Joshua 13
13
The Land Israel Had Not Yet Taken
1Many years later, the Lord told Joshua:
Now you are very old, but there is still a lot of land that Israel has not yet taken. 2-7#Nu 33.54. First, there is the Canaanite territory that starts at the Shihor River just east of Egypt and goes north to Ekron. The southern part of this region belongs to the Avvites and the Geshurites,#13.2-7 Geshurites: Not the same Geshur as in 12.5 and 13.11. One ancient translation has “Gezerites.” Gezer was a town north of Ekron that the Israelites did not capture (see Judges 1.29). and the land around Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron belongs to the five Philistine rulers.
The other Canaanite territory is in the north. Its northern border starts at the town of Arah, which belongs to the Sidonians. From there, it goes to Aphek,#13.2-7 Aphek: Not the same Aphek as in 12.9-24. then along the Amorite border#13.2-7 Amorite border: What had been the southern border of the old Amorite kingdom of Amurru. to Hamath Pass.#13.2-7 Hamath Pass: Or “Lebo-Hamath.” The eastern border starts at Hamath Pass and goes south to Baal-Gad at the foot of Mount Hermon, and its southern boundary runs west from there to Misrephoth-Maim.#13.2-7 Misrephoth-Maim: Or “Misrephoth” or “the Misrephoth River.” This northern region includes the Lebanon Mountains and the land that belongs to the Gebalites#13.2-7 Gebalites: Gebal was another name for Byblos. and the Sidonians who live in the hill country from the Lebanon Mountains to Misrephoth-Maim.
With my help, Israel will capture these Canaanite territories and force out the people who live there. But you must divide up the land from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea#13.2-7 from … Sea: One ancient translation; the Hebrew text does not have these words. among the nine tribes and the half of Manasseh that don't have any land yet. Then each tribe will have its own land.
The Land East of the Jordan River
8 #
Nu 32.33; Dt 3.12-17. Moses had already given land east of the Jordan River to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh. 9This region stretched north from the town in the middle of the Arnon River valley, and included the town of Aroer on the northern edge of the valley. It covered the flatlands of Medeba north of Dibon, 10and took in the towns that had belonged to Sihon, the Amorite king of Heshbon. Some of these towns were as far east as the Ammonite border.
11-12Geshur and Maacah were part of this region, and so was the whole territory that King Og had ruled, that is, Gilead, Mount Hermon, and all of Bashan as far east as Salecah. Og had lived in Ashtaroth part of each year, and he had lived in Edrei the rest of the year. Og had been one of the last of the Rephaim,#13.11,12 Rephaim: See the note at 12.4. but Moses had defeated Sihon and Og and their people#13.11,12 Sihon … people: Or “the Rephaim.” and had forced them to leave their land. 13However, the Israelites did not force the people of Geshur and Maacah to leave, and they still live there among the Israelites.
Why Moses Did Not Give Land to the Levi Tribe
14 #
Dt 18.1. Moses did not give any land to the Levi tribe, because the Lord God of Israel had told them, “Instead of land, you will receive the sacrifices offered at my altar.”
The Land Moses Gave to the Reuben Tribe
15Moses gave land to each of the clans in the Reuben tribe. 16Their land started in the south at the town in the middle of the Arnon River valley, took in the town of Aroer on the northern edge of the valley, and went as far north as the flatlands around Medeba. 17-21The Amorite King Sihon had lived in Heshbon and had ruled the towns in the flatlands. Now Heshbon belonged to Reuben, and so did the following towns in the flatlands: Dibon, Bamoth-Baal, Beth-Baal-Meon, Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth-Shahar on the hill in the valley, Beth-Peor, Slopes of Mount Pisgah, and Beth-Jeshimoth.
Moses defeated Sihon and killed him and the Midianite chiefs who ruled parts of his kingdom for him. Their names were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba. 22The Israelites also killed Balaam the son of Beor, who had been a fortuneteller.
23This region with its towns and villages was the land for the Reuben tribe, and the Jordan River was its western border.
The Land Moses Gave to the Gad Tribe
24Moses also gave land to each of the clans in the Gad tribe. 25It included the town of Jazer, and in the Gilead region their territory took in the land and towns as far east as the town of Aroer#13.25 Aroer: Not the same town as the Aroer in verse 16. just west of Rabbah.#13.25 Rabbah: The capital city of Ammon. This was about half of the land that had once belonged to the Ammonites. 26The land given to Gad stretched from Heshbon in the south to Ramath-Mizpeh and Betonim in the north, and even further north to Mahanaim and Lidebor.#13.26 Lidebor: This may be another name for Lo-Debar, a town a few kilometers east of the Jordan River and about 16 kilometers south of Lake Galilee. 27Gad also received the eastern half of the Jordan River valley, which had been ruled by King Sihon of Heshbon. This territory stretched as far north as Lake Galilee,#13.27 Lake Galilee: See the note at 11.2. and included the towns of Beth-Haram, Beth-Nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon. 28These regions with their towns and villages were given to the Gad tribe.
The Land Moses Gave to Half the Manasseh Tribe
29Moses gave land east of the Jordan River to half of the clans from the Manasseh tribe. 30-31Their land started at Mahanaim and took in the region that King Og of Bashan had ruled, including Ashtaroth and Edrei, the two towns where he had lived. The villages where the Jair clan settled were part of Manasseh's land, and so was the northern half of the region of Gilead. The clans of this half of Manasseh had 60 towns in all.
The Manasseh tribe is sometimes called the Machir tribe, after Manasseh's son Machir.
32That was how Moses divided up the Moab Plains to the east of Jericho on the other side of the Jordan River, so these two and a half tribes would have land of their own. 33#Nu 18.20; Dt 18.2. But Moses did not give any land to the Levi tribe, because the Lord had promised that he would always provide for them.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Joshua 13
13
1 Joshua was old and advanced in age, and the Lord said to him: "You have grown old, and are aged, and a very wide land remains, which has not yet been divided by lot,
2 specifically, all of Galilee, Philistia, and all of Geshur;
3 from the muddy river, which irrigates Egypt, as far as the border of Ekron toward the north, the land of Canaan, which is divided among the rulers of Philistia: the Gazites, and the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gathites, and the Ekronites;
4 truly, to the south are the Hivites, all the land of Canaan, and Mearah of the Sidonians, as far as Aphek and the borders of the Amorite
5 and his confines; also, the region of Lebanon toward the east, from Baalgad, under mount Hermon, until you enter into Hamath;
6 all who live in the mountains from Lebanon, as far as the waters of Misrephoth, and all the Sidonians. I am the One who will wipe them out, before the face of the sons of Israel. Therefore, let their land become a part of the inheritance of Israel, just as I have instructed you.
7 And now, divide the land as a possession to the nine tribes, and to the one half tribe of Manasseh."
8 With them, Reuben and Gad have possessed the land, which Moses, the servant of the Lord, delivered to them beyond the river Jordan, on the eastern side:
9 from Aroer, which is situated on the bank of the torrent Arnon and in the midst of the valley, and all the plains of Medeba, as far as Dibon;
10 and all the cities of Sihon, the king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, even to the borders of the sons of Ammon;
11 and Gilead, as well as the borders of Geshur and Maacati, and all of mount Hermon, and all of Bashan, as far as Salecah;
12 the entire kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned at Ashtaroth and Edrei, (he was among the last of the Rephaim). And Moses struck and destroyed them.
13 And the sons of Israel were not willing to destroy Geshur and Maacati, and so they have lived in the midst of Israel, even to the present day.
14 But to the tribe of Levi, he did not give a possession. Instead, the sacrifices and victims of the Lord, the God of Israel, these are his inheritance, just as he spoke to him.
15 Therefore, Moses gave a possession to the tribe of the sons of Reuben, according to their families.
16 And their border was from Aroer, which is situated on the bank of the torrent Arnon, and in the midst of the valley of the same torrent, with all the flatlands that lead to Medeba;
17 and Heshbon, and all their villages, which are in the plains; also Dibon, and Bamothbaal, and the town of Baalmeon,
18 and Jahaz, and Kedemoth, and Mephaath,
19 and Kiriathaim, and Sibmah, and Zereth-shahar on the mountain of the steep valley;
20 Bethpeor, and the descending slopes of Pisgah, and Beth-jeshimoth;
21 and all the cities of the plain, and all the kingdoms of Sihon, the king of the Amorites, who reigned at Heshbon, whom Moses struck down with the leaders of Midian: Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, the commanders of Sihon, inhabitants of the land.
22 And the sons of Israel killed Balaam, the son of Beor, the seer, with the sword, along with the others who were slain.
23 And the river Jordan was made the border of the sons of Reuben; this is the possession of the Reubenites, by their families, in cities and villages.
24 And Moses gave to the tribe of Gad and his sons, by their families, a possession, of which this is the division:
25 the border of Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and one half part of the land of the sons of Ammon, as far as Aroer, which is opposite Rabbah;
26 and from Heshbon as far as Ramath, Mizpeh, and Betonim; and from Mahanaim as far as the borders of Debir;
27 also, in the valley Beth-haram and Beth-nimrah, and Succoth, and Zaphon, the remaining part of the kingdom of Sihon, the king of Heshbon; the limit of this also is the Jordan, as far as the furthest part of the sea of Chinnereth, beyond the Jordan on the eastern side.
28 This is the possession of the sons of Gad, by their families, in their cities and villages.
29 He also gave, to the one half tribe of Manasseh and to his sons, a possession according to their families,
30 the beginning of which is this: from Mahanaim, all of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Og, the king of Bashan, and all the villages of Jair, which are in Bashan, sixty towns;
31 and one half part of Gilead, and Ashtaroth, and Edrei, the cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, to the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, to one half part of the sons of Machir, according to their families.
32 Moses divided this possession, in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan, opposite Jericho on the eastern side.
33 But to the tribe of Levi he did not give a possession. For the Lord, the God of Israel, is himself their possession, just as he spoke to him.
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