3. the kings of Canaan, both east and west; the kings of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites in the hill country, and the Hivites in the towns on the slopes of Mount Hermon in the land of Mizpah.
4. All these kings came out to fight. Their combined armies formed a vast horde. And with all their horses and chariots, they covered the landscape like the sand on the seashore.
5. The kings joined forces and established their camp around the water near Merom to fight against Israel.
6. Then the lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them. By this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel as dead men. Then you must cripple their horses and burn their chariots.”
7. So Joshua and all his fighting men traveled to the water near Merom and attacked suddenly.
8. And the lord gave them victory over their enemies. The Israelites chased them as far as Greater Sidon and Misrephoth-maim, and eastward into the valley of Mizpah, until not one enemy warrior was left alive.
9. Then Joshua crippled the horses and burned all the chariots, as the lord had instructed.
10. Joshua then turned back and captured Hazor and killed its king. (Hazor had at one time been the capital of all these kingdoms.)
11. The Israelites completely destroyed every living thing in the city, leaving no survivors. Not a single person was spared. And then Joshua burned the city.
12. Joshua slaughtered all the other kings and their people, completely destroying them, just as Moses, the servant of the lord, had commanded.
13. But the Israelites did not burn any of the towns built on mounds except Hazor, which Joshua burned.
14. And the Israelites took all the plunder and livestock of the ravaged towns for themselves. But they killed all the people, leaving no survivors.