Joshua 18
1 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.
And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up there the tabernacle of the congregation. And the land was subdued before them.
And there remained among the children of Israel, that had not yet received their inheritance, seven tribes.
3 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]?
And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long will ye show yourselves slack to go to take possession of the land, which the Lord the God of your fathers hath given to you!
4 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.
Furnish for yourselves three men for each tribe; and I will send them out, and they shall arise, and walk through the land, and describe it according to their inheritance, and come again to me.
5 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.
And they shall divide it into seven parts: Judah shall remain on his boundary at the south, and the house of Joseph shall remain on their boundary at the north.
6 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].
But you shall make a description of the land in seven parts, and bring it hither to me; and I will cast the lot for you here, before the Lord our God.
7 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].”
For to the Levites there is no portion among you; for the priesthood of the Lord is their inheritance; and Gad, and Reuben, and half the tribe of Menasseh have already received their inheritance beyond the Jordan, at the east, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave to them.
8 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].”
And the men arose, and went away; and Joshua charged those that went to describe the land, saying, Go and walk through the land, and describe it, and return again to me; and here will I cast the lot for you before the Lord, in Shiloh.
9 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.
And the men went and passed through the land, and described it according to the cities in seven parts in a book; and they came again to Joshua to the camp at Shiloh.
10 [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.
And Joshua cast the lot for them in Shiloh before the Lord; and Joshua divided there the land unto the children of Israel according to their divisions.
11 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.
And the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families; and the boundary of their lot came forth between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph.
12 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].
And their boundary was on the north side [starting] from the Jordan; and the boundary went up to the side of Jericho on the north, and went up through the mountains westward; and its terminations were at the wilderness of Beth-aven.
13 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].
And the boundary went over from there toward Luz, to the south side of Luz, which is Beth-el; and the boundary descended to 'Atroth-addar, upon the mount that is on the south side of the lower Beth-choron.
14 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.
And the border extended [thence], and fetched a compass to the west side, to the south of the mount that is before Beth-choron at the south; and its terminations were at Kiryath-ba'al, which is Kiryath-ye'arim, a city of the children of Judah: this was the west side.
15 The southern border of their land started near Kiriath-Jearim and extended west to Nephtoah Springs.
And the south side commenced from the end of Kiryath-ye'arim, and the boundary went out on the west, and went out to the spring of the waters of Nephtoach:
16 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.
And the boundary went down to the end of the mountain that is before the valley of the son of Hinnom, and which is in the valley of Rephaim at the north, and descended to the valley of Hinnom, to the side of the Jebusi on the south, and descended to 'Enrogel,
17 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.
And extended northwardly, and went forth to 'En-shemesh, and went forth toward Geliloth, which is opposite to the ascent of Adummim, and descended to Eben-bohan the son of Reuben,
18 From there the border extended to the northern edge of Beth-Arabah [town] and down into the Jordan [River] Valley.
And passed along on this side opposite to 'Arabah northward; and went down unto 'Arabah;
19 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].
And the boundary passed along to the side of Beth-choglah northward; and the terminations of the border were at the north bay of the Salt Sea at the south end of the Jordan: this was the south boundary.
20 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.
And the Jordan bounded it on the east side. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, by its boundaries round about, according to their families.
21 The cities in the land allotted to the tribe of Benjamin were Jericho, Beth-Hoglah, Emek-Keziz,
Now these were the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin according to their families, Jericho, and Beth-choglah, and 'Emekkeziz,
22 Beth-Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,
And Beth-ha'arabah, and Zemarayim, and Beth-el,
23 Avvim, Parah, Ophrah,
And Avvim, and Parah, and 'Ophrah,
24 Kephar-Ammoni, Ophni, and Geba. Altogether there were fourteen towns and the surrounding villages.
And Kephar-ha'ammonah, and 'Ophni, and Geba': twelve cities with their villages.
25 The tribe of Benjamin also had the towns of Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,
Gib'on, and Ramah, and Beeroth,
26 Mizpah, Kephirah, Mozah,
And Mizpeh, and Kephirah, and Mozah,
27 Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah,
And Rekem, and Yirpeel, and Taralah,
28 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.
And Zela', Eleph, and Jebusi, which is Jerusalem, Gib'ath, and Kiryath: fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.
