Then the two men returned – they came down from the hills, crossed the river, ¹  came to Joshua son of Nun, and reported to him all they had discovered.

They told Joshua, “Surely the Lord is handing over all the land to us! ¹  All who live in the land are cringing before us!” ² 

Bright and early the next morning Joshua and the Israelites left Shittim and came to the Jordan. ¹  They camped there before crossing the river. ² 

That day the Lord brought honor to Joshua before all Israel. They respected ¹  him all his life, ²  just as they had respected ³  Moses.

He replaced them with their sons, ¹  whom Joshua circumcised. They were uncircumcised; their fathers had not circumcised them along the way.

The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have taken away ¹  the disgrace ²  of Egypt from you.” So that place is called Gilgal ³  even to this day.

So Joshua made sure they marched the ark of the Lord around the city one time. ¹  Then they went back to the camp and spent the night there. ² 

Joshua prayed, ¹  “O, Master, Lord! Why did you bring these people across the Jordan to hand us over to the Amorites so they could destroy us?

They took it all from the middle of the tent, brought it to Joshua and all the Israelites, and placed ¹  it before the Lord.

Bright and early the next morning Joshua gathered ¹  the army, ²  and he and the leaders ³  of Israel marched ⁴  at the head of it ⁵  to Ai.

But Israel did plunder the cattle and the goods of the city, in accordance with the Lord’s orders to Joshua. ¹ 

Then ¹  Joshua read aloud all the words of the law, including the blessings and the curses, just as they are written in the law scroll.

Joshua read aloud every commandment Moses had given ¹  before the whole assembly of Israel, including the women, children, and resident foreigners who lived among them. ² 

Joshua made a peace treaty with them and agreed to let them live. The leaders of the community ¹  sealed it with an oath. ² 

¹ Joshua summoned the Gibeonites ²  and said to them, “Why did you trick ³  us by saying, ‘We live far away from you,’ when you really live nearby? ⁴ 

The Lord told Joshua, “Don’t be afraid of them, for I am handing them over to you. ¹  Not one of them can resist you.” ² 

Then King Horam of Gezer came up to help Lachish, but Joshua struck down him and his army ¹  until no survivors remained.

At that time Joshua turned, captured Hazor, ¹  and struck down its king with the sword, for Hazor was at that time ²  the leader of all these kingdoms.

Joshua captured all these royal cities and all their kings and annihilated them with the sword, ¹  as Moses the Lord’s servant had commanded.

But Israel did not burn any of the cities located on mounds, ¹  except for Hazor; ²  it was the only one Joshua burned.