Numbers 34
Expanded Bible
The Borders of Canaan
34 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Give this command to the ·people [L sons/T children] of Israel: ‘You will soon enter Canaan and ·it will be yours. These shall be the borders [L …this is the land that will fall to you as an inheritance, the land of Canaan according to its borders/boundaries]: 3 On the south you will get part of the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Zin near the border of Edom. On the east side your southern border will start at the south end of the ·Dead [L Salt] Sea, 4 cross south of ·Scorpion Pass [or the Ascent of Akrabbim], and go through the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Zin and south of Kadesh Barnea. Then it will go to Hazar Addar and over to Azmon. 5 From Azmon it will go to the ·brook [wadi] of Egypt, and it will end at the ·Mediterranean Sea [L Sea].
6 “‘Your western border will be the ·Mediterranean [L Great] Sea.
7 “‘Your northern border will begin at the ·Mediterranean [L Great] Sea and ·go [L mark/draw a line] to Mount Hor. 8 From Mount Hor ·it will go [L mark/draw a line] to Lebo Hamath, and on to Zedad. 9 Then the border will go to Ziphron, and it will end at Hazar Enan. This will be your northern border.
10 “‘Your eastern border will begin at Hazar Enan and ·go [L mark/draw a line] to Shepham. 11 From Shepham the border will go ·east of [L down to] Ain to Riblah and ·along [L go down to] the hills east of ·Lake [T the Sea of] ·Galilee [L Kinnereth]. 12 Then the border will go down along the Jordan River and end at the ·Dead [L Salt] Sea.
“‘These are the borders around your country.’”
13 So Moses gave this command to the Israelites: “This is the land you will ·receive [L inherit]. Throw lots [C perhaps the Urim and Thummim; Ex. 28:30; Lev. 8:8] to divide it among the nine and one-half tribes, because the Lord commanded that it should be theirs. 14 The tribes of ·Reuben [L the sons/descendants of Reuben] by their families [clans], ·Gad [L the sons/descendants of Gad] by their families [clans], and ·East [L the half-tribe of] Manasseh have already ·received [L inherited] their land. 15 These two and one-half tribes received ·land [L their inheritance] east of the Jordan River, across from Jericho [32:1–42].”
16 Then the Lord said to Moses, 17 “These are the names of the men who will ·divide [apportion] the land for inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun. 18 Also take one leader from each tribe to help ·divide [apportion] the land for inheritance. 19 These are the names of the leaders: from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh; 20 from the tribe of ·Simeon [L the sons/descendants of Simeon], Shemuel son of Ammihud; 21 from the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad son of Kislon; 22 from the tribe of ·Dan [L the sons/descendants of Dan], Bukki son of Jogli; 23 from the tribe of ·Manasseh [L the sons/descendants of Manasseh] son of Joseph, Hanniel son of Ephod; 24 from the tribe of ·Ephraim [L the sons/descendants of Ephraim] son of Joseph, Kemuel son of Shiphtan; 25 from the tribe of ·Zebulun [L the sons/descendants of Zebulun], Elizaphan son of Parnach; 26 from the tribe of ·Issachar [L the sons/descendants of Issachar], Paltiel son of Azzan; 27 from the tribe of ·Asher [L the sons/descendants of Asher], Ahihud son of Shelomi; 28 from the tribe of ·Naphtali [L the sons/descendants of Naphtali], Pedahel son of Ammihud.”
29 The Lord commanded these men to ·divide [apportion] for inheritance the land of Canaan among the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel].
Numbers 34
Living Bible
34 1-2 The Lord told Moses to tell the people of Israel, “When you come into the land of Canaan (I am giving you the entire land as your homeland), 3 the southern portion of the country will be the wilderness of Zin, along the edge of Edom. The southern boundary will begin at the Dead Sea, 4 and will continue south past Scorpion Pass[a] in the direction of Zin. Its southernmost point will be Kadesh-barnea, from which it will go to Hazaraddar, and on to Azmon. 5 From Azmon the boundary will follow the brook of Egypt down to the Mediterranean Sea.
6 “Your western boundary will be the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea.
7-9 “Your northern border will begin at the Mediterranean Sea and will proceed eastward to Mount Hor, then to Lebo-Hamath, and on through Zedad and Ziphron to Hazar-enan.
10-11 “The eastern border will be from Hazar-enan south to Shepham, then on to Riblah at the east side of Ain. From there it will make a large half-circle, first going south and then westward until it touches the southernmost tip of the Sea of Galilee, 12 and then along the Jordan River, ending at the Dead Sea.”
13 “This is the territory you are to apportion among yourselves by lot,” Moses said. “It is to be divided up among the nine and one-half tribes, 14-15 for the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have already been assigned land on the east side of the Jordan, opposite Jericho.”
16-28 And the Lord said to Moses, “These are the names of the men I have appointed to handle the dividing up of the land: Eleazar the priest, Joshua (son of Nun), and one leader from each tribe, as listed below:
| Tribe | Leader |
| Judah | Caleb (son of Jephunneh) |
| Simeon | Shemuel (son of Ammihud) |
| Benjamin | Elidad (son of Chislon) |
| Dan | Bukki (son of Jogli) |
| Manasseh | Hanniel (son of Ephod) |
| Ephraim | Kemuel (son of Shiphtan) |
| Zebulun | Elizaphan (son of Parnach) |
| Issachar | Paltiel (son of Azzan) |
| Asher | Ahihud (son of Shelomi) |
| Naphtali | Pedahel (son of Ammihud) |
29 These are the names of the men I have appointed to oversee the dividing of the land among the tribes.”
Footnotes
- Numbers 34:4 Scorpion Pass, literally, “ascent of Akrabbim.”
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The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.