Joshua 15

1 And so, the lot of the sons of Judah, by their families, was this: from the border of Edom, to the desert of Sin toward the south, and even to the furthest part of the southern region.

Now the allotment for the clans of the tribe of Judah extended to the border of Edom, to the Wilderness of Zin at the extreme southern boundary:

2 Its beginning was from the summit of the very salty sea, and from its bay, which looks toward the south.

Their southern border started at the bay on the southern tip of the Salt Sea,

3 And it extends toward the ascent of the Scorpion, and it passes on to Sinai. And it ascends into Kadesh-barnea, and it passes through to Hezron, ascending to Addar, and encompassing Karka.

proceeded south of the Ascent of Akrabbim, continued on to Zin, went over to the south of Kadesh-barnea, ran past Hezron up to Addar, and curved toward Karka.

4 And from there, it passes on to Azmon, and reaches to the torrent of Egypt. And its boundary shall be the great sea; this shall be the limit of the southern region.

It proceeded to Azmon, joined the Brook of Egypt, and ended at the Sea. This was their southern border.

5 Yet truly, toward the east, the beginning shall be the very salty sea, even to the limit of the Jordan, and that which looks toward the north, from the bay of the sea, even to the same river Jordan.

The eastern border was the Salt Sea as far as the mouth of the Jordan. The northern border started from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan,

6 And the border ascends into Beth-hoglah, and it crosses from the north into Beth-Arabah, ascending to the stone of Bohan, the son of Reuben.

went up to Beth-hoglah, proceeded north of Beth-arabah, and went up to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben.

7 And it reaches as far as the borders of Debara, from the Valley of Achor, to the north, looking toward Gilgal, which is opposite the Ascent of Adummim, on the southern part of the torrent. And it crosses the waters that are called the Fountain of the Sun. And its exit shall be at the Fountain of Rogel.

Then the border went up to Debir from the Valley of Achor, turning north to Gilgal, which faces the Ascent of Adummim south of the ravine. It continued along the waters of En-shemesh and came out at En-rogel.

8 And it ascends by the steep valley of the son of Hinnom, from the side of the Jebusite, toward the south; this is Jerusalem. And from there, it raises itself to the top of the mountain, which is opposite Geennom to the west, at the top of the Valley of the Rephaim, to the north.

From there the border went up the Valley of Hinnom along the southern slope of the Jebusites (that is, Jerusalem) and ascended to the top of the hill that faces the Valley of Hinnom on the west, at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim.

9 And it passes through, from the top of the mountain, even to the fountain of the Water of Nephtoah. And it continues on, as far as the villages of mount Ephron. And it inclines toward Baalah, which is Kiriath-jearim, that is, the City of Forests.

From the hilltop the border curved to the spring of the Waters of Nephtoah, proceeded to the cities of Mount Ephron, and then bent around toward Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim).

10 And it circles from Baalah, to the west, as far as mount Seir. And it passes by the side of mount Jearim, to the north, into Chesalon. And it descends into Beth-shemesh, and it passes through to Timnah.

The border curled westward from Baalah to Mount Seir, ran along the northern slope of Mount Jearim (that is, Chesalon), went down to Beth-shemesh, and crossed to Timnah.

11 And it continues on, toward the north, to a region beside Ekron. And it inclines toward Shikkeron, and it crosses to mount Baalah. And it extends into Jabneel, and the last part closes at the west with the great sea.

Then it went out to the northern slope of Ekron, curved toward Shikkeron, proceeded to Mount Baalah, went on to Jabneel, and ended at the Sea.

12 These are the borders of the sons of Judah, in their families, on all sides.

And the western border was the coastline of the Great Sea. These are the boundaries around the clans of the descendants of Judah.

13 Yet truly, to Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, he gave a portion in the midst of the sons of Judah, just as the Lord had instructed him: the City of Arba, the father of Anak, which is Hebron.

According to the LORD’s command to him, Joshua gave Caleb son of Jephunneh a portion among the sons of Judah—Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.)

14 And Caleb destroyed from it the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, of the stock of Anak.

And Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak—the descendants of Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.

15 And ascending further from there, he came to the inhabitants of Debir, which before was called Kiriath-Sepher, that is, the City of Letters.

From there he marched against the inhabitants of Debir (formerly known as Kiriath-sepher).

16 And Caleb said, “Whoever will have struck down Kiriath-Sepher, and will have seized it, I will give to him Achsah, my daughter, as wife.”

And Caleb said, “To the man who strikes down Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage.”

17 And Othniel, the son of Kenaz, the younger brother of Caleb, seized it. And he gave him Achsah, his daughter, as wife.

So Othniel son of Caleb’s brother Kenaz captured the city, and Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to him in marriage.

18 And as they were traveling together, she was urged by her husband that she ask her father for a field. And she sighed, as she was sitting on her donkey. And Caleb said to her, “What is it?”

One day Acsah came to Othniel and urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What do you desire?”

19 But she answered: “Give a blessing to me. You have given to me a southern and dry land; join to it also a watered land.” And so Caleb gave to her the watered land above and below it.

“Give me a blessing,” she answered. “Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me springs of water as well.” So Caleb gave her both the upper and lower springs.

20 This is the possession of the tribe of the sons of Judah, by their families.

This is the inheritance of the clans of the tribe of Judah.

21 And the cities, from the furthest parts of the sons of Judah, beside the borders of Edom to the south, were: Kabzeel and Eder and Jagur,

These were the southernmost cities of the tribe of Judah in the Negev toward the border of Edom: Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur,

22 and Kinah and Dimonah and Adadah,

Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah,

23 and Kadesh and Hazor and Ithnan,

Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan,

24 Ziph and Telem and Bealoth,

Ziph, Telem, Bealoth,

25 new Hazor and Kerioth-Hezron, which is Hazor,

Hazor-hadattah, Kerioth-hezron (that is, Hazor),

26 Amam, Shema, and Moladah,

Amam, Shema, Moladah,

27 and Hazar-gaddah and Heshmon and Bethpelet,

Hazar-gaddah, Heshmon, Beth-pelet,

28 and Hazar-shual and Beersheba and Biziothiah,

Hazar-shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah,

29 and Baalah and Iim and Ezem,

Baalah, Iim, Ezem,

30 and Eltolad and Chesil and Hormah,

Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah,

31 and Ziklag and Madmannah and Sansannah,

Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah,

32 Lebaoth and Shilhim, and Ain and Rimmon. All the cities were twenty-nine, and their villages.

Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon—twenty-nine cities in all, along with their villages.

33 Truly, in the plains, there were: Eshtaol and Zorah and Ashnah,

These were in the foothills: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah,

34 and Zanoah and Engannim, and Tappuah and Enam,

Zanoah, En-gannim, Tappuah, Enam,

35 and Jarmuth and Adullam, Socoh and Azekah,

Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah,

36 and Shaaraim and Adithaim, and Gederah and Gederothaim: fourteen cities, and their villages.

Shaaraim, Adithaim, and Gederah (or Gederothaim)—fourteen cities, along with their villages.

37 Zenan and Hadashah and Middalgad,

Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal-gad,

38 Dilean and Mizpeh and Joktheel,

Dilan, Mizpeh, Joktheel,

39 Lachish and Bozkath and Eglon,

Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon,

40 Cabbon and Lahmam and Chitlish,

Cabbon, Lahmas, Chitlish,

41 and Gederoth and Bethdagon, and Naamah and Makkedah: sixteen cities, and their villages.

Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah—sixteen cities, along with their villages.

42 Libnah and Ether and Ashan,

Libnah, Ether, Ashan,

43 Iphtah and Ashnah and Nezib,

Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib,

44 and Keilah and Achzib and Mareshah: nine cities, and their villages.

Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah—nine cities, along with their villages.

45 Ekron, with its towns and villages:

Ekron, with its towns and villages;

46 from Ekron, as far as the sea, all that inclines toward Ashdod, and its villages.

from Ekron to the sea, all the cities near Ashdod, along with their villages;

47 Ashdod, with its towns and villages. Gaza, with its towns and villages, as far as the torrent of Egypt, with the great sea as its border.

Ashdod, with its towns and villages; Gaza, with its towns and villages, as far as the Brook of Egypt and the coastline of the Great Sea.

48 And on the mountain, Shamir and Jattir and Socoh,

These were in the hill country: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh,

49 and Dannah, and Kiriath-Sannah, which is Debir,

Dannah, Kiriath-sannah (that is, Debir),

50 Anab and Eshtemoh and Anim,

Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim,

51 Goshen and Holon and Giloh: eleven cities, and their villages.

Goshen, Holon, and Giloh—eleven cities, along with their villages.

52 Arab and Dumah and Eshan,

Arab, Dumah, Eshan,

53 and Janim and Beth-Tappuah and Aphekah,

Janim, Beth-tappuah, Aphekah,

54 Humtah and Kiriath-Arba, which is Hebron, and Zior: nine cities, and their villages.

Humtah, Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior—nine cities, along with their villages.

55 Maon and Carmel, and Ziph and Juttah,

Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah,

56 Jezreel and Jokdeam and Zanoah,

Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah,

57 Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah: ten cities, and their villages.

Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah—ten cities, along with their villages.

58 Halhul and Bethzur and Gedor,

Halhul, Beth-zur, Gedor,

59 Maarath and Bethanoth and Eltekon: six cities, and their villages.

Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon—six cities, along with their villages.

60 Kiriath-baal, which is Kiriath-jearim, the City of Forests, and Rabbah: two cities, and their villages.

Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), and Rabbah—two cities, along with their villages.

61 In the desert: Beth-Arabah, Middin, and Secacah,

These were in the wilderness: Beth-arabah, Middin, Secacah,

62 and Nibshan, and the City of Salt, and Engedi: six cities, and their villages.

Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En-gedi—six cities, along with their villages.

63 But the sons of Judah were not able to destroy the Jebusite inhabitants of Jerusalem. And so the Jebusite lived with the sons of Judah in Jerusalem, even to the present day.

But the descendants of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the descendants of Judah.