Land Still to be Taken

13 Now Joshua was old and well advanced in years. The Lord said to him, “You are old and advanced in years, but very much of the land still remains to be possessed.

² “This is the land that remains: all the districts of the Philistines and those of the Geshurites ³ (from the Shihor east of Egypt northward to the boundary of Ekron, which is counted as Canaanite; the cities of the five Philistine governors: Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron), and also the Avvites’ lands. ⁴ Also remaining in the south is all the land of the Canaanites, Arah owned by the Sidonians, as far as Aphek at the Amorite boundary, ⁵ the land of the Gebalites and all Lebanon to the east, and from Baal Gad at the foot of Mount Hermon to Lebo Hamath.

⁶ “I will drive out from before the children of Israel all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim and all the Sidonians. Be sure to divide these lands by lot as an inheritance for Israel as I have commanded you. ⁷ So now, divide this land as an inheritance for the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”

Division of the Land East of the Jordan River

⁸ With the other half-tribe of Manasseh, Reuben and Gad took their inheritance that Moses gave to them on the east side of the Jordan, as Moses the servant of the Lord had given them: ⁹ from Aroer on the bank of the River Arnon, the city in the middle of the valley, all the plain from Medeba to Dibon, ¹⁰ all the cities of King Sihon of the Amorites who reigned in Heshbon, and the land up to the Ammonite border. ¹¹ Moses had also given them Gilead, the territory of the Geshurites and Maakathites, all of Mount Hermon, and all of Bashan as far as Salekah, ¹² and in Bashan all the kingdom of Og, one of the last remnant of the giants, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei. Moses struck them down and took their lands. ¹³ Yet the children of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maakathites, and Geshur and Maakah live among Israel until this day.

¹⁴ However Moses did not give an inheritance to the tribe of Levi. The burnt offerings of the Lord God of Israel are their inheritance, as He said to them.

¹⁵ Moses assigned land to the tribe of the Reubenites according to their clans. ¹⁶ Their territory was from Aroer on the edge of the Arnon Valley, the city in the middle of the valley, all the plain of Medeba, ¹⁷ Heshbon and all its towns in the plain: Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon, ¹⁸ Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, ¹⁹ Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar on the hill of the valley, ²⁰ Beth Peor, the slopes of Pisgah, Beth Jeshimoth, ²¹ all the cities of the plain, and the whole kingdom of King Sihon of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon. Moses struck him down along with the leaders of Midian, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, who were princes of Sihon who lived in the land. ²² The children of Israel killed Balaam son of Beor, who practiced divination, with the sword along with the rest of the slain. ²³ The border of the Reubenites was the banks of the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the Reubenites according to their clans: those towns and their settlements.

²⁴ Moses assigned land to the tribe of Gad for the Gadites according to their clans. ²⁵ Their territory was Jazer, all the cities of Gilead, and half of the Ammonite land as far as Aroer, which is east of Rabbah, ²⁶ from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah, Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the territory of Debir. ²⁷ In the valley were Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Sukkoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of King Sihon of Heshbon, the Jordan as its boundary to the lower Sea of Galilee to the east of the Jordan. ²⁸ This was the inheritance of the Gadites according to their clans: those towns and their settlements.

²⁹ Moses assigned land to the half-tribe of Manasseh for the descendants of Manasseh according to their clans. ³⁰ Their territory was from Mahanaim, through all of Bashan, all the kingdom of King Og of Bashan, all the sixty villages of Jair that are in Bashan, ³¹ half of Gilead, Ashtaroth, and Edrei: cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. This was for the descendants of Makir son of Manasseh, half of the descendants of Makir by their clans.

³² This is the territory Moses assigned in the desert plains of Moab, on the eastern side of Jericho and the Jordan. ³³ Yet Moses did not assign land to the tribe of Levi as an inheritance. The Lord God of Israel was their inheritance, as He said to them.

Division of the Land West of the Jordan

14 These are the territories that the children of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the family leaders of the Israelite tribes assigned to them. ² Their inheritance fell to them by lot, as the Lord commanded through Moses, for the nine and a half tribes. ³ For Moses had assigned the inheritance of two and a half tribes on the other side of the Jordan, but he had not assigned an inheritance among them to the Levites. ⁴ The descendants of Joseph were two tribes: Manasseh and Ephraim. They did not give territory to the Levites in the land, but only towns in which to live, along with the pastures, livestock, and property. ⁵ Just as the Lord had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did when they divided the land.

Hebron Given to Caleb

⁶ The descendants of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God about you and me at Kadesh Barnea. ⁷ I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy on the land, and I brought word back to him as it was in my heart. ⁸ My companions who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt, but I wholeheartedly followed after the Lord my God. ⁹ On that day Moses swore an oath, ‘The land on which your foot treads shall be your inheritance, for your descendants perpetually, because you completely followed after the Lord my God.’

¹⁰ “Now, the Lord has kept me alive, just as He said, for forty-five years, since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness. Now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. ¹¹ I am still just as strong today as I was on the day that Moses sent me. My strength now is just like my strength then, both for battle and for going out and returning. ¹² So now, give me this hill country that the Lord spoke about on that day. That day you heard that the Anakites live there in large, fortified cities. Perhaps the Lord will be with me, and I will drive them out, as the Lord said.”

¹³ Then Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh as an inheritance. ¹⁴ Therefore Hebron became an inheritance of Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite until this day because he completely followed after the Lord, the God of Israel. ¹⁵ The former name of Hebron was Kiriath Arba. Arba was the greatest man among the Anakites.

Then the land had rest from war.

Allotment for Judah^(A)

15 The allotment for the tribe of Judah, by their clans, stretches southward to the border of Edom, to the Zin wilderness in the south.

² Their southern border runs from the southern tip of the Salt Sea, ³ to south of the Ascent of Akrabbim, crosses to Zin, rises south of Kadesh Barnea, crosses to Hezron, then rises to Addar, turns toward Karka, ⁴ then crosses to Azmon, goes out to the Brook of Egypt, and then to the sea. This is your southern border.

⁵ The eastern border is the Salt Sea up to the mouth of the Jordan.

The northern border runs from the northern extremity of the Dead Sea at the mouth of the Jordan River, ⁶ then rises to Beth Hoglah, crosses north of Beth Arabah, rises to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben, ⁷ and rises to Debir from the Achor Valley, turns northward to Gilgal opposite the Ascent of Adummim south of the valley, and crosses to the waters of En Shemesh and onward to En Rogel. ⁸ The border rises to Valley of Ben Hinnom, to the southern slope of the Jebusites (that is, Jerusalem), then rises to the top of the hill west of the Valley of Ben Hinnom, at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim. ⁹ The border turns from the top of the hill to the waters of Nephtoah and goes out to the cities of Mount Ephron, then turns to Baalah (that is, Kiriath Jearim). ¹⁰ The border turns west of Baalah to Mount Seir, crosses to the northern slope of Mount Jearim (that is, Kesalon), descends to Beth Shemesh, and crosses to Timnah. ¹¹ The border goes out to the northern slope of Ekron, turns to Shikkeron, crosses to Mount Baalah, goes out to Jabneel, and ends at the sea.

¹² The western border was the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea.

These were the borders surrounding the tribe of Judah according to their clans.

¹³ According to the word of the Lord to Joshua, Caleb son of Jephunneh was given an allotment among the tribe of Judah: Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron). Arba was the father of Anak. ¹⁴ Caleb drove out from there three Anakites: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, descendants of Anak. ¹⁵ He went up from there against the inhabitants of Debir. Before the name of Debir was Kiriath Sepher. ¹⁶ Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksah in marriage to whoever attacks Kiriath Sepher and captures it.” ¹⁷ Othniel son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, captured it, so Caleb gave him Aksah his daughter in marriage.

¹⁸ When she came to Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. She dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What can I do for you?”

¹⁹ She answered, “Please give me a blessing. Since you have given me land in the Negev, now give me springs of water.” So he gave her the upper and lower springs.

²⁰ This is the inheritance of the tribe of Judah according to their clans.

²¹ The cities at the southern extremity of the tribe of Judah toward the border with Edom were Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, ²² Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, ²³ Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, ²⁴ Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, ²⁵ Hazor Hadattah, Kerioth Hezron (that is, Hazor), ²⁶ Amam, Shema, Moladah, ²⁷ Hazar Gaddah, Heshmon, Beth Pelet, ²⁸ Hazar Shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah, ²⁹ Baalah, Iyim, Ezem, ³⁰ Eltolad, Kesil, Hormah, ³¹ Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, ³² Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon. The cities numbered twenty-nine with their villages.

³³ In the lowland were Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, ³⁴ Zanoah, En Gannim, Tappuah, Enam, ³⁵ Jarmuth, Adullam, Sokoh, Azekah, ³⁶ Shaaraim, Adithaim, Gederah (Gederothaim): fourteen cities with their villages.

³⁷ Also there were Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal Gad, ³⁸ Dilean, Mizpah, Joktheel, ³⁹ Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, ⁴⁰ Kabbon, Lahmas, Kitlish, ⁴¹ Gederoth, Beth Dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah: sixteen cities with their villages.

⁴² Also there were Libnah, Ether, Ashan, ⁴³ Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, ⁴⁴ Keilah, Akzib, and Mareshah: nine cities with their villages.

⁴⁵ Also there were Ekron, its towns and villages; ⁴⁶ from Ekron to the sea, all the land near Ashdod and their villages, ⁴⁷ Ashdod, its towns and villages, Gaza, its towns and villages, as far as the Brook of Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea with its coast.

⁴⁸ In the hill country were Shamir, Jattir, Sokoh, ⁴⁹ Dannah, Kiriath Sannah (that is, Debir), ⁵⁰ Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, ⁵¹ Goshen, Holon, and Giloh: eleven cities with their villages.

⁵² Also there were Arab, Dumah, Eshan, ⁵³ Janim, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah, ⁵⁴ Humtah, Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior: nine cities with their villages.

⁵⁵ Also there were Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, ⁵⁶ Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, ⁵⁷ Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah: ten cities with their villages.

⁵⁸ Also there were Halhul, Beth Zur, Gedor, ⁵⁹ Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon: six cities with their villages.

⁶⁰ Also there were Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim) and Rabbah: two cities with their villages.

⁶¹ In the wilderness were Beth Arabah, Middin, Sekakah, ⁶² Nibshan, City of Salt, and En Gedi: six cities with their villages.

⁶³ The people of Judah were not able to drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem, so the Jebusites live with the people of Judah in Jerusalem to this day.

Allotment for Ephraim and Manasseh

16 The allotment of land for the descendants of Joseph was from the Jordan by Jericho then east into the wilderness, rising from Jericho to the hill country of Bethel. ² It goes out from Bethel to Luz and passes to the border of Arkite territory at Ataroth. ³ It goes down westward to the territory of the Japhletites, to the border of lower Beth Horon and Gezer, and then goes out to the sea.

⁴ So the descendants of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance.

⁵ The territory of the Ephraimites, according to their clans, was as follows. The border of their inheritance on the east was Ataroth Addar as far as upper Beth Horon. ⁶ The border goes out toward the sea with Mikmethath on the north. It turns eastward toward Taanath Shiloh and passes it on the east toward Janoah. ⁷ It descends from Janoah to Ataroth and to Naarah, touches Jericho, and extends to the Jordan. ⁸ From Tappuah the border goes west to the Kanah Ravine and out to the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the Ephraimites according to their clans. ⁹ The other cities for the Ephraimites were in the middle of the inheritance of the descendants of Manasseh, all the cities and their villages.

¹⁰ They did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites live in the midst of Ephraim until this day performing heavy labor as slaves.

17 Then allotment was made to the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph. To Makir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, were allotted Gilead and Bashan, because he was a warrior. ² And allotments were made to the rest of the tribe of Manasseh, according to their families: Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida; these were the male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph, according to their families.

³ Yet Zelophehad, son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Makir, son of Manasseh had no sons, only daughters. These were his daughters’ names: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah, and Tirzah. ⁴ They approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders, saying, “The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our relatives.” So Joshua gave them an inheritance among their fathers’ relatives according to the word of the Lord. ⁵ Therefore Manasseh received ten regions, apart from the lands of Gilead and Bashan on the east side of the Jordan, ⁶ because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons, and the rest of the people of Manasseh received the land of Gilead.

⁷ The boundary of Manasseh was from Asher to Mikmethath east of Shechem, and it runs south toward the inhabitants of En Tappuah. ⁸ Now Manasseh owned the land of Tappuah, but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the Ephraimites. ⁹ Then the border descended to the Kanah Ravine, southward to the brook. These cities of Ephraim are among the cities of Manasseh. The border of Manasseh was on the north side of the brook, and it ended at the sea. ¹⁰ The land belonging to Ephraim was to the south, and the land belonging to Manasseh to the north. The Mediterranean Sea was the boundary of this territory, which bordered Asher in the north and Issachar in the east.

¹¹ In Issachar and Asher, Manasseh was assigned districts: Beth Shan, Ibleam, Dor, Endor, Taanach, Megiddo, Naphoth, and their respective villages.

¹² Yet the sons of Manasseh could not take possession of those cities, because the Canaanites were determined to live in that land. ¹³ But when the children of Israel became strong, they put the Canaanites to hard labor as slaves, but they did not actually drive them out.

¹⁴ The descendants of Joseph said to Joshua, “Why have you assigned us a single allotment, a single portion? We are a numerous people, as the Lord has blessed us.”

¹⁵ Joshua said to them, “If you are a numerous people, go up to the forests and clear out a place there for yourselves in the land of the Perizzites and the giants, since the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you.”

¹⁶ The descendants of Joseph said, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites living in the plains have iron chariots, both those in Beth Shan and the Jezreel Valley.”

¹⁷ Joshua said to Ephraim and Manasseh, the descendants of Joseph, “You are a numerous people who have great strength. There will not be only one allotment for you. ¹⁸ The hill country shall be yours. Although it is a forest you shall clear it and own it to its borders. You shall drive out the Canaanites, even though they have iron chariots and are strong.”

Dividing the Rest of the Land

18 The whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there. The land was subdued before them. ² Yet seven tribes among the children of Israel remained who had not yet received their inheritance.

³ So Joshua said to the children of Israel, “How long will you delay going in to possess the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you? ⁴ Select three men from each tribe, and I will send them out; and they will rise and go throughout the land, and describe it according to their inheritance, and they will come back to me. ⁵ They shall divide it into seven portions. Judah will stay in their territory in the south, and the house of Joseph will stay in their territory in the north. ⁶ So describe the land in seven portions and return to me. Then I will cast lots for you here before the Lord our God. ⁷ Yet there is no portion for the Levites among you, for the priesthood of the Lord is their inheritance. Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have acquired their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave them.”

⁸ So the men got up and left. Joshua commanded those who were leaving to survey the land, saying, “Go and walk back and forth throughout the land. Write a description of it, then return to me. Here in Shiloh I will cast lots for you before the Lord.” ⁹ The men went and passed through the land. In a book they wrote a description of it by cities in seven portions, and they came back to Joshua at the Shiloh settlement. ¹⁰ Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord. There Joshua apportioned the land for the children of Israel according to their divisions.

The Allotment for Benjamin

¹¹ The lot of the tribe of Benjamin, according to their clans, came up. The territory allotted to it fell between Judah and Joseph.

¹² Their northern border goes from the Jordan up the northern slope of Jericho. It runs westward into the hill country and extends to the wilderness of Beth Aven. ¹³ The border passes from there southward toward Luz, to the slope of Luz (that is, Bethel), and descends to Ataroth Addar on the hill south of lower Beth Horon.

¹⁴ On the western side, the border turns south from the hill that lies to the south near Beth Horon, and it extends to Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim), a city belonging to Judah. This is the western border.

¹⁵ The southern border starts from Kiriath Jearim and goes out westward to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah. ¹⁶ The border then descends to the foot of the mountain that lies by the Valley of Ben Hinnom, which is at the north end of the Valley of Rephaim. It descends from the Hinnom Valley to the slope of the Jebusites, then down to En Rogel. ¹⁷ The border runs north and goes out to En Shemesh and Geliloth, which is opposite the Ascent of Adummim, and descends to the Stone of Bohan the son of Reuben. ¹⁸ It passes toward the slope north of the Beth Arabah and descends to the Arabah. ¹⁹ The border passes north of the slope of Beth Hoglah, and it runs out to the northern tip of the Dead Sea at the southern end of the Jordan. This is the southern border.

²⁰ The Jordan forms the eastern boundary.

This is the inheritance of the tribe of Benjamin, according to their clans, by its boundaries all around.

²¹ The cities belonging to the tribe of Benjamin, according to their clans, were Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz, ²² Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, ²³ Avvim, Parah, Ophrah, ²⁴ Kephar Ammoni, Ophni, and Geba: twelve cities with their villages.

²⁵ Also there were Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, ²⁶ Mizpah, Kephirah, Mozah, ²⁷ Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, ²⁸ Zelah, Haeleph, the Jebusite city (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Kiriath: fourteen cities with their villages.

This is the inheritance of the tribe of Benjamin according to their clans.

Allotment for Simeon^(B)

19 The second lot came out for Simeon, for the tribe of Simeon according to their clans. Their inheritance was within the inheritance of the tribe of Judah. ² Their inheritance was Beersheba, Sheba, Moladah, ³ Hazar Shual, Balah, Ezem, ⁴ Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, ⁵ Ziklag, Beth Markaboth, Hazar Susah, ⁶ Beth Lebaoth, and Sharuhen: thirteen cities and their villages;

⁷ Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan: four cities and their villages; ⁸ and all the villages that were around these cities as far as Baalath Beer, Ramah of the Negev.

This was the inheritance of the tribe of Simeon according to their clans. ⁹ Simeon received a portion of the inheritance of Judah, for the inheritance of Judah was too large for them, so Simeon inherited land in the midst of the inheritance of Judah.

Allotment for Zebulun

¹⁰ The third lot came up for Zebulun according to their clans. Their territory extended to Sarid, ¹¹ and their border ascended westward to Maralah, reaching Dabbesheth and the valley east of Jokneam. ¹² From Sarid the border turned east to the border of Kisloth Tabor, out to Daberath, and up to Japhia. ¹³ From there it passes east to Gath Hepher and Eth Kazin. It turns out to Rimmon and turns toward Neah. ¹⁴ The boundary turns north to Hannathon and extends to the Valley of Iphtah El; ¹⁵ and Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem: twelve cities and their villages.

¹⁶ This was the inheritance of the tribe of Zebulun according to their clans: these cities and their villages.

Allotment for Issachar

¹⁷ The fourth lot came out for Issachar, for the tribe of Issachar according to their clans. ¹⁸ Their territory included Jezreel, Kesulloth, Shunem, ¹⁹ Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, ²⁰ Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez, ²¹ Remeth, En Gannim, En Haddah, and Beth Pazzez. ²² The border touches Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth Shemesh, then extends to the Jordan: sixteen cities and their villages.

²³ This is the inheritance of the tribe of Issachar according to their clans: the cities and their villages.

Allotment for Asher

²⁴ The fifth lot came out for the tribe of Asher according to their clans. ²⁵ Their territory included Helkath, Hali, Beten, Akshaph, ²⁶ Allammelek, Amad, and Mishal. On the west their border touches Carmel and Shihor Libnath. ²⁷ Then it turns eastward, goes to Beth Dagon, and touches Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtah El northward to Beth Emek and Neiel; then it continues in the north to Kabul, ²⁸ Abdon, Rehob, Hammon, Kanah, as far as Greater Sidon. ²⁹ Then the border turned to Ramah, reaching the fortified city of Tyre. Then the border turned to Hosah, and ended at the Mediterranean Sea by the region of Akzib, ³⁰ Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob: twenty-two cities and their villages.

³¹ This is the inheritance of the tribe of Asher according to their clans: these cities and their villages.

Allotment for Naphtali

³² The sixth lot came out for the tribe of Naphtali according to their clans.

³³ Their border runs from Heleph, from the oak of Zaanannim, to Adami Nekeb and Jabneel, as far as Lakkum, and extends to the Jordan. ³⁴ The border turns west to Aznoth Tabor, goes out from there to Hukkok, and touches Zebulun on the south, Asher on the west, and Judah at the Jordan on the east. ³⁵ Their fortified cities were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Kinnereth, ³⁶ Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, ³⁷ Kedesh, Edrei, En Hazor, ³⁸ Iron, Migdal El, Horem, Beth Anath, and Beth Shemesh: nineteen cities and their villages.

³⁹ This is the inheritance of the tribe of Naphtali according to their clans: the cities and their villages.

Allotment for Dan

⁴⁰ The seventh lot came out for the tribe of Dan according to their clans. ⁴¹ The territory of their inheritance included Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir Shemesh, ⁴² Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah, ⁴³ Elon, Timnah, Ekron, ⁴⁴ Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, ⁴⁵ Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon, ⁴⁶ Me Jarkon, and Rakkon, along with the territory near Joppa.

⁴⁷ Yet the tribe of Dan lost their territory, so they went up to wage war against Leshem and captured it. They attacked it with the edge of the sword, took possession of it, and settled there. They called Leshem Dan after the name of Dan their father.

⁴⁸ This is the inheritance of the tribe of Dan according to their clans: these cities and their villages.

The Allotment for Joshua

⁴⁹ When they had finished allotting the land according to its boundaries, the children of Israel gave an inheritance among them to Joshua son of Nun. ⁵⁰ According to the word of the Lord, they gave him the city for which he asked: Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim. He built up the city and lived in it.

⁵¹ These are the inheritances that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the family leaders of the Israelite tribes assigned by lot in Shiloh before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting. So they completed dividing the land.

Cities of Refuge^(C)

20 Then the Lord said to Joshua, ² “Say to the children of Israel, ‘Choose refuge cities, as I told you through Moses, ³ so that anyone who kills a person without intent and unknowingly may flee there. They shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.

⁴ “ ‘The refugee can flee to one of these cities then stand at the entrance of the city gate and tell his case to the city elders. They will take him into the city and give him a place to stay, and he will live with them. ⁵ When the avenger of blood comes after him, they shall not hand over the manslayer to him, for he struck down his neighbor unintentionally with no premeditated malice. ⁶ He shall live in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the high priest serving at that time. Then the manslayer may return to his home and to his city from which he had fled.’ ”

⁷ They selected Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. ⁸ Across the Jordan east of Jericho, they selected Bezer in the wilderness plain from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh. ⁹ These were the cities designated for all the children of Israel and resident foreigners living among them, to which anyone who killed someone inadvertently could flee and not die at the hand of the avenger of blood until he stood before the congregation.

Cities for the Levites^(D)

21 The family leaders of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the family leaders of the Israelite tribes. ² At Shiloh in the land of Canaan they said to them, “Through Moses the Lord commanded that we be given cities in which to live and grazing lands for our livestock.” ³ So according to the word of the Lord, out of their inheritance the children of Israel gave the Levites these cities and their grazing lands.

⁴ The lot came out for the clans of the Kohathites, so the Levites who were descendants of Aaron received an allotment of thirteen cities from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. ⁵ The remaining descendants of Kohath received an allotment of ten cities from the clans of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

⁶ The descendants of Gershon received an allotment of thirteen cities from the clans of the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

⁷ Descendants of Merari by their clans received an allotment of twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.

⁸ The children of Israel allotted the Levites these cities and their grazing lands, as the Lord commanded through Moses.

⁹ From the tribes of Judah and Simeon they assigned the following cities with these names. ¹⁰ They were assigned to the descendants of Aaron, to the clans of the Kohathites of the tribe of Levi, for theirs was the first lot.

¹¹ They assigned them Kiriath Arba (Arba was the father of Anak), which is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, and the grazing lands around it. ¹² (Now they had assigned the city’s fields and its surrounding villages to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his property.)

¹³ So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they assigned Hebron (a refuge city for people who committed manslaughter), Libnah with its pastures, ¹⁴ Jattir, Eshtemoa, ¹⁵ Holon, Debir, ¹⁶ Ain, Juttah, and Beth Shemesh, together with the grazing lands of each: nine cities from these two tribes.

¹⁷ From the tribe of Benjamin they assigned Gibeon, Geba, ¹⁸ Anathoth, and Almon, together with the grazing lands of each: four cities.

¹⁹ Altogether the descendants of Aaron received thirteen cities and their grazing lands.

²⁰ The rest of the Levites from the clans of the descendants of Kohath received cities allotted from the tribe of Ephraim.

²¹ They assigned them Shechem (a refuge city for people who committed manslaughter) in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer, ²² Kibzaim, and Beth Horon, together with the grazing lands of each: four cities.

²³ From the tribe of Dan they assigned Eltekeh, Gibbethon, ²⁴ Aijalon, and Gath Rimmon, together with the grazing lands of each: four cities.

²⁵ From the half-tribe of Manasseh they assigned Taanach and Gath Rimmon, together with the grazing lands of each: two cities.

²⁶ Altogether the rest of the clans of the descendants of Kohath received ten cities and their grazing lands.

²⁷ From the half-tribe of Manasseh they assigned to the descendants of Gershon (one of the Levite clans): Golan in Bashan (a refuge city for people who committed manslaughter) and Be Eshterah, together with the grazing lands of each: two cities.

²⁸ From the tribe of Issachar they assigned Kishion, Daberath, ²⁹ Jarmuth, and En Gannim, together with the grazing lands of each: four cities.

³⁰ From the tribe of Asher they assigned Mishal, Abdon, ³¹ Helkath, and Rehob, together with the grazing lands of each: four cities.

³² From the tribe of Naphtali they assigned Kedesh in Galilee (a refuge city for people who committed manslaughter), Hammoth Dor, and Kartan, together with the grazing lands of each: three cities.

³³ Altogether the Gershonites according to their clans received thirteen cities and their grazing lands.

³⁴ From the tribe of Zebulun they assigned to the descendants of Merari (the remaining Levites): Jokneam, Kartah, ³⁵ Dimnah, and Nahalal, together with the grazing lands of each: four cities.

³⁶ From the tribe of Reuben they assigned Bezer, Jahaz, ³⁷ Kedemoth, and Mephaath, together with the grazing lands of each: four cities.

³⁸ From the tribe of Gad they assigned Ramoth in Gilead (a refuge city for people who committed manslaughter), Mahanaim, ³⁹ Heshbon, and Jazer, together with the grazing lands of each: four cities in all.

⁴⁰ So twelve cities were allotted for the descendants of Merari according to their clans (the remaining Levite clans).

⁴¹ Altogether the Levites received forty-eight cities and their grazing lands within the possessions of the children of Israel. ⁴² Each of these cities had grazing lands surrounding them. It was this way with all these cities.

⁴³ The Lord gave Israel all the land that He swore to give to their fathers. They took possession of it and lived in it. ⁴⁴ The Lord gave them rest all around, according to all that He swore to their fathers. Not a man among their enemies stood before them, and the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hands. ⁴⁵ Not a single word of all the good things that the Lord had spoken to the children of Israel failed. They all came to pass.