Joshua 13

Lexham English Bible

Land Still Remains to be Conquered

13 Now Joshua was old and advanced in years,^[a] and Yahweh said to him, “You are old and advanced in years,^[b] and very much of the land remains to be possessed. ² This is the remaining land: all the regions of the Philistines, and all of the Geshurites,^{[c] 3} from the Shihor, which is east of Egypt,^[d] up to the border of Ekron to the north, which is reckoned as Canaanite; there are five Philistine rulers: the Gazites,^[e] Ashdodites,^[f] Ashkelonites,^[g] Gittites,^[h] Ekronites,^[i] and the Avvim. ⁴ In the south; all the land of the Canaanites,^[j] and Mearah, which belongs to the Sidonians up to Aphek, to the border of the Amorites,^{[k] 5} and the land of the Gebalites, and all the Lebanon,^[l] toward the east,^[m] from Baal Gad at the foot of^[n] Mount Hermon up to Lebo-Hamath; ⁶ all the inhabitants of the hill country, from the Lebanon^[o] up to Misrephoth Maim, and all the Sidonians. I will drive them out from before the Israelites;^[p] only allocate it to Israel as an inheritance just as I have commanded you. ⁷ Therefore, divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”

⁸ With it^[q] the Reubenites,^[r] and the Gadites^[s] received their inheritance, which Moses gave them beyond the Jordan to the east, just as Moses Yahweh’s servant gave to them: ⁹ from Aroer, which is on the edge of the wadi^[t] of Arnon, and the city which is in the middle of the wadi, and all the plateau from Medeba up to Dibon; ¹⁰ and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites,^[u] who reigned in Heshbon up to the border of the Ammonites;^{[v] 11} and Gilead, and the border of the Geshurite^[w] and the Maacathites,^[x] all of Mount Hermon,^[y] and Bashan up to Salecah; ¹² all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei—he was left over from the survivors^[z] of the Rephaim; these Moses had defeated and driven out. ¹³ But the Israelites^[aa] did not drive out the Geshurites^[ab] or the Maacathites;^[ac] Geshur and Maacah live among Israel to this day. ¹⁴ Only the tribe of Levites^[ad] Moses did not give an inheritance; the offerings made by fire to Yahweh the God of Israel are their^[ae] inheritance, just as he promised to them.^[af]

Reuben’s Inheritance

¹⁵ Moses gave an inheritance to the tribe of the descendants^[ag] of Reuben according to their families. ¹⁶ Their territory was from Aroer, which was on the edge of the wadi^[ah] of Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the plateau by Medeba; ¹⁷ Heshbon and its cities that are on the plateau; Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon, ¹⁸ Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, ¹⁹ Kiriathaim, Sibmah, and Zereth Shahar on the hill of the valley; ²⁰ Beth Peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth; ²¹ all of the cities of the plateau, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites,^[ai] who reigned in Heshbon and whom Moses defeated with the leaders of Midian, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the princes of Sihon who dwelled in the land. ²² In addition to their slain, the Israelites^[aj] killed with the sword Balaam son of Beor, who practiced divination. ²³ And the border of the descendants^[ak] of Reuben was the Jordan and its banks.^[al] This was the inheritance of the descendants^[am] of Reuben according to their families, the cities, and their villages.

Gad’s Inheritance

²⁴ Moses gave an inheritance to the tribe of Gad, to the descendants^[an] of Gad, according to their families. ²⁵ Their territory was Jazer and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the Ammonites^[ao] up to Aroer, which is east of Rabbah;^{[ap] 26} and from Heshbon up to Ramah-Mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim up to the territory to Debir; ²⁷ in the valley of Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth, Zaphon, and the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, the Jordan and its banks,^[aq] up to the lower end of the Kinnereth Sea^[ar] beyond the Jordan to the east. ²⁸ This is the inheritance of the Gadites^[as] according to their families, the cities, and their villages.

The Half-Tribe of Manasseh’s Inheritance

²⁹ Moses gave an inheritance to the half-tribe of Manasseh; it was for the half-tribe of the descendants^[at] of Manasseh according to their families. ³⁰ Their territory was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the settlements^[au] of Jair, which are in Bashan, sixty cities, ³¹ and half of Gilead, with Ashtaroth, Edrei, and the cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan; these were allotted to the children of Makir son of Manasseh, for half of the children of Makir according to their families. ³² These are the territories that Moses gave as an inheritance on the desert-plateau of Moab, beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho. ³³ But to the tribe of Levi Moses did not give an inheritance; Yahweh the God of Israel, he is their inheritance, just as he promised them.^[av]