Study Desk

So the Gibeonites became slaves, but Joshua let them live. He did not allow the Israelites to kill them.

But during the fight, the five kings ran away. They hid in a cave near Makkedah,

but someone found them hiding in that cave. Joshua learned about this.

But don't stay there yourselves. Continue chasing the enemy and attacking them from behind. Don't let the enemy get back to their cities. The Lord your God has given you the victory over them."

So Joshua and the Israelites killed the enemy. But some of them were able to go to their cities that had tall walls around them and hide. These men were not killed.

King Horam of Gezer came to help Lachish, but Joshua also defeated him and his army. No one was left alive.

But the army of Israel did not burn any cities that were built on hills. The only city built on a hill that they burned was Hazor. This is the city Joshua burned.

The Israelites kept for themselves all the things and all the animals they found in the cities. But they killed all the people there. They left no one alive.

When Joshua was very old, the Lord said to him, "Joshua you have grown old, but there is still much land for you to take control of.

"The people of Sidon are living in the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim. But I will force them out for the Israelites. Be sure to remember this land when you divide the land among the Israelites. Do this as I told you.

So that land included all the towns on the plain and all the area that King Sihon of the Amorites had ruled. He ruled in the town of Heshbon, but Moses had defeated him and the leaders of the Midianites. Those leaders were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba. (They all fought together with Sihon.) All of them lived in that country.

The other men who went with me told the people things that made them afraid. But I really believed that the Lord would allow us to take that land.

So give me the hill country that the Lord promised me that day long ago. At that time you heard that the strong Anakites lived there and the cities were very big and well protected. But now, maybe the Lord will be with me, and I will take that land just as the Lord said."

Many of the border towns of Ephraim were actually in Manasseh's borders, but the Ephraimites got the towns and the fields around them.

But the Ephraimites were not able to force the Canaanites to leave the town of Gezer. So the Canaanites still live among the Ephraimites today, although they did become slaves of the Ephraimites.

Zelophehad was the son of Hepher. Hepher was the son of Gilead. Gilead was the son of Makir, and Makir was the son of Manasseh. Zelophehad did not have any sons, but he had five daughters. The daughters were named Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

The land around Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but the town itself did not. The town of Tappuah was at the border of Manasseh's land, and it belonged to the people of Ephraim.

The border of Manasseh continued south to Kanah Ravine. This area belonged to the tribe of Manasseh, but the cities belonged to the people of Ephraim. Manasseh's border was on the north side of the river and it continued west to the Mediterranean Sea.

But the Israelites grew strong. When this happened, they forced the Canaanites to work for them. But they did not force them to leave that land.

The tribe of Joseph spoke to Joshua and said, "You gave us only one area of land, but we are many people. Why did you give us only one part of all the land that the Lord gave his people?"