Israel Defeats a Northern Coalition

11:1 When King Jabin of Hazor1 heard the news, he organized a coalition, including2 King Jobab of Madon, the king of Shimron, the king of Acshaph, 11:2 and the northern kings who ruled in3 the hill country, the Arabah south of Kinnereth,4 the lowlands, and the heights of Dor to the west. 11:3 Canaanites came5 from the east and west; Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, and Jebusites from the hill country; and Hivites from below Hermon in the area6 of Mizpah. 11:4 These kings came out with their armies; they were as numerous as the sand on the seashore and had a large number of horses and chariots.7 11:5 All these kings gathered and joined forces8 at the Waters of Merom to fight Israel.

11:6 The Lord told Joshua, “Don’t be afraid of them, for about this time tomorrow I will cause all of them to lie dead before Israel. You must hamstring their horses and burn9 their chariots.” 11:7 Joshua and his whole army caught them by surprise at the Waters of Merom and attacked them.10 11:8 The Lord handed them over to Israel and they struck them down and chased them all the way to Greater Sidon,11 Misrephoth Maim,12 and the Mizpah Valley to the east. They struck them down until no survivors remained. 11:9 Joshua did to them as the Lord had commanded him; he hamstrung their horses and burned13 their chariots.

11:10 At that time Joshua turned, captured Hazor,14 and struck down its king with the sword, for Hazor was at that time15 the leader of all these kingdoms. 11:11 They annihilated everyone who lived there with the sword16—no one who breathed remained—and burned17 Hazor.

11:12 Joshua captured all these royal cities and all their kings and annihilated them with the sword,18 as Moses the Lord’s servant had commanded. 11:13 But Israel did not burn any of the cities located on mounds,19 except for Hazor;20 it was the only one Joshua burned. 11:14 The Israelites plundered all the goods of these cities and the cattle, but they totally destroyed all the people21 and allowed no one who breathed to live. 11:15 Moses the Lord’s servant passed on the Lord’s commands to Joshua, and Joshua did as he was told. He did not ignore any of the commands the Lord had given Moses.22