Joshua 21:9-42

Living Bible

^9-16 First to receive their assignment were the priests—the descendants of Aaron, who was a member of the Kohath division of the Levites. The tribes of Judah and Simeon gave them the nine cities^[a] listed below, with their surrounding pasturelands:

Hebron, in the Judean hills, as a City of Refuge—it was also called Kiriath-arba (Arba was the father of Anak)—although the fields beyond the city and the surrounding villages were given to Caleb, the son of Jephunneh; Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, Holon, Debir, Ain, Juttah, and Beth-shemesh.

^17-18 The tribe of Benjamin gave them these four cities and their pasturelands: Gibeon, Gaba, Anathoth, and Almon. ¹⁹ So in all, thirteen cities were given to the priests—the descendants of Aaron.

^20-22 The other families of the Kohath division received four cities^[b] and pasturelands from the tribe of Ephraim: Shechem (a City of Refuge), Gezer, Kibza-im, and Beth-horon.

^23-24 The following four cities and pasturelands were given by the tribe of Dan: Elteke, Gibbethon, Aijalon, and Gath-rimmon.

²⁵ The half-tribe of Manasseh gave the cities of Taanach and Gath-rimmon with their surrounding pasturelands.

²⁶ So the total number of cities and pasturelands given to the remainder of the Kohath division was ten.

²⁷ The descendants of Gershon, another division of the Levites, received two cities and pasturelands from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan, in Bashan (a City of Refuge), and Beeshterah.

^28-29 The tribe of Issachar gave four cities: Kishion, Daberath, Jarmuth, and Engannim.

^30-31 The tribe of Asher gave four cities and pasturelands: Mishal, Abdon, Helkath, and Rehob.

³² The tribe of Naphtali gave: Kedesh, in Galilee (a City of Refuge), Hammoth-dor, and Kartan.

³³ So thirteen cities with their pasturelands were assigned to the division of Gershon.

^34-35 The remainder of the Levites—the Merari division—were given four cities by the tribe of Zebulun: Jokneam, Kartah, Dimnah, and Nahalal.

^36-37 Reuben gave them: Bezer, Jahaz, Kedemoth, and Mephaath. ^38-39 Gad gave them four cities with pasturelands: Ramoth (a City of Refuge), Mahanaim, Heshbon, and Jazer.

⁴⁰ So the Merari division of the Levites was given twelve cities in all.

^41-42 The total number of cities and pasturelands given to the Levites came to forty-eight.