Land for the Tribes West of the Jordan River
1The rest of the tribes of Israel received their shares of land in Canaan. Eleazar the priest and Joshua, the son of Nun, decided what each of the tribes should receive. The leaders of the tribes helped them make these decisions. 2The shares of nine tribes and half of the tribe of Manasseh were decided by casting lots. That’s what the Lord had commanded through Moses. 3Moses had given two tribes and the other half of the tribe of Manasseh their shares east of the Jordan River. But Moses had not given the Levites a share among the other tribes. 4Manasseh and Ephraim were the sons of Joseph. They had become two tribes. The Levites didn’t receive any share of the land. They only received towns to live in and grasslands for their flocks and herds. 5So the Israelites divided up the land, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Joshua Gives Hebron to Caleb
6The people of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal. Caleb, the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, spoke to Joshua. He said, “You know what the Lord said to Moses, the man of God. He spoke to him at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. 7Moses, the servant of the Lord, sent me from Kadesh Barnea to check out the land. I was 40 years old at that time. I brought back an honest report to him. I told him exactly what I had seen. 8Several other men of Israel went up with me. What they reported terrified the people. But I followed the Lord my God with my whole heart. 9So on that day Moses made a promise to me. He said, ‘The land you have walked on will be your share. It will be the share of your children forever. That’s because you have followed the Lord my God with your whole heart.’ (Deuteronomy 1:36)
10“The Lord has done just as he promised. He made the promise while Israel was wandering around in the desert. That was 45 years ago. He has kept me alive all this time. So here I am today, 85 years old! 11I’m still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me out. I’m just as able to go out to battle now as I was then. 12So give me this hill country. The Lord promised it to me that day. At that time you yourself heard that the Anakites were living there. You also heard that their cities were large and had high walls around them. But I’ll drive them out, just as the Lord said I would. He will help me do it.”
13Then Joshua blessed Caleb, the son of Jephunneh. He gave him Hebron as his share. 14So ever since that time Hebron has belonged to Caleb, the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite. That’s because he followed the Lord, the God of Israel, with his whole heart. 15Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba. It was named after Arba. He was the greatest man among the Anakites.
So the land had peace and rest.
A divisão da terra ao ocidente do Jordão
1-2Quanto às terras conquistadas em Canaã foram doadas às restantes nove tribos e meia de Israel. A decisão sobre a área que caberia a cada tribo foi tirada à sorte; cada uma ficou com a sua parte de acordo com a vontade do Senhor. Eleazar, o sacerdote, Josué e os líderes de cada tribo supervisionaram a distribuição. 3Como já foi dito, Moisés dera anteriormente às outras duas tribos e meia território na margem leste do Jordão. 4Aquela que deveria ter sido a tribo de José tornou-se duas tribos separadas: Manassés e Efraim. Aos levitas não foi dada nenhuma terra, exceto as cidades em que haveriam de viver, com os seus subúrbios com pastagens para o seu gado. 5Esta distribuição foi feita de acordo com as diretivas dadas pelo Senhor a Moisés.
Hebrom é dada a Calebe
6Uma delegação da tribo de Judá, chefiada por Calebe, filho de Jefoné, o quenezeu, veio ter com Josué a Gilgal. “Lembras-te do que o Senhor disse a Moisés, homem de Deus, acerca de ti e de mim, quando estávamos em Cades-Barneia?”, perguntou Calebe a Josué. 7“Tinha eu nessa altura 40 anos e Moisés mandara-nos espiar a terra de Canaã. No regresso fiz o meu relato de acordo com aquilo que senti ser a verdade. 8Mas os nossos irmãos, que tinham ido connosco, aterrorizaram o povo e desencorajaram-no a entrar na terra prometida. Mas eu mantive-me fiel ao Senhor, meu Deus. 9Por isso mesmo naquele dia, Moisés disse-me: ‘Aquela área de Canaã, por onde andaste, pertencerá a ti e aos teus descendentes para sempre, porque foste fiel ao Senhor, meu Deus.’ 10Como vês, o Senhor continuou a manter-me com vida e saúde, durante estes 45 anos, desde que atravessámos o deserto, e hoje estou com 85 anos. 11Tenho agora tantas forças como tinha, quando Moisés nos mandou para aquela missão, e posso ainda ir, seja onde for, combater como nessa altura! 12Por isso, peço-te que me dês a zona das colinas que o Senhor me prometeu. Certamente te recordas que, quando lá fomos como espias, encontrámos os anaquins a viver ali, em grandes cidades cercadas de altas muralhas; mas, se o Senhor for comigo, com certeza os expulsarei da terra.”
13Então Josué o abençoou e lhe deu Hebrom como herança; 14porque não se tinha desviado do Senhor, Deus de Israel.
15Antes desse tempo Hebrom tinha-se chamado Quiriate-Arba, de acordo com o nome dum grande herói entre os anaquins.
Por fim, a terra descansou e não houve mais guerras.
