Joshua 15

Allotment for Judah

15:15–19pp—Jdg 1:11–15

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

²Their southern boundary started from the bay at the southern end of the Dead Sea,^{v 3}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. ⁴It then passed along to Azmon^y and joined the Wadi of Egypt,^z ending at the Mediterranean Sea. This is their^a southern boundary.

⁵The eastern boundary^a is the Dead Sea^b as far as the mouth of the Jordan.

The northern boundary^c started from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan, ⁶went up to Beth Hoglah^d and continued north of Beth Arabah^e to the Stone of Bohan^f son of Reuben. ⁷The boundary then went up to Debir^g from the Valley of Achor^h and turned north to Gilgal,ⁱ which faces the Pass of Adummim south of the gorge. It continued along to the waters of En Shemesh^j and came out at En Rogel.^{k 8}Then it ran up the Valley of Ben Hinnom^l along the southern slope of the Jebusite^m city (that is, Jerusalemⁿ). From there it climbed to the top of the hill west of the Hinnom Valley^o at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim.^{p 9}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 Baalah^r (that is, Kiriath Jearim).^{s 10}Then it curved westward from Baalah^t to Mount Seir,^u ran along the northern slope of Mount Jearim (that is, Kesalon), continued down to Beth Shemesh^v and crossed to Timnah.^{w 11}It went to the northern slope of Ekron,^x turned toward Shikkeron, passed along to Mount Baalah^y and reached Jabneel.^z The boundary ended at the sea.

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

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

¹³In accordance with the Lord’s command to him, Joshua gave to Caleb^b son of Jephunneh a portion in Judah—Kiriath Arba^c, that is, Hebron.^d (Arba was the forefather of Anak.)^{e 14}From Hebron Caleb drove out the three Anakites^f—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). ¹⁶And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksahⁱ in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.” ¹⁷Othniel^j son of Kenaz, Caleb’s brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage.

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

¹⁹She 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

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

²¹The southernmost towns of the tribe of Judah in the Negev^m toward the boundary of Edom were:

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

³³In the western foothills:

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

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

⁴²Libnah,^y Ether, Ashan,^{z 43}Iphtah, Ashnah,^a Nezib, ⁴⁴Keilah,^b Akzib^c and Mareshah^d—nine towns and their villages.

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

⁴⁸In the hill country:

Shamir,^j Jattir,^k Sokoh,^{l 49}Dannah, Kiriath Sannah (that is, Debir^m), ⁵⁰Anab,ⁿ Eshtemoh,^o Anim, ⁵¹Goshen,^p Holon^q and Giloh^r—eleven towns and their villages.

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

⁵⁵Maon,^u Carmel,^v Ziph,^w Juttah,^{x 56}Jezreel,^y Jokdeam, Zanoah,^{z 57}Kain, Gibeah^a and Timnah^b—ten towns and their villages.

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

⁶⁰Kiriath Baal^e (that is, Kiriath Jearim^f) and Rabbah^g—two towns and their villages.

⁶¹In the wilderness:^h

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

⁶³Judah could not^k dislodge the Jebusites^l, who were living in Jerusalem;^m to this day the Jebusites live there with the people of Judah.ⁿ