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Joshua 19-21
Common English Bible
Joshua 19-21
Common English Bible
Simeon
19 The second lot fell to Simeon. The legacy of the clans of the Simeonite tribe lay inside the legacy of the people of Judah. 2 They had in their legacy: Beer-sheba, Sheba, Moladah, 3 Hazar-shual, Balah, Ezem, 4 Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, 5 Ziklag, Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susah, 6 Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuhen. In total: thirteen cities and their surrounding areas. 7 Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan. In total: four cities and their surrounding areas. 8 In addition were all the areas that surround these cities as far as Baalath-beer and Ramah of the arid southern plain. This is the legacy of the clans of the Simeonite tribe. 9 Some of the portion of the people of Judah belonged to the legacy of the people of Simeon. This was because the portion of the people of Judah was too large for them. So the people of Simeon received a legacy inside Judah’s legacy.
Zebulun
10 The lot turned up third for the clans of Zebulun. The border of their legacy ran as far as Sarid. 11 Their border went up westward to Maralah, touched Dabbesheth, and touched the ravine that is opposite Jokneam. 12 It reversed from Sarid eastward toward the east to the border of Chisloth-tabor. It went to Daberath and then up to Japhia. 13 From there it passed on the east side, running eastward to Gath-hepher and Eth-kazin. Going to Rimmon, it bent toward Neah. 14 The border turned north of Hannathon and ended at the Iphtah-el Valley. 15 They also owned Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem; in total: twelve cities and their surrounding areas. 16 These cities and their surrounding areas are the legacy of Zebulun’s clans.
Issachar
17 The lot went out fourth for the clans of Issachar. 18 Their border ran toward Jezreel. They also owned Chesulloth, Shunem, 19 Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, 20 Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez, 21 Remeth, En-gannim, En-haddah, and Beth-pazzez. 22 The border touched Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth-shemesh. Their border ended at the Jordan; in total: sixteen cities with their surrounding areas. 23 These cities and their surrounding areas are the legacy for the clans of the Issachar tribe.
Asher
24 The lot went out fifth for the clans of the tribe of Asher. 25 Their border included Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph, 26 Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal. It touched Carmel on the west and Shihor-libnath. 27 The border reversed eastward to Beth-dagon. It touched Zebulun and the Iphtah-el Valley on the north, also Beth-emek and Neiel. It went to Cabul on the north, 28 as far as Great Sidon. They also owned Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, and Kanah. 29 The border turned around to Ramah as far as the fortified city of Tyre. The border turned around to Hosah and ended at the sea. They also owned Mahalab,[a] Achzib, 30 Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob; in total: twenty-two cities and their surrounding areas. 31 These cities and their surrounding areas are the legacy for the clans of the Asher tribe.
Naphtali
32 For the people of Naphtali, the lot went out sixth. For the clans of Naphtali 33 their border ran from Heleph, from the oak in Zaanannim and Adami-nekeb and Jabneel as far as Lakkum. It ended at the Jordan. 34 The border reversed westward to Aznoth-tabor. It went from there to Hukkok. It touched Zebulun on the south, Asher on the west, and Judah at the Jordan on the east. 35 They also owned the fortified cities Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth, 36 Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, 37 Kedesh, Edrei, En-hazor, 38 Iron, Migdal-el, Horem, Beth-anath, and Beth-shemesh; in total: nineteen cities and their surrounding areas. 39 These cities and their surrounding areas are the legacy for the clans of the Naphtali tribe.
Dan
40 The lot went out seventh for the clans of the Danite tribe. 41 The territory of their legacy was 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, and Rakkon, along with the territory opposite Joppa. 47 But the territory of the people of Dan was lost to them. So the people of Dan went up and attacked Leshem and captured it. They struck it down without mercy. They took it over and settled it. Then they named Leshem as Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor. 48 These cities and their surrounding areas are the legacy for the clans of the Danite tribe.
Legacy for Joshua
49 So when they finished assigning the borders of the land, the Israelites gave to Joshua, Nun’s son, a legacy among them. 50 By the Lord’s command, they gave him the city that he asked for. This was Timnath-serah in the highlands of Ephraim. He built a city and lived in it. 51 These are the legacies that Eleazar the priest, Joshua, Nun’s son, and the heads of the families of the Israelite tribes assigned by lot at Shiloh. They did this before the Lord at the entrance of the meeting tent and finished dividing up the land.
Refuge cities
20 The Lord spoke to Joshua: 2 “Say to the Israelites, ‘Set up refuge cities for yourselves. I spoke to you about these through Moses. 3 Anyone who kills by striking down someone unintentionally or by mistake may flee there. These places will be a refuge for you from any member of the victim’s family seeking revenge. 4 The killer will flee to one of these cities, stand at the entrance of the city gate, and explain their situation to the elders of that city. The elders are to let the killer into the city and provide a place of refuge for the killer to live with them. 5 If a member of the victim’s family follows, seeking revenge, they won’t hand the killer over. This is because the killer struck down the neighbor by accident and hadn’t been an enemy in the past. 6 The killer will live in that city until there can be a trial before the community or[b] until the death of the one who is high priest at that time. Then the killer may return home, back to the city from which the flight began.’”
7 So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the highlands of Naphtali, Shechem in the highlands of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the highlands of Judah. 8 On the other side of the Jordan east of Jericho, they set up Bezer in the wasteland on the plateau from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh. 9 These cities were the ones designated for all the Israelites and for immigrants residing among them. Anyone who struck down a person by mistake could flee there and escape death at the hand of some member of the victim’s family seeking revenge, until there could be a trial before the community.
Cities for the Levites
21 The heads of the levitical families approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua, Nun’s son, and the heads of the families of the Israelite tribes. 2 They spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan: “The Lord gave a command through Moses to give us cities to live in and their pasturelands for our cattle.” 3 So the Israelites gave the Levites the following cities and their pasturelands out of their own legacy. This was in agreement with the Lord’s command.
4 The lot went out for the clans of the Kohathites. The descendants of Aaron the priest from among the Levites acquired thirteen cities by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. 5 The rest of the descendants of Kohath acquired ten cities by lot from the clans of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and half of Manasseh. 6 The descendants of Gershon acquired thirteen cities by lot from the clans of the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half of Manasseh located in Bashan. 7 The descendants of Merari acquired twelve cities for their clans from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. 8 So the Israelites gave these cities and their pasturelands to the Levites by lot, exactly as the Lord had commanded through Moses.
9 They gave the following cities, identified here by name, from the tribe of the Judahites and the tribe of the Simeonites. 10 The cities belonged to the descendants of Aaron, one of the Kohathite clans of the Levites, because the lot had fallen to them first. 11 They gave them Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the highlands of Judah and the pastures around it. (Arba was the father of Anak.) 12 But they had already given the fields of the city and its surrounding areas to Caleb, Jephunneh’s son, as his property. 13 To the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave: Hebron, the refuge city for a killer, and its pastures; Libnah and its pastures; 14 Jattir and its pastures; Eshtemoa and its pastures; 15 Holon and its pastures; Debir and its pastures; 16 Ain and its pastures; Juttah and its pastures; and Beth-shemesh and its pastures. Total from these two tribes: nine cities. 17 From the tribe of Benjamin: Gibeon and its pastures, Geba and its pastures, 18 Anathoth and its pastures, and Almon and its pastures. In total: four cities. 19 This is the total of all the cities of the priests descended from Aaron: thirteen cities with their pastures.
20 Other clans from the levitical descendants of Kohath still remained from among the descendants of Kohath. Some of their allotted cities were from the tribe of Ephraim. 21 They gave them: Shechem, the refuge city for a killer, and its pastures in the highlands of Ephraim; Gezer and its pastures; 22 Kibzaim and its pastures; and Beth-horon and its pastures; in total: four cities. 23 From the tribe of Dan: Elteke and its pastures, Gibbethon and its pastures, 24 Aijalon and its pastures, Gath-rimmon and its pastures; in total: four cities. 25 From half the tribe of Manasseh: Taanach and its pastures, and Gath-rimmon and its pastures; in total: two cities. 26 This is the total of all cities for the clans of the remaining descendants of Kohath: ten cities with their pastures.
27 To the descendants of Gershon, one of the clans of the Levites, from half the tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan, the refuge city for a killer, and its pastures; and Beeshterah and its pastures; in total: two cities. 28 From the tribe of Issachar: Kishion and its pastures, Daberath and its pastures, 29 Jarmuth and its pastures, En-gannim and its pastures; in total: four cities. 30 From the tribe of Asher: Mishal and its pastures, Abdon and its pastures, 31 Helkath and its pastures, and Rehob and its pastures; in total: four cities. 32 From the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee, the refuge city for the killer, and its pastures; Hammoth-dor and its pastures; and Kartan and its pastures; in total: three cities. 33 This is the total of all cities of the Gershonites for their clans: thirteen cities with their pastures.
34 To the clans of the descendants of Merari, the rest of the Levites, from the tribe of Zebulun: Jokneam and its pastures, Kartah and its pastures, 35 Dimnah and its pastures, Nahalal and its pastures; in total: four cities. 36 From the tribe of Reuben: Bezer and its pastures, Jahaz and its pastures, 37 Kedemoth and its pastures, and Mephaath and its pastures; in total: four cities.[c] 38 From the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead, the refuge city for a killer, and its pastures; Mahanaim and its pastures; 39 Heshbon and its pastures; Jazer and its pastures; in total: four cities. 40 As for the cities of the descendants of Merari for their clans, the remaining clans of the Levites, their total allotment was twelve cities.
41 This is the total of all the cities of the Levites within the property of the Israelites: forty-eight cities with their pastures. 42 Each of these cities had its pastures around it. This was the case for all these cities.
Summary of the conquest
43 The Lord gave to Israel all the land he had pledged to give to their ancestors. They took it over and settled there. 44 The Lord gave them rest from surrounding danger, exactly as he had pledged to their ancestors. Not one of all their enemies held out against them. The Lord gave all their enemies into their power. 45 Not one of all the good things that the Lord had promised to the house of Israel failed. Every promise was fulfilled.
Footnotes
- Joshua 19:29 LXX; MT Mehebel
- Joshua 20:6 Heb uncertain
- Joshua 21:37 LXX and 1 Chron 6:78-79 (Heb 6:63-64); some Heb manuscripts lack 21:36-37.
Joshua 19-21
New International Version
Joshua 19-21
New International Version
Allotment for Simeon(A)
19 The second lot came out for the tribe of Simeon according to its clans. Their inheritance lay within the territory of Judah.(B) 2 It included:
Beersheba(C) (or Sheba),[a] Moladah,(D) 3 Hazar Shual,(E) Balah, Ezem,(F) 4 Eltolad,(G) Bethul, Hormah,(H) 5 Ziklag,(I) Beth Markaboth, Hazar Susah, 6 Beth Lebaoth and Sharuhen—thirteen towns and their villages;
7 Ain, Rimmon,(J) Ether and Ashan(K)—four towns and their villages— 8 and all the villages around these towns as far as Baalath Beer (Ramah in the Negev).(L)
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,(M) because Judah’s portion was more than they needed. So the Simeonites received their inheritance within the territory of Judah.(N)
Allotment for Zebulun
10 The third lot came up for Zebulun(O) according to its clans:
The boundary of their inheritance went as far as Sarid.(P) 11 Going west it ran to Maralah, touched Dabbesheth, and extended to the ravine near Jokneam.(Q) 12 It turned east from Sarid(R) toward the sunrise to the territory of Kisloth Tabor and went on to Daberath(S) and up to Japhia. 13 Then it continued eastward to Gath Hepher(T) and Eth Kazin; it came out at Rimmon(U) and turned toward Neah. 14 There the boundary went around on the north to Hannathon and ended at the Valley of Iphtah El.(V) 15 Included were Kattath, Nahalal,(W) Shimron,(X) Idalah and Bethlehem.(Y) There were twelve towns and their villages.
16 These towns and their villages were the inheritance of Zebulun,(Z) according to its clans.(AA)
Allotment for Issachar
17 The fourth lot came out for Issachar(AB) according to its clans. 18 Their territory included:
Jezreel,(AC) Kesulloth, Shunem,(AD) 19 Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, 20 Rabbith, Kishion,(AE) Ebez, 21 Remeth, En Gannim,(AF) En Haddah and Beth Pazzez. 22 The boundary touched Tabor,(AG) Shahazumah and Beth Shemesh,(AH) 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,(AI) according to its clans.(AJ)
Allotment for Asher
24 The fifth lot came out for the tribe of Asher(AK) according to its clans. 25 Their territory included:
Helkath, Hali, Beten, Akshaph,(AL) 26 Allammelek, Amad and Mishal.(AM) On the west the boundary touched Carmel(AN) and Shihor Libnath. 27 It then turned east toward Beth Dagon,(AO) touched Zebulun(AP) and the Valley of Iphtah El,(AQ) and went north to Beth Emek and Neiel, passing Kabul(AR) on the left. 28 It went to Abdon,[b](AS) Rehob,(AT) Hammon(AU) and Kanah,(AV) as far as Greater Sidon.(AW) 29 The boundary then turned back toward Ramah(AX) and went to the fortified city of Tyre,(AY) turned toward Hosah and came out at the Mediterranean Sea(AZ) in the region of Akzib,(BA) 30 Ummah, Aphek(BB) and Rehob.(BC) There were twenty-two towns and their villages.
31 These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Asher,(BD) 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,(BE) passing Adami Nekeb and Jabneel(BF) to Lakkum and ending at the Jordan. 34 The boundary ran west through Aznoth Tabor and came out at Hukkok.(BG) It touched Zebulun(BH) on the south, Asher on the west and the Jordan[c] on the east. 35 The fortified towns were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath,(BI) Rakkath, Kinnereth,(BJ) 36 Adamah, Ramah,(BK) Hazor,(BL) 37 Kedesh,(BM) Edrei,(BN) En Hazor, 38 Iron, Migdal El, Horem, Beth Anath(BO) and Beth Shemesh.(BP) 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.(BQ)
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,(BR) Ir Shemesh, 42 Shaalabbin, Aijalon,(BS) Ithlah, 43 Elon, Timnah,(BT) Ekron,(BU) 44 Eltekeh, Gibbethon,(BV) Baalath,(BW) 45 Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon,(BX) 46 Me Jarkon and Rakkon, with the area facing Joppa.(BY)
47 (When the territory of the Danites was lost to them,(BZ) they went up and attacked Leshem(CA), took it, put it to the sword and occupied it. They settled in Leshem and named(CB) it Dan after their ancestor.)(CC)
48 These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Dan,(CD) 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[d](CE) 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(CF) the land.(CG)
Cities of Refuge(CH)
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(CI) may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood.(CJ) 4 When they flee to one of these cities, they are to stand in the entrance of the city gate(CK) and state their case before the elders(CL) 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(CM) 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(CN) in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem(CO) in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba(CP) (that is, Hebron(CQ)) in the hill country of Judah.(CR) 8 East of the Jordan (on the other side from Jericho) they designated Bezer(CS) in the wilderness on the plateau in the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead(CT) in the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan(CU) in the tribe of Manasseh. 9 Any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing among them who killed someone accidentally(CV) could flee to these designated cities and not be killed by the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.(CW)
Towns for the Levites(CX)
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(CY) 2 at Shiloh(CZ) in Canaan and said to them, “The Lord commanded through Moses that you give us towns(DA) to live in, with pasturelands for our livestock.”(DB) 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,(DC) 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.(DD) 5 The rest of Kohath’s descendants were allotted ten towns from the clans of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan and half of Manasseh.(DE)
6 The descendants of Gershon(DF) were allotted thirteen towns from the clans of the tribes of Issachar,(DG) Asher,(DH) Naphtali and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.
7 The descendants of Merari,(DI) according to their clans, received twelve(DJ) towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun.(DK)
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(DL) (that is, Hebron(DM)), 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.(DN)
13 So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron (a city of refuge(DO) for one accused of murder), Libnah,(DP) 14 Jattir,(DQ) Eshtemoa,(DR) 15 Holon,(DS) Debir,(DT) 16 Ain,(DU) Juttah(DV) and Beth Shemesh,(DW) together with their pasturelands—nine towns from these two tribes.
17 And from the tribe of Benjamin they gave them Gibeon,(DX) Geba,(DY) 18 Anathoth(DZ) and Almon, together with their pasturelands—four towns.
19 The total number of towns(EA) for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, came to thirteen, together with their pasturelands.(EB)
20 The rest of the Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted towns from the tribe of Ephraim:
21 In the hill country of Ephraim they were given Shechem(EC) (a city of refuge for one accused of murder) and Gezer,(ED) 22 Kibzaim and Beth Horon,(EE) together with their pasturelands—four towns.(EF)
23 Also from the tribe of Dan they received Eltekeh, Gibbethon,(EG) 24 Aijalon(EH) and Gath Rimmon,(EI) together with their pasturelands—four towns.
25 From half the tribe of Manasseh they received Taanach(EJ) and Gath Rimmon, together with their pasturelands—two towns.
26 All these ten towns and their pasturelands were given to the rest of the Kohathite clans.(EK)
27 The Levite clans of the Gershonites were given:
from the half-tribe of Manasseh,
Golan in Bashan(EL) (a city of refuge for one accused of murder(EM)) and Be Eshterah, together with their pasturelands—two towns;
28 from the tribe of Issachar,(EN)
Kishion,(EO) Daberath,(EP) 29 Jarmuth(EQ) and En Gannim,(ER) together with their pasturelands—four towns;
30 from the tribe of Asher,(ES)
32 from the tribe of Naphtali,
Kedesh(EW) in Galilee (a city of refuge for one accused of murder(EX)), Hammoth Dor and Kartan, together with their pasturelands—three towns.
33 The total number of towns of the Gershonite(EY) clans came to thirteen, together with their pasturelands.
34 The Merarite clans (the rest of the Levites) were given:
from the tribe of Zebulun,(EZ)
Jokneam,(FA) Kartah, 35 Dimnah and Nahalal,(FB) together with their pasturelands—four towns;
36 from the tribe of Reuben,
38 from the tribe of Gad,
Ramoth(FF) in Gilead(FG) (a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Mahanaim,(FH) 39 Heshbon and Jazer,(FI) together with their pasturelands—four towns in all.
40 The total number of towns allotted to the Merarite clans, who were the rest of the Levites, came to twelve.(FJ)
41 The towns of the Levites in the territory held by the Israelites were forty-eight in all, together with their pasturelands.(FK) 42 Each of these towns had pasturelands surrounding it; this was true for all these towns.
43 So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors,(FL) and they took possession(FM) of it and settled there.(FN) 44 The Lord gave them rest(FO) on every side, just as he had sworn to their ancestors. Not one of their enemies(FP) withstood them; the Lord gave all their enemies(FQ) into their hands.(FR) 45 Not one of all the Lord’s good promises(FS) to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.
Footnotes
- 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)
Common English Bible (CEB)
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