1 Jabin, rei de Asor, tendo notícias de todos esses acontecimentos, enviou mensageiro a Jobab, rei de Madon, ao rei de Semeron, ao rei de Acsaf,2 aos reis do norte da montanha e da planície, ao sul de Ceneret, na planície e nos planaltos de Dor, ao ocidente,3 aos cananeus do oriente e do ocidente, aos amorreus, aos hiteus, aos ferezeus, aos jebuseus na montanha, aos heveus ao pé do Hermon na terra de Masfa.4 Entraram então em campanha com todos os seus exércitos, povo numeroso como a areia na praia do mar, com sua cavalaria e grande número de carros.5 Todos esses reis juntaram-se e vieram acampar juntos, perto das águas de Merom, para combater Israel.6 O Senhor disse a Josué: Não os temas, porque amanhã, a esta mesma hora, eu os lançarei, ofegantes, diante de Israel. Cortarás os jarretes dos seus cavalos e queimarás os seus carros.7 Josué atacou-os repentinamente, com todos os seus guerreiros, junto às águas de Merom, e precipitou-se contra eles.8 O Senhor entregou-os nas mãos de Israel, que os bateu e os perseguiu até Sidon, a Grande, até as águas de Maserefot e até o vale de Masfa, para o oriente. E feriu-os até que não ficou um só.9 Josué tratou-os como o Senhor lhe tinha dito: jarretou seus cavalos e incendiou seus carros.10 Voltando, nessa mesma época, Josué tomou Asor e matou à espada seu rei, porque Asor era antigamente a capital de todos esses reinos.11 Passaram ao fio da espada toda alma viva nessa cidade e votaram-na ao interdito. Nada ficou de tudo o que tinha vida, e incendiou-se Asor.12 Tomou também Josué todas as cidades desses reis {coligados} e passou-as ao fio da espada, votando-as ao interdito, como Moisés, servo do Senhor, tinha ordenado.13 Entretanto, Israel não incendiou nenhuma das cidades situadas nas colinas, exceto unicamente Asor, que Josué queimou.14 Os filhos de Israel apossaram-se de todos os despojos dessas cidades e dos rebanhos. Quanto aos homens, porém, massacraram-nos todos com a espada, até exterminá-los completamente, sem deixar ninguém com vida.15 Como o Senhor tinha ordenado a Moisés, seu servo, assim Moisés ordenou a Josué; e este tudo executou, sem nada omitir do que o Senhor tinha prescrito a Moisés.16 Conquistou, assim, Josué toda a terra, a montanha, o Negeb, o território de Gosen, a campina e a planície, o planalto de Israel e suas campinas,17 desde a montanha nua que sobe para Seir até Baal-Gad, no vale do Líbano ao pé do Hermon. Tomou todos os seus reis, feriu-os e matou-os.18 Durante muito tempo combateu Josué contra esses reis.19 Não houve cidade que se rendesse pacificamente aos israelitas, exceto os heveus de Gabaon. Foi necessário que se tomasse tudo à força,20 porque era o desígnio do Senhor que se endurecesse o coração desses povos e que combatessem Israel; desse modo Israel pôde votá-los ao interdito sem piedade, e exterminá-los, como o Senhor tinha ordenado a Moisés.21 Naquele tempo Josué marchou contra os enacim da montanha e os exterminou em Hebron, em Dabir, em Anab, e em toda a montanha de Judá e de Israel. E votou-os ao interdito com suas cidades.22 Não ficou um só enacim na terra dos filhos de Israel; só ficaram alguns em Gaza, em Get e em Azot.23 Conquistou, pois, Josué toda a terra, como o Senhor tinha dito a Moisés, e deu-a em herança a Israel, repartindo-a segundo suas tribos. E a terra repousou da guerra.

1 Hearing [of] this, Jabin, king of Hazor, sent a message unto Jobab, king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron and to the king of Achshaph2 and to the kings that [were] on the north of the mountains and in the plain southward of Chinneroth and in the valley and in the borders of Dor to the west3 [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.4 And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, many people even as the sand that [is] upon the sea shore in multitude, with a great multitude of horses and chariots.5 All these kings united, and as they came they gathered together the camps near the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.6 But the LORD said unto Joshua, Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow at this hour I will deliver them up all slain before Israel; thou shalt hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.7 So Joshua came against them with all the people of war and fell upon them suddenly by the waters of Merom.8 And the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote them and chased them unto great Zidon and unto the hot springs and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them, until they left them no one remaining.9 And Joshua did unto them as the LORD had commanded him; he hamstrung their horses and burnt their chariots with fire.10 And Joshua at that time returned and took Hazor and smote the king thereof with the sword because Hazor had been the head of all those kingdoms before.11 And they smote all the souls that [were] in it with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying [them]; there was not any left to breathe; and he burnt Hazor with fire.12 Likewise, Joshua took all the cities of those kings and all their kings and smote them with the edge of the sword, [and] he utterly destroyed them as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded him.13 But of all the cities that stood on their hills, Israel burned none of them, excepting Hazor only, which Joshua burned.14 And all the spoil of these cities and the beasts, the sons of Israel took for themselves; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them, without leaving any that breathed.15 As the LORD had commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD had commanded Moses.16 So Joshua took all that land, the mountains and all the [region] of the Negev and all the land of Goshen and the valleys and the plains and the mountain of Israel and its valleys.17 [Even] from mount Halak that goes up unto Seir unto Baalgad in the plains of Lebanon at the roots of mount Hermon; likewise he took all their kings and smote them and slew them.18 Joshua made war many days with all those kings.19 There was not a city that made peace with the sons of Israel except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon; they took all [the others] in battle.20 For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly [and] that they might have no mercy, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD had commanded Moses.21 Also at the same time Joshua came and cut off the Anakims from the mountains, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel; Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities.22 There were none of the Anakims left in the land of the sons of Israel; only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained.23 So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war.: