Land for Simeon

19 Then Joshua gave all the families in the family group of Simeon their share of the land. The land they got was inside the area that belonged to Judah. ²This is what they got: Beersheba (also called Sheba), Moladah, ³Hazar Shual, Balah, Ezem, ⁴Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, ⁵Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susah, ⁶Beth Lebaoth, and Sharuhen. There were 13 towns and all the fields around them. ⁷They also got the towns of Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan. There were four towns and all the fields around them. ⁸They also got all the fields around the cities as far as Baalath Beer (Ramah in the Negev). So that was the area that was given to the family group of Simeon. Each family got its land. ⁹Simeon’s share of land was within the area that Judah got. The people of Judah had more land than they needed, so the people of Simeon got part of their land.

Land for Zebulun

¹⁰The next family group that got their land was Zebulun. Each family in Zebulun got the land that was promised to them. The border of Zebulun went as far as Sarid. ¹¹Then the border went west to Maralah and just touched Dabbesheth. Then the border went along the ravine near Jokneam. ¹²Then the border turned to the east. It went from Sarid to Kisloth Tabor. Then the border went on to Daberath and to Japhia. ¹³Then the border continued to the east to Gath Hepher and Eth Kazin. The border ended at Rimmon. Then the border turned and went to Neah. ¹⁴At Neah the border turned again and went north to Hannathon and then continued to the Valley of Iphtah El. ¹⁵Inside this border were the cities of Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem. In all, there were twelve towns and all the fields around them. ¹⁶So these are the towns and fields around them that were given to Zebulun. Each family in Zebulun got its part of the land.

Land for Issachar

¹⁷The fourth part of the land was given to the family group of Issachar. Each family in that family group got its part of the land. ¹⁸This is the land that was given to that family group: Jezreel, Kesulloth, Shunem, ¹⁹Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, ²⁰Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez, ²¹Remeth, En Gannim, En Haddah, and Beth Pazzez. ²²The border of their land touched Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth Shemesh. The border stopped at the Jordan River. In all, there were 16 towns and the fields around them. ²³These cities and towns were part of the land that was given to the family group of Issachar. Each family got its part of the land.

Land for Asher

²⁴The fifth part of land was given to the family group of Asher. Each family in that family group got its part of the land. ²⁵This is the land that was given to that family group: Helkath, Hali, Beten, Acshaph, ²⁶Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal. The western border continued to Mount Carmel and Shihor Libnath. ²⁷Then the border turned to the east. The border went to Beth Dagon. The border touched Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtah El. Then the border went north of Beth Emek and Neiel. The border passed north of Cabul. ²⁸Then the border went to Abdon,* Rehob, Hammon, and Kanah. The border continued to the Greater Sidon area. ²⁹Then the border went back south to Ramah. The border continued to the strong city of Tyre. Then the border turned and went to Hosah. The border ended at the sea, near Aczib, ³⁰Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob. In all there were 22 towns and the fields around them. ³¹These cities and the fields around them were given to the family group of Asher. Each family in that family group got its share of the land.

Land for Naphtali

³²The sixth part of land was given to the family group of Naphtali. Each family in that family group got its share of the land. ³³The border of their land started at the large tree near Zaanannim. This is near Heleph. Then the border went through Adami Nekeb and Jabneel. The border continued to Lakkum and ended at the Jordan River. ³⁴Then the border went to the west through Aznoth Tabor. The border stopped at Hukkok. The southern border touched Zebulun and the western border touched Asher. The border went to Judah, at the Jordan River to the east. ³⁵There were some very strong cities inside these borders. Those cities were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Kinnereth, ³⁶Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, ³⁷Kedesh, Edrei, En Hazor, ³⁸Iron, Migdal El, Horem, Beth Anath, and Beth Shemesh. In all, there were 19 towns and all the fields around them. ³⁹These cities and the fields around them were given to the family group of Naphtali. Each family in that family group got its land.

Land for Dan

⁴⁰Then land was given to the family group of Dan. Each family in that family group got its land. ⁴¹This is the land that was given to them: Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir Shemesh, ⁴²Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah, ⁴³Elon, Timnah, Ekron, ⁴⁴Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, ⁴⁵Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon, ⁴⁶Me Jarkon, Rakkon, and the area near Joppa. ⁴⁷But the people of Dan had trouble taking their land. There were strong enemies there and the people of Dan could not easily defeat them. So the people of Dan went {to the northern part of Israel} and fought against Laish* They defeated Laish and killed the people who lived there. So the people of Dan lived in the town of Laish. They changed the name to Dan because that was the name of the father of their family group. ⁴⁸All of these cities and fields around them were given to the family group of Dan. Each family got its share of the land.

Land for Joshua

⁴⁹So the leaders finished dividing the land and giving it to the different family groups. After they finished, all the people of Israel decided to give Joshua son of Nun some land too. This was land that was promised to him. ⁵⁰The Lord had commanded that he get this land. So they gave Joshua the town of Timnath Serah* in the hill country of Ephraim. This was the town that Joshua told them he wanted. So Joshua built the town stronger and lived there. ⁵¹So all of these lands were given to the different family groups of Israel. Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders of each family group met together at Shiloh to divide the land. They met before the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent.* So they finished dividing the land.

Abdon Or, “Ebron.” Laish Or, “Leshem.” Timnath Serah Or, “Timnath Heres.” Meeting Tent The Holy Tent (tabernacle) where the people of Israel went to meet with God.

Cities of Safety

20 Then the Lord said to Joshua: ²“I used Moses to give you a command. Moses told you to choose cities to be special cities of safety. ³If any person kills another person, but it is an accident and he did not mean to kill that person, then he can go to a city of safety to hide from the relatives who want to kill him. ⁴“This is what that person must do. When he runs away and goes to one of those cities, he must stop at the entrance of the city. He must stand at the gate and tell the leaders of the people what happened. Then the leaders can allow him to enter the city. They will give him a place to live among them. ⁵But the man who is chasing that person might follow him to that city. If this happens, the leaders of the city must not give him up. They must protect the person who came to them for safety because he killed a person by accident. He was not angry and did not plan to kill the person. It was something that just happened. ⁶That person should stay in the city until he has been judged by the court in that city. And he should stay in that city until the time that the high priest dies. Then he can go back to his own home in the town he ran away from.” ⁷So the people of Israel chose some cities to be called “Cities of Safety.” These cities were: Kedesh in Galilee, in the hill country of Naphtali; Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim; Kiriath Arba (Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. ⁸Bezer, east of the Jordan River across from Jericho, in the desert area in the land of Reuben; Ramoth in Gilead in the land of Gad; Golan in Bashan in the land of Manasseh. ⁹Any Israelite or any foreigner living among them who killed someone accidentally was allowed to run away to one of those cities of safety. Then the person could be safe there and would not be killed by anyone who was chasing him. The person would be judged by the court in that city.