Joshua 13:1–13

The Land That Remained to Be Taken Over

13Joshua was now very old. The Lord said to him, “You are very old. And there are still very large areas of land that have not been taken over yet.

²“Here is the land that remains to be taken over. It includes all of the areas of Philistia and Geshur. ³Those areas begin at the Shihor River in the eastern part of Egypt. They go to the territory of Ekron in the north. All of that land is considered as belonging to the people of Canaan. The land that remains to be taken over includes the territory of the five rulers of Philistia. They rule over Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron. The Avvites ⁴live south of them. The rest of the land of Canaan that remains to be taken over reaches from Arah all the way to Aphek. Arah belongs to the people of Sidon. The land that remains to be taken over includes the area where the Amorites live. ⁵It includes the area where the people of Byblos live. It also includes all of Lebanon to the east. It reaches from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo Hamath.

⁶“I myself will drive out all of the people who live in the mountain areas. Those areas reach from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim. They include the area where all of the people of Sidon live. I myself will drive those people out to make room for the people of Israel.

“Make sure you set that land apart for Israel. Give it to them as their share, just as I have directed you. ⁷Divide it up among the nine tribes and half of the tribe of Manasseh. Give each tribe its share.”

Moses Had Given the Eastern Tribes Their Land

⁸The other half of Manasseh’s tribe had already received the share of land Moses had given them. Their share was east of the Jordan River. The tribes of Reuben and Gad had already received their share too. Moses, the servant of the Lord, had given it to them.

⁹That land starts at Aroer on the rim of the Arnon River valley. It includes the town in the middle of the valley. It includes the high flatlands of Medeba all the way to Dibon. ¹⁰It also includes all of the towns of Sihon, the king of the Amorites. He had ruled in Heshbon. That area reaches to the border of Ammon. ¹¹It also includes Gilead. It includes the territory of Geshur and Maacah. It includes Mount Hermon and the whole land of Bashan all the way to Salecah.

¹²So it includes the entire kingdom of Og in Bashan. Og had ruled in Ashtaroth and Edrei. He was one of the last of the Rephaites. Moses had won the battle over Sihon and Og. He had taken over their land.

¹³But the people of Israel didn’t drive out the people of Geshur and Maacah. So they continue to live among the people of Israel to this very day.