Joshua 19-20

New International Version

Allotment for Simeon^(A)

19 The second lot came out for the tribe of Simeon according to its clans. Their inheritance lay within the territory of Judah.^(B) ²It included:

Beersheba^(C) (or Sheba),^[a] Moladah,^(D) ³Hazar Shual,^(E) Balah, Ezem,^(F) ⁴Eltolad,^(G) Bethul, Hormah,^(H) ⁵Ziklag,^(I) Beth Markaboth, Hazar Susah, ⁶Beth Lebaoth and Sharuhen—thirteen towns and their villages;

⁷Ain, Rimmon,^(J) Ether and Ashan^(K)—four towns and their villages— ⁸and all the villages around these towns as far as Baalath Beer (Ramah in the Negev).^(L)

This was the inheritance of the tribe of the Simeonites, according to its clans. ⁹The inheritance of the Simeonites was taken from the share of Judah,^(M) because Judah’s portion was more than they needed. So the Simeonites received their inheritance within the territory of Judah.^(N)

Allotment for Zebulun

¹⁰The third lot came up for Zebulun^(O) according to its clans:

The boundary of their inheritance went as far as Sarid.^(P) ¹¹Going west it ran to Maralah, touched Dabbesheth, and extended to the ravine near Jokneam.^(Q) ¹²It turned east from Sarid^(R) toward the sunrise to the territory of Kisloth Tabor and went on to Daberath^(S) and up to Japhia. ¹³Then it continued eastward to Gath Hepher^(T) and Eth Kazin; it came out at Rimmon^(U) and turned toward Neah. ¹⁴There the boundary went around on the north to Hannathon and ended at the Valley of Iphtah El.^(V) ¹⁵Included were Kattath, Nahalal,^(W) Shimron,^(X) Idalah and Bethlehem.^(Y) There were twelve towns and their villages.

¹⁶These towns and their villages were the inheritance of Zebulun,^(Z) according to its clans.^(AA)

Allotment for Issachar

¹⁷The fourth lot came out for Issachar^(AB) according to its clans. ¹⁸Their territory included:

Jezreel,^(AC) Kesulloth, Shunem,^(AD) ¹⁹Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, ²⁰Rabbith, Kishion,^(AE) Ebez, ²¹Remeth, En Gannim,^(AF) En Haddah and Beth Pazzez. ²²The boundary touched Tabor,^(AG) Shahazumah and Beth Shemesh,^(AH) and ended at the Jordan. There were sixteen towns and their villages.

²³These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Issachar,^(AI) according to its clans.^(AJ)

Allotment for Asher

²⁴The fifth lot came out for the tribe of Asher^(AK) according to its clans. ²⁵Their territory included:

Helkath, Hali, Beten, Akshaph,^(AL) ²⁶Allammelek, Amad and Mishal.^(AM) On the west the boundary touched Carmel^(AN) and Shihor Libnath. ²⁷It then turned east toward Beth Dagon,^(AO) touched Zebulun^(AP) and the Valley of Iphtah El,^(AQ) and went north to Beth Emek and Neiel, passing Kabul^(AR) on the left. ²⁸It went to Abdon,^[b]^(AS) Rehob,^(AT) Hammon^(AU) and Kanah,^(AV) as far as Greater Sidon.^(AW) ²⁹The boundary then turned back toward Ramah^(AX) and went to the fortified city of Tyre,^(AY) turned toward Hosah and came out at the Mediterranean Sea^(AZ) in the region of Akzib,^(BA) ³⁰Ummah, Aphek^(BB) and Rehob.^(BC) There were twenty-two towns and their villages.

³¹These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Asher,^(BD) according to its clans.

Allotment for Naphtali

³²The sixth lot came out for Naphtali according to its clans:

³³Their boundary went from Heleph and the large tree in Zaanannim,^(BE) passing Adami Nekeb and Jabneel^(BF) to Lakkum and ending at the Jordan. ³⁴The boundary ran west through Aznoth Tabor and came out at Hukkok.^(BG) It touched Zebulun^(BH) on the south, Asher on the west and the Jordan^[c] on the east. ³⁵The fortified towns were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath,^(BI) Rakkath, Kinnereth,^(BJ) ³⁶Adamah, Ramah,^(BK) Hazor,^(BL) ³⁷Kedesh,^(BM) Edrei,^(BN) En Hazor, ³⁸Iron, Migdal El, Horem, Beth Anath^(BO) and Beth Shemesh.^(BP) There were nineteen towns and their villages.

³⁹These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Naphtali, according to its clans.^(BQ)

Allotment for Dan

⁴⁰The seventh lot came out for the tribe of Dan according to its clans. ⁴¹The territory of their inheritance included:

Zorah, Eshtaol,^(BR) Ir Shemesh, ⁴²Shaalabbin, Aijalon,^(BS) Ithlah, ⁴³Elon, Timnah,^(BT) Ekron,^(BU) ⁴⁴Eltekeh, Gibbethon,^(BV) Baalath,^(BW) ⁴⁵Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon,^(BX) ⁴⁶Me Jarkon and Rakkon, with the area facing Joppa.^(BY)

⁴⁷(When the territory of the Danites was lost to them,^(BZ) they went up and attacked Leshem^(CA), took it, put it to the sword and occupied it. They settled in Leshem and named^(CB) it Dan after their ancestor.)^(CC)

⁴⁸These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Dan,^(CD) according to its clans.

Allotment for Joshua

⁴⁹When they had finished dividing the land into its allotted portions, the Israelites gave Joshua son of Nun an inheritance among them, ⁵⁰as the Lord had commanded. They gave him the town he asked for—Timnath Serah^[d]^(CE) in the hill country of Ephraim. And he built up the town and settled there.

⁵¹These are the territories that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the tribal clans of Israel assigned by lot at Shiloh in the presence of the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting. And so they finished dividing^(CF) the land.^(CG)

Cities of Refuge^(CH)

20 Then the Lord said to Joshua: ²“Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, ³so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally^(CI) may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood.^(CJ) ⁴When they flee to one of these cities, they are to stand in the entrance of the city gate^(CK) and state their case before the elders^(CL) of that city. Then the elders are to admit the fugitive into their city and provide a place to live among them. ⁵If the avenger of blood comes in pursuit, the elders must not surrender the fugitive, because the fugitive killed their neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought. ⁶They are to stay in that city until they have stood trial before the assembly^(CM) and until the death of the high priest who is serving at that time. Then they may go back to their own home in the town from which they fled.”

⁷So they set apart Kedesh^(CN) in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem^(CO) in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba^(CP) (that is, Hebron^(CQ)) in the hill country of Judah.^(CR) ⁸East of the Jordan (on the other side from Jericho) they designated Bezer^(CS) in the wilderness on the plateau in the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead^(CT) in the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan^(CU) in the tribe of Manasseh. ⁹Any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing among them who killed someone accidentally^(CV) could flee to these designated cities and not be killed by the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.^(CW)

Footnotes

Joshua 19:2 Or Beersheba, Sheba; 1 Chron. 4:28 does not have Sheba.
Joshua 19:28 Some Hebrew manuscripts (see also 21:30); most Hebrew manuscripts Ebron
Joshua 19:34 Septuagint; Hebrew west, and Judah, the Jordan,
Joshua 19:50 Also known as Timnath Heres (see Judges 2:9)