Joshua 21
21
The Cities of the Levites
1-2While the people of Israel camped at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, the ancestral heads of the Levites went to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the heads of the families of all of the tribes of Israel and said, “Yahweh instructed through Moses for you to give us cities to live in and pasturelands around the cities for our livestock.” 3So the people of Israel obeyed Yahweh’s command and gave the Levites some of their cities and pasturelands from their inheritance.
4-5Each clan of the Levites received its cities by drawing lots. First, the people of Israel gave to the descendants of Aaron the priest from the clan of Kohath # 21:4–5 The first lot fell to the descendants of Aaron. They were classified as priests (see v. 19), while the other descendants of Levi were not. thirteen cities from the territories of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. They allotted to the rest of the clan of Kohath’s descendants ten towns from the clans of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and half of Manasseh.
6By lot, the descendants of Gershon received thirteen cities from the tribe of Issachar, from the tribe of Asher, from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.
7Clan by clan, the descendants of Merari received twelve cities from the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the tribe of Zebulun. 8Yahweh had commanded through Moses to draw lots to see what cities the Levites would receive. So they drew lots, and the people of Israel gave them these cities together with the pasturelands around them.
9-10The members of the clan of Kohath, the descendants of Aaron, received nine cities from the tribes of Judah and Simeon. 11-16They received the city of Hebron, which was also a city of asylum. It lay in the hill country of Judah and was named Kiriath Arba, after Arba the father of Anak. The fields and towns around it had already been given to Caleb, but the city and its pasturelands were now given to the descendants of Aaron. They also received the cities and pasturelands of Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, Holon, Debir, Ain, Juttah, and Beth Shemesh; nine cities from these two tribes.
17-18They received four cities from the territory of Benjamin: Gibeon, Geba, Anathoth, and Almon, along with the pastureland of each. 19The priests, the descendants of Aaron, received thirteen cities in all, with their pasturelands.
20-22The rest of the Kohathite clans of Levi received four cities with their pasturelands in the territory of Ephraim. One of these cities was Shechem, located in the hill country and one of the cities of asylum. The other three cities were Gezer, Kibzaim, and Beth Horon.
23-24The Levites also received four cities from the territory of Dan: Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Aijalon, and Gath Rimmon, along with the pastureland of each.
25They also received two cities from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Taanach and Gath Rimmon, along with the pastureland of each. 26The rest of the Kohathite clans received ten towns and their pasturelands.
27The Levite clans of the Gershonites received two towns from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan (a city of asylum for one who committed manslaughter) and Beeshterah, together with their pasturelands.
28-29They received four towns from the tribe of Issachar: Kishion, Daberath, Jarmuth, and En Gannim, together with their pasturelands.
30-31They received four towns from the tribe of Asher: Mishal, Abdon, Helkath, and Rehob, together with their pasturelands.
32They received three towns from the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee (a city of asylum for one who committed manslaughter), Hammoth Dor, and Kartan, together with their pasturelands. 33All the Gershonite clans received thirteen towns, together with their pasturelands.
34-35The remaining Levites of the Merarite clans received four cities from the tribe of Zebulun: Jokneam, Kartah, Dimnah, and Nahalal, along with the pastureland of each.
36-37They received four cities from the tribe of Reuben: Bezer, Jahaz, Kedemoth, and Mephaath, along with the pastureland of each.
38-39They received four cities from the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead (a city of asylum for one who committed manslaughter), Mahanaim, Heshbon, and Jazer, along with the pastureland of each. 40Merarite clans of the remaining Levites received twelve cities in all.
41-42The Levites received from the other tribes of Israel a total of forty-eight cities, each with the pasturelands around them.
Israel Takes Possession of the Land
43So Yahweh gave Israel all the land he had promised their ancestors. They took possession of the land and settled there. 44Yahweh kept his promise and gave them peace in the land # 21:44 Or “Yahweh gave them rest on every side.” See Deut. 12:10. just as he had promised to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies could stand against them. 45Yahweh didn’t break a single promise that he made to the people of Israel. He faithfully kept every promise he made to them.
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Joshua 21: TPT
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