Joshua 13-22
Revised Geneva Translation
13 Now when Joshua was old, and stricken in years, the LORD said to him, “You are old and grown in age, and there remains exceedingly much land to be possessed.
2 “This is the land that remains: all the regions of the Philistines, and all Geshuri,
3 “from Nilus (which is in Egypt) to the borders of Ekron, northward. This is counted as the Canaanites’: five Lordships of the Philistines, the Gazites, the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, the Ekronites, and the Avites;
4 “from the South: all the land of the Canaanites, and the cave that is beside the Sidonians, to Aphek and to the borders of the Amorites,
5 “and the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon toward the Sun, rising from Baal Gad, under Mount Hermon, until one comes to Hamath.
6 “All the inhabitants of the mountains from Lebanon to Misrephoth, all the Sidonians, I will cast them out from before the children of Israel. Only divide it by lot to the Israelites, to inherit, as I have Commanded you.
7 “Now, therefore, divide this land to inherit to the nine tribes, and to the half tribe of Manasseh.”
8 With it, the Reubenites and the Gadites have received their inheritance, which Moses gave them beyond Jordan, eastward, as Moses the servant of the LORD had given them,
9 from Aroer that is on the bank of the river Arnon, and from the city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain of Medeba, to Dibon,
10 and all the cities of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, to the borders of the children of Ammon,
11 and Gilead, and the borders of the Geshurites and of the Maachathites, and all Mount Hermon, with all Bashan, to Salcah,
12 all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei (who remained from the rest of the giants). For these Moses struck, and cast them out.
13 But the children of Israel did not expel the Geshurites or the Maachathites. But the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites even to this day.
14 Only to the tribe of Levi did He give no inheritance. The Sacrifices of the Lord GOD of Israel are his inheritance, as He said to him.
15 Moses then gave to the tribe of the children of Reuben an inheritance, according to their families.
16 And their territory was from Aroer that is on the bank of the river Arnon, and from the city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain which is by Medeba:
17 Heshbon, with all its cities that are in the plain, Dibon and Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon,
18 Jahaza, Kedemoth, Mephaath,
19 Kirjathaim also, Sibmah, and Zereth Shahar, on the Mount of Emek,
20 Beth Peor, Ashdoth Pisgah, Beth Jeshimoth,
21 and all the cities of the plain, and all the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses struck with the princes of Midian, Evi and Rekem, Zur, Hur, Reba, and the dukes of Sihon, dwelling in the country.
22 And Balaam, the son of Beor the soothsayer, the children of Israel killed with the sword, among those who were killed.
23 And the territory of the children of Reuben was Jordan, with the borders. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben, according to their families, with the cities and their villages.
24 Also, Moses gave an inheritance to the tribe of Gad, to the children of Gad, according to their families.
25 And their territories were Jazer and all the cities of Gilead and half the land of the children of Ammon, to Aroer, which is before Rabbah;
26 and from Heshbon to Ramath, Mizpah; and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the borders of Debir,
27 and in the valley of Beth Haram, and Beth Nimrah, Succoth, Zaphon, and the rest of the kingdom of Sihon, king of Heshbon, to Jordan and the borders to the territory of Chinnereth, beyond Jordan, eastward.
28 This is the inheritance of the children of Gad, after their families, with the cities and their villages.
29 Also, Moses gave an inheritance to the half tribe of Manasseh. And this belonged to the half tribe of the children of Manasseh, according to their families.
30 And their border was from Mahanaim (all Bashan, or, all the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan) and all the towns of Jair which are in Bashan, (sixty cities).
31 And half Gilead, and Ashtaroth, and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were given to the children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, to half of the children of Machir, after their families.
32 These are the heritages which Moses distributed on the plain of Moab, beyond Jordan, toward Jericho, eastward.
33 But to the tribe of Levi, Moses gave no inheritance. The Lord GOD of Israel is their inheritance, as He said to them.
14 These are also the places which the children of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the Priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel distributed to them,
2 by the lot of their inheritance, as the LORD had Commanded by the hand of Moses, to give to the nine tribes, and the half tribe.
3 For Moses had given inheritance to two tribes and a half tribe, beyond Jordan. But to the Levites he gave no inheritance among them.
4 For the children of Joseph were two tribes: Manasseh and Ephraim. Therefore, they gave no part to the Levites in the land, except cities to dwell in, with the suburbs of the same for their beasts and their substance.
5 As the LORD had Commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did when they divided the land.
6 Then the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal. And Caleb, the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, said to him, “You know what the LORD said to Moses, the man of God, concerning you and me in Kadesh Barnea.
7 “I was forty years old when Moses, the servant of the LORD, sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land. And I brought him word back from my heart.
8 “But my brethren who went up with me discouraged the heart of the people. Yet, I still followed the LORD my God.
9 “Therefore, Moses swore the same day, saying, ‘Certainly the land on which your feet have walked shall be your inheritance, and your children’s, forever, because you have followed constantly the LORD my God.’
10 “Therefore, behold now, the LORD has kept me alive, as He promised. This is the forty-fifth year since the LORD spoke this thing to Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness. And now, lo, I am, this day, eighty-five years old.
11 “And I am just as strong at this time as I was when Moses sent me. As strong as I was then, so strong am I now, for war or for government.
12 “Now, therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke on that day (for you heard on that day how Anakim were there, and the cities great and walled) if so be that the LORD will be with me, so that I may drive them out, as the LORD said.”
13 Then Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, for an inheritance.
14 Hebron, therefore, became the inheritance of Caleb, the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, until this day, because he followed constantly the LORD God of Israel.
15 And the name of Hebron was formerly, Kirjath Arba (Arba being a great man among the Anakim). Thus, the land ceased from war.
15 This, then, was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah, by their families, to the border of Edom and the wilderness of Zin, southward, on the southern border.
2 And their southern border was the Salt Sea coast, from the point that looks southward.
3 And it went out on the south side toward Maaleh Akrabbim, and went along to Zin, and ascended up on the south side to Kadesh Barnea, and went along to Hezron, and went up to Adar, and went around to Karkaa.
4 From there it went along to Azmon and reached to the river of Egypt. And the end of that territory was on the west side. This shall be your southern border.
5 Also, the eastern border shall be the Salt Sea, to the end of Jordan, and the border on the northern quarter shall be from the point of the sea, from the end of Jordan.
6 And this border goes up to Beth Hoglah and goes along by the north side of Beth Arabah. So, the border from there goes up to the stone of Bohan, the son of Reuben.
7 Again, this border goes up to Debir, from the valley of Achor, and northward, turning toward Gilgal, which lies before the going to Adummim, which is on the southern side of the river. Also this border goes up to the waters of En Shemesh, and ends at En Rogel.
8 Then, this border goes up to the valley of the son of Hinnom, on the southern side of the Jebusites. Jerusalem is the same. Also, this border goes up to the top of the mountain that lies before the valley of Hinnom, westward, which is by the end of the valley of giants, northward.
9 So, this border goes around from the top of the mountain to the fountain of the water of Nephtoah and goes out to the cities of Mount Ephron. And this border draws to Baalah, which is Kirjath Jearim.
10 Then, this border goes around from Baalah westward to Mount Seir and goes along to the side of Mount Jearim, which is Chesalon, on the northern side. It comes down to Beth Shemesh and goes to Timnah.
11 Also, this border goes out to the side of Ekron, northward. And this border draws to Shicron and goes along to Mount Baalah and stretches to Jabneel. And the ends of this territory are to the Sea.
12 And the western border is to the Great Sea. So, this border shall be the boundary of the children of Judah all around, according to their families.
13 And to Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, Joshua gave a part among the children of Judah, as the LORD Commanded him: Kirjath Arba, of the father of Anak, which is in Hebron.
14 And Caleb drove three sons of Anak from there: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the sons of Anak.
15 And he went up from there to the inhabitants of Debir. And the name of Debir was formerly Kirjath Sepher.
16 Then Caleb said, “He who strikes Kirjath Sepher, and takes it, to him will I give Achsah, my daughter, as a wife.”
17 And Othniel, the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it. And he gave him Achsah, his daughter, as a wife.
18 And as she went in, she would move him to ask her father for a field. And she dismounted her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you want?”
19 Then she answered, “Give me a blessing; for you have given me the South country. Give me also springs of water.” And he gave her the springs above and the springs beneath.
20 This shall be the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah, according to their families.
21 And the outermost cities of the tribe of the children of Judah, toward the territories of Edom, southward, were: Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur,
22 Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah,
23 Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan,
24 Ziph, Telem, Bealoth,
25 Hazor, Hadattah, Kerioth, Hezron (which is Hazor)
26 Amam, Shema, Moladah,
27 Hazar, Gaddah, Heshmon, Beth Pelet,
28 Hazar Shual, Beersheba, Bizjothjah,
29 Baalah, Ijim, Ezem,
30 Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah,
31 Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah,
32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon, twenty-nine cities in all, with their villages.
33 In the low country were: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah,
34 Zanoah, En Gannim, Tappuah, Enam,
35 Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah,
36 Sharaim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim, fourteen cities with their villages;
37 Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal Gad,
38 Dilean, Mizpah, Joktheel,
39 Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon,
40 Cabbon, Lahmas, Kithlish,
41 Gederoth, Beth Dagon, Naamah, Makkedah, sixteen cities with their villages;
42 Libnah, Ether, Ashan,
43 Jiphtah, Ashnah, Nezib,
44 Keilah, Achzib, Mareshah, nine cities with their villages;
45 Ekron with her towns and her villages;
46 from Ekron to the Sea, all that lies around Ashdod, with their villages;
47 Ashdod with her towns and her villages. Gaza, with her towns and her villages, to the river of Egypt and the great Sea was their border.
48 And in the mountains were Shamir, Jattir, Sochoh,
49 Dannah, Kirjath Sannah (which is Debir)
50 Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim,
51 Goshen, Holon, Giloh, eleven cities with their villages;
52 Arab, Dumah, Eshean,
53 Janum, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah,
54 Humtah, Kirjath Arba (which is Hebron) and Zior, nine cities with their villages;
55 Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah,
56 Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah,
57 Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah, ten cities with their villages;
58 Halhul, Beth Zur, Gedor,
59 Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon, six cities with their villages;
60 Kirjath Baal (which is Kirjath Jearim) and Rabbah, two cities with their villages.
61 In the wilderness were Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah,
62 Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En Gedi, five cities with their villages.
63 Nevertheless, the Jebusites, who were the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not cast out. But the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.
16 And the lot fell to the children of Joseph, from Jordan by Jericho to the water of Jericho, eastward, to the wilderness that goes up from Jericho by Mount Bethel
2 and goes out from Bethel to Luz and runs along to the borders of Archi Ataroth
3 and goes down westward to the territory of Japhlet, to the territory of Beth Horon (the lower) and to Gezer. And its ends are at the Sea.
4 So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance.
5 Also, the borders of the children of Ephraim, according to their families, the borders of their inheritance on the East Side, were Ataroth Addar, to Beth Horon (the upper).
6 And this border goes out to the Sea, to Michmethath on the North Side. And this border returns eastward to Taanath Shiloh and passes it on the East Side, to Janohah,
7 and goes down from Janohah to Ataroth and Naarah and comes to Jericho and goes out at Jordan.
8 And this border goes from Tappuah, westward, to the river, Kanah. And its ends are at the Sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim, by their families.
9 And the separate cities for the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages.
10 And they did not cast out the Canaanite who dwelt in Gezer. But the Canaanite dwells among the Ephraimites to this day and serves under tribute.
17 This, also, was the lot of the tribe of Manasseh. For he was the firstborn of Joseph. Machir, the firstborn of Manasseh, was the father of Gilead and Bashan, because he was a man of war.
2 And these are of the rest of the sons of Manasseh, by their families, of the sons of Abiezer and of the sons of Helek and of the sons of Asriel and of the sons of Shechem and of the sons of Hepher and of the sons of Shemida. These were the males of Manasseh, the son of Joseph, according to their families.
3 But Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, only daughters. And these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah,
4 who came before Eleazar the Priest, and before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the princes, saying, “The LORD Commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brethren.” Therefore, according to the Commandment of the LORD, he gave them an inheritance among the brethren of their father.
5 And there fell ten portions to Manasseh, in addition to the land of Gilead and Bashan which is on the other side of Jordan,
6 because the daughters of Manasseh also inherited among his sons. And Manasseh’s other sons had the land of Gilead.
7 So the borders of Manasseh were from Asher to Michmethath, that lies before Shechem. And on the right hand, this border goes to the inhabitants of En Tappuah.
8 The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh; but Tappuah beside the border of Manasseh belongs to the sons of Ephraim.
9 Also, this border goes down to the river Kanah, southward, to the river. These cities of Ephraim are among the cities of Manasseh. And the border of Manasseh is on the north side of the river. And the ends of it are at the Sea.
10 The South pertains to Ephraim, and the North to Manasseh, and the sea is his border. And they met together in Asher, northward, and in Issachar, eastward.
11 And Manasseh had in Issachar and in Asher, Beth Shean and her towns, and Ibleam and her towns, and the inhabitants of Dor with its towns, and the inhabitants of En Dor with its towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach with her towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo with the towns of the same, three countries.
12 Yet the children of Manasseh could not destroy those cities; but the Canaanites still dwelt in that land.
13 Nevertheless, when the children of Israel were strong, they put the Canaanites under tribute, but did not wholly cast them out.
14 Then the children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, “Why have you given me but one lot, and one portion, to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the LORD has blessed me until now?”
15 Then Joshua answered them, “If you are a numerous people, get up to the woods and cut trees for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites, and of the giants, if Mount Ephraim is too narrow for you.”
16 Then the children of Joseph said, “The mountain will not be enough for us. And all the Canaanites who dwell in the low country have chariots of iron, as well as those in Beth Shean and in the towns of the same, and those in the valley of Jezreel.”
17 And Joshua spoke to the House of Joseph, to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, “You are a great people, and have great power, and shall not have one lot.
18 “Therefore, the mountain shall be yours. For it is a wood; and you shall cut it down. And the ends of it shall be yours. And you shall cast out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they are strong.
18 And the whole Congregation of the children of Israel came together at Shiloh. For they set up the Tabernacle of the Congregation there, after the land was subdued by them.
2 Now there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes to whom they had not divided their inheritance.
3 Therefore, Joshua said to the children of Israel, “How long will you neglect to enter and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers has given you?
4 “Give from among you three men from every tribe, so that I may send them; and so that they may rise and walk through the land and distribute it according to their inheritance and return to me;
5 “and so that they may divide it into seven parts for them, (Judah shall abide in his territory in the South, and the House of Joseph shall stay within their borders in the North).
6 “You shall, therefore, describe the land in seven parts and shall bring the descriptions here to me; and I will cast lots for you here before the LORD our God.
7 “But the Levites shall have no part among you. For the Priesthood of the LORD is their inheritance. Also, Gad and Reuben and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond Jordan, eastward, which Moses, the servant of the LORD, gave them.”
8 Then the men arose and went their way. And Joshua charged them to go and describe the land, saying, “Depart and go through the land and describe it; and return to me, so that I may cast lots for you here in Shiloh, before the LORD.”
9 So the men departed and passed through the land and described it in a book, in seven parts, by cities, and returned to Joshua, into the camp at Shiloh.
10 Then Joshua cast lots for them before the LORD in Shiloh. And Joshua divided the land to the children of Israel, according to their portions.
11 And the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came forth, according to their families. And the territory of their lot lay between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph.
12 And their border on the northern side was from Jordan. And the border went up to the side of Jericho on the northern part and went up through the mountains westward; and its ends are in the wilderness of Beth Aven.
13 And this border goes along from there to Luz, to the southern side of Luz (the same as Bethel); and this border descends to Ataroth Addar, near the mountain that lies on the southern side of Beth Horon the lower.
14 So the border turns, and surrounds the corner of the Sea, southward, from the mountain that lies before Beth Horon, southward. And its ends are at Kirjath Baal (which is Kirjath Jearim), a city of the children of Judah. This is the West Quarter.
15 And the South Quarter is from the end of Kirjath Jearim; and this border goes out, westward, and comes to the fountain of waters of Nephtoah.
16 And this border descends at the end of the mountain that lies before the valley of Ben Hinnom, which is in the Valley of the Giants, northward, and descends into the valley of Hinnom, by the side of Jebus, southward, and goes down to En Rogel
17 and goes around from the North, and goes forth to En Shemesh, and stretches to Geliloth (which is toward the ascent to Adummim) and goes down to the stone of Bohan, the son of Reuben.
18 So it goes along to the side, toward the plain, northward, and goes down into the plain.
19 Afterward, this border goes along to the side of Beth Hoglah, northward. And its ends, those of the border, reach to the point of the Salt Sea, northward, to the end of Jordan, southward. This is the southern border.
20 Also, Jordan is the border of it on the eastern side. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, by its borders, all around, according to their families.
21 Now, the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, according to their families, are Jericho, Beth Hoglah, and the valley of Keziz,
22 Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,
23 Avim, Parah, Ophrah,
24 Chephar, Haammoni, Ophni, and Gaba, twelve cities with their villages;
25 Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,
26 Mizpah, Chephirah, Mozah,
27 Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah,
28 Zelah, Eleph, Jebus (which is Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kirjath, fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, according to their families.
19 And the second lot came out to Simeon, for the tribe of the children of Simeon, according to their families. And their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the children of Judah.
2 Now they had in their inheritance: Beersheba, Sheba, Moladah,
3 Hazar Shual, Balah, Ezem,
4 Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah,
5 Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susah,
6 Beth Lebaoth, and Sharuhen, thirteen cities with their villages;
7 Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan, four cities with their villages
8 and all the villages that were all around these cities, to Baalath Beer and Ramah, southward. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon, according to their families.
9 Out of the portion of the children of Judah came the inheritance of the children of Simeon. For the part of the children of Judah was too much for them. Therefore, the children of Simeon had their inheritance within their inheritance.
10 Also, the third lot arose for the children of Zebulun, according to their families. And the border of their inheritance came to Sarid.
11 And their border goes up, westward, to Maralah, and reaches to Dabbasheth, and meets with the river that lies before Jokneam,
12 and turns from Sarid, eastward, toward the Sun, rising to the border of Chisloth Tabor, and going out to Daberath, and ascending to Japhia.
13 And from there, it goes along, eastward, toward the Sun, rising to Gath Hepher, to Eth Kazin, and going forth to Rimmon, and turning to Neah.
14 And this border surrounds it on the northern side, to Hannathon. And its ends are in the valley of Jiphthah El,
15 Kattath, Nahallal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem, twelve cities with their villages.
16 This is the inheritance of the children of Zebulun, according to their families, these cities and their villages.
17 The fourth lot came out to Issachar, for the children of Issachar, according to their families.
18 And their territory was Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem,
19 Haphraim, Shion, Anaharath,
20 Rabbith, Kishion, Abez,
21 Remeth, En Gannim, En Haddah, and Beth Pazzez.
22 And this border reaches Tabor, Shahazimah, and Beth Shemesh. And the ends of their territory reach to Jordan, sixteen cities with their villages.
23 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Issachar, according to their families, the cities and their villages.
24 Also, the fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher, according to their families.
25 And their territory was Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph,
26 Alammelech, Amad, Mishal, and comes to Carmel, westward, and to Shihor Libnath,
27 and turns toward the Sun, rising to Beth Dagon, and coming to Zebulun, and to the valley of Jiphthah El, toward the northern side of Beth Emek and Neiel, and going out on the left side of Cabul
28 and to Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, and Kanah, to great Sidon.
29 Then the border turns to Ramah and to the strong city of Zor. And this border turns to Hosah. And its ends are at the Sea, from Hebel to Achzib,
30 Ummah, also, Aphek, and Rehob, twenty-two cities with their villages.
31 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Asher, according to their families, these cities and their villages.
32 The sixth lot came out to the children of Naphtali, to the children of Naphtali according to their families.
33 And their territory was from Heleph, from Allon in Zaanannim, Adami Nekeb, Jabneel, to Lakkum. And its ends are at Jordan.
34 So this border turns westward to Aznoth Tabor and goes out from there to Hukkok and reaches to Zebulun on the southern side and goes to Asher on the western side and to Judah by Jordan, toward the rising Sun.
35 And the strong cities are Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, and Chinnereth,
36 Adamah, Ramah, Hazor,
37 Kedesh, Edrei, En Hazor,
38 Iron, Migdal El, Horem, Beth Anath, and Beth Shemesh, nineteen cities with their villages.
39 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Naphtali, according to their families, the cities and their villages.
40 The seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan, according to their families.
41 And the territory of their inheritance was Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir Shemesh,
42 Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Jethlah,
43 Elon, Timnah, Ekron,
44 Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath,
45 Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon,
46 Me Jarkon, Rakkon, with the border that lies before Japho.
47 But the territory of the children of Dan was too little for them. Therefore, the children of Dan went up to fight against Leshem, and took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and dwelt in it, and called Leshem, “Dan”, after the name of Dan their father.
48 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan, according to their families, these cities and their villages.
49 When they had made an end of dividing the land by its borders, then the children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua, the son of Nun, among them.
50 According to the Word of the LORD, they gave him the city for which he asked: Timnath Serah on Mount Ephraim. And he built the city and dwelt therein.
51 These are the heritages which Eleazar the Priest and Joshua, the son of Nun, and the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel divided by lot before the LORD in Shiloh, at the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation. So they finished dividing the country.
20 The LORD also spoke to Joshua, saying:
2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say, ‘Appoint cities of refuge for yourself, of which I spoke to you by the hand of Moses,
3 “so that the killer who kills any person by ignorance, unwittingly, may flee from there. And they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
4 “And he who flees to one of those cities shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and shall state his case to the elders of the city. And they shall receive him to themselves into the city and give him a place, so that he may dwell with them.
5 “And if the avenger of blood pursues after him, they shall not deliver the killer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unintentionally, nor did he hate him beforehand.
6 “But he shall dwell in that city until he stands before the Congregation in judgment, or until the death of the High Priest in those days. Then the killer shall return and come to his own city and to his own house, to the city from where he fled.”
7 Then they appointed Kedesh in Galilee on Mount Naphtali, and Shechem on Mount Ephraim, and Kirjath Arba (which is Hebron) on the Mountain of Judah.
8 And on the other side of Jordan, toward Jericho, eastward, they appointed Bezer in the wilderness, upon the plain, out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead, out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, out of the tribe of Manasseh.
9 These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger who sojourned among them, so that whoever killed any person unintentionally, might flee there and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood until he stood before the Congregation.
21 Then, the principal fathers of the Levites came to Eleazar the Priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel,
2 and spoke to them at Shiloh, in the land of Canaan, saying, “The LORD Commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with their suburbs, for our cattle.”
3 So the children of Israel gave these cities, with their suburbs, to the Levites, out of their inheritance, at the Commandment of the LORD.
4 And the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. And the children of Aaron the Priest, of the Levites, had by lot, out of the tribe of Judah, and out of the tribe of Simeon, and out of the tribe of Benjamin, thirteen cities.
5 And the rest of the children of Kohath had, by lot, out of the families of the tribe of Ephraim, and out of the tribe of Dan, and out of the half tribe of Manasseh, ten cities.
6 Also, the children of Gershon had, by lot, out of the families of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the half tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities.
7 The children of Merari, according to their families had, out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities.
8 So, the children of Israel gave these cities with their suburbs by lot to the Levites, as the LORD had Commanded, by the hand of Moses.
9 And they gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these cities which are named here.
10 And they were the children of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites, of the sons of Levi (for theirs was the first lot).
11 So they gave them Kirjath-Arba, of the father of Anak (which is Hebron) on the mountain of Judah, with the suburbs of the same all around it.
12 But the land of the city, and its villages, they gave to Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, to be his possession.
13 Thus they gave to the children of Aaron the Priest: a city of refuge for the killer (Hebron with her suburbs), Libnah with her suburbs,
14 Jattir with her suburbs, Eshtemoa and her suburbs,
15 Holon with her suburbs, Debir with her suburbs,
16 Ain with her suburbs, Juttah with her suburbs, and Beth Shemesh with her suburbs, nine cities out of those two tribes.
17 And out of the tribe of Benjamin they gave: Gibeon with her suburbs, Geba with her suburbs,
18 Anathoth with her suburbs, and Almon with her suburbs, four cities.
19 All the cities of the children of Aaron (the Priests) were thirteen cities with their suburbs.
20 But to the families of the children of Kohath, of the Levites, who were the rest of the children of Kohath (for the cities of their lot were out of the tribe of Ephraim)
21 they gave the city of refuge for the killer (Shechem with her suburbs, on Mount Ephraim), Gezer with her suburbs,
22 Kibzaim with her suburbs, and Beth Horon with her suburbs, four cities.
23 And out of the tribe of Dan: Eltekeh with her suburbs, Gibbethon with her suburbs,
24 Aijalon with her suburbs, and Gath Rimmon with her suburbs, four cities.
25 And out of the half tribe of Manasseh: Tanach with her suburbs, and Gath Rimmon with her suburbs, two cities.
26 All the cities for the other families of the children of Kohath were ten, with their suburbs.
27 Also, to the children of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, they gave out, from the half tribe of Manasseh, the city of refuge for the killer (Golan in Bashan with her suburbs), and Be Eshterah with her suburbs, two cities.
28 And out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishon with her suburbs, Daberath with her suburbs,
29 Jarmuth with her suburbs, En Gannim with her suburbs, four cities.
30 And out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with her suburbs, Abdon with her suburbs,
31 Helkath with her suburbs, and Rehob with her suburbs, four cities.
32 And out of the tribe of Naphtali: the city of refuge for the killer (Kedesh in Galilee, with her suburbs), Hammoth Dor with her suburbs, and Kartan with her suburbs, three cities.
33 All the cities of the Gershonites, according to their families, were thirteen cities with their suburbs.
34 Also, to the families of the children of Merari (the rest of the Levites), they gave from the tribe of Zebulun: Jokneam with her suburbs, Kartah with her suburbs,
35 Dimnah with her suburbs, and Nahalal with her suburbs, four cities.
36 And out of the tribe of Reuben: Bezer with her suburbs, Jahaz with her suburbs,
37 Kedemoth with her suburbs, and Mephaath with her suburbs, four cities.
38 And out of the tribe of Gad, they gave a city of refuge for the killer (Ramoth in Gilead, with her suburbs), Mahanaim with her suburbs,
39 Heshbon with her suburbs, and Jazer with her suburbs, four cities in all.
40 So, all the cities of the children of Merari, according to their families (which were the rest of the families of the Levites) were, by their lot, twelve cities.
41 All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the children of Israel were forty-eight, with their suburbs.
42 Every one of these cities lay with their suburbs all around them. So were all these cities.
43 So the LORD gave to Israel all the land which He had sworn to give to their fathers. And they possessed it and dwelt in it.
44 Also, the LORD gave them rest, all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not one of all their enemies stood before them. The LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.
45 No good thing which the LORD had said to the House of Israel failed. All came to pass at that time.
22 Then Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh,
2 and said to them, “You have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD Commanded you and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you.
3 “You have not forsaken your brethren this long season, until this day, but have diligently kept the Commandment of the LORD your God.
4 “And now, the LORD has given rest to your brethren, as He promised them. Therefore, now, return. And go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses, the servant of the LORD, has given you, beyond Jordan.
5 “But take diligent care to do the Commandment and Law which Moses, the servant of the LORD, commanded you: that you love the LORD your God and walk in all His ways and keep His Commandments and cling to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
6 So Joshua blessed them and sent them away. And they went to their tents.
7 Now, to half of the tribe of Manasseh, Moses had given a possession in Bashan. And to half of it, Joshua gave from among their brethren on this side of Jordan, westward. Therefore, when Joshua sent them away to their tents and blessed them,
8 he spoke to them, saying, “Return to your tents with many riches and with a great multitude of cattle, with silver and with gold, with bronze and with iron, and with great abundance of clothing. Divide the plunder of your enemies with your brethren.”
9 So, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh returned and departed from the children of Israel, from Shiloh (which is in the land of Canaan) to go to the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, which they had obtained according to the Word of the LORD, by the hand of Moses.
10 And when they came to the borders of Jordan (which are in the land of Canaan), then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built an altar there, by Jordan, a great altar to see too.
11 When the children of Israel heard say, “Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar in the front of the land of Canaan, upon the borders of Jordan, at the passage of the children of Israel,”
12 when the children of Israel heard that, then the whole Congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up to war against them.
13 Then, the children of Israel sent Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the Priest, to the children of Reuben and to the children of Gad and to the half tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead.
14 And with him went ten princes, one from each chief house, according to all the tribes of Israel. For each one was chief of their father’s household among the thousands of Israel.
15 So they went to the children of Reuben and to the children of Gad and to the half tribe of Manasseh to the land of Gilead and spoke with them, saying,
16 “Thus says the whole Congregation of the LORD, ‘What transgression is this that you have transgressed against the God of Israel, to turn away from the LORD this day, in that you have built yourself an altar with which to rebel against the LORD this day?
17 “Have we too little for the wickedness of Peor of which we are not cleansed to this day, though a plague came upon the Congregation of the LORD?
18 “You also have turned away from the LORD this day. And seeing that you rebel against the LORD today, tomorrow He will be angry with all the Congregation of Israel.
19 “Nevertheless, if the land of your possession is unclean, come over to the land of the possession of the LORD, in which the LORD’s Tabernacle dwells, and take possession among us. But do not rebel against the LORD, or rebel against us, by building your own altar beside the Altar of the LORD our God.
20 “Did not Achan, the son of Zerah, trespass grievously in the secluded thing, and wrath fell on all the Congregation of Israel? But it wasn’t only this one man who perished in his wickedness.”
21 Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh answered and said to the heads over the thousands of Israel,
22 “The LORD, God of gods, the LORD, God of gods! He knows and Israel himself shall know! If by rebellion, or by transgression against the LORD, do not save us this day!
23 “If we have built ourselves an altar to turn away from the LORD, either to offer burnt offering on it, or meat offering, or to offer peace offerings on it, let the LORD Himself require it!
24 “But rather, we have done it out of fear, saying, ‘In time to come, your children might say to our children, “What have you to do with the LORD God of Israel?”’
25 “For the LORD has made Jordan a border between us and you, you children of Reuben and of Gad. Therefore, you have no part in the LORD. So shall your children make our children cease from fearing the LORD.
26 “Therefore we said, ‘We will now go about to make ourselves an altar, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice,
27 ‘but it shall be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, to execute the service of the LORD before Him, in our Burnt Offerings and in our Sacrifices and in our Peace Offerings, and so that your children would not say to our children in time to come, “You have no part in the LORD.”’
28 “Therefore we said, ‘If so be that they should so say to us or to our generations in time to come, then will we answer, “Behold, the fashion of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made not for burnt offering or for sacrifice, but it is a witness between us and you.
29 “Far be it from us that we should rebel against the LORD and turn away from the LORD this day, to build an altar for burnt offering, for meat offering, or for sacrifice, except the Altar of the LORD our God that is before His Tabernacle.”’”
30 And when Phinehas the Priest and the princes of the Congregation, and heads over the thousands of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben and children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spoke, they were well content.
31 And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the Priest, said to the children of Reuben and to the children of Gad and to the children of Manasseh, “This day we perceive that the LORD is among us, because you have not done this trespass against the LORD. Now you have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD.”
32 Then, Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the Priest, with the princes, returned from the children of Reuben and from the children of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, to the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them answer.
33 And the saying pleased the children of Israel. And the children of Israel blessed God and did not mind to go against them in battle, to destroy the land in which the children of Reuben and Gad dwelt.
34 Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar: Witness. “For it shall be a witness between us that the LORD is God.”
© 2019, 2024 by Five Talents Audio. All rights reserved.