, will sing to Yahweh. I will sing praise to Yahweh, the God of Israel. ^5:4“Yahweh, when you went out of Seir, when you marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the sky also dropped. Yes, the clouds dropped water. ^5:5The mountains quaked Yahweh’s presence, even Sinai at the presence of Yahweh, the God of Israel. ^5:6“In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied. The travelers walked through byways. ^5:7The rulers ceased in Israel. They ceased until I, Deborah, arose; Until I arose a mother in Israel. ^5:8They chose new gods. Then war was in the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel? ^5:9My heart is toward the governors of Israel, who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless Yahweh! ^5:10“Speak, you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit on rich carpets, and you who walk by the way. ^5:11Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water, there they will rehearse Yahweh’s righteous acts, the righteous acts of his rule in Israel. “Then Yahweh’s people went down to the gates. ^5:12‘Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, utter a song! Arise, Barak, and lead away your captives, you son of Abinoam.’ ^5:13“Then a remnant of the nobles and the people came down. Yahweh came down for me against the mighty. ^5:14Those whose root is in Amalek came out of Ephraim, after you, Benjamin, among your peoples. Governors come down out of Machir. Those who handle the marshal’s staff came out of Zebulun. ^5:15The princes of Issachar were with Deborah. As was Issachar, so was Barak. They rushed into the valley at his feet. By the watercourses of Reuben, there were great resolves of heart. ^5:16Why did you sit among the sheepfolds? To hear the whistling for the flocks? At the watercourses of Reuben, there were great searchings of heart. ^5:17Gilead lived beyond the Jordan. Why did Dan remain in ships? Asher sat still at the haven of the sea, and lived by his creeks. ^5:18Zebulun was a people that jeopardized their lives to the death; Naphtali also, on the high places of the field. ^5:19“The kings came and fought, then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo. They took no plunder of silver. ^5:20From the sky the stars fought. From their courses, they fought against Sisera. ^5:21The river Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. My soul, march on with strength. ^5:22Then the horse hoofs stamped because of the prancing, the prancing of their strong ones. ^5:23‘Curse Meroz,’ said Yahweh’s angel. ‘Curse bitterly its inhabitants, because they didn’t come to help Yahweh, to help Yahweh against the mighty.’ ^5:24“Jael shall be blessed above women, the wife of Heber the Kenite; blessed shall she be above women in the tent. ^5:25He asked for water. She gave him milk. She brought him butter in a lordly dish. ^5:26She put her hand to the tent peg, and her right hand to the workmen’s hammer. With the hammer she struck Sisera. She struck through his head. Yes, she pierced and struck through his temples. ^5:27At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay. At her feet he bowed, he fell. Where he bowed, there he fell down dead. ^5:28“Through the window she looked out, and cried: Sisera’s mother looked through the lattice. ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why do the wheels of his chariots wait?’ ^5:29Her wise ladies answered her, Yes, she returned answer to herself, ^5:30‘Have they not found, have they not divided the plunder? A lady, two ladies to every man; to Sisera a plunder of dyed garments, a plunder of dyed garments embroidered, of dyed garments embroidered on both sides, on the necks of the plunder?’ ^5:31“So let all your enemies perish, Yahweh, but let those who love him be as the sun when it rises in its strength.” Then the land had rest forty years.

^6:1The children of Israel did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight: and Yahweh delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. ^6:2The hand of Midian prevailed against Israel; and because of Midian the children of Israel made themselves the dens which are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds. ^6:3So it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the children of the east came up against them. ^6:4They encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, until you come to Gaza. They left no sustenance in Israel, and no sheep, ox, or donkey. ^6:5For they came up with their livestock and their tents. They came in as locusts for multitude. Both they and their camels were without number; and they came into the land to destroy it. ^6:6Israel was brought very low because of Midian; and the children of Israel cried to Yahweh. ^6:7When the children of Israel cried to Yahweh because of Midian, ^6:8Yahweh sent a prophet to the children of Israel; and he said to them, “Yahweh says, the God of Israel, ‘I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you out of the house of bondage. ^6:9I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out from before you, and gave you their land. ^6:10I said to you, “I am Yahweh your God. You shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.” But you have not listened to my voice.’” ^6:11Yahweh’s angel came, and sat under the oak which was in Ophrah, that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press, to hide it from the Midianites. ^6:12Yahweh’s angel appeared to him, and said to him, “Yahweh is with you, you mighty man of valor!” ^6:13Gideon said to him, “Oh, my lord, if Yahweh is with us, why then has all this happened to us? Where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, ‘Didn’t Yahweh bring us up from Egypt?’ But now Yahweh has cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian.” ^6:14Yahweh looked at him, and said, “Go in this your might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Haven’t I sent you?” ^6:15He said to him, “O Lord, how shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” ^6:16Yahweh said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” ^6:17He said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, then show me a sign that it is you who talk with me. ^6:18Please don’t go away, until I come to you, and bring out my present, and lay it before you.” He said, “I will wait until you come back.” ^6:19Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes of an ephah of meal. He put the meat in a basket and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out to him under the oak, and presented it. ^6:20The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” He did so. ^6:21Then Yahweh’s angel stretched out the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes; and fire went up out of the rock, and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes. Then Yahweh’s angel departed out of his sight. ^6:22Gideon saw that he was Yahweh’s angel; and Gideon said, “Alas, Lord Yahweh! Because I have seen Yahweh’s angel face to face!” ^6:23Yahweh said to him, “Peace be to you! Don’t be afraid. You shall not die.” ^6:24Then Gideon built an altar there to Yahweh, and called it “Yahweh is Peace.” To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. ^6:25That same night, Yahweh said to him, “Take your father’s bull, even the second bull seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is by it. ^6:26Then build an altar to Yahweh your God on the top of this stronghold, in an orderly way, and take the second bull, and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.” ^6:27Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as Yahweh had spoken to him. Because he feared his father’s household and the men of the city, he could not do it by day, but he did it by night. ^6:28When the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah was cut down that was by it, and the second bull was offered on the altar that was built. ^6:29They said to one another, “Who has done this thing?” When they inquired and asked, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.” ^6:30Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, because he has broken down the altar of Baal, and because he has cut down the Asherah that was by it.” ^6:31Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? He who will contend for him, let him be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone has broken down his altar!” ^6:32Therefore on that day he named him Jerub-Baal, saying, “Let Baal contend against him, because he has broken down his altar.” ^6:33Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east assembled themselves together; and they passed over, and encamped in the valley of Jezreel. ^6:34But Yahweh’s Spirit came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered together to follow him. ^6:35He sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; and they also were gathered together to follow him. He sent messengers to Asher, and to Zebulun, and to Naphtali; and they came up to meet them. ^6:36Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have spoken, ^6:37behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then shall I know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have spoken.” ^6:38It was so; for he rose up early on the next day, and pressed the fleece together, and wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water. ^6:39Gideon said to God, “Don’t let your anger be kindled against me, and I will speak but this once. Please let me make a trial just this once with the fleece. Let it now be dry only on the fleece, and on all the ground let there be dew.” ^6:40God did so that night; for it was dry on the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.

^7:1Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people who were with him, rose up early, and encamped beside the spring of Harod. Midian’s camp was on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley. ^7:2Yahweh said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel brag against me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ ^7:3Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and depart from Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained. ^7:4Yahweh said to Gideon, “There are still too many people. Bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. It shall be, that those whom I tell you, ‘This shall go with you,’ the same shall go with you; and whoever I tell you, ‘This shall not go with you,’ the same shall not go.” ^7:5So he brought down the people to the water; and Yahweh said to Gideon, “Everyone who laps of the water with his tongue, like a dog laps, you shall set him by himself; likewise everyone who bows down on his knees to drink.” ^7:6The number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people bowed down on their knees to drink water. ^7:7Yahweh said to Gideon, “By the three hundred men who lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all the other people go, each to his own place.” ^7:8So the people took food in their hand, and their trumpets; and he sent all the men of Israel every man to his tent, but retained the three hundred men; and the camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley. ^7:9That same night, Yahweh said to him, “Arise, go down into the camp; for I have delivered it into your hand. ^7:10But if you are afraid to go down, go with Purah your servant down to the camp. ^7:11You will hear what they say; and afterward your hands will be strengthened to go down into the camp.” Then went he down with Purah his servant to the outermost part of the armed men who were in the camp. ^7:12The Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like locusts for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand which is on the seashore for multitude. ^7:13When Gideon had come, behold, there was a man telling a dream to his fellow. He said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream; and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came to the tent, and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.” ^7:14His fellow answered, “This is nothing other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel. God has delivered Midian into his hand, with all the army.” ^7:15It was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and its interpretation, that he worshiped. Then he returned into the camp of Israel, and said, “Arise; for Yahweh has delivered the army of Midian into your hand!” ^7:16He divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put into the hands of all them trumpets, and empty pitchers, with torches within the pitchers. ^7:17He said to them, “Watch me, and do likewise. Behold, when I come to the outermost part of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so you shall do. ^7:18When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and shout, ‘For Yahweh and for Gideon!’” ^7:19So Gideon, and the hundred men who were with him, came to the outermost part of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch, when they had but newly set the watch. Then they blew the trumpets, and broke in pieces the pitchers that were in their hands. ^7:20The three companies blew the trumpets, broke the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands with which to blow; and they shouted, “The sword of Yahweh and of Gideon!” ^7:21They each stood in his place around the camp; and all the army ran; and they shouted, and put them to flight. ^7:22They blew the three hundred trumpets, and Yahweh set every man’s sword against his fellow, and against all the army; and the army fled as far as Beth Shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath. ^7:23The men of Israel were gathered together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued Midian. ^7:24Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against Midian, and take before them the waters, as far as Beth Barah, even the Jordan!” So all the men of Ephraim were gathered together, and took the waters as far as Beth Barah, even the Jordan. ^7:25They took the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at Oreb’s rock, and Zeeb they killed at Zeeb’s wine press; and pursued Midian. Then they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan.

^8:1The men of Ephraim said to him, “Why have you treated us this way, that you didn’t call us when you went to fight with Midian?” They rebuked him sharply. ^8:2He said to them, “What have I now done in comparison with you? Isn’t the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? ^8:3God has delivered into your hand the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb! What was I able to do in comparison with you?” Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that. ^8:4Gideon came to the Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men who were with him, faint, yet pursuing. ^8:5He said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me; for they are faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” ^8:6The princes of Succoth said, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?” ^8:7Gideon said, “Therefore when Yahweh has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.” ^8:8He went up there to Penuel, and spoke to them in the same way; and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered. ^8:9He spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, “When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.” ^8:10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of all the army of the children of the east; for there fell one hundred twenty thousand men who drew sword. ^8:11Gideon went up by the way of those who lived in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and struck the army; for the army was secure. ^8:12Zebah and Zalmunna fled; and he pursued them. He took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and confused all the army. ^8:13Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle from the ascent of Heres. ^8:14He caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him: and he described for him the princes of Succoth, and its elders, seventy-seven men. ^8:15He came to the men of Succoth, and said, “See Zebah and Zalmunna, concerning whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are weary?’” ^8:16He took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth. ^8:17He broke down the tower of Penuel, and killed the men of the city. ^8:18Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor?” They answered, “They were like you. Each one resembled the children of a king.” ^8:19He said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As Yahweh lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not kill you.” ^8:20He said to Jether his firstborn, “Get up, and kill them!” But the youth didn’t draw his sword; for he was afraid, because he was yet a youth. ^8:21Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise and fall on us; for as the man is, so is his strength.” Gideon arose, and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescents that were on their camels’ necks. ^8:22Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you, and your son, and your son’s son also; for you have saved us out of the hand of Midian.” ^8:23Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you. Yahweh shall rule over you.” ^8:24Gideon said to them, “I do have a request, that you would each give me the earrings of his plunder.” (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) ^8:25They answered, “We will willingly give them.” They spread a garment, and every man threw the earrings of his plunder into it. ^8:26The weight of the golden earrings that he requested was one thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold, besides the crescents, and the pendants, and the purple clothing that was on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were about their camels’ necks. ^8:27Gideon made an ephod out of it, and put it in Ophrah, his city. Then all Israel played the prostitute with it there; and it became a snare to Gideon, and to his house. ^8:28So Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, and they lifted up their heads no more. The land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon. ^8:29Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house. ^8:30Gideon had seventy sons conceived from his body, for he had many wives. ^8:31His concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech. ^8:32Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. ^8:33As soon as Gideon was dead, the children of Israel turned again, and played the prostitute following the Baals, and made Baal Berith their god. ^8:34The children of Israel didn’t remember Yahweh their God, who had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies on every side; ^8:35neither did they show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, that is, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shown to Israel.