Conquest of the Northern Cities

1And when Jabin, the king of Hazor, had heard these things, he sent to Jobab, the king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph, 2also to the kings of the north, who were living in the mountains, and in the plains opposite the southern region of Chinneroth, and also in the plains and the regions of Dor, beside the sea, 3also to the Canaanites, from east to west, and to the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains, also to the Hivite who was living at the base of Hermon, in the land of Mizpah. 4And they all went forth with their troops, a people exceedingly numerous, like the sand that is on the shore of the sea. And their horses and chariots were an immense multitude. 5And all these kings assembled at the waters of Merom, so that they might fight against Israel.

6And the Lord said to Joshua: “You should not fear them. For tomorrow, at this same hour, I will deliver all these to be wounded in the sight of Israel. You will hamstring their horses, and you will burn their chariots with fire.” 7And Joshua, and the entire army with him, came against them suddenly, at the waters of Merom, and they rushed upon them. 8And the Lord delivered them into the hands of Israel. And they struck them, and they pursued them as far as the great Sidon, and the waters of Misrephoth, and the field of Mizpeh, which is toward the eastern region. He struck them all, so that nothing was left of them to remain. 9And he did just as the Lord had instructed him. He hamstrung their horses, and he burned their chariots with fire.

10And turning back, he immediately seized Hazor. And he struck down its king with the sword. For Hazor, from antiquity, held the first position among all these kingdoms. 11And he struck down all the souls that were staying there. He did not leave in it any remains, but he destroyed everything unto utter annihilation, and he destroyed the city itself with fire. 12And he seized, struck, and destroyed all the surrounding cities and their kings, just as Moses, the servant of God, had instructed him. 13And except for the cities that were on hills and in elevated places, the rest Israel burned. One only, highly-fortified Hazor, was consumed with fire. 14And the sons of Israel divided among themselves all the plunder of these cities, and the cattle, putting to death all persons. 15Just as the Lord had instructed his servant Moses, so did Moses instruct Joshua, and he fulfilled everything. He did not omit even one word out of all the commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses.

Joshua Takes the Whole Land

16And so Joshua seized the entire land of the mountains, and of the south, and the land of Goshen, and the plains, and the western region, and the mountain of Israel, and its plains. 17As for the part of the mountain that ascends to Seir, as far as Baalgad, along the plain of Lebanon under mount Hermon, all their kings he seized, struck down, and killed. 18For a long time, Joshua fought against these kings. 19There was not a city that delivered itself to the sons of Israel, except the Hivites who were living at Gibeon. For he seized it all in warfare. 20For it was the sentence of the Lord that their hearts would be hardened, and that they would fight against Israel and fall, and that they did not deserve any clemency, and that they should perish, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

21In that time, Joshua went and put to death the Anakim from the mountains, from Hebron and Debir and Anab, and from all the mountains of Judah and Israel. And he destroyed their cities. 22He did not leave any from the stock of the Anakim in the land of the sons of Israel, except the cities of Gaza, and Gath, and Ashdod, which alone were left behind. 23Thus, Joshua seized all the land, just as the Lord spoke to Moses, and he delivered it as a possession to the sons of Israel, according to their divisions and tribes. And the land rested from battles.