Division of the Land West of the Jordan

14 Now these are the areas the Israelites received as an inheritance^(A) in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar^(B) the priest, Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the tribal clans of Israel^(C) allotted^(D) to them.^{(E) 2} Their inheritances were assigned by lot^(F) to the nine and a half tribes,^(G) as the Lord had commanded through Moses. ³ Moses had granted the two and a half tribes their inheritance east of the Jordan^(H) but had not granted the Levites an inheritance among the rest,^{(I) 4} for Joseph’s descendants had become two tribes—Manasseh and Ephraim.^(J) The Levites received no share of the land but only towns to live in, with pasturelands for their flocks and herds.^{(K) 5} So the Israelites divided the land, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.^(L)

Allotment for Caleb

⁶ Now the people of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal,^(M) and Caleb son of Jephunneh^(N) the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God^(O) at Kadesh Barnea^(P) about you and me.^{(Q) 7} I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea^(R) to explore the land.^(S) And I brought him back a report according to my convictions,^{(T) 8} but my fellow Israelites who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt in fear.^(U) I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.^{(V) 9} So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance^(W) and that of your children^(X) forever, because you have followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.’^[a]

¹⁰ “Now then, just as the Lord promised,^(Y) he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved^(Z) about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old!^{(AA) 11} I am still as strong^(AB) today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous^(AC) to go out to battle now as I was then. ¹² Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day.^(AD) You yourself heard then that the Anakites^(AE) were there and their cities were large and fortified,^(AF) but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”

¹³ Then Joshua blessed^(AG) Caleb son of Jephunneh^(AH) and gave him Hebron^(AI) as his inheritance.^{(AJ) 14} So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the Lord, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly.^{(AK) 15} (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba^(AL) after Arba,^(AM) who was the greatest man among the Anakites.)

Then the land had rest^(AN) from war.

Allotment for Judah^(AO)

15 The allotment for the tribe of Judah, according to its clans, extended down to the territory of Edom,^(AP) to the Desert of Zin^(AQ) in the extreme south.^(AR)

These are the boundaries around the people of Judah by their clans.

¹³ In accordance with the Lord’s command to him, Joshua gave to Caleb^(BY) son of Jephunneh a portion in Judah—Kiriath Arba^(BZ), that is, Hebron.^(CA) (Arba was the forefather of Anak.)^{(CB) 14} From Hebron Caleb drove out the three Anakites^(CC)—Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai,^(CD) the sons of Anak.^{(CE) 15} From there he marched against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher). ¹⁶ And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksah^(CF) in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.” ¹⁷ Othniel^(CG) son of Kenaz, Caleb’s brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage.

¹⁸ One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him^[c] to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?”

¹⁹ She replied, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev,^(CH) give me also springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.^(CI)

²⁰ This is the inheritance of the tribe of Judah, according to its clans:

²¹ The southernmost towns of the tribe of Judah in the Negev^(CJ) toward the boundary of Edom were:

³³ In the western foothills:

⁴⁸ In the hill country:

⁶¹ In the wilderness:^(FE)

⁶³ Judah could not^(FH) dislodge the Jebusites^(FI), who were living in Jerusalem;^(FJ) to this day the Jebusites live there with the people of Judah.^(FK)

39 ¹ In the ninth year of Zedekiah^(A) king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar^(B) king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege^(C) to it. ² And on the ninth day of the fourth^(D) month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, the city wall^(E) was broken through.^{(F) 3} Then all the officials^(G) of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officials of the king of Babylon. ⁴ When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled; they left the city at night by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls,^(H) and headed toward the Arabah.^[a](I)

⁵ But the Babylonian^[b] army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah^(J) in the plains of Jericho. They captured^(K) him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah^(L) in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him. ⁶ There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and also killed all the nobles^(M) of Judah. ⁷ Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes^(N) and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.^(O)

⁸ The Babylonians^[c] set fire^(P) to the royal palace and the houses of the people and broke down the walls^(Q) of Jerusalem. ⁹ Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard carried into exile to Babylon the people who remained in the city, along with those who had gone over to him,^(R) and the rest of the people.^{(S) 10} But Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people, who owned nothing; and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields.

¹¹ Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given these orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard: ¹² “Take him and look after him; don’t harm^(T) him but do for him whatever he asks.” ¹³ So Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard, Nebushazban a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officers^(U) of the king of Babylon ¹⁴ sent and had Jeremiah taken out of the courtyard of the guard.^(V) They turned him over to Gedaliah^(W) son of Ahikam,^(X) the son of Shaphan,^(Y) to take him back to his home. So he remained among his own people.^(Z)

¹⁵ While Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him: ¹⁶ “Go and tell Ebed-Melek^(AA) the Cushite, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words^(AB) against this city—words concerning disaster,^(AC) not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes. ¹⁷ But I will rescue^(AD) you on that day, declares the Lord; you will not be given into the hands of those you fear. ¹⁸ I will save^(AE) you; you will not fall by the sword^(AF) but will escape with your life,^(AG) because you trust^(AH) in me, declares the Lord.’”

Abraham Justified by Faith

4 What then shall we say^(A) that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh,^(B) discovered in this matter? ² If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God.^{(C) 3} What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”^[a](D)

⁴ Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift^(E) but as an obligation. ⁵ However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.^{(F) 6} David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

⁹ Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised?^(H) We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.^{(I) 10} Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! ¹¹ And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.^(J) So then, he is the father^(K) of all who believe^(L) but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. ¹² And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

¹³ It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise^(M) that he would be heir of the world,^(N) but through the righteousness that comes by faith.^{(O) 14} For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless,^{(P) 15} because the law brings wrath.^(Q) And where there is no law there is no transgression.^(R)

¹⁶ Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace^(S) and may be guaranteed^(T) to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.^{(U) 17} As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”^[c](V) He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life^(W) to the dead and calls^(X) into being things that were not.^(Y)

¹⁸ Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations,^(Z) just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”^{[d](AA) 19} Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead^(AB)—since he was about a hundred years old^(AC)—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.^{(AD) 20} Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened^(AE) in his faith and gave glory to God,^{(AF) 21} being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.^{(AG) 22} This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”^{(AH) 23} The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, ²⁴ but also for us,^(AI) to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him^(AJ) who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.^{(AK) 25} He was delivered over to death for our sins^(AL) and was raised to life for our justification.^(AM)