Joshua 21
21
Levitical Cities
1 The tribal leaders of the Levites went before Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and the Israelite tribal leaders 2 in Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said, “The Lord told Moses to assign us cities in which to live along with the grazing areas for our cattle.” 3 So the Israelites assigned these cities and their grazing areas to the Levites from their own holdings, as the Lord had instructed.
4 The first lot belonged to#tn Heb “came out for.” the Kohathite clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest were allotted thirteen cities from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. 5 The rest of Kohath’s descendants were allotted ten cities from the clans of the tribe of Ephraim, and from the tribe of Dan and the half-tribe of Manasseh. 6 Gershon’s descendants were allotted thirteen cities from the clans of the tribe of Issachar, and from the tribes of Asher and Naphtali and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. 7 Merari’s descendants by their clans were allotted twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. 8 So the Israelites assigned to the Levites by lot these cities and their grazing areas, as the Lord had instructed Moses.
9 They assigned from the tribes of Judah and Simeon the cities listed below. 10 They were assigned to the Kohathite clans of the Levites who were descendants of Aaron,#tn Heb “and it belonged to the sons of Aaron, from the Kohathite clans, from the sons of Levi.” for the first lot belonged to them. 11 They assigned them Kiriath Arba (Arba was the father of Anak), that is, Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, along with its surrounding grazing areas. 12 (Now the city’s fields and surrounding towns they had assigned to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his property.) 13 So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they assigned Hebron (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter), Libnah, 14 Jattir, Eshtemoa, 15 Holon, Debir, 16 Ain, Juttah, and Beth Shemesh, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of nine cities taken from these two tribes. 17 From the tribe of Benjamin they assigned#tn The words “they assigned” are supplied for clarification (also in vv. 23, 25). Gibeon, Geba, 18 Anathoth, and Almon, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of four cities. 19 The priests descended from Aaron received thirteen cities and their grazing areas.
20 The rest of the Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted cities from the tribe of Ephraim. 21 They assigned them Shechem (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter) in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer, 22 Kibzaim, and Beth Horon, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of four cities. 23 From the tribe of Dan they assigned Eltekeh, Gibbethon, 24 Aijalon, and Gath Rimmon, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of four cities. 25 From the half-tribe of Manasseh they assigned Taanach and Gath Rimmon,#tn The name “Gath Rimmon” is problematic here, for it appears in the preceding list of Danite cities. The LXX reads “Iebatha”; 1 Chr 6:55 HT (6:70 ET) reads “Bileam.” Most modern translations retain the name “Gath Rimmon,” however. along with the grazing areas of each – a total of two cities. 26 The rest of the Kohathite clans received ten cities and their grazing areas.
27 They assigned to the Gershonite clans of the Levites the following cities:#tn The words “they assigned” and “the following cities” are supplied for clarification (also in v. 34). from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter) and Beeshtarah, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of two cities; 28 from the tribe of Issachar: Kishon, Daberath, 29 Jarmuth, and En Gannim, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of four cities; 30 from the tribe of Asher: Mishal, Abdon, 31 Helkath, and Rehob, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of four cities; 32 from the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter), Hammoth Dor, and Kartan, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of three cities. 33 The Gershonite clans received thirteen cities and their grazing areas.
34 They assigned to the Merarite clans (the remaining Levites) the following cities: from the tribe of Zebulun: Jokneam, Kartah, 35 Dimnah, and Nahalal, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of four cities; 36#tc 21:36-37 are accidentally omitted from a number of significant Hebrew mss. They are, however, found in some Hebrew mss, the LXX and Vulgate. from the tribe of Reuben: Bezer, Jahaz, 37 Kedemoth, and Mephaath, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of four cities; 38 from the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter), Mahanaim, 39 Heshbon, and Jazer, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of four cities. 40 The Merarite clans (the remaining Levites) were allotted twelve cities.
41 The Levites received within the land owned by the Israelites#tn Heb “in the midst of the possession of the sons of Israel.” forty-eight cities in all and their grazing areas. 42 Each of these cities had grazing areas around it; they were alike in this regard.#tn Heb “these cities were city [by] city, and its grazing areas [were] around it; so [it was] for all these cities.”
43 So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had solemnly promised to their ancestors,#tn Heb “which he had sworn to give to their fathers.” and they conquered#tn Or “possessed.” it and lived in it. 44 The Lord made them secure,#tn Heb “gave them rest all around.” in fulfillment of all he had solemnly promised their ancestors.#tn Heb “according to all he swore to their fathers.” None of their enemies could resist them.#tn Heb “not a man stood from before them from all their enemies.” 45 Not one of the Lord’s faithful promises to the family of Israel#tn Heb “the house of Israel.” Cf. NCV “the Israelites”; TEV “the people of Israel”; CEV, NLT “Israel.” was left unfulfilled; every one was realized.#tn Heb “not a word from all the good word which the Lord spoke to the house of Israel fell; the whole came to pass.”
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Joshua 21
21
The Allotment of the Levites
1Then the heads of the families of the Levites came to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the heads of the families of the tribes of the Israelites.#Literally “sons/children of Israel” 2And they spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, “Yahweh commanded through the hand of Moses to give us cities to live in, with their pasturelands for our livestock.” 3So, by command of Yahweh,#Literally “by the mouth of Yahweh” the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” gave the Levites these cities and their pasturelands from their inheritance.
4The allotment fell#Literally “came out” for the families of the Kohathites.#Hebrew “Kohathite” The descendants#Or “sons” of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, received#Literally “they had” by lot thirteen towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
5The remaining descendants#Or “sons” of Kohath received by lot ten cities from the families of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
6The descendants#Or “sons” of Gershon received by lot thirteen cities from the families of the tribes of Issachar, Asher, and Naphtali and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.
7The descendants#Or “sons” of the Merarites#Hebrew “Merarite” according to their families received twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.
8The Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” gave to the Levites these cities and their pastureland by lot, just as Yahweh commanded through the hand of Moses.
9They gave these cities, which are here mentioned by name, from the tribe of the families of Judah and from the tribe of the families of Simeon; 10and they were for the descendants#Or “sons” of Aaron, from the families of the Kohathites,#Hebrew “Kohathite” from the descendants#Or “sons” of Levi, because the first lot was theirs. 11And they gave to them Kiriath Arba,#Or “the city of Arba” Arba being the father of Anak (that is, Hebron), in the hill country of Judah and the pasturelands surrounding it. 12But the field of the city and its villages they gave to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his property.
13To the descendants#Or “sons” of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, the city of refuge for the killer, and its pasturelands, Libnah and its pasturelands, 14Jattir and its pasturelands, Eshtemoa and its pasturelands, 15Holon and its pasturelands, Debir and its pasturelands, 16Ain and its pasturelands, Juttah and its pasturelands, and Beth Shemesh and its pasturelands; nine cities from these two tribes. 17From the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon and its pasturelands, Geba and its pasturelands, 18Anathoth and its pasturelands, Almon and its pasturelands; four cities. 19All the cities of the descendants#Or “sons” of Aaron the priests, thirteen cities and their pasturelands.
20For the families of the descendants#Or “sons” of Kohath, the remaining Levites of the descendants#Or “sons” of Kohath, they received the cities of their lot from the tribe of Ephraim. 21They gave them Shechem, the city of refuge for the killer, and its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer and its pasturelands, 22Kibzaim and its pasturelands, and Beth-horon and its pasturelands; four cities. 23From the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh and its pasturelands, Gibbethon and its pasturelands, 24Aijalon and its pasturelands, and Gath Rimmon and its pasturelands; four cities. 25From the half-tribe of Manasseh, Taanach and its pasturelands and Gath Rimmon with its pasturelands; two cities. 26All the cities and their pasturelands for the remaining families of the descendants#Or “sons” of Kohath were ten.
27To the descendants#Or “sons” of Gershon, one of the families of the Levites, from the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan, a city of refuge for the killer, and its pasturelands, and Eshtarah and its pasturelands; two cities. 28From the tribe of Issachar, Kishion and its pasturelands, Daberath and its pasturelands, 29Jarmuth and its pasturelands, En Gannim and its pasturelands; four cities. 30From the tribe of Asher, Mishal and its pasturelands, Abdon and its pasturelands, 31Helkath and its pasturelands, Rehob and its pasturelands; four cities. 32From the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee, the city of refuge for the killer, and its pasturelands, Hammoth Dor and its pasturelands, and Kartan and its pasturelands; three cities. 33All the cities of the Gershonites#Hebrew “Gershonite” according to their families were thirteen cities and their pasturelands.
34To the families of the descendants#Or “sons” of Merarite, the remaining Levites, from the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam and its pasturelands, Kartah and its pasturelands, 35Dimnah and its pasturelands, and Nahalal and its pasturelands; four cities. 36From the tribe of Reuben, Bezer and its pasturelands, Jahaz and its pasturelands, 37Kedemoth and its pasturelands, and Mephaath and its pasturelands; four cities. 38From the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead, the city of refuge for the killer, and its pasturelands, Mahanaim and its pasturelands, 39Heshbon and its pasturelands, and Jazer and its pasturelands; four cities in all. 40All these were the cities of the descendants#Or “sons” of Merarite according to their families, the remaining families of the Levites; their allotment was twelve cities.
41All the cities of the Levites among the property of the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” were forty-eight cities and their pasturelands. 42Each of these cities had pasturelands surrounding them; so it was for all of these cities. 43And Yahweh gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their ancestors,#Or “fathers” and they took possession of it and settled in it.#Or “dwelled in it” 44Yahweh gave them rest on every side, according to all that he had sworn to their ancestors,#Or “fathers” and nobody from all their enemies withstood them, for Yahweh had given all their enemies into their hand. 45And nothing failed from#Literally “Not a thing fell” all the good things#Hebrew “thing” that Yahweh promised to the house of Israel; everything came to pass.#Literally “everything it came”
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