Joshua 21:1-42

New English Translation

Levitical Cities

21 The tribal leaders of the Levites went before Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and the Israelite tribal leaders ² in Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said, “The Lord told Moses to assign us cities in which to live along with the grazing areas for our cattle.” ³ So the Israelites assigned these cities and their grazing areas to the Levites from their own holdings, as the Lord had instructed.

⁴ The first lot belonged to^[a] the Kohathite clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest were allotted thirteen cities from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. ⁵ The rest of Kohath’s descendants were allotted ten cities from the clans of the tribe of Ephraim, and from the tribe of Dan and the half-tribe of Manasseh. ⁶ Gershon’s descendants were allotted thirteen cities from the clans of the tribe of Issachar, and from the tribes of Asher and Naphtali and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. ⁷ Merari’s descendants by their clans were allotted twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. ⁸ So the Israelites assigned to the Levites by lot these cities and their grazing areas, as the Lord had instructed Moses.

⁹ They assigned from the tribes of Judah and Simeon the cities listed below. ¹⁰ (They were assigned to the Kohathite clans of the Levites who were descendants of Aaron,^[b] for the first lot fell to them.) ¹¹ They assigned them Kiriath Arba (Arba was the father of Anak), that is, Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, along with its surrounding grazing areas. ¹² (Now the city’s fields and surrounding towns they had assigned to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his property.) ¹³ So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they assigned Hebron (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter), Libnah, ¹⁴ Jattir, Eshtemoa, ¹⁵ Holon, Debir, ¹⁶ Ain, Juttah, and Beth Shemesh, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of nine cities taken from these two tribes. ¹⁷ From the tribe of Benjamin they assigned^[c] Gibeon, Geba, ¹⁸ Anathoth, and Almon, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities. ¹⁹ The priests descended from Aaron received thirteen cities and their grazing areas.

²⁰ The rest of the Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted cities from the tribe of Ephraim. ²¹ They assigned them Shechem (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter) in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer, ²² Kibzaim, and Beth Horon, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities. ²³ From the tribe of Dan they assigned Eltekeh, Gibbethon, ²⁴ Aijalon, and Gath Rimmon, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities. ²⁵ From the half-tribe of Manasseh they assigned Taanach and Gath Rimmon,^[d] along with the grazing areas of each—a total of two cities. ²⁶ The rest of the Kohathite clans received ten cities and their grazing areas.

²⁷ They assigned to the Gershonite clans of the Levites the following cities:^[e] from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter) and Beeshtarah, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of two cities; ²⁸ from the tribe of Issachar: Kishon, Daberath, ²⁹ Jarmuth, and En Gannim, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities; ³⁰ from the tribe of Asher: Mishal, Abdon, ³¹ Helkath, and Rehob, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities; ³² from the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter), Hammoth Dor, and Kartan, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of three cities. ³³ The Gershonite clans received thirteen cities and their grazing areas.

³⁴ They assigned to the Merarite clans (the remaining Levites) the following cities: from the tribe of Zebulun: Jokneam, Kartah, ³⁵ Dimnah, and Nahalal, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities; ^36 [f] from the tribe of Reuben: Bezer, Jahaz, ³⁷ Kedemoth, and Mephaath, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities; ³⁸ from the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter), Mahanaim, ³⁹ Heshbon, and Jazer, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities. ⁴⁰ The Merarite clans (the remaining Levites) were allotted twelve cities.

⁴¹ The Levites received within the land owned by the Israelites^[g] forty-eight cities in all and their grazing areas. ⁴² Each of these cities had grazing areas around it; they were alike in this regard.^[h]