Josua 18:11-19:48
The first lot came up for the tribe of Benjamin according to its clans. Their allotted territory lay between the tribes of Judah and Joseph:On the north side their boundary began at the Jordan, passed the northern slope of Jericho and headed west into the hill country, coming out at the wilderness of Beth Aven.From there it crossed to the south slope of Luz( that is, Bethel) and went down to Ataroth Addar on the hill south of Lower Beth Horon.From the hill facing Beth Horon on the south the boundary turned south along the western side and came out at Kiriath Baal( that is, Kiriath Jearim), a town of the people of Judah. This was the western side.The southern side began at the outskirts of Kiriath Jearim on the west, and the boundary came out at the spring of the waters of Nephtoah.The boundary went down to the foot of the hill facing the Valley of Ben Hinnom, north of the Valley of Rephaim. It continued down the Hinnom Valley along the southern slope of the Jebusite city and so to En Rogel.It then curved north, went to En Shemesh, continued to Geliloth, which faces the Pass of Adummim, and ran down to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben.It continued to the northern slope of Beth Arabah and on down into the Arabah.It then went to the northern slope of Beth Hoglah and came out at the northern bay of the Dead Sea, at the mouth of the Jordan in the south. This was the southern boundary.The Jordan formed the boundary on the eastern side. These were the boundaries that marked out the inheritance of the clans of Benjamin on all sides.The tribe of Benjamin, according to its clans, had the following towns: Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz,Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,Avvim, Parah, Ophrah,Kephar Ammoni, Ophni and Geba— twelve towns and their villages.Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,Mizpah, Kephirah, Mozah,Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah,Zelah, Haeleph, the Jebusite city( that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah and Kiriath— fourteen towns and their villages. This was the inheritance of Benjamin for its clans.The second lot came out for the tribe of Simeon according to its clans. Their inheritance lay within the territory of Judah.It included: Beersheba( or Sheba), Moladah,Hazar Shual, Balah, Ezem,Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah,Ziklag, Beth Markaboth, Hazar Susah,Beth Lebaoth and Sharuhen— thirteen towns and their villages;Ain, Rimmon, Ether and Ashan— four towns and their villages—and all the villages around these towns as far as Baalath Beer( Ramah in the Negev). This was the inheritance of the tribe of the Simeonites, according to its clans.The inheritance of the Simeonites was taken from the share of Judah, because Judah’s portion was more than they needed. So the Simeonites received their inheritance within the territory of Judah.The third lot came up for Zebulun according to its clans: The boundary of their inheritance went as far as Sarid.Going west it ran to Maralah, touched Dabbesheth, and extended to the ravine near Jokneam.It turned east from Sarid toward the sunrise to the territory of Kisloth Tabor and went on to Daberath and up to Japhia.Then it continued eastward to Gath Hepher and Eth Kazin; it came out at Rimmon and turned toward Neah.There the boundary went around on the north to Hannathon and ended at the Valley of Iphtah El.Included were Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah and Bethlehem. There were twelve towns and their villages.These towns and their villages were the inheritance of Zebulun, according to its clans.The fourth lot came out for Issachar according to its clans.Their territory included: Jezreel, Kesulloth, Shunem,Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath,Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez,Remeth, En Gannim, En Haddah and Beth Pazzez.The boundary touched Tabor, Shahazumah and Beth Shemesh, and ended at the Jordan. There were sixteen towns and their villages.These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Issachar, according to its clans.The fifth lot came out for the tribe of Asher according to its clans.Their territory included: Helkath, Hali, Beten, Akshaph,Allammelek, Amad and Mishal. On the west the boundary touched Carmel and Shihor Libnath.It then turned east toward Beth Dagon, touched Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtah El, and went north to Beth Emek and Neiel, passing Kabul on the left.It went to Abdon, Rehob, Hammon and Kanah, as far as Greater Sidon.The boundary then turned back toward Ramah and went to the fortified city of Tyre, turned toward Hosah and came out at the Mediterranean Sea in the region of Akzib,Ummah, Aphek and Rehob. There were twenty-two towns and their villages.These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Asher, according to its clans.The sixth lot came out for Naphtali according to its clans:Their boundary went from Heleph and the large tree in Zaanannim, passing Adami Nekeb and Jabneel to Lakkum and ending at the Jordan.The boundary ran west through Aznoth Tabor and came out at Hukkok. It touched Zebulun on the south, Asher on the west and the Jordan on the east.The fortified towns were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Kinnereth,Adamah, Ramah, Hazor,Kedesh, Edrei, En Hazor,Iron, Migdal El, Horem, Beth Anath and Beth Shemesh. There were nineteen towns and their villages.These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Naphtali, according to its clans.The seventh lot came out for the tribe of Dan according to its clans.The territory of their inheritance included: Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir Shemesh,Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah,Elon, Timnah, Ekron,Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath,Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon,Me Jarkon and Rakkon, with the area facing Joppa.( When the territory of the Danites was lost to them, they went up and attacked Leshem, took it, put it to the sword and occupied it. They settled in Leshem and named it Dan after their ancestor.)These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Dan, according to its clans. (niv)
Josua 17:1-13
This was the allotment for the tribe of Manasseh as Joseph’s firstborn, that is, for Makir, Manasseh’s firstborn. Makir was the ancestor of the Gileadites, who had received Gilead and Bashan because the Makirites were great soldiers.So this allotment was for the rest of the people of Manasseh— the clans of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher and Shemida. These are the other male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph by their clans.Now Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons but only daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah.They went to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders and said,“ The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our relatives.” So Joshua gave them an inheritance along with the brothers of their father, according to the Lord’s command.Manasseh’s share consisted of ten tracts of land besides Gilead and Bashan east of the Jordan,because the daughters of the tribe of Manasseh received an inheritance among the sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the descendants of Manasseh.The territory of Manasseh extended from Asher to Mikmethath east of Shechem. The boundary ran southward from there to include the people living at En Tappuah.( Manasseh had the land of Tappuah, but Tappuah itself, on the boundary of Manasseh, belonged to the Ephraimites.)Then the boundary continued south to the Kanah Ravine. There were towns belonging to Ephraim lying among the towns of Manasseh, but the boundary of Manasseh was the northern side of the ravine and ended at the Mediterranean Sea.On the south the land belonged to Ephraim, on the north to Manasseh. The territory of Manasseh reached the Mediterranean Sea and bordered Asher on the north and Issachar on the east.Within Issachar and Asher, Manasseh also had Beth Shan, Ibleam and the people of Dor, Endor, Taanach and Megiddo, together with their surrounding settlements( the third in the list is Naphoth).Yet the Manassites were not able to occupy these towns, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that region.However, when the Israelites grew stronger, they subjected the Canaanites to forced labor but did not drive them out completely. (niv)
