Bible Reading Plan – Day 64

₁After they had conquered the land, the entire community of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the Tent of the LORD's presence. ₂There were still seven tribes of the people of Israel who had not yet been assigned their share of the land. ₃So Joshua said to the people of Israel, “How long are you going to wait before you go in and take the land that the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has given you? ₄Let me have three men from each tribe. I will send them out over the whole country to map out the territory that they would like to have as their possession. Then they are to come back to me. ₅The land will be divided among them in seven parts; Judah will stay in its territory in the south, and Joseph in its territory in the north. ₆Write down a description of these seven divisions and bring it to me. Then I will draw lots to consult the LORD our God for you. ₇The Levites, however, will not receive a share of the land with the rest of you, because their share is to serve as the LORD's priests. And of course, the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and East Manasseh have already received their land east of the Jordan, which Moses, the LORD's servant, gave to them.”

₈The men went on their way to map out the land after Joshua had given them these instructions: “Go all over the land and map it out, and come back to me. And then here in Shiloh I will consult the LORD for you by drawing lots.” ₉So the men went all over the land and set down in writing how they divided it into seven parts, making a list of the towns. Then they went back to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh. ₁₀Joshua drew lots to consult the LORD for them, and assigned each of the remaining tribes of Israel a certain part of the land.

₁₁The territory belonging to the families of the tribe of Benjamin was the first to be assigned. Their land lay between the tribes of Judah and Joseph. ₁₂On the north their border began at the Jordan and then went up the slope north of Jericho and westwards through the hill country as far as the desert of Bethaven. ₁₃The border then went to the slope on the south side of Luz (also called Bethel), then down to Ataroth Addar, on the mountain south of Lower Beth Horon. ₁₄The border then went in another direction, turning south from the western side of this mountain and going to Kiriath Baal (or Kiriath Jearim), which belongs to the tribe of Judah. This was the western border. ₁₅The southern border started on the edge of Kiriath Jearim and went to the Springs of Nephtoah. ₁₆It then went down to the foot of the mountain that overlooks the Valley of Hinnom, at the north end of the Valley of Rephaim. It then went south through the Valley of Hinnom, south of the Jebusite ridge, towards Enrogel. ₁₇It then turned north to Enshemesh and then on to Geliloth, opposite Adummim Pass. The border then went down to the Stone of Bohan (Bohan was a son of Reuben) ₁₈and passed north of the ridge overlooking the Jordan Valley. It then went down into the valley, ₁₉passing north of the ridge of Beth Hoglah, and ended at the northern inlet on the Dead Sea, where the River Jordan empties into it. This was the southern border. ₂₀The Jordan was the eastern border. These were the borders of the land which the families of the tribe of Benjamin received as their possession.

₂₁The cities belonging to the families of the tribe of Benjamin were Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz, ₂₂Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, ₂₃Avvim, Parah, Ophrah, ₂₄Chepharammoni, Ophni, and Geba: twelve cities, along with the towns round them. ₂₅There were also Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, ₂₆Mizpah, Chephirah, Mozah, ₂₇Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, ₂₈Zela, Haeleph, Jebus (or Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Kiriath Jearim: fourteen cities, along with the towns round them. This is the land which the families of the tribe of Benjamin received as their possession.

₁The second assignment made was for the families of the tribe of Simeon. Its territory extended into the land assigned to the tribe of Judah. ₂It included Beersheba, Sheba, Moladah, ₃Hazar Shual, Balah, Ezem, ₄Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, ₅Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susah, ₆Beth Lebaoth, and Sharuhen: thirteen cities, along with the towns round them.

₇There were also Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan: four cities, along with the towns round them. ₈This included all the towns round these cities as far as Baalath Beer (or Ramah), in the south. This was the land which the families of the tribe of Simeon received as their possession. ₉Since Judah's assignment was larger than was needed, part of its territory was given to the tribe of Simeon.

₁₀The third assignment made was for the families of the tribe of Zebulun. The land which they received reached as far as Sarid. ₁₁From there the border went west to Mareal, touching Dabbesheth and the stream east of Jokneam. ₁₂On the other side of Sarid it went east to the border of Chisloth Tabor, then to Daberath and up to Japhia. ₁₃It continued east from there to Gath Hepher and Ethkazin, turning in the direction of Neah on the way to Rimmon. ₁₄On the north the border turned towards Hannathon, ending at the Valley of Iphtahel. ₁₅It included Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem: twelve cities, along with the towns round them. ₁₆These cities and their towns were in the land which the families of the tribe of Zebulun received as their possession.

₁₇The fourth assignment made was for the families of the tribe of Issachar. ₁₈Its area included Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem, ₁₉Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, ₂₀Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez, ₂₁Remeth, Engannim, Enhaddah, and Bethpazzez. ₂₂The border also touched Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth Shemesh, ending at the Jordan. It included sixteen cities along with the towns round them. ₂₃These cities and their towns were in the land which the families of the tribe of Issachar received as their possession.

₂₄The fifth assignment made was for the families of the tribe of Asher. ₂₅Its area included Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph, ₂₆Allam Melech, Amad, and Mishal. On the west it touched Carmel and Shihor Libnath. ₂₇As it turned east, the border went to Bethdagon, touching Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtahel on the way north to Bethemek and Neiel. It continued north to Cabul, ₂₈Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, and Kanah, as far as Sidon. ₂₉The border then turned to Ramah, reaching the fortified city of Tyre; then it turned to Hosah and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. It included Mahalab, Achzib, ₃₀Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob: 22 cities, along with the towns round them. ₃₁These cities and their towns were in the land which the families of the tribe of Asher received as their possession.

₃₂The sixth assignment made was for the families of the tribe of Naphtali. ₃₃Its border went from Heleph to the oak in Zaanannim, on to Adaminekeb and to Jamnia, as far as Lakkum, and ended at the Jordan. ₃₄There the border turned west to Aznoth Tabor, from there to Hukkok, touching Zebulun on the south, Asher on the west, and the Jordan on the east. ₃₅The fortified cities were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth, ₃₆Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, ₃₇Kedesh, Edrei, Enhazor, ₃₈Yiron, Migdalel, Horem, Bethanath, and Beth Shemesh: nineteen cities, along with the towns round them. ₃₉These cities and their towns were in the land which the families of the tribe of Naphtali received as their possession.

₄₀The seventh assignment made was for the families of the tribe of Dan. ₄₁Its area included Zorah, Eshtaol, Irshemesh, ₄₂Shaalbim, Aijalon, Ithlah, ₄₃Elon, Timnah, Ekron, ₄₄Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, ₄₅Jehud, Beneberak, Gathrimmon, ₄₆Mejarkon, and Rakkon, as well as the territory round Joppa. ₄₇When the people of Dan lost their land, they went to Laish and attacked it. They captured it, killed its people, and claimed it for themselves. They settled there and changed the name of the city from Laish to Dan, naming it after their ancestor Dan. ₄₈These cities and their towns were in the land which the families of the tribe of Dan received as their possession.

₄₉When the people of Israel finished dividing up the land, they gave Joshua son of Nun a part of the land as his own. ₅₀As the LORD had commanded, they gave him the city he asked for: Timnath Serah, in the hill country of Ephraim. He rebuilt the city and settled there.

₅₁Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders of the families of the tribes of Israel assigned these parts of the land by drawing lots to consult the LORD at Shiloh, at the entrance of the Tent of the LORD's presence. In this way they finished dividing the land.

₁Then the LORD told Joshua ₂to say to the people of Israel, “Choose the cities of refuge that I commanded Moses to tell you about. ₃A person who kills someone accidentally can go there and escape the one who is looking for revenge. ₄He or she can run away to one of these cities, go to the place of judgement at the entrance to the city, and explain to the leaders what happened. Then they will let him or her into the city and give them a place to live in, so that they can stay there. ₅If the one looking for revenge follows them there, the people of the city must not hand them over to them. They must protect them because they killed the person accidentally and not out of anger. ₆They may stay in the city until they have received a public trial and until the death of the man who is then the High Priest. Then they may go back home to their own town, from which they had run away.”

₇So, on the west side of the Jordan they set aside Kedesh in Galilee, in the hill country of Naphtali; Shechem, in the hill country of Ephraim; and Hebron, in the hill country of Judah. ₈East of the Jordan, on the desert plateau east of Jericho, they chose Bezer in the territory of Reuben; Ramoth in Gilead, in the territory of Gad; and Golan in Bashan, in the territory of Manasseh. ₉These were the cities of refuge chosen for all the people of Israel and for any foreigner living among them. Anyone who killed a person accidentally could find protection there from the one looking for revenge; no one could be killed without first receiving a public trial.

₁The leaders of the Levite families went to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and to the heads of the families of all the tribes of Israel. ₂There at Shiloh in the land of Canaan they said to them, “The LORD commanded through Moses that we were to be given cities to live in, as well as pasture land round them for our livestock.” ₃So in accordance with the LORD's command the people of Israel gave the Levites certain cities and pasture lands out of their own territories.

₄The families of the Levite clan of Kohath were the first to be assigned cities. The families who were descended from Aaron the priest were assigned thirteen cities from the territories of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. ₅The rest of the clan of Kohath was assigned ten cities from the territories of Ephraim, Dan, and West Manasseh.

₆The clan of Gershon was assigned thirteen cities from the territories of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and East Manasseh.

₇The families of the clan of Merari were assigned twelve cities from the territories of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.

₈By drawing lots, the people of Israel assigned these cities and their pasture lands to the Levites, as the LORD had commanded through Moses.

₉These are the names of the cities from the territories of Judah and Simeon which were given ₁₀to the descendants of Aaron who were of the clan of Kohath, which was descended from Levi. Their assignment was the first to be made. ₁₁They were given the city of Arba (Arba was Anak's father), now called Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, along with the pasture land surrounding it. ₁₂However, the fields of the city, as well as its towns, had already been given to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession.

₁₃In addition to Hebron (one of the cities of refuge), the following cities were assigned to the descendants of Aaron the priest: Libnah, ₁₄Jattir, Eshtemoa, ₁₅Holon, Debir, ₁₆Ain, Juttah, and Beth Shemesh, with their pasture lands: nine cities from the tribes of Judah and Simeon. ₁₇From the territory of Benjamin they were given four cities: Gibeon, Geba, ₁₈Anathoth, and Almon, with their pasture lands. ₁₉Thirteen cities in all, with their pasture lands, were given to the priests, the descendants of Aaron.

₂₀The other families of the Levite clan of Kohath were assigned some cities from the territory of Ephraim. ₂₁They were given four cities: Shechem and its pasture lands in the hill country of Ephraim (one of the cities of refuge), Gezer, ₂₂Kibzaim, and Beth Horon, with their pasture lands. ₂₃From the territory of Dan they were given four cities: Eltekeh, Gibbethon, ₂₄Aijalon, and Gathrimmon, with their pasture lands. ₂₅From the territory of West Manasseh they were given two cities: Taanach and Gathrimmon, with their pasture lands. ₂₆These families of the clan of Kohath received ten cities in all, with their pasture lands.

₂₇Another group of Levites, the clan of Gershon, received from the territory of East Manasseh two cities: Golan in Bashan (one of the cities of refuge) and Beeshterah, with their pasture lands. ₂₈From the territory of Issachar they received four cities: Kishion, Daberath, ₂₉Jarmuth, and Engannim, with their pasture lands. ₃₀From the territory of Asher they received four cities: Mishal, Abdon, ₃₁Helkath, and Rehob, with their pasture lands. ₃₂From the territory of Naphtali they received three cities: Kedesh in Galilee, with its pasture lands (one of the cities of refuge), Hammoth Dor, and Kartan, with their pasture lands. ₃₃The various families of the clan of Gershon received a total of thirteen cities with their pasture lands.

₃₄The rest of the Levites, the clan of Merari, received from the territory of Zebulun four cities: Jokneam, Kartah, ₃₅Dimnah, and Nahalal, with their pasture lands. ₃₆From the territory of Reuben they received four cities: Bezer, Jahaz, ₃₇Kedemoth, and Mephaath, with their pasture lands. ₃₈From the tribe of Gad they received four cities: Ramoth in Gilead, with its pasture lands (one of the cities of refuge), Mahanaim, ₃₉Heshbon, and Jazer, with their pasture lands. ₄₀So the clan of Merari was assigned a total of twelve cities.

_41-42From the land that the people of Israel possessed, a total of 48 cities, with the pasture lands round them, was given to the Levites.

₄₃So the LORD gave to Israel all the land that he had solemnly promised their ancestors he would give them. When they had taken possession of it, they settled down there. ₄₄The LORD gave them peace throughout the land, just as he had promised their ancestors. Not one of all their enemies had been able to stand against them, because the LORD gave the Israelites the victory over all their enemies. ₄₅The LORD kept every one of the promises that he had made to the people of Israel.