Joshua 13

1 Now Joshua was old and well stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him: 'Thou art old and well stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.

When Joshua was very old, Yahweh said to him, “Joshua, you are now an old man, but there is still a lot of land [for your army] to capture.

2 This is the land that yet remaineth: all the regions of the Philistines, and all the Geshurites;

Here is a list of the land that remains: The Geshur region and all the area where the Philistia people-group live;

3 from the Shihor, which is before Egypt, even unto the border of Ekron northward — which is counted to the Canaanites; the five lords of the Philistines: the Gazite, and the Ashdodite, the Ashkelonite, the Gittite, and the Ekronite; also the Avvim

the area where the Canaan people-group live, from the Shihor River [in the south] at the [eastern] border of Egypt, to Ekron [city] in the north; the rulers of the five [cities] of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron; the area where the Avva people-group live,

4 on the south; all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongeth to the Zidonians, unto Aphek, to the border of the Amorites;

which is south of the area where the Canaan people-group live;

5 and the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrising, from Baal-gad under mount Hermon unto the entrance of Hamath;

the area where the Gebal people-group live; and all the Lebanon area east of Baal-Gad [city] at the bottom of Hermon Mountain, as far as Lebo-Hamath.

6 all the inhabitants of the hill-country from Lebanon unto Misrephoth-maim, even all the Zidonians; them will I drive out from before the children of Israel; only allot thou it unto Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee.

All the people of the Sidon people-group live in the hilly area from Lebanon to Misrephoth-Maim, but I will force them to leave that area before you Israelis arrive there. Be sure to give that area to the Israeli people when you divide the land among them, like I told you to do.

7 Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance unto the nine tribes, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.'

Divide all that land among the nine Israeli tribes and half of the tribe of Manasseh, [the tribes that do not have land on the east side of the Jordan River].”

8 With him the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond the Jordan eastward, even as Moses the servant of the LORD gave them;

Half of the tribe of Manasseh and the tribes of Reuben and Gad had already been told what land they would receive, because Moses, the man who served Yahweh [well], had already assigned to them the land on the east side of the Jordan [River].

9 from Aroer, that is on the edge of the valley of Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the table-land from Medeba unto Dibon;

Their land extended from Aroer [town] at the Arnon River gorge to the town in the middle of the gorge. It included the whole plain from Medeba [town south] to Dibon [town].

10 and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, unto the border of the children of Ammon;

All the towns ruled by King Sihon were in that area. The land extended to where the Ammon people-group lived.

11 and Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites, and all mount Hermon, and all Bashan unto Salcah;

The Gilead area was also there, and the regions where the people of the Geshur and Maacah people-groups lived, and all of Hermon Mountain and all the Bashan region [south] to Salecah.

12 all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei — the same was left of the remnant of the Rephaim — for these did Moses smite, and drove them out.

All the land ruled by Og, the king who ruled the Bashan [region], was in that land. Og was one of the last descendants of Repha; previously he had ruled in Ashtaroth and Edrei [cities], but [the armies of] Moses had defeated their armies and had taken their land from them.

13 Nevertheless the children of Israel drove not out the Geshurites, nor the Maacathites; but Geshur and Maacath dwelt in the midst of Israel unto this day.

But the Israelis did not force the people of the Geshur and Maacah [people-groups] to leave their land, so they still live among the Israeli people.

14 Only unto the tribe of Levi he gave no inheritance; the offerings of the LORD, the God of Israel, made by fire are his inheritance, as He spoke unto him.

The tribe of Levi was the only tribe that did not get any land. Instead, just like Yahweh promised, they continued to receive [food from] the sacrifices that were given to Yahweh, the God whom the Israelis [worship], the sacrifices that were burned [on the sacred altar].

15 And Moses gave unto the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their families.

Moses had allotted land to each clan in the tribe of Reuben.

16 And their border was from Aroer, that is on the edge of the valley of Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the table-land by Medeba;

Their land extended from Aroer [town] near the Arnon River gorge to Medeba [town]. That included all of the plain [that is near Medeba] and the town in the middle of the gorge.

17 Heshbon, and all her cities that are in the table-land; Dibon, and Bamoth-baal, and Beth-baal-meon;

It also included Heshbon [city] and all the nearby towns on the plain—Dibon, Bamioth-Baal, Beth-Baal-Meon,

18 and Jahaz, and Kedemoth, and Mephaath;

Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath,

19 and Kiriathaim, and Sibmah, and Zerethshahar in the mount of the valley;

Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth-Shahar on the hill overlooking the valley,

20 and Beth-peor, and the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth-jeshimoth;

Beth-Peor, the hills in the Pisgah area, and Beth-Jeshimoth.

21 and all the cities of the table-land, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses smote with the chiefs of Midian, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, the princes of Sihon, that dwelt in the land.

That land included all the towns on the plain and all the area that King Sihon had previously ruled. But [the army of] Moses had defeated him and the rulers of the Midian people-group: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba. The armies of all those rulers fought battles along with the army of Sihon, and they lived in that country.

22 Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among the rest of their slain.

The Israeli army killed many people during those battles, including Balaam, [the prophet] from Beor, who tried to use magic to predict/tell what would happen in the future.

23 And as for the border of the children of Reuben, the Jordan was their border. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben according to their families, the cities and the villages thereof.

The [western] boundary of the land that was allotted to the clans of the tribe of Reuben was the Jordan [River].

24 And Moses gave unto the tribe of Gad, unto the children of Gad, according to their families.

Moses also allotted some land to each clan in the tribe of Gad.

25 And their border was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the children of Ammon, unto Aroer that is before Rabbah;

Their land included the Jazer [area] and all the towns of the Gilead [area]; half of the land where the Ammon people-group lived, as far as Aroer [town which is] near Rabbah [town];

26 and from Heshbon unto Ramath-mizpeh, and Betonim; and from Mahanaim unto the border of Lidbir;

the area from Heshbon [city] to Ramath-Mizpah and Betonim [towns; the area] from Mahanaim [town] to the Debir region;

27 and in the valley, Beth-haram, and Beth-nimrah, and Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, the Jordan being the border thereof, unto the uttermost part of the sea of Chinnereth beyond the Jordan eastward.

Beth-Haram, Beth-Nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon [cities] in the valley; and the other area that King Sihon had ruled on the east side of the Jordan River. That area extended [north] to the southern end of Galilee Lake.

28 This is the inheritance of the children of Gad according to their families, the cities and the villages thereof.

All this land, including the towns and villages, was allotted to the tribe of Gad.

29 And Moses gave inheritance unto the half-tribe of Manasseh; and it was for the half-tribe of the children of Manasseh according to their families.

Moses also had allotted some of the land [on the east side of the Jordan River] to half of the tribe of Manasseh.

30 And their border was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the villages of Jair, which are in Bashan, threescore cities;

Their land extended [north] from Mahanaim [city]. It included all the Bashan region, all the land that King Og had ruled, and all the towns in the Jair area in Bashan. Altogether that area included 60 towns.

31 and half Gilead, and Ashtaroth, and Edrei, the cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were for the children of Machir the son of Manasseh, even for the half of the children of Machir according to their families.

Their area also included half of the Gilead region, and the cities of Ashtaroth and Edrei where King Og had ruled. All that area was allotted to the clans descended from Manasseh’s son Makir.

32 These are the inheritances which Moses distributed in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan at Jericho, eastward.

Moses had allotted to those tribes the land that was on the plain of the Moab [region], on the east side of the Jordan [River], across from Jericho.

33 But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance; the LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as He spoke unto them.

But Moses did not allot any land to the tribe of Levi because Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis worship, promised that he himself would always provide for them.