Beginning

Stages in Israel’s Journey

33 Here are the stages in the journey^(A) of the Israelites when they came out of Egypt^(B) by divisions under the leadership of Moses and Aaron.^{(C) 2} At the Lord’s command Moses recorded^(D) the stages in their journey^(E). This is their journey by stages:

⁵⁰ On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho^(AZ) the Lord said to Moses, ⁵¹ “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into Canaan,^{(BA) 52} drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places.^{(BB) 53} Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess.^{(BC) 54} Distribute the land by lot,^(BD) according to your clans.^(BE) To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one.^(BF) Whatever falls to them by lot will be theirs. Distribute it according to your ancestral tribes.^(BG)

⁵⁵ “‘But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns^(BH) in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. ⁵⁶ And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them.^(BI)’”

Boundaries of Canaan

34 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Command the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter Canaan,^(BJ) the land that will be allotted to you as an inheritance^(BK) is to have these boundaries:^(BL)

³ “‘Your southern side will include some of the Desert of Zin^(BM) along the border of Edom. Your southern boundary will start in the east from the southern end of the Dead Sea,^{(BN) 4} cross south of Scorpion Pass,^(BO) continue on to Zin and go south of Kadesh Barnea.^(BP) Then it will go to Hazar Addar and over to Azmon,^{(BQ) 5} where it will turn, join the Wadi of Egypt^(BR) and end at the Mediterranean Sea.

⁶ “‘Your western boundary will be the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.^(BS) This will be your boundary on the west.^(BT)

⁷ “‘For your northern boundary,^(BU) run a line from the Mediterranean Sea to Mount Hor^{(BV) 8} and from Mount Hor to Lebo Hamath.^(BW) Then the boundary will go to Zedad, ⁹ continue to Ziphron and end at Hazar Enan. This will be your boundary on the north.

¹⁰ “‘For your eastern boundary,^(BX) run a line from Hazar Enan to Shepham. ¹¹ The boundary will go down from Shepham to Riblah^(BY) on the east side of Ain^(BZ) and continue along the slopes east of the Sea of Galilee.^{[c](CA) 12} Then the boundary will go down along the Jordan and end at the Dead Sea.

“‘This will be your land, with its boundaries on every side.’”

¹³ Moses commanded the Israelites: “Assign this land by lot^(CB) as an inheritance.^(CC) The Lord has ordered that it be given to the nine and a half tribes, ¹⁴ because the families of the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance.^{(CD) 15} These two and a half tribes have received their inheritance east of the Jordan across from Jericho, toward the sunrise.”

¹⁶ The Lord said to Moses, ¹⁷ “These are the names of the men who are to assign the land for you as an inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua^(CE) son of Nun. ¹⁸ And appoint one leader from each tribe to help^(CF) assign the land.^{(CG) 19} These are their names:^(CH)

²⁹ These are the men the Lord commanded to assign the inheritance to the Israelites in the land of Canaan.^(CQ)