Caleb’s Request

14 Now these are the territories which the sons of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which (A)Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers’ households of the tribes of the sons of Israel apportioned to them as inheritances, by the (B)lot of their inheritance, just as the Lord commanded [a]through 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. The sons of Israel did exactly (F)as the Lord had commanded Moses, and they divided the land.

Then the sons of Judah approached Joshua in Gilgal, and (G)Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know the word which the Lord spoke to Moses the man of God on account of [b]you and me in Kadesh-barnea. I was forty years old when (H)Moses the servant of the Lord 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 the Lord my God fully. So Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘(J)The land on which your foot has walked shall certainly be an inheritance to you and to your children forever, because you have followed the Lord my God fully.’ 10 And now behold, the Lord has let me live, just as He spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses, when Israel walked in the wilderness; and now behold, I am eighty-five years old today. 11 (K)I am still as strong today as I was on 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 Now then, give me this hill country about which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that (M)Anakim were there, with great fortified cities; perhaps the Lord will be with me, and I will [d]drive them out just as the Lord has spoken.”

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

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 14:2 Lit by the hand of
  2. Joshua 14:6 Lit me and you
  3. Joshua 14:8 I.e., become demoralized
  4. Joshua 14:12 Or dispossess
  5. Joshua 14:15 I.e., the city of Arba

The Land Divided West of the Jordan

14 These are the areas which the children of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, (A)which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel distributed as an inheritance to them. Their inheritance was (B)by lot, as the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes and the half-tribe. (C)For Moses had given the inheritance of the two tribes and the half-tribe on the other side of the Jordan; but to the Levites he had given no inheritance among them. For (D)the children of Joseph were two tribes: Manasseh and Ephraim. And they gave no part to the Levites in the land, except (E)cities to dwell in, with their common-lands for their livestock and their property. (F)As the Lord had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did; and they divided the land.

Caleb Inherits Hebron

Then the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the (G)Kenizzite said to him: “You know (H)the word which the Lord said to Moses the man of God concerning (I)you and me in Kadesh Barnea. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord (J)sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart. Nevertheless (K)my brethren who went up with me made the [a]heart of the people melt, but I wholly (L)followed the Lord my God. So Moses swore on that day, saying, (M)‘Surely the land (N)where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children’s forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.’ 10 And now, behold, the Lord has kept me (O)alive, (P)as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel [b]wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. 11 (Q)As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both (R)for going out and for coming in. 12 Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how (S)the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. (T)It may be that the Lord will be with me, and (U)I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said.”

13 And Joshua (V)blessed him, (W)and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance. 14 (X)Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he (Y)wholly followed the Lord God of Israel. 15 And (Z)the name of Hebron formerly was Kirjath Arba (Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim).

(AA)Then the land had rest from war.

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 14:8 courage of the people fail
  2. Joshua 14:10 Lit. walked