Joshua 21
English Standard Version
Cities and Pasturelands Allotted to Levi
21 Then the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites came (A)to Eleazar the priest and to Joshua the son of Nun and to the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the people of Israel. 2 And they said to them (B)at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, (C)“The Lord commanded through Moses that we be given cities to dwell in, along with their pasturelands for our livestock.” 3 So by command of the Lord the people of Israel gave to the Levites the following cities and pasturelands out of their inheritance.
4 The lot came out for the clans of the Kohathites. So those Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest (D)received by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, thirteen cities.
5 And the rest of the Kohathites received by lot (E)from the clans of the tribe of Ephraim, from the tribe of Dan and the half-tribe of Manasseh, ten cities.
6 The (F)Gershonites received by lot from the clans of the tribe of Issachar, from the tribe of Asher, from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities.
7 The (G)Merarites according to their clans received from the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities.
8 These cities and their pasturelands the people of Israel (H)gave by lot to the Levites, (I)as the Lord had commanded through Moses.
9 Out of the tribe of the people of Judah and the tribe of the people of Simeon they gave the following cities mentioned by name, 10 which went to (J)the descendants of Aaron, one of the clans of the Kohathites who belonged to the people of Levi; since the lot fell to them first. 11 (K)They gave them (L)Kiriath-arba (Arba being the father of Anak), that is Hebron, (M)in the hill country of Judah, along with the pasturelands around it. 12 But the fields of the city and its villages had been given to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as his possession.
13 And to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, (N)the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasturelands, (O)Libnah with its pasturelands, 14 Jattir with its pasturelands, Eshtemoa with its pasturelands, 15 Holon with its pasturelands, Debir with its pasturelands, 16 Ain with its pasturelands, Juttah with its pasturelands, Beth-shemesh with its pasturelands—nine cities out of these two tribes; 17 then out of the tribe of Benjamin, (P)Gibeon with its pasturelands, Geba with its pasturelands, 18 Anathoth with its pasturelands, and Almon with its pasturelands—four cities. 19 The cities of the descendants of Aaron, the priests, were in all thirteen cities with their pasturelands.
20 (Q)As to the rest of the Kohathites belonging to the Kohathite clans of the Levites, the cities allotted to them were out of the tribe of Ephraim. 21 To them were given Shechem, (R)the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer with its pasturelands, 22 Kibzaim with its pasturelands, Beth-horon with its pasturelands—four cities; 23 and out of the tribe of Dan, Elteke with its pasturelands, Gibbethon with its pasturelands, 24 Aijalon with its pasturelands, Gath-rimmon with its pasturelands—four cities; 25 and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Taanach with its pasturelands, and Gath-rimmon with its pasturelands—two cities. 26 The cities of the clans of the rest of the Kohathites were ten in all with their pasturelands.
27 (S)And to the Gershonites, one of the clans of the Levites, were given out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with its pasturelands, (T)the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Beeshterah with its pasturelands—two cities; 28 and out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishion with its pasturelands, Daberath with its pasturelands, 29 Jarmuth with its pasturelands, En-gannim with its pasturelands—four cities; 30 and out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with its pasturelands, Abdon with its pasturelands, 31 Helkath with its pasturelands, and Rehob with its pasturelands—four cities; 32 and out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its pasturelands, (U)the city of refuge for the manslayer, Hammoth-dor with its pasturelands, and Kartan with its pasturelands—three cities. 33 The cities of the several clans of the Gershonites were in all thirteen cities with their pasturelands.
34 (V)And to the rest of the Levites, the Merarite clans, were given out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its pasturelands, Kartah with its pasturelands, 35 Dimnah with its pasturelands, Nahalal with its pasturelands—four cities; 36 and out of the tribe of Reuben, (W)Bezer with its pasturelands, Jahaz with its pasturelands, 37 Kedemoth with its pasturelands, and Mephaath with its pasturelands—four cities; 38 and out of the tribe of Gad, (X)Ramoth in Gilead with its pasturelands, the city of refuge for the manslayer, (Y)Mahanaim with its pasturelands, 39 (Z)Heshbon with its pasturelands, Jazer with its pasturelands—four cities in all. 40 As for the cities of the several Merarite clans, that is, the remainder of the clans of the Levites, those allotted to them were in all twelve cities.
41 (AA)The cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the people of Israel were in all forty-eight cities with their pasturelands. 42 These cities each had its pasturelands around it. So it was with all these cities.
43 (AB)Thus the Lord gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there. 44 (AC)And the Lord gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. (AD)Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for (AE)the Lord had given all their enemies into their hands. 45 (AF)Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.
Joshua 21
1599 Geneva Bible
21 3 The cities given to the Levites, 41 in number eight and forty. 44 The Lord according to his promise gave the children of Israel rest.
1 Then came the [a]principal fathers of the Levites unto Eleazar the Priest, and unto Joshua the son of Nun, and unto the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel,
2 And spake unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, (A)The Lord commanded [b]by the hand of Moses, to give us cities to dwell in, with the suburbs thereof for our cattle.
3 So the children of Israel gave unto the Levites, out of their inheritance at the commandment of the Lord these cities with their suburbs.
4 And the lot came out for the families of the [c]Kohathites: and the children of Aaron the Priest, which were of the Levites, had by lot, out of the tribe of Judah, and out of the tribe of Simeon, and out of the tribe of Benjamin [d]thirteen cities.
5 And the rest of the children of Kohath had by lot out of the families of the tribe of Ephraim, and out of the tribe of Dan, and out of the half tribe of Manasseh, ten cities.
6 Also the children of Gershon had by lot out of the families of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the half tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities.
7 The children of Merari according to their families had out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities.
8 So the children of Israel gave by lot unto the Levites these cities with their suburbs, as the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moses.
9 ¶ And they gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these cities which are here named.
10 And they were the children of [e]Aaron being of the families of the Kohathites, and of the sons of Levi, (for theirs was the first lot.)
11 So they gave them Kirjath-arba of the father of Anak (which is Hebron) in the mountain of Judah, with the suburbs of the same round about it.
12 (But the land of the city, and the villages thereof, gave they to (B)Caleb the son of Jephunneh to be his possession.)
13 ¶ Thus they gave to the [f]children of Aaron the Priest, a city of refuge for the slayer, even Hebron with her suburbs, and Libnah with her suburbs,
14 And Jattir with her suburbs, and Eshtemoa, and her suburbs,
15 And Holon with her suburbs, and Debir with her suburbs,
16 And Ain with her suburbs, and Juttah with her suburbs, Beth Shemesh with her suburbs: nine cities out of those two tribes.
17 And out of the tribe of Benjamin they gave Gibeon with her [g]suburbs, Geba with her suburbs,
18 Anathoth with her suburbs, and Almon with her suburbs: four cities.
19 All the cities of the children of Aaron Priests, were thirteen cities with their suburbs.
20 ¶ But to the families of the children of Kohath of the Levites, [h]which were the rest of the children of Kohath (for the cities of their lot were out of the tribe of Ephraim.)
21 They gave them the city of refuge for the slayer, [i]Shechem with her suburbs in mount Ephraim, and Gezer with her suburbs,
22 And Kibzaim with her suburbs, and Beth Horon with her suburbs: four cities.
23 And out of the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh with her suburbs, Gibbethon with her suburbs,
24 Aijalon with her suburbs, Gath Rimmon with her suburbs: four cities.
25 And out of the [j]half tribe of Manasseh, Tanach with her suburbs, and Gath Rimmon with her suburbs: two cities.
26 All the cities for the other families of the children of Kohath were ten with their suburbs.
27 ¶ Also unto the children of Gershon of the families of the Levites, they gave out of the half tribe of Manasseh, the city of refuge for the slayer, [k]Golan in Bashan with her suburbs, and Be Eshterah with her suburbs: two cities.
28 And out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishon with her suburbs, Daberath with her suburbs,
29 Jarmuth with her suburbs, En Gannim with her suburbs: four cities.
30 And out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with her suburbs, Abdon with her suburbs,
31 Helkath with her suburbs, and Rehob with her suburbs: four cities.
32 And out of the tribe of Naphtali, the city of refuge for the slayer, Kedesh in [l]Galilee with her suburbs, and Hammoth Dor with her suburbs, and Kartan with her suburbs: three cities.
33 All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families, were thirteen cities with their suburbs.
34 ¶ Also unto the families of the children of Merari the [m]rest of the Levites, they gave out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with her suburbs, and Kartah with her suburbs,
35 Dimnah with her suburbs, Nahalal with her suburbs: four cities.
36 And out of the tribe of Reuben, [n]Bezer with her suburbs, and Jahaz with her suburbs,
37 Kedemoth with her suburbs, and Mephaath with her suburbs: four cities.
38 And out of the tribe of Gad they gave for a city of refuge for the slayer, Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs, and Mahanaim with her suburbs,
39 Heshbon with her suburbs, and Jazer with her suburbs: four cities in all.
40 So all the cities of the children of Merari according to their families (which were the rest of the families of the Levites) were by their lot, twelve cities.
41 And all the cities of the Levites [o]within the possession of the children of Israel, were eight and forty with their suburbs.
42 These cities lay every one severally with their suburbs round about them: so were all these cities.
43 ¶ So the Lord gave unto Israel all the land, which he had sworn to give unto their fathers: and they possessed it, and dwelt therein.
44 Also the Lord gave them rest round about according to all that he had sworn unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them: for the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand.
45 (C)There failed nothing of all the good things, which the Lord had said unto the house of Israel, but all came to pass.
Footnotes
- Joshua 21:1 Or, the chief of the fathers.
- Joshua 21:2 By Moses, by whose ministry God showed his power.
- Joshua 21:4 He meaneth them that were Priests: for some were but Levites.
- Joshua 21:4 Every tribe gave more or fewer cities according as their inheritance was great or little, Num. 35:8.
- Joshua 21:10 For Aaron came of Kohath, and therefore the Priests’ office remained in that family.
- Joshua 21:13 That is, the Priest of the family of the Kohathites, of whom Aaron was chief.
- Joshua 21:17 The suburbs were a thousand cubits from the wall of the cities round about, Num. 35:4.
- Joshua 21:20 That were not Priests.
- Joshua 21:21 Hebron and Shechem were the two cities of refuge under the Kohathites.
- Joshua 21:25 Which dwelt in Canaan.
- Joshua 21:27 Golan and Kadesh were the cities of refuge under the Gershonites.
- Joshua 21:32 Or, Galilee.
- Joshua 21:34 They are here called the rest, because they are last numbered, and Merari was the younger brother, Gen. 46:11.
- Joshua 21:36 Bezer and Ramoth were the cities of refuge under the Merarites and beyond Jordan, Josh. 20:8.
- Joshua 21:41 Thus according to Jacob’s prophecy they were scattered throughout the country, which God used to this end, that his people might be instructed in the true religion by them.
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