Joshua 19–21

The Territory Assigned to Simeon

19The second assignment made was for the families of the tribe of Simeon. Its territory extended into the land assigned to the tribe of Judah. ^2*It included Beersheba, Sheba, Moladah, ^3*Hazar Shual, Balah, Ezem, ^4*Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, ^5*Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susah, ^6*Beth Lebaoth, and Sharuhen: thirteen cities, along with the towns round them.

^7*There were also Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan: four cities, along with the towns round them. ^8*This included all the towns round these cities as far as Baalath Beer (or Ramah), in the south. This was the land which the families of the tribe of Simeon received as their possession. ⁹Since Judah’s assignment was larger than was needed, part of its territory was given to the tribe of Simeon.

The Territory Assigned to Zebulun

¹⁰The third assignment made was for the families of the tribe of Zebulun. The land which they received reached as far as Sarid. ¹¹From there the border went west to Mareal, touching Dabbesheth and the stream east of Jokneam. ¹²On the other side of Sarid it went east to the border of Chisloth Tabor, then to Daberath and up to Japhia. ¹³It continued east from there to Gath Hepher and Ethkazin, turning in the direction of Neah on the way to Rimmon. ¹⁴On the north the border turned towards Hannathon, ending at the Valley of Iphtahel. ¹⁵It included Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem: twelve cities, along with the towns round them. ¹⁶These cities and their towns were in the land which the families of the tribe of Zebulun received as their possession.

The Territory Assigned to Issachar

¹⁷The fourth assignment made was for the families of the tribe of Issachar. ¹⁸Its area included Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem, ¹⁹Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, ²⁰Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez, ²¹Remeth, Engannim, Enhaddah, and Bethpazzez. ²²The border also touched Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth Shemesh, ending at the Jordan. It included sixteen cities along with the towns round them. ²³These cities and their towns were in the land which the families of the tribe of Issachar received as their possession.

The Territory Assigned to Asher

²⁴The fifth assignment made was for the families of the tribe of Asher. ²⁵Its area included Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph, ²⁶Allam Melech, Amad, and Mishal. On the west it touched Carmel and Shihor Libnath. ²⁷As it turned east, the border went to Bethdagon, touching Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtahel on the way north to Bethemek and Neiel. It continued north to Cabul, ²⁸Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, and Kanah, as far as Sidon. ²⁹The border then turned to Ramah, reaching the fortified city of Tyre; then it turned to Hosah and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. It included Mahalab, Achzib, ³⁰Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob: 22 cities, along with the towns round them. ³¹These cities and their towns were in the land which the families of the tribe of Asher received as their possession.

The Territory Assigned to Naphtali

³²The sixth assignment made was for the families of the tribe of Naphtali. ³³Its border went from Heleph to the oak in Zaanannim, on to Adaminekeb and to Jamnia, as far as Lakkum, and ended at the Jordan. ³⁴There the border turned west to Aznoth Tabor, from there to Hukkok, touching Zebulun on the south, Asher on the west, and the Jordan^m on the east. ³⁵The fortified cities were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth, ³⁶Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, ³⁷Kedesh, Edrei, Enhazor, ³⁸Yiron, Migdalel, Horem, Bethanath, and Beth Shemesh: nineteen cities, along with the towns round them. ³⁹These cities and their towns were in the land which the families of the tribe of Naphtali received as their possession.

The Territory Assigned to Dan

⁴⁰The seventh assignment made was for the families of the tribe of Dan. ⁴¹Its area included Zorah, Eshtaol, Irshemesh, ⁴²Shaalbim, Aijalon, Ithlah, ⁴³Elon, Timnah, Ekron, ⁴⁴Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, ⁴⁵Jehud, Beneberak, Gathrimmon, ⁴⁶Mejarkon, and Rakkon, as well as the territory round Joppa. ^47*When the people of Dan lost their land, they went to Laish and attacked it. They captured it, killed its people, and claimed it for themselves. They settled there and changed the name of the city from Laish to Dan, naming it after their ancestor Dan. ⁴⁸These cities and their towns were in the land which the families of the tribe of Dan received as their possession.

The Final Assignment of the Land

⁴⁹When the people of Israel finished dividing up the land, they gave Joshua son of Nun a part of the land as his own. ⁵⁰As the Lord had commanded, they gave him the city he asked for: Timnath Serah, in the hill country of Ephraim. He rebuilt the city and settled there. ⁵¹Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders of the families of the tribes of Israel assigned these parts of the land by drawing lotsⁿ to consult the Lord at Shiloh, at the entrance of the Tent of the Lord’s presence. In this way they finished dividing the land.

The Cities of Refuge

20^*Then the Lord told Joshua ^2*to say to the people of Israel, “Choose the cities of refuge that I commanded Moses to tell you about. ^3*A person who kills someone accidentally can go there and escape the one who is looking for revenge. ^4*He or she can run away to one of these cities, go to the place of judgement at the entrance to the city, and explain to the leaders what happened. Then they will let him or her into the city and give them a place to live in, so that they can stay there. ^5*If the one looking for revenge follows them there, the people of the city must not hand them over to them. They must protect them because they killed the person accidentally and not out of anger. ^6*They may stay in the city until they have received a public trial and until the death of the man who is then the High Priest. Then they may go back home to their own town, from which they had run away.”

^7*So, on the west side of the Jordan they set aside Kedesh in Galilee, in the hill country of Naphtali; Shechem, in the hill country of Ephraim; and Hebron, in the hill country of Judah. ^8*East of the Jordan, on the desert plateau east of Jericho, they chose Bezer in the territory of Reuben; Ramoth in Gilead, in the territory of Gad; and Golan in Bashan, in the territory of Manasseh. ^9*These were the cities of refuge chosen for all the people of Israel and for any foreigner living among them. Anyone who killed a person accidentally could find protection there from the one looking for revenge; no one could be killed without first receiving a public trial.

The Cities of the Levites

21The leaders of the Levite families went to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and to the heads of the families of all the tribes of Israel. ^2*There at Shiloh in the land of Canaan they said to them, “The Lord commanded through Moses that we were to be given cities to live in, as well as pasture land round them for our livestock.” ³So in accordance with the Lord’s command the people of Israel gave the Levites certain cities and pasture lands out of their own territories.

⁴The families of the Levite clan of Kohath were the first to be assigned cities. The families who were descended from Aaron the priest were assigned thirteen cities from the territories of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. ⁵The rest of the clan of Kohath was assigned ten cities from the territories of Ephraim, Dan, and West Manasseh.

⁶The clan of Gershon was assigned thirteen cities from the territories of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and East Manasseh.

⁷The families of the clan of Merari were assigned twelve cities from the territories of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.

⁸By drawing lots,^o the people of Israel assigned these cities and their pasture lands to the Levites, as the Lord had commanded through Moses.

⁹These are the names of the cities from the territories of Judah and Simeon which were given ¹⁰to the descendants of Aaron who were of the clan of Kohath, which was descended from Levi. Their assignment was the first to be made. ¹¹They were given the city of Arba (Arba was Anak’s father), now called Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, along with the pasture land surrounding it. ¹²However, the fields of the city, as well as its towns, had already been given to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession.

¹³In addition to Hebron (one of the cities of refuge), the following cities were assigned to the descendants of Aaron the priest: Libnah, ¹⁴Jattir, Eshtemoa, ¹⁵Holon, Debir, ¹⁶Ain, Juttah, and Beth Shemesh, with their pasture lands: nine cities from the tribes of Judah and Simeon. ¹⁷From the territory of Benjamin they were given four cities: Gibeon, Geba, ¹⁸Anathoth, and Almon, with their pasture lands. ¹⁹Thirteen cities in all, with their pasture lands, were given to the priests, the descendants of Aaron.

²⁰The other families of the Levite clan of Kohath were assigned some cities from the territory of Ephraim. ²¹They were given four cities: Shechem and its pasture lands in the hill country of Ephraim (one of the cities of refuge), Gezer, ²²Kibzaim, and Beth Horon, with their pasture lands. ²³From the territory of Dan they were given four cities: Eltekeh, Gibbethon, ²⁴Aijalon, and Gathrimmon, with their pasture lands. ²⁵From the territory of West Manasseh they were given two cities: Taanach and Gathrimmon, with their pasture lands. ²⁶These families of the clan of Kohath received ten cities in all, with their pasture lands.

²⁷Another group of Levites, the clan of Gershon, received from the territory of East Manasseh two cities: Golan in Bashan (one of the cities of refuge) and Beeshterah, with their pasture lands. ²⁸From the territory of Issachar they received four cities: Kishion, Daberath, ²⁹Jarmuth, and Engannim, with their pasture lands. ³⁰From the territory of Asher they received four cities: Mishal, Abdon, ³¹Helkath, and Rehob, with their pasture lands. ³²From the territory of Naphtali they received three cities: Kedesh in Galilee, with its pasture lands (one of the cities of refuge), Hammoth Dor, and Kartan, with…