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34 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Command the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you come into the land of Canaan (this is the land that shall fall to you for an inheritance, even the land of Canaan according to its borders), then your south quarter shall be from the wilderness of Zin along by the side of Edom, and your south border shall be from the end of the Salt Sea eastward. Your border shall turn about southward of the ascent of Akrabbim, and pass along to Zin; and it shall pass southward of Kadesh Barnea; and it shall go from there to Hazar Addar, and pass along to Azmon. The border shall turn about from Azmon to the brook of Egypt, and it shall end at the sea.

“‘For the western border, you shall have the great sea and its border. This shall be your west border.

“‘This shall be your north border: from the great sea you shall mark out for yourselves Mount Hor. From Mount Hor you shall mark out to the entrance of Hamath; and the border shall pass by Zedad. Then the border shall go to Ziphron, and it shall end at Hazar Enan. This shall be your north border.

10 “‘You shall mark out your east border from Hazar Enan to Shepham. 11 The border shall go down from Shepham to Riblah, on the east side of Ain. The border shall go down, and shall reach to the side of the sea of Chinnereth eastward. 12 The border shall go down to the Jordan, and end at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land according to its borders around it.’”

13 Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, “This is the land which you shall inherit by lot, which Yahweh has commanded to give to the nine tribes, and to the half-tribe; 14 for the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their fathers’ houses, the tribe of the children of Gad according to their fathers’ houses, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance. 15 The two tribes and the half-tribe have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, toward the sunrise.”

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Boundaries of the Land

34 The Lord told Moses, “Issue these orders to the Israelis: ‘You’re about to enter the land of Canaan. This territory has been apportioned to you as your inheritance: the entire land of Canaan, all the way to its borders.’”

The Southern Border of Israel

“‘To your south is the Wilderness of Zin, bordering Edom. Your southern border is to extend east toward the far end of the Dead[a] Sea, then it is to turn southward to the ascent of Akrabbim, cross Zin, and then run south of Kadesh-barnea and proceed from there to Hazar-addar and across to Azmon. Then the border is to turn from Azmon toward the wadi[b] of Egypt and from there to the Mediterranean[c] Sea.’”

The Western Border of Israel

“‘The western[d] border is to be the Mediterranean[e] Sea. This is to be the western border.’”

The Northern Border of Israel

“‘Your northern border is to extend from the Mediterranean Sea to Mount Hor. From Mount Hor, you are to mark out the entrance to Hammath, with the border running through Zedad, then through Ziphron, and then to Hazar-enan. This is to be the northern border.’”

The Eastern Border of Israel

10 “‘You are to mark the border on the east from Hazar-enan to Shepham. 11 The border is then to extend from Shepham to Riblah, on the east side of Ain, then to the Sea of Chinnereth[f] on the east. 12 The border is to continue along the Jordan River all the way to the Dead Sea. This is to be your land, as measured by its boundaries.’”

Assigning Tribal Responsibilities

13 Moses commanded the Israelis, “You are to inherit this land by lot, just as the Lord commanded to give it to the remaining[g] nine and a half tribes. 14 The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, as defined by their ancestral houses, have received their inheritance. 15 These two and a half tribes received their inheritance this side of the Jordan River, east of Jericho, facing the rising sun.”

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 34:3 Lit. Salt; and so in 34:12
  2. Numbers 34:5 I.e. a seasonal stream or river that channels water during rain seasons but is dry at other times
  3. Numbers 34:5 The Heb. lacks Mediterranean
  4. Numbers 34:6 Lit. sea
  5. Numbers 34:6 Lit. Great; and so throughout the chapter
  6. Numbers 34:11 I.e. the Sea of Galilee
  7. Numbers 34:13 The Heb. lacks remaining