Joshua 14
International Children’s Bible
14 Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun and the leaders of all the tribes of Israel decided what land to give to the people. 2 The Lord had commanded Moses long ago how he wanted the people to choose their land. The people of the nine-and-a-half tribes threw lots to decide which land they would receive. 3 Moses had already given the two-and-a-half tribes their land east of the Jordan River. But the tribe of Levi was not given any land like the others. 4 The sons of Joseph had divided into two tribes—Manasseh and Ephraim. The tribe of Levi was not given any land. It was given only some towns in which to live. It was also given pastures for its animals. 5 The Lord had told Moses how to give the land to the tribes of Israel. The Israelites divided the land as the Lord had commanded.
Caleb’s Land
6 One day some men from the tribe of Judah went to Joshua at Gilgal. One of those men was Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite. He said to Joshua, “You remember what the Lord said at Kadesh Barnea. He was speaking to the prophet Moses about you and me. 7 Moses, the Lord’s servant, sent me to look at the land where we were going. I was 40 years old then. When I came back, I told Moses what I thought about the land. 8 The other men who went with me told the people things that made them afraid. But I fully believed the Lord would allow us to take the land. 9 So that day Moses promised me, ‘The land where you went will become your land. Your children will own it forever. I will give you that land because you fully believed in the Lord, my God.’
10 “Now then, the Lord has kept his promise. He has kept me alive for 45 years from the time he said this to Moses. During that time we all wandered in the desert. Now here I am, 85 years old. 11 I am still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me out. I am just as ready to fight now as I was then. 12 So give me the mountain country the Lord promised me that day long ago. Back then you heard that the Anakite people lived there. And the cities were large and well protected. But now with the Lord helping me, I will force them out, just as the Lord said.”
13 Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh. He gave him the city of Hebron as his own. 14 And Hebron still belongs to the family of Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite. It still belongs to his people because he had faith. He obeyed the Lord, the God of Israel. 15 (In the past it was called Kiriath Arba. It was named for the greatest man among the Anakites. He was named Arba.)
After this there was peace in the land.
Joshua 14
New English Translation
Judah’s Tribal Lands
14 The following is a record of the territory assigned to the Israelites in the land of Canaan by Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the Israelite tribal leaders.[a] 2 The land assignments to the nine-and-a-half tribes were made by drawing lots, as the Lord had instructed Moses.[b] 3 Now Moses had assigned land[c] to the two-and-a-half tribes east of the Jordan, but he assigned no land[d] to the Levites.[e] 4 The descendants of Joseph were considered as two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. The Levites were allotted no territory, though they were assigned cities in which to live, along with the grazing areas for their cattle and possessions.[f] 5 The Israelites followed the Lord’s instructions to Moses and divided up the land.[g]
6 The men of Judah approached Joshua in Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said about you and me to Moses, the man of God, at Kadesh Barnea.[h] 7 I was forty years old when Moses, the Lord’s servant, sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy on the land and I brought back to him an honest report.[i] 8 My countrymen[j] who accompanied[k] me frightened the people,[l] but I remained loyal to the Lord my God.[m] 9 That day Moses made this solemn promise:[n] ‘Surely the land on which you walked[o] will belong to you and your descendants permanently,[p] for you remained loyal to the Lord your God.’ 10 So now, look, the Lord has preserved my life, just as he promised, these past forty-five years since the Lord spoke these words to Moses, while Israel traveled through the wilderness. See here, I am today eighty-five years old! 11 Today I am still as strong as when Moses sent me out. I can fight and go about my daily activities with the same energy I had then.[q] 12 Now, assign me this hill country that the Lord promised me at that time! No doubt you heard then that the Anakites live there in large, fortified cities.[r] But assuming the Lord is with me, I will conquer[s] them, as the Lord promised.” 13 Joshua asked God to empower Caleb son of Jephunneh and assigned him Hebron.[t] 14 So Hebron remains the assigned land of Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this very day[u] because he remained loyal to the Lord God of Israel. 15 (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba. Arba was a famous Anakite.[v]) Then the land was free of war.
Footnotes
- Joshua 14:1 tn Heb “These are [the lands] which the sons of Israel received as an inheritance in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes assigned as an inheritance to the sons of Israel.”
- Joshua 14:2 tn Heb “By lot was their inheritance, as the Lord had commanded by Moses, to the nine tribes and the half-tribe.”
- Joshua 14:3 tn Or “assigned an inheritance.”
- Joshua 14:3 tn Or “no inheritance.”
- Joshua 14:3 tn The Hebrew text adds, “in their midst.”
- Joshua 14:4 tn Heb “and they did not assign a portion to the Levites in the land, except cities [in which] to live and their pastures for their cattle and property.”
- Joshua 14:5 tn Heb “Just as the Lord had commanded Moses, so the sons of Israel did, and they divided up the land.”
- Joshua 14:6 tn Heb “You know the word which the Lord spoke to Moses, the man of God, because of me and because of you in Kadesh Barnea.”sn On this incident at Kadesh Barnea see Num 14:30.
- Joshua 14:7 tn Heb “and I brought back to him a word just as [was] in my heart.”
- Joshua 14:8 tn Heb “brothers.”
- Joshua 14:8 tn Heb “went up with.”
- Joshua 14:8 tn Heb “made the heart[s] of the people melt.”
- Joshua 14:8 tn Heb “I filled up after the Lord my God,” an idiomatic statement meaning that Caleb remained loyal to the Lord.
- Joshua 14:9 tn Heb “swore an oath.”
- Joshua 14:9 tn Heb “on which your foot has walked.”
- Joshua 14:9 tn Heb “will belong to you for an inheritance, and to your sons forever.”
- Joshua 14:11 tn Heb “like my strength then, like my strength now, for battle and for going out and coming in.”
- Joshua 14:12 tn Heb “are there and large, fortified cities.”
- Joshua 14:12 tn Or “will dispossess.”
- Joshua 14:13 tn Heb “Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh as an inheritance.”
- Joshua 14:14 tn Heb “Therefore Hebron belongs to Caleb son of Jephunneh for an inheritance to this day.”
- Joshua 14:15 tn Heb “And he was the great man among the Anakites.”
Joshua 14
New King James Version
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. 2 Their inheritance was (B)by lot, as the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes and the half-tribe. 3 (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. 4 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. 5 (F)As the Lord had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did; and they divided the land.
Caleb Inherits Hebron
6 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. 7 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. 8 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. 9 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
- Joshua 14:8 courage of the people fail
- Joshua 14:10 Lit. walked
Joshua 14
New International Version
Division of the Land West of the Jordan
14 Now these are the areas the Israelites received as an inheritance(A) in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar(B) the priest, Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the tribal clans of Israel(C) allotted(D) to them.(E) 2 Their inheritances were assigned by lot(F) to the nine and a half tribes,(G) as the Lord had commanded through Moses. 3 Moses had granted the two and a half tribes their inheritance east of the Jordan(H) but had not granted the Levites an inheritance among the rest,(I) 4 for Joseph’s descendants had become two tribes—Manasseh and Ephraim.(J) The Levites received no share of the land but only towns to live in, with pasturelands for their flocks and herds.(K) 5 So the Israelites divided the land, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.(L)
Allotment for Caleb
6 Now the people of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal,(M) and Caleb son of Jephunneh(N) the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God(O) at Kadesh Barnea(P) about you and me.(Q) 7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea(R) to explore the land.(S) And I brought him back a report according to my convictions,(T) 8 but my fellow Israelites who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt in fear.(U) I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.(V) 9 So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance(W) and that of your children(X) forever, because you have followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.’[a]
10 “Now then, just as the Lord promised,(Y) he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved(Z) about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old!(AA) 11 I am still as strong(AB) today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous(AC) to go out to battle now as I was then. 12 Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day.(AD) You yourself heard then that the Anakites(AE) were there and their cities were large and fortified,(AF) but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”
13 Then Joshua blessed(AG) Caleb son of Jephunneh(AH) and gave him Hebron(AI) as his inheritance.(AJ) 14 So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the Lord, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly.(AK) 15 (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba(AL) after Arba,(AM) who was the greatest man among the Anakites.)
Then the land had rest(AN) from war.
Footnotes
- Joshua 14:9 Deut. 1:36
Joshua 14
King James Version
14 And these are the countries which the children of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed for inheritance to them.
2 By lot was their inheritance, as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes, and for the half tribe.
3 For Moses had given the inheritance of two tribes and an half tribe on the other side Jordan: but unto the Levites he gave none inheritance among them.
4 For the children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim: therefore they gave no part unto the Levites in the land, save cities to dwell in, with their suburbs for their cattle and for their substance.
5 As the Lord commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did, and they divided the land.
6 Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the Lord said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadeshbarnea.
7 Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadeshbarnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart.
8 Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the Lord my God.
9 And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children's for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the Lord my God.
10 And now, behold, the Lord hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the Lord spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old.
11 As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.
12 Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the Lord will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said.
13 And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance.
14 Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel.
15 And the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba; which Arba was a great man among the Anakims. And the land had rest from war.
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