Joshua 14

1 This was the land that was allotted to the Israelites to own in the land of Canaan by Eleazar the priest, Joshua, son of Nun, and the leaders of the tribes.

These are the inheritances which the children of Israel took in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed to them,

2 The decision regarding the land division among the nine and a half tribes was made by casting lots, as the Lord had instructed Moses.

by the lot of their inheritance, as the LORD commanded by Moses, for the nine tribes, and for the half-tribe.

3 Moses had allotted land to the two and a half tribes east of the Jordan but he had made no allocation to the Levites among them.

For Moses had given the inheritance of the two tribes and the half-tribe beyond the Jordan; but to the Levites he gave no inheritance among them.

4 The descendants of Joseph had become two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. The Levites were not given any land, only towns to live in and pasture for their flocks and herds.

For the children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. They gave no portion to the Levites in the land, except cities to dwell in, with their pasture lands for their livestock and for their property.

5 So the Israelites followed the instructions the Lord had given Moses in allocating the land.

The children of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses, and they divided the land.

6 Leaders from the tribe of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb, son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, said to him, “You remember what the Lord told Moses, the man of God, at Kadesh-barnea about me and you.

Then the children of Judah came near to Joshua in Gilgal. Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know the thing that the LORD spoke to Moses the man of God concerning me and concerning you in Kadesh Barnea.

7 I was forty when Moses, the servant of God, sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land. When I returned I told the truth in my report.

I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land. I brought him word again as it was in my heart.

8 But those who went with me made our people afraid. However, I have faithfully followed the Lord my God.

Nevertheless, my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; but I wholly followed the LORD my God.

9 At that time Moses made a solemn promise, telling me, ‘The land where you have walked will belong to you and your children forever, because you faithfully followed the Lord my God.’

Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land where you walked shall be an inheritance to you and to your children forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.’

10 Look—the Lord has kept me alive these past forty-five years as he promised, from the time the Lord told Moses this while Israel was wandering in the wilderness. Now I'm eighty-five,

“Now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, as he spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. Now, behold, I am eighty-five years old, today.

11 but I'm still as strong today as when Moses sent me out. I'm as strong and ready for battle or for whatever may come as I was then.

As yet I am as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me. As my strength was then, even so is my strength now for war, to go out and to come in.

12 So give me the hill country that the Lord spoke about. You heard at that time about the descendants of Anak who lived there in large, fortified towns. If the Lord is with me I will drive them out as the Lord promised.”

Now therefore give me this hill country, of which the LORD spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and great and fortified cities. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall drive them out, as the LORD said.”

13 So Joshua blessed Caleb and granted him ownership of Hebron.

Joshua blessed him; and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance.

14 So Hebron belonged to Caleb, son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, from that day to this because he had faithfully followed the Lord, the God of Israel.

Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he followed the LORD, the God of Israel wholeheartedly.

15 (Hebron was formerly called Kiriath-arba, named after a great leader of the descendants of Anak.) And the land was at peace.

Now the name of Hebron before was Kiriath Arba, after the greatest man among the Anakim. Then the land had rest from war.