Joshua 19:1-51
Land Is Given to Simeon
The second lot drawn out was for the tribe of Simeon, according to its family groups. The share of land they were given was in the territory of Judah.
Here is what Simeon’s share included.
Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar Shual, Balah, Ezem, Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, Ziklag, Beth Markaboth, Hazar Susah, Beth Lebaoth and Sharuhen. The total number of towns was 13. Some of them had villages near them.
Here’s another list of towns given to Simeon.
Ain, Rimmon, Ether and Ashan. The total number of towns was four. Some of them had villages near them. The towns and all the villages around them reached all the way to Ramah in the Negev Desert.
That was the share of land the tribe of Simeon received, according to its family groups. Simeon’s share of land was taken from Judah’s share. That’s because Judah had more land than they needed. So the people of Simeon received their share of land inside the territory of Judah.
Land Is Given to Zebulun
The third lot drawn out was for the tribe of Zebulun, according to its family groups. Here are the borders of Zebulun’s territory.
The border of their share of land went as far as Sarid. It ran west to Maralah and touched Dabbesheth. It reached to the valley near Jokneam. It turned east from Sarid toward the sunrise. It went to the territory of Kisloth Tabor. It went on to Daberath and up to Japhia. Then it continued east to Gath Hepher and Eth Kazin. It came to an end at Rimmon and turned toward Neah. There the border went around on the north to Hannathon. It came to an end at the Valley of Iphtah El.
Zebulun’s territory included Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah and Bethlehem.
The total number of towns was 12. Some of them had villages near them.
Those towns and their villages were Zebulun’s share, according to its family groups.
Land Is Given to Issachar
The fourth lot drawn out was for the tribe of Issachar, according to its family groups. Here is what Issachar’s share included.
Jezreel, Kesulloth, Shunem, Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez, Remeth, En Gannim, En Haddah and Beth Pazzez.
The border touched Tabor, Shahazumah and Beth Shemesh. It came to an end at the Jordan River.
The total number of towns was 16. Some of them had villages near them.
Those towns and their villages were the share the tribe of Issachar received, according to its family groups.
Land Is Given to Asher
The fifth lot drawn out was for the tribe of Asher, according to its family groups. Here is what Asher’s share included.
Helkath, Hali, Beten, Akshaph, Allammelek, Amad and Mishal. On the west the border touched Carmel and Shihor Libnath. Then it turned east toward Beth Dagon. It touched Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtah El. It went north to Beth Emek and Neiel. It went past Kabul on the left. It went to Abdon, Rehob, Hammon and Kanah. It reached all the way to Greater Sidon. The border then turned back toward Ramah. It went to Tyre, a city that had high walls around it. It turned toward Hosah. It came to an end at the Mediterranean Sea in the area of Akzib, Ummah, Aphek and Rehob.
The total number of towns was 22. Some of them had villages near them.
Those towns and their villages were the share the tribe of Asher received, according to its family groups.
Land Is Given to Naphtali
The sixth lot drawn out was for Naphtali, according to its family groups.
Their border started at Heleph and the large tree in Zaanannim. It went past Adami Nekeb and Jabneel. It went to Lakkum and came to an end at the Jordan River. The border ran west through Aznoth Tabor. It came to an end at Hukkok. It touched Zebulun on the south. It touched Asher on the west. It touched the Jordan on the east.
The towns that had high walls around them were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Kinnereth, Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, Kedesh, Edrei, En Hazor, Iron, Migdal El, Horem, Beth Anath and Beth Shemesh.
The total number of towns was 19. Some of them had villages near them.
Those towns and their villages were the share the tribe of Naphtali received, according to its family groups.
Land Is Given to Dan
The seventh lot drawn out was for the tribe of Dan, according to its family groups. Here is what Dan’s share of land included.
Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir Shemesh, Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah, Elon, Timnah, Ekron, Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon, Me Jarkon and Rakkon. Dan’s share included the area that faces Joppa.
The people of Dan lost their territory. So they went up and attacked Leshem. They captured it. They killed its people with their swords. Then they moved into Leshem and made their homes there. They named it Dan. That’s because they traced their family line back to him.
All those towns and their villages were the share the tribe of Dan received, according to its family groups.
Land Is Given to Joshua
The Israelites finished dividing up the shares of land the tribes received. Then they gave a share to Joshua, the son of Nun. They did what the Lord had commanded them to do. They gave Joshua the town he asked for. It was Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim. He built up the town and made his home there.
All those territories were given out by casting lots at Shiloh. The lots were drawn out by Eleazar the priest and by Joshua, the son of Nun. The leaders of the tribes of Israel helped them. The lots were drawn out in front of the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting. So the work of dividing up the land was finished.
Joshua 20:1-9
Cities to Run to for Safety
Then the Lord spoke to Joshua. He said, “Tell the Israelites to choose the cities to go to for safety, just as I directed you through Moses. Anyone who kills a person by accident can run there for safety. So can anyone who kills a person without meaning to. The one charged with murder will be kept safe from the nearest male relative of the person killed. Suppose those who are charged with murder run for safety to one of these cities. Then they must stand in the entrance of the city gate. They must state their case in front of the elders of that city. The elders must let them come into their city. The elders must provide a place for them to live in their city. Suppose the nearest male relative of the person killed chases the one charged with murder. Then the elders must not hand them over to that relative. That’s because that person didn’t mean to kill their neighbor. They didn’t make evil plans to do it. They must stay in that city until their case has been brought to the community court. They must stay there until the high priest serving at that time dies. Then they can go back to their own home. They can return to the town they ran away from.”
So the Israelites set apart Kedesh in Galilee. It’s in the hill country of Naphtali. They set apart Shechem. It’s in the hill country of Ephraim. They set apart Kiriath Arba. It’s in the hill country of Judah. Kiriath Arba is also called Hebron. On the east side of the Jordan River near Jericho they chose Bezer. It’s in the desert on the high plains. It’s in the territory of the tribe of Reuben. They chose Ramoth in Gilead. It’s in the territory of the tribe of Gad. They chose Golan in the land of Bashan. It’s in the territory of the tribe of Manasseh. Suppose you kill someone by accident. Or another Israelite does it. Or an outsider who lives among you does it. Then any of you can run for safety to one of these cities that have been chosen. There you won’t be killed by the nearest male relative of the person killed by accident. First your case must be brought to the community court.
Joshua 21:1-19
Towns Are Given to the Levites
The leaders of the Levite family groups approached Eleazar the priest and Joshua, the son of Nun. They also approached the leaders of the family groups of Israel’s other tribes. They went to all of them at Shiloh in Canaan. They said to them, “Give us towns to live in. Also give us grasslands for our livestock. That’s what the Lord commanded through Moses.”
So the Israelites gave the Levites towns and grasslands out of their own shares of land. They did what the Lord had commanded. Here are the towns the Levites were given.
The first lot drawn out was for the people of Kohath, according to their family groups. Some of the Levites came from the family line of Aaron the priest. They were given 13 towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin.
The rest of Kohath’s family groups were given ten towns. Those towns were from the family groups of the tribes of Ephraim and Dan and half of the tribe of Manasseh.
The family groups of Gershon were given 13 towns. Those towns were from the family groups of the tribes of Issachar, Asher and Naphtali and half of the tribe of Manasseh. That part of Manasseh was in the land of Bashan.
The family groups of Merari received 12 towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun. Each family group received its share.
So the Israelites gave those towns and their grasslands to the Levites. They did what the Lord had commanded through Moses.
Some towns were given from the territories of the tribes of Judah and Simeon. The Israelites gave them to the members of the family line of Aaron. The towns were given to the family groups of Kohath. They were Levites. The first lot drawn out was for them. Here are the towns the family groups of Kohath were given.
The Israelites gave them Kiriath Arba and the grasslands around it. Kiriath Arba is also called Hebron. It’s in the hill country of Judah. Anak came from the family line of Arba. But Israel had already given away the fields and villages around the city. They had given them to Caleb as his share. Caleb was the son of Jephunneh. So they gave Hebron to the members of the family line of Aaron the priest. Hebron was a city where anyone charged with murder could go for safety. They also gave them Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, Holon, Debir, Ain, Juttah and Beth Shemesh. They gave those towns and their grasslands to the family groups of Kohath. The total number of towns from the tribes of Judah and Simeon came to nine.
The Israelites gave some towns from the tribe of Benjamin to the family groups of Kohath.
The towns were Gibeon, Geba, Anathoth and Almon. The total number of these towns and their grasslands came to four.
So the total number of towns and their grasslands given to the priests in Aaron’s family line came to 13.
