< Joshua 14 >
1 And these [are] they of the sons of Israel who inherited in the land of Canaan, whom Eleazar the priest, and Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the sons of Israel, caused to inherit;
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.
2 their inheritance [is] by lot, as YHWH commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes and the half-tribe;
The decision regarding the land division among the nine and a half tribes was made by casting lots, as the Lord had instructed Moses.
3 for Moses has given the inheritance of two of the tribes, and of half of the tribe, beyond the Jordan, and he has not given an inheritance to the Levites in their midst;
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.
4 for the sons of Joseph have been two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim, and they have not given a portion to the Levites in the land, except cities to dwell in, and their outskirts for their livestock, and for their possessions;
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.
5 as YHWH commanded Moses, so the sons of Israel have done, and they apportion the land.
So the Israelites followed the instructions the Lord had given Moses in allocating the land.
6 And the sons of Judah come near to Joshua in Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenezzite says to him, “You have known the word that YHWH has spoken to Moses, the man of God, concerning me and concerning you in Kadesh-Barnea:
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.
7 I [was] a son of forty years in Moses, servant of YHWH, sending me from Kadesh-Barnea, to spy out the land, and I bring him back word as with my heart;
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.
8 and my brothers who have gone up with me have caused the heart of the people to melt, and I have been fully after my God YHWH;
But those who went with me made our people afraid. However, I have faithfully followed the Lord my God.
9 and Moses swears in that day, saying, Nevertheless—the land on which your foot has trodden, it is to you for an inheritance, and to your sons—for all time, for you have been fully after my God YHWH.
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.’
10 And now, behold, YHWH has kept me alive, as He has spoken, these forty-five years, since YHWH spoke this word to Moses when Israel went in the wilderness; and now, behold, I [am] a son of eighty-five years today;
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,
11 yet today I [am] strong as in the day of Moses’ sending me; as my power [was] then, so [is] my power now, for battle, and to go out, and to come in.
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.
12 And now, give this hill-country to me, of which YHWH spoke in that day, for you heard in that day, for Anakim [are] there, and great, fortified cities; if [it] so be [that] YHWH [is] with me, then I have dispossessed them, as YHWH has spoken.”
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.”
13 And Joshua blesses him, and gives Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh for an inheritance,
So Joshua blessed Caleb and granted him ownership of Hebron.
14 therefore Hebron has been to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenezzite for an inheritance to this day, because that he was fully after YHWH, God of Israel;
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.
15 and the name of Hebron [was] formerly Kirjath-Arba (the man [was] the greatest among the Anakim); and the land has rest from war.
(Hebron was formerly called Kiriath-arba, named after a great leader of the descendants of Anak.) And the land was at peace.