1   The heads of the Levite families approached Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the families of the tribes of Israel. 2   They came before them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said, ‘The Lord gave his command through Moses that we were to receive cities to live in, together with the common land belonging to them for our cattle.’ 3   The Israelites therefore gave part of their patrimony to the Levites, the following cities with their common land, according to the command of the Lord.

4   This is the territory allotted to the Kohathite family: those Levites who were descended from Aaron the priest received thirteen cities chosen by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin; 5   the rest of the Kohathites were allotted family by family ^note ten cities from the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and half Manasseh.

The division of the land among the tribes

6   The Gershonites were allotted family by family thirteen cities from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

7   The Merarites were allotted ^note family by family twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.

8   So the Israelites gave the Levites these cities with their common land, allocating them by lot as the Lord had commanded through Moses.

9   The Israelites designated the following cities out of the tribes of 10   Judah and Simeon for those sons of Aaron who were of the Kohathite families of the Levites, because their lot came out first. 11   They gave them Kiriath-arba (Arba was the father of Anak), that is Hebron, in the hill-country of Judah, 12   and the common land round it, but they gave the open country near the city, and its hamlets, to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his patrimony.

13    ^noteTo the sons of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, a city of refuge for the homicide, 14    15    16   Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, Holon, Debir, Ashan, ^note Juttah, and Beth-shemesh, each with its common land: nine cities from these two tribes. 17   They also gave cities from the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon, Geba, Anathoth, and Almon, each with its common land: 18   four cities. 19   The number of the cities with their common land given to the sons of Aaron the priest was thirteen.

20   The cities which the rest of the Kohathite families of the Levites received by lot were from the tribe of Ephraim. 21   They gave them Shechem, a city of refuge for the homicide, in the hill-country of Ephraim, 22   Gezer, Kibzaim, and Beth-horon, each with its common land: four cities. 23   From the tribe of Dan, they gave them Eltekeh, Gibbethon, 24   Aijalon, and Gath-rimmon, each with its common land: four cities. 25   From the half tribe of Manasseh, they gave them Taanach and Gath-rimmon, each with its common land: two cities. 26   The number of the cities belonging to the rest of the Kohathite families with their common land was ten.

27   The Gershonite families of the Levites received, out of the share of the half tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan, a city of refuge for the homicide, and Be-ashtaroth, ^note each with its common land: two cities. 28    29   From the tribe of Issachar they received Kishon, Daberah, Jarmuth, ^note and En-gannim, each with its common land: four cities. 30   From the tribe of Asher they received Mishal, 31   Abdon, Helkath, and Rehob, each with its common land: four cities. 32   From the tribe of Naphtali they received Kedesh in Galilee, a city of refuge for the homicide, Hammoth-dor, and Kartan, each with its common land: three cities. 33   The number of

The division of the land among the tribes the cities of the Gershonite families with their common land was thirteen.

34   From the tribe of Zebulun the rest of the Merarite families of the Levites received Jokneam, 35   Kartah, Rimmon, ^note and Nahalal, each with its common land: four cities. 36   East of the Jordan at Jericho, ^note from the tribe of Reuben they were given Bezer-in-the-wilderness on the tableland, ^note a city of refuge for the homicide, 37   Jahaz, Kedemoth, and Mephaath, each with its common land: four cities. 38   From the tribe of Gad they received Ramoth in Gilead, a city of refuge for the homicide, Mahanaim, Heshbon, 39   and Jazer, each with its common land: four cities in all. 40   Twelve cities in all fell by lot to the rest of the Merarite families of the Levites.

41   The cities of the Levites within the Israelite patrimonies numbered forty-eight in all, with their common land. 42   Each city had its common land round it, and it was the same for all of them.

43   Thus the Lord gave Israel all the land which he had sworn to give to their forefathers; they occupied it and settled in it. 44   The Lord gave them security on every side as he had sworn to their forefathers. Of all their enemies not a man could withstand them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hands. 45   Not a word of the Lord's promises to the house of Israel went unfulfilled; they all came true.

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