Canaan Divided among the Tribes

13 Now (A)Joshua was old and advanced in years when the Lord said to him, “You are old and advanced in years, and a very large amount of the land remains to be possessed. This is the land that remains: all the regions of the Philistines and all those of the (B)Geshurites; from the Shihor which is [a]east of Egypt, even as far as the border of Ekron to the north (it is counted as Canaanite); the (C)five governors of the Philistines: the Gazite, the Ashdodite, the Ashkelonite, the Gittite, the Ekronite; and the Avvite [b]to the south, all the land of the Canaanite, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians, as far as (D)Aphek, to the border of the (E)Amorite; and the land of the (F)Gebalite, and all of Lebanon, toward the [c]east, (G)from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon as far as [d]Lebo-hamath. All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon as far as (H)Misrephoth-maim, all the Sidonians, I will [e]drive out from the sons of Israel; (I)only allot it to Israel as an inheritance as I have commanded you. Now therefore, apportion this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”

With [f]the other half-tribe, the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance which Moses gave them (J)beyond the Jordan to the east, just as Moses the servant of the Lord gave to them; from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, with the city which is in the middle of the valley, and all the plain of Medeba, as far as Dibon; 10 and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the border of the sons of Ammon; 11 and (K)Gilead, and the [g]territory of the Geshurites and Maacathites, and all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan as far as Salecah; 12 all the kingdom of (L)Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei (he alone was left of the remnant of the Rephaim); for Moses (M)struck them and [h]drove them out. 13 But the sons of Israel did not [i]drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites; instead, Geshur and Maacath live among Israel to this day. 14 (N)Only to the tribe of Levi he did not give an inheritance; the offerings by fire to the Lord, the God of Israel, are [j]their inheritance, as He spoke to him.

15 So Moses gave an inheritance to the tribe of the sons of Reuben according to their families. 16 Their [k]territory was (O)from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, with the city which is in the middle of the valley and all the plain by Medeba; 17 Heshbon and all its cities which are on the plain: Dibon, Bamoth-baal, Beth-baal-meon, 18 (P)Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, 19 (Q)Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth-shahar on the hill of the valley, 20 Beth-peor, the slopes of Pisgah, Beth-jeshimoth, 21 even 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 leaders of Midian, (R)Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the leaders of Sihon, who lived in the land. 22 The sons of Israel also killed (S)Balaam the son of Beor, the diviner, with the sword among the rest of their dead. 23 The border of the sons of Reuben was the [l]Jordan. This was the inheritance of the sons of Reuben according to their families, the cities and their villages.

24 Moses also gave an inheritance to the tribe of Gad, to the sons of Gad according to their families. 25 Their territory was (T)Jazer and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the sons of Ammon, as far as Aroer which is opposite Rabbah; 26 and from Heshbon as far as Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim as far as the border of [m]Debir; 27 and in the valley, Beth-haram, Beth-nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, with the Jordan [n]as a border, as far as the lower end of the Sea of [o](U)Chinnereth beyond the Jordan to the east. 28 This is the inheritance of the sons of Gad according to their families, the cities and their villages.

29 Moses also gave an inheritance to the half-tribe of Manasseh; and it was for the half-tribe of the sons of Manasseh according to their families. 30 Their territory was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all (V)the [p]towns of Jair, which are in Bashan, sixty cities; 31 also half of Gilead, with (W)Ashtaroth and Edrei, the cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were for the sons of Machir the son of Manasseh, for half of the sons of Machir according to their families.

32 These are the territories which Moses apportioned as an inheritance in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan at Jericho to the east. 33 But (X)to the tribe of Levi, Moses did not give an inheritance; the Lord, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as He had [q]promised to them.

Caleb’s Request

14 Now these are the territories which the sons of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which (Y)Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers’ households of the tribes of the sons of Israel apportioned to them as inheritances, by the (Z)lot of their inheritance, just as the Lord commanded [r]through Moses, for the nine tribes and the half-tribe. For (AA)Moses had given the inheritance of the two tribes and the half-tribe beyond the Jordan; but (AB)he did not give an inheritance to the Levites among them. For the sons of Joseph were two tribes, (AC)Manasseh and Ephraim, and they did not give a portion to the Levites in the land, except cities to live in, with their pasture lands for their livestock and for their property. The sons of Israel did exactly (AD)as the Lord had commanded Moses, and they divided the land.

Then the sons of Judah approached Joshua in Gilgal, and (AE)Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know the word which the Lord spoke to Moses the man of God on account of [s]you and me in Kadesh-barnea. I was forty years old when (AF)Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought word back to him as it was in my heart. Nevertheless my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people [t]melt with fear; but (AG)I followed the Lord my God fully. So Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘(AH)The land on which your foot has walked shall certainly be an inheritance to you and to your children forever, because you have followed the Lord my God fully.’ 10 And now behold, the Lord has let me live, just as He spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses, when Israel walked in the wilderness; and now behold, I am eighty-five years old today. 11 (AI)I am still as strong today as I was on the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for (AJ)going out and coming in. 12 Now then, give me this hill country about which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that (AK)Anakim were there, with great fortified cities; perhaps the Lord will be with me, and I will [u]drive them out just as the Lord has spoken.”

13 So Joshua (AL)blessed him and (AM)gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance. 14 Therefore, Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he followed the Lord God of Israel fully. 15 Now the name of Hebron was previously [v]Kiriath-arba; for Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim. (AN)Then the land was at rest from war.

Territory of Judah

15 Now (AO)the lot for the tribe of the sons of Judah according to their families [w]reached the (AP)border of Edom, southward to the (AQ)wilderness of Zin at the extreme south. Their southern border was from the lower end of the Salt Sea, from the bay that turns to the south. Then it proceeded southward to the ascent of Akrabbim and continued to Zin, then went up by the south of Kadesh-barnea and continued to Hezron, and went up to Addar and turned to Karka. It (AR)continued to Azmon and proceeded to the [x](AS)brook of Egypt, and the [y]border ended at the sea. This shall be your southern border. The (AT)eastern border was the Salt Sea, as far as the [z]mouth of the Jordan. And the (AU)border of the north side was from the bay of the sea at the [aa]mouth of the Jordan. Then the border went up to Beth-hoglah, and continued on the north of Beth-arabah, and the border went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben. And the border went up to Debir from (AV)the Valley of Achor, and turned northward toward Gilgal which is opposite the ascent of Adummim, which is on the south of the valley; and the border continued to the waters of En-shemesh and [ab]it ended at En-rogel. Then the border went up the Valley of Ben-hinnom to the slope of the (AW)Jebusite on the south (that is, Jerusalem); and the border went up to the top of the mountain which is opposite the Valley of Hinnom to the west, which is at the end of the Valley of Rephaim toward the north. And from the top of the mountain the border turned to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah and proceeded to the cities of Mount Ephron, then the border turned to (AX)Baalah (that is, (AY)Kiriath-jearim). 10 The border turned from Baalah westward to Mount Seir, and continued to the slope of Mount Jearim on the north (that is, Chesalon), and went down to Beth-shemesh and continued through (AZ)Timnah. 11 Then the border proceeded to the side of Ekron northward. And the border turned to Shikkeron and continued to Mount Baalah and proceeded to Jabneel, and the [ac]border ended at the sea. 12 The western border was (BA)at the Great Sea, even its [ad]coastline. This is the border around the sons of Judah according to their families.

13 Now (BB)he gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh a portion (BC)among the sons of Judah, in accordance with the [ae]command of the Lord to Joshua, namely, [af]Kiriath-arba, Arba being the father of Anak (that is, Hebron). 14 And (BD)Caleb [ag]drove out from there the three (BE)sons of Anak: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak. 15 Then (BF)he went up from there against the inhabitants of Debir; now the name of Debir previously was Kiriath-sepher. 16 And Caleb said, “The one who [ah]attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, [ai]I will give him Achsah my daughter as a wife.” 17 (BG)Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, captured it; so he gave him Achsah his daughter as a wife. 18 (BH)And it happened that when she came to him, she incited him to ask her father for a field. So she dismounted from the donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you want?” 19 Then she said, “Give me a blessing; since you have given me the land of the [aj]Negev, give me springs of water also.” So he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

20 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Judah according to their families.

21 Now the cities at the extremity of the tribe of the sons of Judah toward the border of Edom in the south were Kabzeel, (BI)Eder, and Jagur, 22 Kinah, Dimonah, and Adadah, 23 Kedesh, Hazor, and Ithnan, 24 Ziph, Telem, and Bealoth, 25 Hazor-hadattah, Kerioth-hezron (that is, Hazor), 26 Amam, Shema, and Moladah, 27 Hazar-gaddah, Heshmon, and Beth-pelet, 28 Hazar-shual, (BJ)Beersheba, and Biziothiah, 29 Baalah, Iim, and Ezem, 30 Eltolad, Chesil, and Hormah, 31 (BK)Ziklag, Madmannah, and Sansannah, 32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon; in all, twenty-nine cities with their villages.

33 In the lowland: (BL)Eshtaol, Zorah, and Ashnah, 34 Zanoah, En-gannim, Tappuah, and Enam, 35 Jarmuth, (BM)Adullam, Socoh, and Azekah, 36 Shaaraim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen cities with their villages.

37 Zenan, Hadashah, and Migdal-gad, 38 Dilean, Mizpeh, and Joktheel, 39 (BN)Lachish, Bozkath, and Eglon, 40 Cabbon, Lahmas, and Chitlish, 41 Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah; sixteen cities with their villages.

42 Libnah, Ether, and Ashan, 43 Iphtah, Ashnah, and Nezib, 44 Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages.

45 Ekron, with its towns and its villages; 46 from Ekron even to the sea, all that were by the [ak]side of Ashdod, with their villages.

47 Ashdod, its towns and its villages; Gaza, its towns and its villages, as far as (BO)the [al]brook of Egypt and the Great Sea, even its [am]coastline.

48 In the hill country: Shamir, Jattir, and Socoh, 49 Dannah, Kiriath-sannah (that is, Debir), 50 Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, 51 Goshen, Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages.

52 Arab, Dumah, and Eshan, 53 Janum, Beth-tappuah, and Aphekah, 54 Humtah, Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior; nine cities with their villages.

55 Maon, Carmel, Ziph, and Juttah, 56 Jezreel, Jokdeam, and Zanoah, 57 Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages.

58 Halhul, Beth-zur, and Gedor, 59 Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages.

60 Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), and Rabbah; two cities with their villages.

61 In the wilderness: Beth-arabah, Middin, and Secacah, 62 Nibshan, the City of Salt, and Engedi; six cities with their villages.

63 Now as for the (BP)Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the sons of Judah could not [an]drive them out; so the Jebusites live with the sons of Judah in Jerusalem to this day.

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 13:3 Lit to the face of
  2. Joshua 13:4 Or from the Teman
  3. Joshua 13:5 Lit sunrise
  4. Joshua 13:5 Or the entrance of Hamath
  5. Joshua 13:6 Or dispossess them from
  6. Joshua 13:8 Lit it, the
  7. Joshua 13:11 Or border
  8. Joshua 13:12 Or dispossessed them
  9. Joshua 13:13 Or dispossess
  10. Joshua 13:14 Lit his
  11. Joshua 13:16 Or border
  12. Joshua 13:23 Lit Jordan and border
  13. Joshua 13:26 Or Lidebir
  14. Joshua 13:27 Lit and border
  15. Joshua 13:27 I.e., Galilee
  16. Joshua 13:30 Lit tent villages
  17. Joshua 13:33 Lit spoken to
  18. Joshua 14:2 Lit by the hand of
  19. Joshua 14:6 Lit me and you
  20. Joshua 14:8 I.e., become demoralized
  21. Joshua 14:12 Or dispossess
  22. Joshua 14:15 I.e., the city of Arba
  23. Joshua 15:1 Lit was to
  24. Joshua 15:4 Or wadi
  25. Joshua 15:4 Lit goings out of the border were
  26. Joshua 15:5 Lit end
  27. Joshua 15:5 Lit end
  28. Joshua 15:7 Lit the goings out of it were
  29. Joshua 15:11 Lit goings out...were
  30. Joshua 15:12 Lit border
  31. Joshua 15:13 Lit mouth
  32. Joshua 15:13 I.e., the city of Arba
  33. Joshua 15:14 Or dispossessed them
  34. Joshua 15:16 Lit strikes
  35. Joshua 15:16 Lit and I
  36. Joshua 15:19 I.e., South country
  37. Joshua 15:46 Lit hand
  38. Joshua 15:47 Or wadi
  39. Joshua 15:47 Lit border
  40. Joshua 15:63 Or dispossess them

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