Joshua 11

And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor had heard those things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph,

1Jabin was the king of Hazor. He heard what Israel had been doing. So he sent word to Jobab, the king of Madon. He also sent word to the kings of Shimron and Achshaph.

2And to the kings that were on the north of the mountains, and of the plains south of Chinneroth, and in the valley, and in the borders of Dor on the west,

2He also sent word to the kings in the northern hills. He sent to the kings in the flat land south of Chinneroth. He sent to kings in the low hills and in Dor by the sea.

3And to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and to the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains, and to the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpeh.

3He sent word to the Canaanites in the east and the west. He sent to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, and Jebusites in the hill country. He sent to the Hivites who lived near Mount Hermon, in the land of Mizpeh.

4And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, much people, even as the sand that is upon the sea shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many.

4All these kings came out with their armies. There were as many soldiers as there are grains of sand on a beach. They had many horses and many chariots. A chariot is a cart pulled by horses that soldiers fight from.

5And when all these kings were met together, they came and pitched together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel.

5All these kings joined together as one army. They set up camp at the waters of Merom. They were ready to fight against Israel.

6And the LORD said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire.

6The LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them. By this time tomorrow I will hand them all over to Israel, killed. Cut the tendons in their horses' back legs. Burn their chariots with fire."

NoteThe KJV says "hough their horses." That means to cut a tendon in a horse's back leg. The horse could then no longer run or pull a chariot.

7So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them.

7So Joshua and all his soldiers came to the waters of Merom. They came suddenly, and they attacked.

8And the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote them, and chased them unto great Zidon, and unto Misrephothmaim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them, until they left them none remaining.

8The LORD handed the enemy over to Israel. Israel struck them down. They chased them all the way to Greater Sidon and Misrephoth-maim. They chased them east to the Valley of Mizpeh. No one was left alive.

9And Joshua did unto them as the LORD bade him: he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire.

9Joshua did just what the LORD had told him. He cut the tendons in the horses' back legs. He burned their chariots with fire.

10And Joshua at that time turned back, and took Hazor, and smote the king thereof with the sword: for Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms.

10Then Joshua turned back and captured the city of Hazor. He killed its king with the sword. Hazor had been the leading city of all those kingdoms.

11And they smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them: there was not any left to breathe: and he burnt Hazor with fire.

11They killed everyone in Hazor with the sword. Not one person was left alive. Then Joshua burned the city with fire.

12And all the cities of those kings, and all the kings of them, did Joshua take, and smote them with the edge of the sword, and he utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the LORD commanded.

12Joshua captured all those kings and all their cities. He killed them with the sword. He destroyed them completely. This is what Moses, the LORD's servant, had commanded.

13But as for the cities that stood still in their strength, Israel burned none of them, save Hazor only; that did Joshua burn.

13Many cities stood on top of raised mounds of earth. Israel did not burn any of those cities. Only Hazor was burned, and Joshua burned it.

NoteThe KJV says these cities "stood still in their strength." It means towns built on top of mounds left by older towns. Israel left those buildings standing.

14And all the spoil of these cities, and the cattle, the children of Israel took for a prey unto themselves; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, neither left they any to breathe.

14The people of Israel kept the goods and the animals from these cities for themselves. But they killed all the people with the sword. They left no one alive.

15As the LORD commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses.

15The LORD gave his commands to his servant Moses. Moses gave those same commands to Joshua. Joshua did all of them. He left nothing undone.

16So Joshua took all that land, the hills, and all the south country, and all the land of Goshen, and the valley, and the plain, and the mountain of Israel, and the valley of the same;

16So Joshua took that whole land. He took the hills and the dry land in the south. He took the land of Goshen, the low hills, and the flat valley. He took the mountains of Israel and the hills below them.

17Even from the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir, even unto Baalgad in the valley of Lebanon under mount Hermon: and all their kings he took, and smote them, and slew them.

17The land went from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, all the way to Baal-gad. Baal-gad is in the valley of Lebanon, below Mount Hermon. Joshua captured all their kings and put them to death.

18Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.

18Joshua fought against all these kings for a long time.

19There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon: all other they took in battle.

19Not one city made peace with Israel. Only the Hivites who lived in Gibeon did. Israel took every other city in battle.

20For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses.

20The LORD made their hearts stubborn. So they went out to fight against Israel. They were completely destroyed and shown no mercy. This is what the LORD had told Moses would happen.

21And at that time came Joshua, and cut off the Anakims from the mountains, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel: Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities.

21At that time Joshua went and wiped out the Anakim. The Anakim were a people known for being very tall. He removed them from the hills of Hebron, Debir, and Anab. He removed them from all the hills of Judah and Israel. He destroyed them and their cities.

22There was none of the Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained.

22None of the Anakim were left in the land of Israel. Some were still living in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod.

23So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war.

23So Joshua took the whole land, just as the LORD had told Moses. He gave the land to Israel to keep. He shared it out among the family groups called tribes. And the land had rest from war.