New Living Translation (NLT)

The Land Divided West of the Jordan

1 The remaining tribes of Israel received land in Canaan as allotted by Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the tribal leaders.

2 These nine and a half tribes received their grants of land by means of sacred lots, in accordance with theLord’s command through Moses.

3 Moses had already given a grant of land to the two and a half tribes on the east side of the Jordan River, but he had given the Levites no such allotment.

4 The descendants of Joseph had become two separate tribes—Manasseh and Ephraim. And the Levites were given no land at all, only towns to live in with surrounding pasturelands for their livestock and all their possessions.

5 So the land was distributed in strict accordance with theLord’s commands to Moses.

Caleb Requests His Land

6 A delegation from the tribe of Judah, led by Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, came to Joshua at Gilgal. Caleb said to Joshua, “Remember what theLordsaid to Moses, the man of God, about you and me when we were at Kadesh-barnea.

7 I was forty years old when Moses, the servant of theLord, sent me from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land of Canaan. I returned and gave an honest report,

8 but my brothers who went with me frightened the people from entering the Promised Land. For my part, I wholeheartedly followed theLordmy God.

9 So that day Moses solemnly promised me, ‘The land of Canaan on which you were just walking will be your grant of land and that of your descendants forever, because you wholeheartedly followed theLordmy God.’

10 “Now, as you can see, theLordhas kept me alive and well as he promised for all these forty-five years since Moses made this promise—even while Israel wandered in the wilderness. Today I am eighty-five years old.

11 I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then.

12 So give me the hill country that theLordpromised me. You will remember that as scouts we found the descendants of Anak living there in great, walled towns. But if theLordis with me, I will drive them out of the land, just as theLordsaid.”

13 So Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave Hebron to him as his portion of land.

14 Hebron still belongs to the descendants of Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite because he wholeheartedly followed theLord, the God of Israel.

15 (Previously Hebron had been called Kiriath-arba. It had been named after Arba, a great hero of the descendants of Anak.)

And the land had rest from war.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/JOS/14-949ca8fcd3280081b81106b2f206b01a.mp3?version_id=116—

The Land Given to the Tribe of Judah

1 The allotment for the clans of the tribe of Judah reached southward to the border of Edom, as far south as the wilderness of Zin.

2 The southern boundary began at the south bay of the Dead Sea,

3 ran south of Scorpion Passinto the wilderness of Zin, and then went south of Kadesh-barnea to Hezron. Then it went up to Addar, where it turned toward Karka.

4 From there it passed to Azmon until it finally reached the Brook of Egypt, which it followed to the Mediterranean Sea.This was theirsouthern boundary.

5 The eastern boundary extended along the Dead Sea to the mouth of the Jordan River.

The northern boundary began at the bay where the Jordan River empties into the Dead Sea,

6 went up from there to Beth-hoglah, then proceeded north of Beth-arabah to the Stone of Bohan. (Bohan was Reuben’s son.)

7 From that point it went through the valley of Achor to Debir, turning north toward Gilgal, which is across from the slopes of Adummim on the south side of the valley. From there the boundary extended to the springs at En-shemesh and on to En-rogel.

8 The boundary then passed through the valley of Ben-Hinnom, along the southern slopes of the Jebusites, where the city of Jerusalem is located. Then it went west to the top of the mountain above the valley of Hinnom, and on up to the northern end of the valley of Rephaim.

9 From there the boundary extended from the top of the mountain to the spring at the waters of Nephtoah,and from there to the towns on Mount Ephron. Then it turned toward Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim).

10 The boundary circled west of Baalah to Mount Seir, passed along to the town of Kesalon on the northern slope of Mount Jearim, and went down to Beth-shemesh and on to Timnah.

11 The boundary then proceeded to the slope of the hill north of Ekron, where it turned toward Shikkeron and Mount Baalah. It passed Jabneel and ended at the Mediterranean Sea.

12 The western boundary was the shoreline of the Mediterranean Sea.

These are the boundaries for the clans of the tribe of Judah.

The Land Given to Caleb

13 TheLordcommanded Joshua to assign some of Judah’s territory to Caleb son of Jephunneh. So Caleb was given the town of Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), which had been named after Anak’s ancestor.

14 Caleb drove out the three groups of Anakites—the descendants of Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the sons of Anak.

15 From there he went to fight against the people living in the town of Debir (formerly called Kiriath-sepher).

16 Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage to the one who attacks and captures Kiriath-sepher.”

17 Othniel, the son of Caleb’s brother Kenaz, was the one who conquered it, so Acsah became Othniel’s wife.

18 When Acsah married Othniel, she urged himto ask her father for a field. As she got down off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What’s the matter?”

19 She said, “Give me another gift. You have already given me land in the Negev; now please give me springs of water, too.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.

The Towns Allotted to Judah

20 This was the homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Judah.

21 The towns of Judah situated along the borders of Edom in the extreme south were Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur,

22 Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah,

23 Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan,

24 Ziph, Telem, Bealoth,

25 Hazor-hadattah, Kerioth-hezron (that is, Hazor),

26 Amam, Shema, Moladah,

27 Hazar-gaddah, Heshmon, Beth-pelet,

28 Hazar-shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah,

29 Baalah, Iim, Ezem,

30 Eltolad, Kesil, Hormah,

31 Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah,

32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon—twenty-nine towns with their surrounding villages.

33 The following towns situated in the western foothillswere also given to Judah: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah,

34 Zanoah, En-gannim, Tappuah, Enam,

35 Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah,

36 Shaaraim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim—fourteen towns with their surrounding villages.

37 Also included were Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal-gad,

38 Dilean, Mizpeh, Joktheel,

39 Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon,

40 Cabbon, Lahmam, Kitlish,

41 Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah—sixteen towns with their surrounding villages.

42 Besides these, there were Libnah, Ether, Ashan,

43 Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib,

44 Keilah, Aczib, and Mareshah—nine towns with their surrounding villages.

45 The territory of the tribe of Judah also included Ekron and its surrounding settlements and villages.

46 From Ekron the boundary extended west and included the towns near Ashdod with their surrounding villages.

47 It also included Ashdod with its surrounding settlements and villages and Gaza with its settlements and villages, as far as the Brook of Egypt and along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

48 Judah also received the following towns in the hill country: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh,

49 Dannah, Kiriath-sannah (that is, Debir),

50 Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim,

51 Goshen, Holon, and Giloh—eleven towns with their surrounding villages.

52 Also included were the towns of Arab, Dumah, Eshan,

53 Janim, Beth-tappuah, Aphekah,

54 Humtah, Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior—nine towns with their surrounding villages.

55 Besides these, there were Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah,

56 Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah,

57 Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah—ten towns with their surrounding villages.

58 In addition, there were Halhul, Beth-zur, Gedor,

59 Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon—six towns with their surrounding villages.

60 There were also Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim) and Rabbah—two towns with their surrounding villages.

61 In the wilderness there were the towns of Beth-arabah, Middin, Secacah,

62 Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En-gedi—six towns with their surrounding villages.

63 But the tribe of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites, who lived in the city of Jerusalem, so the Jebusites live there among the people of Judah to this day.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/JOS/15-eac56a78334b2853caca15fbdd869197.mp3?version_id=116—

The Land Given to Ephraim and West Manasseh

1 The allotment for the descendants of Joseph extended from the Jordan River near Jericho, east of the springs of Jericho, through the wilderness and into the hill country of Bethel.

2 From Bethel (that is, Luz)it ran over to Ataroth in the territory of the Arkites.

3 Then it descended westward to the territory of the Japhletites as far as Lower Beth-horon, then to Gezer and over to the Mediterranean Sea.

4 This was the homeland allocated to the families of Joseph’s sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

The Land Given to Ephraim

5 The following territory was given to the clans of the tribe of Ephraim.

The boundary of their homeland began at Ataroth-addar in the east. From there it ran to Upper Beth-horon,

6 then on to the Mediterranean Sea. From Micmethath on the north, the boundary curved eastward past Taanath-shiloh to the east of Janoah.

7 From Janoah it turned southward to Ataroth and Naarah, touched Jericho, and ended at the Jordan River.

8 From Tappuah the boundary extended westward, following the Kanah Ravine to the Mediterranean Sea. This is the homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Ephraim.

9 In addition, some towns with their surrounding villages in the territory allocated to the half-tribe of Manasseh were set aside for the tribe of Ephraim.

10 They did not drive the Canaanites out of Gezer, however, so the people of Gezer live as slaves among the people of Ephraim to this day.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/JOS/16-fded0d04c043590e1f4e68334e2bc768.mp3?version_id=116—

The Land Given to West Manasseh

1 The next allotment of land was given to the half-tribe of Manasseh, the descendants of Joseph’s older son. Makir, the firstborn son of Manasseh, was the father of Gilead. Because his descendants were experienced soldiers, the regions of Gilead and Bashan on the east side of the Jordan had already been given to them.

2 So the allotment on the west side of the Jordan was for the remaining families within the clans of the tribe of Manasseh: Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These clans represent the male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph.

3 However, Zelophehad, a descendant of Hepher son of Gilead, son of Makir, son of Manasseh, had no sons. He had only daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

4 These women came to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the Israelite leaders and said, “TheLordcommanded Moses to give us a grant of land along with the men of our tribe.”

So Joshua gave them a grant of land along with their uncles, as theLordhad commanded.

5 As a result, Manasseh’s total allocation came to ten parcels of land, in addition to the land of Gilead and Bashan across the Jordan River,

6 because the female descendants of Manasseh received a grant of land along with the male descendants. (The land of Gilead was given to the rest of the male descendants of Manasseh.)

7 The boundary of the tribe of Manasseh extended from the border of Asher to Micmethath, near Shechem. Then the boundary went south from Micmethath to the settlement near the spring of Tappuah.

8 The land surrounding Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but the town of Tappuah itself, on the border of Manasseh’s territory, belonged to the tribe of Ephraim.

9 From the spring of Tappuah, the boundary of Manasseh followed the Kanah Ravine to the Mediterranean Sea.Several towns south of the ravine were inside Manasseh’s territory, but they actually belonged to the tribe of Ephraim.

10 In general, however, the land south of the ravine belonged to Ephraim, and the land north of the ravine belonged to Manasseh. Manasseh’s boundary ran along the northern side of the ravine and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. North of Manasseh was the territory of Asher, and to the east was the territory of Issachar.

11 The following towns within the territory of Issachar and Asher, however, were given to Manasseh: Beth-shan,Ibleam, Dor (that is, Naphoth-dor),Endor, Taanach, and Megiddo, each with their surrounding settlements.

12 But the descendants of Manasseh were unable to occupy these towns because the Canaanites were determined to stay in that region.

13 Later, however, when the Israelites became strong enough, they forced the Canaanites to work as slaves. But they did not drive them out of the land.

14 The descendants of Joseph came to Joshua and asked, “Why have you given us only one portion of land as our homeland when theLordhas blessed us with so many people?”

15 Joshua replied, “If there are so many of you, and if the hill country of Ephraim is not large enough for you, clear out land for yourselves in the forest where the Perizzites and Rephaites live.”

16 The descendants of Joseph responded, “It’s true that the hill country is not large enough for us. But all the Canaanites in the lowlands have iron chariots, both those in Beth-shan and its surrounding settlements and those in the valley of Jezreel. They are too strong for us.”

17 Then Joshua said to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, the descendants of Joseph, “Since you are so large and strong, you will be given more than one portion.

18 The forests of the hill country will be yours as well. Clear as much of the land as you wish, and take possession of its farthest corners. And you will drive out the Canaanites from the valleys, too, even though they are strong and have iron chariots.”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/JOS/17-ecbca971a3fa44a92fdb554868f731a5.mp3?version_id=116—

The Allotments of the Remaining Land

1 Now that the land was under Israelite control, the entire community of Israel gathered at Shiloh and set up the Tabernacle.

2 But there remained seven tribes who had not yet been allotted their grants of land.

3 Then Joshua asked them, “How long are you going to wait before taking possession of the remaining land theLord, the God of your ancestors, has given to you?

4 Select three men from each tribe, and I will send them out to explore the land and map it out. They will then return to me with a written report of their proposed divisions of their new homeland.

5 Let them divide the land into seven sections, excluding Judah’s territory in the south and Joseph’s territory in the north.

6 And when you record the seven divisions of the land and bring them to me, I will cast sacred lots in the presence of theLordour God to assign land to each tribe.

7 “The Levites, however, will not receive any allotment of land. Their role as priests of theLordis their allotment. And the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh won’t receive any more land, for they have already received their grant of land, which Moses, the servant of theLord, gave them on the east side of the Jordan River.”

8 As the men started on their way to map out the land, Joshua commanded them, “Go and explore the land and write a description of it. Then return to me, and I will assign the land to the tribes by casting sacred lots here in the presence of theLordat Shiloh.”

9 The men did as they were told and mapped the entire territory into seven sections, listing the towns in each section. They made a written record and then returned to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh.

10 And there at Shiloh, Joshua cast sacred lots in the presence of theLordto determine which tribe should have each section.

The Land Given to Benjamin

11 The first allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Benjamin. It lay between the territory assigned to the tribes of Judah and Joseph.

12 The northern boundary of Benjamin’s land began at the Jordan River, went north of the slope of Jericho, then west through the hill country and the wilderness of Beth-aven.

13 From there the boundary went south to Luz (that is, Bethel) and proceeded down to Ataroth-addar on the hill that lies south of Lower Beth-horon.

14 The boundary then made a turn and swung south along the western edge of the hill facing Beth-horon, ending at the village of Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), a town belonging to the tribe of Judah. This was the western boundary.

15 The southern boundary began at the outskirts of Kiriath-jearim. From that western point it ranto the spring at the waters of Nephtoah,

16 and down to the base of the mountain beside the valley of Ben-Hinnom, at the northern end of the valley of Rephaim. From there it went down the valley of Hinnom, crossing south of the slope where the Jebusites lived, and continued down to En-rogel.

17 From En-rogel the boundary proceeded in a northerly direction and came to En-shemesh and on to Geliloth (which is across from the slopes of Adummim). Then it went down to the Stone of Bohan. (Bohan was Reuben’s son.)

18 From there it passed along the north side of the slope overlooking the Jordan Valley.The border then went down into the valley,

19 ran past the north slope of Beth-hoglah, and ended at the north bay of the Dead Sea,which is the southern end of the Jordan River. This was the southern boundary.

20 The eastern boundary was the Jordan River.

These were the boundaries of the homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Benjamin.

The Towns Given to Benjamin

21 These were the towns given to the clans of the tribe of Benjamin.

Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz,

22 Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,

23 Avvim, Parah, Ophrah,

24 Kephar-ammoni, Ophni, and Geba—twelve towns with their surrounding villages.

25 Also Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,

26 Mizpah, Kephirah, Mozah,

27 Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah,

28 Zela, Haeleph, the Jebusite town (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Kiriath-jearim—fourteen towns with their surrounding villages.

This was the homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Benjamin.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/JOS/18-6db2454e68d3be31f5b4792a9267b195.mp3?version_id=116—

The Land Given to Simeon

1 The second allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Simeon. Their homeland was surrounded by Judah’s territory.

2 Simeon’s homeland included Beersheba, Sheba, Moladah,

3 Hazar-shual, Balah, Ezem,

4 Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah,

5 Ziklag, Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susah,

6 Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuhen—thirteen towns with their surrounding villages.

7 It also included Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan—four towns with their villages,

8 including all the surrounding villages as far south as Baalath-beer (also known as Ramah of the Negev).

This was the homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Simeon.

9 Their allocation of land came from part of what had been given to Judah because Judah’s territory was too large for them. So the tribe of Simeon received an allocation within the territory of Judah.

The Land Given to Zebulun

10 The third allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Zebulun.

The boundary of Zebulun’s homeland started at Sarid.

11 From there it went west, going past Maralah, touching Dabbesheth, and proceeding to the brook east of Jokneam.

12 In the other direction, the boundary went east from Sarid to the border of Kisloth-tabor, and from there to Daberath and up to Japhia.

13 Then it continued east to Gath-hepher, Eth-kazin, and Rimmon and turned toward Neah.

14 The northern boundary of Zebulun passed Hannathon and ended at the valley of Iphtah-el.

15 The towns in these areas included Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem—twelve towns with their surrounding villages.

16 The homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Zebulun included these towns and their surrounding villages.

The Land Given to Issachar

17 The fourth allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Issachar.

18 Its boundaries included the following towns: Jezreel, Kesulloth, Shunem,

19 Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath,

20 Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez,

21 Remeth, En-gannim, En-haddah, and Beth-pazzez.

22 The boundary also touched Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth-shemesh, ending at the Jordan River—sixteen towns with their surrounding villages.

23 The homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Issachar included these towns and their surrounding villages.

The Land Given to Asher

24 The fifth allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Asher.

25 Its boundaries included these towns: Helkath, Hali, Beten, Acshaph,

26 Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal. The boundary on the west touched Carmel and Shihor-libnath,

27 then it turned east toward Beth-dagon, and ran as far as Zebulun in the valley of Iphtah-el, going north to Beth-emek and Neiel. It then continued north to Cabul,

28 Abdon,Rehob, Hammon, Kanah, and as far as Greater Sidon.

29 Then the boundary turned toward Ramah and the fortress of Tyre, where it turned toward Hosah and came to the Mediterranean Sea.The territory also included Mehebel, Aczib,

30 Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob—twenty-two towns with their surrounding villages.

31 The homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Asher included these towns and their surrounding villages.

The Land Given to Naphtali

32 The sixth allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Naphtali.

33 Its boundary ran from Heleph, from the oak at Zaanannim, and extended across to Adami-nekeb, Jabneel, and as far as Lakkum, ending at the Jordan River.

34 The western boundary ran past Aznoth-tabor, then to Hukkok, and touched the border of Zebulun in the south, the border of Asher on the west, and the Jordan Riveron the east.

35 The fortified towns included in this territory were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Kinnereth,

36 Adamah, Ramah, Hazor,

37 Kedesh, Edrei, En-hazor,

38 Yiron, Migdal-el, Horem, Beth-anath, and Beth-shemesh—nineteen towns with their surrounding villages.

39 The homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Naphtali included these towns and their surrounding villages.

The Land Given to Dan

40 The seventh allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Dan.

41 The land allocated as their homeland included the following towns: Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir-shemesh,

42 Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah,

43 Elon, Timnah, Ekron,

44 Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath,

45 Jehud, Bene-berak, Gath-rimmon,

46 Me-jarkon, Rakkon, and the territory across from Joppa.

47 But the tribe of Dan had trouble taking possession of their land,so they attacked the town of Laish.They captured it, slaughtered its people, and settled there. They renamed the town Dan after their ancestor.

48 The homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Dan included these towns and their surrounding villages.

The Land Given to Joshua

49 After all the land was divided among the tribes, the Israelites gave a piece of land to Joshua as his allocation.

50 For theLordhad said he could have any town he wanted. He chose Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim. He rebuilt the town and lived there.

51 These are the territories that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the tribal leaders allocated as grants of land to the tribes of Israel by casting sacred lots in the presence of theLordat the entrance of the Tabernacleat Shiloh. So the division of the land was completed.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/JOS/19-1cd0816eb146798a082a0b0d0d1beebf.mp3?version_id=116—

The Cities of Refuge

1 TheLordsaid to Joshua,

2 “Now tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed Moses.

3 Anyone who kills another person accidentally and unintentionally can run to one of these cities; they will be places of refuge from relatives seeking revenge for the person who was killed.

4 “Upon reaching one of these cities, the one who caused the death will appear before the elders at the city gate and present his case. They must allow him to enter the city and give him a place to live among them.

5 If the relatives of the victim come to avenge the killing, the leaders must not release the slayer to them, for he killed the other person unintentionally and without previous hostility.

6 But the slayer must stay in that city and be tried by the local assembly, which will render a judgment. And he must continue to live in that city until the death of the high priest who was in office at the time of the accident. After that, he is free to return to his own home in the town from which he fled.”

7 The following cities were designated as cities of refuge: Kedesh of Galilee, in the hill country of Naphtali; Shechem, in the hill country of Ephraim; and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), in the hill country of Judah.

8 On the east side of the Jordan River, across from Jericho, the following cities were designated: Bezer, in the wilderness plain of the tribe of Reuben; Ramoth in Gilead, in the territory of the tribe of Gad; and Golan in Bashan, in the land of the tribe of Manasseh.

9 These cities were set apart for all the Israelites as well as the foreigners living among them. Anyone who accidentally killed another person could take refuge in one of these cities. In this way, they could escape being killed in revenge prior to standing trial before the local assembly.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/JOS/20-702f8ad3e3650ba8b4dce89ea2bc4648.mp3?version_id=116—

The Towns Given to the Levites

1 Then the leaders of the tribe of Levi came to consult with Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders of the other tribes of Israel.

2 They came to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said, “TheLordcommanded Moses to give us towns to live in and pasturelands for our livestock.”

3 So by the command of theLordthe people of Israel gave the Levites the following towns and pasturelands out of their own grants of land.

4 The descendants of Aaron, who were members of the Kohathite clan within the tribe of Levi, were allotted thirteen towns that were originally assigned to the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.

5 The other families of the Kohathite clan were allotted ten towns from the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

6 The clan of Gershon was allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

7 The clan of Merari was allotted twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.

8 So the Israelites obeyed theLord’s command to Moses and assigned these towns and pasturelands to the Levites by casting sacred lots.

9 The Israelites gave the following towns from the tribes of Judah and Simeon

10 to the descendants of Aaron, who were members of the Kohathite clan within the tribe of Levi, since the sacred lot fell to them first:

11 Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), in the hill country of Judah, along with its surrounding pasturelands. (Arba was an ancestor of Anak.)

12 But the open fields beyond the town and the surrounding villages were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession.

13 The following towns with their pasturelands were given to the descendants of Aaron the priest: Hebron (a city of refuge for those who accidentally killed someone), Libnah,

14 Jattir, Eshtemoa,

15 Holon, Debir,

16 Ain, Juttah, and Beth-shemesh—nine towns from these two tribes.

17 From the tribe of Benjamin the priests were given the following towns with their pasturelands: Gibeon, Geba,

18 Anathoth, and Almon—four towns.

19 So in all, thirteen towns with their pasturelands were given to the priests, the descendants of Aaron.

20 The rest of the Kohathite clan from the tribe of Levi was allotted the following towns and pasturelands from the tribe of Ephraim:

21 Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim (a city of refuge for those who accidentally killed someone), Gezer,

22 Kibzaim, and Beth-horon—four towns.

23 The following towns and pasturelands were allotted to the priests from the tribe of Dan: Eltekeh, Gibbethon,

24 Aijalon, and Gath-rimmon—four towns.

25 The half-tribe of Manasseh allotted the following towns with their pasturelands to the priests: Taanach and Gath-rimmon—two towns.

26 So in all, ten towns with their pasturelands were given to the rest of the Kohathite clan.

27 The descendants of Gershon, another clan within the tribe of Levi, received the following towns with their pasturelands from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan (a city of refuge for those who accidentally killed someone) and Be-eshterah—two towns.

28 From the tribe of Issachar they received the following towns with their pasturelands: Kishion, Daberath,

29 Jarmuth, and En-gannim—four towns.

30 From the tribe of Asher they received the following towns with their pasturelands: Mishal, Abdon,

31 Helkath, and Rehob—four towns.

32 From the tribe of Naphtali they received the following towns with their pasturelands: Kedesh in Galilee (a city of refuge for those who accidentally killed someone), Hammoth-dor, and Kartan—three towns.

33 So in all, thirteen towns with their pasturelands were allotted to the clan of Gershon.

34 The rest of the Levites—the Merari clan—were given the following towns with their pasturelands from the tribe of Zebulun: Jokneam, Kartah,

35 Dimnah, and Nahalal—four towns.

36 From the tribe of Reuben they received the following towns with their pasturelands: Bezer, Jahaz,

37 Kedemoth, and Mephaath—four towns.

38 From the tribe of Gad they received the following towns with their pasturelands: Ramoth in Gilead (a city of refuge for those who accidentally killed someone), Mahanaim,

39 Heshbon, and Jazer—four towns.

40 So in all, twelve towns were allotted to the clan of Merari.

41 The total number of towns and pasturelands within Israelite territory given to the Levites came to forty-eight.

42 Every one of these towns had pasturelands surrounding it.

43 So theLordgave to Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there.

44 And theLordgave them rest on every side, just as he had solemnly promised their ancestors. None of their enemies could stand against them, for theLordhelped them conquer all their enemies.

45 Not a single one of all the good promises theLordhad given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/JOS/21-ba86f641ee192534bec56c5c53190292.mp3?version_id=116—

The Eastern Tribes Return Home

1 Then Joshua called together the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

2 He told them, “You have done as Moses, the servant of theLord, commanded you, and you have obeyed every order I have given you.

3 During all this time you have not deserted the other tribes. You have been careful to obey the commands of theLordyour God right up to the present day.

4 And now theLordyour God has given the other tribes rest, as he promised them. So go back home to the land that Moses, the servant of theLord, gave you as your possession on the east side of the Jordan River.

5 But be very careful to obey all the commands and the instructions that Moses gave to you. Love theLordyour God, walk in all his ways, obey his commands, hold firmly to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul.”

6 So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went home.

7 Moses had given the land of Bashan, east of the Jordan River, to the half-tribe of Manasseh. (The other half of the tribe was given land west of the Jordan.) As Joshua sent them away and blessed them,

8 he said to them, “Go back to your homes with the great wealth you have taken from your enemies—the vast herds of livestock, the silver, gold, bronze, and iron, and the large supply of clothing. Share the plunder with your relatives.”

9 So the men of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the rest of Israel at Shiloh in the land of Canaan. They started the journey back to their own land of Gilead, the territory that belonged to them according to theLord’s command through Moses.

The Eastern Tribes Build an Altar

10 But while they were still in Canaan, and when they came to a place called Gelilothnear the Jordan River, the men of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh stopped to build a large and imposing altar.

11 The rest of Israel heard that the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had built an altar at Geliloth at the edge of the land of Canaan, on the west side of the Jordan River.

12 So the whole community of Israel gathered at Shiloh and prepared to go to war against them.

13 First, however, they sent a delegation led by Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, to talk with the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

14 In this delegation were ten leaders of Israel, one from each of the ten tribes, and each the head of his family within the clans of Israel.

15 When they arrived in the land of Gilead, they said to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh,

16 “The whole community of theLorddemands to know why you are betraying the God of Israel. How could you turn away from theLordand build an altar for yourselves in rebellion against him?

17 Was our sin at Peor not enough? To this day we are not fully cleansed of it, even after the plague that struck the entire community of theLord.

18 And yet today you are turning away from following theLord. If you rebel against theLordtoday, he will be angry with all of us tomorrow.

19 “If you need the altar because the land you possess is defiled, then join us in theLord’s land, where the Tabernacle of theLordis situated, and share our land with us. But do not rebel against theLordor against us by building an altar other than the one true altar of theLordour God.

20 Didn’t divine anger fall on the entire community of Israel when Achan, a member of the clan of Zerah, sinned by stealing the things set apart for theLord? He was not the only one who died because of his sin.”

21 Then the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered the heads of the clans of Israel:

22 “TheLord, the Mighty One, is God! TheLord, the Mighty One, is God! He knows the truth, and may Israel know it, too! We have not built the altar in treacherous rebellion against theLord. If we have done so, do not spare our lives this day.

23 If we have built an altar for ourselves to turn away from theLordor to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings, may theLordhimself punish us.

24 “The truth is, we have built this altar because we fear that in the future your descendants will say to ours, ‘What right do you have to worship theLord, the God of Israel?

25 TheLordhas placed the Jordan River as a barrier between our people and you people of Reuben and Gad. You have no claim to theLord.’ So your descendants may prevent our descendants from worshiping theLord.

26 “So we decided to build the altar, not for burnt offerings or sacrifices,

27 but as a memorial. It will remind our descendants and your descendants that we, too, have the right to worship theLordat his sanctuary with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and peace offerings. Then your descendants will not be able to say to ours, ‘You have no claim to theLord.’

28 “If they say this, our descendants can reply, ‘Look at this copy of theLord’s altar that our ancestors made. It is not for burnt offerings or sacrifices; it is a reminder of the relationship both of us have with theLord.’

29 Far be it from us to rebel against theLordor turn away from him by building our own altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings, or sacrifices. Only the altar of theLordour God that stands in front of the Tabernacle may be used for that purpose.”

30 When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the community—the heads of the clans of Israel—heard this from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, they were satisfied.

31 Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, replied to them, “Today we know theLordis among us because you have not committed this treachery against theLordas we thought. Instead, you have rescued Israel from being destroyed by the hand of theLord.”

32 Then Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, and the other leaders left the tribes of Reuben and Gad in Gilead and returned to the land of Canaan to tell the Israelites what had happened.

33 And all the Israelites were satisfied and praised God and spoke no more of war against Reuben and Gad.

34 The people of Reuben and Gad named the altar “Witness,”for they said, “It is a witness between us and them that theLordis our God, too.”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/JOS/22-887187938a27f75cced52fe812a8f0de.mp3?version_id=116—

Joshua’s Final Words to Israel

1 The years passed, and theLordhad given the people of Israel rest from all their enemies. Joshua, who was now very old,

2 called together all the elders, leaders, judges, and officers of Israel. He said to them, “I am now a very old man.

3 You have seen everything theLordyour God has done for you during my lifetime. TheLordyour God has fought for you against your enemies.

4 I have allotted to you as your homeland all the land of the nations yet unconquered, as well as the land of those we have already conquered—from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Seain the west.

5 This land will be yours, for theLordyour God will himself drive out all the people living there now. You will take possession of their land, just as theLordyour God promised you.

6 “So be very careful to follow everything Moses wrote in the Book of Instruction. Do not deviate from it, turning either to the right or to the left.

7 Make sure you do not associate with the other people still remaining in the land. Do not even mention the names of their gods, much less swear by them or serve them or worship them.

8 Rather, cling tightly to theLordyour God as you have done until now.

9 “For theLordhas driven out great and powerful nations for you, and no one has yet been able to defeat you.

10 Each one of you will put to flight a thousand of the enemy, for theLordyour God fights for you, just as he has promised.

11 So be very careful to love theLordyour God.

12 “But if you turn away from him and cling to the customs of the survivors of these nations remaining among you, and if you intermarry with them,

13 then know for certain that theLordyour God will no longer drive them out of your land. Instead, they will be a snare and a trap to you, a whip for your backs and thorny brambles in your eyes, and you will vanish from this good land theLordyour God has given you.

14 “Soon I will die, going the way of everything on earth. Deep in your hearts you know that every promise of theLordyour God has come true. Not a single one has failed!

15 But as surely as theLordyour God has given you the good things he promised, he will also bring disaster on you if you disobey him. He will completely destroy you from this good land he has given you.

16 If you break the covenant of theLordyour God by worshiping and serving other gods, his anger will burn against you, and you will quickly vanish from the good land he has given you.”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/JOS/23-3deb2ad18e6817691e410b35607a48ed.mp3?version_id=116—