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The Territory of Benjamin

11 The lot of the tribe of Benjamin according to its families came up, and the territory allotted to it fell between the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Joseph. 12 On the north side their boundary began at the Jordan; then the boundary goes up to the slope of Jericho on the north, then up through the hill country westward; and it ends at the wilderness of Beth-aven. 13 From there the boundary passes along southward in the direction of Luz, to the slope of Luz (that is, Bethel), then the boundary goes down to Ataroth-addar, on the mountain that lies south of Lower Beth-horon.(A) 14 Then the boundary goes in another direction, turning on the western side southward from the mountain that lies to the south, opposite Beth-horon, and it ends at Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), a town belonging to the tribe of Judah. This forms the western side.(B) 15 The southern side begins at the outskirts of Kiriath-jearim on the west,[a] and the boundary comes out at the spring of the Waters of Nephtoah;(C) 16 then the boundary goes down to the border of the mountain that overlooks the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is at the north end of the valley of Rephaim; and it then goes down the valley of Hinnom, south of the slope of the Jebusites, and downward to En-rogel;(D) 17 then it bends in a northerly direction going on to En-shemesh, and from there goes to Geliloth, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim; then it goes down to the Stone of Bohan, Reuben’s son; 18 and passing on to the north of the slope of Beth-arabah[b] it goes down to the Arabah; 19 then the boundary passes on to the north of the slope of Beth-hoglah; and the boundary ends at the northern bay of the Dead Sea,[c] at the south end of the Jordan: this is the southern border. 20 The Jordan forms its boundary on the eastern side. This is the inheritance of the tribe of Benjamin, according to its families, boundary by boundary all around.(E)

21 Now the towns of the tribe of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz, 22 Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, 23 Avvim, Parah, Ophrah, 24 Chephar-ammoni, Ophni, and Geba—twelve towns with their villages; 25 Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, 26 Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah, 27 Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, 28 Zela, Haeleph, Jebus[d] (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah,[e] and Kiriath-jearim[f]—fourteen towns with their villages. This is the inheritance of the tribe of Benjamin according to its families.(F)

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Footnotes

  1. 18.15 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  2. 18.18 Gk: Heb to the slope over against the Arabah
  3. 18.19 Heb Salt Sea
  4. 18.28 Gk Syr Vg: Heb the Jebusite
  5. 18.28 Heb Gibeath
  6. 18.28 Gk: Heb Kiriath

Benjamin

11 First, the lot came up for the tribe of the descendants of Benjamin according to their clans. The territory of their lot stretched out between the descendants of Judah and the descendants of Joseph.

12 Their northern border starts at the Jordan.

Then the border ascends to the slope of Jericho on the north.

Then it ascends westward through the hill country.

It ends at the Wilderness of Beth Aven.

13 The border crosses over from there to Luz, to the slope on the south side of Luz (Luz is Bethel).

Then the border descends to Ataroth Addar on the mountain that is south of Lower Beth Horon.

14 This is the border on the western side.

From the mountain that is facing the south side of Beth Horon, the border bends and curves around toward the south. It ends at Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim), a city of the descendants of Judah.

This is the western side.

15 On the southern side, the border begins from the edge of Kiriath Jearim.

Then the border goes out toward the sea and goes out to the spring of the Waters of Nephtoah.

16 Then the border descends to the edge of the mountain that faces the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, which is north of the Valley of Rephaim.

Then it descends through the Valley of Hinnom to the southern slope of the Jebusite city and descends to En Rogel.

17 Then it bends north and goes out to En Shemesh.

Then it goes out to Geliloth, which is opposite the Ascent of Adummim, and descends to the Stone of Bohan, the son of Reuben.

18 Then it passes northward to the slope facing the Arabah and descends into the Arabah.

19 The border then passes on to the northern slope of Beth Hoglah, and the border ends at the northern bay of the Dead Sea at the southern end of the Jordan.

This is the southern border.

20 The Jordan River is its border on the eastern side.

This is the inheritance of the descendants of Benjamin, on the basis of the borders enclosing it, according to their clans.

21 The cities belonging to the tribe of the people of Benjamin according to their clans were:

Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz, 22 Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, 23 Avvim, Parah, Ophrah, 24 Kephar Ha’ammoni, Ophni, and Geba—twelve cities and their villages.

25 Gibeon, Ramah, Be’eroth, 26 Mizpah, Kephirah, Mozah, 27 Rekem, Irpe’el, Taralah, 28 Zela, Ha’eleph, the Jebusite city (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeath, Kiriath—fourteen cities and their villages.

This is the inheritance of the descendants of Benjamin according to their clans.

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