Study Desk

Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. See, I have handed over to you the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.

Joshua rose early the next morning and mobilized his men, and he and the elders of Israel marched before them up to Ai.

Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Hold out your battle lance toward Ai, for into your hand I will deliver the city." So Joshua held out his battle lance toward Ai,

Joshua did not draw back the hand that held his battle lance until he had devoted to destruction all who lived in Ai.

The Gibeonites answered, "Your servants were told clearly that the LORD your God had commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land and wipe out all its inhabitants before you. So we greatly feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we have done this.

So Adoni-zedek and his people were greatly alarmed, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were warriors.

So Joshua and his whole army, including all the mighty warriors, came from Gilgal.

At that time Horam king of Gezer went to help Lachish, but Joshua struck him down along with his people, leaving no survivors.

So by the waters of Merom, Joshua and his whole army came upon them suddenly and attacked them,

As the LORD had commanded His servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua. That is what Joshua did, leaving nothing undone of all that the LORD had commanded Moses.

Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance.

So Othniel son of Caleb's brother Kenaz took it, and Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to him in marriage.

But Zelophehad son of Hepher (the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh) had no sons but only daughters. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons. And the land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the sons of Manasseh.

When someone flees to one of these cities, stands at the entrance of the gate of the city, and states his case before its elders, they are to bring him into the city and give him a place to live among them.

Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not deliver the manslayer into his hands, because that man killed his neighbor accidentally without prior malice.

He is to stay in that city until he stands trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest serving at that time. Then the manslayer may return to his own home in the city from which he fled."

But they had given the fields and villages around the city to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession.

But be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul."

Was not Achan son of Zerah unfaithful regarding what was set apart for destruction, bringing wrath upon the whole congregation of Israel? Yet it was not only Achan who perished because of his sin!'"