The Land Divided West of the Jordan

14 These are the areas which the children of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, (A)which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel distributed as an inheritance to them. Their inheritance was (B)by lot, as the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes and the half-tribe. (C)For Moses had given the inheritance of the two tribes and the half-tribe on the other side of the Jordan; but to the Levites he had given no inheritance among them. For (D)the children of Joseph were two tribes: Manasseh and Ephraim. And they gave no part to the Levites in the land, except (E)cities to dwell in, with their common-lands for their livestock and their property. (F)As the Lord had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did; and they divided the land.

Caleb Inherits Hebron

Then the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the (G)Kenizzite said to him: “You know (H)the word which the Lord said to Moses the man of God concerning (I)you and me in Kadesh Barnea. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord (J)sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart. Nevertheless (K)my brethren who went up with me made the [a]heart of the people melt, but I wholly (L)followed the Lord my God. So Moses swore on that day, saying, (M)‘Surely the land (N)where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children’s forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.’ 10 And now, behold, the Lord has kept me (O)alive, (P)as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel [b]wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. 11 (Q)As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both (R)for going out and for coming in. 12 Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how (S)the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. (T)It may be that the Lord will be with me, and (U)I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said.”

13 And Joshua (V)blessed him, (W)and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance. 14 (X)Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he (Y)wholly followed the Lord God of Israel. 15 And (Z)the name of Hebron formerly was Kirjath Arba (Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim).

(AA)Then the land had rest from war.

The Land of Judah

15 So this was the [c]lot of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families:

(AB)The border of Edom at the (AC)Wilderness of Zin southward was the extreme southern boundary. And their (AD)southern border began at the shore of the Salt Sea, from the bay that faces southward. Then it went out to the southern side of (AE)the Ascent of Akrabbim, passed along to Zin, ascended on the south side of Kadesh Barnea, passed along to Hezron, went up to Adar, and went around to Karkaa. From there it passed (AF)toward Azmon and went out to the Brook of Egypt; and the border ended at the sea. This shall be your southern border.

The east border was the Salt Sea as far as the mouth of the Jordan.

And the (AG)border on the northern quarter began at the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan. The border went up to (AH)Beth Hoglah and passed north of Beth Arabah; and the border went up (AI)to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben. Then the border went up toward (AJ)Debir from (AK)the Valley of Achor, and it turned northward toward Gilgal, which is before the Ascent of Adummim, which is on the south side of the valley. The border continued toward the waters of En Shemesh and ended at (AL)En Rogel. And the border went up (AM)by the Valley of the Son of Hinnom to the southern slope of the (AN)Jebusite city (which is Jerusalem). The border went up to the top of the mountain that lies before the Valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the Valley (AO)of [d]Rephaim northward. Then the border went around from the top of the hill to (AP)the fountain of the water of Nephtoah, and extended to the cities of Mount Ephron. And the border went around (AQ)to Baalah (which is (AR)Kirjath Jearim). 10 Then the border [e]turned westward from Baalah to Mount Seir, passed along to the side of Mount Jearim on the north (which is Chesalon), went down to Beth Shemesh, and passed on to (AS)Timnah. 11 And the border went out to the side of (AT)Ekron northward. Then the border went around to Shicron, passed along to Mount Baalah, and extended to Jabneel; and the border ended at the sea.

12 The west border was (AU)the coastline of the Great Sea. This is the boundary of the children of Judah all around according to their families.

Caleb Occupies Hebron and Debir(AV)

13 (AW)Now to Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a share among the children of (AX)Judah, according to the commandment of the Lord to Joshua, namely, (AY)Kirjath Arba, which is Hebron (Arba was the father of Anak). 14 Caleb drove out (AZ)the three sons of Anak from there: (BA)Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak. 15 Then (BB)he went up from there to the inhabitants of Debir (formerly the name of Debir was Kirjath Sepher).

16 (BC)And Caleb said, “He who [f]attacks Kirjath Sepher and takes it, to him I will give Achsah my daughter as wife.” 17 So (BD)Othniel the (BE)son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it; and he gave him (BF)Achsah his daughter as wife. 18 (BG)Now it was so, when she came to him, that she persuaded him to ask her father for a field. So (BH)she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you wish?” 19 She answered, “Give me a (BI)blessing; since you have given me land in the South, give me also springs of water.” So he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

The Cities of Judah

20 This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families:

21 The cities at the limits of the tribe of the children of Judah, toward the border of Edom in the South, were Kabzeel, (BJ)Eder, Jagur, 22 Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, 23 Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, 24 (BK)Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, 25 Hazor, Hadattah, Kerioth, Hezron (which is Hazor), 26 Amam, Shema, Moladah, 27 Hazar Gaddah, Heshmon, Beth Pelet, 28 Hazar Shual, (BL)Beersheba, Bizjothjah, 29 Baalah, Ijim, Ezem, 30 Eltolad, Chesil, (BM)Hormah, 31 (BN)Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, 32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and (BO)Rimmon: all the cities are twenty-nine, with their villages.

33 In the lowland: (BP)Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, 34 Zanoah, En Gannim, Tappuah, Enam, 35 Jarmuth, (BQ)Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, 36 Sharaim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim: fourteen cities with their villages; 37 Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal Gad, 38 Dilean, Mizpah, (BR)Joktheel, 39 (BS)Lachish, Bozkath, (BT)Eglon, 40 Cabbon, [g]Lahmas, Kithlish, 41 Gederoth, Beth Dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah: sixteen cities with their villages; 42 (BU)Libnah, Ether, Ashan, 43 Jiphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, 44 Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah: nine cities with their villages; 45 Ekron, with its towns and villages; 46 from Ekron to the sea, all that lay near (BV)Ashdod, with their villages; 47 Ashdod with its towns and villages, Gaza with its towns and villages—as far as (BW)the Brook of Egypt and (BX)the Great Sea with its coastline.

48 And in the mountain country: Shamir, Jattir, Sochoh, 49 Dannah, Kirjath Sannah (which is Debir), 50 Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, 51 (BY)Goshen, Holon, and Giloh: eleven cities with their villages; 52 Arab, Dumah, Eshean, 53 Janum, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah, 54 Humtah, (BZ)Kirjath Arba (which is Hebron), and Zior: nine cities with their villages; 55 (CA)Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, 56 Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, 57 Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah: ten cities with their villages; 58 Halhul, Beth Zur, Gedor, 59 Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon: six cities with their villages; 60 (CB)Kirjath Baal (which is Kirjath Jearim) and Rabbah: two cities with their villages.

61 In the wilderness: Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah, 62 Nibshan, the City of Salt, and (CC)En Gedi: six cities with their villages.

63 As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, (CD)the children of Judah could not drive them out; (CE)but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.

Ephraim and West Manasseh

16 The lot [h]fell to the children of Joseph from the Jordan, by Jericho, to the waters of Jericho on the east, to the (CF)wilderness that goes up from Jericho through the mountains to [i]Bethel, then went out [j]from (CG)Bethel to Luz, passed along to the border of the Archites at Ataroth, and went down westward to the boundary of the Japhletites, (CH)as far as the boundary of Lower Beth Horon to (CI)Gezer; and [k]it ended at the sea.

(CJ)So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their [l]inheritance.

The Land of Ephraim

(CK)The border of the children of Ephraim, according to their families, was thus: The border of their inheritance on the east side was (CL)Ataroth Addar (CM)as far as Upper Beth Horon.

And the border went out toward the sea on the north side of (CN)Michmethath; then the border went around eastward to Taanath Shiloh, and passed by it on the east of Janohah. Then it went down from Janohah to Ataroth and [m]Naarah, reached to Jericho, and came out at the Jordan.

The border went out from (CO)Tappuah westward to the (CP)Brook Kanah, and [n]it ended at the sea. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim according to their families. (CQ)The separate cities for the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages.

10 (CR)And they did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day and have become forced laborers.

The Other Half-Tribe of Manasseh (West)

17 There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the (CS)firstborn of Joseph: namely for (CT)Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, because he was a man of war; therefore he was given (CU)Gilead and Bashan. And there was a lot for (CV)the rest of the children of Manasseh according to their families: (CW)for the children of [o]Abiezer, the children of Helek, (CX)the children of Asriel, the children of Shechem, (CY)the children of Hepher, and the children of Shemida; these were the male children of Manasseh the son of Joseph according to their families.

But (CZ)Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but only daughters. And these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. And they came near before (DA)Eleazar the priest, before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the rulers, saying, (DB)“The Lord commanded Moses to give us an [p]inheritance among our brothers.” Therefore, according to the commandment of the Lord, he gave them an inheritance among their father’s brothers. Ten shares fell to (DC)Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which were on the other side of the Jordan, because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons; and the rest of Manasseh’s sons had the land of Gilead.

And the territory of Manasseh was from Asher to (DD)Michmethath, that lies east of Shechem; and the border went along south to the inhabitants of En Tappuah. Manasseh had the land of Tappuah, but (DE)Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the children of Ephraim. And the [q]border descended to the [r]Brook Kanah, southward to the brook. (DF)These cities of Ephraim are among the cities of Manasseh. The border of Manasseh was on the north side of the brook; and it ended at the sea.

10 Southward it was Ephraim’s, northward it was Manasseh’s, and the sea was its border. Manasseh’s territory was adjoining Asher on the north and Issachar on the east. 11 And in Issachar and in Asher, (DG)Manasseh had (DH)Beth Shean and its towns, Ibleam and its towns, the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, the inhabitants of En Dor and its towns, the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns—three hilly regions. 12 Yet (DI)the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities, but the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land. 13 And it happened, when the children of Israel grew strong, that they put the Canaanites to (DJ)forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out.

More Land for Ephraim and Manasseh

14 (DK)Then the children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, “Why have you given us only (DL)one [s]lot and one share to inherit, since we are (DM)a great people, inasmuch as the Lord has blessed us until now?”

15 So Joshua answered them, “If you are a great people, then go up to the forest country and clear a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and the giants, since the mountains of Ephraim are too confined for you.”

16 But the children of Joseph said, “The mountain country is not enough for us; and all the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley have (DN)chariots of iron, both those who are of Beth Shean and its towns and those who are (DO)of the Valley of Jezreel.”

17 And Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh—saying, “You are a great people and have great power; you shall not have only one [t]lot, 18 but the mountain country shall be yours. Although it is wooded, you shall cut it down, and its [u]farthest extent shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, (DP)though they have iron chariots and are strong.”

The Remainder of the Land Divided

18 Now the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together (DQ)at Shiloh, and (DR)set up the tabernacle of meeting there. And the land was subdued before them. But there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes which had not yet received their inheritance.

Then Joshua said to the children of Israel: (DS)“How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers has given you? Pick out from among you three men for each tribe, and I will send them; they shall rise and go through the land, survey it according to their inheritance, and come back to me. And they shall divide it into seven parts. (DT)Judah shall remain in their territory on the south, and the (DU)house of Joseph shall remain in their territory on the north. You shall therefore [v]survey the land in seven parts and bring the survey here to me, (DV)that I may cast lots for you here before the Lord our God. (DW)But the Levites have no part among you, for the priesthood of the Lord is their inheritance. (DX)And Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave them.”

Then the men arose to go away; and Joshua charged those who went to [w]survey the land, saying, “Go, walk (DY)through the land, survey it, and come back to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the Lord in Shiloh.” So the men went, passed through the land, and [x]wrote the survey in a book in seven parts by cities; and they came to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh. 10 Then Joshua cast (DZ)lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord, and there (EA)Joshua divided the land to the children of Israel according to their [y]divisions.

The Land of Benjamin

11 (EB)Now the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families, and the territory of their lot came out between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph. 12 (EC)Their border on the north side began at the Jordan, and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north, and went up through the mountains westward; it ended at the Wilderness of Beth Aven. 13 The border went over from there toward Luz, to the side of Luz (ED)(which is Bethel) southward; and the border descended to Ataroth Addar, near the hill that lies on the south side (EE)of Lower Beth Horon.

14 Then the border extended around the west side to the south, from the hill that lies before Beth Horon southward; and [z]it ended at (EF)Kirjath Baal (which is Kirjath Jearim), a city of the children of Judah. This was the west side.

15 The south side began at the end of Kirjath Jearim, and the border extended on the west and went out to (EG)the spring of the waters of Nephtoah. 16 Then the border came down to the end of the mountain that lies before (EH)the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, which is in the Valley of the [aa]Rephaim on the north, descended to the Valley of Hinnom, to the side of the Jebusite city on the south, and descended to (EI)En Rogel. 17 And it went around from the north, went out to En Shemesh, and extended toward Geliloth, which is before the Ascent of Adummim, and descended to (EJ)the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben. 18 Then it passed along toward the north side of [ab]Arabah, and went down to Arabah. 19 And the border passed along to the north side of Beth Hoglah; then [ac]the border ended at the north bay at the (EK)Salt Sea, at the south end of the Jordan. This was the southern boundary.

20 The Jordan was its border on the east side. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, according to its boundaries all around, according to their families.

21 Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, according to their families, were Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz, 22 Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, 23 Avim, Parah, Ophrah, 24 Chephar Haammoni, Ophni, and Gaba: twelve cities with their villages; 25 (EL)Gibeon, (EM)Ramah, Beeroth, 26 Mizpah, Chephirah, Mozah, 27 Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, 28 Zelah, Eleph, (EN)Jebus (which is Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kirjath: fourteen cities with their villages. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.

Simeon’s Inheritance with Judah

19 The (EO)second lot came out for Simeon, for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families. (EP)And their inheritance was within the inheritance of the children of Judah. (EQ)They had in their inheritance Beersheba (Sheba), Moladah, Hazar Shual, Balah, Ezem, Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susah, Beth Lebaoth, and Sharuhen: thirteen cities and their villages; Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan: four cities and their villages; and all the villages that were all around these cities as far as Baalath Beer, (ER)Ramah of the South. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families.

The inheritance of the children of Simeon was included in the share of the children of Judah, for the share of the children of Judah was [ad]too much for them. (ES)Therefore the children of Simeon had their inheritance within the inheritance of [ae]that people.

The Land of Zebulun

10 The third lot came out for the children of Zebulun according to their families, and the border of their inheritance was as far as Sarid. 11 (ET)Their border went toward the west and to Maralah, went to Dabbasheth, and extended along the brook that is (EU)east of Jokneam. 12 Then from Sarid it went eastward toward the sunrise along the border of Chisloth Tabor, and went out toward (EV)Daberath, bypassing Japhia. 13 And from there it passed along on the east of (EW)Gath Hepher, toward Eth Kazin, and extended to Rimmon, which borders on Neah. 14 Then the border went around it on the north side of Hannathon, and [af]it ended in the Valley of Jiphthah El. 15 Included were Kattath, Nahallal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem: twelve cities with their villages. 16 This was the inheritance of the children of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their villages.

The Land of Issachar

17 The fourth lot came out to Issachar, for the children of Issachar according to their families. 18 And their territory went to Jezreel, and included Chesulloth, Shunem, 19 Haphraim, Shion, Anaharath, 20 Rabbith, Kishion, Abez, 21 Remeth, En Gannim, En Haddah, and Beth Pazzez. 22 And the border reached to Tabor, Shahazimah, and (EX)Beth Shemesh; their border ended at the Jordan: sixteen cities with their villages. 23 This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Issachar according to their families, the cities and their villages.

The Land of Asher

24 (EY)The fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families. 25 And their territory included Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph, 26 Alammelech, Amad, and Mishal; it reached to (EZ)Mount Carmel westward, along the Brook Shihor Libnath. 27 It turned toward the sunrise to Beth Dagon; and it reached to Zebulun and to the Valley of Jiphthah El, then northward beyond Beth Emek and Neiel, bypassing (FA)Cabul which was on the left, 28 including [ag]Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, and Kanah, (FB)as far as Greater Sidon. 29 And the border turned to Ramah and to the fortified city of Tyre; then the border turned to Hosah, and ended at the sea by the region of (FC)Achzib. 30 Also Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob were included: twenty-two cities with their villages. 31 This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families, these cities with their villages.

The Land of Naphtali

32 (FD)The sixth lot came out to the children of Naphtali, for the children of Naphtali according to their families. 33 And their border began at Heleph, enclosing the territory from the terebinth tree in Zaanannim, Adami Nekeb, and Jabneel, as far as Lakkum; [ah]it ended at the Jordan. 34 (FE)From Heleph the border extended westward to Aznoth Tabor, and went out from there toward Hukkok; it adjoined Zebulun on the south side and Asher on the west side, and ended at Judah by the Jordan toward the sunrise. 35 And the fortified cities are Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth, 36 Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, 37 (FF)Kedesh, Edrei, En Hazor, 38 Iron, Migdal El, Horem, Beth Anath, and Beth Shemesh: nineteen cities with their villages. 39 This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Naphtali according to their families, the cities and their villages.

The Land of Dan

40 (FG)The seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families. 41 And the territory of their inheritance was Zorah, (FH)Eshtaol, Ir Shemesh, 42 (FI)Shaalabbin, (FJ)Aijalon, Jethlah, 43 Elon, Timnah, (FK)Ekron, 44 Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, 45 Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon, 46 Me Jarkon, and Rakkon, with the region [ai]near [aj]Joppa. 47 And the (FL)border of the children of Dan went beyond these, because the children of Dan went up to fight against Leshem and took it; and they struck it with the edge of the sword, took possession of it, and dwelt in it. They called Leshem, (FM)Dan, after the name of Dan their father. 48 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages.

Joshua’s Inheritance

49 When they had [ak]made an end of dividing the land as an inheritance according to their borders, the children of Israel gave an inheritance among them to Joshua the son of Nun. 50 According to the word of the Lord they gave him the city which he asked for, (FN)Timnath (FO)Serah in the mountains of Ephraim; and he built the city and dwelt in it.

51 (FP)These were the inheritances which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel divided as an inheritance by lot (FQ)in Shiloh before the Lord, at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. So they made an end of dividing the country.

The Cities of Refuge(FR)

20 The Lord also spoke to Joshua, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: (FS)‘Appoint[al] for yourselves cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses, that the slayer who kills a person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there; and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. And when he flees to one of those cities, and stands at the entrance of the gate of the city, and [am]declares his case in the hearing of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city as one of them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them. (FT)Then if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not deliver the slayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unintentionally, but did not hate him beforehand. And he shall dwell in that city (FU)until he stands before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the one who is high priest in those days. Then the slayer may return and come to his own city and his own house, to the city from which he fled.’ ”

So they appointed (FV)Kedesh in Galilee, in the mountains of Naphtali, (FW)Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and (FX)Kirjath Arba (which is Hebron) in (FY)the mountains of Judah. And on the other side of the Jordan, by Jericho eastward, they assigned (FZ)Bezer in the wilderness on the plain, from the tribe of Reuben, (GA)Ramoth in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and (GB)Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manasseh. (GC)These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel and for the stranger who [an]dwelt among them, that whoever killed a person accidentally might flee there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood (GD)until he stood before the congregation.

Cities of the Levites(GE)

21 Then the heads of the fathers’ houses of the (GF)Levites came near to (GG)Eleazar the priest, to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the children of Israel. And they spoke to them at (GH)Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, (GI)“The Lord commanded through Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with their common-lands for our livestock.” So the children of Israel gave to the Levites from their inheritance, at the commandment of the Lord, these cities and their common-lands:

Now the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. And (GJ)the children of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, (GK)had thirteen cities by lot from the tribe of Judah, from the tribe of Simeon, and from the tribe of Benjamin. (GL)The rest of the children of Kohath had ten cities by lot from the families of the tribe of Ephraim, from the tribe of Dan, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh.

And (GM)the children of Gershon had thirteen cities by lot from the families of the tribe of Issachar, from the tribe of Asher, from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

(GN)The children of Merari according to their families had twelve cities from the tribe of Reuben, from the tribe of Gad, and from the tribe of Zebulun.

(GO)And the children of Israel gave these cities with their common-lands by lot to the Levites, (GP)as the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moses.

So they gave from the tribe of the children of Judah and from the tribe of the children of Simeon these cities which are [ao]designated by name, 10 which were for the children of Aaron, one of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi; for the lot was theirs first. 11 (GQ)And they gave them [ap]Kirjath Arba (Arba was the father of (GR)Anak), (GS)which is Hebron, in the mountains of Judah, with the common-land surrounding it. 12 But (GT)the fields of the city and its villages they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as his possession.

13 Thus (GU)to the children of Aaron the priest they gave (GV)Hebron with its common-land (a city of refuge for the slayer), (GW)Libnah with its common-land, 14 (GX)Jattir with its common-land, (GY)Eshtemoa with its common-land, 15 (GZ)Holon with its common-land, (HA)Debir with its common-land, 16 (HB)Ain with its common-land, (HC)Juttah with its common-land, and (HD)Beth Shemesh with its common-land: nine cities from those two tribes; 17 and from the tribe of Benjamin, (HE)Gibeon with its common-land, (HF)Geba with its common-land, 18 Anathoth with its common-land, and (HG)Almon with its common-land: four cities. 19 All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their common-lands.

20 (HH)And the families of the children of Kohath, the Levites, the rest of the children of Kohath, even they had the cities of their [aq]lot from the tribe of Ephraim. 21 For they gave them (HI)Shechem with its common-land in the mountains of Ephraim (a city of refuge for the slayer), (HJ)Gezer with its common-land, 22 Kibzaim with its common-land, and Beth Horon with its common-land: four cities; 23 and from the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh with its common-land, Gibbethon with its common-land, 24 (HK)Aijalon with its common-land, and Gath Rimmon with its common-land: four cities; 25 and from the half-tribe of Manasseh, Tanach with its common-land and Gath Rimmon with its common-land: two cities. 26 All the ten cities with their common-lands were for the rest of the families of the children of Kohath.

27 (HL)Also to the children of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, from the other half-tribe of Manasseh, they gave (HM)Golan in Bashan with its common-land (a city of refuge for the slayer), and Be Eshterah with its common-land: two cities; 28 and from the tribe of Issachar, Kishion with its common-land, Daberath with its common-land, 29 Jarmuth with its common-land, and En Gannim with its common-land: four cities; 30 and from the tribe of Asher, Mishal with its common-land, Abdon with its common-land, 31 Helkath with its common-land, and Rehob with its common-land: four cities; 32 and from the tribe of Naphtali, (HN)Kedesh in Galilee with its common-land (a city of refuge for the slayer), Hammoth Dor with its common-land, and Kartan with its common-land: three cities. 33 All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their common-lands.

34 (HO)And to the families of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, from the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its common-land, Kartah with its common-land, 35 Dimnah with its common-land, and Nahalal with its common-land: four cities; 36 [ar]and from the tribe of Reuben, (HP)Bezer with its common-land, Jahaz with its common-land, 37 Kedemoth with its common-land, and Mephaath with its common-land: four cities; 38 and from the tribe of Gad, (HQ)Ramoth in Gilead with its common-land (a city of refuge for the slayer), Mahanaim with its common-land, 39 Heshbon with its common-land, and Jazer with its common-land: four cities in all. 40 So all the cities for the children of Merari according to their families, the rest of the families of the Levites, were by their lot twelve cities.

41 (HR)All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the children of Israel were forty-eight cities with their common-lands. 42 Every one of these cities had its common-land surrounding it; thus were all these cities.

The Promise Fulfilled

43 So the Lord gave to Israel (HS)all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they (HT)took possession of it and dwelt in it. 44 (HU)The Lord gave them (HV)rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And (HW)not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand. 45 (HX)Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.

Eastern Tribes Return to Their Lands

22 Then Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, and said to them: “You have kept (HY)all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, (HZ)and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you. You have not [as]left your brethren these many days, up to this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the Lord your God. And now the Lord your God has given (IA)rest to your brethren, as He promised them; now therefore, return and go to your tents and to the land of your possession, (IB)which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan. But (IC)take[at] careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, (ID)to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” So Joshua (IE)blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.

Now to half the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, (IF)but to the other half of it Joshua gave a possession among their brethren on this side of the Jordan, westward. And indeed, when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed them, and spoke to them, saying, “Return with much riches to your tents, with very much livestock, with silver, with gold, with bronze, with iron, and with very much clothing. (IG)Divide the [au]spoil of your enemies with your brethren.”

So the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to (IH)the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, which they had obtained according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

An Altar by the Jordan

10 And when they came to the region of the Jordan which is in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan—a great, impressive altar. 11 Now the children of Israel (II)heard someone say, “Behold, the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh have built an altar on the [av]frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region of the Jordan—on the children of Israel’s side.” 12 And when the children of Israel heard of it, (IJ)the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered together at Shiloh to go to war against them.

13 Then the children of Israel (IK)sent (IL)Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest to the children of Reuben, to the children of Gad, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, 14 and with him ten rulers, one ruler each from the chief house of every tribe of Israel; and (IM)each one was the head of the house of his father among the [aw]divisions of Israel. 15 Then they came to the children of Reuben, to the children of Gad, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them, saying, 16 “Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord: ‘What (IN)treachery[ax] is this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the Lord, in that you have built for yourselves an altar, (IO)that you might rebel this day against the Lord? 17 Is the iniquity (IP)of Peor not enough for us, from which we are not cleansed till this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the Lord, 18 but that you must turn away this day from following the Lord? And it shall be, if you rebel today against the Lord, that tomorrow (IQ)He will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel. 19 [ay]Nevertheless, if the land of your possession is unclean, then cross over to the land of the possession of the Lord, (IR)where the Lord’s tabernacle stands, and take possession among us; but do not rebel against the Lord, nor rebel against us, by building yourselves an altar besides the altar of the Lord our God. 20 (IS)Did not Achan the son of Zerah [az]commit a trespass in the [ba]accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? And that man did not perish alone in his iniquity.’ ”

21 Then the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh answered and said to the heads of the [bb]divisions of Israel: 22 “The Lord (IT)God of gods, the Lord God of gods, He (IU)knows, and let Israel itself know—if it is in rebellion, or if in treachery against the Lord, do not save us this day. 23 If we have built ourselves an altar to turn from following the Lord, or if to offer on it burnt offerings or grain offerings, or if to offer peace offerings on it, let the Lord Himself (IV)require an account. 24 But in fact we have done it [bc]for fear, for a reason, saying, ‘In time to come your descendants may speak to our descendants, saying, “What have you to do with the Lord God of Israel? 25 For the Lord has made the Jordan a border between you and us, you children of Reuben and children of Gad. You have no part in the Lord.” So your descendants would make our descendants cease fearing the Lord.’ 26 Therefore we said, ‘Let us now prepare to build ourselves an altar, not for burnt offering nor for sacrifice, 27 but that it may be (IW)a [bd]witness between you and us and our generations after us, that we may (IX)perform the service of the Lord before Him with our burnt offerings, with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your descendants may not say to our descendants in time to come, “You have no part in the Lord.” ’ 28 Therefore we said that it will be, when they say this to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say, ‘Here is the replica of the altar of the Lord which our fathers made, though not for burnt offerings nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between you and us.’ 29 Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord, and turn from following the Lord this day, (IY)to build an altar for burnt offerings, for grain offerings, or for sacrifices, besides the altar of the Lord our God which is before His tabernacle.”

30 Now when Phinehas the priest and the rulers of the congregation, the heads of the [be]divisions of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and the children of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them. 31 Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and the children of Manasseh, “This day we perceive that the Lord is (IZ)among us, because you have not committed this treachery against the Lord. Now you have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the Lord.”

32 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the rulers, returned from the children of Reuben and the children of Gad, from the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought back word to them. 33 So the thing pleased the children of Israel, and the children of Israel (JA)blessed God; they spoke no more of going against them in battle, to destroy the land where the children of Reuben and Gad dwelt.

34 The children of Reuben and the children of [bf]Gad called the altar, Witness, “For it is a witness between us that the Lord is God.”

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 14:8 courage of the people fail
  2. Joshua 14:10 Lit. walked
  3. Joshua 15:1 allotment
  4. Joshua 15:8 Lit. Giants
  5. Joshua 15:10 turned around
  6. Joshua 15:16 Lit. strikes
  7. Joshua 15:40 Or Lahmam
  8. Joshua 16:1 Lit. went out
  9. Joshua 16:1 LXX Bethel Luz
  10. Joshua 16:2 LXX to Bethel,
  11. Joshua 16:3 Lit. the goings out of it were at the sea
  12. Joshua 16:4 possession
  13. Joshua 16:7 Naaran, 1 Chr. 7:28
  14. Joshua 16:8 Lit. the goings out of it were at the sea
  15. Joshua 17:2 Jeezer, Num. 26:30
  16. Joshua 17:4 possession
  17. Joshua 17:9 boundary
  18. Joshua 17:9 Wadi
  19. Joshua 17:14 allotment
  20. Joshua 17:17 allotment
  21. Joshua 17:18 Lit. goings out
  22. Joshua 18:6 describe in writing
  23. Joshua 18:8 describe in writing
  24. Joshua 18:9 described it in writing
  25. Joshua 18:10 portions
  26. Joshua 18:14 Lit. its goings out were
  27. Joshua 18:16 Lit. Giants
  28. Joshua 18:18 Beth Arabah, Josh. 15:6; 18:22
  29. Joshua 18:19 Lit. the goings out of the border were
  30. Joshua 19:9 too large
  31. Joshua 19:9 Lit. them
  32. Joshua 19:14 Lit. the goings out of it were
  33. Joshua 19:28 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; a few Heb. mss. Abdon (cf. 21:30 and 1 Chr. 6:74)
  34. Joshua 19:33 Lit. its goings out were
  35. Joshua 19:46 over against
  36. Joshua 19:46 Heb. Japho
  37. Joshua 19:49 finished
  38. Joshua 20:2 Designate
  39. Joshua 20:4 states
  40. Joshua 20:9 As a resident alien
  41. Joshua 21:9 Lit. called
  42. Joshua 21:11 Lit. City of Arba
  43. Joshua 21:20 allotment
  44. Joshua 21:36 So with LXX, Vg. (cf. 1 Chr. 6:78, 79); MT, Bg., Tg. omit vv. 36, 37
  45. Joshua 22:3 forsaken
  46. Joshua 22:5 be very careful to do
  47. Joshua 22:8 plunder
  48. Joshua 22:11 Lit. front
  49. Joshua 22:14 Lit. thousands
  50. Joshua 22:16 unfaithful act
  51. Joshua 22:19 However
  52. Joshua 22:20 act unfaithfully
  53. Joshua 22:20 devoted thing
  54. Joshua 22:21 Lit. thousands
  55. Joshua 22:24 Lit. from fear
  56. Joshua 22:27 testimony
  57. Joshua 22:30 Lit. thousands
  58. Joshua 22:34 LXX adds and half the tribe of Manasseh

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