The Settlements of the Levites

54 These were the places assigned to Aaron’s sons from the Kohathite family for their settlements in their territory, because the first lot was for them.(A) 55 They(B) were given Hebron in the land of Judah and its surrounding pasturelands, 56 but the fields and villages around the city were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh. 57 Aaron’s sons were given:(C)

Hebron (a city of refuge), Libnah and its pasturelands, Jattir, Eshtemoa and its pasturelands, 58 Hilen[a] and its pasturelands, Debir and its pasturelands, 59 Ashan and its pasturelands, and Beth-shemesh and its pasturelands. 60 From the tribe of Benjamin they were given Geba and its pasturelands, Alemeth and its pasturelands, and Anathoth and its pasturelands. They had 13 towns in all among their families.

61 To the rest of the Kohathites, 10 towns from half the tribe of Manasseh were assigned by lot.(D)

62 The Gershomites were assigned 13 towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Manasseh in Bashan according to their families.

63 The Merarites were assigned by lot 12 towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun according to their families.(E) 64 So the Israelites gave these towns and their pasturelands to the Levites.(F) 65 They assigned by lot the towns named above(G) from the tribes of the Judahites, Simeonites, and Benjaminites.

66 Some(H) of the families of the Kohathites were given towns from the tribe of Ephraim for their territory:

67 Shechem (a city of refuge) with its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer and its pasturelands, 68 Jokmeam and its pasturelands, Beth-horon and its pasturelands, 69 Aijalon and its pasturelands, and Gath-rimmon and its pasturelands. 70 From half the tribe of Manasseh, Aner and its pasturelands, and Bileam and its pasturelands were given to the rest of the families of the Kohathites.

71 The Gershomites received:

Golan in Bashan and its pasturelands, and Ashtaroth and its pasturelands from the families of half the tribe of Manasseh. 72 From the tribe of Issachar they received Kedesh and its pasturelands, Daberath and its pasturelands, 73 Ramoth and its pasturelands, and Anem and its pasturelands. 74 From the tribe of Asher they received Mashal and its pasturelands, Abdon and its pasturelands, 75 Hukok and its pasturelands, and Rehob and its pasturelands. 76 From the tribe of Naphtali they received Kedesh in Galilee and its pasturelands, Hammon and its pasturelands, and Kiriathaim and its pasturelands.

77 The rest of the Merarites received:

From the tribe of Zebulun they received Rimmono and its pasturelands and Tabor and its pasturelands. 78 From the tribe of Reuben across the Jordan at Jericho, to the east of the Jordan, they received Bezer in the desert and its pasturelands, Jahzah and its pasturelands, 79 Kedemoth and its pasturelands, and Mephaath and its pasturelands. 80 From the tribe of Gad they received Ramoth in Gilead and its pasturelands, Mahanaim and its pasturelands, 81 Heshbon and its pasturelands, and Jazer and its pasturelands.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 6:58 Some Hb mss, LXX; other Hb mss read Hilez

54 And these are their dwellings according to their settlements within their borders: to the sons of Aaron of the clans of Kohathites, for the first lot was theirs, 55 and they gave to them Hebron in the land of Judah and its surrounding pasturelands, 56 but the fields of the city and its villages they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 57 To the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of refuge: Hebron, Libnah with its pasturelands, Jattir, Eshtemoa with its pasturelands, 58 Hilen with its pasturelands, Debir with its pasturelands, 59 Ashan with its pasturelands, and Beth-Shemesh with its pasturelands. 60 And from the tribe of Benjamin, Geba with its pasturelands, Alemeth with its pasturelands, and Anathoth with its pasturelands. All their cities were thirteen cities throughout their clans. 61 To the Kohathites who remained from the family of the half-tribe, the half of Manasseh, were given by lot ten cities. 62 To the Gershomites according to their clans thirteen cities were allotted out of the tribe of Issachar, out of the tribe of Asher, out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. 63 To the Merarites twelve cities were allotted according to their clans out of the tribe of Reuben, out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun. 64 So the Israelites[a] gave the Levites the cities with their pasturelands. 65 And they gave by lot out of the tribe of Judah, out of the tribe of Simeon, and out of the tribe of Benjamin these cities that are mentioned by name. 66 And of the clans of the sons of Kohath were cities of their territory out of the tribe of Ephraim. 67 And they gave them the cities of refuge: Shechem with its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer with its pasturelands, 68 Jokmeam with its pasturelands, Beth-Horon with its pasturelands, 69 Aijalon with its pasturelands, and Gath-Rimmon with its pasturelands. 70 And out of the half-tribe of Manasseh: Aner with its pasturelands, and Bileam with its pasturelands for the remaining the clans of the Kohathites. 71 To the Gershomites were given out of the clan of the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan with its pasturelands and Ashtaroth with its pasturelands. 72 And out of the tribe of Issachar: Kedesh with its pasturelands, Daberath with its pasturelands, 73 Ramoth with its pasturelands, and Anem with its pasturelands. 74 And out of the tribe of Asher: Mashal with its pasturelands, Abdon with its pasturelands, 75 Hukok with its pasturelands, and Rehob with its pasturelands. 76 And out of the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee with its pasturelands, Hammon with its pasturelands, and Kiriathaim with its pasturelands. 77 To the remainder of the Merarites were allotted out of the tribe of Zebulun: Rimmono with its pasturelands, Tabor with its pasturelands. 78 And beyond the Jordan at Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, out of the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the wilderness with its pasturelands, Jahzah with its pasturelands, 79 Kedemoth with its pasturelands, and Mephaath with its pasturelands. 80 And out of the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead with its pasturelands, Mahanaim with its pasturelands, 81 Heshbon with its pasturelands, and Jazer with its pasturelands.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 6:64 Literally “sons/children of Israel”

54 These were the locations of their settlements(A) allotted as their territory (they were assigned to the descendants of Aaron who were from the Kohathite clan, because the first lot was for them):

55 They were given Hebron in Judah with its surrounding pasturelands. 56 But the fields and villages around the city were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh.(B)

57 So the descendants of Aaron were given Hebron (a city of refuge), and Libnah,[a](C) Jattir,(D) Eshtemoa, 58 Hilen, Debir,(E) 59 Ashan,(F) Juttah[b] and Beth Shemesh, together with their pasturelands. 60 And from the tribe of Benjamin they were given Gibeon,[c] Geba, Alemeth and Anathoth,(G) together with their pasturelands.

The total number of towns distributed among the Kohathite clans came to thirteen.

61 The rest of Kohath’s descendants were allotted ten towns from the clans of half the tribe of Manasseh.

62 The descendants of Gershon, clan by clan, were allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher and Naphtali, and from the part of the tribe of Manasseh that is in Bashan.

63 The descendants of Merari, clan by clan, were allotted twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun.

64 So the Israelites gave the Levites these towns(H) and their pasturelands. 65 From the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin they allotted the previously named towns.

66 Some of the Kohathite clans were given as their territory towns from the tribe of Ephraim.

67 In the hill country of Ephraim they were given Shechem (a city of refuge), and Gezer,[d](I) 68 Jokmeam,(J) Beth Horon,(K) 69 Aijalon(L) and Gath Rimmon,(M) together with their pasturelands.

70 And from half the tribe of Manasseh the Israelites gave Aner and Bileam, together with their pasturelands, to the rest of the Kohathite clans.

71 The Gershonites(N) received the following:

From the clan of the half-tribe of Manasseh

they received Golan in Bashan(O) and also Ashtaroth, together with their pasturelands;

72 from the tribe of Issachar

they received Kedesh, Daberath,(P) 73 Ramoth and Anem, together with their pasturelands;

74 from the tribe of Asher

they received Mashal, Abdon,(Q) 75 Hukok(R) and Rehob,(S) together with their pasturelands;

76 and from the tribe of Naphtali

they received Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon(T) and Kiriathaim,(U) together with their pasturelands.

77 The Merarites (the rest of the Levites) received the following:

From the tribe of Zebulun

they received Jokneam, Kartah,[e] Rimmono and Tabor, together with their pasturelands;

78 from the tribe of Reuben across the Jordan east of Jericho

they received Bezer(V) in the wilderness, Jahzah, 79 Kedemoth(W) and Mephaath, together with their pasturelands;

80 and from the tribe of Gad

they received Ramoth in Gilead,(X) Mahanaim,(Y) 81 Heshbon and Jazer,(Z) together with their pasturelands.(AA)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 6:57 See Joshua 21:13; Hebrew given the cities of refuge: Hebron, Libnah.
  2. 1 Chronicles 6:59 Syriac (see also Septuagint and Joshua 21:16); Hebrew does not have Juttah.
  3. 1 Chronicles 6:60 See Joshua 21:17; Hebrew does not have Gibeon.
  4. 1 Chronicles 6:67 See Joshua 21:21; Hebrew given the cities of refuge: Shechem, Gezer.
  5. 1 Chronicles 6:77 See Septuagint and Joshua 21:34; Hebrew does not have Jokneam, Kartah.