^21:1The tribal leaders of the Levites went before Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and the Israelite tribal leaders ^21:2in Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said, “The Lord told Moses to assign us cities in which to live along with the grazing areas for our cattle.” ^21:3So the Israelites assigned these cities and their grazing areas to the Levites from their own holdings, as the Lord had instructed.

^21:4The first lot belonged to¹ the Kohathite clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest were allotted thirteen cities from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. ^21:5The rest of Kohath’s descendants were allotted ten cities from the clans of the tribe of Ephraim, and from the tribe of Dan and the half-tribe of Manasseh. ^21:6Gershon’s descendants were allotted thirteen cities from the clans of the tribe of Issachar, and from the tribes of Asher and Naphtali and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. ^21:7Merari’s descendants by their clans were allotted twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. ^21:8So the Israelites assigned to the Levites by lot these cities and their grazing areas, as the Lord had instructed Moses.

^21:9They assigned from the tribes of Judah and Simeon the cities listed below. ^21:10They were assigned to the Kohathite clans of the Levites who were descendants of Aaron,² for the first lot belonged to them. ^21:11They assigned them Kiriath Arba (Arba was the father of Anak), that is, Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, along with its surrounding grazing areas. ^21:12(Now the city’s fields and surrounding towns they had assigned to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his property.) ^21:13So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they assigned Hebron (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter), Libnah, ^21:14Jattir, Eshtemoa, ^21:15Holon, Debir, ^21:16Ain, Juttah, and Beth Shemesh, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of nine cities taken from these two tribes. ^21:17From the tribe of Benjamin they assigned³ Gibeon, Geba, ^21:18Anathoth, and Almon, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities. ^21:19The priests descended from Aaron received thirteen cities and their grazing areas.

^21:20The rest of the Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted cities from the tribe of Ephraim. ^21:21They assigned them Shechem (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter) in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer, ^21:22Kibzaim, and Beth Horon, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities. ^21:23From the tribe of Dan they assigned Eltekeh, Gibbethon, ^21:24Aijalon, and Gath Rimmon, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities. ^21:25From the half-tribe of Manasseh they assigned Taanach and Gath Rimmon,⁴ along with the grazing areas of each—a total of two cities. ^21:26The rest of the Kohathite clans received ten cities and their grazing areas.

^21:27They assigned to the Gershonite clans of the Levites the following cities:⁵ from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter) and Beeshtarah, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of two cities; ^21:28from the tribe of Issachar: Kishon, Daberath, ^21:29Jarmuth, and En Gannim, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities; ^21:30from the tribe of Asher: Mishal, Abdon, ^21:31Helkath, and Rehob, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities; ^21:32from the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter), Hammoth Dor, and Kartan, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of three cities. ^21:33The Gershonite clans received thirteen cities and their grazing areas.

^21:34They assigned to the Merarite clans (the remaining Levites) the following cities: from the tribe of Zebulun: Jokneam, Kartah, ^21:35Dimnah, and Nahalal, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities; ^21:36⁶ from the tribe of Reuben: Bezer, Jahaz, ^21:37Kedemoth, and Mephaath, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities; ^21:38from the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter), Mahanaim, ^21:39Heshbon, and Jazer, along with the grazing areas of each—a total of four cities. ^21:40The Merarite clans (the remaining Levites) were allotted twelve cities.

^21:41The Levites received within the land owned by the Israelites⁷ forty-eight cities in all and their grazing areas. ^21:42Each of these cities had grazing areas around it; they were alike in this regard.⁸

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Footnotes

1 Heb “came out for.”
2 Heb “and it belonged to the sons of Aaron, from the Kohathite clans, from the sons of Levi.”
3 The words “they assigned” are supplied for clarification (also in vv. 23, 25).
4 The name “Gath Rimmon” is problematic here, for it appears in the preceding list of Danite cities. The reads “Iebatha”; 1 Chr 6:55 (6:70 ) reads “Bileam.” Most modern translations retain the name “Gath Rimmon,” however.
5 The words “they assigned” and “the following cities” are supplied for clarification (also in v. 34).
6 21:36–37 are accidentally omitted from a number of significant Hebrew . They are, however, found in some Hebrew , the and .
7 Heb “in the midst of the possession of the sons of Israel.”
8 Heb “these cities were city [by] city, and its grazing areas [were] around it; so [it was] for all these cities.”