Unconquered Lands

13 Joshua was now old, advanced in age,(A) and the Lord said to him, “You have become old, advanced in age, but a great deal of the land remains to be possessed.(B) This is the land that remains:

All the districts of the Philistines and the Geshurites: from the Shihor east of Egypt to the border of Ekron on the north (considered to be Canaanite territory)—the five Philistine rulers of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, as well as the Avvites in the south; all the land of the Canaanites, from Arah of the Sidonians to Aphek and as far as the border of the Amorites; the land of the Gebalites;(C) and all Lebanon east from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon to the entrance of Hamath[a](D) all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim,(E) all the Sidonians.

I will drive them out before the Israelites, only distribute the land as an inheritance for Israel, as I have commanded you. Therefore, divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh.”

The Inheritance East of the Jordan

With the other half of the tribe of Manasseh, the Reubenites and Gadites had received the inheritance Moses gave them beyond the Jordan to the east, just as Moses the Lord’s servant had given them:(F)

From Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley, along with the city in the middle of the valley,(G) all the Medeba plateau as far as Dibon, 10 and all the cities of King Sihon of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, to the border of the Ammonites; 11 also Gilead(H) and the territory of the Geshurites and Maacathites, all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan to Salecah— 12 the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei; he was one of the remaining Rephaim.

Moses struck them down and drove them out,(I) 13 but the Israelites did not drive out the Geshurites and Maacathites.(J) So Geshur and Maacath still live in Israel today.(K)

14 He did not, however, give any inheritance to the tribe of Levi. This was their inheritance, just as he had promised: the food offerings made to the Lord, the God of Israel.(L)

Reuben’s Inheritance

15 To the tribe of Reuben’s descendants by their clans, Moses gave 16 this as their territory:

From Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley, along with the city in the middle of the valley, the whole plateau as far as[b] Medeba, 17 with Heshbon and all its cities on the plateau—Dibon, Bamoth-baal, Beth-baal-meon, 18 Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath,(M) 19 Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth-shahar on the hill in the valley,(N) 20 Beth-peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth-jeshimoth— 21 all the cities of the plateau, and all the kingdom of King Sihon of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon. Moses had killed him and the chiefs of Midian—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba—the princes of Sihon who lived in the land.(O) 22 Along with those the Israelites put to death, they also killed the diviner, Balaam son of Beor, with the sword.

23 The border of the Reubenites was the Jordan and its plain. This was the inheritance of the Reubenites by their clans, with the cities and their settlements.

Gad’s Inheritance

24 To the tribe of the Gadites by their clans, Moses gave 25 this as their territory:

Jazer and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the Ammonites to Aroer, near Rabbah; 26 from Heshbon to Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir;[c] 27 in the valley: Beth-haram, Beth-nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon—the rest of the kingdom of King Sihon of Heshbon. Their land also included the Jordan and its territory as far as the edge of the Sea of Chinnereth[d] on the east side of the Jordan.

28 This was the inheritance of the Gadites by their clans, with the cities and their settlements.

East Manasseh’s Inheritance

29 And to half the tribe of Manasseh (that is, to half the tribe of Manasseh’s descendants by their clans) Moses gave 30 this as their territory:

From Mahanaim through all Bashan—all the kingdom of King Og of Bashan, including all of Jair’s Villages[e](P) that are in Bashan—sixty cities. 31 But half of Gilead, and Og’s royal cities in Bashan—Ashtaroth and Edrei—are for the descendants of Machir son of Manasseh (that is, half the descendants of Machir by their clans).

32 These were the portions Moses gave them on the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan east of Jericho. 33 But Moses did not give a portion to the tribe of Levi. The Lord, the God of Israel, was their inheritance, just as he had promised them.(Q)

Footnotes

  1. 13:5 Or to Lebo-hamath
  2. 13:16 Some Hb mss read plateau near
  3. 13:26 Or Lidbir, or Lo-debar
  4. 13:27 = Galilee
  5. 13:30 Or all of Havvoth-jair

Land still unconquered

13 Now Joshua had reached old age. The Lord said to him, “You have reached old age, but much of the land remains to be taken over. This is the land that remains: All the districts of the Philistines and all those of the Geshurites. (The land stretching from the Shihor near Egypt northward as far as the Ekron territory is considered to be Canaanite. There are five rulers of the Philistines, for Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron.) The land of the Avvites in the south. The whole land of the Canaanites, along with Mearah, which belongs to the Sidonians, as far as Aphek and as far as the Amorite border. The land of the Gebalites and the whole Lebanon eastward, stretching from Baal-gad at the foot of Mount Hermon to Lebo-hamath.

“I myself will remove the entire population of the highlands from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim before the Israelites, that is, all the Sidonians. You have only to allot it to Israel as a legacy exactly as I commanded you. So now divide up this land as a legacy for the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh. You will give it out from the Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. The Mediterranean Sea is the border.[a]

Land east of the Jordan

As for the other half of the tribe of Manasseh,[b] the Reubenites and Gadites together with it had already taken their legacy that Moses had given them on the east side of the Jordan. It was exactly what Moses the Lord’s servant had given them. It ran from Aroer by the rim of the Arnon Valley and the city in the middle of the valley through the whole Medeba plateau as far as Dibon. 10 It included all the cities of the Amorites’ King Sihon, who ruled in Heshbon, as far as the Ammonite border. 11 It also included Gilead and the territory of the Geshurites and Maacathites, all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan as far as Salecah— 12 the entire kingdom of Og in Bashan, who ruled in Ashtaroth and in Edrei. He survived as the last of the Rephaim. Moses had struck down and removed them. 13 But the Israelites didn’t remove the Geshurites or the Maacathites. So Geshur and Maacath still live among Israel today. 14 It was only to the tribe of Levi that he gave no legacy. Their legacy consists of the fire offerings for the Lord, the God of Israel, exactly as he had promised them.

For Reuben

15 Moses provided for the clans of the Reubenite tribe. 16 Their territory ran from Aroer by the rim of the Arnon Valley and the city in the middle of the ravine, and the whole plateau as far as Medeba. 17 It included Heshbon and all its cities that are on the plateau: Dibon, Bamoth-baal, Beth-baal-meon, 18 Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, 19 Kiriathaim, Sibmah, the Zereth-shahar highlands, 20 Beth-peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth-jeshimoth. 21 It included all the cities of the plateau and the whole kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon. Moses had struck him down, along with Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the leaders of Midian. They had lived in the land as princes of Sihon. 22 In addition to those others slain, the Israelites killed the fortune-teller Balaam, Beor’s son, with the sword. 23 The border of the people of Reuben was the Jordan and the territory next to it. This was the legacy of the people of Reuben—for their clans, their cities, and their settlements.

For Gad

24 Moses provided for the clans of the Gadite tribe. 25 Their territory was Jazer, all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the Ammonites as far as Aroer near Rabbah. 26 It also ran from Heshbon as far as Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim as far as the territory of Lidebir. 27 In the valley were Beth-haram, Beth-nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon. This was the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon. It included the Jordan and the territory next to it up to the tip of the Chinnereth Sea on the east side of the Jordan. 28 This was the legacy of the Gadites—for their clans, their cities, and their settlements.

For half of Manasseh

29 Moses provided for half the tribe of Manasseh. It was for the clans in half the tribe of the people of Manasseh. 30 Their territory ran from Mahanaim, all Bashan, the whole kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all sixty of the tent villages of Jair that are in Bashan. 31 Half of Gilead along with Ashtaroth and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, belonged to the people of Machir son of Manasseh. It belonged to the clans for half of the people of Machir.

32 Moses assigned these territories when he was in the Moab plains on the other side of the Jordan, east of Jericho. 33 But Moses gave no legacy to the tribe of Levi. The Lord God of Israel is their legacy, exactly as he promised them.

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 13:7 LXX; MT lacks You will give it out from the Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. The Mediterranean Sea is the border.
  2. Joshua 13:8 LXX; MT lacks As for the other half of the tribe of Manasseh.