Division of the Land West of the Jordan

14 Now these are the areas the Israelites received as an inheritance^(A) in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar^(B) the priest, Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the tribal clans of Israel^(C) allotted^(D) to them.^{(E) 2} Their inheritances were assigned by lot^(F) to the nine and a half tribes,^(G) as the Lord had commanded through Moses. ³ Moses had granted the two and a half tribes their inheritance east of the Jordan^(H) but had not granted the Levites an inheritance among the rest,^{(I) 4} for Joseph’s descendants had become two tribes—Manasseh and Ephraim.^(J) The Levites received no share of the land but only towns to live in, with pasturelands for their flocks and herds.^{(K) 5} So the Israelites divided the land, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.^(L)

Allotment for Caleb

⁶ Now the people of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal,^(M) and Caleb son of Jephunneh^(N) the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God^(O) at Kadesh Barnea^(P) about you and me.^{(Q) 7} I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea^(R) to explore the land.^(S) And I brought him back a report according to my convictions,^{(T) 8} but my fellow Israelites who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt in fear.^(U) I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.^{(V) 9} So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance^(W) and that of your children^(X) forever, because you have followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.’^[a]

¹⁰ “Now then, just as the Lord promised,^(Y) he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved^(Z) about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old!^{(AA) 11} I am still as strong^(AB) today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous^(AC) to go out to battle now as I was then. ¹² Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day.^(AD) You yourself heard then that the Anakites^(AE) were there and their cities were large and fortified,^(AF) but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”

¹³ Then Joshua blessed^(AG) Caleb son of Jephunneh^(AH) and gave him Hebron^(AI) as his inheritance.^{(AJ) 14} So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the Lord, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly.^{(AK) 15} (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba^(AL) after Arba,^(AM) who was the greatest man among the Anakites.)

Then the land had rest^(AN) from war.

Allotment for Judah^(A)

15 The allotment for the tribe of Judah, according to its clans, extended down to the territory of Edom,^(B) to the Desert of Zin^(C) in the extreme south.^(D)

These are the boundaries around the people of Judah by their clans.

¹³ In accordance with the Lord’s command to him, Joshua gave to Caleb^(AK) son of Jephunneh a portion in Judah—Kiriath Arba^(AL), that is, Hebron.^(AM) (Arba was the forefather of Anak.)^{(AN) 14} From Hebron Caleb drove out the three Anakites^(AO)—Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai,^(AP) the sons of Anak.^{(AQ) 15} From there he marched against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher). ¹⁶ And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksah^(AR) in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.” ¹⁷ Othniel^(AS) son of Kenaz, Caleb’s brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage.

¹⁸ One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him^[b] to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?”

¹⁹ She replied, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev,^(AT) give me also springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.^(AU)

²⁰ This is the inheritance of the tribe of Judah, according to its clans:

²¹ The southernmost towns of the tribe of Judah in the Negev^(AV) toward the boundary of Edom were:

³³ In the western foothills:

⁴⁸ In the hill country:

⁶¹ In the wilderness:^(DQ)

⁶³ Judah could not^(DT) dislodge the Jebusites^(DU), who were living in Jerusalem;^(DV) to this day the Jebusites live there with the people of Judah.^(DW)

The Covenant Renewed at Shechem

24 Then Joshua assembled^(A) all the tribes of Israel at Shechem.^(B) He summoned^(C) the elders,^(D) leaders, judges and officials of Israel,^(E) and they presented themselves before God.

² Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor,^(F) lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods.^{(G) 3} But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him throughout Canaan^(H) and gave him many descendants.^(I) I gave him Isaac,^{(J) 4} and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau.^(K) I assigned the hill country of Seir^(L) to Esau, but Jacob and his family went down to Egypt.^(M)

⁵ “‘Then I sent Moses and Aaron,^(N) and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and I brought you out.^{(O) 6} When I brought your people out of Egypt, you came to the sea,^(P) and the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen^[a](Q) as far as the Red Sea.^{[b](R) 7} But they cried^(S) to the Lord for help, and he put darkness^(T) between you and the Egyptians; he brought the sea over them and covered them.^(U) You saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians.^(V) Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time.^(W)

⁸ “‘I brought you to the land of the Amorites^(X) who lived east of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I gave them into your hands. I destroyed them from before you, and you took possession of their land.^{(Y) 9} When Balak son of Zippor,^(Z) the king of Moab, prepared to fight against Israel, he sent for Balaam son of Beor^(AA) to put a curse on you.^{(AB) 10} But I would not listen to Balaam, so he blessed you^(AC) again and again, and I delivered you out of his hand.

¹¹ “‘Then you crossed the Jordan^(AD) and came to Jericho.^(AE) The citizens of Jericho fought against you, as did also the Amorites, Perizzites,^(AF) Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites,^(AG) but I gave them into your hands.^{(AH) 12} I sent the hornet^(AI) ahead of you, which drove them out^(AJ) before you—also the two Amorite kings. You did not do it with your own sword and bow.^{(AK) 13} So I gave you a land^(AL) on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’^(AM)

¹⁴ “Now fear the Lord^(AN) and serve him with all faithfulness.^(AO) Throw away the gods^(AP) your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt,^(AQ) and serve the Lord. ¹⁵ But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites,^(AR) in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household,^(AS) we will serve the Lord.”^(AT)

¹⁶ Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake^(AU) the Lord to serve other gods! ¹⁷ It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery,^(AV) and performed those great signs^(AW) before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. ¹⁸ And the Lord drove out^(AX) before us all the nations,^(AY) including the Amorites, who lived in the land.^(AZ) We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God.^(BA)”

¹⁹ Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God;^(BB) he is a jealous God.^(BC) He will not forgive^(BD) your rebellion^(BE) and your sins. ²⁰ If you forsake the Lord^(BF) and serve foreign gods, he will turn^(BG) and bring disaster^(BH) on you and make an end of you,^(BI) after he has been good to you.”

²¹ But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the Lord.”

²² Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses^(BJ) against yourselves that you have chosen^(BK) to serve the Lord.”

“Yes, we are witnesses,^(BL)” they replied.

²³ “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods^(BM) that are among you and yield your hearts^(BN) to the Lord, the God of Israel.”

²⁴ And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.”^(BO)

²⁵ On that day Joshua made a covenant^(BP) for the people, and there at Shechem^(BQ) he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws.^{(BR) 26} And Joshua recorded^(BS) these things in the Book of the Law of God.^(BT) Then he took a large stone^(BU) and set it up there under the oak^(BV) near the holy place of the Lord.

²⁷ “See!” he said to all the people. “This stone^(BW) will be a witness^(BX) against us. It has heard all the words the Lord has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue^(BY) to your God.”^(BZ)

²⁸ Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to their own inheritance.^(CA)

Buried in the Promised Land^(CB)

²⁹ After these things, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died^(CC) at the age of a hundred and ten.^{(CD) 30} And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Serah^[c](CE) in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.^(CF)

³¹ Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders^(CG) who outlived him and who had experienced everything the Lord had done for Israel.

³² And Joseph’s bones,^(CH) which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt,^(CI) were buried at Shechem in the tract of land^(CJ) that Jacob bought for a hundred pieces of silver^[d] from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. This became the inheritance of Joseph’s descendants.

³³ And Eleazar son of Aaron^(CK) died and was buried at Gibeah,^(CL) which had been allotted to his son Phinehas^(CM) in the hill country^(CN) of Ephraim.

² Mercy, peace^(A) and love be yours in abundance.^(B)

The Sin and Doom of Ungodly People

³ Dear friends,^(C) although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share,^(D) I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend^(E) for the faith^(F) that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.^{(G) 4} For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about^[a] long ago have secretly slipped in among you.^(H) They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.^(I)

⁵ Though you already know all this,^(J) I want to remind you^(K) that the Lord^[b] at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe.^(L)