Joshua 18:1-10
The Voice
18 The whole community of Israelites assembled at Shiloh and raised the congregation tent. The region was fully under their control. 2 But there were still seven tribes who had not received their inheritance of land.
Joshua (to the remaining Israelites): 3 How much more time do you intend to waste before going to claim the land the Eternal God of your ancestors is giving to you? 4 Pick three men from every tribe, and I will send them into the land so they can survey the regions in light of your inheritances and bring me back descriptions. 5 They will divide the land into seven sections, between the people of Judah remaining in its territory in the south and the people of Joseph in their places in the north. 6 After you divide the land, return here with the seven descriptions, and I will draw lots so that the Eternal One, our True God, can choose who will inherit what part of it.
7 Remember that the Levites will not receive a share in this apportioning since their inheritance is the priesthood of the Eternal. The tribes of Gad and Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh have already received their inheritance east of the Jordan that Moses, the servant of the Eternal, gave them.
The tribe of Levi is the one exception to this process of allocating land because they have been set aside as priests in service to God. The other tribes will have to take care of Levi so that they may do the work God has given them to do for the entire people.
8 So the chosen men prepared to go, and Joshua repeated his instructions to them.
Joshua: Go into the land and survey it. Keep in mind that we need to divide it into seven sections. When you come back, we will draw lots before the Eternal here in Shiloh to divide the land.
9 The men went out and passed through the land, marking the cities, dividing it into seven parts and recording their findings on a scroll. Then they returned to Joshua at Shiloh, 10 and Joshua drew lots in Shiloh in the presence of the Eternal to divide the land among the remaining Israelites, each getting a share.
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