Joshua 21

1 The leaders of the tribe of Levi approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the leaders of the Israelite tribes.

And the leaders of the families of Levi approached Eleazar, the priest, and Joshua, the son of Nun, and the rulers of the extended families of each of the tribes of the sons of Israel.

2 They spoke to them at Shiloh in Canaan, saying, “The Lord gave instructions through Moses to give us towns to live in, and pastures for our flocks.”

And they spoke to them at Shiloh, in the land of Canaan, and they said, “The Lord instructed, by the hand of Moses, that cities should be given to us as habitations, with their suburbs to nourish our cattle.”

3 So, following the Lord's instructions, the Israelites gave towns and pastures to the Levites from their own allocations.

And so the sons of Israel gave cities and their suburbs from their possessions, in accord with the order of the Lord.

4 The lot was cast for the families of the Kothaites. These Levites, descendants of Aaron, were allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.

And the lot went out for the family of Kohath, of the sons of Aaron, the priest, from the tribes of Judah and Simeon and Benjamin: thirteen cities.

5 The remaining families of the descendants of Kothah were allotted ten towns from the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

And to the remainder of the sons of Kohath, that is, to the Levites who were left over, there went, from the tribes of Ephraim and Dan, and from the one half tribe of Manasseh, ten cities.

6 The families of the descendants of Gershon were allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half-tribe of Manasseh living in Bashan.

And next the lot went out to the sons of Gershon, so that they would receive, from the tribes of Issachar and Asher and Naphtali, and from the one half tribe of Manasseh at Bashan: the number of thirteen cities.

7 The families of the descendants of Merari were allotted twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.

And to the sons of Merari, by their families, from the tribes of Reuben and Gad and Zebulun, there went twelve cities.

8 So the Israelites gave the Levites by lot these towns and pastures, as the Lord had instructed through Moses.

And so the sons of Israel gave cities and their suburbs to the Levites, just as the Lord instructed by the hand of Moses, distributing to each by lot.

9 They gave from the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Simeon the following towns, specifically named,

From the tribes of the sons of Judah and Simeon, Joshua gave cities, whose names are these:

10 to the families of the Kothaites, descendants of Aaron, of the tribe of Levi, since the first lot fell to them:

to the sons of Aaron, of the families of Kohath of the stock of Levi, (for the first lot went out for them, )

11 Kiriath-arba (or Hebron), in the hill country of Judah, together with the pastures around it. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.)

the city of Arba, the father of Anak, which is called Hebron, on the mountain of Judah, and its surrounding suburbs.

12 But the more distant fields from the town and the villages had been given to Caleb son of Jephunneh to own.

Yet truly, the fields and its villages he had given to Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, as a possession.

13 They gave to the descendants of Aaron the priest the following towns and their pastures: Hebron (a sanctuary town for those who accidentally committed murder), Libnah,

Therefore, he gave to the sons of Aaron the priest, Hebron as a city of refuge, as well as its suburbs, and Libnah, with its suburbs,

14 Jattir, Eshtemoa,

and Jattir, and Eshtemoa,

15 Holon, Debir,

and Holon, and Debir,

16 Ain, Juttah, and Beth-shemesh—nine towns from these two tribes.

and Ain, and Juttah, and Beth-shemesh, with their suburbs: nine cities from two tribes, just as has been said.

17 From the tribe of Benjamin the following four towns and their pastures: Gibeon, Geba,

Then, from the tribe of the sons of Benjamin, he gave Gibeon, and Geba,

18 Anathoth, and Almon.

and Anathoth, and Almon, with their suburbs: four cities.

19 So in total thirteen towns and their pastures were given to the priests, the descendants of Aaron.

All the cities together of the sons of Aaron, the priest, were thirteen, with their suburbs.

20 As for the remaining families of the children of Kothah from the tribe of Levi, they were given by lot four towns and their pastures from the tribe of Ephraim:

Yet truly, the remainder of the families of the sons of Kohath, of the stock of Levi, were given this possession:

21 Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim (a sanctuary town for those who accidentally committed murder), Gezer,

from the tribe of Ephraim, Shechem, one of the cities of refuge, with its suburbs, on mount Ephraim, and Gezer,

22 Kibzaim, and Beth-horon.

and Kibzaim, and Beth-horon, with their suburbs, four cities;

23 From the tribe of Dan, the following four towns and their pastures: Eltekeh, Gibbethon,

and from the tribe of Dan, Elteke and Gibbethon,

24 Aijalon, and Gath-rimmon.

and Aijalon and Gath-Rimmon, with their suburbs, four cities;

25 From the half-tribe of Manasseh the following two towns and their pastures: Taanach and Gath-rimmon.

then, from the one half tribe of Manasseh, Taanach and Gath-Rimmon, with their suburbs, two cities.

26 So in total ten towns and their pastures were given to remaining families of the descendants of Kothah.

All the cities were ten, with their suburbs; these were given to the sons of Kohath, of the lesser degree.

27 The families of the descendants of Gershon from the tribe of Levi received the following two towns and their pastures from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan (a sanctuary town for those who accidentally committed murder), and Be-eshterah.

Likewise, to the sons of Gershon, of the stock of Levi, from the one half tribe of Manasseh, went Golan in Bashan, one of the cities of refuge, and Bosra, with their suburbs, two cities;

28 From the tribe of Issachar the following four towns and their pastures: Kishion, Daberath,

also, from the tribe of Issachar, Kishion, and Daberath,

29 Jarmuth, and En-gannim.

and Jarmuth, and Engannim, with their suburbs, four cities;

30 From the tribe of Asher the following four towns and their pastures: Mishal, Abdon,

then, from the tribe of Asher, Mishal and Abdon,

31 Helkath, and Rehob.

and Helkath and Rehob, with their suburbs, four cities;

32 From the tribe of Naphtali the following three towns and their pastures: Kedesh in Galilee (a sanctuary town for those who accidentally committed murder), Hammoth-dor, and Kartan.

likewise, from the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee, one of the cities of refuge, and Hammoth-Dor, and Kartan, with their suburbs, three cities.

33 So in total thirteen towns and their pastures were allotted to the families of Gershon.

All the cities of the families of Gershon were thirteen, with their suburbs.

34 The families of the descendants of Merari, those remaining from the tribe of Levi, received the following four towns and their pastures from the tribe of Zebulun: Jokneam, Kartah,

Then, to the sons of Merari, Levites of the lesser degree, by their families, were given, from the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam and Kartah,

35 Dimnah, and Nahalal.

and Dimnah and Nahalal, four cities with their suburbs;

36 From the tribe of Reuben the following four towns and their pastures: Bezer, Jahaz,

from the tribe of Reuben, beyond the Jordan, opposite Jericho, Bezer in the wilderness, one of the cities of refuge, Misor and Jazer, and Jethson and Mephaath, four cities with their suburbs;

37 Kedemoth, and Mephaath.

from the tribe of Gad, Ramoth of Gilead, one of the cities of refuge, and Mahanaim and Heshbon and Jazer, four cities with their suburbs.

38 From the tribe of Gad the following four towns and their pastures: Ramoth in Gilead (a sanctuary town for those who accidentally committed murder), Mahanaim,

39 Heshbon, and Jazer.

40 So in total twelve towns were allotted to the families of Merari, those remaining from the tribe of Levi.

All the cities of the sons of Merari, by their families and extended families, were twelve.

41 The Levites received a total of forty-eight towns and pastures within the land of the Israelites.

And so all the cities of the Levites, in the midst of the possession of the sons of Israel, were forty-eight,

42 Each of these towns had pastures around them.

with their suburbs, each distributed by families.

43 And so the Lord gave to the Israelites all the land he had promised their ancestors. They took possession of it and settled there.

And the Lord God gave to Israel all the land that he had sworn he would deliver to their fathers. And they possessed it, and they lived in it.

44 The Lord gave them peace on every side as he had promised their ancestors. Not a single one of their enemies could stand against them, for the Lord had handed their enemies over to them to defeat.

And he gave them peace with all the surrounding nations. And none of their enemies dared to stand against them; instead, they were brought under their sovereignty.

45 Not a single one of the good things the Lord promised Israel had failed; everything had come true.

Indeed, not so much as one word that he had promised to provide for them was left empty; instead, everything was fulfilled.