Font Size
Joshua 13-19
New Living Translation
Joshua 13-19
New Living Translation
The Land Yet to Be Conquered
13 When Joshua was an old man, the Lord said to him, “You are growing old, and much land remains to be conquered. 2 This is the territory that remains: all the regions of the Philistines and the Geshurites, 3 and the larger territory of the Canaanites, extending from the stream of Shihor on the border of Egypt, northward to the boundary of Ekron. It includes the territory of the five Philistine rulers of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. The land of the Avvites 4 in the south also remains to be conquered. In the north, the following area has not yet been conquered: all the land of the Canaanites, including Mearah (which belongs to the Sidonians), stretching northward to Aphek on the border of the Amorites; 5 the land of the Gebalites and all of the Lebanon mountain area to the east, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo-hamath; 6 and all the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim, including all the land of the Sidonians.
“I myself will drive these people out of the land ahead of the Israelites. So be sure to give this land to Israel as a special possession, just as I have commanded you. 7 Include all this territory as Israel’s possession when you divide this land among the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”
The Land Divided East of the Jordan
8 Half the tribe of Manasseh and the tribes of Reuben and Gad had already received their grants of land on the east side of the Jordan, for Moses, the servant of the Lord, had previously assigned this land to them.
9 Their territory extended from Aroer on the edge of the Arnon Gorge (including the town in the middle of the gorge) to the plain beyond Medeba, as far as Dibon. 10 It also included all the towns of King Sihon of the Amorites, who had reigned in Heshbon, and extended as far as the borders of Ammon. 11 It included Gilead, the territory of the kingdoms of Geshur and Maacah, all of Mount Hermon, all of Bashan as far as Salecah, 12 and all the territory of King Og of Bashan, who had reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei. King Og was the last of the Rephaites, for Moses had attacked them and driven them out. 13 But the Israelites failed to drive out the people of Geshur and Maacah, so they continue to live among the Israelites to this day.
An Allotment for the Tribe of Levi
14 Moses did not assign any allotment of land to the tribe of Levi. Instead, as the Lord had promised them, their allotment came from the offerings burned on the altar to the Lord, the God of Israel.
The Land Given to the Tribe of Reuben
15 Moses had assigned the following area to the clans of the tribe of Reuben.
16 Their territory extended from Aroer on the edge of the Arnon Gorge (including the town in the middle of the gorge) to the plain beyond Medeba. 17 It included Heshbon and the other towns on the plain—Dibon, Bamoth-baal, Beth-baal-meon, 18 Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, 19 Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth-shahar on the hill above the valley, 20 Beth-peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth-jeshimoth.
21 The land of Reuben also included all the towns of the plain and the entire kingdom of Sihon. Sihon was the Amorite king who had reigned in Heshbon and was killed by Moses along with the leaders of Midian—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba—princes living in the region who were allied with Sihon. 22 The Israelites had also killed Balaam son of Beor, who used magic to tell the future. 23 The Jordan River marked the western boundary for the tribe of Reuben. The towns and their surrounding villages in this area were given as a homeland to the clans of the tribe of Reuben.
The Land Given to the Tribe of Gad
24 Moses had assigned the following area to the clans of the tribe of Gad.
25 Their territory included Jazer, all the towns of Gilead, and half of the land of Ammon, as far as the town of Aroer just west of[a] Rabbah. 26 It extended from Heshbon to Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the territory of Lo-debar.[b] 27 In the valley were Beth-haram, Beth-nimrah, Succoth, Zaphon, and the rest of the kingdom of King Sihon of Heshbon. The western boundary ran along the Jordan River, extended as far north as the tip of the Sea of Galilee,[c] and then turned eastward. 28 The towns and their surrounding villages in this area were given as a homeland to the clans of the tribe of Gad.
The Land Given to the Half-Tribe of Manasseh
29 Moses had assigned the following area to the clans of the half-tribe of Manasseh.
30 Their territory extended from Mahanaim, including all of Bashan, all the former kingdom of King Og, and the sixty towns of Jair in Bashan. 31 It also included half of Gilead and King Og’s royal cities of Ashtaroth and Edrei. All this was given to the clans of the descendants of Makir, who was Manasseh’s son.
32 These are the allotments Moses had made while he was on the plains of Moab, across the Jordan River, east of Jericho. 33 But Moses gave no allotment of land to the tribe of Levi, for the Lord, the God of Israel, had promised that he himself would be their allotment.
The Land Divided West of the Jordan
14 The remaining tribes of Israel received land in Canaan as allotted by Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the tribal leaders. 2 These nine and a half tribes received their grants of land by means of sacred lots, in accordance with the Lord’s command through Moses. 3 Moses had already given a grant of land to the two and a half tribes on the east side of the Jordan River, but he had given the Levites no such allotment. 4 The descendants of Joseph had become two separate tribes—Manasseh and Ephraim. And the Levites were given no land at all, only towns to live in with surrounding pasturelands for their livestock and all their possessions. 5 So the land was distributed in strict accordance with the Lord’s commands to Moses.
Caleb Requests His Land
6 A delegation from the tribe of Judah, led by Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, came to Joshua at Gilgal. Caleb said to Joshua, “Remember what the Lord said to Moses, the man of God, about you and me when we were at Kadesh-barnea. 7 I was forty years old when Moses, the servant of the Lord, sent me from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land of Canaan. I returned and gave an honest report, 8 but my brothers who went with me frightened the people from entering the Promised Land. For my part, I wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God. 9 So that day Moses solemnly promised me, ‘The land of Canaan on which you were just walking will be your grant of land and that of your descendants forever, because you wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God.’
10 “Now, as you can see, the Lord has kept me alive and well as he promised for all these forty-five years since Moses made this promise—even while Israel wandered in the wilderness. Today I am eighty-five years old. 11 I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then. 12 So give me the hill country that the Lord promised me. You will remember that as scouts we found the descendants of Anak living there in great, walled towns. But if the Lord is with me, I will drive them out of the land, just as the Lord said.”
13 So Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave Hebron to him as his portion of land. 14 Hebron still belongs to the descendants of Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite because he wholeheartedly followed the Lord, the God of Israel. 15 (Previously Hebron had been called Kiriath-arba. It had been named after Arba, a great hero of the descendants of Anak.)
And the land had rest from war.
The Land Given to the Tribe of Judah
15 The allotment for the clans of the tribe of Judah reached southward to the border of Edom, as far south as the wilderness of Zin.
2 The southern boundary began at the south bay of the Dead Sea,[d] 3 ran south of Scorpion Pass[e] into the wilderness of Zin, and then went south of Kadesh-barnea to Hezron. Then it went up to Addar, where it turned toward Karka. 4 From there it passed to Azmon until it finally reached the Brook of Egypt, which it followed to the Mediterranean Sea.[f] This was their[g] southern boundary.
5 The eastern boundary extended along the Dead Sea to the mouth of the Jordan River.
The northern boundary began at the bay where the Jordan River empties into the Dead Sea, 6 went up from there to Beth-hoglah, then proceeded north of Beth-arabah to the Stone of Bohan. (Bohan was Reuben’s son.) 7 From that point it went through the valley of Achor to Debir, turning north toward Gilgal, which is across from the slopes of Adummim on the south side of the valley. From there the boundary extended to the springs at En-shemesh and on to En-rogel. 8 The boundary then passed through the valley of Ben-Hinnom, along the southern slopes of the Jebusites, where the city of Jerusalem is located. Then it went west to the top of the mountain above the valley of Hinnom, and on up to the northern end of the valley of Rephaim. 9 From there the boundary extended from the top of the mountain to the spring at the waters of Nephtoah,[h] and from there to the towns on Mount Ephron. Then it turned toward Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim). 10 The boundary circled west of Baalah to Mount Seir, passed along to the town of Kesalon on the northern slope of Mount Jearim, and went down to Beth-shemesh and on to Timnah. 11 The boundary then proceeded to the slope of the hill north of Ekron, where it turned toward Shikkeron and Mount Baalah. It passed Jabneel and ended at the Mediterranean Sea.
12 The western boundary was the shoreline of the Mediterranean Sea.[i]
These are the boundaries for the clans of the tribe of Judah.
The Land Given to Caleb
13 The Lord commanded Joshua to assign some of Judah’s territory to Caleb son of Jephunneh. So Caleb was given the town of Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), which had been named after Anak’s ancestor. 14 Caleb drove out the three groups of Anakites—the descendants of Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the sons of Anak.
15 From there he went to fight against the people living in the town of Debir (formerly called Kiriath-sepher). 16 Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage to the one who attacks and captures Kiriath-sepher.” 17 Othniel, the son of Caleb’s brother Kenaz, was the one who conquered it, so Acsah became Othniel’s wife.
18 When Acsah married Othniel, she urged him[j] to ask her father for a field. As she got down off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What’s the matter?”
19 She said, “Give me another gift. You have already given me land in the Negev; now please give me springs of water, too.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.
The Towns Allotted to Judah
20 This was the homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Judah.
21 The towns of Judah situated along the borders of Edom in the extreme south were Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, 22 Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, 23 Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, 24 Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, 25 Hazor-hadattah, Kerioth-hezron (that is, Hazor), 26 Amam, Shema, Moladah, 27 Hazar-gaddah, Heshmon, Beth-pelet, 28 Hazar-shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah, 29 Baalah, Iim, Ezem, 30 Eltolad, Kesil, Hormah, 31 Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, 32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon—twenty-nine towns with their surrounding villages.
33 The following towns situated in the western foothills[k] were also given to Judah: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, 34 Zanoah, En-gannim, Tappuah, Enam, 35 Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, 36 Shaaraim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim—fourteen towns with their surrounding villages.
37 Also included were Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal-gad, 38 Dilean, Mizpeh, Joktheel, 39 Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, 40 Cabbon, Lahmam, Kitlish, 41 Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah—sixteen towns with their surrounding villages.
42 Besides these, there were Libnah, Ether, Ashan, 43 Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, 44 Keilah, Aczib, and Mareshah—nine towns with their surrounding villages.
45 The territory of the tribe of Judah also included Ekron and its surrounding settlements and villages. 46 From Ekron the boundary extended west and included the towns near Ashdod with their surrounding villages. 47 It also included Ashdod with its surrounding settlements and villages and Gaza with its settlements and villages, as far as the Brook of Egypt and along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
48 Judah also received the following towns in the hill country: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, 49 Dannah, Kiriath-sannah (that is, Debir), 50 Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, 51 Goshen, Holon, and Giloh—eleven towns with their surrounding villages.
52 Also included were the towns of Arab, Dumah, Eshan, 53 Janim, Beth-tappuah, Aphekah, 54 Humtah, Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior—nine towns with their surrounding villages.
55 Besides these, there were Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, 56 Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, 57 Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah—ten towns with their surrounding villages.
58 In addition, there were Halhul, Beth-zur, Gedor, 59 Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon—six towns with their surrounding villages.
60 There were also Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim) and Rabbah—two towns with their surrounding villages.
61 In the wilderness there were the towns of Beth-arabah, Middin, Secacah, 62 Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En-gedi—six towns with their surrounding villages.
63 But the tribe of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites, who lived in the city of Jerusalem, so the Jebusites live there among the people of Judah to this day.
The Land Given to Ephraim and West Manasseh
16 The allotment for the descendants of Joseph extended from the Jordan River near Jericho, east of the springs of Jericho, through the wilderness and into the hill country of Bethel. 2 From Bethel (that is, Luz)[l] it ran over to Ataroth in the territory of the Arkites. 3 Then it descended westward to the territory of the Japhletites as far as Lower Beth-horon, then to Gezer and over to the Mediterranean Sea.[m]
4 This was the homeland allocated to the families of Joseph’s sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
The Land Given to Ephraim
5 The following territory was given to the clans of the tribe of Ephraim.
The boundary of their homeland began at Ataroth-addar in the east. From there it ran to Upper Beth-horon, 6 then on to the Mediterranean Sea. From Micmethath on the north, the boundary curved eastward past Taanath-shiloh to the east of Janoah. 7 From Janoah it turned southward to Ataroth and Naarah, touched Jericho, and ended at the Jordan River. 8 From Tappuah the boundary extended westward, following the Kanah Ravine to the Mediterranean Sea. This is the homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Ephraim.
9 In addition, some towns with their surrounding villages in the territory allocated to the half-tribe of Manasseh were set aside for the tribe of Ephraim. 10 They did not drive the Canaanites out of Gezer, however, so the people of Gezer live as slaves among the people of Ephraim to this day.
The Land Given to West Manasseh
17 The next allotment of land was given to the half-tribe of Manasseh, the descendants of Joseph’s older son. Makir, the firstborn son of Manasseh, was the father of Gilead. Because his descendants were experienced soldiers, the regions of Gilead and Bashan on the east side of the Jordan had already been given to them. 2 So the allotment on the west side of the Jordan was for the remaining families within the clans of the tribe of Manasseh: Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These clans represent the male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph.
3 However, Zelophehad, a descendant of Hepher son of Gilead, son of Makir, son of Manasseh, had no sons. He had only daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 4 These women came to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the Israelite leaders and said, “The Lord commanded Moses to give us a grant of land along with the men of our tribe.”
So Joshua gave them a grant of land along with their uncles, as the Lord had commanded. 5 As a result, Manasseh’s total allocation came to ten parcels of land, in addition to the land of Gilead and Bashan across the Jordan River, 6 because the female descendants of Manasseh received a grant of land along with the male descendants. (The land of Gilead was given to the rest of the male descendants of Manasseh.)
7 The boundary of the tribe of Manasseh extended from the border of Asher to Micmethath, near Shechem. Then the boundary went south from Micmethath to the settlement near the spring of Tappuah. 8 The land surrounding Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but the town of Tappuah itself, on the border of Manasseh’s territory, belonged to the tribe of Ephraim. 9 From the spring of Tappuah, the boundary of Manasseh followed the Kanah Ravine to the Mediterranean Sea.[n] Several towns south of the ravine were inside Manasseh’s territory, but they actually belonged to the tribe of Ephraim. 10 In general, however, the land south of the ravine belonged to Ephraim, and the land north of the ravine belonged to Manasseh. Manasseh’s boundary ran along the northern side of the ravine and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. North of Manasseh was the territory of Asher, and to the east was the territory of Issachar.
11 The following towns within the territory of Issachar and Asher, however, were given to Manasseh: Beth-shan,[o] Ibleam, Dor (that is, Naphoth-dor),[p] Endor, Taanach, and Megiddo, each with their surrounding settlements.
12 But the descendants of Manasseh were unable to occupy these towns because the Canaanites were determined to stay in that region. 13 Later, however, when the Israelites became strong enough, they forced the Canaanites to work as slaves. But they did not drive them out of the land.
14 The descendants of Joseph came to Joshua and asked, “Why have you given us only one portion of land as our homeland when the Lord has blessed us with so many people?”
15 Joshua replied, “If there are so many of you, and if the hill country of Ephraim is not large enough for you, clear out land for yourselves in the forest where the Perizzites and Rephaites live.”
16 The descendants of Joseph responded, “It’s true that the hill country is not large enough for us. But all the Canaanites in the lowlands have iron chariots, both those in Beth-shan and its surrounding settlements and those in the valley of Jezreel. They are too strong for us.”
17 Then Joshua said to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, the descendants of Joseph, “Since you are so large and strong, you will be given more than one portion. 18 The forests of the hill country will be yours as well. Clear as much of the land as you wish, and take possession of its farthest corners. And you will drive out the Canaanites from the valleys, too, even though they are strong and have iron chariots.”
The Allotments of the Remaining Land
18 Now that the land was under Israelite control, the entire community of Israel gathered at Shiloh and set up the Tabernacle.[q] 2 But there remained seven tribes who had not yet been allotted their grants of land.
3 Then Joshua asked them, “How long are you going to wait before taking possession of the remaining land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given to you? 4 Select three men from each tribe, and I will send them out to explore the land and map it out. They will then return to me with a written report of their proposed divisions of their new homeland. 5 Let them divide the land into seven sections, excluding Judah’s territory in the south and Joseph’s territory in the north. 6 And when you record the seven divisions of the land and bring them to me, I will cast sacred lots in the presence of the Lord our God to assign land to each tribe.
7 “The Levites, however, will not receive any allotment of land. Their role as priests of the Lord is their allotment. And the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh won’t receive any more land, for they have already received their grant of land, which Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave them on the east side of the Jordan River.”
8 As the men started on their way to map out the land, Joshua commanded them, “Go and explore the land and write a description of it. Then return to me, and I will assign the land to the tribes by casting sacred lots here in the presence of the Lord at Shiloh.” 9 The men did as they were told and mapped the entire territory into seven sections, listing the towns in each section. They made a written record and then returned to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh. 10 And there at Shiloh, Joshua cast sacred lots in the presence of the Lord to determine which tribe should have each section.
The Land Given to Benjamin
11 The first allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Benjamin. It lay between the territory assigned to the tribes of Judah and Joseph.
12 The northern boundary of Benjamin’s land began at the Jordan River, went north of the slope of Jericho, then west through the hill country and the wilderness of Beth-aven. 13 From there the boundary went south to Luz (that is, Bethel) and proceeded down to Ataroth-addar on the hill that lies south of Lower Beth-horon.
14 The boundary then made a turn and swung south along the western edge of the hill facing Beth-horon, ending at the village of Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), a town belonging to the tribe of Judah. This was the western boundary.
15 The southern boundary began at the outskirts of Kiriath-jearim. From that western point it ran[r] to the spring at the waters of Nephtoah,[s] 16 and down to the base of the mountain beside the valley of Ben-Hinnom, at the northern end of the valley of Rephaim. From there it went down the valley of Hinnom, crossing south of the slope where the Jebusites lived, and continued down to En-rogel. 17 From En-rogel the boundary proceeded in a northerly direction and came to En-shemesh and on to Geliloth (which is across from the slopes of Adummim). Then it went down to the Stone of Bohan. (Bohan was Reuben’s son.) 18 From there it passed along the north side of the slope overlooking the Jordan Valley.[t] The border then went down into the valley, 19 ran past the north slope of Beth-hoglah, and ended at the north bay of the Dead Sea,[u] which is the southern end of the Jordan River. This was the southern boundary.
20 The eastern boundary was the Jordan River.
These were the boundaries of the homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Benjamin.
The Towns Given to Benjamin
21 These were the towns given to the clans of the tribe of Benjamin.
Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz, 22 Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, 23 Avvim, Parah, Ophrah, 24 Kephar-ammoni, Ophni, and Geba—twelve towns with their surrounding villages. 25 Also Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, 26 Mizpah, Kephirah, Mozah, 27 Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, 28 Zela, Haeleph, the Jebusite town (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Kiriath-jearim[v]—fourteen towns with their surrounding villages.
This was the homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Benjamin.
The Land Given to Simeon
19 The second allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Simeon. Their homeland was surrounded by Judah’s territory.
2 Simeon’s homeland included Beersheba, Sheba, Moladah, 3 Hazar-shual, Balah, Ezem, 4 Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, 5 Ziklag, Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susah, 6 Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuhen—thirteen towns with their surrounding villages. 7 It also included Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan—four towns with their villages, 8 including all the surrounding villages as far south as Baalath-beer (also known as Ramah of the Negev).
This was the homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Simeon. 9 Their allocation of land came from part of what had been given to Judah because Judah’s territory was too large for them. So the tribe of Simeon received an allocation within the territory of Judah.
The Land Given to Zebulun
10 The third allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Zebulun.
The boundary of Zebulun’s homeland started at Sarid. 11 From there it went west, going past Maralah, touching Dabbesheth, and proceeding to the brook east of Jokneam. 12 In the other direction, the boundary went east from Sarid to the border of Kisloth-tabor, and from there to Daberath and up to Japhia. 13 Then it continued east to Gath-hepher, Eth-kazin, and Rimmon and turned toward Neah. 14 The northern boundary of Zebulun passed Hannathon and ended at the valley of Iphtah-el. 15 The towns in these areas included Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem—twelve towns with their surrounding villages.
16 The homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Zebulun included these towns and their surrounding villages.
The Land Given to Issachar
17 The fourth allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Issachar.
18 Its boundaries included the following towns: Jezreel, Kesulloth, Shunem, 19 Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, 20 Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez, 21 Remeth, En-gannim, En-haddah, and Beth-pazzez. 22 The boundary also touched Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth-shemesh, ending at the Jordan River—sixteen towns with their surrounding villages.
23 The homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Issachar included these towns and their surrounding villages.
The Land Given to Asher
24 The fifth allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Asher.
25 Its boundaries included these towns: Helkath, Hali, Beten, Acshaph, 26 Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal. The boundary on the west touched Carmel and Shihor-libnath, 27 then it turned east toward Beth-dagon, and ran as far as Zebulun in the valley of Iphtah-el, going north to Beth-emek and Neiel. It then continued north to Cabul, 28 Abdon,[w] Rehob, Hammon, Kanah, and as far as Greater Sidon. 29 Then the boundary turned toward Ramah and the fortress of Tyre, where it turned toward Hosah and came to the Mediterranean Sea.[x] The territory also included Mehebel, Aczib, 30 Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob—twenty-two towns with their surrounding villages.
31 The homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Asher included these towns and their surrounding villages.
The Land Given to Naphtali
32 The sixth allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Naphtali.
33 Its boundary ran from Heleph, from the oak at Zaanannim, and extended across to Adami-nekeb, Jabneel, and as far as Lakkum, ending at the Jordan River. 34 The western boundary ran past Aznoth-tabor, then to Hukkok, and touched the border of Zebulun in the south, the border of Asher on the west, and the Jordan River[y] on the east. 35 The fortified towns included in this territory were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Kinnereth, 36 Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, 37 Kedesh, Edrei, En-hazor, 38 Yiron, Migdal-el, Horem, Beth-anath, and Beth-shemesh—nineteen towns with their surrounding villages.
39 The homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Naphtali included these towns and their surrounding villages.
The Land Given to Dan
40 The seventh allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Dan.
41 The land allocated as their homeland included the following towns: Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir-shemesh, 42 Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah, 43 Elon, Timnah, Ekron, 44 Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, 45 Jehud, Bene-berak, Gath-rimmon, 46 Me-jarkon, Rakkon, and the territory across from Joppa.
47 But the tribe of Dan had trouble taking possession of their land,[z] so they attacked the town of Laish.[aa] They captured it, slaughtered its people, and settled there. They renamed the town Dan after their ancestor.
48 The homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Dan included these towns and their surrounding villages.
The Land Given to Joshua
49 After all the land was divided among the tribes, the Israelites gave a piece of land to Joshua as his allocation. 50 For the Lord had said he could have any town he wanted. He chose Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim. He rebuilt the town and lived there.
51 These are the territories that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the tribal leaders allocated as grants of land to the tribes of Israel by casting sacred lots in the presence of the Lord at the entrance of the Tabernacle[ab] at Shiloh. So the division of the land was completed.
Footnotes
- 13:25 Hebrew in front of.
- 13:26 Hebrew Li-debir, apparently a variant spelling of Lo-debar (compare 2 Sam 9:4; 17:27; Amos 6:13).
- 13:27 Hebrew Sea of Kinnereth.
- 15:2 Hebrew the Salt Sea; also in 15:5.
- 15:3 Hebrew Akrabbim.
- 15:4a Hebrew the sea; also in 15:11.
- 15:4b Hebrew your.
- 15:9 Or the spring at Me-nephtoah.
- 15:12 Hebrew the Great Sea; also in 15:47.
- 15:18 Some Greek manuscripts read he urged her.
- 15:33 Hebrew the Shephelah.
- 16:2 As in Greek version (also see 18:13); Hebrew reads From Bethel to Luz.
- 16:3 Hebrew the sea; also in 16:6, 8.
- 17:9 Hebrew the sea; also in 17:10.
- 17:11a Hebrew Beth-shean, a variant spelling of Beth-shan; also in 17:16.
- 17:11b The meaning of the Hebrew here is uncertain.
- 18:1 Hebrew Tent of Meeting.
- 18:15a Or From there it went to Mozah. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
- 18:15b Or the spring at Me-nephtoah.
- 18:18 Hebrew overlooking the Arabah, or overlooking Beth-arabah.
- 18:19 Hebrew Salt Sea.
- 18:28 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads Kiriath.
- 19:28 As in some Hebrew manuscripts (see also 21:30); most Hebrew manuscripts read Ebron.
- 19:29 Hebrew the sea.
- 19:34 Hebrew and Judah at the Jordan River.
- 19:47a Or had trouble holding on to their land.
- 19:47b Hebrew Leshem, a variant spelling of Laish.
- 19:51 Hebrew Tent of Meeting.
Joshua 13-19
New International Version
Joshua 13-19
New International Version
Land Still to Be Taken
13 When Joshua had grown old,(A) the Lord said to him, “You are now very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over.
2 “This is the land that remains: all the regions of the Philistines(B) and Geshurites,(C) 3 from the Shihor River(D) on the east of Egypt to the territory of Ekron(E) on the north, all of it counted as Canaanite though held by the five Philistine rulers(F) in Gaza, Ashdod,(G) Ashkelon,(H) Gath and Ekron; the territory of the Avvites(I) 4 on the south; all the land of the Canaanites, from Arah of the Sidonians as far as Aphek(J) and the border of the Amorites;(K) 5 the area of Byblos;(L) and all Lebanon(M) to the east, from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon(N) to Lebo Hamath.(O)
6 “As for all the inhabitants of the mountain regions from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim,(P) that is, all the Sidonians, I myself will drive them out(Q) before the Israelites. Be sure to allocate this land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have instructed you,(R) 7 and divide it as an inheritance(S) among the nine tribes and half of the tribe of Manasseh.”
Division of the Land East of the Jordan
8 The other half of Manasseh,[a] the Reubenites and the Gadites had received the inheritance that Moses had given them east of the Jordan, as he, the servant of the Lord, had assigned(T) it to them.(U)
9 It extended from Aroer(V) on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, and from the town in the middle of the gorge, and included the whole plateau(W) of Medeba as far as Dibon,(X) 10 and all the towns of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon,(Y) out to the border of the Ammonites.(Z) 11 It also included Gilead,(AA) the territory of the people of Geshur and Maakah, all of Mount Hermon and all Bashan as far as Salekah(AB)— 12 that is, the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan,(AC) who had reigned in Ashtaroth(AD) and Edrei.(AE) (He was the last of the Rephaites.(AF)) Moses had defeated them and taken over their land.(AG) 13 But the Israelites did not drive out the people of Geshur(AH) and Maakah,(AI) so they continue to live among the Israelites to this day.(AJ)
14 But to the tribe of Levi he gave no inheritance, since the food offerings presented to the Lord, the God of Israel, are their inheritance, as he promised them.(AK)
15 This is what Moses had given to the tribe of Reuben, according to its clans:
16 The territory from Aroer(AL) on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, and from the town in the middle of the gorge, and the whole plateau past Medeba(AM) 17 to Heshbon and all its towns on the plateau,(AN) including Dibon,(AO) Bamoth Baal,(AP) Beth Baal Meon,(AQ) 18 Jahaz,(AR) Kedemoth,(AS) Mephaath,(AT) 19 Kiriathaim,(AU) Sibmah,(AV) Zereth Shahar on the hill in the valley, 20 Beth Peor,(AW) the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth— 21 all the towns on the plateau(AX) and the entire realm of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled at Heshbon. Moses had defeated him and the Midianite chiefs,(AY) Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba(AZ)—princes allied with Sihon—who lived in that country. 22 In addition to those slain in battle, the Israelites had put to the sword Balaam son of Beor,(BA) who practiced divination.(BB) 23 The boundary of the Reubenites was the bank of the Jordan. These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the Reubenites, according to their clans.(BC)
24 This is what Moses had given to the tribe of Gad, according to its clans:
25 The territory of Jazer,(BD) all the towns of Gilead(BE) and half the Ammonite country as far as Aroer, near Rabbah;(BF) 26 and from Heshbon(BG) to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim, and from Mahanaim(BH) to the territory of Debir;(BI) 27 and in the valley, Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah,(BJ) Sukkoth(BK) and Zaphon(BL) with the rest of the realm of Sihon king of Heshbon (the east side of the Jordan, the territory up to the end of the Sea of Galilee[b](BM)). 28 These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the Gadites,(BN) according to their clans.
29 This is what Moses had given to the half-tribe of Manasseh, that is, to half the family of the descendants of Manasseh, according to its clans:
30 The territory extending from Mahanaim(BO) and including all of Bashan,(BP) the entire realm of Og king of Bashan(BQ)—all the settlements of Jair(BR) in Bashan, sixty towns, 31 half of Gilead, and Ashtaroth and Edrei (the royal cities of Og in Bashan).(BS) This was for the descendants of Makir(BT) son of Manasseh—for half of the sons of Makir, according to their clans.(BU)
32 This is the inheritance Moses had given when he was in the plains of Moab(BV) across the Jordan east of Jericho.(BW) 33 But to the tribe of Levi, Moses had given no inheritance;(BX) the Lord, the God of Israel, is their inheritance,(BY) as he promised them.(BZ)
Division of the Land West of the Jordan
14 Now these are the areas the Israelites received as an inheritance(CA) in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar(CB) the priest, Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the tribal clans of Israel(CC) allotted(CD) to them.(CE) 2 Their inheritances were assigned by lot(CF) to the nine and a half tribes,(CG) as the Lord had commanded through Moses. 3 Moses had granted the two and a half tribes their inheritance east of the Jordan(CH) but had not granted the Levites an inheritance among the rest,(CI) 4 for Joseph’s descendants had become two tribes—Manasseh and Ephraim.(CJ) The Levites received no share of the land but only towns to live in, with pasturelands for their flocks and herds.(CK) 5 So the Israelites divided the land, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.(CL)
Allotment for Caleb
6 Now the people of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal,(CM) and Caleb son of Jephunneh(CN) the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God(CO) at Kadesh Barnea(CP) about you and me.(CQ) 7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea(CR) to explore the land.(CS) And I brought him back a report according to my convictions,(CT) 8 but my fellow Israelites who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt in fear.(CU) I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.(CV) 9 So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance(CW) and that of your children(CX) forever, because you have followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.’[c]
10 “Now then, just as the Lord promised,(CY) he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved(CZ) about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old!(DA) 11 I am still as strong(DB) today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous(DC) to go out to battle now as I was then. 12 Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day.(DD) You yourself heard then that the Anakites(DE) were there and their cities were large and fortified,(DF) but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”
13 Then Joshua blessed(DG) Caleb son of Jephunneh(DH) and gave him Hebron(DI) as his inheritance.(DJ) 14 So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the Lord, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly.(DK) 15 (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba(DL) after Arba,(DM) who was the greatest man among the Anakites.)
Then the land had rest(DN) from war.
Allotment for Judah(DO)
15 The allotment for the tribe of Judah, according to its clans, extended down to the territory of Edom,(DP) to the Desert of Zin(DQ) in the extreme south.(DR)
2 Their southern boundary started from the bay at the southern end of the Dead Sea,(DS) 3 crossed south of Scorpion Pass,(DT) continued on to Zin and went over to the south of Kadesh Barnea.(DU) Then it ran past Hezron up to Addar and curved around to Karka. 4 It then passed along to Azmon(DV) and joined the Wadi of Egypt,(DW) ending at the Mediterranean Sea. This is their[d] southern boundary.
5 The eastern boundary(DX) is the Dead Sea(DY) as far as the mouth of the Jordan.
The northern boundary(DZ) started from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan, 6 went up to Beth Hoglah(EA) and continued north of Beth Arabah(EB) to the Stone of Bohan(EC) son of Reuben. 7 The boundary then went up to Debir(ED) from the Valley of Achor(EE) and turned north to Gilgal,(EF) which faces the Pass of Adummim south of the gorge. It continued along to the waters of En Shemesh(EG) and came out at En Rogel.(EH) 8 Then it ran up the Valley of Ben Hinnom(EI) along the southern slope of the Jebusite(EJ) city (that is, Jerusalem(EK)). From there it climbed to the top of the hill west of the Hinnom Valley(EL) at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim.(EM) 9 From the hilltop the boundary headed toward the spring of the waters of Nephtoah,(EN) came out at the towns of Mount Ephron and went down toward Baalah(EO) (that is, Kiriath Jearim).(EP) 10 Then it curved westward from Baalah(EQ) to Mount Seir,(ER) ran along the northern slope of Mount Jearim (that is, Kesalon), continued down to Beth Shemesh(ES) and crossed to Timnah.(ET) 11 It went to the northern slope of Ekron,(EU) turned toward Shikkeron, passed along to Mount Baalah(EV) and reached Jabneel.(EW) The boundary ended at the sea.
12 The western boundary is the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea.(EX)
These are the boundaries around the people of Judah by their clans.
13 In accordance with the Lord’s command to him, Joshua gave to Caleb(EY) son of Jephunneh a portion in Judah—Kiriath Arba(EZ), that is, Hebron.(FA) (Arba was the forefather of Anak.)(FB) 14 From Hebron Caleb drove out the three Anakites(FC)—Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai,(FD) the sons of Anak.(FE) 15 From there he marched against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher). 16 And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksah(FF) in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.” 17 Othniel(FG) son of Kenaz, Caleb’s brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage.
18 One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him[e] to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?”
19 She replied, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev,(FH) give me also springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.(FI)
20 This is the inheritance of the tribe of Judah, according to its clans:
21 The southernmost towns of the tribe of Judah in the Negev(FJ) toward the boundary of Edom were:
Kabzeel,(FK) Eder,(FL) Jagur, 22 Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, 23 Kedesh,(FM) Hazor,(FN) Ithnan, 24 Ziph,(FO) Telem, Bealoth, 25 Hazor Hadattah, Kerioth Hezron (that is, Hazor),(FP) 26 Amam, Shema, Moladah,(FQ) 27 Hazar Gaddah, Heshmon, Beth Pelet, 28 Hazar Shual,(FR) Beersheba,(FS) Biziothiah, 29 Baalah,(FT) Iyim, Ezem,(FU) 30 Eltolad,(FV) Kesil, Hormah,(FW) 31 Ziklag,(FX) Madmannah,(FY) Sansannah, 32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain(FZ) and Rimmon(GA)—a total of twenty-nine towns and their villages.
33 In the western foothills:
Eshtaol,(GB) Zorah,(GC) Ashnah,(GD) 34 Zanoah,(GE) En Gannim,(GF) Tappuah,(GG) Enam, 35 Jarmuth,(GH) Adullam,(GI) Sokoh,(GJ) Azekah,(GK) 36 Shaaraim,(GL) Adithaim and Gederah(GM) (or Gederothaim)[f]—fourteen towns and their villages.
37 Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal Gad, 38 Dilean, Mizpah,(GN) Joktheel,(GO) 39 Lachish,(GP) Bozkath,(GQ) Eglon,(GR) 40 Kabbon, Lahmas, Kitlish, 41 Gederoth,(GS) Beth Dagon,(GT) Naamah and Makkedah(GU)—sixteen towns and their villages.
42 Libnah,(GV) Ether, Ashan,(GW) 43 Iphtah, Ashnah,(GX) Nezib, 44 Keilah,(GY) Akzib(GZ) and Mareshah(HA)—nine towns and their villages.
45 Ekron,(HB) with its surrounding settlements and villages; 46 west of Ekron, all that were in the vicinity of Ashdod,(HC) together with their villages; 47 Ashdod,(HD) its surrounding settlements and villages; and Gaza, its settlements and villages, as far as the Wadi of Egypt(HE) and the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea.(HF)
48 In the hill country:
Shamir,(HG) Jattir,(HH) Sokoh,(HI) 49 Dannah, Kiriath Sannah (that is, Debir(HJ)), 50 Anab,(HK) Eshtemoh,(HL) Anim, 51 Goshen,(HM) Holon(HN) and Giloh(HO)—eleven towns and their villages.
52 Arab, Dumah,(HP) Eshan, 53 Janim, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah, 54 Humtah, Kiriath Arba(HQ) (that is, Hebron) and Zior—nine towns and their villages.
55 Maon,(HR) Carmel,(HS) Ziph,(HT) Juttah,(HU) 56 Jezreel,(HV) Jokdeam, Zanoah,(HW) 57 Kain, Gibeah(HX) and Timnah(HY)—ten towns and their villages.
58 Halhul, Beth Zur,(HZ) Gedor,(IA) 59 Maarath, Beth Anoth and Eltekon—six towns and their villages.[g]
60 Kiriath Baal(IB) (that is, Kiriath Jearim(IC)) and Rabbah(ID)—two towns and their villages.
61 In the wilderness:(IE)
Beth Arabah,(IF) Middin, Sekakah, 62 Nibshan, the City of Salt and En Gedi(IG)—six towns and their villages.
63 Judah could not(IH) dislodge the Jebusites(II), who were living in Jerusalem;(IJ) to this day the Jebusites live there with the people of Judah.(IK)
Allotment for Ephraim and Manasseh
16 The allotment for Joseph began at the Jordan, east of the springs of Jericho, and went up from there through the desert(IL) into the hill country of Bethel.(IM) 2 It went on from Bethel (that is, Luz(IN)),[h] crossed over to the territory of the Arkites(IO) in Ataroth,(IP) 3 descended westward to the territory of the Japhletites as far as the region of Lower Beth Horon(IQ) and on to Gezer,(IR) ending at the Mediterranean Sea.
4 So Manasseh and Ephraim, the descendants of Joseph, received their inheritance.(IS)
5 This was the territory of Ephraim, according to its clans:
The boundary of their inheritance went from Ataroth Addar(IT) in the east to Upper Beth Horon(IU) 6 and continued to the Mediterranean Sea. From Mikmethath(IV) on the north it curved eastward to Taanath Shiloh, passing by it to Janoah(IW) on the east. 7 Then it went down from Janoah(IX) to Ataroth(IY) and Naarah, touched Jericho and came out at the Jordan. 8 From Tappuah(IZ) the border went west to the Kanah Ravine(JA) and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the Ephraimites, according to its clans. 9 It also included all the towns and their villages that were set aside for the Ephraimites within the inheritance of the Manassites.(JB)
10 They did not dislodge the Canaanites living in Gezer; to this day the Canaanites live among the people of Ephraim but are required to do forced labor.(JC)
17 This was the allotment for the tribe of Manasseh(JD) as Joseph’s firstborn,(JE) that is, for Makir,(JF) Manasseh’s firstborn. Makir was the ancestor of the Gileadites, who had received Gilead(JG) and Bashan(JH) because the Makirites were great soldiers. 2 So this allotment was for the rest of the people of Manasseh(JI)—the clans of Abiezer,(JJ) Helek, Asriel,(JK) Shechem, Hepher(JL) and Shemida.(JM) These are the other male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph by their clans.
3 Now Zelophehad son of Hepher,(JN) the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons but only daughters,(JO) whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah. 4 They went to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders and said, “The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our relatives.” So Joshua gave them an inheritance along with the brothers of their father, according to the Lord’s command.(JP) 5 Manasseh’s share consisted of ten tracts of land besides Gilead and Bashan east of the Jordan,(JQ) 6 because the daughters of the tribe of Manasseh received an inheritance among the sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the descendants of Manasseh.
7 The territory of Manasseh extended from Asher(JR) to Mikmethath(JS) east of Shechem.(JT) The boundary ran southward from there to include the people living at En Tappuah. 8 (Manasseh had the land of Tappuah, but Tappuah(JU) itself, on the boundary of Manasseh, belonged to the Ephraimites.) 9 Then the boundary continued south to the Kanah Ravine.(JV) There were towns belonging to Ephraim lying among the towns of Manasseh, but the boundary of Manasseh was the northern side of the ravine and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. 10 On the south the land belonged to Ephraim, on the north to Manasseh. The territory of Manasseh reached the Mediterranean Sea and bordered Asher(JW) on the north and Issachar(JX) on the east.(JY)
11 Within Issachar(JZ) and Asher, Manasseh also had Beth Shan,(KA) Ibleam(KB) and the people of Dor,(KC) Endor,(KD) Taanach(KE) and Megiddo,(KF) together with their surrounding settlements (the third in the list is Naphoth[i]).(KG)
12 Yet the Manassites were not able(KH) to occupy these towns, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that region. 13 However, when the Israelites grew stronger, they subjected the Canaanites to forced labor but did not drive them out completely.(KI)
14 The people of Joseph said to Joshua, “Why have you given us only one allotment and one portion for an inheritance? We are a numerous people, and the Lord has blessed us abundantly.”(KJ)
15 “If you are so numerous,” Joshua answered, “and if the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go up into the forest(KK) and clear land for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites(KL) and Rephaites.(KM)”
16 The people of Joseph replied, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the plain have chariots fitted with iron,(KN) both those in Beth Shan(KO) and its settlements and those in the Valley of Jezreel.”(KP)
17 But Joshua said to the tribes of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh—“You are numerous and very powerful. You will have not only one allotment(KQ) 18 but the forested hill country(KR) as well. Clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours; though the Canaanites have chariots fitted with iron(KS) and though they are strong, you can drive them out.”
Division of the Rest of the Land
18 The whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh(KT) and set up the tent of meeting(KU) there. The country was brought under their control, 2 but there were still seven Israelite tribes who had not yet received their inheritance.
3 So Joshua said to the Israelites: “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you? 4 Appoint three men from each tribe. I will send them out to make a survey of the land and to write a description of it,(KV) according to the inheritance of each.(KW) Then they will return to me. 5 You are to divide the land into seven parts. Judah is to remain in its territory on the south(KX) and the tribes of Joseph in their territory on the north.(KY) 6 After you have written descriptions of the seven parts of the land, bring them here to me and I will cast lots(KZ) for you in the presence of the Lord our God. 7 The Levites, however, do not get a portion among you, because the priestly service of the Lord is their inheritance.(LA) And Gad, Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh have already received their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan. Moses the servant of the Lord gave it to them.(LB)”
8 As the men started on their way to map out the land, Joshua instructed them, “Go and make a survey of the land and write a description of it.(LC) Then return to me, and I will cast lots for you here at Shiloh(LD) in the presence of the Lord.” 9 So the men left and went through the land. They wrote its description on a scroll, town by town, in seven parts, and returned to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh. 10 Joshua then cast lots(LE) for them in Shiloh in the presence(LF) of the Lord, and there he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their tribal divisions.(LG)
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(LH) of Beth Aven.(LI) 13 From there it crossed to the south slope of Luz(LJ) (that is, Bethel(LK)) and went down to Ataroth Addar(LL) on the hill south of Lower Beth Horon.
14 From the hill facing Beth Horon(LM) on the south the boundary turned south along the western side and came out at Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim),(LN) 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.(LO) 16 The boundary went down to the foot of the hill facing the Valley of Ben Hinnom, north of the Valley of Rephaim.(LP) It continued down the Hinnom Valley(LQ) along the southern slope of the Jebusite city and so to En Rogel.(LR) 17 It then curved north, went to En Shemesh, continued to Geliloth,(LS) which faces the Pass of Adummim,(LT) and ran down to the Stone of Bohan(LU) son of Reuben. 18 It continued to the northern slope of Beth Arabah[j](LV) and on down into the Arabah.(LW) 19 It then went to the northern slope of Beth Hoglah(LX) and came out at the northern bay of the Dead Sea,(LY) 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.(LZ)
21 The tribe of Benjamin, according to its clans, had the following towns:
Jericho, Beth Hoglah,(MA) Emek Keziz, 22 Beth Arabah,(MB) Zemaraim,(MC) Bethel,(MD) 23 Avvim,(ME) Parah, Ophrah,(MF) 24 Kephar Ammoni, Ophni and Geba(MG)—twelve towns and their villages.
25 Gibeon,(MH) Ramah,(MI) Beeroth,(MJ) 26 Mizpah,(MK) Kephirah,(ML) Mozah, 27 Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, 28 Zelah,(MM) Haeleph, the Jebusite city(MN) (that is, Jerusalem(MO)), Gibeah(MP) and Kiriath—fourteen towns and their villages.(MQ)
This was the inheritance of Benjamin for its clans.(MR)
Allotment for Simeon(MS)
19 The second lot came out for the tribe of Simeon according to its clans. Their inheritance lay within the territory of Judah.(MT) 2 It included:
Beersheba(MU) (or Sheba),[k] Moladah,(MV) 3 Hazar Shual,(MW) Balah, Ezem,(MX) 4 Eltolad,(MY) Bethul, Hormah,(MZ) 5 Ziklag,(NA) Beth Markaboth, Hazar Susah, 6 Beth Lebaoth and Sharuhen—thirteen towns and their villages;
7 Ain, Rimmon,(NB) Ether and Ashan(NC)—four towns and their villages— 8 and all the villages around these towns as far as Baalath Beer (Ramah in the Negev).(ND)
This was the inheritance of the tribe of the Simeonites, according to its clans. 9 The inheritance of the Simeonites was taken from the share of Judah,(NE) because Judah’s portion was more than they needed. So the Simeonites received their inheritance within the territory of Judah.(NF)
Allotment for Zebulun
10 The third lot came up for Zebulun(NG) according to its clans:
The boundary of their inheritance went as far as Sarid.(NH) 11 Going west it ran to Maralah, touched Dabbesheth, and extended to the ravine near Jokneam.(NI) 12 It turned east from Sarid(NJ) toward the sunrise to the territory of Kisloth Tabor and went on to Daberath(NK) and up to Japhia. 13 Then it continued eastward to Gath Hepher(NL) and Eth Kazin; it came out at Rimmon(NM) and turned toward Neah. 14 There the boundary went around on the north to Hannathon and ended at the Valley of Iphtah El.(NN) 15 Included were Kattath, Nahalal,(NO) Shimron,(NP) Idalah and Bethlehem.(NQ) There were twelve towns and their villages.
16 These towns and their villages were the inheritance of Zebulun,(NR) according to its clans.(NS)
Allotment for Issachar
17 The fourth lot came out for Issachar(NT) according to its clans. 18 Their territory included:
Jezreel,(NU) Kesulloth, Shunem,(NV) 19 Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, 20 Rabbith, Kishion,(NW) Ebez, 21 Remeth, En Gannim,(NX) En Haddah and Beth Pazzez. 22 The boundary touched Tabor,(NY) Shahazumah and Beth Shemesh,(NZ) and ended at the Jordan. There were sixteen towns and their villages.
23 These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Issachar,(OA) according to its clans.(OB)
Allotment for Asher
24 The fifth lot came out for the tribe of Asher(OC) according to its clans. 25 Their territory included:
Helkath, Hali, Beten, Akshaph,(OD) 26 Allammelek, Amad and Mishal.(OE) On the west the boundary touched Carmel(OF) and Shihor Libnath. 27 It then turned east toward Beth Dagon,(OG) touched Zebulun(OH) and the Valley of Iphtah El,(OI) and went north to Beth Emek and Neiel, passing Kabul(OJ) on the left. 28 It went to Abdon,[l](OK) Rehob,(OL) Hammon(OM) and Kanah,(ON) as far as Greater Sidon.(OO) 29 The boundary then turned back toward Ramah(OP) and went to the fortified city of Tyre,(OQ) turned toward Hosah and came out at the Mediterranean Sea(OR) in the region of Akzib,(OS) 30 Ummah, Aphek(OT) and Rehob.(OU) There were twenty-two towns and their villages.
31 These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Asher,(OV) according to its clans.
Allotment for Naphtali
32 The sixth lot came out for Naphtali according to its clans:
33 Their boundary went from Heleph and the large tree in Zaanannim,(OW) passing Adami Nekeb and Jabneel(OX) to Lakkum and ending at the Jordan. 34 The boundary ran west through Aznoth Tabor and came out at Hukkok.(OY) It touched Zebulun(OZ) on the south, Asher on the west and the Jordan[m] on the east. 35 The fortified towns were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath,(PA) Rakkath, Kinnereth,(PB) 36 Adamah, Ramah,(PC) Hazor,(PD) 37 Kedesh,(PE) Edrei,(PF) En Hazor, 38 Iron, Migdal El, Horem, Beth Anath(PG) and Beth Shemesh.(PH) There were nineteen towns and their villages.
39 These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Naphtali, according to its clans.(PI)
Allotment for Dan
40 The seventh lot came out for the tribe of Dan according to its clans. 41 The territory of their inheritance included:
Zorah, Eshtaol,(PJ) Ir Shemesh, 42 Shaalabbin, Aijalon,(PK) Ithlah, 43 Elon, Timnah,(PL) Ekron,(PM) 44 Eltekeh, Gibbethon,(PN) Baalath,(PO) 45 Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon,(PP) 46 Me Jarkon and Rakkon, with the area facing Joppa.(PQ)
47 (When the territory of the Danites was lost to them,(PR) they went up and attacked Leshem(PS), took it, put it to the sword and occupied it. They settled in Leshem and named(PT) it Dan after their ancestor.)(PU)
48 These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Dan,(PV) according to its clans.
Allotment for Joshua
49 When they had finished dividing the land into its allotted portions, the Israelites gave Joshua son of Nun an inheritance among them, 50 as the Lord had commanded. They gave him the town he asked for—Timnath Serah[n](PW) in the hill country of Ephraim. And he built up the town and settled there.
51 These are the territories that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the tribal clans of Israel assigned by lot at Shiloh in the presence of the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting. And so they finished dividing(PX) the land.(PY)
Footnotes
- Joshua 13:8 Hebrew With it (that is, with the other half of Manasseh)
- Joshua 13:27 Hebrew Kinnereth
- Joshua 14:9 Deut. 1:36
- Joshua 15:4 Septuagint; Hebrew your
- Joshua 15:18 Hebrew and some Septuagint manuscripts; other Septuagint manuscripts (see also note at Judges 1:14) Othniel, he urged her
- Joshua 15:36 Or Gederah and Gederothaim
- Joshua 15:59 The Septuagint adds another district of eleven towns, including Tekoa and Ephrathah (Bethlehem).
- Joshua 16:2 Septuagint; Hebrew Bethel to Luz
- Joshua 17:11 That is, Naphoth Dor
- Joshua 18:18 Septuagint; Hebrew slope facing the Arabah
- Joshua 19:2 Or Beersheba, Sheba; 1 Chron. 4:28 does not have Sheba.
- Joshua 19:28 Some Hebrew manuscripts (see also 21:30); most Hebrew manuscripts Ebron
- Joshua 19:34 Septuagint; Hebrew west, and Judah, the Jordan,
- Joshua 19:50 Also known as Timnath Heres (see Judges 2:9)
Joshua 20-21
New Living Translation
Joshua 20-21
New Living Translation
The Cities of Refuge
20 The Lord said to Joshua, 2 “Now tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed Moses. 3 Anyone who kills another person accidentally and unintentionally can run to one of these cities; they will be places of refuge from relatives seeking revenge for the person who was killed.
4 “Upon reaching one of these cities, the one who caused the death will appear before the elders at the city gate and present his case. They must allow him to enter the city and give him a place to live among them. 5 If the relatives of the victim come to avenge the killing, the leaders must not release the slayer to them, for he killed the other person unintentionally and without previous hostility. 6 But the slayer must stay in that city and be tried by the local assembly, which will render a judgment. And he must continue to live in that city until the death of the high priest who was in office at the time of the accident. After that, he is free to return to his own home in the town from which he fled.”
7 The following cities were designated as cities of refuge: Kedesh of Galilee, in the hill country of Naphtali; Shechem, in the hill country of Ephraim; and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), in the hill country of Judah. 8 On the east side of the Jordan River, across from Jericho, the following cities were designated: Bezer, in the wilderness plain of the tribe of Reuben; Ramoth in Gilead, in the territory of the tribe of Gad; and Golan in Bashan, in the land of the tribe of Manasseh. 9 These cities were set apart for all the Israelites as well as the foreigners living among them. Anyone who accidentally killed another person could take refuge in one of these cities. In this way, they could escape being killed in revenge prior to standing trial before the local assembly.
The Towns Given to the Levites
21 Then the leaders of the tribe of Levi came to consult with Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders of the other tribes of Israel. 2 They came to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said, “The Lord commanded Moses to give us towns to live in and pasturelands for our livestock.” 3 So by the command of the Lord the people of Israel gave the Levites the following towns and pasturelands out of their own grants of land.
4 The descendants of Aaron, who were members of the Kohathite clan within the tribe of Levi, were allotted thirteen towns that were originally assigned to the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. 5 The other families of the Kohathite clan were allotted ten towns from the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
6 The clan of Gershon was allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.
7 The clan of Merari was allotted twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.
8 So the Israelites obeyed the Lord’s command to Moses and assigned these towns and pasturelands to the Levites by casting sacred lots.
9 The Israelites gave the following towns from the tribes of Judah and Simeon 10 to the descendants of Aaron, who were members of the Kohathite clan within the tribe of Levi, since the sacred lot fell to them first: 11 Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), in the hill country of Judah, along with its surrounding pasturelands. (Arba was an ancestor of Anak.) 12 But the open fields beyond the town and the surrounding villages were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession.
13 The following towns with their pasturelands were given to the descendants of Aaron the priest: Hebron (a city of refuge for those who accidentally killed someone), Libnah, 14 Jattir, Eshtemoa, 15 Holon, Debir, 16 Ain, Juttah, and Beth-shemesh—nine towns from these two tribes.
17 From the tribe of Benjamin the priests were given the following towns with their pasturelands: Gibeon, Geba, 18 Anathoth, and Almon—four towns. 19 So in all, thirteen towns with their pasturelands were given to the priests, the descendants of Aaron.
20 The rest of the Kohathite clan from the tribe of Levi was allotted the following towns and pasturelands from the tribe of Ephraim: 21 Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim (a city of refuge for those who accidentally killed someone), Gezer, 22 Kibzaim, and Beth-horon—four towns.
23 The following towns and pasturelands were allotted to the priests from the tribe of Dan: Eltekeh, Gibbethon, 24 Aijalon, and Gath-rimmon—four towns.
25 The half-tribe of Manasseh allotted the following towns with their pasturelands to the priests: Taanach and Gath-rimmon—two towns. 26 So in all, ten towns with their pasturelands were given to the rest of the Kohathite clan.
27 The descendants of Gershon, another clan within the tribe of Levi, received the following towns with their pasturelands from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan (a city of refuge for those who accidentally killed someone) and Be-eshterah—two towns.
28 From the tribe of Issachar they received the following towns with their pasturelands: Kishion, Daberath, 29 Jarmuth, and En-gannim—four towns.
30 From the tribe of Asher they received the following towns with their pasturelands: Mishal, Abdon, 31 Helkath, and Rehob—four towns.
32 From the tribe of Naphtali they received the following towns with their pasturelands: Kedesh in Galilee (a city of refuge for those who accidentally killed someone), Hammoth-dor, and Kartan—three towns. 33 So in all, thirteen towns with their pasturelands were allotted to the clan of Gershon.
34 The rest of the Levites—the Merari clan—were given the following towns with their pasturelands from the tribe of Zebulun: Jokneam, Kartah, 35 Dimnah, and Nahalal—four towns.
36 From the tribe of Reuben they received the following towns with their pasturelands: Bezer, Jahaz,[a] 37 Kedemoth, and Mephaath—four towns.
38 From the tribe of Gad they received the following towns with their pasturelands: Ramoth in Gilead (a city of refuge for those who accidentally killed someone), Mahanaim, 39 Heshbon, and Jazer—four towns. 40 So in all, twelve towns were allotted to the clan of Merari.
41 The total number of towns and pasturelands within Israelite territory given to the Levites came to forty-eight. 42 Every one of these towns had pasturelands surrounding it.
43 So the Lord gave to Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. 44 And the Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had solemnly promised their ancestors. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the Lord helped them conquer all their enemies. 45 Not a single one of all the good promises the Lord had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true.
Footnotes
- 21:36 Hebrew Jahzah, a variant spelling of Jahaz.
Joshua 20:1-21:23
New International Version
Joshua 20:1-21:23
New International Version
Cities of Refuge(A)
20 Then the Lord said to Joshua: 2 “Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, 3 so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally(B) may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood.(C) 4 When they flee to one of these cities, they are to stand in the entrance of the city gate(D) and state their case before the elders(E) of that city. Then the elders are to admit the fugitive into their city and provide a place to live among them. 5 If the avenger of blood comes in pursuit, the elders must not surrender the fugitive, because the fugitive killed their neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought. 6 They are to stay in that city until they have stood trial before the assembly(F) and until the death of the high priest who is serving at that time. Then they may go back to their own home in the town from which they fled.”
7 So they set apart Kedesh(G) in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem(H) in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba(I) (that is, Hebron(J)) in the hill country of Judah.(K) 8 East of the Jordan (on the other side from Jericho) they designated Bezer(L) in the wilderness on the plateau in the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead(M) in the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan(N) in the tribe of Manasseh. 9 Any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing among them who killed someone accidentally(O) could flee to these designated cities and not be killed by the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.(P)
Towns for the Levites(Q)
21 Now the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the other tribal families of Israel(R) 2 at Shiloh(S) in Canaan and said to them, “The Lord commanded through Moses that you give us towns(T) to live in, with pasturelands for our livestock.”(U) 3 So, as the Lord had commanded, the Israelites gave the Levites the following towns and pasturelands out of their own inheritance:
4 The first lot came out for the Kohathites,(V) according to their clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest were allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin.(W) 5 The rest of Kohath’s descendants were allotted ten towns from the clans of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan and half of Manasseh.(X)
6 The descendants of Gershon(Y) were allotted thirteen towns from the clans of the tribes of Issachar,(Z) Asher,(AA) Naphtali and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.
7 The descendants of Merari,(AB) according to their clans, received twelve(AC) towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun.(AD)
8 So the Israelites allotted to the Levites these towns and their pasturelands, as the Lord had commanded through Moses.
9 From the tribes of Judah and Simeon they allotted the following towns by name 10 (these towns were assigned to the descendants of Aaron who were from the Kohathite clans of the Levites, because the first lot fell to them):
11 They gave them Kiriath Arba(AE) (that is, Hebron(AF)), with its surrounding pastureland, in the hill country of Judah. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.) 12 But the fields and villages around the city they had given to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession.(AG)
13 So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron (a city of refuge(AH) for one accused of murder), Libnah,(AI) 14 Jattir,(AJ) Eshtemoa,(AK) 15 Holon,(AL) Debir,(AM) 16 Ain,(AN) Juttah(AO) and Beth Shemesh,(AP) together with their pasturelands—nine towns from these two tribes.
17 And from the tribe of Benjamin they gave them Gibeon,(AQ) Geba,(AR) 18 Anathoth(AS) and Almon, together with their pasturelands—four towns.
19 The total number of towns(AT) for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, came to thirteen, together with their pasturelands.(AU)
20 The rest of the Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted towns from the tribe of Ephraim:
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.