Joshua

The Book of Joshua chronicles the Israelites' conquest of Canaan under Joshua's leadership. It details the crossing of the Jordan River, the fall of Jericho, and the division of the land among the tribes. Themes of faith, obedience, and God's faithfulness are prominent as the Israelites learn to trust in God's promises and guidance. The book highlights the importance of courage and commitment to God's commands in overcoming challenges and fulfilling divine purposes.
Joshua

Joshua, with later scribal additions

c. 1400-1200 BC

Chapters

Joshua 1

God Commissions Joshua and Encourages Him to Be Strong and Courageous

1. Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying, 2. Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you, and all this people, to the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. 3. Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread on, that have I given to you, as I said to Moses.
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Joshua 2

Rahab Hides the Spies and Secures Her Family's Safety

1. And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there. 2. And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in here to night of the children of Israel to search out the country. 3. And the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to you, which are entered into your house: for they be come to search out all the country.
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Joshua 3

Crossing the Jordan River into the Promised Land.

1. And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. 2. And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host; 3. And they commanded the people, saying, When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then you shall remove from your place, and go after it.
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Joshua 4

The Israelites Set Up Memorial Stones to Remember Crossing the Jordan River

1. And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying, 2. Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, 3. And command you them, saying, Take you hence out of the middle of Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and you shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where you shall lodge this night.
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Joshua 5

The Israelites' Preparation for Battle and the Encounter with the Commander of the Lord's Army.

1. And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel. ¶ 2. At that time the LORD said to Joshua, Make you sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time. 3. And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.
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Joshua 6

The Fall of Jericho and the Obedience of Israel

1. Now Jericho was straightly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. 2. And the LORD said to Joshua, See, I have given into your hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor. 3. And you shall compass the city, all you men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shall you do six days.
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Joshua 7

The Sin of Achan and Israel's Defeat at Ai

1. But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel. 2. And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai. 3. And they returned to Joshua, and said to him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labor thither; for they are but few.
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Joshua 8

The Defeat of Ai and the Renewal of the Covenant at Mount Ebal

1. And the LORD said to Joshua, Fear not, neither be you 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, and his people, and his city, and his land: 2. And you shall do to Ai and her king as you did to Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall you take for a prey to yourselves: lay you an ambush for the city behind it. ¶ 3. So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valor, and sent them away by night.
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Joshua 9

The Deception of the Gibeonites and Israel's Covenant with Them

1. And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this side Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard thereof; 2. That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord. ¶ 3. And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,
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Joshua 10

The Sun Stands Still as Joshua Defeats the Amorite Kings.

1. Now it came to pass, when Adonizedec king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them; 2. That they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty. 3. Why Adonizedec king of Jerusalem, sent to Hoham king of Hebron, and to Piram king of Jarmuth, and to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying,
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Joshua 11

The Conquest of Northern Canaan and the Defeat of Multiple Kings.

1. 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, 2. And 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, 3. And 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.
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Joshua 12

The Kings Defeated by Moses and Joshua

1. Now these are the kings of the land, which the children of Israel smote, and possessed their land on the other side Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from the river Arnon to mount Hermon, and all the plain on the east: 2. Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelled in Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is on the bank of the river Arnon, and from the middle of the river, and from half Gilead, even to the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon; 3. And from the plain to the sea of Chinneroth on the east, and to the sea of the plain, even the salt sea on the east, the way to Bethjeshimoth; and from the south, under Ashdothpisgah: ¶
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Joshua 13

The Division of the Land West of the Jordan Among the Remaining Tribes

1. Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said to him, You are old and stricken in years, and there remains yet very much land to be possessed. 2. This is the land that yet remains: all the borders of the Philistines, and all Geshuri, 3. From Sihor, which is before Egypt, even to the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites:
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Joshua 14

Caleb's Inheritance and Faithfulness in Receiving Hebron

1. And these are the countries which the children of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed for inheritance to them. 2. By lot was their inheritance, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes, and for the half tribe. 3. For Moses had given the inheritance of two tribes and an half tribe on the other side Jordan: but to the Levites he gave none inheritance among them.
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Joshua 15

The Allotment of the Land for the Tribe of Judah

1. This then was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah by their families; even to the border of Edom the wilderness of Zin southward was the uttermost part of the south coast. 2. And their south border was from the shore of the salt sea, from the bay that looks southward: 3. And it went out to the south side to Maalehacrabbim, and passed along to Zin, and ascended up on the south side to Kadeshbarnea, and passed along to Hezron, and went up to Adar, and fetched a compass to Karkaa:
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Joshua 16

The Allotment of Land for the Tribe of Joseph

1. And the lot of the children of Joseph fell from Jordan by Jericho, to the water of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goes up from Jericho throughout mount Bethel, 2. And goes out from Bethel to Luz, and passes along to the borders of Archi to Ataroth, 3. And goes down westward to the coast of Japhleti, to the coast of Bethhoron the nether, and to Gezer; and the goings out thereof are at the sea.
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Joshua 17

The Allotment of Land for the Tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim.

1. There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh; for he was the firstborn of Joseph; to wit, for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead: because he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan. 2. There was also a lot for the rest of the children of Manasseh by their families; for the children of Abiezer, and for the children of Helek, and for the children of Asriel, and for the children of Shechem, and for the children of Hepher, and for the children of Shemida: these were the male children of Manasseh the son of Joseph by their families. ¶ 3. But Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but daughters: and these are the names of his daughters, Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
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Joshua 18

The Division of the Remaining Land Among the Seven Tribes

1. And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them. 2. And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet received their inheritance. 3. And Joshua said to the children of Israel, How long are you slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers has given you?
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Joshua 20

Cities of Refuge Established for Protection

1. The LORD also spoke to Joshua, saying, 2. Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spoke to you by the hand of Moses: 3. That the slayer that kills any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
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Joshua 21

The Allocation of Towns and Pasturelands to the Levites

1. Then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel; 2. And they spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, The LORD commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with the suburbs thereof for our cattle. 3. And the children of Israel gave to the Levites out of their inheritance, at the commandment of the LORD, these cities and their suburbs.
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Joshua 23

Joshua's Farewell Address and Exhortation to Israel

1. And it came to pass a long time after that the LORD had given rest to Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old and stricken in age. 2. And Joshua called for all Israel, and for their elders, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, and said to them, I am old and stricken in age: 3. And you have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations because of you; for the LORD your God is he that has fought for you.
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Joshua 24

Joshua's Farewell Address and Covenant Renewal at Shechem

1. And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God. 2. And Joshua said to all the people, Thus says the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelled on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods. 3. And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.
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