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The Inheritance Beyond the Jordan

14 Now these are the territories which the sons of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which (A)Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the heads of the [a]households of the tribes of the sons of Israel apportioned to them for an inheritance, by the (B)lot of their inheritance, as Yahweh commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes and the half-tribe. For (C)Moses had given the inheritance of the two tribes and the half-tribe beyond the Jordan; but (D)he did not give an inheritance to the Levites among them. For the sons of Joseph were two tribes, (E)Manasseh and Ephraim, and they did not give a portion to the Levites in the land, except cities to live in, with their pasture lands for their livestock and for their property. Thus the sons of Israel did just (F)as Yahweh had commanded Moses, and they divided the land.

Caleb’s Inheritance

Then the sons of Judah drew near to Joshua in Gilgal, and (G)Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know the word which Yahweh spoke to Moses the man of God concerning [b]you and me in Kadesh-barnea. I was forty years old when (H)Moses the servant of Yahweh sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought word back to him as it was in my heart. Nevertheless, my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people [c]melt with fear; but (I)I followed Yahweh my God fully. So Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely (J)the land on which your foot has trodden will be an inheritance to you and to your children forever because you have followed Yahweh my God fully.’ 10 So now behold, Yahweh has let me live, just as He spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that Yahweh spoke this word to Moses, when Israel walked in the wilderness; so now behold, I am eighty-five years old today. 11 (K)I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for (L)going out and coming in. 12 So now, give me this hill country about which Yahweh spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that (M)Anakim were there, with great fortified cities; perhaps Yahweh will be with me, and I will dispossess them as Yahweh has spoken.”

13 So Joshua (N)blessed him and (O)gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance. 14 Therefore, Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite until this day because he fully followed Yahweh, the God of Israel. 15 Now the name of Hebron was formerly [d]Kiriath-arba; for Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim. (P)Then the land was quiet from war.

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 14:1 Lit fathers
  2. Joshua 14:6 Lit me and concerning you
  3. Joshua 14:8 Lit become demoralized
  4. Joshua 14:15 Lit the city of Arba

Israel’s Inheritance in Canaan

14 The Israelites received these portions that Eleazar the priest,(A) Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families of the Israelite tribes gave them in the land of Canaan.(B) Their inheritance was by lot(C) as the Lord commanded through Moses for the nine and a half tribes, because Moses had given the inheritance to the two and a half tribes beyond the Jordan.[a] But he gave no inheritance among them to the Levites. The descendants of Joseph became two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. No portion of the land was given to the Levites except cities to live in, along with pasturelands for their cattle and livestock. So the Israelites did as the Lord commanded Moses,(D) and they divided the land.

Caleb’s Inheritance

The descendants of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord promised Moses the man of God at Kadesh-barnea about you and me.(E) I was 40 years old when Moses the Lord’s servant sent me from Kadesh-barnea to scout the land, and I brought back an honest report.(F) My brothers who went with me caused the people’s hearts to melt with fear, but I remained loyal to the Lord my God.(G) On that day Moses promised me: ‘The land where you have set foot will be an inheritance for you and your descendants forever, because you have remained loyal to the Lord my God.’(H)

10 “As you see, the Lord has kept me alive these 45 years as He promised,(I) since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel was journeying in the wilderness. Here I am today, 85 years old. 11 I am still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me out. My strength for battle and for daily tasks[b] is now as it was then.(J) 12 Now give me this hill country the Lord promised me on that day, because you heard then that the Anakim are there, as well as large fortified cities.(K) Perhaps the Lord will be with me and I will drive them out as the Lord promised.”

13 Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as an inheritance.(L) 14 Therefore, Hebron belongs to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite as an inheritance to this day,(M) because he remained loyal to the Lord, the God of Israel. 15 Hebron’s name used to be Kiriath-arba; Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim.(N) After this, the land had rest from war.

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 14:3 = east of the Jordan River
  2. Joshua 14:11 Lit for going out and coming in