Joshua 15

₁They drew_lots for the families of the Judah tribe and they gave them the land as far south as the Zin desert next to the border of Edom. ₂The border of Judah in the south begins at the southern end of the Salt Sea ₃and from there the border goes south of Scorpion Pass to the town of Zin, then the border goes up to a place south of the town of Kadesh-Barnea, past the town of Hezron. From there the border goes up to the town of Addar and then it turns to the town of Karka. ₄From there the border goes past the town of Azmon and then goes along the Egypt stream to the sea. This is the southern border of the land_of_Judah. ₅The eastern border of Judah is the Salt Sea up to where the Jordan River flows into the Salt Sea. The northern border begins where the Jordan River flows into the Salt Sea. ₆From there it goes up to the town of Beth-Hoglah, north of Beth-Arabah and it goes up to the stone of Bohan, son of Reuben. ₇From there the border goes to the Achor Valley and Debir, then it turns north to Gilgal on the other side of the Adummim Pass, south of the valley to En-Shemesh and En-Rogel. ₈It goes over the Ben-Hinnom Valley to the south of Mount Jebusite, that is Jerusalem. Then it goes up to the top of the hill, west of the Hinnom Valley north of the Rephaim Valley. ₉From the top of the hill the border goes to the Nephtoah Fountain and then to the towns on Mount Ephron. From there, it goes to Baalah, which is Kiriath-Jearim. ₁₀From Baalah the northern border goes to the Seir Mountain and then to the northern side of Mount Jearim, that is Kesalon. Then it goes to Beth-Shemesh past Timnah. ₁₁It goes north of Ekron, then it turns to Shikkeron and then to Mount Baalah. From there it goes to Jabneel and the border ends at the big sea. ₁₂The big sea is the western border of the land_of_Judah. The people of the Judah tribe stayed between these borders.

₁₃Joshua gave land to Caleb, son of Jephunneh, among the people of Judah because God had told him to. Joshua gave Caleb the city of Hebron. In that time Hebron had another name. Its name was Kiriath-Arba, because Arba was the most important forefather of the Anakite people.

₁₄Caleb chased the Anakite people away from Hebron. He also chased the Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai people away. They were descendants of Anak. ₁₅Caleb then went to the town of Debir, which is Kiriath-Sepher. ₁₆Caleb said: ‘The man who wins and takes the town of Kiriath-Sepher can marry my daughter, Aksah.’

₁₇Othniel, son of Kenaz, brother of Caleb, defeated the town of Kiriath-Sepher. Caleb gave his daughter, Aksah, to Othniel to be his wife. ₁₈After she married him, she said he must ask her father for land and when she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her: ‘What can I do for you?’ ₁₉She answered and said: ‘Please give me some good land. You gave me land in the Negev, but now can you please give me some land with water?’ Then Caleb gave her land with fountains in the hills and the valleys.

₂₀This is the land that Joshua gave to the families of the Judah tribes: ₂₁The towns in the Negev near the border with the land of Edom were Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, ₂₂Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, ₂₃Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, ₂₄Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, ₂₅Hazor-Hadattah, Kerioth-Hezron, which is Hazor, ₂₆Amam, Shema, Moladah, ₂₇Hazar-Gaddah, Heshmon, Beth-Pelet, ₂₈Hazar-Shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah, ₂₉Baalah, Iyim, Ezem, ₃₀Eltolad, Kesil, Hormah, ₃₁Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, ₃₂Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain and Rimmon. There were 29 towns with their villages.

₃₃In the lowlands there were Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, ₃₄Zanoah, En-Gannim, Tappuah, Enam, ₃₅Jarmuth, Adullam, Sokoh, Azekah, ₃₆Shaaraim, Adithaim, Gederah and Gederothaim. There were 14 towns with their villages. ₃₇They also got these towns: Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal-Gad, ₃₈Dilean, Mizpah, Joktheel, ₃₉Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, ₄₀Kabbon, Lahmas, Kitlish, ₄₁Gederoth, Beth-Dagon, Naamah and Makkedah. There were 16 towns with their villages. ₄₂The Judah tribe also got these towns: Libnah, Ether, Ashan, ₄₃Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, ₄₄Keilah, Akzib and Mareshah. There were 9 towns with their villages. ₄₅The other towns that Joshua gave them were near the big sea. They were Ekron with the villages near the town, ₄₆the towns west of Ekron near Ashdod and the land around the towns.

₄₇The Judah tribe got Ashdod and the villages, and also Ekron and the villages and the small towns. West of Ekron they got all the towns near Ashdod with their villages and the small towns, and Gaza with the villages and small towns up to the Egypt stream and the places next to the big sea.

₄₈In the hill_country they got Shamir, Jattir, Sokoh, ₄₉Dannah, Kiriath-Sannah, which is Debir, ₅₀Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, ₅₁Goshen, Holon and Giloh. There were 11 towns with their villages.

₅₂There were also these towns: Arab, Dumah, Eshan, ₅₃Janim, Beth-Tappuah, Aphekah, ₅₄Humtah, Kiriath-Arba that is Hebron, and Zior. There were 9 towns with land around the towns. ₅₅There were also Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, ₅₆Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, ₅₇Kain, Gibeah and Timnah. ₅₈There were 10 towns with their villages.

There were also Halhul, Beth-Zur, Gedor, ₅₉Maarath, Beth-Anoth and Eltekon. There were 6 towns with their villages.

Then Joshua gave the Judah tribe these towns: Tekoa, Ephrath, which is Bethlehem, Peor, Etam, Culon, Tatam, Sores, Kerem, Gallim, Bether and Manahath,

₆₀and also Kiriath-Baal, which is Kiriath-Jearim and Rabbah. ₆₁In the desert there were Beth-Arabah, Middin, Sekakah, ₆₂Nibshan, Salt-City and En-Gedi. There were 6 towns with their villages.

₆₃The people of Judah could not defeat the Jebusite people, the people of Jerusalem, and chase them away. They still live there with the people of Judah.