The Boundaries of the Land

¹³ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “These are the boundaries^(A) of the land that you will divide among the twelve tribes of Israel as their inheritance, with two portions for Joseph.^(B)

⁴ “Manasseh^(A) will have one portion; it will border the territory of Naphtali from east to west.

⁵ “Ephraim^(B) will have one portion; it will border the territory of Manasseh^(C) from east to west.^(D)

⁶ “Reuben^(E) will have one portion; it will border the territory of Ephraim from east to west.

¹⁸ In those days the people of Judah will join the people of Israel,^(A) and together^(B) they will come from a northern^(C) land to the land^(D) I gave your ancestors as an inheritance.

² “Command the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter Canaan,^(A) the land that will be allotted to you as an inheritance^(B) is to have these boundaries:^(C)

³ “‘Your southern side will include some of the Desert of Zin^(D) along the border of Edom. Your southern boundary will start in the east from the southern end of the Dead Sea,^{(E) 4} cross south of Scorpion Pass,^(F) continue on to Zin and go south of Kadesh Barnea.^(G) Then it will go to Hazar Addar and over to Azmon,^{(H) 5} where it will turn, join the Wadi of Egypt^(I) and end at the Mediterranean Sea.

⁶ “‘Your western boundary will be the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.^(J) This will be your boundary on the west.^(K)

⁷ “‘For your northern boundary,^(L) run a line from the Mediterranean Sea to Mount Hor^{(M) 8} and from Mount Hor to Lebo Hamath.^(N) Then the boundary will go to Zedad, ⁹ continue to Ziphron and end at Hazar Enan. This will be your boundary on the north.

¹⁰ “‘For your eastern boundary,^(O) run a line from Hazar Enan to Shepham. ¹¹ The boundary will go down from Shepham to Riblah^(P) on the east side of Ain^(Q) and continue along the slopes east of the Sea of Galilee.^{[a](R) 12} Then the boundary will go down along the Jordan and end at the Dead Sea.

“‘This will be your land, with its boundaries on every side.’”

⁵ “Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt^(A) before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine,^(B) just as Reuben^(C) and Simeon^(D) are mine.

31 “At that time,” declares the Lord, “I will be the God^(A) of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.”

Reuben

5 The sons of Reuben^(A) the firstborn of Israel (he was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father’s marriage bed,^(B) his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph^(C) son of Israel;^(D) so he could not be listed in the genealogical record in accordance with his birthright,^(E)