Apvienotais ziemeļu ķēniņu karaspēks tiek sakauts
1 Kad to izdzirdēja Hācoras ķēniņš Jābīns, tas sūtīja pie Mādonas ķēniņa Jobāba, pie Šimronas ķēniņa un pie Ahšafas ķēniņa, 2 un pie ķēniņiem, kas ziemeļu kalnienē un klajumā uz dienvidiem no Kineretas, un zemienē, un uz vakariem, Nāfat-Dorā – 3 pie kanaāniešiem austrumos un rietumos, pie amoriešiem un hetiešiem, periziešiem un jebūsiešiem kalnienē, un pie hiviešiem Hermona pakājē, Micpas zemē. 4 Tie iznāca ar visiem saviem karapulkiem – ļaužu bija tik daudz kā smilšu jūras malā un varen daudz zirgu un kararatu! 5 Visi šie ķēniņi sapulcējās, nāca un nocietinājās pie Mēromas ūdeņiem, lai karotu ar Israēlu.
6 Un Kungs teica Jozuam: “Nebaidies no tiem, jo rīt ap šo laiku es ļaušu Israēlam tos visus nokaut. Viņu zirgiem pārgrieziet cīpslas, bet kaujas ratus sadedziniet ugunī!” 7 Tad Jozua ar visiem saviem karavīriem devās tiem pretī uz Mēromas ūdeņiem un pēkšņi uzbruka tiem. 8 Un Kungs nodeva tos Israēlam, kurš tos sakāva un vajāja līdz lielajai Sidonai, Misrefot-Maimai un Micpas ielejai, kas austrumos, un kāva tos, kamēr neviens nepalika pāri. 9 Jozua darīja tiem, kā Kungs bija teicis, – pārgrieza viņu zirgiem cīpslas, bet kaujas ratus sadedzināja ugunī.
10 Tad Jozua griezās atpakaļ, ieņēma Hācoru un ar zobenu nokāva tās ķēniņu. Pirms tam Hācora bija galvenā turienes ķēniņvalsts. 11 Viņi nokāva visus, kas tur bija, – iznīdēja, ka nepalika neviens, kam dvaša! – un Hācoru nodedzināja ar uguni. 12 Visas to ķēniņu pilsētas Jozua ieņēma un ķēniņus nokāva ar zobena asmeni – pagalam tos iznīdēja, kā bija pavēlējis Kunga kalps Mozus. 13 Taču nevienu no tām pilsētām, kas stāvēja uz pakalniem, Israēls nenodedzināja, vienīgi Hācoru, ko nodedzināja Jozua. 14 Visu, kas tajās pilsētās bija laupāms, arī lopus, Israēla dēli salaupīja sev, taču visus ļaudis tie kāva ar zobena asmeni – kamēr nebija tos iznīcinājuši tā, ka neviens, kam dvaša, nepalika pāri! 15 Kā Kungs pavēlēja savam kalpam Mozum, tā Mozus pavēlēja Jozuam, un tā Jozua darīja – viņš nenovērsās no tā, ko Kungs Mozum bija pavēlējis.
Jozuas iekarojumi
16 Un Jozua ieņēma visu kalnienes zemi un visu Negebu, un visu Gošenes zemi, un zemieni, un klajumu, un Israēla kalnieni un zemieni – 17 no Hālāka kalna, kas slejas pret Seīru, līdz Baal-Gādai Lebanona ielejā, Hermona kalna pakājē – viņš sagūstīja visus to ķēniņus, kāva viņus un nonāvēja. 18 Jozuas karš ar šiem ķēniņiem ilga daudzas dienas. 19 Izņemot Gibeonas iemītniekus hiviešus, nebija pilsētas, kas būtu līgusi mieru ar Israēla dēliem, – viņi visus sagūstīja karā. 20 Tā tas notika, tādēļ ka Kungs bija nocietinājis viņu sirdis un sakūdījis uz karu pret Israēlu, lai tie tiktu atdoti iznīcības lāstam bez žēlastības, lai tie tiktu iznīcināti, kā Kungs bija pavēlējis Mozum.
21 Tolaik Jozua devās un izkāva anākiešus – kalnienē, Hebronā, Debīrā, Anābā un visā Jūdas kalnienē, un visā Israēla kalnienē – viņu pilsētas Jozua pagalam iznīdēja. 22 Israēla dēlu zemē nepalika neviena anākieša – tie palika tikai Gazā, Gatā un Ašdodā. 23 Jozua ieņēma visu zemi – visu, kā Kungs bija teicis, – un Jozua atdeva to par mantojumu Israēlam pēc katra daļas viņa ciltī. Tad zeme atguvās no kara.
Joshua Captures Towns in the North
1 King Jabin of Hazor heard about Joshua's victories, so he sent messages to many nearby kings and asked them to join him in fighting Israel. He sent these messages to King Jobab of Madon, the kings of Shimron and Achshaph, 2 the kings in the northern hill country and in the Jordan River valley south of Lake Galilee, and the kings in the foothills and in Naphath-Dor to the west. 3 He sent messages to the Canaanite kings in the east and the west, to the Amorite, Hittite, Perizzite, and Jebusite kings in the hill country, and to the Hivite kings in the region of Mizpah, near the foot of Mount Hermon.
4-5 The kings and their armies went to Merom Pond, where they set up camp, and got ready to fight Israel. It seemed as though there were more soldiers and horses and chariots than there are grains of sand on a beach.
6 The Lord told Joshua:
Don't let them frighten you! I'll help you defeat them, and by this time tomorrow they will be dead.
When you attack, the first thing you have to do is to cripple their horses. Then after the battle is over, burn their chariots.
7 Joshua and his army made a surprise attack against the enemy camp at Merom Pond 8-9 and crippled the enemies' horses. Joshua followed the Lord's instructions, and the Lord helped Israel defeat the enemy. The Israelite army even chased enemy soldiers as far as Misrephoth-Maim to the northwest, the city of Sidon to the north, and Mizpeh Valley to the northeast. None of the enemy soldiers escaped alive. The Israelites came back after the battle and burned the enemy's chariots.
10 Up to this time, the king of Hazor had controlled the kingdoms that had joined together to attack Israel, so Joshua led his army back and captured Hazor. They killed its king 11 and everyone else, then they set the town on fire.
12-15 Joshua captured all the towns where the enemy kings had ruled. These towns were built on small hills, and Joshua did not set fire to any of these towns, except Hazor. The Israelites kept the animals and everything of value from these towns, but they killed everyone who lived in them, including their kings. That's what the Lord had told his servant Moses to do, that's what Moses had told Joshua to do, and that's exactly what Joshua did.
16 Joshua and his army took control of the northern and southern hill country, the foothills to the west, the Southern Desert, the whole region of Goshen, and the Jordan River valley. 17-18 They took control of the land from Mount Halak near the country of Edom in the south to Baal-Gad in Lebanon Valley at the foot of Mount Hermon in the north. Joshua and his army were at war with the kings in this region for a long time, but finally they captured and put to death the last king.
19-20 The Lord had told Moses that he wanted the towns in this region destroyed and their people killed without mercy. That's why the Lord made the people in the towns stubborn and determined to fight Israel. The only town that signed a peace treaty with Israel was the Hivite town of Gibeon. The Israelite army captured the rest of the towns in battle.
21 During this same time, Joshua and his army killed the Anakim from the northern and southern hill country. They also destroyed the towns where the Anakim had lived, including Hebron, Debir, and Anab. 22 There were not any Anakim left in the regions where the Israelites lived, although there were still some in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod.
23 That's how Joshua captured the land, just as the Lord had commanded Moses, and Joshua divided it up among the tribes.
Finally, there was peace in the land.
