Joshua 13:8-33
New Living Translation
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.
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Joshua 13:8-33
New English Translation
Tribal Lands East of the Jordan
8 The other half of Manasseh,[a] Reuben, and Gad received their allotted tribal lands on east side of the Jordan,[b] just as Moses, the Lord’s servant, had assigned them. 9 Their territory started[c] from Aroer (on the edge of the Arnon Valley), included the city in the middle of the valley, the whole plain of Medeba as far as Dibon, 10 and all the cities of King Sihon of the Amorites who ruled in Heshbon, and ended at the Ammonite border. 11 Their territory also included[d] Gilead, Geshurite and Maacathite territory, all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan to Salecah— 12 the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan, who ruled in Ashtaroth and Edrei. (He was one of the few remaining Rephaites.)[e] Moses defeated them and took their lands.[f] 13 But the Israelites did not conquer[g] the Geshurites and Maacathites; Geshur and Maacah live among Israel to this very day. 14 However, Moses[h] did not assign land as an inheritance[i] to the Levites; their inheritance[j] is the sacrificial offerings[k] made to the Lord God of Israel, as he instructed[l] them.
15 Moses assigned land to the tribe of Reuben[m] by its clans. 16 Their territory started at Aroer[n] (on the edge of the Arnon Valley) and included the city in the middle of the valley, the whole plain of Medeba, 17 Heshbon and all its surrounding cities on the plain, including Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon, 18 Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, 19 Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar on the hill in the valley, 20 Beth Peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth. 21 It encompassed[o] all the cities of the plain and the whole realm of King Sihon of the Amorites who ruled in Heshbon. Moses defeated him and the Midianite leaders Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba (they were subjects of Sihon and lived in his territory).[p] 22 The Israelites killed Balaam son of Beor, the omen reader,[q] along with the others.[r] 23 The border of the tribe of Reuben was the Jordan. The land allotted to the tribe of Reuben by its clans included these cities and their towns.[s]
24 Moses assigned land to the tribe of Gad[t] by its clans. 25 Their territory included Jazer, all the cities of Gilead, and half the Ammonite territory[u] as far as Aroer near[v] Rabbah. 26 Their territory ran[w] from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the territory of Debir. 27 It included the valley of Beth Haram,[x] Beth Nimrah, Sukkoth, and Zaphon, and the rest of the realm of King Sihon of Heshbon, the area east of the Jordan to the end of the Sea of Kinnereth.[y] 28 The land allotted to the tribe of Gad by its clans included these cities and their towns.[z]
29 Moses assigned land to the half-tribe of Manasseh[aa] by its clans. 30 Their territory started at[ab] Mahanaim and encompassed all Bashan, the whole realm of King Og of Bashan, including all sixty cities in Havvoth Jair[ac] in Bashan. 31 Half of Gilead, Ashtaroth, and Edrei, cities in the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were assigned to the descendants of Makir son of Manasseh, to half the descendants of Makir by their clans.
32 These are the land assignments made by Moses[ad] in the rift valley plains of Moab[ae] east of the Jordan River opposite Jericho.[af] 33 However, Moses did not assign land as an inheritance[ag] to the Levites; their inheritance[ah] is the Lord God of Israel, as he instructed[ai] them.
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- Joshua 13:8 tn The MT reads “with him,” which is problematic, since the reference would be to the other half of the tribe of Manasseh (not the half mentioned in v. 7).
- Joshua 13:8 tn Heb “received their inheritance, which Moses had assigned to them beyond the Jordan to the east.”
- Joshua 13:9 tn The words “their territory started” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Joshua 13:11 tn The words “their territory also included” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Joshua 13:12 tn Heb “from the remnant of the Rephaites.”sn The Rephaites were apparently an extremely tall ethnic group. See Deut 2:10-11, 20; 3:11.
- Joshua 13:12 tn Or “dispossessed them.”
- Joshua 13:13 tn Or “dispossess.”
- Joshua 13:14 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Joshua 13:14 tn Heb “did not assign an inheritance.”
- Joshua 13:14 tn That is, “their source of food and life.”
- Joshua 13:14 tn Or “offerings made by fire.”
- Joshua 13:14 tn Or “promised” (Heb “spoke”).sn For the background of this observation, see Deut 18:1-2.
- Joshua 13:15 tn Heb “assigned to the sons of Reuben.”
- Joshua 13:16 tn Heb “their territory was from.”
- Joshua 13:21 tn The words “it encompassed” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Joshua 13:21 tn Heb “princes of Sihon, inhabitants of the land.”
- Joshua 13:22 tn Or “diviner.”
- Joshua 13:22 tn Heb “Balaam son of Beor, the omen-reader, the Israelites killed with the sword, along with their slain ones.”
- Joshua 13:23 tn Heb “This is the inheritance of the sons of Reuben by their clans, the cities and their towns.”
- Joshua 13:24 tn Heb “assigned to the tribe of Gad, to the sons of Gad.”
- Joshua 13:25 tn Heb “and half of the land of the sons of Ammon.”
- Joshua 13:25 tn Heb “which [is] in front of.”
- Joshua 13:26 tn The words “Their territory ran” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied for clarification.
- Joshua 13:27 tn Or “it included in the valley, Beth Haram.”
- Joshua 13:27 sn The Sea of Kinnereth is another name for the Sea of Galilee. See the note on the word “Kinnereth” in 11:2.
- Joshua 13:28 tn Heb “This is the inheritance of the sons of Gad by their clans, the cities and their towns.”
- Joshua 13:29 tn Heb “assigned to the half-tribe of Manasseh, and it belonged to the half-tribe of Manasseh.”
- Joshua 13:30 tn The words “their territory started at” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied for clarification.
- Joshua 13:30 sn The Hebrew name Havvoth Jair means “the tent villages of Jair.”
- Joshua 13:32 tn Heb “These are [the lands] which Moses gave as an inheritance.”
- Joshua 13:32 sn This is the area of rift valley basin to the north of the Dead Sea and east of the Jordan. Some translate as the “plains of Moab” (NASB, NIV, ESV) but this can give the wrong impression of the larger part of Moab above the rift valley. See the note at Num 22:1.
- Joshua 13:32 tn Heb “beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho.” The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied to clarify the meaning.
- Joshua 13:33 tn Heb “Moses did not assign an inheritance.” The word “land” has been supplied in the translation to clarify what the inheritance consisted of.
- Joshua 13:33 tn That is, “their source of food and life.”
- Joshua 13:33 tn Or “as he promised”; Heb “as he spoke to.”sn For the background of this observation, see Deut 18:1-2.
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