“ But as my people watched, I destroyed the Amorites, though they were as tall as cedars and as strong as oaks. I destroyed the fruit on their branches and dug out their roots.

“我从以色列人面前除灭亚摩利人。他虽高大如香柏树，坚固如橡树，我却上灭他的果子，下绝他的根本。

“我从他们面前除灭亚摩利人；他虽高大如香柏树，强壮如橡树，我却上灭其果，下绝其根。

“我从他们面前除灭亚摩利人；他虽高大如香柏树，强壮如橡树，我却上灭其果，下绝其根。

“以色列人啊，我在你们面前消灭了亚摩利人。虽然他们像香柏树那样高大，如橡树那样强壮，但我灭尽了他们的果子，砍断了他们的根。

我不是在他们面前把亚摩利人消灭了吗？亚摩利人虽像香柏树高大，像橡树那样坚固；我却要灭绝它树上的果子，拔除树下的根。

我從以色列人面前除滅亞摩利人。他雖高大如香柏樹，堅固如橡樹，我卻上滅他的果子，下絕他的根本。

「我從他們面前除滅亞摩利人；他雖高大如香柏樹，強壯如橡樹，我卻上滅其果，下絕其根。

「我從他們面前除滅亞摩利人；他雖高大如香柏樹，強壯如橡樹，我卻上滅其果，下絕其根。

「以色列人啊，我在你們面前消滅了亞摩利人。雖然他們像香柏樹那樣高大，如橡樹那樣強壯，但我滅盡了他們的果子，砍斷了他們的根。

我不是在他們面前把亞摩利人消滅了嗎？亞摩利人雖像香柏樹高大，像橡樹那樣堅固；我卻要滅絕它樹上的果子，拔除樹下的根。

『然而卻是我從以色列人面前剿滅了亞摩利人的；亞摩利人雖如香柏樹那麼高大，雖如橡樹那麼強健，卻是我去上滅了他的果子，下絕了他的根的。

昔我滅亞摩利人於爾前、其人高若香柏、強如橡樹、我上滅其果、下絕其根、

昔彼未至斯土、亞摩哩人居之、高若柏香木、強為橡樹、我剝其果、絕其根、盡歸殲滅、

昔有亞摩利人、高若柏香木、強如橡樹、我翦滅之於以色列人前、上剝其果、下毀其根、

“ Yet I destroyed the Amorites before them, though they were tall as the cedars and strong as the oaks. I destroyed their fruit above and their roots below.

“ Yet I destroyed the Amorites to make room in the land for my people. The Amorites were as tall as cedar trees. They were as strong as oak trees. But I cut off their fruit above the ground and their roots below it.

“ Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars and who was as strong as the oaks; I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath.

Yet I destroyed the Amorite as Israel advanced; his height was like the cedars, and he was as sturdy as the oaks; I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath.

“ Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, Though his height was like the height of cedars And he was as strong as the oaks; I also destroyed his fruit above and his roots below.

“ Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, Whose height was like the height of the cedars, And he was as strong as the oaks; Yet I destroyed his fruit above And his roots beneath.

Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath.

Yet I destroyed the Amorite as Israel advanced; his height was like the cedars, and he was as sturdy as the oaks; I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath.

Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height[ was] like the height of the cedars, and he[ was] strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath.

For Israel’s sake I destroyed the Amorites. They were as tall as cedars and as strong as oaks, but I destroyed the fruit on their branches and their roots in the ground.

Yet I destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath.

Their roots will dry up, and their branches will wither.

The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says,“ The day of judgment is coming, burning like a furnace. On that day the arrogant and the wicked will be burned up like straw. They will be consumed— roots, branches, and all.

After four generations your descendants will return here to this land, for the sins of the Amorites do not yet warrant their destruction.”

But King Sihon refused to let them cross his territory. Instead, he mobilized his entire army and attacked Israel in the wilderness, engaging them in battle at Jahaz.But the Israelites slaughtered them with their swords and occupied their land from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River. They went only as far as the Ammonite border because the boundary of the Ammonites was fortified.So Israel captured all the towns of the Amorites and settled in them, including the city of Heshbon and its surrounding villages.

But listen carefully to everything I command you today. Then I will go ahead of you and drive out the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites:“ The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge.We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!”

Moses continued,“ Then the Lord said,‘ Now get moving! Cross the Arnon Gorge. Look, I will hand over to you Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and I will give you his land. Attack him and begin to occupy the land.Beginning today I will make people throughout the earth terrified because of you. When they hear reports about you, they will tremble with dread and fear.’”Moses continued,“ From the wilderness of Kedemoth I sent ambassadors to King Sihon of Heshbon with this proposal of peace:‘ Let us travel through your land. We will stay on the main road and won’t turn off into the fields on either side.Sell us food to eat and water to drink, and we will pay for it. All we want is permission to pass through your land.The descendants of Esau who live in Seir allowed us to go through their country, and so did the Moabites, who live in Ar. Let us pass through until we cross the Jordan into the land the Lord our God is giving us.’“ But King Sihon of Heshbon refused to allow us to pass through, because the Lord your God made Sihon stubborn and defiant so he could help you defeat him, as he has now done.“ Then the Lord said to me,‘ Look, I have begun to hand King Sihon and his land over to you. Begin now to conquer and occupy his land.’“ Then King Sihon declared war on us and mobilized his forces at Jahaz.But the Lord our God handed him over to us, and we crushed him, his sons, and all his people.

( King Og of Bashan was the last survivor of the giant Rephaites. His bed was made of iron and was more than thirteen feet long and six feet wide. It can still be seen in the Ammonite city of Rabbah.)

“ Listen, O Israel! Today you are about to cross the Jordan River to take over the land belonging to nations much greater and more powerful than you. They live in cities with walls that reach to the sky!The people are strong and tall— descendants of the famous Anakite giants. You’ve heard the saying,‘ Who can stand up to the Anakites?’But recognize today that the Lord your God is the one who will cross over ahead of you like a devouring fire to destroy them. He will subdue them so that you will quickly conquer them and drive them out, just as the Lord has promised.

But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak!The Amalekites live in the Negev, and the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country. The Canaanites live along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and along the Jordan Valley.”

He struck down great nations and slaughtered mighty kings—Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kings of Canaan.He gave their land as an inheritance, a special possession to his people Israel.

So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey— the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live.

But the Lord, the God of Israel, gave his people victory over King Sihon. So Israel took control of all the land of the Amorites, who lived in that region,from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River, and from the eastern wilderness to the Jordan.“ So you see, it was the Lord, the God of Israel, who took away the land from the Amorites and gave it to Israel. Why, then, should we give it back to you?

Give thanks to him who struck down mighty kings. His faithful love endures forever.He killed powerful kings— His faithful love endures forever.Sihon king of the Amorites, His faithful love endures forever.and Og king of Bashan. His faithful love endures forever.God gave the land of these kings as an inheritance— His faithful love endures forever.a special possession to his servant Israel. His faithful love endures forever.

So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew some water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out as an offering to the Lord.“ The Lord forbid that I should drink this!” he exclaimed.“ This water is as precious as the blood of these men who risked their lives to bring it to me.” So David did not drink it. These are examples of the exploits of the Three.Abishai son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, was the leader of the Thirty. He once used his spear to kill 300 enemy warriors in a single battle. It was by such feats that he became as famous as the Three.Abishai was the most famous of the Thirty and was their commander, though he was not one of the Three.There was also Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant warrior from Kabzeel. He did many heroic deeds, which included killing two champions of Moab. Another time, on a snowy day, he chased a lion down into a pit and killed it.Once, armed only with a club, he killed an imposing Egyptian warrior who was armed with a spear. Benaiah wrenched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with it.Deeds like these made Benaiah as famous as the Three mightiest warriors.

Today you will know that the living God is among you. He will surely drive out the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites ahead of you.

“ Finally, I brought you into the land of the Amorites on the east side of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I destroyed them before you. I gave you victory over them, and you took possession of their land.Then Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, started a war against Israel. He summoned Balaam son of Beor to curse you,but I would not listen to him. Instead, I made Balaam bless you, and so I rescued you from Balak.“ When you crossed the Jordan River and came to Jericho, the men of Jericho fought against you, as did the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. But I gave you victory over them.And I sent terror ahead of you to drive out the two kings of the Amorites. It was not your swords or bows that brought you victory.

Where can we go? Our brothers have demoralized us with their report. They tell us,“ The people of the land are taller and more powerful than we are, and their towns are large, with walls rising high into the sky! We even saw giants there— the descendants of Anak!”’

( A race of giants called the Emites had once lived in the area of Ar. They were as strong and numerous and tall as the Anakites, another race of giants.Both the Emites and the Anakites are also known as the Rephaites, though the Moabites call them Emites.

“ Then you helped our ancestors conquer kingdoms and nations, and you placed your people in every corner of the land. They took over the land of King Sihon of Heshbon and the land of King Og of Bashan.You made their descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and brought them into the land you had promised to their ancestors.“ They went in and took possession of the land. You subdued whole nations before them. Even the Canaanites, who inhabited the land, were powerless! Your people could deal with these nations and their kings as they pleased.

“ So now the Sovereign Lord asks: Will this vine grow and prosper? No! I will pull it up, roots and all! I will cut off its fruit and let its leaves wither and die. I will pull it up easily without a strong arm or a large army.

On the day the Lord gave the Israelites victory over the Amorites, Joshua prayed to the Lord in front of all the people of Israel. He said,“ Let the sun stand still over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Aijalon.”

During this period Joshua destroyed all the descendants of Anak, who lived in the hill country of Hebron, Debir, Anab, and the entire hill country of Judah and Israel. He killed them all and completely destroyed their towns.None of the descendants of Anak were left in all the land of Israel, though some still remained in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod.

Therefore, just as fire licks up stubble and dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will rot and their flowers wither. For they have rejected the law of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies; they have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.