Joshua 13
New Living Translation
The Land Yet to Be Conquered
13 When Joshua was an old man, the Lord said to him, “You are growing old, and much land remains to be conquered. 2 This is the territory that remains: all the regions of the Philistines and the Geshurites, 3 and the larger territory of the Canaanites, extending from the stream of Shihor on the border of Egypt, northward to the boundary of Ekron. It includes the territory of the five Philistine rulers of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. The land of the Avvites 4 in the south also remains to be conquered. In the north, the following area has not yet been conquered: all the land of the Canaanites, including Mearah (which belongs to the Sidonians), stretching northward to Aphek on the border of the Amorites; 5 the land of the Gebalites and all of the Lebanon mountain area to the east, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo-hamath; 6 and all the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim, including all the land of the Sidonians.
“I myself will drive these people out of the land ahead of the Israelites. So be sure to give this land to Israel as a special possession, just as I have commanded you. 7 Include all this territory as Israel’s possession when you divide this land among the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”
The Land Divided East of the Jordan
8 Half the tribe of Manasseh and the tribes of Reuben and Gad had already received their grants of land on the east side of the Jordan, for Moses, the servant of the Lord, had previously assigned this land to them.
9 Their territory extended from Aroer on the edge of the Arnon Gorge (including the town in the middle of the gorge) to the plain beyond Medeba, as far as Dibon. 10 It also included all the towns of King Sihon of the Amorites, who had reigned in Heshbon, and extended as far as the borders of Ammon. 11 It included Gilead, the territory of the kingdoms of Geshur and Maacah, all of Mount Hermon, all of Bashan as far as Salecah, 12 and all the territory of King Og of Bashan, who had reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei. King Og was the last of the Rephaites, for Moses had attacked them and driven them out. 13 But the Israelites failed to drive out the people of Geshur and Maacah, so they continue to live among the Israelites to this day.
An Allotment for the Tribe of Levi
14 Moses did not assign any allotment of land to the tribe of Levi. Instead, as the Lord had promised them, their allotment came from the offerings burned on the altar to the Lord, the God of Israel.
The Land Given to the Tribe of Reuben
15 Moses had assigned the following area to the clans of the tribe of Reuben.
16 Their territory extended from Aroer on the edge of the Arnon Gorge (including the town in the middle of the gorge) to the plain beyond Medeba. 17 It included Heshbon and the other towns on the plain—Dibon, Bamoth-baal, Beth-baal-meon, 18 Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, 19 Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth-shahar on the hill above the valley, 20 Beth-peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth-jeshimoth.
21 The land of Reuben also included all the towns of the plain and the entire kingdom of Sihon. Sihon was the Amorite king who had reigned in Heshbon and was killed by Moses along with the leaders of Midian—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba—princes living in the region who were allied with Sihon. 22 The Israelites had also killed Balaam son of Beor, who used magic to tell the future. 23 The Jordan River marked the western boundary for the tribe of Reuben. The towns and their surrounding villages in this area were given as a homeland to the clans of the tribe of Reuben.
The Land Given to the Tribe of Gad
24 Moses had assigned the following area to the clans of the tribe of Gad.
25 Their territory included Jazer, all the towns of Gilead, and half of the land of Ammon, as far as the town of Aroer just west of[a] Rabbah. 26 It extended from Heshbon to Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the territory of Lo-debar.[b] 27 In the valley were Beth-haram, Beth-nimrah, Succoth, Zaphon, and the rest of the kingdom of King Sihon of Heshbon. The western boundary ran along the Jordan River, extended as far north as the tip of the Sea of Galilee,[c] and then turned eastward. 28 The towns and their surrounding villages in this area were given as a homeland to the clans of the tribe of Gad.
The Land Given to the Half-Tribe of Manasseh
29 Moses had assigned the following area to the clans of the half-tribe of Manasseh.
30 Their territory extended from Mahanaim, including all of Bashan, all the former kingdom of King Og, and the sixty towns of Jair in Bashan. 31 It also included half of Gilead and King Og’s royal cities of Ashtaroth and Edrei. All this was given to the clans of the descendants of Makir, who was Manasseh’s son.
32 These are the allotments Moses had made while he was on the plains of Moab, across the Jordan River, east of Jericho. 33 But Moses gave no allotment of land to the tribe of Levi, for the Lord, the God of Israel, had promised that he himself would be their allotment.
Joshua 13
International Standard Version
Territories Yet to be Conquered
13 When Joshua had grown old, having lived many years, the Lord told him, “You are old and have lived many years, but much of the land still remains to be possessed. 2 This territory remains: all of the Philistine regions, including all Geshurite holdings[a] 3 from the Shihor east of Egypt as far as the border of Ekron on the north (which is considered part of Canaan). This includes the five rulers of the Philistines, the Gazites, the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, the Ekronites, and the Avvites.
4 “To the south, there remains to be conquered[b] all the territory held by the Canaanites, Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians, as far as Aphek, to the border of the Amorites, 5 including the territory of the Gebalites and all of Lebanon facing the east from Baal-gad at the foot of Mount Hermon as far as Lebo-hamath, 6 and all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim, including all the Sidonians. I myself will drive them out in the presence of the Israelis. 7 You only have to allocate the land as an inheritance, just as I commanded you.”
Summary of Allocations to Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh
8 The descendants of Reuben and descendants of Gad, along with the other half-tribe of Manasseh, received their inherited portion that Moses the servant of the Lord had given them to the east beyond the Jordan River. 9 Specifically included was from Aroer on the banks of the Wadi[c] Arnon, and the town that lies in the middle of the valley, including all the plains from Medeba to Dibon, 10 all the cities pertaining to King Sihon of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the boundary of the Ammonite territory,[d] 11 Gilead and the region belonging to the descendants of Geshur and Maacath, including all of Mount Hermon, and all of Bashan as far as Salecah. 12 Also included was[e] the entire kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei. (He was the sole survivor left of the Rephaim.)[f] Although Moses had defeated these people and driven them out, 13 the Israelis did not drive out the descendants of Geshur or the descendants of Maacath—Geshur and Maacath live within the territory of Israel to this day.
Allocations to Levi
14 Moses allotted no inheritance solely to the tribe of Levi. As he had mentioned to them, the offerings by fire to the Lord God of Israel are their inheritance.
Allocations to Reuben
15 Moses allocated territory[g] to the tribe of the descendants of Reuben according to their tribes. 16 Their allocation was from the border of Aroer on the edge of the Arnon valley (including the city that is located in the valley, as well as the entire plain next to Medeba), 17 Heshbon and all of its cities that are on the plain, including Dibon, Bamoth-baal, Beth-baal-meon, 18 Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, 19 Kiriathaim, Sibmah, and Zereth-shahar on the hill in the valley, 20 Beth-peor, the slopes of Pisgah, Beth-jeshimoth, 21 all of the cities of the plain, the entire kingdom of King Sihon of the Amorites, who used to reign in Heshbon and whom Moses attacked, along with the chiefs of Midian, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, nobles of Sihon who lived in the land. 22 The Israelis also killed Beor’s son Balaam, the occult practitioner, executing him with a sword as one of those killed. 23 The border of the descendants of Reuben was the Jordan River and its banks. This was the inheritance belonging to the descendants of Reuben, divided according to their families, cities, and villages.
Allocations to Gad
24 Moses also allocated territory[h] to the tribe of Gad, that is, to the descendants of Gad, according to their families. 25 Their territory included Jazer, all the cities of Gilead, half the land of the Ammonites as far as Aroer which is located near Rabbah, 26 from Heshbon as far as Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, from Mahanaim as far as the border of Debir, 27 the valley containing Beth-haram, Beth-nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of King Sihon of Heshbon, with the Jordan River as its border as far as the southern[i] end of the Sea of Galilee[j] beyond the Jordan River to the east. 28 This was the inheritance belonging to the descendants of Gad according to their tribes, cities, and villages.
Allocations to Manasseh
29 Moses also allocated territory[k] to the half-tribe of Manasseh, that is, for the half-tribe of the descendants of Manasseh according to their tribes. 30 Their territory extended from Mahanaim to include[l] all of Bashan, all of the kingdom of King Og of Bashan, all of the 60 towns of Jair there in Bashan, 31 half of Gilead, including Ashtaroth and Edrei. The cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan went to half of the descendants of Manasseh’s son Machir, according to their tribes. 32 These were the allotments[m] that Moses apportioned for an inheritance in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan River east of Jericho.
Allocations to Levi
33 Moses allotted no inheritance to the tribe of Levi. The Lord God of Israel is their inheritance, as he promised them.
Footnotes
- Joshua 13:2 The Heb. lacks holdings
- Joshua 13:4 The Heb. lacks there remains to be conquered
- Joshua 13:9 I.e. a seasonal stream or river that channels water during rain seasons but is dry at other times
- Joshua 13:10 The Heb. lacks territory
- Joshua 13:12 The Heb. lacks Also included was
- Joshua 13:12 I.e. a race of giants that formerly populated Canaan; cf. Num 13:22, 33
- Joshua 13:15 The Heb. lacks territory
- Joshua 13:24 The Heb. lacks territory
- Joshua 13:27 The Heb. lacks southern
- Joshua 13:27 Lit. Chinnereth
- Joshua 13:29 The Heb. lacks territory
- Joshua 13:30 The Heb. lacks to include
- Joshua 13:32 The Heb. lacks the allotments
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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