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The Territories of the Remaining Tribes

18 Then the whole congregation of the Israelites assembled at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there. The land lay subdued before them.(A)

There remained among the Israelites seven tribes whose inheritance had not yet been apportioned. So Joshua said to the Israelites, “How long will you be slack about going in and taking possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you?(B) Provide three men from each tribe, and I will send them out that they may begin to go throughout the land, writing a description of it with a view to their inheritances. Then come back to me. They shall divide it into seven portions, Judah continuing in its territory on the south and the house of Joseph in their territory on the north.(C) You shall write a description of the land in seven divisions and bring the description here to me, and I will cast lots for you here before the Lord our God. The Levites have no portion among you, for the priesthood of the Lord is their heritage, and Gad and Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan eastward, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave them.”(D)

So the men started on their way, and Joshua charged those who went to write the description of the land, saying, “Go throughout the land and write a description of it and come back to me, and I will cast lots for you here before the Lord in Shiloh.”(E) So the men went and traversed the land and set down in a book a description of it by towns in seven divisions; then they came back to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh, 10 and Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord, and there Joshua apportioned the land to the Israelites, to each a portion.(F)

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Land Distribution at Shiloh

18 The entire Israelite community assembled at Shiloh(A) and set up the tent of meeting there. The land had been subdued before them, but seven tribes among the Israelites were left who had not divided up their inheritance. So Joshua asked the Israelites, “How long will you delay going out to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, gave you?(B) Appoint for yourselves three men from each tribe, and I will send them out. They are to go and survey the land, write a description of it for the purpose of their inheritance, and return to me. Then they are to divide it into seven portions. Judah is to remain in its territory in the south and Joseph’s family in their territory in the north.(C) When you have written a description of the seven portions of land and brought it to me, I will cast lots(D) for you here in the presence of the Lord our God.(E) But the Levites among you do not get a portion, because their inheritance is the priesthood of the Lord.(F) Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh have taken their inheritance beyond the Jordan to the east, which Moses the Lord’s servant gave them.”

As the men prepared to go, Joshua commanded them[a] to write down a description of the land, saying, “Go and survey the land, write a description of it, and return to me. I will then cast lots for you here in Shiloh in the presence of the Lord.” So the men left, went through the land, and described it by towns in a document of seven sections. They returned to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh. 10 Joshua cast lots for them at Shiloh in the presence of the Lord where he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their divisions.

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Footnotes

  1. 18:8 Lit the ones going around