1. Then the whole congregation of the people of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there. The land lay subdued before them.
2. There remained among the people of Israel seven tribes whose inheritance had not yet been apportioned.
3. So Joshua said to the people of Israel, “How long will you put off going in to take possession of the land, which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?
4. Provide three men from each tribe, and I will send them out that they may set out and go up and down the land. They shall write a description of it with a view to their inheritances, and then come to me.
5. They shall divide it into seven portions. Judah shall continue in his territory on the south, and the house of Joseph shall continue in their territory on the north.
6. And you shall describe the land in seven divisions and bring the description here to me. And I will cast lots for you here before the LORD our God.
7. The Levites have no portion among you, for the priesthood of the LORD is their heritage. And Gad and Reuben and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan eastward, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them.”
8. So the men arose and went, and Joshua charged those who went to write the description of the land, saying, “Go up and down in the land and write a description and return to me. And I will cast lots for you here before the LORD in Shiloh.”
9. So the men went and passed up and down in the land and wrote in a book a description of it by towns in seven divisions. Then they came to Joshua to the camp at Shiloh,
10. and Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD. And there Joshua apportioned the land to the people of Israel, to each his portion.
11. The lot of the tribe of the people of Benjamin according to its clans came up, and the territory allotted to it fell between the people of Judah and the people of Joseph.
12. On the north side their boundary began at the Jordan. Then the boundary goes up to the shoulder north of Jericho, then up through the hill country westward, and it ends at the wilderness of Beth-aven.
13. From there the boundary passes along southward in the direction of Luz, to the shoulder of Luz (that is, Bethel), then the boundary goes down to Ataroth-addar, on the mountain that lies south of Lower Beth-horon.
14. Then the boundary goes in another direction, turning on the western side southward from the mountain that lies to the south, opposite Beth-horon, and it ends at Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), a city belonging to the people of Judah. This forms the western side.
15. And the southern side begins at the outskirts of Kiriath-jearim. And the boundary goes from there to Ephron, to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah.
16. Then the boundary goes down to the border of the mountain that overlooks the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, which is at the north end of the Valley of Rephaim. And it then goes down the Valley of Hinnom, south of the shoulder of the Jebusites, and downward to En-rogel.
17. Then it bends in a northerly direction going on to En-shemesh, and from there goes to Geliloth, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim. Then it goes down to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben,
18. and passing on to the north of the shoulder of Beth-arabah it goes down to the Arabah.
19. Then the boundary passes on to the north of the shoulder of Beth-hoglah. And the boundary ends at the northern bay of the Salt Sea, at the south end of the Jordan: this is the southern border.
20. The Jordan forms its boundary on the eastern side. This is the inheritance of the people of Benjamin, according to their clans, boundary by boundary all around.
21. Now the cities of the tribe of the people of Benjamin according to their clans were Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz,
22. Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,
23. Avvim, Parah, Ophrah,
24. Chephar-ammoni, Ophni, Geba—twelve cities with their villages:
25. Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,
26. Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah,
27. Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah,
28. Zela, Haeleph, Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah and Kiriath-jearim—fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the people of Benjamin according to its clans.
1. The second lot came out for Simeon, for the tribe of the people of Simeon, according to their clans, and their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the people of Judah.
2. And they had for their inheritance Beersheba, Sheba, Moladah,
3. Hazar-shual, Balah, Ezem,
4. Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah,
5. Ziklag, Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susah,
6. Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuhen—thirteen cities with their villages;
7. Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan—four cities with their villages,
8. together with all the villages around these cities as far as Baalath-beer, Ramah of the Negeb. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Simeon according to their clans.
9. The inheritance of the people of Simeon formed part of the territory of the people of Judah. Because the portion of the people of Judah was too large for them, the people of Simeon obtained an inheritance in the midst of their inheritance.
10. The third lot came up for the people of Zebulun, according to their clans. And the territory of their inheritance reached as far as Sarid.
11. Then their boundary goes up westward and on to Mareal and touches Dabbesheth, then the brook that is east of Jokneam.
12. From Sarid it goes in the other direction eastward toward the sunrise to the boundary of Chisloth-tabor. From there it goes to Daberath, then up to Japhia.
13. From there it passes along on the east toward the sunrise to Gath-hepher, to Eth-kazin, and going on to Rimmon it bends toward Neah,
14. then on the north the boundary turns about to Hannathon, and it ends at the Valley of Iphtahel;
15. and Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem—twelve cities with their villages.
16. This is the inheritance of the people of Zebulun, according to their clans—these cities with their villages.
17. The fourth lot came out for Issachar, for the people of Issachar, according to their clans.
18. Their territory included Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem,
19. Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath,
20. Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez,
21. Remeth, En-gannim, En-haddah, Beth-pazzez.
22. The boundary also touches Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth-shemesh, and its boundary ends at the Jordan—sixteen cities with their villages.
23. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Issachar, according to their clans—the cities with their villages.
24. The fifth lot came out for the tribe of the people of Asher according to their clans.
25. Their territory included Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph,
26. Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal. On the west it touches Carmel and Shihor-libnath,
27. then it turns eastward, it goes to Beth-dagon, and touches Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtahel northward to Beth-emek and Neiel. Then it continues in the north to Cabul,
28. Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, Kanah, as far as Sidon the Great.
29. Then the boundary turns to Ramah, reaching to the fortified city of Tyre. Then the boundary turns to Hosah, and it ends at the sea; Mahalab, Achzib,
30. Ummah, Aphek and Rehob—twenty-two cities with their villages.
31. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Asher according to their clans—these cities with their villages.
32. The sixth lot came out for the people of Naphtali, for the people of Naphtali, according to their clans.
33. And their boundary ran from Heleph, from the oak in Zaanannim, and Adami-nekeb, and Jabneel, as far as Lakkum, and it ended at the Jordan.
34. Then the boundary turns westward to Aznoth-tabor and goes from there to Hukkok, touching Zebulun at the south and Asher on the west and Judah on the east at the Jordan.
35. The fortified cities are Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth,
36. Adamah, Ramah, Hazor,
37. Kedesh, Edrei, En-hazor,
38. Yiron, Migdal-el, Horem, Beth-anath, and Beth-shemesh—nineteen cities with their villages.
39. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Naphtali according to their clans—the cities with their villages.
40. The seventh lot came out for the tribe of the people of Dan, according to their clans.
41. And the territory of its inheritance included Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir-shemesh,
42. Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah,
43. Elon, Timnah, Ekron,
44. Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath,
45. Jehud, Bene-berak, Gath-rimmon,
46. and Me-jarkon and Rakkon with the territory over against Joppa.
47. When the territory of the people of Dan was lost to them, the people of Dan went up and fought against Leshem, and after capturing it and striking it with the sword they took possession of it and settled in it, calling Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor.
48. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Dan, according to their clans—these cities with their villages.
49. When they had finished distributing the several territories of the land as inheritances, the people of Israel gave an inheritance among them to Joshua the son of Nun.
50. By command of the LORD they gave him the city that he asked, Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim. And he rebuilt the city and settled in it.
51. These are the inheritances that Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the people of Israel distributed by lot at Shiloh before the LORD, at the entrance of the tent of meeting. So they finished dividing the land.
1. Then the LORD said to Joshua,
2. “Say to the people of Israel, ‘Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses,
3. that the manslayer who strikes any person without intent or unknowingly may flee there. They shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood.
4. He shall flee to one of these cities and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and explain his case to the elders of that city. Then they shall take him into the city and give him a place, and he shall remain with them.
5. And if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not give up the manslayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unknowingly, and did not hate him in the past.
6. And he shall remain in that city until he has stood before the congregation for judgment, until the death of him who is high priest at the time. Then the manslayer may return to his own town and his own home, to the town from which he fled.’”
7. So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.
8. And beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, they appointed Bezer in the wilderness on the tableland, from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manasseh.
9. These were the cities designated for all the people of Israel and for the stranger sojourning among them, that anyone who killed a person without intent could flee there, so that he might not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, till he stood before the congregation.
1. Then the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites came to Eleazar the priest and to Joshua the son of Nun and to the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the people of Israel.
2. And they said to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, “The LORD commanded through Moses that we be given cities to dwell in, along with their pasturelands for our livestock.”
3. So by command of the LORD the people of Israel gave to the Levites the following cities and pasturelands out of their inheritance.
4. The lot came out for the clans of the Kohathites. So those Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest received by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, thirteen cities.
5. And the rest of the Kohathites received by lot from the clans of the tribe of Ephraim, from the tribe of Dan and the half-tribe of Manasseh, ten cities.
6. The Gershonites received by lot from the clans of the tribe of Issachar, from the tribe of Asher, from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities.
7. The Merarites according to their clans received from the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities.
8. These cities and their pasturelands the people of Israel gave by lot to the Levites, as the LORD had commanded through Moses.
9. Out of the tribe of the people of Judah and the tribe of the people of Simeon they gave the following cities mentioned by name,
10. which went to the descendants of Aaron, one of the clans of the Kohathites who belonged to the people of Levi; since the lot fell to them first.
11. They gave them Kiriath-arba (Arba being the father of Anak), that is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, along with the pasturelands around it.
12. But the fields of the city and its villages had been given to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as his possession.
13. And to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasturelands, Libnah with its pasturelands,
14. Jattir with its pasturelands, Eshtemoa with its pasturelands,
15. Holon with its pasturelands, Debir with its pasturelands,
16. Ain with its pasturelands, Juttah with its pasturelands, Beth-shemesh with its pasturelands—nine cities out of these two tribes;
17. then out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its pasturelands, Geba with its pasturelands,
18. Anathoth with its pasturelands, and Almon with its pasturelands—four cities.
19. The cities of the descendants of Aaron, the priests, were in all thirteen cities with their pasturelands.
20. As to the rest of the Kohathites belonging to the Kohathite clans of the Levites, the cities allotted to them were out of the tribe of Ephraim.
21. To them were given Shechem, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer with its pasturelands,
22. Kibzaim with its pasturelands, Beth-horon with its pasturelands—four cities;
23. and out of the tribe of Dan, Elteke with its pasturelands, Gibbethon with its pasturelands,
24. Aijalon with its pasturelands, Gath-rimmon with its pasturelands—four cities;
25. and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Taanach with its pasturelands, and Gath-rimmon with its pasturelands—two cities.
26. The cities of the clans of the rest of the Kohathites were ten in all with their pasturelands.
27. And to the Gershonites, one of the clans of the Levites, were given out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with its pasturelands, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Beeshterah with its pasturelands—two cities;
28. and out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishion with its pasturelands, Daberath with its pasturelands,
29. Jarmuth with its pasturelands, En-gannim with its pasturelands—four cities;
30. and out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with its pasturelands, Abdon with its pasturelands,
31. Helkath with its pasturelands, and Rehob with its pasturelands—four cities;
32. and out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its pasturelands, the city of refuge for the manslayer, Hammoth-dor with its pasturelands, and Kartan with its pasturelands—three cities.
33. The cities of the several clans of the Gershonites were in all thirteen cities with their pasturelands.
34. And to the rest of the Levites, the Merarite clans, were given out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its pasturelands, Kartah with its pasturelands,
35. Dimnah with its pasturelands, Nahalal with its pasturelands—four cities;
36. and out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with its pasturelands, Jahaz with its pasturelands,
37. Kedemoth with its pasturelands, and Mephaath with its pasturelands—four cities;
38. and out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its pasturelands, the city of refuge for the manslayer, Mahanaim with its pasturelands,
39. Heshbon with its pasturelands, Jazer with its pasturelands—four cities in all.
40. As for the cities of the several Merarite clans, that is, the remainder of the clans of the Levites, those allotted to them were in all twelve cities.
41. The cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the people of Israel were in all forty-eight cities with their pasturelands.
42. These cities each had its pasturelands around it. So it was with all these cities.
43. Thus the LORD gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there.
44. And the LORD gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the LORD had given all their enemies into their hands.
45. Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.