The Inheritance for Benjamin

11 The lot of the tribe of the people of Benjamin according to its clans came up, and the territory allotted to it fell between the people of Judah and the people of Joseph. 12 (A)On the north side their boundary began at the Jordan. (B)Then the boundary goes up to the shoulder north of Jericho, then up through the hill country westward, and it ends at the wilderness of (C)Beth-aven. 13 From there the boundary passes along southward in the direction of Luz, to the shoulder of (D)Luz (that is, Bethel), then the boundary goes down to (E)Ataroth-addar, on the mountain that lies south of Lower (F)Beth-horon. 14 Then the boundary goes in another direction, turning on the (G)western side southward from the mountain that lies to the south, opposite Beth-horon, and it ends at Kiriath-baal ((H)that is, Kiriath-jearim), a city belonging to the people of Judah. This forms the western side. 15 And the southern side begins at the outskirts of Kiriath-jearim. And the boundary goes from there to Ephron,[a] (I)to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah. 16 Then the boundary goes down to the border of the mountain that overlooks (J)the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, which is at the north end of the Valley of (K)Rephaim. And it then goes down the (L)Valley of Hinnom, south of the shoulder of the Jebusites, and downward to (M)En-rogel. 17 Then it bends in a northerly direction going on to En-shemesh, and from there goes to Geliloth, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim. Then it goes down to (N)the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben, 18 and passing on to the north of (O)the shoulder of Beth-arabah[b] it goes down to (P)the Arabah. 19 Then the boundary passes on to the north of the shoulder of (Q)Beth-hoglah. And the boundary ends at the northern bay of (R)the Salt Sea, at the south end of the Jordan: this is the southern border. 20 The Jordan forms its boundary on the eastern side. This is the inheritance of the people of Benjamin, according to their clans, boundary by boundary all around.

21 Now the cities of the tribe of the people of Benjamin according to their clans were (S)Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz, 22 Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, 23 Avvim, Parah, Ophrah, 24 Chephar-ammoni, Ophni, Geba—twelve cities with their villages: 25 Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, 26 Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah, 27 Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, 28 Zela, Haeleph, (T)Jebus[c] (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah[d] and Kiriath-jearim[e]—fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the people of Benjamin according to its clans.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 18:15 See 15:9; Hebrew westward
  2. Joshua 18:18 Septuagint; Hebrew to the shoulder over against the Arabah
  3. Joshua 18:28 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew the Jebusite
  4. Joshua 18:28 Hebrew Gibeath
  5. Joshua 18:28 Septuagint; Hebrew Kiriath

Allotment for Benjamin

11 The first lot came up for the tribe of Benjamin according to its clans. Their allotted territory lay between the tribes of Judah and Joseph:

12 On the north side their boundary began at the Jordan, passed the northern slope of Jericho and headed west into the hill country, coming out at the wilderness(A) of Beth Aven.(B) 13 From there it crossed to the south slope of Luz(C) (that is, Bethel(D)) and went down to Ataroth Addar(E) on the hill south of Lower Beth Horon.

14 From the hill facing Beth Horon(F) on the south the boundary turned south along the western side and came out at Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim),(G) a town of the people of Judah. This was the western side.

15 The southern side began at the outskirts of Kiriath Jearim on the west, and the boundary came out at the spring of the waters of Nephtoah.(H) 16 The boundary went down to the foot of the hill facing the Valley of Ben Hinnom, north of the Valley of Rephaim.(I) It continued down the Hinnom Valley(J) along the southern slope of the Jebusite city and so to En Rogel.(K) 17 It then curved north, went to En Shemesh, continued to Geliloth,(L) which faces the Pass of Adummim,(M) and ran down to the Stone of Bohan(N) son of Reuben. 18 It continued to the northern slope of Beth Arabah[a](O) and on down into the Arabah.(P) 19 It then went to the northern slope of Beth Hoglah(Q) and came out at the northern bay of the Dead Sea,(R) at the mouth of the Jordan in the south. This was the southern boundary.

20 The Jordan formed the boundary on the eastern side.

These were the boundaries that marked out the inheritance of the clans of Benjamin on all sides.(S)

21 The tribe of Benjamin, according to its clans, had the following towns:

Jericho, Beth Hoglah,(T) Emek Keziz, 22 Beth Arabah,(U) Zemaraim,(V) Bethel,(W) 23 Avvim,(X) Parah, Ophrah,(Y) 24 Kephar Ammoni, Ophni and Geba(Z)—twelve towns and their villages.

25 Gibeon,(AA) Ramah,(AB) Beeroth,(AC) 26 Mizpah,(AD) Kephirah,(AE) Mozah, 27 Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, 28 Zelah,(AF) Haeleph, the Jebusite city(AG) (that is, Jerusalem(AH)), Gibeah(AI) and Kiriath—fourteen towns and their villages.(AJ)

This was the inheritance of Benjamin for its clans.(AK)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 18:18 Septuagint; Hebrew slope facing the Arabah