Catholic Public Domain Version

1 This is what the sons of Israel possessed in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar, the priest, and Joshua, the son of Nun, and the leaders of the families, by the tribes of Israel, gave to them,

2 dividing all by lot, just as the Lord had instructed by the hand of Moses, to the nine tribes and to the one half tribe.

3 For to the two and one half tribes, Moses had given a possession beyond the Jordan, aside from the Levites, who received no land among their brothers.

4 For by succession, the sons of Joseph, in their place, were divided into two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. But the Levites did not receive another portion of land, except cities in which to live, and their suburbs, so as to feed their beasts of burden and cattle.

5 Just as the Lord had commanded Moses, so the sons of Israel did, and they divided the land.

6 And so, the sons of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal. And Caleb, the son of Jephone, the Kenizzite, spoke to him: “You know what the Lord said to Moses, the man of God, at Kadesh-barnea, about me and you.

7 I was forty years old when Moses, the servant of the Lord, sent me from Kadesh-barnea, so that I might consider the land. And I reported to him what seemed to me to be true.

8 But my brothers, who had ascended with me, broke the heart of the people. And I nevertheless followed the Lord my God.

9 And Moses swore, on that day, saying: ‘The land that your foot has tread upon shall be your possession, and that of your sons, unto eternity. For you have followed the Lord my God.’

10 Therefore, the Lord has granted life to me, just as he promised, even to the present day. It has been forty-five years since the Lord spoke this word to Moses, when Israel was wandering through the wilderness. Today, I am eighty-five years old,

11 being just as strong as I was at that time, when I was sent to explore the land. The fortitude in me at that time continues even until today, as much to fight as to march.

12 Therefore, grant to me this mountain, which the Lord has promised in your hearing also, on which are the Anakim, and cities, great and fortified. Perhaps it may be that the Lord will be with me, and I will be able to destroy them, just as he promised to me.”

13 And Joshua blessed him, and he delivered Hebron to him as a possession.

14 And from then on, Hebron was for Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, even to the present day. For he followed the Lord, the God of Israel.

15 Previously, the name Hebron was called Kiriath-Arba. Adam, the greatest among the Anakim, was laid there. And the land ceased from battles.

1 And so, the lot of the sons of Judah, by their families, was this: from the border of Edom, to the desert of Sin toward the south, and even to the furthest part of the southern region.

2 Its beginning was from the summit of the very salty sea, and from its bay, which looks toward the south.

3 And it extends toward the ascent of the Scorpion, and it passes on to Sinai. And it ascends into Kadesh-barnea, and it passes through to Hezron, ascending to Addar, and encompassing Karka.

4 And from there, it passes on to Azmon, and reaches to the torrent of Egypt. And its boundary shall be the great sea; this shall be the limit of the southern region.

5 Yet truly, toward the east, the beginning shall be the very salty sea, even to the limit of the Jordan, and that which looks toward the north, from the bay of the sea, even to the same river Jordan.

6 And the border ascends into Beth-hoglah, and it crosses from the north into Beth-Arabah, ascending to the stone of Bohan, the son of Reuben.

7 And it reaches as far as the borders of Debara, from the Valley of Achor, to the north, looking toward Gilgal, which is opposite the Ascent of Adummim, on the southern part of the torrent. And it crosses the waters that are called the Fountain of the Sun. And its exit shall be at the Fountain of Rogel.

8 And it ascends by the steep valley of the son of Hinnom, from the side of the Jebusite, toward the south; this is Jerusalem. And from there, it raises itself to the top of the mountain, which is opposite Geennom to the west, at the top of the Valley of the Rephaim, to the north.

9 And it passes through, from the top of the mountain, even to the fountain of the Water of Nephtoah. And it continues on, as far as the villages of mount Ephron. And it inclines toward Baalah, which is Kiriath-jearim, that is, the City of Forests.

10 And it circles from Baalah, to the west, as far as mount Seir. And it passes by the side of mount Jearim, to the north, into Chesalon. And it descends into Beth-shemesh, and it passes through to Timnah.

11 And it continues on, toward the north, to a region beside Ekron. And it inclines toward Shikkeron, and it crosses to mount Baalah. And it extends into Jabneel, and the last part closes at the west with the great sea.

12 These are the borders of the sons of Judah, in their families, on all sides.

13 Yet truly, to Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, he gave a portion in the midst of the sons of Judah, just as the Lord had instructed him: the City of Arba, the father of Anak, which is Hebron.

14 And Caleb destroyed from it the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, of the stock of Anak.

15 And ascending further from there, he came to the inhabitants of Debir, which before was called Kiriath-Sepher, that is, the City of Letters.

16 And Caleb said, “Whoever will have struck down Kiriath-Sepher, and will have seized it, I will give to him Achsah, my daughter, as wife.”

17 And Othniel, the son of Kenaz, the younger brother of Caleb, seized it. And he gave him Achsah, his daughter, as wife.

18 And as they were traveling together, she was urged by her husband that she ask her father for a field. And she sighed, as she was sitting on her donkey. And Caleb said to her, “What is it?”

19 But she answered: “Give a blessing to me. You have given to me a southern and dry land; join to it also a watered land.” And so Caleb gave to her the watered land above and below it.

20 This is the possession of the tribe of the sons of Judah, by their families.

21 And the cities, from the furthest parts of the sons of Judah, beside the borders of Edom to the south, were: Kabzeel and Eder and Jagur,

22 and Kinah and Dimonah and Adadah,

23 and Kadesh and Hazor and Ithnan,

24 Ziph and Telem and Bealoth,

25 new Hazor and Kerioth-Hezron, which is Hazor,

26 Amam, Shema, and Moladah,

27 and Hazar-gaddah and Heshmon and Bethpelet,

28 and Hazar-shual and Beersheba and Biziothiah,

29 and Baalah and Iim and Ezem,

30 and Eltolad and Chesil and Hormah,

31 and Ziklag and Madmannah and Sansannah,

32 Lebaoth and Shilhim, and Ain and Rimmon. All the cities were twenty-nine, and their villages.

33 Truly, in the plains, there were: Eshtaol and Zorah and Ashnah,

34 and Zanoah and Engannim, and Tappuah and Enam,

35 and Jarmuth and Adullam, Socoh and Azekah,

36 and Shaaraim and Adithaim, and Gederah and Gederothaim: fourteen cities, and their villages.

37 Zenan and Hadashah and Middalgad,

38 Dilean and Mizpeh and Joktheel,

39 Lachish and Bozkath and Eglon,

40 Cabbon and Lahmam and Chitlish,

41 and Gederoth and Bethdagon, and Naamah and Makkedah: sixteen cities, and their villages.

42 Libnah and Ether and Ashan,

43 Iphtah and Ashnah and Nezib,

44 and Keilah and Achzib and Mareshah: nine cities, and their villages.

45 Ekron, with its towns and villages:

46 from Ekron, as far as the sea, all that inclines toward Ashdod, and its villages.

47 Ashdod, with its towns and villages. Gaza, with its towns and villages, as far as the torrent of Egypt, with the great sea as its border.

48 And on the mountain, Shamir and Jattir and Socoh,

49 and Dannah, and Kiriath-Sannah, which is Debir,

50 Anab and Eshtemoh and Anim,

51 Goshen and Holon and Giloh: eleven cities, and their villages.

52 Arab and Dumah and Eshan,

53 and Janim and Beth-Tappuah and Aphekah,

54 Humtah and Kiriath-Arba, which is Hebron, and Zior: nine cities, and their villages.

55 Maon and Carmel, and Ziph and Juttah,

56 Jezreel and Jokdeam and Zanoah,

57 Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah: ten cities, and their villages.

58 Halhul and Bethzur and Gedor,

59 Maarath and Bethanoth and Eltekon: six cities, and their villages.

60 Kiriath-baal, which is Kiriath-jearim, the City of Forests, and Rabbah: two cities, and their villages.

61 In the desert: Beth-Arabah, Middin, and Secacah,

62 and Nibshan, and the City of Salt, and Engedi: six cities, and their villages.

63 But the sons of Judah were not able to destroy the Jebusite inhabitants of Jerusalem. And so the Jebusite lived with the sons of Judah in Jerusalem, even to the present day.

1 Similarly, the lot of the sons of Joseph fell from the Jordan, opposite Jericho and its waters, to the east, to the wilderness that ascends from Jericho to the mountain of Bethel.

2 And it goes out from Bethel to Luz. And it crosses the border of Archi to Ataroth.

3 And it descends to the west, beside the border of Japhleti, as far as the borders of lower Beth-horon, and to Gezer. And the last parts of its regions are by the great sea.

4 And Manasseh and Ephraim, the sons of Joseph, possessed it.

5 And the border of the sons of Ephraim was made by their families. And their possession toward the east was from Ataroth-addar, as far as upper Beth-horon,

6 and the confines extend to the sea. Yet truly, Michmethath looks toward the north, and it circles around the borders, toward the east, into Taanath-shiloh. And it continues on, from the east, to Janoah.

7 And it descends from Janoah to Ataroth and Naarah. and it continues to Jericho, and it extends to the Jordan.

8 From Tappuah, it passes on, opposite the sea, into the Valley of Reeds. And its exit is at the very salty sea. This is the possession of the tribe of the sons of Ephraim, by their families.

9 And there were cities, with their villages, which were set aside for the sons of Ephraim, in the midst of the possession of the sons of Manasseh.

10 And the sons of Ephraim did not put to death the Canaanite that was living at Gezer. And the Canaanite lived in the midst of Ephraim, even to this day, paying tribute.

1 Now this lot fell to the tribe of Manasseh, since he is the firstborn of Joseph: to Machir, the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, who was a fighting man, and he had as a possession Gilead and Bashan;

2 and to the rest of the sons of Manasseh, according to their families: to the sons of Abiezer, and to the sons of Helek, and to the sons of Asriel, and to the sons of Shechem, and to the sons of Hepher, and to the sons of Shemida. These are the sons of Manasseh, the son of Joseph, the males, by their families.

3 Yet truly, Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but only daughters, whose names are these: Mahlah and Noah and Hoglah and Milcah and Tirzah.

4 And they went before the sight of Eleazar, the priest, and Joshua, the son of Nun, and the leaders, saying: “The Lord instructed by the hand of Moses that a possession ought to be given to us, in the midst of our brothers.” And so, he gave to them, in accord with the order of the Lord, a possession in the midst of the brothers of their father.

5 And by lot, there fell ten portions to Manasseh, aside from the land of Gilead and Bashan beyond the Jordan.

6 And so the daughters of Manasseh possessed an inheritance in the midst of his sons. But the land of Gilead fell by lot to the sons of Manasseh that were left.

7 And the border of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethath, which looks out toward Shechem. And it goes out, to the right, beside the inhabitants of the Fountain of Tappuah.

8 For by lot, there also fell to Manasseh the land of Tappuah, which is beside the borders of Manasseh, and which belongs to the sons of Ephraim.

9 And the border descends to the Valley of Reeds, to the south of the torrent of the cities of Ephraim, which are in the midst of the cities of Manasseh. The border of Manasseh is to the north of the torrent, and its exit extends to the sea.

10 So it is that the possession of Ephraim is in the south, and that of Manasseh is in the north, and both are enclosed by the sea, and they are joined together by the tribe of Asher to the north, and by the tribe of Issachar to the east.

11 And the inheritance of Manasseh, in Issachar and in Asher, was Bethshean and its villages, and Ibleam with its villages, and the inhabitants of Dor, with their towns, likewise the inhabitants of Endor with their villages, and similarly the inhabitants of Taanach with their villages, and the inhabitants of Megiddo with their villages, and one third part of the city of Naphath.

12 The sons of Manasseh were not able to overthrow these cities, and so the Canaanite began to dwell in their land.

13 But after the sons of Israel had grown strong, they subdued the Canaanites, and made them their tributaries, but they did not kill them.

14 And the sons of Joseph spoke to Joshua, and they said, “Why have you given to me as a possession one lot and one portion, while I am of such a great multitude, and the Lord has blessed me?”

15 And Joshua said to them, “If you are a numerous people, go up into the forest, and cut out space for yourself in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the possession of mount Ephraim is too narrow for you.”

16 And the sons of Joseph responded to him: “We are not able to ascend to the mountains, since the Canaanites, who live in the plains, in which are situated Bethshean, with its villages, and Jezreel, possessing the middle of the valley, use chariots of iron.”

17 And Joshua said to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh: “You are a numerous people, and you have great strength. You shall not have only one lot.

18 Instead, you shall cross to the mountain, and you shall cut down and clear out for yourselves space in which to live. And you shall be able to advance further, when you will have destroyed the Canaanite, who, as you say, has iron chariots and is very strong.”

1 And all the sons of Israel gathered together at Shiloh, and there they stationed the Tabernacle of the Testimony. And the land was subjected to them.

2 But there remained seven tribes of the sons of Israel which had not yet received their possessions.

3 And Joshua said to them: “For how long will you draw back in idleness, and not enter to possess the land, which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given to you?

4 Select three men from each tribe, so that I may send them, and they may go forth and circle through the land, and may describe it according to the number of each multitude, and may bring back to me what they have written down.

5 Divide the land for yourselves into seven parts. Let Judah be its bounds on the southern side, and the house of Joseph to the north.

6 The land that is in the middle, between these, write it down in seven parts. And you shall come to me, so that I may cast lots for you about this, before the Lord your God.

7 But there is no portion among you for the Levites. Instead, the priesthood of the Lord is their inheritance. And Gad and Reuben, and the one half tribe of Manasseh, have already received their possessions beyond the Jordan in the eastern region, which Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave to them.”

8 And when the men had risen up, so that they might go out to describe the land, Joshua instructed them, saying, “Circle through the land, and describe it, and return to me, so that I may cast lots for you about this, before the Lord, in Shiloh.”

9 And so they went out. And surveying it, they divided it into seven parts, writing it in a book. And they returned to Joshua, to the camp at Shiloh.

10 And he cast lots before the Lord, at Shiloh, and he divided the land to the sons of Israel, in seven parts.

11 And the first lot went to the sons of Benjamin, by their families, so that they would possess the land between the sons of Judah and the sons of Joseph.

12 And their border toward the north was from the Jordan, continuing on, near the side of Jericho in the northern region, and from there, ascending toward the west to the mountains, and extending to the wilderness of Bethaven.

13 And it continues to the south beside Luz, which is Bethel. And it descends into Ataroth-addar, at the mountain which is to the south of lower Beth-horon.

14 And it turns aside, circling toward the sea, to the south of the mountain which looks out toward Beth-horon, toward the southwest. And its exits are toward Kiriath-baal, which is also called Kiriath-jearim, a city of the sons of Judah. This is their region, toward the sea, in the west.

15 But to the south, the border goes on from the part of Kiriath-jearim toward the sea, and it continues as far as the Fountain of the waters of Nephtoah.

16 And it descends to that part of the mountain which looks out toward the Valley of the sons of Hinnom. And it is opposite the northern region, in the furthest part of the Valley of the Rephaim. And it descends into Geennom, (that is, the Valley of Hinnom,) near the side of the Jebusite toward the south. And it extends to the Fountain of Rogel,

17 crossing from there to the north, and going out to En-Shemesh, that is, to the Fountain of the Sun.

18 And it passes through to the hills that are opposite the region of the Ascent of Adummim. And it descends to Abenboen, that is, so the stone of Bohan, the son of Reuben. And it continues on, at the northern side, to the plains. And it descends into the flatlands.

19 And it advances before Beth-hoglah, to the north. And its exits are to the north, opposite the bay of the very salty sea, in the southern region at the end of the Jordan,

20 which is its border to the east. This is the possession of the sons of Benjamin, with their borders all around, and by their families.

21 And their cities were: Jericho and Beth-hoglah and the Abrupt Valley,

22 Beth-arabah and Zemaraim and Bethel,

23 and Avvim and Parah and Ophrah,

24 the town of Ammoni, and Ophni, and Geba: twelve cities, and their villages;

25 Gibeon and Ramah and Beeroth,

26 and Mizpeh and Chephirah and Mozah,

27 and Rekem, Irpeel, and Taralah,

28 and Zela, Haeleph, and Jebus, which is Jerusalem, Gibeah and Kiriath: fourteen cities, and their villages. This is the possession of the sons of Benjamin, according to their families.

1 And the second lot went out, for the sons of Simeon by their families. And their inheritance was,

2 in the midst of the possession of the sons of Judah: Beersheba, and Sheba, and Moladah,

3 and Hazar-shual, Balah, and Ezem,

4 and Eltolad, Bethul, and Hormah,

5 and Ziklag, and Beth-marcaboth, and Hazar-susah,

6 and Bethlebaoth, and Sharuhen: thirteen cities, and their villages;

7 Ain and Enrimmon, and Ether and Ashan: four cities, and their villages;

8 all villages around these cities, as far as Baalath-beer, the high place facing the southern region. This is the inheritance of the sons of Simeon, according to their families,

9 within the possession and lot of the sons of Judah, which was greater. And for this reason, the sons of Simeon had a possession in the midst of their inheritance.

10 And the third lot fell to the sons of Zebulun, by their families; and the limit of their possession was set as far as Sarid.

11 And it ascends from the sea and from Mareal. And it passes on to Dabbesheth, as far as the torrent, which is opposite Jokneam.

12 And it turns back from Sarid, to the east, to the end of Chisloth-tabor. And it goes out to Daberath, and it ascends opposite Japhia.

13 And from there, it continues to the eastern region of Gathhepher and Ethkazin. And goes out to Rimmon, Amthar, and Neah.

14 And it circles to the north at Hannathon. And its exits are at the Valley of Iphtahel;

15 and Kattath and Nahalal, and Shimron and Idalah, and Bethlehem: twelve cities, and their villages.

16 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Zebulun, by their families, the cities and their villages.

17 The fourth lot went out to Issachar, by their families.

18 And his inheritance was: Jezreel, and Chesulloth, and Shunem,

19 and Hapharaim, and Shion, and Anaharath,

20 and Rabbith and Kishion, Ebez

21 and Remeth, and Engannim, and Enhaddah, and Bethpazzez.

22 And its limit reaches to Tabor and Shahazumah and Beth-shemesh; and its exits shall be at the Jordan: sixteen cities, and their villages.

23 This is the possession of the sons of Issachar by their families, the cities and their villages.

24 And the fifth lot fell to the tribe of the sons of Asher, by their families.

25 And their border was: Helkath, and Hali, and Beten, and Achshaph,

26 and Allammelech, and Amad, and Mishal. And it extends even to Carmel by the sea, and Shihor, and Libnath.

27 And it turns back toward the east at Bethdagon. And it continues on as far as Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtahel, toward the north, at Beth-emek and Neiel. And it goes out to the left of Cabul,

28 and to Ebron, and Rehob, and Hammon, and Kanah, as far as the great Sidon.

29 And it turns back at Ramah, even to the very fortified city of Tyre, and even to Hosah. And its exits shall be at the sea, from the lot of Achzib;

30 and Ummah, and Aphek, and Rehob: twenty-two cities, and their villages.

31 This is the possession of the sons of Asher, by their families, and the cities and their villages.

32 The sixth lot fell to the sons of Naphtali, by their families.

33 And its border begins from Heleph and Elon, into Zaanannim, and Adami, which is Nekeb, and Jabneel, as far as Lakkum. And its exits are as far as the Jordan.

34 And the border turns back to the west at Aznoth-tabor, and it goes out from there to Hukkok. And continues on to Zebulun, in the south, and to Asher, in the west, and to Judah, at the Jordan, toward the rising of the sun.

35 And the most fortified cities are Ziddim, Zer and Hammath, and Rakkath, and Chinnereth,

36 and Adamah and Ramah, Hazor

37 and Kedesh and Edrei, Enhazor

38 and Yiron and Migdalel, Horem and Bethanath, and Beth-shemesh: nineteen cities, and their villages.

39 This is the possession of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali, by their families, the cities and their villages.

40 The seventh lot went out to the tribe of the sons of Dan, by their families.

41 And the border of their possession was Zorah, and Eshtaol, and Ir-shemesh, that is, the City of the Sun,

42 Sha-alabbin, and Aijalon, and Ithlah,

43 Elon, and Timnah, and Ekron,

44 Eltekeh, Gibbethon and Baalath,

45 and Jehud, and Bene and Berak, and Gath-Rimmon,

46 and Mejarkon and Rakkon, with a border that looks toward Joppa,

47 and there the last part is concluded. And the sons of Dan ascended and fought against Leshem, and they seized it. And they struck it with the mouth of the sword, and they possessed it, and they lived in it, calling it by the name of Leshem-Dan, according to the name of their father Dan.

48 This is the possession of the tribe of the sons of Dan, by their families, the cities and their villages.

49 And when he had completed dividing the land by lot to each one by their tribes, the sons of Israel gave a possession to Joshua, the son of Nun, in their midst,

50 in accord with the precept of the Lord, the city he requested, Timnath-Serah, on mount Ephraim. And he built up the city, and he lived in it.

51 These are the possessions which Eleazar, the priest, and Joshua, the son of Nun, and the leaders of the families and tribes of the sons of Israel divided by lot at Shiloh, before the Lord, at the door of the Tabernacle of the Testimony. And so did they divide the land.

1 And the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying: “Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them:

2 Separate the cities of refuge, about which I spoke to you by the hand of Moses,

3 so that anyone who will have struck down a life unintentionally may flee to them. And so, he may be able to escape from the wrath of a close relative, who is an avenger of blood.

4 And when he will have fled to one of these cities, he shall stand before the gate of the city, and he shall speak to the ancients of that city, the things that prove him innocent. And so shall they receive him, and give him a place in which to live.

5 And if the avenger of blood will have pursued him, they shall not deliver him into his hands. For he struck down his neighbor unknowingly, one who was not proven to have been his enemy two or three days before.

6 And he shall live in that city, until he stands before judgment in order to render the facts of his case, and until the death of the high priest, whoever it will be in that time. Then the one who killed a man may return, and he may enter his own city and house, from which he had fled.”

7 And they decreed Kedesh in Galilee, at mount Naphtali, and Shechem, at mount Ephraim, and Kiriath-Arba, which is Hebron, at mount Judah.

8 And beyond the Jordan, opposite the eastern side of Jericho, they appointed Bezer, which is situated on the plain of the wilderness of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan of the tribe of Manasseh.

9 These cities were established for all the sons of Israel, and for the new arrivals who were living among them, so that whoever had struck down a life unintentionally might flee to these, and not die at the hand of a close relative who desires to vindicate the blood that was shed, until he should stand before the people, in order to present his case.

1 And the leaders of the families of Levi approached Eleazar, the priest, and Joshua, the son of Nun, and the rulers of the extended families of each of the tribes of the sons of Israel.

2 And they spoke to them at Shiloh, in the land of Canaan, and they said, “The Lord instructed, by the hand of Moses, that cities should be given to us as habitations, with their suburbs to nourish our cattle.”

3 And so the sons of Israel gave cities and their suburbs from their possessions, in accord with the order of the Lord.

4 And the lot went out for the family of Kohath, of the sons of Aaron, the priest, from the tribes of Judah and Simeon and Benjamin: thirteen cities.

5 And to the remainder of the sons of Kohath, that is, to the Levites who were left over, there went, from the tribes of Ephraim and Dan, and from the one half tribe of Manasseh, ten cities.

6 And next the lot went out to the sons of Gershon, so that they would receive, from the tribes of Issachar and Asher and Naphtali, and from the one half tribe of Manasseh at Bashan: the number of thirteen cities.

7 And to the sons of Merari, by their families, from the tribes of Reuben and Gad and Zebulun, there went twelve cities.

8 And so the sons of Israel gave cities and their suburbs to the Levites, just as the Lord instructed by the hand of Moses, distributing to each by lot.

9 From the tribes of the sons of Judah and Simeon, Joshua gave cities, whose names are these:

10 to the sons of Aaron, of the families of Kohath of the stock of Levi, (for the first lot went out for them,)

11 the city of Arba, the father of Anak, which is called Hebron, on the mountain of Judah, and its surrounding suburbs.

12 Yet truly, the fields and its villages he had given to Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, as a possession.

13 Therefore, he gave to the sons of Aaron the priest, Hebron as a city of refuge, as well as its suburbs, and Libnah, with its suburbs,

14 and Jattir, and Eshtemoa,

15 and Holon, and Debir,

16 and Ain, and Juttah, and Beth-shemesh, with their suburbs: nine cities from two tribes, just as has been said.

17 Then, from the tribe of the sons of Benjamin, he gave Gibeon, and Geba,

18 and Anathoth, and Almon, with their suburbs: four cities.

19 All the cities together of the sons of Aaron, the priest, were thirteen, with their suburbs.

20 Yet truly, the remainder of the families of the sons of Kohath, of the stock of Levi, were given this possession:

21 from the tribe of Ephraim, Shechem, one of the cities of refuge, with its suburbs, on mount Ephraim, and Gezer,

22 and Kibzaim, and Beth-horon, with their suburbs, four cities;

23 and from the tribe of Dan, Elteke and Gibbethon,

24 and Aijalon and Gath-Rimmon, with their suburbs, four cities;

25 then, from the one half tribe of Manasseh, Taanach and Gath-Rimmon, with their suburbs, two cities.

26 All the cities were ten, with their suburbs; these were given to the sons of Kohath, of the lesser degree.

27 Likewise, to the sons of Gershon, of the stock of Levi, from the one half tribe of Manasseh, went Golan in Bashan, one of the cities of refuge, and Bosra, with their suburbs, two cities;

28 also, from the tribe of Issachar, Kishion, and Daberath,

29 and Jarmuth, and Engannim, with their suburbs, four cities;

30 then, from the tribe of Asher, Mishal and Abdon,

31 and Helkath and Rehob, with their suburbs, four cities;

32 likewise, from the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee, one of the cities of refuge, and Hammoth-Dor, and Kartan, with their suburbs, three cities.

33 All the cities of the families of Gershon were thirteen, with their suburbs.

34 Then, to the sons of Merari, Levites of the lesser degree, by their families, were given, from the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam and Kartah,

35 and Dimnah and Nahalal, four cities with their suburbs;

36 from the tribe of Reuben, beyond the Jordan, opposite Jericho, Bezer in the wilderness, one of the cities of refuge, Misor and Jazer, and Jethson and Mephaath, four cities with their suburbs;

37 from the tribe of Gad, Ramoth of Gilead, one of the cities of refuge, and Mahanaim and Heshbon and Jazer, four cities with their suburbs.

38 All the cities of the sons of Merari, by their families and extended families, were twelve.

39 And so all the cities of the Levites, in the midst of the possession of the sons of Israel, were forty-eight,

40 with their suburbs, each distributed by families.

41 And the Lord God gave to Israel all the land that he had sworn he would deliver to their fathers. And they possessed it, and they lived in it.

42 And he gave them peace with all the surrounding nations. And none of their enemies dared to stand against them; instead, they were brought under their sovereignty.

43 Indeed, not so much as one word that he had promised to provide for them was left empty; instead, everything was fulfilled.

1 In the same time, Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the one half tribe of Manasseh.

2 And he said to them: “You have done all that Moses, the servant of the Lord, instructed you. You have also obeyed me in all things.

3 Neither have you forsaken your brothers during this long time, even to the present day, keeping the orders of the Lord your God.

4 Therefore, since the Lord your God has given your brothers peace and quiet, just as he promised: return, and go into your tents and into the land of your possession, which Moses, the servant of the Lord, delivered to you beyond the Jordan.

5 And may you continue to observe attentively, and to work to fulfill, the commandment and the law that Moses, the servant of the Lord, instructed to you, so that you may love the Lord your God, and walk in all his ways, and keep all his commandments, and cling to him, and serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

6 And Joshua blessed them, and he sent them away. And they returned to their tents.

7 Now to the one half tribe of Manasseh, Moses had given a possession in Bashan. And therefore, to the one half that was left over, Joshua gave a lot among the remainder of their brothers across the Jordan, in the western region. And when he had blessed them and dismissed them to their tents,

8 he said to them: “Return to your settlements with much substance and wealth, with silver and gold, brass and iron, and a multitude of garments. Divide the spoils of your enemies with your brothers.”

9 And the sons of Reuben, and the sons of Gad, and the one half tribe of Manasseh returned, and they went away from the sons of Israel at Shiloh, which is situated in Canaan, so that they might enter into Gilead, the land of their possession, which they had obtained according to the order of the Lord, by the hand of Moses.

10 And when they had arrived at the hills of the Jordan in the land of Canaan, they built an altar of immense magnitude beside the Jordan.

11 And when the sons of Israel had heard of it, and certain messengers had reported to them that the sons of Reuben, and of Gad, and of the one half tribe of Manasseh had built an altar in the land of Canaan, upon the hills of the Jordan, facing the sons of Israel,

12 they all assembled at Shiloh, so that they might go up and battle against them.

13 And in the interim, they sent to them, in the land of Gilead, Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the priest,

14 and ten leaders with him, one from each tribe.

15 And they went to the sons of Reuben, and of Gad, and of the one half tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they said to them:

16 “All the people of the Lord declare this: What is this transgression? Why have you forsaken the Lord, the God of Israel, by building a sacrilegious altar, and by withdrawing from the worship of him?

17 Is it a small thing to you that you have sinned with Baal of Peor, and that the stain of that crime continues among us, even to the present day? And many of the people have fallen.

18 And yet you have forsaken the Lord today, and tomorrow his wrath will rage against all of Israel.

19 But if you consider the land of your possession to be unclean, cross over to the land in which is the tabernacle of the Lord, and live among us. But do not withdraw from the Lord, and from our fellowship, by building an altar contrary to the altar of the Lord our God.

20 Did not Achan, the son of Zerah, go against the commandment of the Lord, and so his wrath was laid over all the people of Israel? And he was only one man. If only he had perished in his wickedness alone!”

21 And the sons of Reuben, and of Gad, and of the one half tribe of Manasseh responded to the leaders of the delegation from Israel:

22 “The Lord, the almighty God, the Lord, the almighty God, he knows, and also Israel will understand: If we have constructed this altar with intent of transgression, let him not preserve us, but instead punish us immediately.

23 And if we have acted with a mind so that we might present upon it holocausts, and sacrifice, and victims of peace offerings, let him inquire and judge.

24 Instead, we have acted with this greater thought and design, that we would say: Tomorrow your sons will say to our sons: ‘What is there between you and the Lord, the God of Israel?

25 The Lord has stationed the river Jordan as the border between us and you, O sons of Reuben, O sons of Gad. And therefore, you have no part in the Lord.’ And by this occasion, your sons would turn away our sons from the fear of the Lord. And so we sought something better,

26 and we said: Let us build us an altar, not for holocausts, and not to offer victims,

27 but as a testimony between us and you, and between our descendents and your progeny, so that we may serve the Lord, and so that it may be our right to offer holocausts, and victims, and peace offerings, and so that tomorrow your sons may not say to our sons: ‘You have no part in the Lord.’

28 And if they decide to say this, they shall respond to them: ‘Behold, the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for holocausts, and not for sacrifice, but instead as a testimony between us and you.’

29 May this wickedness be far from us, such that we would withdraw from the Lord, and would forsake his paths, by constructing an altar to offer holocausts, and sacrifices, and victims, contrary to the altar of the Lord our God, which was built before his tabernacle.”

30 And when Phinehas, the priest, and the leaders of the delegation who were with him, had heard this, they were pleased. And they accepted very willingly the words of the sons of Reuben, and of Gad, and of the one half tribe of Manasseh.

31 And Phinehas, the priest, the son of Eleazar, said to them: “Now we know that the Lord is with us. For you are a stranger to this transgression. And so you have freed the sons of Israel from the hand of the Lord.”

32 And he returned with the leaders, from the sons of Reuben and of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, into the parts of Canaan, to the sons of Israel. And he reported to them.

33 And the word pleased all who heard it. And the sons of Israel praised God, and they no longer said that they would go up against them, and fight, and destroy the land of their possession.

34 And the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad called the altar that they had built: Our testimony that the Lord himself is God.

1 Now a long time passed, after the Lord had given peace to Israel by subjecting all the surrounding nations. And Joshua was now old and very advanced in age.

2 Joshua called all of Israel, and those greater by birth, and the leaders and rulers and teachers, and he said to them: “I am elderly and advanced in age.

3 And you yourselves discern all that the Lord your God has done with all the surrounding nations, in what manner he himself has fought for you.

4 And now, since he has divided to you by lot all the land, from the eastern part of the Jordan even to the great sea, and yet many nations still remain,

5 the Lord your God will destroy them, and he will take them away before your face, and you shall possess the land, just as he has promised you.

6 Even so, be strengthened and be careful that you observe all the things that have been written in the book of the law of Moses, and that you do not turn aside from them, neither to the right, nor to the left.

7 Otherwise, after you have entered to the Gentiles, who will be among you in the future, you might swear by the name of their gods, and serve them, and adore them.

8 Instead, cling to the Lord your God, just as you have done even to this day.

9 And then the Lord God will take away, in your sight, nations that are great and very robust, and no one will be able to withstand you.

10 One of you shall pursue a thousand men of the enemies. For the Lord your God himself will fight on your behalf, just as he promised.

11 Even so, be very diligent and careful in this: that you love the Lord your God.

12 But if you choose to cling to the errors of these nations that live among you, and to mix with them by marriage, and to join with them by friendship,

13 even now, know this: that the Lord your God will not wipe them away before your face. Instead, they shall be a pit and a snare to you, and a stumbling block at your side, and stakes in your eyes, until he takes you away and scatters you from this excellent land, which he has delivered to you.

14 Lo, today I am entering the way of the entire earth, and you shall know with all your mind that, out of all the words that the Lord has promised to fulfill for you, not one will pass by unfulfilled.

15 Therefore, just as he has fulfilled in deed what he has promised, and all prosperous things have arrived, so will he bring upon you whatever evils were threatened, until he takes you away and scatters you from this excellent land, which he has delivered to you,

16 when you will have transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God, which he has formed with you, and will have served strange gods, and will have adored them. And then the fury of the Lord will rise up quickly and speedily against you, and you will be taken away from this excellent land, which he has delivered to you.”