Territory of Judah

15 Now (A)the lot for the tribe of the sons of Judah according to their families [a]reached the (B)border of Edom, southward to the (C)wilderness of Zin at the extreme south. Their southern border was from the lower end of the Salt Sea, from the bay that turns to the south. Then it proceeded southward to the ascent of Akrabbim and continued to Zin, then went up by the south of Kadesh-barnea and continued to Hezron, and went up to Addar and turned to Karka. It (D)continued to Azmon and proceeded to the [b](E)brook of Egypt, and the [c]border ended at the sea. This shall be your southern border. The (F)eastern border was the Salt Sea, as far as the [d]mouth of the Jordan. And the (G)border of the north side was from the bay of the sea at the [e]mouth of the Jordan. Then the border went up to Beth-hoglah, and continued on the north of Beth-arabah, and the border went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben. And the border went up to Debir from (H)the Valley of Achor, and turned northward toward Gilgal which is opposite the ascent of Adummim, which is on the south of the valley; and the border continued to the waters of En-shemesh and [f]it ended at En-rogel. Then the border went up the Valley of Ben-hinnom to the slope of the (I)Jebusite on the south (that is, Jerusalem); and the border went up to the top of the mountain which is opposite the Valley of Hinnom to the west, which is at the end of the Valley of Rephaim toward the north. And from the top of the mountain the border turned to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah and proceeded to the cities of Mount Ephron, then the border turned to (J)Baalah (that is, (K)Kiriath-jearim). 10 The border turned from Baalah westward to Mount Seir, and continued to the slope of Mount Jearim on the north (that is, Chesalon), and went down to Beth-shemesh and continued through (L)Timnah. 11 Then the border proceeded to the side of Ekron northward. And the border turned to Shikkeron and continued to Mount Baalah and proceeded to Jabneel, and the [g]border ended at the sea. 12 The western border was (M)at the Great Sea, even its [h]coastline. This is the border around the sons of Judah according to their families.

13 Now (N)he gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh a portion (O)among the sons of Judah, in accordance with the [i]command of the Lord to Joshua, namely, [j]Kiriath-arba, Arba being the father of Anak (that is, Hebron). 14 And (P)Caleb [k]drove out from there the three (Q)sons of Anak: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak. 15 Then (R)he went up from there against the inhabitants of Debir; now the name of Debir previously was Kiriath-sepher. 16 And Caleb said, “The one who [l]attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, [m]I will give him Achsah my daughter as a wife.” 17 (S)Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, captured it; so he gave him Achsah his daughter as a wife. 18 (T)And it happened that when she came to him, she incited him to ask her father for a field. So she dismounted from the donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you want?” 19 Then she said, “Give me a blessing; since you have given me the land of the [n]Negev, give me springs of water also.” So he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

20 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Judah according to their families.

21 Now the cities at the extremity of the tribe of the sons of Judah toward the border of Edom in the south were Kabzeel, (U)Eder, and Jagur, 22 Kinah, Dimonah, and Adadah, 23 Kedesh, Hazor, and Ithnan, 24 Ziph, Telem, and Bealoth, 25 Hazor-hadattah, Kerioth-hezron (that is, Hazor), 26 Amam, Shema, and Moladah, 27 Hazar-gaddah, Heshmon, and Beth-pelet, 28 Hazar-shual, (V)Beersheba, and Biziothiah, 29 Baalah, Iim, and Ezem, 30 Eltolad, Chesil, and Hormah, 31 (W)Ziklag, Madmannah, and Sansannah, 32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon; in all, twenty-nine cities with their villages.

33 In the lowland: (X)Eshtaol, Zorah, and Ashnah, 34 Zanoah, En-gannim, Tappuah, and Enam, 35 Jarmuth, (Y)Adullam, Socoh, and Azekah, 36 Shaaraim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen cities with their villages.

37 Zenan, Hadashah, and Migdal-gad, 38 Dilean, Mizpeh, and Joktheel, 39 (Z)Lachish, Bozkath, and Eglon, 40 Cabbon, Lahmas, and Chitlish, 41 Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah; sixteen cities with their villages.

42 Libnah, Ether, and Ashan, 43 Iphtah, Ashnah, and Nezib, 44 Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages.

45 Ekron, with its towns and its villages; 46 from Ekron even to the sea, all that were by the [o]side of Ashdod, with their villages.

47 Ashdod, its towns and its villages; Gaza, its towns and its villages, as far as (AA)the [p]brook of Egypt and the Great Sea, even its [q]coastline.

48 In the hill country: Shamir, Jattir, and Socoh, 49 Dannah, Kiriath-sannah (that is, Debir), 50 Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, 51 Goshen, Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages.

52 Arab, Dumah, and Eshan, 53 Janum, Beth-tappuah, and Aphekah, 54 Humtah, Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior; nine cities with their villages.

55 Maon, Carmel, Ziph, and Juttah, 56 Jezreel, Jokdeam, and Zanoah, 57 Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages.

58 Halhul, Beth-zur, and Gedor, 59 Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages.

60 Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), and Rabbah; two cities with their villages.

61 In the wilderness: Beth-arabah, Middin, and Secacah, 62 Nibshan, the City of Salt, and Engedi; six cities with their villages.

63 Now as for the (AB)Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the sons of Judah could not [r]drive them out; so the Jebusites live with the sons of Judah in Jerusalem to this day.

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 15:1 Lit was to
  2. Joshua 15:4 Or wadi
  3. Joshua 15:4 Lit goings out of the border were
  4. Joshua 15:5 Lit end
  5. Joshua 15:5 Lit end
  6. Joshua 15:7 Lit the goings out of it were
  7. Joshua 15:11 Lit goings out...were
  8. Joshua 15:12 Lit border
  9. Joshua 15:13 Lit mouth
  10. Joshua 15:13 I.e., the city of Arba
  11. Joshua 15:14 Or dispossessed them
  12. Joshua 15:16 Lit strikes
  13. Joshua 15:16 Lit and I
  14. Joshua 15:19 I.e., South country
  15. Joshua 15:46 Lit hand
  16. Joshua 15:47 Or wadi
  17. Joshua 15:47 Lit border
  18. Joshua 15:63 Or dispossess them

Judah’s Inheritance

15 Now the allotment for the tribe of the descendants of Judah by their clans(A) was in the southernmost region, south to the Wilderness of Zin and over to the border of Edom.

Their southern border began at the tip of the Dead Sea on the south bay[a] and went south of the Ascent of Akrabbim,[b] proceeded to Zin, ascended to the south of Kadesh-barnea, passed Hezron, ascended to Addar, and turned to Karka. It proceeded to Azmon and to the Brook of Egypt and so the border ended at the Mediterranean Sea. This is your[c] southern border.

Now the eastern border was along the Dead Sea to the mouth of the Jordan.[d]

The border on the north side was from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan. It ascended to Beth-hoglah, proceeded north of Beth-arabah, and ascended to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben. Then the border ascended to Debir from the Valley of Achor, turning north to the Gilgal that is opposite the Ascent of Adummim, which is south of the ravine. The border proceeded to the waters of En-shemesh and ended at En-rogel. From there the border ascended the Valley of Hinnom to the southern Jebusite slope (that is, Jerusalem) and ascended to the top of the hill that faces the Valley of Hinnom on the west, at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim. From the top of the hill the border curved to the spring of the Waters of Nephtoah, went to the cities of Mount Ephron, and then curved to Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim(B)). 10 The border turned westward from Baalah to Mount Seir, went to the northern slope of Mount Jearim (that is, Chesalon), descended to Beth-shemesh, and proceeded to Timnah.(C) 11 Then the border reached to the slope north of Ekron, curved to Shikkeron, proceeded to Mount Baalah, went to Jabneel, and ended at the Mediterranean Sea.

12 Now the western border was the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea.

This was the boundary of the descendants of Judah around their clans.

Caleb and Othniel

13 He gave Caleb son of Jephunneh the following portion among the descendants of Judah based on the Lord’s instruction to Joshua: Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron; Arba was the father of Anak). 14 Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, descendants of Anak. 15 From there he marched against the inhabitants of Debir whose name used to be Kiriath-sepher,(D) 16 and Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Achsah as a wife to the one who strikes down and captures Kiriath-sepher.” 17 So Othniel(E) son of Caleb’s brother, Kenaz, captured it, and Caleb gave his daughter Achsah to him as a wife.(F) 18 When she arrived, she persuaded Othniel to ask her father for a field. As she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What do you want?” 19 She replied, “Give me a blessing. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me the springs of water also.” So he gave her the upper and lower springs.

Judah’s Cities

20 This was the inheritance of the tribe of the descendants of Judah by their clans.

21 These were the outermost cities of the tribe of the descendants of Judah toward the border of Edom in the Negev: Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur,(G) 22 Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, 23 Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, 24 Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, 25 Hazor-hadattah, Kerioth-hezron (that is, Hazor), 26 Amam, Shema, Moladah, 27 Hazar-gaddah, Heshmon, Beth-pelet, 28 Hazar-shual, Beer-sheba, Biziothiah,(H) 29 Baalah, Iim, Ezem, 30 Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah, 31 Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah,(I) 32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon—29 cities in all, with their villages.

33 In the Judean foothills:[e] Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, 34 Zanoah, En-gannim, Tappuah,[f] Enam, 35 Jarmuth, Adullam,(J) Socoh,[g] Azekah, 36 Shaaraim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim—14 cities, with their villages; 37 Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal-gad, 38 Dilan, Mizpeh, Jokthe-el, 39 Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, 40 Cabbon, Lahmam, Chitlish, 41 Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah—16 cities, with their villages; 42 Libnah, Ether, Ashan, 43 Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, 44 Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah—nine cities, with their villages; 45 Ekron, with its towns and villages; 46 from Ekron to the sea, all the cities near Ashdod, with their villages; 47 Ashdod, with its towns and villages; Gaza, with its towns and villages, to the Brook of Egypt and the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea.

48 In the hill country: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, 49 Dannah, Kiriath-sannah (that is, Debir), 50 Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, 51 Goshen, Holon, and Giloh—11 cities, with their villages; 52 Arab, Dumah,[h] Eshan, 53 Janim, Beth-tappuah, Aphekah, 54 Humtah, Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior—nine cities, with their villages; 55 Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, 56 Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, 57 Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah—10 cities, with their villages; 58 Halhul, Beth-zur, Gedor, 59 Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon—six cities, with their villages;[i] 60 Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), and Rabbah—two cities, with their villages.

61 In the wilderness: Beth-arabah, Middin, Secacah, 62 Nibshan, the City of Salt,[j] and En-gedi—six cities, with their villages.

63 But the descendants of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem.(K) So the Jebusites live in Jerusalem among the descendants of Judah to this day.(L)

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 15:2 Lit Sea at the tongue that turns southward
  2. Joshua 15:3 Lit of scorpions
  3. Joshua 15:4 LXX reads their
  4. Joshua 15:5 = the southern end of the Jordan River at the Dead Sea
  5. Joshua 15:33 Or the Shephelah
  6. Joshua 15:34 Or En-gannim-tappuah
  7. Joshua 15:35 Or Adullam-socoh
  8. Joshua 15:52 Some Hb mss read Rumah
  9. Joshua 15:59 LXX adds Tekoa, Ephrathah (that is, Bethlehem), Peor, Etam, Culom, Tatam, Sores, Carem, Gallim, Baither, and Manach—11 cities, with their villages
  10. Joshua 15:62 Or Ir-hamelach