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Joshua 14:1–21:45

Division of the Land West of the Jordan

14 Now these are the areas the Israelites received as an inheritancee in the land of Canaan, which Eleazarf the priest, Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the tribal clans of Israelg allottedh to them.i Their inheritances were assigned by lotj to the nine and a half tribes,k as the Lord had commanded through Moses. Moses had granted the two and a half tribes their inheritance east of the Jordanl but had not granted the Levites an inheritance among the rest,m for Joseph’s descendants had become two tribes—Manasseh and Ephraim.n The Levites received no share of the land but only towns to live in, with pasturelands for their flocks and herds.o So the Israelites divided the land, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.p

Allotment for Caleb

Now the people of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal,q and Caleb son of Jephunnehr the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of Gods at Kadesh Barneat about you and me.u I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barneav to explore the land.w And I brought him back a report according to my convictions,x but my fellow Israelites who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt in fear.y I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.z So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritancea and that of your childrenb forever, because you have followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.’a

10 “Now then, just as the Lord promised,c he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel movedd about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old!e 11 I am still as strongf today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorousg to go out to battle now as I was then. 12 Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day.h You yourself heard then that the Anakitesi were there and their cities were large and fortified,j but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”

13 Then Joshua blessedk Caleb son of Jephunnehl and gave him Hebronm as his inheritance.n 14 So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the Lord, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly.o 15 (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arbap after Arba,q who was the greatest man among the Anakites.)

Then the land had restr from war.

Allotment for Judah

15:15–19pp—Jdg 1:11–15

15 The allotment for the tribe of Judah, according to its clans, extended down to the territory of Edom,s to the Desert of Zint in the extreme south.u

Their southern boundary started from the bay at the southern end of the Dead Sea,v crossed south of Scorpion Pass,w continued on to Zin and went over to the south of Kadesh Barnea.x Then it ran past Hezron up to Addar and curved around to Karka. It then passed along to Azmony and joined the Wadi of Egypt,z ending at the Mediterranean Sea. This is theira southern boundary.

The eastern boundarya is the Dead Seab as far as the mouth of the Jordan.

The northern boundaryc started from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan, went up to Beth Hoglahd and continued north of Beth Arabahe to the Stone of Bohanf son of Reuben. The boundary then went up to Debirg from the Valley of Achorh and turned north to Gilgal,i which faces the Pass of Adummim south of the gorge. It continued along to the waters of En Shemeshj and came out at En Rogel.k Then it ran up the Valley of Ben Hinnoml along the southern slope of the Jebusitem city (that is, Jerusalemn). From there it climbed to the top of the hill west of the Hinnom Valleyo at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim.p From the hilltop the boundary headed toward the spring of the waters of Nephtoah,q came out at the towns of Mount Ephron and went down toward Baalahr (that is, Kiriath Jearim).s 10 Then it curved westward from Baalaht to Mount Seir,u ran along the northern slope of Mount Jearim (that is, Kesalon), continued down to Beth Shemeshv and crossed to Timnah.w 11 It went to the northern slope of Ekron,x turned toward Shikkeron, passed along to Mount Baalahy and reached Jabneel.z The boundary ended at the sea.

12 The western boundary is the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea.a

These are the boundaries around the people of Judah by their clans.

13 In accordance with the Lord’s command to him, Joshua gave to Calebb son of Jephunneh a portion in Judah—Kiriath Arbac, that is, Hebron.d (Arba was the forefather of Anak.)e 14 From Hebron Caleb drove out the three Anakitesf—Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai,g the sons of Anak.h 15 From there he marched against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher). 16 And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksahi in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.” 17 Othnielj son of Kenaz, Caleb’s brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage.

18 One day when she came to Othniel, she urged himb to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?”

19 She replied, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev,k give me also springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.l

20 This is the inheritance of the tribe of Judah, according to its clans:

21 The southernmost towns of the tribe of Judah in the Negevm toward the boundary of Edom were:

Kabzeel,n Eder,o Jagur, 22 Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, 23 Kedesh,p Hazor,q Ithnan, 24 Ziph,r Telem, Bealoth, 25 Hazor Hadattah, Kerioth Hezron (that is, Hazor),s 26 Amam, Shema, Moladah,t 27 Hazar Gaddah, Heshmon, Beth Pelet, 28 Hazar Shual,u Beersheba,v Biziothiah, 29 Baalah,w Iyim, Ezem,x 30 Eltolad,y Kesil, Hormah,z 31 Ziklag,a Madmannah,b Sansannah, 32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ainc and Rimmond—a total of twenty-nine towns and their villages.

33 In the western foothills:

Eshtaol,e Zorah,f Ashnah,g 34 Zanoah,h En Gannim,i Tappuah,j Enam, 35 Jarmuth,k Adullam,l Sokoh,m Azekah,n 36 Shaaraim,o Adithaim and Gederahp (or Gederothaim)c—fourteen towns and their villages.

37 Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal Gad, 38 Dilean, Mizpah,q Joktheel,r 39 Lachish,s Bozkath,t Eglon,u 40 Kabbon, Lahmas, Kitlish, 41 Gederoth,v Beth Dagon,w Naamah and Makkedahx—sixteen towns and their villages.

42 Libnah,y Ether, Ashan,z 43 Iphtah, Ashnah,a Nezib, 44 Keilah,b Akzibc and Mareshahd—nine towns and their villages.

45 Ekron,e with its surrounding settlements and villages; 46 west of Ekron, all that were in the vicinity of Ashdod,f together with their villages; 47 Ashdod,g its surrounding settlements and villages; and Gaza, its settlements and villages, as far as the Wadi of Egypth and the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea.i

48 In the hill country:

Shamir,j Jattir,k Sokoh,l 49 Dannah, Kiriath Sannah (that is, Debirm), 50 Anab,n Eshtemoh,o Anim, 51 Goshen,p Holonq and Gilohr—eleven towns and their villages.

52 Arab, Dumah,s Eshan, 53 Janim, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah, 54 Humtah, Kiriath Arbat (that is, Hebron) and Zior—nine towns and their villages.

55 Maon,u Carmel,v Ziph,w Juttah,x 56 Jezreel,y Jokdeam, Zanoah,z 57 Kain, Gibeaha and Timnahb—ten towns and their villages.

58 Halhul, Beth Zur,c Gedor,d 59 Maarath, Beth Anoth and Eltekon—six towns and their villages.d

60 Kiriath Baale (that is, Kiriath Jearimf) and Rabbahg—two towns and their villages.

61 In the wilderness:h

Beth Arabah,i Middin, Sekakah, 62 Nibshan, the City of Salt and En Gedij—six towns and their villages.

63 Judah could notk dislodge the Jebusitesl, who were living in Jerusalem;m to this day the Jebusites live there with the people of Judah.n

Allotment for Ephraim and Manasseh

16 The allotment for Joseph began at the Jordan, east of the springs of Jericho, and went up from there through the deserto into the hill country of Bethel.p It went on from Bethel (that is, Luzq),a crossed over to the territory of the Arkitesr in Ataroth,s descended westward to the territory of the Japhletites as far as the region of Lower Beth Horont and on to Gezer,u ending at the Mediterranean Sea.

So Manasseh and Ephraim, the descendants of Joseph, received their inheritance.v

This was the territory of Ephraim, according to its clans:

The boundary of their inheritance went from Ataroth Addarw in the east to Upper Beth Horonx and continued to the Mediterranean Sea. From Mikmethathy on the north it curved eastward to Taanath Shiloh, passing by it to Janoahz on the east. Then it went down from Janoaha to Atarothb and Naarah, touched Jericho and came out at the Jordan. From Tappuahc the border went west to the Kanah Ravined and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the Ephraimites, according to its clans. It also included all the towns and their villages that were set aside for the Ephraimites within the inheritance of the Manassites.e

10 They did not dislodge the Canaanites living in Gezer; to this day the Canaanites live among the people of Ephraim but are required to do forced labor.f

17 This was the allotment for the tribe of Manassehg as Joseph’s firstborn,h that is, for Makir,i Manasseh’s firstborn. Makir was the ancestor of the Gileadites, who had received Gileadj and Bashank because the Makirites were great soldiers. So this allotment was for the rest of the people of Manassehl—the clans of Abiezer,m Helek, Asriel,n Shechem, Hephero and Shemida.p These are the other male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph by their clans.

Now Zelophehad son of Hepher,q the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons but only daughters,r whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah. They went to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders and said, “The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our relatives.” So Joshua gave them an inheritance along with the brothers of their father, according to the Lord’s command.s Manasseh’s share consisted of ten tracts of land …

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