Joshua 13-14

Lexham English Bible

Land Still Remains to be Conquered

13 Now Joshua was old and advanced in years,^[a] and Yahweh said to him, “You are old and advanced in years,^[b] and very much of the land remains to be possessed. ² This is the remaining land: all the regions of the Philistines, and all of the Geshurites,^{[c] 3} from the Shihor, which is east of Egypt,^[d] up to the border of Ekron to the north, which is reckoned as Canaanite; there are five Philistine rulers: the Gazites,^[e] Ashdodites,^[f] Ashkelonites,^[g] Gittites,^[h] Ekronites,^[i] and the Avvim. ⁴ In the south; all the land of the Canaanites,^[j] and Mearah, which belongs to the Sidonians up to Aphek, to the border of the Amorites,^{[k] 5} and the land of the Gebalites, and all the Lebanon,^[l] toward the east,^[m] from Baal Gad at the foot of^[n] Mount Hermon up to Lebo-Hamath; ⁶ all the inhabitants of the hill country, from the Lebanon^[o] up to Misrephoth Maim, and all the Sidonians. I will drive them out from before the Israelites;^[p] only allocate it to Israel as an inheritance just as I have commanded you. ⁷ Therefore, divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”

⁸ With it^[q] the Reubenites,^[r] and the Gadites^[s] received their inheritance, which Moses gave them beyond the Jordan to the east, just as Moses Yahweh’s servant gave to them: ⁹ from Aroer, which is on the edge of the wadi^[t] of Arnon, and the city which is in the middle of the wadi, and all the plateau from Medeba up to Dibon; ¹⁰ and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites,^[u] who reigned in Heshbon up to the border of the Ammonites;^{[v] 11} and Gilead, and the border of the Geshurite^[w] and the Maacathites,^[x] all of Mount Hermon,^[y] and Bashan up to Salecah; ¹² all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei—he was left over from the survivors^[z] of the Rephaim; these Moses had defeated and driven out. ¹³ But the Israelites^[aa] did not drive out the Geshurites^[ab] or the Maacathites;^[ac] Geshur and Maacah live among Israel to this day. ¹⁴ Only the tribe of Levites^[ad] Moses did not give an inheritance; the offerings made by fire to Yahweh the God of Israel are their^[ae] inheritance, just as he promised to them.^[af]

Reuben’s Inheritance

¹⁵ Moses gave an inheritance to the tribe of the descendants^[ag] of Reuben according to their families. ¹⁶ Their territory was from Aroer, which was on the edge of the wadi^[ah] of Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the plateau by Medeba; ¹⁷ Heshbon and its cities that are on the plateau; Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon, ¹⁸ Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, ¹⁹ Kiriathaim, Sibmah, and Zereth Shahar on the hill of the valley; ²⁰ Beth Peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth; ²¹ all of the cities of the plateau, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites,^[ai] who reigned in Heshbon and whom Moses defeated with the leaders of Midian, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the princes of Sihon who dwelled in the land. ²² In addition to their slain, the Israelites^[aj] killed with the sword Balaam son of Beor, who practiced divination. ²³ And the border of the descendants^[ak] of Reuben was the Jordan and its banks.^[al] This was the inheritance of the descendants^[am] of Reuben according to their families, the cities, and their villages.

Gad’s Inheritance

²⁴ Moses gave an inheritance to the tribe of Gad, to the descendants^[an] of Gad, according to their families. ²⁵ Their territory was Jazer and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the Ammonites^[ao] up to Aroer, which is east of Rabbah;^{[ap] 26} and from Heshbon up to Ramah-Mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim up to the territory to Debir; ²⁷ in the valley of Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth, Zaphon, and the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, the Jordan and its banks,^[aq] up to the lower end of the Kinnereth Sea^[ar] beyond the Jordan to the east. ²⁸ This is the inheritance of the Gadites^[as] according to their families, the cities, and their villages.

The Half-Tribe of Manasseh’s Inheritance

²⁹ Moses gave an inheritance to the half-tribe of Manasseh; it was for the half-tribe of the descendants^[at] of Manasseh according to their families. ³⁰ Their territory was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the settlements^[au] of Jair, which are in Bashan, sixty cities, ³¹ and half of Gilead, with Ashtaroth, Edrei, and the cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan; these were allotted to the children of Makir son of Manasseh, for half of the children of Makir according to their families. ³² These are the territories that Moses gave as an inheritance on the desert-plateau of Moab, beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho. ³³ But to the tribe of Levi Moses did not give an inheritance; Yahweh the God of Israel, he is their inheritance, just as he promised them.^[av]

The Land Allotted West of the Jordan

14 These are the territories that the Israelites^[aw] inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families of the tribes of the Israelites^[ax] gave as an inheritance to them. ² Their inheritance was by lot, just as Yahweh commanded through the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes and the half-tribe. ³ For Moses had given an inheritance of the two tribes and the half-tribe beyond the Jordan, but to the Levites he gave no inheritance among them. ⁴ For the descendants^[ay] of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim, and they did not give a plot of ground to the Levites in the land, only cities to live in, with their pastureland for their flocks and for their goods. ⁵ Just as Yahweh commanded Moses, so the Israelites^[az] did; and they allotted the land.

Caleb Receives Hebron

⁶ Then the descendants^[ba] of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal; and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know the word that Yahweh said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea concerning you and me. ⁷ I was forty years old^[bb] when Moses Yahweh’s servant sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I returned with an honest report.^{[bc] 8} My companions who went up with me made the hearts^[bd] of the people melt, but I remained true to Yahweh my God. ⁹ And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land that your foot has trodden on will be an inheritance to you and your sons forever, because you remained true to Yahweh my God.’ ¹⁰ So then, look, Yahweh has kept me alive just as he promised these forty-five years,^[be] from the time that Yahweh spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered^[bf] in the wilderness. Now look, today I am eighty-five years old.^{[bg] 11} Today I am still strong, just as on the day that Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so now also is my strength for war and for daily activities.^{[bh] 12} So now give me this hill country that Yahweh spoke of on that day, for you heard on that day that the Anakites were there, with great and fortified cities. Perhaps Yahweh is with me, and I will drive them out just as Yahweh promised.”^[bi]

¹³ And Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh as an inheritance. ¹⁴ Thus Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he remained true to Yahweh the God of Israel. ¹⁵ And the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath Arba;^[bj] Arba was the greatest person among the Anakites. And the land rested from war.