Joshua 13-22

New Catholic Bible

The Division of the Land among the Tribes^[a]

Chapter 13

The Division Commanded by the Lord.¹ When Joshua had grown old and was well advanced in years, the Lord said to him, “You have grown old, and there is still quite a bit of the land that you must conquer.^{[b] 2} This is the part of the land that still remains: the territory of the Philistines and all of Geshur ³ from Sihor which lay near Egypt, to the territory of Ekron in the north (all of which is Canaanite). This is the territory of the five lords of the Philistines: of the Gazathites, of the Ashdodthites, of the Ash-kalonites, of the Gittites, of the Ekronites, that is, the Avites. ⁴ From the south, it includes all of the land of the Canaanites and Mearah, that belongs to the Sidonians, up to Aphek, to the boundary with the Amorites, ⁵ and it includes the land of the Gebalites and all of Lebanon to the east, from Baal-gad beneath Mount Hermon up to the entrance to Lebo-hamath. ⁶ There are also all of the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon up to Misrephoth-maim, that is, the land of the Sidonians. I myself will drive them out before the Israelites. You are to divide it among the Israelites as an inheritance as I have commanded you. ⁷ Divide this land as an inheritance among the nine tribes and one-half of the tribe of Manasseh.”

The Eastern Tribes. ⁸ The other half, the Reubenites and the Gadites, had already received their inheritance from Moses on the other side of the Jordan, to the east. Moses, the servant of God, gave it to them. ⁹ It began at Aroer on the banks of the Arnon River, from the city itself which is in the middle of the river, and it included the whole plain of Medeba as far as Dibon, ¹⁰ all of the cities of Sihon, the king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, up to the boundary with the Ammonites, ¹¹ Gilead, the territory of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, all of Mount Hermon, all of Bashan up to Salecah, ¹² and all of the kingdom of Og in Bashan who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei (he was the last of the Rephaim). Moses defeated them and cast them out.

¹³ The Israelites did not cast out the Geshurites or the Maachathites. The Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites up to the present.^[c]

¹⁴ He did not give any inheritance to the tribe of Levi. The burnt offerings made to the Lord, the God of Israel, are their inheritance, as he had told them.

¹⁵ The Tribe of Reuben. Moses had given an inheritance to the Reubenites dividing it according to their clans. ¹⁶ Their territory included Aroer on the banks of the Arnon River, from the city itself which is in the middle of the river, as well as the whole plain of Medeba, ¹⁷ Heshbon and all of its dependent towns in the plain: Dibon, Bamoth-baal, Beth-baal-meon, ¹⁸ Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, ¹⁹ Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth-shahar on the mountain of the valley, ²⁰ Beth-peor, the slopes of the Pisgah, and Beth-jeshimoth. ²¹ These were all the cities of the plain, the entire kingdom of Sihon, the king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon. Moses had struck him down along with the princes of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, who were princes of Sihon dwelling in that land. ²² Among those who were slain was also Balaam, the son of Beor, whom the Israelites put to the sword. ²³ The boundary of the Reubenites was the banks of the Jordan. These towns and villages are the inheritance of the Reubenites, divided according to its clans.

²⁴ The Tribe of Gad. Moses gave an inheritance to the Gadites, dividing it according to their clans. ²⁵ It included the territory of Jezer, all of the cities of Gilead, and half of the land of the Ammonites that ran from Aroer near Rabbah ²⁶ and Heshbon to Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the boundary of Debir, ²⁷ and Beth-haram, Beth-nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon in the valley, and the rest of the kingdom of Sihon, the king of Heshbon, with the boundary running along the banks of the Jordan up to the shores of the Sea of Chinnereth (on the eastern side of the Jordan). ²⁸ These cities and towns were the inheritance of the Gadites, divided according to its clans.

²⁹ The Half-tribe of Manasseh. This is what Moses gave to one of the halves of the tribe of Manasseh, that is, the tribe of half of the descendants of Manasseh, divided according to its clans. ³⁰ The territory started in Mahanaim and included all of Bashan, the entire territory of Og, the king of Bashan, and all of the town in Jair in Bashan, sixty towns in all, ³¹ as well as half of Gilead, and Ashtaroth and Edrei, the royal cities of Og in Bashan. This was for the descendants of Machir, the son of Manasseh, for one-half of the descendants of the Machirites, divided according to its clans.

³² These are the inheritances that Moses distributed in the plains of Moab on the other side of the Jordan, to the east of Jericho. ³³ But Moses did not give an inheritance to the tribe of Levi. The Lord, the God of Israel, was their inheritance, just as he had told them.

Chapter 14

¹ These are the inheritances that the Israelites received in the land of Canaan. Eleazar, the priest, and Joshua, the son of Nun, and the leaders of the ancestral tribes distributed it to them. ² The inheritance of the nine and one-half tribes was divided by lot just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ³ Moses had given the inheritance to the two and one-half tribes on the other side of the Jordan. The Levites were not given an inheritance among them.

⁴ The descendants of Joseph belonged to two tribes: Manasseh and Ephraim. The Levites were not given an inheritance in the land, only cities in which they could dwell along with their pastures for their herds and their flocks. ⁵ The Israelites divided the land just as the Lord had commanded Moses.^[d]

Caleb’s Inheritance. ⁶ The Judahites came to Joshua in Gilgal, and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, and said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses, the man of God, about me and you at Kadesh-barnea. ⁷ I was forty years old when Moses, the servant of God, sent me out from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land. I brought him back a report that expressed what I felt, ⁸ but my brethren who went up with me caused the hearts of the people to melt with fear. I, however, followed the Lord, my God, wholeheartedly. ⁹ On that day Moses made an oath stating, ‘The land upon which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, for you have wholeheartedly followed the Lord, my God.’ ¹⁰ The Lord has kept me alive these forty-five years since the Lord said this to Moses while the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness, as he promised. I am now eighty-five years old. ¹¹ I am just as strong today as on the day that Moses sent me out. I am just as vigorous in going out to fight as I was then. ¹² Therefore, give me the hill country just as the Lord promised on that day. You yourself heard that day how the Anakim were there, and that their cities were large and well fortified, but if the Lord is with me, then I will be able to drive them out, just as the Lord has promised.”

¹³ Joshua blessed Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, and gave him Hebron as his inheritance. ¹⁴ Hebron has belonged to Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, as an inheritance ever since because he wholeheartedly followed the Lord, the God of Israel. ¹⁵ (Hebron used to be called Kiriath-arba. It was named after Arba, the greatest of the Anakim.)

There was then a respite from fighting in the land.

Chapter 15

The Tribe of Judah. ¹ The allotment for the tribe of the Judahites, divided according to its clans, extended to the boundary with Edom, down to the Desert of Zin in the extreme southern regions. ² Their southern boundary lie on the bay at the southern end of the Salt Sea. ³ It continued south of Akrabbim on to Zin, going up to the south of Kadesh-barnea past Hebron, up to Addar and it curved around to Karka. ⁴ It then passed along to Azmon out to the Wadi of Egypt, the border being on the sea. This shall be your southern boundary. ⁵ The eastern boundary was the Salt Sea as far as the mouth of the Jordan.

The boundary of the northern quarter began at the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan. ⁶ The boundary ran up to Beth-hoglah and passed to the north of Beth-arabah, and then it ran up to the stone of Bohan, the son of Reuben. ⁷ The boundary then went up to Debir from the Valley of Achor, and then northward, in the direction of Gilgal that faces the Pass of Adummim on the south side of the river. The boundary then passed along the waters of En-shemesh until they flow out at En-rogel. ⁸ The boundary then runs along the Valley of Ben-hinnom to the south of the Jebusite city (that is, Jerusalem). From there the boundary climbs up to the top of the mountain that lies to the west of the Hinnom Valley at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim. ⁹ The boundary then runs from the top of the hill down to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah, going along to the cities of Mount Ephron, continuing down to Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim). ¹⁰ The boundary then curves westward from Baalah to Mount Seir, running along the northern slopes of Mount Jearim (that is, Chesalon), down to Beth-shemesh and over to Timnah. ¹¹ The boundary runs along the northern slopes of Ekron, passing on to Shikkeron, running along Mount Baalah and reaching up to Jabneel. This boundary ends at the sea. ¹² The western boundary lies along the shore of the Great Sea.^[e] This is the boundary that runs around the Judahites according to their clans.

¹³ Conquest by Caleb. Joshua gave Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, an inheritance among the Judahites, as the Lord had commanded: Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron. (Arba was the forefather of the Anak.) ¹⁴ Caleb drove the three Anakim out from it, that is Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai. They were descendants of Anak. ¹⁵ From there he marched out against the people living in Debir. (Debir was previously called Kiriath-sepher.) ^16 [f]Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Achsah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath-sepher.” ¹⁷ Othniel, the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, captured it, so he gave him his daughter Achsah in marriage. ¹⁸ One day she went up to him and she urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb said to her, “What can I do for you?” ¹⁹ She answered, “Please do me a favor. Since you have already given me land in the Negeb, give me some springs as well.” He gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

²⁰ The Cities of Judah. This is the inheritance of the Judahites, divided according to its clans. ²¹ The cities at the edge of the land of the Judahites in the direction of the boundary with Edom in the 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, Chesil, Hormah, ³¹ Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, ³² Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon. All together there were twenty-nine cities along with the towns dependent upon them.

³³ On the western slopes there were: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, ³⁴ Zanoah, En-gannim, Tappuah, Enam, ³⁵ Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, ³⁶ Shaaraim, Adithaim, and Gederah (that is, Gederothaim). There were fourteen of these cities along with their dependent towns. ³⁷ There were also Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal-gad, ³⁸ Dilean, Mizpeh, Joktheel, ³⁹ Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, ⁴⁰ Cabbon, Lahmas, Chitlish, ⁴¹ Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah. There were sixteen of these cities along with their dependent towns. ⁴² There were also Libnah, Ether, Ashan, ⁴³ Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, ⁴⁴ Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah. There were nine of these cities along with their dependent towns. ⁴⁵ There was also Ekron with its dependent towns, ⁴⁶ and the territory between Ekron and the sea, near Ashdod, with all of their dependent towns. ⁴⁷ There was Ashdod along with its dependent towns and villages, as well as Gaza along with its dependent towns and villages, all the way to the Wadi of Egypt and the coast of the Great Sea.

⁴⁸ In the mountains there were Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, ⁴⁹ Dannah, Kiriath-sannah (that is, Debir), ⁵⁰ Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, ⁵¹ Goshen, Holon, and Giloh. There were eleven of these cities along with their dependent towns. ⁵² There were also Arab, Dumah, Eshan, ⁵³ Janim, Beth-tappuah, Aphekah, ⁵⁴ Humtah, Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior. There were nine of these cities along with their dependent towns. ⁵⁵ There were also Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, ⁵⁶ Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, ⁵⁷ Kain, Gibbeah, and Timnah. There were ten of these cities along with their dependent towns. ⁵⁸ There were also Halhul, Beth-zur, Gedor, ⁵⁹ Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon. There were six of these cities, along with their dependent towns. ⁶⁰ There were also Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim) and Rabbah. There were two of these cities along with their dependent towns.

⁶¹ In the wilderness there were Beth-arabah, Middin, Secacah, ⁶² Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En-gedi. There were six of these cities, along with their dependent towns. ⁶³ The Judahites could not drive out the Jebusites, the people who were living in Jerusalem. The Jebusites live in Jerusalem among the Judahites up to the present.

Chapter 16

The Tribe of Ephraim.^{[g] 1} The allotment for the descendants of Joseph ran from the Jordan by Jericho, east of the waters of Jericho, and ran up into the hill country of Bethel. ² It went from Bethel (that is, Luz) over to the boundary of the Arkites in Ataroth. ³ It then descended westward to the territory of the Japhletites up to the territory of lower Beth-horon and on to Gezer, ending at the sea. ⁴ Manasseh and Ephraim, the sons of Joseph, received their inheritance.

⁵ This is the territory of the Ephraimites, divided according to its clans. The boundary of the inheritance went from Ataroth-addar in the east to upper Beth-horon ⁶ and it continued on to the sea. From Micmethath in the north it curved eastward to Taanath-shiloh, passing by it to the east of Janoah. ⁷ It went down from Janoah to Ataroth and Naarah, arriving at Jericho and then ending at the Jordan. ⁸ From Tappuah the boundary reached eastward to the Kanah River and from there it went to the sea. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the Ephraimites, divided according to its clans. ⁹ It included all of the cities that were set aside for the Ephraimites in the inheritance of the Manassehites, the cities and their dependent towns. ¹⁰ They did not drive out the Canaanites who were living in Gezer. The Canaanites live among the Ephraimites up to the present and they serve them doing forced labor.

Chapter 17

The Tribe of Manasseh. ¹ This was the allotment for the tribe of Manasseh, who was the firstborn of Joseph, that is, of Machir, who was the firstborn of Manasseh, and he was also the father of the Gileadites because he had received Gilead and Bashan since he was a mighty warrior. ² This was the allotment for the rest of the Manassehites, the clans of the descendants of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These are the other male descendants of Manasseh, the son of Joseph, according to their clans.

^3 [h]Now Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh had no sons, only daughters. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. ⁴ They went to Eleazar, the priest, to Joshua, the son of Nun, and the elders and said, “The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.” He therefore gave them an inheritance among the brothers of their father, just as the Lord had commanded.

⁵ Manasseh’s portion consisted of ten parcels of land besides Gilead and Bashan, which were on the east side of the Jordan, ⁶ for the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance along with the sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the descendants of Manasseh. ⁷ The territory of the Manassehites ran from Asher to Micmethath east of Shechem. The boundary then ran south from there, so it included the people living at En-tappuah. ⁸ (Manasseh had received the land around Tappuah, which lay on the boundary with Manasseh, but Tappuah itself belonged to the Ephraimites.) ⁹ The boundary then continued on south to the Wadi Kanah. There were some towns that belonged to Ephraim among the towns of Manasseh, but Manasseh’s boundary ran along the north side of the river, ending at the sea. ¹⁰ To the north, the land belonged to Ephraim, while to the south the land belonged to Manasseh. Its boundary ended at the sea, bordering Asher on the north and Issachar on the east.

¹¹ Within Asher and Issachar, Manasseh also possessed Beth-shan and the towns that were dependent upon it, Ibleam and the towns dependent upon it, the inhabitants of Dor and the towns dependent upon it, the inhabitants of Endor and the towns dependent upon it, the inhabitants of Taanach and the towns dependent upon it, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and the towns dependent upon it. (These are three mountainous areas.)

¹² Yet, the Manassehites were not able to occupy these cities, for the Canaanites were determined to continue to live in that land. ¹³ When the Israelites grew stronger, they did subject the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not drive them out completely. ^14 [i]The descendants of Joseph said to Joshua, “Why have you given us only one allotment, one portion as our inheritance. We are quite numerous, for the Lord has blessed us.” ¹⁵ But Joshua answered them, “If you are too numerous for the hill country of Ephraim, then go up into the forest and clear land for yourselves in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim.” ¹⁶ The descendants of Joseph replied, “The hill country is too small for us, and the Canaanites who live in the plains have iron chariots, both the ones living in Beth-shean and the towns dependent upon it and those living in the Valley of Jezreel.” ¹⁷ Joshua said to the descendants of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, “You are a numerous and very powerful people. You will have more than one allotment. ¹⁸ The forested hill country will also be yours. Cut it down, and it will be yours right to its fringes. The Canaanites might have iron chariots and be strong, but you can drive them out.”

Chapter 18

^1 [j]The whole assembly of the Israelites gathered together at Shiloh and they set up the tent of meeting there. The land had been brought under their control, ² but there were still seven tribes among the Israelites who had not yet received their inheritance.

Inheritance for the Remaining Seven Tribes. ³ Joshua said to the Israelites, “How long will you wait before you go in to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you? ⁴ Choose three men from each of your tribes. I will send them to arise and go through the land, describing it according to each of their inheritances. They will then return to me. ⁵ They will divide it into seven portions. Judah will continue to live in its territory to the south, and the descendants of Joseph will continue to live in their territory to the north. ⁶ You will write down a description of the seven portions of the land and bring it to me. I will cast lots for you here before the Lord, our God. ⁷ The Levites will have no portion among you, for the priesthood of the Lord is their inheritance. Gad, Reuben, and one of the halves of the tribe of Manasseh have already received their inheritance on the other side of the Jordan, to the east, from Moses, the servant of the Lord.”

⁸ So the men arose and went on their way. Joshua commanded them to write a description of the land saying, “Go and travel through the land, writing a description of it. Return to me here so that I can cast lots for you before the Lord in Shiloh.”

⁹ The men traveled through the land, writing a description of its cities, divided into seven portions, in a book. They then came back to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh. ¹⁰ Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord. Joshua divided the land among the Israelites there, dividing it according to their allotments.

¹¹ The Tribe of Benjamin. The lot for the tribe of Benjamin, divided according to its clans, was selected. The territory for their allotment lay between the Judahites and the descendants of Joseph. ^12 [k]On the north their boundary started at the Jordan, going up the northern slope of Jericho and out west into the hill country until it exited in the Desert of Beth-aven. ¹³ From there the boundary traveled on toward Luz, passing on the southern side of Luz (that is, Bethel). The boundary then ran down to Ataroth-addar, near the hill that lay to the south of Lower Beth-horon. ¹⁴ From the hill that lay facing Beth-horon on the south, the boundary extended around the west side to the south. It ended at Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), a city of Judahites. This was the western side.

¹⁵ The southern side of the boundary began at the outskirts of Kiriath-jearim and extended to the west, reaching the spring of the water of Nephtoah. ¹⁶ The boundary extended to the foot of the hill that lay over the Valley of Ben-hinnom, north of the Valley of Rephaim. It continued through the Valley of Hinnom on the southern slope of the city of the Jebusites until it reached En-rogel. ¹⁷ It then passed on north to En-shemesh, continued on to Geliloth which faced the Pass of Adummim, and ran up to the stone of Bohan, the son of Reuben. ¹⁸ It continued along the northern slope of the Arabah, continuing down into the Arabah itself. ¹⁹ The boundary then passed along the northern side of Beth-hoglah, ending at the northern bay of the Salt Sea which is at the southern part of the Jordan. This was their southern boundary. ²⁰ The Jordan was their boundary on the east. This was the inheritance of the Benjaminites with the boundaries that surround it, divided according to its clans.

²¹ The cities of the tribe of the Benjaminites, divided according to its clans, were: Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz, ²² Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, ²³ Avvim, Parah, Ophrah, ²⁴ Chephar-ammoni, Ophni, and Geba. There were twelve cities, along with their dependent towns. ²⁵ There were also Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, ²⁶ Mizpah, Chephirah, Mozah, ²⁷ Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, ²⁸ Zela, Haeleph, Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Kiriath. There were fourteen cities with their dependent towns. This was the inheritance of the Benjaminites, divided according to its clans.

Chapter 19

The Tribe of Simeon.^{[l] 1} The second lot chosen was for Simeon, the tribe of the Simeonites, divided according to its clans. Their inheritance lay within the inheritance of the Judahites. ² Their inheritance included: Beer-sheba (that is, Sheba), Moladah, ³ Hazar-shual, Balah, Ezem, ⁴ Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, ⁵ Ziklag, Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susah, ⁶ Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuhen. There were thirteen of these cities along with the towns dependent upon them. ⁷ There were also Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan. There were four of these cities, along with the towns dependent upon them. ⁸ There were also all of the villages around these cities up to Baalath-beer (that is, Ramoth-negeb). This was the inheritance of the tribe of Simeon, divided according to its clans. ⁹ The inheritance of the Simeonites was taken from the portion allotted to the Judahites, for Judah’s portion was too large for what they needed. Therefore, the Simeonites received their portion inside of their inheritance.

¹⁰ The Tribe of Zebulun. The third lot chosen was for the Zebulunites, divided according to its clans. The boundary of their inheritance extended to Sarid. ¹¹ It ran westward to Mareal up to Dabbesheth, extending up to the river in front of Jokneam. ¹² Going eastward from Sarid, in the direction of the sunrise, it ran to the territory of Chisloth-tabor and then went on to Daberath, arriving in Japhia. ¹³ From there it continued eastward to Gath-hepher and Eth-kazim. It went out to Rimmon and turned toward Neah. ¹⁴ There the boundary went around the north side of Hannathon, ending in the Valley of Iphtahel. ¹⁵ It included Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem. There were twelve cities along with the towns dependent upon them. ¹⁶ These cities and villages were the inheritance of the Zebulunites, divided according to its clans.

¹⁷ The Tribe of Issachar. The fourth lot chosen was for the Issacharites, divided according to its clans. ¹⁸ Within their boundaries were: Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem, ¹⁹ Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, ²⁰ Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez, ²¹ Remeth, En-gannim, En-haddah, and Beth-pazzez. ²² The boundary passed Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth-shemesh, ending at the Jordan. There were sixteen cities along with the towns dependent upon them. ²³ These cities and these villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Issachar, divided according to its clans.

²⁴ The Tribe of Asher. The fifth lot chosen was for the Asherites. ²⁵ Within their boundaries were: Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph, ²⁶ Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal. On its western side the boundary passed Carmel and Shihor-libnath. ²⁷ It turned toward the sunrise, passing Beth-dagon, arriving at Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtahel. From there it went north to Beth-emek and Neiel, passing by Cabul on the left. ²⁸ It ran on to Abdon, Rehob, Hammon, and Kanah, extending to Greater Sidon. ²⁹ The boundary then turned toward Ramah, and ran to the fortified city of Tyre. It turned toward Hosah, ending at the sea in the area around Achzib. ³⁰ It included Ummah, Acco, Aphek, and Rehob. There were twenty-two cities along with the towns dependent upon them. ³¹ These cities and villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Asher, divided according to its clans.

³² The Tribe of Naphtali. The sixth lot chosen was for the Naphtalites, divided according to its clans. ³³ Their boundary went from Heleph and the large tree at Zaanannim to Adami-nekeb, Jabneel, Lakkum, and ended at the Jordan. ³⁴ To the west it went through Aznoth-tabor, arriving at Hukkok. It passed Zebulun on its southern side, Asher on its western side, and the Jordan in the direction of the sunrise. ³⁵ Its fortified cities included: Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth, ³⁶ Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, ³⁷ Kedesh, Edrei, En-hazor, ³⁸ Yiron, Migdalel, Horem, Beth-anath, and Beth-shemesh. There were nineteen cities along with the towns dependent upon them. ³⁹ These cities and villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Naphtali, divided according to its clans.

⁴⁰ The Tribe of Dan. The seventh lot chosen was for the Danites, divided according to its clans. ⁴¹ Within the boundaries of their inheritance were: Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir-shemesh, ⁴² Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah, ⁴³ Elon, Timnah, Ekron, ⁴⁴ Eltekoh, Gibbethon, Baalath, ⁴⁵ Jehud, Bene-berak, Gath-rimmon, ⁴⁶ Me-jarkon, and Rakkon, along with the area in front of Joppa. ⁴⁷ (But the territory of the Danites was outside of this area. The Danites went up to fight against Leshem. They conquered it and put it to the sword. They took possession of it and dwelt there. They renamed Leshem Dan after the name of Dan, their forefather.) ⁴⁸ These were the cities and the villages of the inheritance of the tribe of Dan, divided according to its clans.

^49 [m]When they finished dividing the land into its allotted portions, the Israelites gave an inheritance among themselves to Joshua, the son of Nun ⁵⁰ as the Lord had commanded. They gave him the city he had requested: Timnah-serah in the hill country of Ephraim. He built a city and settled there.

⁵¹ These are the inheritances that were divided up by lot at Shiloh in the presence of the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting by Eleazar, the priest, by Joshua, the son of Nun, and by the leaders of the ancestral tribes of the Israelites. This concluded the process of dividing up the land.

Chapter 20

The Cities of Refuge.^{[n] 1} The Lord then said to Joshua, ² “Speak to the Israelites and say, ‘Choose refuge cities for yourselves, just as I told you to do through Moses. ³ This way anyone who kills another accidentally or unintentionally can flee there and take refuge from the relative who seeks blood vengeance. ⁴ When he flees to one of those cities, he is to stand at the entrance to the city gate and state his case in the hearing of the elders of the city. They will then let him enter the city, and they are to give him a place where he can live with them. ⁵ If the relative who seeks blood vengeance pursues him, they are not to surrender the man who killed another into his hands, for he killed his neighbor unintentionally and he had not previously shown him any enmity. ⁶ He will continue to live in that city until he stands trial before the assembly, and until the death of the high priest who is then in office. At that point the man who killed another can go back to his own city, to his home, to the city from which he had fled.’ ”

⁷ So they set apart Kadesh in 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 other side of the Jordan, to the east of Jericho, they set aside Bezer in the wilderness upon the plateau of the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead among the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan among the tribe of Manasseh. ⁹ These cities were designated so that any Israelite or foreigner who lived among them and who accidentally killed another person might flee there, so that he would not be killed by the relative who seeks blood vengeance before he could stand trial before the assembly.

Chapter 21

The Levitical Cities. ¹ Now the leaders of the ancestral clans of the Levites came to Eleazar, the priest, Joshua, the son of Nun, and the leaders of the ancestral tribes of the Israelites ² at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and they said to them, “The Lord commanded through Moses that you give us cities in which we can live and have pastures for our cattle.”^{[o] 3} So the Israelites gave the Levites cities and pastures out of their own inheritance as the Lord had commanded. ⁴ The first lot chosen was for the Kohathites, divided according to its families. Now the Levites were the descendants of Aaron the priest, and they were allotted thirteen cities out of the inheritance of the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. ⁵ The rest of the descendants of Kohath were allotted ten cities from the inheritance of the clans of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and one of the halves of the tribe of Manasseh. ⁶ The descendants of Gershom were allotted thirteen cities from the inheritance of the clans of the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half of the tribe of Manasseh that was living in Bashan. ⁷ The descendants of Merari, divided according to its families, were allotted twelve cities from the inheritance of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. ⁸ This is how the Israelites gave the Levites their cities with their pastures, just as the Lord had commanded through Moses.

⁹ These are the names of the cities that were given from the tribe of the Judahites and the tribe of the Simeonites. ¹⁰ (These cities were given to the descendants of Aaron who came from the Kohathite clan because their lot was the first chosen.) ¹¹ They were given Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron; Arba was the forefather of Anak) and its surrounding pastures in the hill country of Judah, ¹² but the fields belonging to the city and the towns surrounding it had already been given to Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, as his possession. ¹³ So the descendants of Aaron the priest were given Hebron (which was a city of refuge for someone who had killed another person) 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. Thus, there were nine cities from those two tribes. ¹⁷ From the tribe of Benjamin they were given Gibeon and its pastures, Geba and its pastures, ¹⁸ Anathoth and its pastures, and Almon and its pastures. Thus, there were four cities. ¹⁹ In total, there were thirteen cities with their pastures for the descendants of Aaron the priest.

²⁰ Cities of the Other Kohathites. As for the rest of the Kohathite families of the Levites, these Kohathites were allotted cities out of the inheritance of Ephraim. ²¹ In the hill country of Ephraim they were given Shechem (which was a city of refuge for someone who had killed another person) and its pastures, Gezer and its pastures, ²² Kibzaim with its pastures, and Beth-horon with its pastures. Thus, there were four cities. ²³ From the tribe of Dan they were given Elteke and its pastures, Gibbethon and its pastures, ²⁴ Aijalon with its pastures, and Gath-rimmon with its pastures. Thus, there were four cities.

²⁵ From one of the halves of the tribe of Manasseh they were given Taanach with its pastures, and Gath-rimmon with its pastures. Thus, there were two cities. ²⁶ In total, there were ten cities with their pastures that were given to the rest of the Kohathites.

²⁷ The Cities of the Gershonites. The Levite’s clans of the Gershonites were given from the other half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan (which was a city of refuge for someone who had killed another) and its pastures, and Ashtaroth and its pastures. Thus, there were two cities. ²⁸ From the tribe of Issachar they were given Kishion and its pastures, Daberath and its pastures, ²⁹ Jarmuth and its pastures, and En-gannim and its pastures. Thus, there were four cities. ³⁰ From the tribe of Asher they were given Mishal with its pastures, Abdon with its pastures, ³¹ Helkath with its pastures, and Rehob with its pastures. Thus, there were four cities. ³² From the tribe of Naphtali they were given Kedesh in Galilee (which was a city of refuge for someone who had killed another) and its pastures, Hammath and its pastures, and Kartan and its pastures. Thus, there were three cities. ³³ In total, there were thirteen cities with their pastures for the Gershonite families.

³⁴ The Cities of the Merarites. The Merarite families (the rest of the Levites) were given from the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its pastures, Kartah with its pastures, ³⁵ Dimnah with its pastures, and Nahalal with its pastures. Thus, there were four cities. ³⁶ From the tribe of Reuben they were given Bezer with its pastures, Jahaz with its pastures, ³⁷ Kedemoth with its pastures, and Mephaath and its pastures. Thus, there were four cities. ³⁸ From the tribe of Gad they were given Ramoth in Gilead (which was a city of refuge for someone who had killed another) and its pastures, Mahanaim and its pastures, ³⁹ Heshbon and its pastures, and Jazer with its pastures. Thus, there were four cities. ⁴⁰ In total, there were twelve cities allotted to the families of the Merarites (the rest of the Levites).

⁴¹ In all, there were forty-eight cities together with their pastures for the Levites within the land in the possession of the Israelites. ⁴² Each of these cities has pastures surrounding it; this was true of all of the cities.

^43 [p]Thus the Lord gave Israel the entire land that he had promised to give to their fathers. They took possession of it and dwelt there. ⁴⁴ The Lord then gave them rest on every side, just as he had promised their fathers. Not one of their enemies could stand up to them. The Lord had delivered all of their enemies into their hands. ⁴⁵ None of the good things that the Lord had promised to the house of Israel failed to take place. It all came true.

The Return of the Eastern Tribes and Joshua’s Farewell

Chapter 22

Dismissal of the Tribes. ¹ Joshua then summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites, and one of the halves of the tribe of Manasseh ² and he said to them, “You have done all that Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded you to do, and you have obeyed me in everything. ³ For a long time now, right up to this very day, you have not deserted your brothers. You have fulfilled the task that the Lord, your God, gave you. ⁴ Now that the Lord, your God, has given your brothers the rest that he had promised them, you can return to your homes in the land that Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave you as a possession on the other side of the Jordan. ⁵ Take heed to follow the commandments and the laws that Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave you: to love the Lord, your God, and to walk in his ways and to observe his commandments, holding fast to him and serving him with all your heart and all your soul.”^[q]

⁶ Joshua then blessed them and sent them away, and they returned to their homes.

⁷ (Moses had given Bashan to one of the halves of the tribe of Manasseh, while Joshua gave the other half some land among their brothers on the western side of the Jordan.) When Joshua sent them to their homes, he blessed them ⁸ saying, “Return to your homes with your great wealth: your numerous cattle as well as silver, gold, bronze, and iron, and your numerous garments. Divide the spoils from your enemies among your brethren.”^[r]

⁹ So the Reubenites, the Gadites, and one of the halves of the tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh, in the land of Canaan, to travel to the land of Gilead, the land they were to possess. They were given possession of it by the word of the Lord through Moses.

¹⁰ The Altar across the Jordan. When they arrived at Geliloth near the Jordan, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and one of the halves of the tribe of Manasseh built an altar there beside the Jordan. It was an impressive altar, something to see.

¹¹ The Israelites then heard that the Reubenites, the Gadites, and one of the halves of the tribe of Manasseh had built an altar at Geliloth, on the border of Canaan, on the Israelite side of the Jordan. ¹² The Israelites heard about this and the whole assembly of the Israelites gathered together at Shiloh to go and attack them.

¹³ The Israelites sent Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and one of the halves of the tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead. ¹⁴ With him they sent ten leaders, a leader for each of the tribes of Israel, each one the head of an ancestral clan among the divisions of Israel. ¹⁵ They came to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and one of the halves of the tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead and they said to them, ¹⁶ “Thus says the whole assembly of the Lord: What is this treachery that you have committed against the God of Israel, turning away from the Lord this day by building an altar for yourselves so that you might rebel against the Lord? ¹⁷ Is the iniquity that was committed at Peor not enough for us? We have not been fully purified from it up to the present even though there was a plague in the assembly of the Lord. ¹⁸ Why do you turn away from following the Lord today? If today you rebel against the Lord, then tomorrow his anger will rage against the whole assembly of Israel. ¹⁹ If the land in your possession is unclean, then cross over to the land in the possession of the Lord where the tabernacle of the Lord is kept. You can share it with us. Only, do not rebel against the Lord, and do not rebel against us by building an altar other than the altar to the Lord, our God. ²⁰ When Achan, the son of Zerah, committed a sin in regard to the things that had been dedicated, did not wrath come upon the whole assembly of Israel? That man was not the only one who perished because of his sin.”

²¹ So the Reubenites, the Gadites, and one of the halves of the tribe of Manasseh replied to the leaders of the divisions of Israel, ²² “The God of gods, the Lord! The God of gods, the Lord! He knows! Let Israel know as well! If this has been an act of rebellion or treachery against the Lord, then may we not be saved today. ²³ If we have built an altar to turn away from the Lord, or to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings, or to make peace offerings on it, may the Lord himself call us to account! ²⁴ No! We did this thing for fear that sometime in the future your descendants might say to our descendants, ‘What do you have to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? ²⁵ The Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between you and us, you Reubenites and Gadites. You have no share in the Lord.’ Then your descendants would have caused our descendants to stop fearing the Lord. ²⁶ This is why we said to ourselves, ‘Let us prepare for it and build an altar, but not for burnt offerings or sacrifices.’ ²⁷ Let it be a witness between ourselves and yourselves as well as for the generations that come after us so that we might continue in the service of the Lord, offering burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings before him. This way, in the future, your descendants will not be able to say to our descendants, ‘You have no share in the Lord.’ ²⁸ We said to ourselves, ‘If they ever say this to us or to our descendants in the future, we will be able to tell them to look at the copy of the Lord’s altar that was built by our fathers. It was not for burnt offerings or sacrifices, but to serve as a witness between ourselves and yourselves. ²⁹ God forbid that we should rebel against the Lord and turn away from the Lord today by building an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings, and sacrifices in any place other than the altar to the Lord, our God, that stands in front of his tabernacle.”

³⁰ When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the assembly, the leaders of the divisions of Israel, heard what the Reubenites and the Gadites, and the Manassehites said, it greatly pleased them. ³¹ Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, said to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and to the Manassehites, “Today we are sure that the Lord is with us, for you have not acted unfaithfully against the Lord in this matter. You have now rescued the Israelites out of the hand of the Lord.”

³² Then Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, and the leaders returned from the Reubenites and the Gadites in Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the Israelites, and they brought them a report. ³³ The report greatly pleased the Israelites and they praised God. The Israelites decided not to go up against the Reubenites and the Gadites to fight them and destroy the land in which they dwelt. ³⁴ The Reubenites and the Gadites gave the altar this name: A witness between us that the Lord is God.^[s]