Joshua

The Lord instructs Joshua to lead the Israelites across the Jordan River and into the land He has given them, promising to be with him as He was with Moses. Joshua is told to be strong and courageous, and to observe the law given by Moses, meditating on it day and night to ensure prosperity and success. Joshua then commands the people to prepare to cross the Jordan in three days, and reminds the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh of their obligation to help their brethren conquer the land before returning to their own possessions. The people pledge their loyalty to Joshua, promising to obey him as they did Moses.

Joshua sent two spies to Jericho, who lodged in the house of a harlot named Rahab. The king of Jericho was informed of their presence and demanded that Rahab turn them over, but she hid them and sent the king's men on a wild goose chase. Rahab then revealed to the spies that she knew the Lord had given the land to the Israelites and asked them to spare her family in return for her kindness. The spies agreed and instructed her to mark her house with a scarlet thread so it would be spared when the Israelites conquered the city.

Joshua led the Israelites to the Jordan River, where they camped before crossing over. The people were instructed to follow the ark of the covenant, keeping a safe distance, and to sanctify themselves for the wonders the Lord would do the next day. As the priests bearing the ark stepped into the Jordan, the waters stopped flowing and stood in a heap, allowing the Israelites to cross over on dry ground.

The Lord instructed Joshua to have 12 men, one from each tribe, take a stone from the middle of the Jordan River where the priests stood with the ark, and carry them to the lodging place as a memorial. The stones were to serve as a sign for future generations to remember how the Lord dried up the Jordan River, allowing the Israelites to cross over on dry land. The priests remained in the river until everyone had crossed, then they followed, and the waters returned to their normal flow. The Israelites then set up camp in Gilgal, where Joshua set up the 12 stones as a memorial.

The kings of the Amorites and Canaanites lost their courage upon hearing that the Lord had dried up the Jordan River for the Israelites. The Lord instructed Joshua to circumcise the Israelites again, as those born in the wilderness had not been circumcised. After the circumcision, the Israelites kept the Passover and ate the old corn of the land, and the manna ceased. Joshua then encountered a man with a drawn sword who identified himself as the captain of the Lord's host, and Joshua worshiped him, removing his shoe as the place was holy.

The Lord instructed Joshua to have the Israelites march around Jericho once a day for six days, with seven priests blowing rams' horns, and on the seventh day, they were to march around the city seven times. After the seventh time, the priests blew the horns, and the people shouted, causing the city walls to fall down. The Israelites then took the city, destroying everything in it, except for Rahab the harlot and her family, who were spared because she had hidden the Israelite spies. The city was then burned, and the silver, gold, and vessels of brass and iron were put into the treasury of the Lord's house.

The Israelites were defeated by the men of Ai because of a sin committed by Achan, who took some of the accursed things from Jericho. Achan's actions caused God to withdraw his support from the Israelites, leading to their defeat. Joshua and the elders mourned and prayed, and God revealed that the sin was due to Achan's disobedience. Achan was identified through a process of elimination, and he confessed to taking the forbidden items. As punishment, Achan and his family were stoned and burned, and a heap of stones was raised over them.

The Lord instructed Joshua to take the people of war and go up to Ai, promising to give the city into their hands. Joshua sent 30,000 men to lie in ambush behind the city, while he and the rest of the people approached the city, pretending to flee when the men of Ai came out to fight. The men of Ai pursued Joshua, leaving the city open, and the ambush arose, taking the city and setting it on fire. The Israelites then turned back and slew the men of Ai, killing 12,000 people, and Joshua hanged the king of Ai on a tree. After the battle, Joshua built an altar to the Lord on Mount Ebal and wrote a copy of the law of Moses on the stones, and he read all the words of the law to the congregation of Israel.

The kings of the surrounding lands gathered to fight against Joshua and Israel, but the people of Gibeon deceived Joshua by pretending to be ambassadors from a far-off land, and Joshua made a peace treaty with them without consulting God. Three days later, the Israelites discovered that the Gibeonites were actually their neighbors, but they did not attack them because of the oath they had sworn. Instead, Joshua made the Gibeonites hewers of wood and drawers of water for the Israelites and the altar of the Lord.

Adonizedek, the king of Jerusalem, formed an alliance with four other Amorite kings to attack Gibeon for making peace with Israel. The Gibeonites asked Joshua for help, and he led his army to Gibeon, where the Lord gave them a great victory, even causing the sun to stand still in the sky. The five Amorite kings fled and hid in a cave, but were later captured and executed by Joshua. He then conquered several other cities, including Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron, and Debir, destroying all their inhabitants as the Lord had commanded.

Jabin, the king of Hazor, gathered a large coalition of kings to fight against Israel, but the Lord told Joshua not to be afraid, promising to deliver them into Israel's hands. Joshua and his army launched a surprise attack, defeating the coalition and destroying their horses and chariots. Joshua then conquered Hazor, killing its king and destroying the city, and went on to capture all the cities of the coalition, killing their inhabitants and taking their spoil. The Lord had hardened the hearts of the kings, causing them to come against Israel in battle, allowing Joshua to fulfill the Lord's command to Moses to destroy them utterly.

The Israelites conquered the lands east and west of the Jordan River, defeating various kings including Sihon of the Amorites and Og of Bashan, and possessing their territories. Moses gave the eastern lands to the Reubenites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh, while Joshua gave the western lands to the other tribes of Israel. The conquered lands included the territories of 31 kings, from Baalgad in the north to Mount Halak in the south, and from the mountains to the wilderness.

The Lord told Joshua that there was still much land to be possessed, and He listed the remaining territories, including those of the Philistines, Canaanites, and others. Joshua was instructed to divide the land among the nine and a half tribes that had not yet received their inheritance, as the Reubenites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh had already received theirs. The chapter then describes the specific territories and cities allocated to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, with the Levites receiving no land inheritance as the Lord was their inheritance.

The children of Israel inherited the land of Canaan, with Eleazar the priest, Joshua, and the heads of the tribes distributing the land by lot as the Lord commanded. Moses had previously given the inheritance of two and a half tribes on the other side of the Jordan, but the Levites received no land, only cities to dwell in. Caleb, who was 85 years old, reminded Joshua of the Lord's promise to give him the land he had spied out 45 years earlier, and Joshua granted him Hebron as an inheritance. Caleb was able to drive out the Anakims and the land had rest from war.

The tribe of Judah's territory was defined by its borders, which included the wilderness of Zin to the south, the Dead Sea to the east, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. The border passed through various cities and landmarks, including Hebron, Debir, and Jerusalem. Caleb, a leader of the tribe, was given the city of Hebron and drove out the three sons of Anak, and he also gave his daughter Achsah to Othniel, who captured the city of Debir. The chapter lists the cities and villages within Judah's territory, which included 29 cities in the south, 14 in the valley, and others in the mountains and wilderness.

The children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, received their inheritance, with the border of Ephraim's inheritance extending from Atarothaddar to Bethhoron the upper, then to Michmethah, Taanathshiloh, Janohah, and finally to the Jordan River. The border also went out from Tappuah to the river Kanah and then to the sea. The Ephraimites had separate cities within the inheritance of Manasseh, but they failed to drive out the Canaanites from Gezer, who remained and served under tribute.

The tribe of Manasseh received their inheritance, with the firstborn son Machir receiving Gilead and Bashan due to his military prowess. The rest of Manasseh's sons also received their portions, and the daughters of Zelophehad, who had no sons, received an inheritance among their brethren. The tribe of Manasseh was unable to drive out the Canaanites from their cities, but later put them to tribute when they grew strong. The children of Joseph, including Ephraim and Manasseh, complained about their small inheritance, but Joshua told them to clear the wooded hill country and drive out the Canaanites to expand their territory.

The Israelites assembled at Shiloh, and Joshua instructed them to send three men from each of the seven remaining tribes to survey the land and divide it into seven parts. The men completed the task, and Joshua cast lots to determine the inheritance of each tribe. The tribe of Benjamin received its inheritance, with its border described in detail, and the chapter lists the cities and villages that belonged to the tribe of Benjamin.

The tribes of Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan received their inheritances, with Simeon's territory being within Judah's due to Judah's large portion. Each tribe's borders and cities are listed, with some tribes having more cities than others. The children of Dan initially had a small territory, but they conquered the city of Leshem and renamed it Dan. After the land was divided, Joshua was given the city of Timnathserah in mount Ephraim as his inheritance.

The Lord instructed Joshua to designate cities of refuge where those who had unintentionally killed someone could flee to escape the avenger of blood. The person would declare their case to the city elders, who would provide them with a place to live until they could stand trial before the congregation. The person would remain in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest, at which point they could return home. Six cities of refuge were designated, three on each side of the Jordan River, to provide a safe haven for both Israelites and foreigners who had unintentionally committed manslaughter.

The Levites were given cities and their surrounding suburbs by the Israelites as commanded by the Lord through Moses. The cities were allocated to the Levites by lot, with the Kohathites receiving 13 cities, the Gershonites 13 cities, and the Merarites 12 cities. The cities included cities of refuge for those who had committed unintentional manslaughter. In total, the Levites received 48 cities with their suburbs, and the Israelites possessed the land and dwelt in it, with the Lord giving them rest from their enemies.

Joshua sends the Reubenites, Gadites, and half tribe of Manasseh back to their homes, commending them for their faithfulness and obedience to God's commands. However, upon their return, they build an altar by the Jordan River, which sparks concern among the Israelites that they are rebelling against God. Phinehas, the priest, and other leaders investigate and discover that the altar was built as a witness to their faith, not for idolatrous purposes. The Israelites are satisfied with the explanation and bless God, avoiding a potential conflict.

Joshua, now old and advanced in age, gathers the leaders of Israel and reminds them of God's past victories on their behalf. He exhorts them to remain courageous and obedient to the law of Moses, warning them against intermarrying with and serving the remaining pagan nations, which would lead to God's judgment and their destruction from the land. Joshua affirms that God has fulfilled all His promises to Israel and that their continued disobedience would result in God's wrath and their removal from the land.

Joshua gathered the Israelites at Shechem and recounted their history, from Abraham to their current state, highlighting God's deliverance and provision. He urged them to serve the Lord sincerely and put away the gods of their ancestors, giving them the option to choose whom they would serve. The people pledged to serve the Lord, and Joshua made a covenant with them, setting up a stone as a witness to their commitment. After Joshua's death at the age of 110, the Israelites continued to serve the Lord during the lifetime of the elders who had known Joshua.