Numbers 34International Children’s Bible (ICB)

The Borders of Canaan

34 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Give this command to the people of Israel: ‘You will soon enter Canaan. It will be yours. These shall be the borders. ³ On the south you will get part of the Desert of Zin. This is near the border of Edom. On the east side your southern border will start at the south end of the Dead Sea. ⁴ It will cross south of Scorpion Pass. It will go through the Desert of Zin and south of Kadesh Barnea. Then it will go to Hazar Addar and over to Azmon. ⁵ From Azmon it will go to the brook of Egypt. It will end at the Mediterranean Sea.

⁶ “‘Your western border will be the Mediterranean Sea.

⁷ “‘Your northern border will begin at the Mediterranean Sea and go to Mount Hor. ⁸ From Mount Hor it will go to Lebo Hamath. Then it will go to Zedad. ⁹ Then the border will go to Ziphron and end at Hazar Enan. This will be your northern border.

¹⁰ “‘Your eastern border will begin at Hazar Enan and go to Shepham. ¹¹ From Shepham the border will go east of Ain to Riblah. It will go along the hills east of Lake Galilee. ¹² Then the border will go down along the Jordan River. It will end at the Dead Sea.

“‘These are the borders around your country.’”

¹³ So Moses gave this command to the Israelites: “This is the land you will receive. Throw lots to divide it among the nine and a half tribes. The Lord commanded that it should be theirs. ¹⁴ The tribes of Reuben and Gad and the eastern half-tribe of Manasseh have already received their land. ¹⁵ These two and a half tribes received land east of the Jordan River. It is across from Jericho.”

¹⁶ Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹⁷ “These are the men who will divide the land: Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun. ¹⁸ Also take one leader from each tribe. They will divide the land. ¹⁹ These are the names of the leaders: from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh; ²⁰ from the tribe of Simeon, Shemuel son of Ammihud; ²¹ from the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad son of Kislon; ²² from the tribe of Dan, Bukki son of Jogli; ²³ from the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph, Hanniel son of Ephod; ²⁴ from the tribe of Ephraim son of Joseph, Kemuel son of Shiphtan; ²⁵ from the tribe of Zebulun, Elizaphan son of Parnach; ²⁶ from the tribe of Issachar, Paltiel son of Azzan; ²⁷ from the tribe of Asher, Ahihud son of Shelomi; ²⁸ from the tribe of Naphtali, Pedahel son of Ammihud.”

²⁹ The Lord commanded these men to divide the land of Canaan among the Israelites.