Joshua 18

At Shiloh, Joshua and the priests cast lots for the land for the last 7 tribes.
 

The Lord's tabernacle The Israelites moved the tabernacle to different places when they lived in the wilderness desert.  Now they set up the tabernacle at Shiloh. A hill at Shiloh (photo from BiblePlaces.com)

After the Israelites won the wars and got all of the land, they had a meeting at the place called Shiloh. Then they set up the Lord's special place, the tabernacle.
[1] And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them.


There were 7 tribes that did not have any land yet.
[2] And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet received their inheritance.


Joshua talked to the 7 tribes.  He asked them how long they would wait until they would take their land. The Lord God promised the land to their ancestors.
[3] And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you?

Joshua told each tribe to pick 3 men.  Joshua will send the men into the rest of Canaan. They will travel though the land. They will measure it and divide it for the 7 tribes. They will make maps. Then they will give Joshua a report.
[4] Give out from among you three men for each tribe: and I will send them, and they shall rise, and go through the land, and describe it according to the inheritance of them; and they shall come again to me.



 

Joshua will cast lots (like having a lottery) in God's tabernacle. They will see which part of the land each tribe gets.  The tribe of Judah already has its land in the southern part of Canaan. The tribes of Joseph already have their land north of Judah's land.
[5] And they shall divide it into seven parts: Judah shall abide in their coast on the south, and the house of Joseph shall abide in their coasts on the north.
[6] Ye shall therefore describe the land into seven parts, and bring the description hither to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the LORD our God.


The tribe of the Levites do not get a part of land. They will live in all of the other tribes' lands.  Their part of God's inheritance is the priesthood (they serve as the priests). The tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half of the Manasseh tribe already have their land on the east side of the Jordan River. They got their land from Moses before he died.
[7] But the Levites have no part among you; for the priesthood of the LORD is their inheritance: and Gad, and Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh, have received their inheritance beyond Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them.


The men got ready to leave. Joshua told them again what to do. They should go look at the land and make maps. Then they will come and tell Joshua about it. Joshua will cast the lots in God's special place in Shiloh.
[8] And the men arose, and went away: and Joshua charged them that went to describe the land, saying, Go and walk through the land, and describe it, and come again to me, that I may here cast lots for you before the LORD in Shiloh.

The men traveled through the land.  They divided the land into 7 parts.  They wrote the descriptions of each part in a book. The made a list of all of the cities in each part. Then they came back to Joshua at Shiloh.
[9] And the men went and passed through the land, and described it by cities into seven parts in a book, and came again to Joshua to the host at Shiloh.



Then Joshua cast lots in the Lord's Tabernacle in Shiloh. Joshua gave each tribe their land.
[10] And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD: and there Joshua divided the land unto the children of Israel according to their divisions.
 

Map from Teachinghearts.org

The tribe of Benjamin's land and its borders


Benjamin's land was between Joseph's land and Judah's land.
[11] And the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families: and the coast of their lot came forth between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph.


The north border of Benjamin started at the Jordan River.  The border continued near the city of Jericho, then through the mountains and the wilderness of Bethaven.
[12] And their border on the north side was from Jordan; and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north side, and went up through the mountains westward; and the goings out thereof were at the wilderness of Beth-aven.

Benjamin's north border continued near the city of Luz (the name was changed to Bethel). Then the border went to the city of Ataroth-adar and the hill south of the city of southern Beth-horon (there were 2 cities named Beth-horon. One was north and one was south. This border was near the southern Beth-horon).
[13] And the border went over from thence toward Luz, to the side of Luz, which is Bethel, southward; and the border descended to Ataroth-adar, near the hill that lieth on the south side of the nether Beth-horon.


The border continued from the hill near southern Beth-horon to the city of Kirjath-baal (also called Kirjath-jearim). This city belonged to the tribe of Judah.
[14] And the border was drawn thence, and compassed the corner of the sea southward, from the hill that lieth before Beth-horon southward; and the goings out thereof were at Kirjath-baal, which is Kirjath-jearim, a city of the children of Judah: this was the west quarter.


Benjamin's southern border started at Kirjath-jearim.  The border continued west and went to the well at the place called Nephtoah.
[15] And the south quarter was from the end of Kirjath-jearim, and the border went out on the west, and went out to the well of waters of Nephtoah:
 

The border continued to the mountain (Mt. Moriah) near the Hinnom valley. This is near the valley where the giants lived. The border went near Jebusi (another name for Jerusalem) and then went to En-rogel.
[16] And the border came down to the end of the mountain that lieth before the valley of the son of Hinnom, and which is in the valley of the giants on the north, and descended to the valley of Hinnom, to the side of Jebusi on the south, and descended to En-rogel,


The border continued north and went to the spring (place with water) called En-shemesh.  Then the border went to the place called Geliloth and to the special stone monument of Bohan (he was in the tribe of Reuben).  
[17] And was drawn from the north, and went forth to En-shemesh, and went forth toward Geliloth, which is over against the going up of Adummim, and descended to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben,


The border continued near the places called Arabah and Beth-hoglah.  The border went to the northern part of the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea was at the southern end of the Jordan River.
[18] And passed along toward the side over against Arabah northward, and went down unto Arabah:
[19] And the border passed along to the side of Beth-hoglah northward: and the outgoings of the border were at the north bay of the salt sea at the south end of Jordan: this was the south coast.


The east border was the Jordan River.  This was Benjamin's land, and the families of his descendants lived there.
[20] And Jordan was the border of it on the east side. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, by the coasts thereof round about, according to their families.


These 12 cities and the smaller towns around them were in Benjamin's land:

Jericho
Beth-hoglah
City in the valley of Keziz
Beth-arabah
Zemaraim
Bethel
Avim
Parah
Ophrah
Chepar-haammonai
Ophni
Gaba


[21] Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho, and Beth-hoglah, and the valley of Keziz,
[22] And Beth-arabah, and Zemaraim, and Bethel,
[23] And Avim, and Parah, and Ophrah,
[24] And Chephar-haammonai, and Ophni, and Gaba; twelve cities with their villages:


These 14 cities and the smaller villages around them were also in Benjamin's land:

Gibeon
Ramah
Beeroth
Mizpeh
Chephirah
Mozah
Rekem
Irpeel
Taralah
Zelah
Eleph
Jebusi (another name for Jerusalem)
Gibeath
Kirjath


This was the land for the tribe of Benjamin and their families.


[25] Gibeon, and Ramah, and Beeroth,
[26] And Mizpeh, and Chephirah, and Mozah,
[27] And Rekem, and Irpeel, and Taralah,
[28] And Zelah, Eleph, and Jebusi, which is Jerusalem, Gibeath, and Kirjath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.
 

Map from TeachingHearts.org

Joshua 19


The land for the tribe of Simeon

The 2nd tribe to receive land was Simeon. Their land was inside Judah's land.
[1] And the second lot came forth to Simeon, even for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families: and their inheritance was within the inheritance of the children of Judah.


These 13 cities and the smaller towns around them were in Simeon's land:

Beer-sheba (also called Sheba)
Moladah
Hazar-shual
Balah
Azem
Eltolad
Bethul
Hormah
Ziklag
Beth-marcaboth
Hazar-susah
Beth-lebaoth
Sharuhen

[2] And they had in their inheritance Beer-sheba, or Sheba, and Moladah,
[3] And Hazar-shual, and Balah, and Azem,
[4] And Eltolad, and Bethul, and Hormah,
[5] And Ziklag, and Beth-marcaboth, and Hazar-susah,
[6] And Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuhen; thirteen cities and their villages:


Simeon's land also had these 4 cities and the small towns around them:
Ain
Remmon
Ether
Ashan

[7] Ain, Remmon, and Ether, and Ashan; four cities and their villages:


Simeon also had these 2 cities and the small towns around them:
Baalath-beer
Ramath


This was the land that the tribe of Simeon and their families got.  Simeon got part of Judah's land because Judah's land was too big. The tribe of Judah did not have enough people for their big area of land.
[8] And all the villages that were round about these cities to Baalath-beer, Ramath of the south. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families.
[9] Out of the portion of the children of Judah was the inheritance of the children of Simeon: for the part of the children of Judah was too much for them: therefore the children of Simeon had their inheritance within the inheritance of them.
 

Map from Teachinghearts.org

Zebulun's land


The tribe of Zebulun got the third part of land. Their border was near the place named Sarid.
[10] And the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun according to their families: and the border of their inheritance was unto Sarid:


The border continued toward the Mediterranean Sea. The border went to the place called Maralah, the city named Dabbasheth, and to the river near the city of Jokneam (the Kishon River). 
[11] And their border went up toward the sea, and Maralah, and reached to Dabbasheth, and reached to the river that is before Jokneam;
 

The border went east from the place called Sarid to the city of Chisloth-tabor, then to the city of Daberath and up to the city of Japhia.
[12] And turned from Sarid eastward toward the sunrising unto the border of Chisloth-tabor, and then goeth out to daberath, and goeth up to Japhia,

 

Then the border passed to the city of Gittah-hepher, then to the place named Ittah-kazin, then to the place named Remmon-methoar, and to the city named Neah.
[13] And from thence passeth on along on the east to Gittah-hepher, to Ittah-kazin, and goeth out to Remmon-methoar to Neah;


The north border went to the city of Hannathon and the valley of Jiphthah-el.
[14] And the border compasseth it on the north side to Hannathon: and the outgoings thereof are in the valley of Jiphthah-el:


Zebulun's land had 12 cities and the smaller towns around them. Some of Zebulun's cities were Kattah, Nahallal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem.
[15] And Kattath, and Nahallal, and Shimron, and Idalah, and Bethlehem: twelve cities with their villages.


This was Zebulun's land and its cities and small towns.
[16] This is the inheritance of the children of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their villages.

 

Map from Teachinghearts.org

Issachar's land


The tribe of Issachar and their families got the 4th part of land.
[17] And the fourth lot came out to Issachar, for the children of Issachar according to their families.


One border of Issachar's land went to the city of Jezreel. The border on the east side was the Jordan River.

Issachar's land had 16 cities and the small towns around them. The cities were:

Jezreel
Chesulloth
Shunem
Hapharaim
Shion
Anaharath
Rabbith
Kishion
Abez
Remeth
En-gannim
En-haddah
Beth-pazzez
Tabor
Shahazimah
Beth-shemesh
[18] And their border was toward Jezreel, and Chesulloth, and Shunem,
[19] And Hapharaim, and Shion, and Anaharath,
[20] And Rabbith, and Kishion, and Abez,
[21] And Remeth, and En-gannim, and En-haddah, and Beth-pazzez;
[22] And the coast reacheth to Tabor, and Shahazimah, and Beth-shemesh; and the outgoings of their border were at Jordan: sixteen cities with their villages.
 

This was the land for the tribe of Issachar and their families.
[23] This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Issachar according to their families, the cities and their villages.
 

Map from Teachinghearts.org

Asher's land

The tribe of Asher and their families got the 5th part of the land.
[24] And the fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families.


One border of Asher's land had these cities:
Helkath
Hali
Beten
Achshaph
Alammelech
Amad
Misheal

The border went to the mountain named Carmel
and the river named Shihor-libnath.

[25] And their border was Helkath, and Hali, and Beten, and Achshaph,
[26] And Alammelech, and Amad, and Misheal; and reacheth to Carmel westward, and to Shihor-libnath;




The border continued east to the cities of Beth-dagon and Zebulun.  Then it continued to the valley of Jiphthah-el
near these cities:
Beth-emek 
Neiel
Cabul
Hebron
Rehob
Hammon
Kanah
Zidon

[27] And turneth toward the sunrising to Beth-dagon, and reacheth to Zebulun, and to the valley of Jiphthah-el toward the north side of Beth-emek, and Neiel, and goeth out to Cabul on the left hand,
[28] And Hebron, and Rehob, and Hammon, and Kanah, even unto great Zidon;


The border continued to these cities:
Ramah
Tyre
Hosah
Achzib
Ummah
Aphek
Rehob

Asher's land continued to the Mediterranean Sea. Asher's land had 22 cities and the small towns around them.
[29] And then the coast turneth to Ramah, and to the strong city Tyre; and the coast turneth to Hosah; and the outgoings thereof are at the sea from the coast to Achzib:
[30] Ummah also, and Aphek, and Rehob: twenty and two cities with their villages.

This was the land for the tribe of Asher and their families.
[31] This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families, these cities with their villages.
 

Map from Teachinghearts.org

Naphtali's land


The tribe of Naphtali and their families got the 6th part of the land.
[32] The sixth lot came out to the children of Naphtali, even for the children of Naphtali according to their families.


One border of Naphtali's land had the cities of Heleph, Allon, Zaanannim, Adami, Nekeb, Jabneel, and Lakum.  This border ended at the Jordan River.
[33] And their coast was from Heleph, from Allon to Zaanannim, and Adami, Nekeb, and Jabneel, unto Lakum; and the outgoings thereof were at Jordan:


Another border went west and had the cities of Aznoth-tabor and Hukkok. Zebulun's land was on the south border. Asher's land was on the west border. A city named Judah by the Jordan River was on the east border.
[34] And then the coast turneth westward to Aznoth-tabor, and goeth out from thence to Hukkok, and reacheth to Zebulun on the south side, and reacheth to Asher on the west side, and to Judah upon Jordan toward the sunrising.
 

The cities with walls around them were:  Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth, Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, Kedesh, Edrei, En-hazor, Iron, Migdal-el, Horem, Beth-anath, and Beth-shemesh.  There were 19 cities and the small towns around them.
[35] And the fenced cities are Ziddim, Zer, and Hammath, Rakkath, and Chinnereth,
[36] And Adamah, and Ramah, and Hazor,
[37] And Kedesh, and Edrei, and En-hazor,
[38] And Iron, and Migdal-el, Horem, and Beth-anath, and Beth-shemesh; nineteen cities with their villages.


This was the land for the tribe of Naphtali and their families.
[39] This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Naphtali according to their families, the cities and their villages.

 

Map from Teachinghearts.org

The tribe of Dan's land


The seventh part of the land was for the tribe of Dan and their families.
[40] And the seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families.
 

Dan's land had these cities: 
Zorah
Estaol
Ir-shemesh
Shaalabbin
Ajalon
Jethlah
Elon
Thimnathah
Ekron
Eltekeh
Gibbethon
Baalath
Jehud
Bene-berak
Gath-rimmon
Me-jarkon
Rakkon. 

 

Dan's land went close to the city of Japho (later the name of this city was Joppa). 
[41] And the coast of their inheritance was Zorah, and Eshtaol, and Ir-shemesh,
[42] And Shaalabbin, and Ajalon, and Jethlah,
[43] And Elon, and Thimnathah, and Ekron,
[44] And Eltekeh, and Gibbethon, and Baalath,
[45] And Jehud, and Bene-berak, and Gath-rimmon,
[46] And Me-jarkon, and Rakkon, with the border before Japho.

Later, the tribe of Dan lost their land. Then they went to the city of Leshem (another name for this city was Laish).  The tribe of Dan fought a war. They won the war and took the city.  They changed the name of the city to Dan. They named the city for their ancestor, Dan.
[47] And the coast of the children of Dan went out too little for them: therefore the children of Dan went up to fight against Leshem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and dwelt therein, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father.

This was the land, cities, and small towns for the tribe of Dan and their families.
[48] This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages.

 

The land for Joshua

After all of the tribes got land, the Israelites gave some land to Joshua.
[49] When they had made an end of dividing the land for inheritance by their coasts, the children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun among them:


God told them to give Joshua the city he asked for. Joshua asked for the city of Timnath-serah in the mountain area of the tribe of Ephraim's land. Joshua built the city again and lived there.
[50] According to the word of the LORD they gave him the city which he asked, even Timnath-serah in mount Ephraim: and he built the city, and dwelt therein.
 

Joshua, Eleazar, and the Israelite leaders finish dividing the land


Joshua, Eleazar, and the Israelite leaders were at the place called Shiloh.  They were in the door of the tabernacle. They divided the Canaan land by lot.  Each tribe got some land. Then they were finished dividing the land.
[51] These are the inheritances which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, divided for an inheritance by lot in Shiloh before the LORD, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. So they made an end of dividing the country.
 

Joshua 20


Safe cities


In the past, God told Moses and the Israelites about setting up safe cities. Now God talked to Joshua. God said Joshua should tell the Israelites to set up the safe cities now.
[1] The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying,
[2] Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses:


If a person accidentally kills another person, he can escape to a safe city. Then the dead person's family cannot take revenge on him (hurt him because he killed a person in their family).
[3] That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.


When a person runs to a safe city, he should go to the gate of the city.  He should tell the city leaders what happened.  The city leaders will let him stay and give him a place to live with them.
[4] And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.


Maybe the dead person's family chases the killer to the safe city. But the people in the safe city should not give the killer to the family. The killer did not kill on purpose. He did not hate the person who died. He killed him accidentally.
[5] And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime.


The killer can stay in the safe city until he has a public trial.  If he is not guilty, he can continue to live in the safe city. After the high priest of the safe city dies, he can go back to his home city.
[6] And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.


These are the names of the safe cities on the west side of the Jordan River:
Kedesh--located in the area of Galilee in the mountains of Naphtali's land
Shechem--located in the mountains of Ephraim's land
Kirjath-arba--located in the area of Hebron in the mountains of Judah's land

These are the names of the safe cities on the east side of the Jordan River:
Bezer--located in the flat lands of Reuben's land
Ramoth--located in the area of Gilead in Gad's land
Golan--located in the area of Bashan in Manasseh's land

[7] And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjath-arba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah.
[8] And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.


These were the safe cities for all of the Israelites and for people who lived with the Israelites. Anyone who killed another person accidentally could go to one of the cities. The dead person's family could not kill him until he had a public trial.
[9] These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.