Land Yet to Be Conquered

13 Joshua was old, near the end of his life. So the Lord said to him, “You are old, near the end of your life, and there is a lot of land left to be conquered. ² The land that is left includes all the districts that belong to the Philistines and Geshur. ³ It extends from the Shihor River, east of Egypt, northward as far as the border of Ekron. This is considered to be Canaanite territory, even though there are five Philistine rulers over Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, as well as the Avvim people ⁴ in the south. This territory includes all the land of the Canaanites as well as Mearah which belongs to Sidon as far as Aphek, the Amorite border. ⁵ It also includes the land of the people of Gebal, all Lebanon eastward from Baal Gad at the foot of Mount Hermon to the border of Hamath. ⁶ I will force out of the way of the people of Israel everyone who lives in the mountains from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim and all the people of Sidon. However, you must distribute the land as an inheritance to Israel by drawing lots, as I commanded you. ⁷ So divide this land. It will be an inheritance for the nine tribes and half of the tribe of Manasseh.”

Tribes That Received Land East of the Jordan River

⁸ The tribes of Reuben and Gad with half of the tribe of Manasseh had received their inheritance east of the Jordan River, since the Lord’s servant Moses had already given it to them. ⁹ The border extended from Aroer on the edge of the Arnon Valley, including the city in the middle of the valley, and the whole plateau from Medeba to Dibon. ¹⁰ It included all the cities of King Sihon of the Amorites up to the border of Ammon. Sihon’s capital was Heshbon. ¹¹ It also included Gilead, the territory of the people of Geshur and Maacath, all of Mount Hermon, and all of Bashan as far as Salecah ¹² (the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan). Og ruled in Ashtaroth and Edrei. He was the last of the Rephaim. Moses had defeated them and forced them out. ¹³ But the Israelites did not force out the people of Geshur and Maacath. So they still live in Israel today.

¹⁴ Moses did not give any land as an inheritance to the tribe of Levi. The sacrifices offered to the Lord God of Israel are what the Levites inherited, as the Lord had promised them.

¹⁵ Moses gave some land as an inheritance to the tribe of Reuben for their families. ¹⁶ Their territory extended from Aroer on the edge of the Arnon Valley, including the city in the middle of the valley and the whole plateau near Medeba. ¹⁷ It included Heshbon and all its cities on the plateau, Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon, ¹⁸ Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, ¹⁹ Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar on the mountain in the valley, ²⁰ Beth Peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth. ²¹ It also included all the cities of the plateau, the whole kingdom of King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon. Moses defeated him and Midian’s leaders—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba. They were princes of Sihon, who lived in that country. ²² Along with these leaders, the people of Israel also killed Balaam, son of Beor, who used black magic. ²³ The border of Reuben’s territory was the Jordan River. This was Reuben’s inheritance for its families. It included cities with their villages.

²⁴ Moses gave some land as an inheritance to the tribe of Gad for its families. ²⁵ Their territory included Jazer, all the cities of Gilead, and half of Ammon as far as Aroer, which is by Rabbah. ²⁶ It extended from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim as far as the border of Lidbir. ²⁷ In the Jordan Valley it included Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of King Sihon of Heshbon. The Jordan River served as its western border, extending to the end of the Sea of Galilee. ²⁸ This was Gad’s inheritance for its families. It included cities with their villages.

²⁹ Moses gave some land as an inheritance to half of the tribe of Manasseh. It was only for the families of that half of the tribe. ³⁰ Their territory extended from Mahanaim and included all of Bashan (the whole kingdom of King Og of Bashan) and all 60 settlements of Jair that were in Bashan. ³¹ It also included half of Gilead with Ashtaroth and Edrei, the royal cities of Og in Bashan. They were given to half the families of Machir, son of Manasseh, ⌞for their inheritance⌟.

³² This is the land that Moses distributed on Moab’s plains, east of the Jordan River near Jericho. ³³ Moses did not give any land as an inheritance to the tribe of Levi. The Lord God of Israel is what they inherited, as he had promised them.