Joshua 18

1 Then were gathered together all the assembly of the sons of Israel at Shiloh, and they set up there, the tent of meeting, —the land, having been subdued before them.

The Israeli people captured all the land [that they were able to], but there were still seven tribes that had not been allotted any land. The Israeli people all gathered at Shiloh, and they set up the Sacred Tent there.

2 But there remained among the sons of Israel, to whom had not been apportioned their inheritance, —seven tribes.

3 So Joshua said unto the sons of Israel, —How long, will ye be too slothful, to enter in and take possession of the land, which Yahweh God of your fathers, hath given unto you?

Joshua said to them, “Why are you waiting a long time to take control of [the rest of] the land that Yahweh, the God whom your ancestors [worshiped], has promised to give to you [RHQ]?

4 Set forth for you three men for each tribe, —that I may send them, that they may arise—and go up and down in the land—and map it out as required for their inheritance, and come in unto me.

Choose three men from each of your seven tribes. Then I will send them to explore [the parts of] the land [which you have not occupied yet. When they finish exploring it], they must write a report, in which they will (make a map/show the boundaries) of the land that each tribe wants to receive.

5 So shall they apportion it for themselves into seven parts, —Let, Judah, stay upon his boundary, on the south, and, the house of Joseph, stay upon their boundary, on the north,

They will divide the remaining land into seven parts. The tribe of Judah will keep its land in the south, and the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh will keep their land in the north.

6 but, ye, shall map out the [rest of the] land, into seven parts, —and bring in [your descriptions] unto me, here, —then will I cast lots for you here, before Yahweh our God.

But in their report, the men from the seven tribes should describe the seven parts of the remaining land [that they wish to receive], and bring the report to me. While Yahweh is watching, I will (cast lots/throw marked stones) [to decide which land should be allotted to each tribe].

7 For Levi hath no portion in your midst, for, the priesthood of Yahweh, is his inheritance, —and, Gad, and Reuben, and the half tribe of Manasseh, have received their inheritance, beyond the Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant of Yahweh gave unto them.

But the tribe of Levi will not be allotted any land, because their [reward is that they will be] Yahweh’s priests. The tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh have already been allotted their land on the east side of the Jordan [River], just as Moses, the man who served God [well], decided, [so they will not get any more land].”

8 So the men arose, and went, —and Joshua commanded them who were going, to map out the land, saying—Take your journey and go up and down in the land, and map it out, and return unto me, and, here, will I cast lots for you before Yahweh, in Shiloh.

When the men who were chosen [got ready to] leave, Joshua told them, “Go and explore the land. Then write a report of what you have seen, and bring it back to me. Then while Yahweh is watching, I will (cast lots/throw marked stones) here at Shiloh, [to determine what area each tribe will receive].”

9 So the men went, and passed through the land, and mapped it out by cities, into seven parts, upon a scroll, —and came in unto Joshua, unto the camp, in Shiloh.

So the men left and walked through the area. Then they described in a scroll each town that was in the seven parts [into which they had divided] the land. Then they returned to Joshua, who was still at Shiloh.

10 And Joshua cast for them lots, in Shiloh, before Yahweh, —and Joshua there apportioned the land unto the sons of Israel, according to their portions.

[After Joshua read their report], while Yahweh was watching, he (cast lots/threw marked stones) to choose which land would be allotted to each of the seven Israeli tribes.

11 Then came up the lot of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin, by their families, —and the boundary of their lot came out, between the sons of Judah and the sons of Joseph.

The first tribe that was allotted land was the tribe of Benjamin. Each clan in that tribe was allotted some of the land that was between the area that was allotted to the tribe of Judah and the area that was allotted to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.

12 And so their boundary, on the north border, was from the Jordan, —and the boundary goeth up unto the side of Jericho on the north, and goeth up in the hill country, westward, and the extensions thereof are towards the wilderness of Beth-aven;

The northern border started at the Jordan [River] and extended west along the northern side of Jericho, into the hilly area. From there the border extended west to the desert near Beth-Aven [town].

13 and the boundary passeth over from thence towards Luz, to the side of Luz, southwards, the same, is Bethel, —and the boundary goeth down to Ataroth-addah, by the mountain that is on the south of Beth-horon the nether;

From there it extended southwest to Luz (which is [now named] Bethel). From there it extended southwest to Ataroth-Addar [town], which is on the hill south of Lower Beth-Horon [city].

14 then turneth the boundary and goeth round the west border, southward, from the mountain which faceth Beth-horon, southward, and so the extensions thereof are unto Kiriath-baal—the same, is Kiriath-jearim, a city of the sons of Judah, —this, is the west border.

At the hill south of Beth-Horon, the border turned and extended south to Kiriath-Baal [town], which is [also named] Kiriath-Jearim. That is a town where people of the tribe of Judah live. That was the western border of the land allotted to the tribe of Benjamin.

15 And, the border southward, is from the uttermost part of Kiriath-jearim, —and the boundary goeth out westward, yea it goeth out unto the fountain of the waters of Nephtoah;

The southern border of their land started near Kiriath-Jearim and extended west to Nephtoah Springs.

16 and the boundary goeth down to the uttermost part of the mountain which faceth the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is in the Vale of Giants, northward, —and descendeth the valley of Hinnom, unto the side of the Jebusite, southward, and then descendeth to En-rogel;

From there it extended south to the bottom of the hill, near Ben-Hinnom Valley, on the north side of Repha Valley. The border extended south along the Hinnom Valley, south of the city where the Jebus people-group lived, to En-Rogel.

17 and it turneth on the north, and goeth out at En-shemesh, and goeth out unto Geliloth, which is over against the ascent of Adummim, —and goeth down by the Stone of Bohan, son of Reuben;

From there the border extended west to En-Shemesh, and continued to Geliloth near Adummim Pass. Then it extended to the great stone of Reuben’s son Bohan.

18 and passeth along unto the side over against the Arabah, northward, —and goeth down toward the Arabah;

From there the border extended to the northern edge of Beth-Arabah [town] and down into the Jordan [River] Valley.

19 and the boundary passeth along unto the side of Beth-hoglah, northward, and so the extensions of the boundary are unto the bay of the Salt Sea, northward, unto the end of the Jordan, southward, —This, is the south boundary.

From there it extended east to the northern edge of Beth-Hoglah [town] and ended at the north end of the Dead Sea, where the Jordan [River flows into the Dead Sea]. That was the southern boundary [of the land allotted to the tribe of Benjamin].

20 And, the Jordan itself, boundeth it as an eastward border. This, is the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin, by the boundaries thereof round about, by their families.

The Jordan [River] was the eastern boundary of the land allotted to the tribe of Benjamin. Those were the boundaries of the land allotted to them.

21 So then the cities of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin, by their families, are, —Jericho and Beth-hoglah, and Emekkeziz,

The cities in the land allotted to the tribe of Benjamin were Jericho, Beth-Hoglah, Emek-Keziz,

22 and Beth-arabah and Zemaraim, and Bethel,

Beth-Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,

23 and Avvim and Parah and Ophrah,

Avvim, Parah, Ophrah,

24 and Chephar-ammoni and Ophni, and Geba, —twelve cities, with their villages:

Kephar-Ammoni, Ophni, and Geba. Altogether there were fourteen towns and the surrounding villages.

25 Gibeon and Ramah, and Beeroth,

The tribe of Benjamin also had the towns of Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,

26 and Mizpeh and Chephirah, and Mozah,

Mizpah, Kephirah, Mozah,

27 and Rekem and Irpeel, and Taralah,

Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah,

28 and Zelah, Eleph, and the Jebusite, the same, is Jerusalem, Gibeath [and] Kiriath, fourteen cities, with their villages. This, is the inheritance of the song of Benjamin, by their families.

Zelah, Haeleph, the city where the Jebus people-group lived (which is [now named] Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Kiriath. Altogether there were 14 towns and the surrounding villages. All that area was allotted to the clans of the tribe of Benjamin.