5And the land of the Giblites and all
Lebanon, toward the sunrising, from Baalgad under Mount Hermon to the entering
into Hamath. 6All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to
Misrephothmaim and all the Sidonians, I will drive them out from before the
children of Israel, only divide it by lot to the Israelites for an inheritance, as I
have commanded you.
7Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half
tribe of Manasseh, 8With whom the Reubenites and the Gadites have received their
inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond the Jordam eastward, even as Moses
the servant of the LORD gave them, 9From Aroer, that is upon the bank of the river
Arnon and the city that is in the midst of the river and all the plain of Medeba to
Dibon, 10And all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon,
to the border of the children of Ammon, 11And Gilead and the border of the
Geshurites and Maachathites and all Mount Hermon and all Bashan to Salcah.
12All the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei, who
remained of the remnant of the giants, for these Moses struck and cast them out.
13But the children of Israel did nor expel the Geshurites nor the Maachathites. but
the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day. 14Only he
gave no inheritance
to the tribe of Levi, the sacrifices of the LORD God of
Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as he said to them. 15And Moses gave to
the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their families. 16And
their coast was from Aroer, that is on the bank of the river Arnon and the city that
is in the midst of the river and all the plain by Medeba, 17Heshbon and all her
cities that are in the plain, Dibon and Bamothbaal and Bethbaalmeon, 18And
Jahazah and Kedemoth and Mephaath, 19And Kirjathaim and Sibmah and
Zarethshahar in the Mount of the valley, 20And Bethpeor and Ashdothpisgah and
Bethjeshimoth, 21And all the cities of the plain and all the kingdom of Sihon king
of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses struck with the princes of
Midian, Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba, who were dukes of Sihon,
dwelling in the country. 22 Also Balaam the son of Beor the soothsayer, was among those who were
slain by the children of Israel who were killed with the sword. 23And the
border of the children of Reuben was the Jordan and its border. This was the
inheritance of the children of Reuben after their families, the cities and the villages.
24And Moses gave inheritance to the tribe of Gad, even to the
children of Gad
according to their families. 25And their coast was Jazer and all the cities of Gilead
and half the land of the children of Ammon, to Aroer that is before Rabbah, 26And
from Heshbon to Ramathmizpeh and Betonim and from Mahanaim to the border
of Debir, 27And in the valley, Betharam and Bethnimrah and Succoth and
Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, the Jordan and its
border, even to the edge of the sea of Chinners on the other side the Jordan
eastward. 28This is the inheritance of the children of Gad after their families, the
cities and their villages. 29And Moses gave inheritance to the half tribe of
Manasseh and this was the possession of the half tribe of the children of Manasseh
by their families. 30And their coast was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the
kingdom of Og king of Bashan and all the towns of Jair, which are in Bashan,
sixty cities. 31And half Gilead and Ashtaroth and Edrei, cities of the kingdom
of Og in Bashan, were pertaining to the children of Machir the son of Manasseh,
even to the one half of the children of Machir by their families. 32These are the
countries which Moses distributed for inheritance in the plains of Moab, on the
other side the Jordan eastward, by Jericho. 33But Moses did not
give an inheritance to the tribe of Levi, the LORD God of Israel is their
inheritance, as he said to them.
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Chapter 14
1And these are the countries which the children of Israel inherited in the land of
Canaan, which Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the heads of the
fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed for inheritance to them.
2Their inheritance was by
lot, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses, for the
nine tribes and for the half tribe. 3For Moses had given the inheritance of two tribes
and a half tribe on the other side the Jordan, but he gave no
inheritance among the Levites. 4For the children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and
Ephraim. Therefore they gave no part in the land to the Levites, except cities to dwell
in, with their suburbs for their cattle and for their substance, 5As the LORD
commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did and they divided the land.
6Then the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal and Caleb the son of
Jephunneh the Kenezite said to him, You know the thing that the LORD said to
Moses the man of God concerning me and you in Kadeshbarnea. 7I wasForty years old when Moses
the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadeshbarnea to spy out
the land and I brought him word again as it was in my heart. 8But my brothers who
went up with me made the heart of the people melt but I wholly followed the
LORD my God. 9And Moses swore on that day, saying, Surely the land on which
your feet have trodden shall be your inheritance and your children's for ever,
because you have wholly followed the LORD my God. 10And now, behold, the
LORD has kept me alive, as he said, these forty five years, ever since the
LORD spoke this word to Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the
wilderness and now, lo, I am this day eighty five years old.
11As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me.
as my strength was then,
Even so is my strength for war now, both to go out and to come in. 12Now
therefore give me this mountain, which the LORD spoke of in that day, for you
heard in that day how the Anakim were there and that the cities
were great and
fenced. If the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as
the LORD said. 13And Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron for an inheritance to Caleb the son of Jephunneh.
14Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the
son of Jephunneh the Kenezite to this day because he wholly followed the
LORD God of Israel. 15And the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba, which
Arba was a great man among the Anakim. And the land had rest from war.
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Chapter 15
1This then was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah by their families,
even to the border of Edom, the wilderness of Zin southward was the uttermost part of the
south coast. 2And their south border was from the shore of the salt sea, from the bay
that looks southward. 3And it went out to the south side to Maalehacrabbim and
passed along to Zin and ascended up on the south side to Kadeshbarnea and
passed along to Hezron and went up to Adar and went around to Karkaa, 4From
there it passed toward Azmon and went out to the river of Egypt and the goings
out of that coast were at the sea, this shall be your south coast. 5And the east border
was the salt sea, even to the end of the Jordan. And their border in the
north quarter was from the bay of the sea at the uttermost part of the Jordan. 6And the border
went up to Bethhogla and passed along by the north of Betharabah and the border
went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben. 7And the border went up toward
Debir from the valley of Achor and so northward, looking toward Gilgal that is
before the going up to Adummim, which is on the south side of the river and the
border passed toward the waters of Enshemesh and the goings out of it were at
Enrogel. 8And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom to the south
side of the Jebusite, the same is Jerusalem and the border went up to the top of the
mountain that lies before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is northward at the
end of the valley of the giants. 9And the border was drawn from the top of the hill to
the fountain of the water of Nephtoah and went out to the cities of Mount Ephron
and the border was drawn to Baalah, which is Kirjathjearim. 10And the border went
round from Baalah westward to Mount Seir and passed along to the side of Mount
Jearim, which is Chesalon, on the north side and went down to Bethshemesh and
passed on to Timnah. 11And the border went out northward to the side of Ekron
and the border was drawn to Shicron and passed along to Mount Baalah and went
out to Jabneel and the goings out of the border were at the sea. 12And the west
border was to the great sea and its coast. This is the coast around the children of
Judah according to their families.
13And he gave a part among the children of
Judah to Caleb the son of Jephunneh, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua,
even the city of
Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron. 14And Caleb drove out the three
sons of Anak, Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai, the children of Anak. 15And he
went up there to the inhabitants of Debir and the name of Debir before was
Kirjathsepher. 16And Caleb said, He who strikes Kirjathsepher and takes it, I will
give Achsah my daughter to him for a wife. 17And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the
brother of Caleb, took it and he gave him Achsah his daughter for a wife. 18And as she came to him, she moved him to ask a field from her father
and she lighted off her ass and Caleb said to her, What do you want? 19She answered,
Give me a blessing, for you have given me a south land, give me also
springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs and the nether springs.
20This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their
families. 21And the uttermost cities of the tribe of the children of Judah toward the
coast of Edom southward were Kabzeel and Eder and Jagur, 22And Kinah and
Dimonah and Adadah, 23And Kedesh and Hazor and Ithnan, 24Ziph and Telem
and Bealoth, 25And Hazor, Hadattah and Kerioth and Hezron, which is Hazor,
26Amam and Shema and Moladah, 27And Hazargaddah and Heshmon and
Bethpalet, 28And Hazarshual and Beersheba and Bizjothjah, 29Baalah and Iim and
Azem, 30And Eltolad and Chesil and Hormah, 31And Ziklag and Madmannah and
Sansannah, 32And Lebaoth and Shilhim and Ain and Rimmon. All the cities are
twenty nine, with their villages. 33And in the valley, Eshtaol and Zoreah and
Ashnah, 34And Zanoah and Engannim, Tappuah and Enam, 35Jarmuth and
Adullam, Socoh and Azekah, 36And Sharaim and Adithaim and Gederah and
Gederothaim, fourteen cities with their villages. 37Zenan and Hadashah and
Migdalgad, 38And Dilean and Mizpeh and Joktheel, 39Lachish and Bozkath and
Eglon, 40And Cabbon and Lahmam and Kithlish, 41And Gederoth, Bethdagon and
Naamah and Makkedah, sixteen cities with their villages. 42Libnah and Ether and
Ashan, 43And Jiphtah and Ashnah and Nezib, 44And Keilah and Achzib and
Mareshah, nine cities with their villages. 45Ekron, with her towns and her villages,
46From Ekron even to the sea, all that lay near Ashdod, with their villages,
47Ashdod with her towns and her villages, Gaza with her towns and her villages, to
the river of Egypt and the great sea and the its border. 48And in the mountains,
Shamir and Jattir and Socoh, 49And Dannah and Kirjathsannah, which is Debir,
50And Anab and Eshtemoh and Anim, 51And Goshen and Holon and Giloh,
eleven cities with their villages. 52Arab and Dumah and Eshean, 53And Janum and
Bethtappuah and Aphekah, 54And Humtah and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron and
Zior, nine cities with their villages. 55Maon, Carmel and Ziph and Juttah, 56And
Jezreel and Jokdeam and Zanoah, 57Cain, Gibeah and Timnah, ten cities with their
villages. 58Halhul, Bethzur and Gedor, 59And Maarath and Bethanoth and Eltekon,
six cities with their villages, 60Kirjathbaal, which is Kirjathjearim and Rabbah, two
cities with their villages. 61In the wilderness, Betharabah, Middin and Secacah,
62And Nibshan and the city of Salt and Engedi, six cities with their villages. 63As
for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive
them out, but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this
day.
(Note verse 63. Since Jerusalem was much later taken by David and became his city, then this book was obviously written before the time of the kings of Israel. Thus the idea that all these books were completed in the time of Ezra would have to be erroneous.
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Chapter 16
1And the lot of the children of Joseph fell from the Jordan by Jericho, to the
water of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goes up from Jericho throughout
Mount Bethel, 2And goes out from Bethel to Luz and passes along to the borders
of Archi to Ataroth, 3And goes down westward to the coast of Japhleti, to the coast
of Bethhoron the nether and to Gezer and the going out of it are at the sea. 4So the
children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance.
5And the border of the children of Ephraim, even the border of their inheritance, according to their families was
on the east side was Atarothaddar, to Bethhoron
the upper, 6And the border went out toward the sea to Michmethah on the north
side and the border went around eastward to Taanathshiloh and passed by it on the
east to Janohah, 7And it went down from Janohah to Ataroth and to Naarath and
came to Jericho and went out at the Jordan. 8The border went out from Tappuah
westward to the river Kanah and the goings out of it were at the sea. This is the
inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim by their families. 9And the
separate cities for the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the
children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages. 10And they did not drive out
the Canaanites who dwelled in Gezer, but the Canaanites dwell among the
Ephraimites to this day and serve under tribute.
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Chapter 17
1There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of
Joseph, to wit, for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead because
he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan. 2There was also a lot for
the rest of the children of Manasseh by their families, for the children of Abiezer
and for the children of Helek and for the children of Asriel and for the children of
Shechem and for the children of Hepher and for the children of Shemida. These
were the male children of Manasseh the son of Joseph by their families. 3But
Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of
Manasseh had no sons, but daughters and these are the names of his daughters,
Mahlah and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. 4And they came near before
Eleazar the priest and before Joshua the son of Nun and before the princes, saying,
The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.
Therefore according to the commandment of the LORD he gave them an
inheritance among the brothers of their father. 5And ten portions fell to Manasseh,
beside the land of Gilead and Bashan, which were on the other side of the Jordan,
6Because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons and the
rest of Manasseh's sons had the land of Gilead.
7And the coast of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethah, that lies before
Shechem and the border went along on the right hand to the inhabitants of
Entappuah. 8Now Manasseh had the land of Tappuah but Tappuah on the border of
Manasseh belonged to the children of Ephraim. 9And the coast descended to the
river Kanah, southward of the river. These cities of Ephraim are among the cities of
Manasseh, the coast of Manasseh also was on the north side of the river and its
borders were at the sea 10Southward it was Ephraim's and northward it was
Manasseh's and the sea is its border and they met together in Asher on the north
and in Issachar on the east. 11And Manasseh had in Issachar and in Asher
Bethshean and her towns and Ibleam and her towns and the inhabitants of Dor and
her towns and the inhabitants of Endor and her towns and the inhabitants of
Taanach and her towns and the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns, even three
countries. 12Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of
those cities, but the Canaanites dwelled in that land. 13Yet when the
children of Israel had grown strong, they put the Canaanites to tribute but did
not utterly drive them out.
14And the children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, Why have you given me
but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the
LORD has blessed me until now? 15And Joshua answered them, If you are a great
people, if Mount Ephraim is too narrow for you thengo up to the wood country
and cut down for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants.
16And the children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us and all the
Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both those who
are of Bethshean and her towns and those who are of the valley of Jezreel.
17And
Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying,
You are a great people and have great power. You shall not have only one lot, 18But
the mountain shall be yours, for it is a forest and you shall cut it down and its
borders shall be your, for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have
iron chariots and though they are strong.
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Chapter 18
1And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at
Shiloh and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was
subdued before them.
2And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, who had not yet
received their inheritance. 3And Joshua said to the children of Israel, How long are
you slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers has given
you? 4Give out from among you three men for each tribe and I will send them and
they shall rise and go through the land and describe it according to the inheritance
of them and they shall come again to me. 5And they shall divide it into seven parts.
Judah shall abide in their coast on the south and the house of Joseph shall abide in
their coasts on the north. 6 Therefore you shall divide the land into seven parts and
bring the division here to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the LORD
our God. 7But the Levites have no part among you, for the priesthood of the LORD
is their inheritance and Gad and Reuben and half the tribe of Manasseh, have
received their inheritance beyond the Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant
of the LORD gave them. 8And the men arose and went away and Joshua charged
them who went to describe the land, saying, Go and walk through the land and
divide it and come again to me so that I may cast lots here for you before the
LORD in Shiloh. 9And the men went and passed through the land and divided it
by cities into seven parts in a book and came again to Joshua to the host at Shiloh.
10And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD and there Joshua
divided the land to the children of Israel according to their divisions.
11And the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their
families and the coast of their lot came forth between the children of Judah and the
children of Joseph. 12And their border on the north side was from the Jordan and
the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north side and went up through the
mountains westward and the goings out of it were at the wilderness of Bethaven.
13And the border went over from there toward Luz, to the side of Luz, which is
Bethel, southward and the border descended to Atarothadar, near the hill that lies
on the south side of the nether Bethhoron. 14And the border was drawn there and
surrounded the corner of the sea southward, from the hill that lies before Bethhoron
southward and the going out of it was at Kirjathbaal, which is Kirjathjearim, a
city of the children of Judah. This was the west quarter. 15And the south quarter was
from the end of Kirjathjearim and the border went out on the west and went out to
the well of waters of Nephtoah. 16And the border came down to the end of the
mountain that lies before the valley of the son of Hinnom and which is in the valley
of the giants on the north and descended to the valley of Hinnom, to the side of
Jebusi on the south and descended to Enrogel, 17And was drawn from the north
and went forth to Enshemesh and went forth toward Geliloth, which is opposite the
going up of Adummim and descended to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben,
18And passed along toward the side opposite Arabah northward and went down to
Arabah. 19And the border passed along to the side of Bethhoglah northward and
the edge of the border were at the north bay of the salt sea at the south end of
the Jordan. This was the south coast. 20And the Jordan was the border of it on the
east side. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, by its coasts
around it, according to their families. 21Now the cities of the tribe of the children
of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho and Bethhoglah and the
valley of Keziz, 22And Betharabah and Zemaraim and Bethel, 23And Avim and
Parah and Ophrah, 24And Chepharhaammonai and Ophni and Gaba, twelve cities
with their villages, 25Gibeon and Ramah and Beeroth, 26And Mizpeh and
Chephirah and Mozah, 27And Rekem and Irpeel and Taralah, 28And Zelah, Eleph
and Jebusi, which is Jerusalem, Gibeath and Kirjath, fourteen cities with their
villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their
families.
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Chapter 19
1And the second lot came forth to Simeon, even for the tribe of the children of
Simeon according to their families and their inheritance was within the inheritance
of the children of Judah. 2And they had in their inheritance Beersheba or Sheba
and Moladah, 3And Hazarshual and Balah and Azem, 4And Eltolad and Bethul
and Hormah, 5And Ziklag and Bethmarcaboth and Hazarsusah, 6And Bethlebaoth
and Sharuhen, thirteen cities and their villages, 7Ain, Remmon and Ether and
Ashan, four cities and their villages. 8And all the villages that were around
these cities to Baalathbeer, Ramath of the south. This is the inheritance of the tribe
of the children of Simeon according to their families. 9The inheritance of the children of Simeon was out of the portion of the children of Judah for the part of the children of Judah was too much for them. Therefore the children of Simeon had
their inheritance within their inheritance.
10And the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun according to their
families and the border of their inheritance was to Sarid. 11And their border went
up toward the sea and Maralah and reached to Dabbasheth and reached to the
river that is before Jokneam, 12And turned eastward from Sarid toward the sunrising
to the border of Chislothtabor and then goes out to Daberath and goes up to
Japhia, 13And from there passes on along on the east to Gittahhepher, to Ittahkazin
and goes out to Remmonmethoar to Neah, 14And the border goes around it on the
north side to Hannathon and its borders are in the valley of Jiphthahel.
15And Kattath and Nahallal and Shimron and Idalah and Bethlehem, twelve cities
with their villages. 16This is the inheritance of the children of Zebulun according to
their families, these cities with their villages.
17And the fourth lot came out to Issachar, for the children of Issachar according
to their families. 18And their border was toward Jezreel and Chesulloth and
Shunem, 19And Hapharaim and Shion and Anaharath, 20And Rabbith and
Kishion and Abez, 21And Remeth and Engannim and Enhaddah and Bethpazzez,
22And the coast reaches to Tabor and Shahazimah and Bethshemesh and the
edge of their border was at the Jordan, sixteen cities with their villages. 23This
is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Issachar according to their families,
the cities and their villages.
24And the fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher according to
their families. 25And their border was Helkath and Hali and Beten and Achshaph,
26And Alammelech and Amad and Misheal and reaches to Carmel westward and
to Shihorlibnath, 27And turns toward the sunrising to Bethdagon and reaches to
Zebulun and to the valley of Jiphthahel toward the north side of Bethemek and
Neiel and goes out to Cabul on the left hand, 28And Hebron and Rehob and
Hammon and Kanah, even to great Zidon, 29And then the coast turns to Ramah
and to the strong city of Tyre and the coast turns to Hosah, its borders are at the sea
from the coast to Achzib, 30Also Ummah and Aphek and Rehob, twenty two cities
with their villages. 31This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Asher
according to their families, these cities with their villages.
32The sixth lot came out to the children of Naphtali, even for the children of
Naphtali according to their families. 33And their coast was from Heleph, from Allon
to Zaanannim and Adami, Nekeb and Jabneel, to Lakum and its border
was at the Jordan. 34And then the coast turns westward to Aznothtabor and goes
out from there to Hukkok and reaches to Zebulun on the south side and reaches to
Asher on the west side and to Judah upon the Jordan toward the sunrising. 35And
the fenced cities are Ziddim, Zer and Hammath, Rakkath and Chinnereth, 36And
Adamah and Ramah and Hazor, 37And Kedesh and Edrei and Enhazor, 38And
Iron and Migdalel, Horem and Bethanath and Bethshemesh, nineteen cities with
their villages. 39This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Naphtali
according to their families, the cities and their villages.
40And the seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to
their families. 41And the coast of their inheritance was Zorah and Eshtaol and
Irshemesh, 42And Shaalabbin and Ajalon and Jethlah, 43And Elon and
Thimnathah and Ekron, 44And Eltekeh and Gibbethon and Baalath, 45And Jehud
and Beneberak and Gathrimmon, 46And Mejarkon and Rakkon, with the border
before Japho. 47And the coast of the children of Dan went out too little for them.
Therefore the children of Dan went up to fight against Leshem and took it and
struck it with the edge of the sword and possessed it and dwelled in it and called
Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father. 48This is the inheritance of the
tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities with their
villages.
49When they had finished dividing the land for inheritance by their coasts, the
children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun among them.
50According to the word of the LORD they gave him the city which he asked, even
Timnathserah in Mount Ephraim and he built the city and dwelled in it. 51These
are the inheritances, which Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the
heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, divided for an inheritance
by lot in Shiloh before the LORD, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
So they finished dividing the country.
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Chapter 20
1The LORD also spoke to Joshua, saying, 2Speak to the children of Israel,
saying, Appoint cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you by the hand of
Moses. 3So that the killer who kills any person unaware and unwittingly may flee
there and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. 4And when he who
flees to one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city and shall
declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into their
city and give him a place so that he may dwell among them. 5And if the avenger of
blood pursues after him, then they shall not deliver the killer up into his hand,
because he struck his neighbor unwittingly and did not hate him previously. 6And
he shall dwell in that city, until he stands before the congregation for judgment and
until the death of the high priest who shall be in those days. Then the killer shall
return and come to his own city and to his own house, to the city from which he
fled.
7And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in Mount Naphtali and Shechem in
Mount Ephraim and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah. 8And
on the other side the Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the
wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben and Ramoth in Gilead out of
the tribe of Gad and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh. 9These were the
cities appointed for all the children of Israel and for the stranger who sojourns
among them so that whoever kills any person unaware might flee there and not die by
the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.
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Chapter 21
1Then the heads of the fathers of the Levites came near to Eleazar the priest and
to Joshua the son of Nun and to the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children
of Israel, 2And they spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, The
LORD commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with the
suburbs of it for our cattle. 3And the children of Israel gave to the Levites out of
their inheritance, at the commandment of the LORD, these cities and their suburbs.
4And the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites and the children of Aaron
the priest, who were of the Levites had thirteen cities by lot out of the tribe of
Judah and out of the tribe of Simeon and out of the tribe of Benjamin. 5And the
rest of the children of Kohath had ten cities by lot out of the families of the tribe of
Ephraim and out of the tribe of Dan and out of the half tribe of Manasseh. 6And
the children of Gershon had thirteen cities by lot out of the families of the tribe of
Issachar and out of the tribe of Asher and out of the tribe of Naphtali and out of
the half tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. 7The children of Merari by their families had
twelve cities out of the tribe of Reuben and out of the tribe of Gad and out of the
tribe of Zebulun. 8And the children of Israel gave to the Levites these cities by lot
with their suburbs, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.
9And they gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah and out of the tribe of
the children of Simeon, these cities which are here mentioned by name, 10Which
the children of Aaron, being of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the
children of Levi had, for theirs was the first lot. 11And they gave them the city of
Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with its
suburbs round about it. 12But they gave the fields of the city and its villages to
Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession. 13Thus they gave to the children of
Aaron the priest Hebron with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the killer and
Libnah with her suburbs, 14And Jattir with her suburbs and Eshtemoa with her
suburbs, 15And Holon with her suburbs and Debir with her suburbs, 16And Ain
with her suburbs and Juttah with her suburbs and Bethshemesh with her suburbs,
nine cities out of those two tribes. 17And out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with
her suburbs, Geba with her suburbs, 18Anathoth with her suburbs and Almon with
her suburbs, four cities. 19All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were
thirteen cities with their suburbs. 20And the families of the children of Kohath, the
Levites who remained of the children of Kohath, even they had the cities of their lot
out of the tribe of Ephraim. 21For they gave them Shechem with her suburbs in
Mount Ephraim, to be a city of refuge for the killer and Gezer with her suburbs,
22And Kibzaim with her suburbs and Bethhoron with her suburbs, four cities.
23And out of the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh with her suburbs, Gibbethon with her
suburbs, 24Aijalon with her suburbs, Gathrimmon with her suburbs, four cities.
25And out of the half tribe of Manasseh, Tanach with her suburbs and Gathrimmon
with her suburbs, two cities. 26All the cities were ten with their suburbs for the
families of the children of Kohath who remained. 27And to the children of Gershon,
of the families of the Levites, out of the other half tribe of Manasseh they gave
Golan in Bashan with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the killer and
Beeshterah with her suburbs, two cities. 28And out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishon
with her suburbs, Dabareh with her suburbs, 29Jarmuth with her suburbs, Engannim
with her suburbs, four cities. 30And out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with her
suburbs, Abdon with her suburbs, 31Helkath with her suburbs and Rehob with her
suburbs, four cities. 32And out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with her
suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the killer and Hammothdor with her suburbs and
Kartan with her suburbs, three cities. 33All the cities of the Gershonites according to
their families were thirteen cities with their suburbs. 34And to the families of the
children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with
her suburbs and Kartah with her suburbs, 35Dimnah with her suburbs, Nahalal with
her suburbs, four cities. 36And out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with her suburbs
and Jahazah with her suburbs, 37Kedemoth with her suburbs and Mephaath with
her suburbs, four cities. 38And out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with her
suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the killer and Mahanaim with her suburbs,
39Heshbon with her suburbs, Jazer with her suburbs, four cities in all. 40So all the
cities for the children of Merari by their families, who were remaining of the
families of the Levites, were by their lot twelve cities. 41All the cities of the Levites
within the possession of the children of Israel were forty eight cities with their
suburbs. 42Every one of these cities had their suburbs around them, thus
were all these cities.
43And the LORD gave to Israel all the land which he swore to give to their
fathers and they possessed it and dwelled in it. 44And the LORD gave them rest
all around, according to all that he swore to their fathers and there did not stand a
man of all their enemies before them, the LORD delivered all their enemies into
their hand. 45No good thing failed of any of the things which the LORD had spoken
to the house of Israel. Every one came to pass.
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Chapter 22
1Then Joshua called the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half tribe of
Manasseh, 2And said to them, you have kept all that Moses the servant of the
LORD commanded you and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you.
3You have not left your brothers these many days to this day, but have kept the
charge of the commandment of the LORD your God. 4And now the LORD your
God has given rest to your brothers, as he promised them. Therefore now return and
go to your tents and to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the
LORD gave you on the other side the Jordan. 5But take diligent heed to do the
commandments and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to
love the LORD your God and to walk in all his ways and to keep his
commandments and to cleave to him and to serve him with all your heart and with
all your soul. 6So Joshua blessed them and sent them away and they went to their
tents. 7Now to the one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given possession in
Bashan but to the other half of it Joshua gave a portion among their brothers westward on this side
of the
Jordan. And when Joshua also sent them away to their tents, then he
blessed them, 8And he spoke to them, saying, Return with much riches to your
tents and with very much cattle, with silver and with gold and with brass and
with iron and with very much raiment. Divide the spoil of your enemies with your
brothers. 9And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of
Manasseh returned and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is
in the land of Canaan, to go to the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession,
which they possessed, according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.
10And when they came to the borders of the Jordan, that are in the land of
Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of
Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan, a great altar to see. 11And the children
of Israel heard it said, Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and
the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar opposite the and of Canaan, in the
borders of the Jordan, at the passage of the children of Israel. 12And when the
children of Israel heard it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel
gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up to war against them. 13And the
children of Israel sent Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest into the land of Gilead
to the children of Reuben and to the children of Gad and to the half tribe of
Manasseh, 14And ten princes with him, of each chief house a prince throughout all
the tribes of Israel and each one was a head of the house of their fathers among the
thousands of Israel. 15And they came to the children of Reuben and to the children
of Gad and to the half tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead and they spoke with
them, saying, 16Thus says the whole congregation of the LORD, What trespass is
this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from
following the LORD, in that you have built an altar, that you might rebel this day
against the LORD? 17 Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not
cleansed until this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the
LORD, 18So that you must turn away this day from following the LORD? and it
will be, seeing you rebel today against the LORD, that tomorrow he will be angry
with the whole congregation of Israel. 19But, if the land of your
possession is unclean, then pass over to the land of the possession of the LORD, in
which the LORD'S tabernacle dwells and take possession among us, but do not rebel against
the LORD nor rebel against us, in building an altar beside the altar of the
LORD our God. 20Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the
accursed thing and anger fell on all the congregation of Israel? And that man did not perish
alone in his iniquity.
21Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of
Manasseh answered and said to the heads of the thousands of Israel, 22The LORD
God of gods, the LORD God of gods, he knows and Israel he shall know, If it is in
rebellion or if in transgression against the LORD, do not save us this day, 23If we
have built an altar to turn from following the LORD or if to offer burnt
offerings or meat offerings on it or if to offer peace offerings on it, let the LORD himself
require it, 24And if we have not rather done it for fear
of this thing, saying, In time
to come your children might speak to our children, saying, What have you to do
with the LORD God of Israel? 25For the LORD has made the Jordan a border
between us and you, you children of Reuben and children of Gad, you have no part
in the LORD. So shall your children make our children cease from fearing the
LORD. 26Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build an altar, not for burnt
offering nor for sacrifice, 27But that it may be a witness between us
and you and
our generations after us, that we might do the service of the LORD before him with
our burnt offerings and with our sacrifices and with our peace offerings so that your
children may not say to our children in time to come, You have no part in the
LORD. 28Therefore we said, that when they should say to us or to our
generations in time to come, that we may say again, Behold the pattern of the altar
of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings nor for sacrifices,
but it is a witness between us and you. 29God forbid that we should rebel against the
LORD and turn this day from following the LORD, to build an altar for burnt
offerings, for meat offerings or for sacrifices, beside the altar of the LORD our
God that is before his tabernacle.
30And when Phinehas the priest and the princes of the congregation and heads
of the thousands of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the children of
Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spoke, it pleased
them. 31And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the children of Reuben
and to the children of Gad and to the children of Manasseh, This day we perceive
that the LORD is among us, because you have not committed this trespass against
the LORD. Now you have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the
LORD. 32And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest and the princes, returned
from the children of Reuben and from the children of Gad, out of the land of
Gilead, to the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel and brought them word
again. 33And the thing pleased the children of Israel and the children of Israel
blessed God and did not intend to go up against them in battle, to destroy the land
in which the children of Reuben and Gad dwelled. 34And the children of Reuben
and the children of Gad called the altar Ed, for it shall be a witness between us that
the LORD is God.
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Chapter 23
1And after a long time after that the LORD had given rest to Israel
from all their enemies around them that Joshua grew old and stricken in age. 2And
Joshua called for all Israel and for their elders and for their heads and for their
judges and for their officers and said to them, I am old and stricken in age. 3And
you have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations because of
you, for the LORD your God is he who has fought for you. 4Behold, I have divided
to you these nations by lot who remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from the
Jordan, with all the nations whom I have cut off, even westward to the great sea.
5And the LORD your God shall expel them from before you and drive them out of
your sight and you shall possess their land, as the LORD your God has promised to
you. 6Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book
of the law of Moses so that you do not turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left,
7So that you do not come among these nations, these that remain among you,
nor make mention of the name of their gods nor cause to swear by them, nor
serve them nor bow yourselves to them, 8But cleave to the LORD your God, as you
have done to this day. 9For the LORD has driven out great and strong nations from
before you, but as for you, no man has been able to stand before you to this day.
10One man of you shall chase a thousand, for it is the LORD your God, who fights
for you, as he has promised you.
11Take good heed therefore to yourselves that you love the LORD your God.
12Or else if you in any way go back and cleave to the remnant of these nations,
even these who remain among you and shall make marriages with them and go in
to them and they to you, 13Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will not
drive out any of these nations from before you, but they shall be snares and
traps to you and scourges in your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish
from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you. 14And, behold,
this day I am going the way of all the earth and you know in all your hearts and in
all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD
your God spoke concerning you, all have come to you and not one thing has
failed. 15Therefore it shall be that as all good things have come to
you which the LORD your God promised you, so shall the LORD bring to you
all evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land which the LORD
your God has given you. 16When you have transgressed the covenant of the LORD
your God, which he commanded you and have gone and served other gods and
bowed yourselves to them, then shall the anger of the LORD be kindled against
you and you shall perish quickly from off the good land which he has given to you.
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Chapter 24
1And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and called for the
elders of Israel and for their heads and for their judges and for their officers and
they presented themselves before God. 2And Joshua said to all the people, Thus says
the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelled on the other side of the flood in old
time, even Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nachor and they served
other gods. 3And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood and
led him throughout all the land of Canaan and multiplied his seed and gave him
Isaac. 4And I gave to Isaac Jacob and Esau and I gave to Esau Mount Seir, to
possess it, but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt. 5I sent Moses also and
Aaron and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did among them and
afterward I brought you out. 6And I brought your fathers out of Egypt and you
came to the sea and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and
horsemen to the Red Sea. 7And when they cried to the LORD, he put darkness
between you and the Egyptians and brought the sea upon them and covered them
and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt and you dwelled in the
wilderness a long season. 8And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, who
dwelled on the other side the Jordan and they fought with you and I gave them into
your hand so that you might possess their land and I destroyed them from before you.
9Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel and
sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you, 10But I would not listen to
Balaam, therefore he still blessed you. So I delivered you out of his hand.
11And you
went over the Jordan and came to Jericho and the men of Jericho fought against
you, the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites and the Hittites and the
Girgashites, the Hivites and the Jebusites and I delivered them into your hand.
12And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out from before you, even the
two kings of the Amorites, but not with your sword nor with your bow. 13And I
have given you a land for which you did not labor and cities which you did not
build and you dwell in them, you eat of the vineyards and olive yards which you
did not plant. 14Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in
truth and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the
flood and in Egypt and serve the LORD.
15And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom you
will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served who were on the other side
of the flood or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell, but as for me
and my house, we will serve the LORD. 16And the people answered and said, God
forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods, 17For the LORD our
God, is he who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the
house of bondage and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in
all the way in which we went and among all the people through whom we passed.
18And the LORD drove out from before us all the people, even the Amorites who
dwelled in the land. Therefore we will also serve the LORD, for he is our God.
19And Joshua said to the people, you cannot serve the LORD, for he is a holy God,
he is a jealous God, he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. 20If you
forsake the LORD and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt and
consume you, after that he has done you good. 21And the people said to Joshua, No,
but we will serve the LORD. 22And Joshua said to the people, you are witnesses
against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD, to serve him. And they said, We
are witnesses. 23Now therefore, he said, put away the strange gods
which are
among you and incline your heart to the LORD God of Israel. 24And the people
said to Joshua, We will serve the LORD our God and his voice we will obey. 25So
Joshua made a covenant with the people that day and set a statute and an
ordinance for them in Shechem. 26And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of
God and took a great stone and set it up there under an oak, that was by the
sanctuary of the LORD. 27And Joshua said to all the people, Behold, this stone shall
be a witness to us, for it has heard all the words of the LORD which he spoke to us.
Therefore it shall be a witness to you, lest you deny your God. 28So Joshua let the
people depart, every man to his inheritance.
29And after these things, Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of
the LORD, died, being one hundred ten years old. 30And they buried him in the
border of his inheritance in Timnathserah, which is in Mount Ephraim, on the north
side of the hill of Gaash. 31And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua and
all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and who had known all the works of
the LORD that he had done for Israel. 32And they buried the bones of Joseph,
which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, in Shechem, in a parcel of
ground which Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a
hundred pieces of silver and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.
33And Eleazar the son of Aaron died and they buried him in a hill that pertained to
Phinehas his son, which was given him in Mount Ephraim.