34TH CHAPTER

The Boundaries of Israel’s Land

1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Give the Israelites these instructions. When you enter Canaan, the land that will be given to you as your inheritance has these borders: 

3 “The southern side includes part of the Desert of Zin along the border of Edom. In the east the southern border starts from the end of the Dead Sea 4 and turns south of the Akrabbim Pass. It then goes past Zin and ends at Kadesh Barnea. From there it goes to Hazar Addar and on to Azmon. 5 From Azmon it turns toward the River of Egypt so that the border ends at the Mediterranean Sea. 

6 “The western border is the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea. 

7 “The northern border extends from the Mediterranean Sea to Mount Hor, 8 and from Mount Hor to the border of Hamath so that it ends at Zedad. 9 From there the border goes to Ziphron and ends at Hazar Enan. 

10 “The eastern border extends from Hazar Enan to Shepham. 11 From Shepham the border goes down to Riblah, east of Ain, and continues along the eastern slope of the Sea of Galilee. 12 Then the border goes along the Jordan River so that it ends at the Dead Sea. 

“This will be your land and the borders around it.” 

13 Moses commanded the Israelites, “This is the land you will divide by drawing lots. The Lord has commanded that this land will be given to the nine-and-a-half tribes. 14 The households from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh have already received their land. 15 Those two-and-a-half tribes received land east of the Jordan River across from Jericho.” 

Men Are Appointed to Divide the Land

16 The Lord said to Moses, 17 “These are the names of the men who will divide the land for you: the priest Eleazar and Joshua, son of Nun. 18 You must also take one leader from each tribe to divide the land. 19 These are their names: 

Caleb, son of Jephunneh, from the tribe of Judah; 

20 Shemuel, son of Ammihud, from the tribe of Simeon; 

21 Elidad, son of Kislon, from the tribe of Benjamin; 

22 Bukki, son of Jogli, the leader of the tribe of Dan; 

23 Hanniel, son of Ephod, the leader of the tribe of Manasseh; 

24 Kemuel, son of Shiphtan, the leader of the tribe of Ephraim; 

(Manasseh and Ephraim are Joseph’s descendants.)a

25 Elizaphan, son of Parnach, the leader of the tribe of Zebulun; 

26 Paltiel, son of Azzan, the leader of the tribe of Issachar; 

27 Ahihud, son of Shelomi, the leader of the tribe of Asher; 

28 Pedahel, son of Ammihud, the leader of the tribe of Naphtali.” 

29 These are the men the Lord commanded to divide Canaan for the Israelites.