The Lord said to Joshua, “Don’t be afraid not dismayed; take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land, and you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its cattle you shall take as booty for yourselves. Lay an ambush for the city behind it.”
Joshua arose and all the people of war, to go up against Ai, he chose thirty thousand mighty men of valor and sent them by night. He commanded them saying, “Behold you shall lie in ambush against the city behind the city. Do not go very far from the city, but all you be ready. Then I and all the people who are with me will approach the city and it will com about when they come out against us at first, that we shall flee before them. They will com out after us till we have drawn them from the city, they will say, ‘They are fleeing before us as at the first.’ Therefore, we will flee before them, then, you shall rise from the ambush and seize the city, for the Lord you God will deliver it into your hand. It will be when you have taken the city you shall set the city on fire. According to the commandment of the Lord, you shall do. See. I have commanded you!”
He sent them out and they went to lie in ambush and stayed between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai, but Joshua lodged that night among the people; :1-9.
Joshua rose early in the morning and mustered the people and went up, he and the elders of Israel before the people of Ai. All the people of war were with him went up and drew near and they came before the city and camped on the north side of Ai, a valley lay between them and AI. So he took about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai on the west side of the city and when they set the people all the army that was on the north of the city and its rear guard on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.
Now it happened when the king of Ai saw it, that the men of the city hurried and rose early and went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at an appointed place before the plain, but he did not know that there was and ambush against him behind the city. Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them and fled by the way of the wilderness. So the people who were in Ai were called together to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua, and were drawn away from the city. There was not a man left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel; :10-17.
Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Stretch out the spear that is in your hand”, Joshua stretched out his speak toward the city. Those in ambush rose quickly out of their place; they ran as soon as he stretched out his hand, and they entered the city and took it and hurried and set it on fire. When the men of Ai looked behind them they saw the smoke of the city ascending to heaven, they had no power to flee this way or that way and the people who had fled to the wilderness turned back on their pursuers. When Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and the smoke of the city ascended, they turned back and struck down (killed) the men of Ai. The others came out of the city against them; so they were caught in the midst of Israel, some on this side and some on that side. And they struck them down so that they let none of them remain or escape. But the king of Ai they took alive and brought to Joshua ; :18-23. And when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness where they pursued them, and when they all had fallen by the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all Israel returned to Ai and struck it with the edge of the sword. So it was that all who fell that day, both men and women were twelve thousand—all the people of Ai. For Joshua did not draw back his hand with which he stretched out the spear, until, he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. Only the livestock and the spoil of that city, Israel took as booty for themselves, according to the world of the Lord which He had commanded Joshua.
Joshua burned Ai and made it, a heap forever, a desolation to this day. The king of Ai he hanged on a tree until evening. As soon as the sun went down, Josh commanded that they should take his corpse down from the tree, cast it at the entrance of the gate of the city and raise over it a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Joshua built an altar to the Lord God of Israel in Mount Ebal, as Moses, the servant of the Lord, had commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses; “an altar of whole stones over which no man has wielded an iron tool.” They offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings; :24-31.
And there in the presence of the children of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the Law of Moses, when he had written. Then all Israel with their elders and officers and judges, stood on either side of the ark before the priests, the Levites, who bore the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, the stranger as well as he who was born among them. Half of them were in front of Mount Gerzim and half of them , in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded, therefore, that they should bless the people of Israel. Afterward he read all the words of the Law, the blessings and the cursings, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded , which Joshua did not read before the assembly of Israel, with the women, the little ones, and the strangers who were living among them; :32-35.
Sidebar: Are you paying attention to the fact that the Lord’s will is that all mankind carefully observe all of His laws? Verse 35 proves God has one law for all.
Joshua 8:35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, with the women, the little ones, and the strangers who were living among them.
When all the kings heard about it, who were on this side of the Jordan, in the hills and the lowlands toward Lebanon—the Hittite; Amorite; Canaanite; Perizzite; Hivite; and the Jebusite—heard about it they gathered together to fight with Joshua and Israel with on accord. But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they worked craftily and pretended to be ambassadors. They took old sacks on their donkeys; old wineskins torn and mended; old and patched sandals on their feet; old garments on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy. They went to Joshua , to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country, now therefore, make a covenant with us.” The men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you dwell among us; so how can we make a covenant with you?” So, they lied and said, “From a very far country we have come”, when Joshua asked, “Who are you and where are you from?”
“We have come because of the name of the Lord your God, we have heard his fame and all He did in Egypt; and to the two kings beyond the Jordan—Sihon, king of Heshbon and Og, king of Bashan. Therefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us saying, ‘Take provisions with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them, we are your servants ; now therefore, make a covenant with us”; 1-11.
This bread of ours we took hot for our provision from our houses on the day we departed to come to you. But now look it is dry and moldy. And these wineskins which we filled were new and see they are torn; and these garments and our sandals have become old because of the very long journey. Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the Lord; :1-14
Sidebar: This action turned into a fatal error—not seeking the counsel of the Lord—for the children of Israel.
When Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had taken Ai and had utterly destroyed it as he did to Jericho, and its king and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the roal cities and because it was greater than Ai and all Its men were mighty , Adoni-Zedek, king of Jerusalem sent for four kings saying, “Come up to me and help me, that we may attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and the Children of Israel”. The five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, of Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and of Eglon gathered together and went up, they and all their armies, and camped before Gibeon and made war against it.
The men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal saying, “Do not forsake you servants; come up to us quickly, save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the mountains have gathered together against us.” Joshua ascended form Gilgal, he and all the people of was and all the mighty men of valor. And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man shall stand before you.”
Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal. So the Lord routed them before Israel, killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them along the road that goes to Beth Horon and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. And as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, the Lord cast down large hailstones from heaven as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword; :1-11.
Sidebar: This battle was truly the Lord’s. Also are you noticing how seriously the Lord take the keeping of a covenant/contract/agreement?
Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel and said in the sight of Israel; “Sun stand still over Gibeon and moon in the Valley of Aijalon!” So, the sun stood still and the moon stopped till the people had revenge on their enemies. Is this not written in the book of Jasher? The sun stood still in the midst of heaven and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. Joshua and all Israel returned to the camp at Gilgal.
But the five kings hand fled and hidden themselves in a cave at Makkedah. When it was told to Joshua he said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave and set men by it to guard them. Do not stay there yourselves, but pursue your enemies and attack their rear guard. Do not allow them to enter their cities for The Lord your God has delivered them into your hand.”
As Joshua and the children of Israel made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter till they had finished, that those who escaped entered fortified cities. All the people returned to the camp in peace. No one moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel; :12-21.
Joshua said open the mouth of the cave and bring out those five kings form the cave.” They did so and brought them to Joshua and he called for all the men of Israel and said to the captains of the men of war who went with him and side come near, put your feet on their necks”, and they did as Joshua said, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the LORD will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.”
Joshua struck and killed the kings and hung them on five trees, and they were left hanging on the trees until evening. At sunset Joshua gave the order and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had been hiding. At the mouth of the cave they placed large rocks, which are there to this day.
That day Joshua took Makkedah. He put the city and its king to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it. He left no survivors. And he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho. Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah and attacked it; from Libnah to Lachish; Horam king of Gezer had come up to help Lachish to no avail, from Lachish to Eglon; from Eglon to Hebron; Then Joshua and all Israel with him turned around and attacked Debir. Joshua defeated them and their armies—until no survivors were left.
So Joshua subdued the whole region, including the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills and the mountain slopes, together with all their kings. He left no survivors. He totally destroyed all who breathed, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded.
Joshua subdued them from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza and from the whole region of Goshen to Gibeon. All these kings and their lands Joshua conquered in one campaign, because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel. Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal; “13-
When Jabin, king of Hazor heard these things he sent to Joab, king of Madon of the king of Shimron, to the king of Achshaph and to the kings who were from the north, in the mountains, in the plain south of Chinneroth, in the lowlands and in the heights of Dor, in the west, to the Canaanites in the east and in the west, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite in the mountains and the Hivite below Hermon in the land of Mizpah.
So they went out with all their armies with them, as many people as the sand that is on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses and chariots. When all these kings had met together, they came and camped together at the waters of Miram to fight against Israel. But the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow about this time, I will deliver all of them slain before Israel.
You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.” So Joshua and all the people of war with him came against them suddenly by the waters and they attacked them. The Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel, who defeated them and chased them to Greater Sidon, to the Brook Misrephoth, and to the Valley Mizpah eastward; they attacked them until they left none of them remaining.
So Joshua did to them as the Lord had told him; he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire. Joshua turned back at that time and took Hazor and struck its king with the sword for Hazor was formerly the head of all those kingdom; :1-10.
And they struck all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword. He utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded. But as for the cities that stood on their mounds, Israel burned none of them, except Hazor only, which Joshua burned. All the spoil of these cities and the livestock, the children of Israel took as booty for themselves; but they struck every man with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them, and they left none breathing. As the Lord commanded Moses His servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses.
Thus Joshua took all this: the mountain country, all the South, all the land of Goshen, the lowland and the Jordan plain—the mountains of Israel and its lowland from Mount Halak and the ascent to Seir, even as far as Baal Gad, in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings and struck them down and killed the,. Joshua made war a long time with those kings; :11-18.
There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. All others they took in battle. It was the Lord which hardened their hearts, they should come against Israel in battle, that He might utterly destroy them, as the Lord has commanded Moses, Joshua came against the Anakim and utterly destroyed them with their cities, not of the Anakim were left in the land of the children of Israel; they remained only in Gath, in Gaza and in Ashdod. So, Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had said to Moses; and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions, by their tribes. Then the land rested from war; :19-23
These are the kings of the land whom the children of Israel defeated and whose land they possessed on the other side of the Jordan toward the rising sun, Sihon, king of the Amorites and Og, king of Bashan, these Moses had conquered: :1-6.
And these are the kings of the country which Joshua and the children of Israel conquered on this side of the Jordan. The Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and the Jebusites: the kings of Jericho, Ai, Jerusalem, hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, Eglon, Gezer, Debir, Geder, Hormah, Arad, Libnah, Adullam, Makkedah, Bethel, Tappuah, Hepher, Aphel Lasharon, Madon Hazor, Shimron, Meron, Achshaph, Taanack, Megiddo, Kedesh, Jokneam, Dor, Gilgal, Tirzah—all the kings thirty-one; :7-24.
The Lord said to Joshua, “You are old advanced in years and there remains very much land yet to be possessed.” The Lord tells Joshua of the land and the peoples remaining. The Lord says, “Them I will drive out from before the children of Israel; only divide it by lot to Israel as an inheritance, as I have commanded you. Now therefore, divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half tribe of Manasseh.”; :1-12.
Nevertheless the children of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maachathites, but they dwell among Israel until this day. Only the tribe of Levi He had given no inheritance; the sacrifices of the Lord God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance as He said to them; :13-21.
And Moses had given to the tribe of the children of Reuben and inheritance according to their families. The children of Israel also killed with the sword Balaam, the son of Beor, the soothsayer, among those that were killed by them. The border of the children of Reuben was the bank of the Jordan. This was their inheritance. The remainder of the chapter outlines the territory of the Reubenites, the Gadites and half the tribe of Manasseh, according to their families. These are the areas which Moses distributed as an inheritance in the plains of Moab on the other side of the Jordan, by Jericho eastward. But to the tribe of Levi Moses had given no inheritance; the Lord God of Israel was their inheritance, as He had said to them.
This chapter speak of the areas that the children of Israel inherited in Canaan which Joshua, Eleazer the priest, and the heads of the father’s of the tribes distributed to them. Their inheritance was by lot, as the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moses for the nine tribes and the half tribe; :1-5.
Caleb, the son of Jephunneh at the age of eighty-five, reminded Joshua of his past faithfulness to the Lord which exacted a promise from the Lord that, “Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children’s forever.” Caleb asked to be given the mountains and that he and his children would drive out the Anakim.
Joshua blessed him and gave him the land of Hebron, because he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel. And the land had rest from war; :6-15.
This chapter lays out the boundaries of the inheritance that was given to Jusda. But the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out; but the Jebusites dwell with them at Jerusalem to this day; :1-63.
The lot fell next to the children of Joseph and this chapter lays out the boundaries of their inheritance. And they did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer, but the Canaanites dwell among them to this day have become forced laborers; :1-10.
Joshua told them, “Although it is wooded, you shall cut it down, and its farthest extent shall be your; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots and are strong; :1-18.
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