Joshua 21 — FBV

21Verse 1The leaders of the tribe of Levi approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the leaders of the Israelite tribes.^{Verse 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.”^{Verse 3}So, following the Lord's instructions, the Israelites gave towns and pastures to the Levites from their own allocations.^{Verse 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.^{+Verse 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.^{Verse 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.^{Verse 7}The families of the descendants of Merari were allotted twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.^{Verse 8}So the Israelites gave the Levites by lot these towns and pastures, as the Lord had instructed through Moses.^{Verse 9}They gave from the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Simeon the following towns, specifically named,^{Verse 10}to the families of the Kothaites, descendants of Aaron, of the tribe of Levi, since the first lot fell to them:^{Verse 11}Kiriath-arba (or Hebron), in the hill country of Judah, together with the pastures around it. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.)^{Verse 12}But the more distant fields from the town and the villages had been given to Caleb son of Jephunneh to own.^{Verse 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,^{Verse 14}Jattir, Eshtemoa,^{Verse 15}Holon, Debir,^{Verse 16}Ain, Juttah, and Beth-shemesh—nine towns from these two tribes.^{Verse 17}From the tribe of Benjamin the following four towns and their pastures: Gibeon, Geba,^{Verse 18}Anathoth, and Almon.^{Verse 19}So in total thirteen towns and their pastures were given to the priests, the descendants of Aaron.^{Verse 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:^{Verse 21}Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim (a sanctuary town for those who accidentally committed murder), Gezer,^{Verse 22}Kibzaim, and Beth-horon.^{Verse 23}From the tribe of Dan, the following four towns and their pastures: Eltekeh, Gibbethon,^{Verse 24}Aijalon, and Gath-rimmon.^{Verse 25}From the half-tribe of Manasseh the following two towns and their pastures: Taanach and Gath-rimmon.^{Verse 26}So in total ten towns and their pastures were given to the remaining families of the descendants of Kothah.^{Verse 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.^{Verse 28}From the tribe of Issachar the following four towns and their pastures: Kishion, Daberath,^{Verse 29}Jarmuth, and En-gannim.^{Verse 30}From the tribe of Asher the following four towns and their pastures: Mishal, Abdon,^{Verse 31}Helkath, and Rehob.^{Verse 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.^{Verse 33}So in total thirteen towns and their pastures were allotted to the families of Gershon.^{Verse 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,^{Verse 35}Dimnah, and Nahalal.^{Verse 36}From the tribe of Reuben the following four towns and their pastures: Bezer, Jahaz,^{Verse 37}Kedemoth, and Mephaath.^{Verse 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,^{Verse 39}Heshbon, and Jazer.^{Verse 40}So in total twelve towns were allotted to the families of Merari, those remaining from the tribe of Levi.^{Verse 41}The Levites received a total of forty-eight towns and pastures within the land of the Israelites.^{Verse 42}Each of these towns had pastures around them.^{Verse 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.^{Verse 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.^{Verse 45}Not a single one of the good things the Lord promised Israel had failed; everything had come true.⁺