Joshua 14:1–15:63

The Land Allotted West of the Jordan

14 These are the territories that the ⌊Israelites⌋a inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families of the tribes of the ⌊Israelites⌋b gave as an inheritance to them. 2 Their inheritance was by lot, just as Yahweh commanded through the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes and the half-tribe. 3 For Moses had given an inheritance of the two tribes and the half-tribe beyond the Jordan, but to the Levites he gave no inheritance among them. 4 For the descendantsc of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim, and they did not give a plot of ground to the Levites in the land, only cities to live in, with their pastureland for their flocks and for their goods. 5 Just as Yahweh commanded Moses, so the ⌊Israelites⌋d did; and they allotted the land.

Caleb Receives Hebron

6 Then the descendantse of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal; and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know the word that Yahweh said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea concerning you and me. 7 ⌊I was forty years old⌋f when Moses Yahweh’s servant sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I returned ⌊with an honest report⌋.g 8 My companions who went up with me made the heartsh of the people melt, but I remained true to Yahweh my God. 9 And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land that your foot has trodden on will be an inheritance to you and your sons forever, because you remained true to Yahweh my God.’ 10 So then, look, Yahweh has kept me alive just as he promised these forty-five years,i from the time that Yahweh spoke this word to Moses while Israel ⌊wandered⌋j in the wilderness. Now look, today ⌊I am eighty-five years old⌋.k 11 Today I am still strong, just as on the day that Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so now also is my strength for war ⌊and for daily activities⌋.l 12 So now give me this hill country that Yahweh spoke of on that day, for you heard on that day that the Anakites were there, with great and fortified cities. Perhaps Yahweh is with me, and I will drive them out just as Yahweh promised.”m

13 And Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh as an inheritance. 14 Thus Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he remained true to Yahweh the God of Israel. 15 And the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath Arba;n Arba was the greatest person among the Anakites. And the land rested from war.

The Allotment of Judah

15 The allotment for the tribe of the descendantsa of Judah according to their families reached to the border of Edom, to the wilderness of Zin, ⌊to the far south⌋.b 2 Their southern border was from the end of the Salt Sea,c from the bay facing southward; 3 it continuesd to the south to the ascent of Akrabbim, passes along to Zin, it goes up south of Kadesh Barnea, passes along Hezron, goes up to Addar, and makes a turn to Karka; 4 ⌊it passes on⌋e to Azmon, continuesf by the wadi of Egypt, and ⌊it ends⌋g at the sea. This will be your southern border. 5 The eastern border is the Salt Seah up to the mouthi of the Jordan. The border on the northern side runs from the bay of the sea at the mouthj of the Jordan; 6 the border goes up to Beth-hoglah and passes along north of Beth Arabah; and the border goes up the stone of Bohan son of Reuben; 7 and the border goes up to Debir from the valley of Achor, and to the north, turning to Gilgal, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim, which is south of the wadi;k and the border passes on to the waters of En Shemesh, and it ends at En Rogel. 8 Then the border goes up by the Valley of Ben Hinnoml to the slope of the Jebusitesm from the south (that is, Jerusalem); and the border goes up to the top of the mountain that lies opposite the valley of Hinnom to the west, which is at the end of the valley of Rephaim to the north; 9 then the border turns from the top of the mountain to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah, and continuesn from there to the cities of Mount Ephron; the border then turns to Baalah (that is, Kiriath Jearim); 10 and the border goes around from Baalah to the west, to Mount Seir, and passes on to the slope of Mount Jearim from the north (that is, Kesalon), and goes down to Beth Shemesh, and passes along by Timnah. 11 The border continueso to the slope of Ekron to the north, then bends around to Shikkeron, it passes on to Mount Baalah and continues to Jabneel; and ⌊the border ends⌋p at the sea. 12 And the western border is to the Great Seaq and its coast. This is the border surrounding the descendantsr of Judah according to their families.

13 ⌊According to the commandment of Yahweh to Joshua⌋,s he gave to Caleb son of Jephunneh a plot of ground among the descendantst of Judah, Kiriath Arba,u which is Hebron (Arba was Anak’s father). 14 Caleb drove out from there three of Anak’s sons, Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the descendantsv of Anak. 15 And from there he went up against the inhabitants of Debir (the former name of Debir was Kiriath Sepher). 16 And Caleb said, “Whoever attacks Kiriath Sepher and captures it, I will give to him my daughter Acsah as a wife.” 17 Othniel son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, captured it, and he gave to him Acsah his daughter as a wife. 18 When she came to him she urged him to ask her father for a field. So she dismounted from the donkey, and Caleb said to her, “⌊What do you want⌋?”w 19 And she said to him, “Give to me a gift;x you have given me the land of the Negev,y and you must give to me a spring of water.” And he gave to her the upper and lower spring.z

The Cities of Judah

20 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the descendantsa of Judah according to their families: 21 the cities belonging to the tribe of the descendantsb of Judah to the far south, to the border of Edom to the south, were Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, 22 Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, 23 Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, 24 Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, 25 Hazor Hadattah, Kerioth Hezron (that is, Hazor), 26 Amam, Shema, Moladah, 27 Hazar Gaddah, Heshmon, Beth Pelet, 28 Hazar Shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah, 29 Baalah, Iim, Ezem, 30 Eltolad, Kesil, Hormah, 31 Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, 32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon; in all, twenty-nine cities and their villages.

33 In the Shephelah:c Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, 34 Zanoah, En Gannim, Tappuah, Enam, 35 Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, 36 Shaaraim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen cities and their villages.

37 Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal Gad, 38 Dilean, Mizpah, Joktheel, 39 Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, 40 Cabbon, Lahma, Kitlish, 41 Gederoth, Beth Dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah; sixteen cities and their villages.

42 Libnah, Ether, Ashan, 43 Jephthah, Ashnah, Nezib, 44 Keilah, Aczib, and Mareshah; nine cities and their villages.

45 Ekron, its towns and villages; 46 from Ekron to the sea, and all that ⌊were near⌋d Ashdod and their villages.

47 Ashdod, its towns and villages; Gaza, its towns and villages, up to the wadie of Egypt and the Great Seaf and its coast.g

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

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

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

58 Halhul, Beth Zur, Gedor, 59 Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon; six cities and their villages.

60 Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim) and Rabbah; two cities and their villages.

61 In the wilderness: Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah, 62 Nibshan, the city of Salt, and En Gedi; six cities and their villages.

63 But the descendantsi of Judah were unable to drive out the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so the Jebusites live with the descendantsj of Judah in Jerusalem to this day.