Joshua 13

Chapter 13

The Land Yet to Be Conquered

1 When Joshua was an old man, the LORD said to him, “You are growing old, and much land remains to be conquered.2 This is the territory that remains: all the regions of the Philistines and the Geshurites,3 and the larger territory of the Canaanites, extending from the stream of Shihor on the border of Egypt, northward to the boundary of Ekron. It includes the territory of the five Philistine rulers of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. The land of the Avvites4 in the south also remains to be conquered. In the north, the following area has not yet been conquered: all the land of the Canaanites, including Mearah (which belongs to the Sidonians), stretching northward to Aphek on the border of the Amorites;5 the land of the Gebalites and all of the Lebanon mountain area to the east, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo-hamath;

6 and all the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim, including all the land of the Sidonians.

“I myself will drive these people out of the land ahead of the Israelites. So be sure to give this land to Israel as a special possession, just as I have commanded you.

7 Include all this territory as Israel’s possession when you divide this land among the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”

The Land Divided East of the Jordan

8 Half the tribe of Manasseh and the tribes of Reuben and Gad had already received their grants of land on the east side of the Jordan, for Moses, the servant of the LORD, had previously assigned this land to them.
9 Their territory extended from Aroer on the edge of the Arnon Gorge (including the town in the middle of the gorge) to the plain beyond Medeba, as far as Dibon.10 It also included all the towns of King Sihon of the Amorites, who had reigned in Heshbon, and extended as far as the borders of Ammon.11 It included Gilead, the territory of the kingdoms of Geshur and Maacah, all of Mount Hermon, all of Bashan as far as Salecah,12 and all the territory of King Og of Bashan, who had reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei. King Og was the last of the Rephaites, for Moses had attacked them and driven them out.13 But the Israelites failed to drive out the people of Geshur and Maacah, so they continue to live among the Israelites to this day.

An Allotment for the Tribe of Levi

14 Moses did not assign any allotment of land to the tribe of Levi. Instead, as the LORD had promised them, their allotment came from the offerings burned on the altar to the LORD, the God of Israel.

The Land Given to the Tribe of Reuben

15 Moses had assigned the following area to the clans of the tribe of Reuben.
16 Their territory extended from Aroer on the edge of the Arnon Gorge (including the town in the middle of the gorge) to the plain beyond Medeba.17 It included Heshbon and the other towns on the plain—Dibon, Bamoth-baal, Beth-baal-meon,18 Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath,19 Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth-shahar on the hill above the valley,20 Beth-peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth-jeshimoth.21 The land of Reuben also included all the towns of the plain and the entire kingdom of Sihon. Sihon was the Amorite king who had reigned in Heshbon and was killed by Moses along with the leaders of Midian—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba—princes living in the region who were allied with Sihon.22 The Israelites had also killed Balaam son of Beor, who used magic to tell the future.23 The Jordan River marked the western boundary for the tribe of Reuben. The towns and their surrounding villages in this area were given as a homeland to the clans of the tribe of Reuben.

The Land Given to the Tribe of Gad

24 Moses had assigned the following area to the clans of the tribe of Gad.
25 Their territory included Jazer, all the towns of Gilead, and half of the land of Ammon, as far as the town of Aroer just west oft Rabbah.26 It extended from Heshbon to Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the territory of Lo-debar.t27 In the valley were Beth-haram, Beth-nimrah, Succoth, Zaphon, and the rest of the kingdom of King Sihon of Heshbon. The western boundary ran along the Jordan River, extended as far north as the tip of the Sea of Galilee,t and then turned eastward.28 The towns and their surrounding villages in this area were given as a homeland to the clans of the tribe of Gad.

The Land Given to the Half-Tribe of Manasseh

29 Moses had assigned the following area to the clans of the half-tribe of Manasseh.
30 Their territory extended from Mahanaim, including all of Bashan, all the former kingdom of King Og, and the sixty towns of Jair in Bashan.31 It also included half of Gilead and King Og’s royal cities of Ashtaroth and Edrei. All this was given to the clans of the descendants of Makir, who was Manasseh’s son.32 These are the allotments Moses had made while he was on the plains of Moab, across the Jordan River, east of Jericho.

33 But Moses gave no allotment of land to the tribe of Levi, for the LORD, the God of Israel, had promised that he himself would be their allotment.

JOSHUA 13

The Land Israel //Had Not Yet Taken

1 Many years later, the [Lord] told Joshua:
Now you are very old, but there is still a lot of land that Israel has not yet taken.

2-7 t First, there is the Canaanite territory that starts at the Shihor River just east of Egypt and goes north to Ekron. The southern part of this region belongs to the Avvites and the Geshurites, t and the land around Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron belongs to the five Philistine rulers.
The other Canaanite territory is in the north. Its northern border starts at the town of Arah, which belongs to the Sidonians. From there, it goes to Aphek, t then along the Amorite bordert to Hamath Pass.t The eastern border starts at Hamath Pass and goes south to Baal-Gad at the foot of Mount Hermon, and its southern boundary runs west from there to Misrephoth-Maim.t This northern region includes the Lebanon Mountains and the land that belongs to the Gebalitest and the Sidonians who live in the hill country from the Lebanon Mountains to Misrephoth-Maim.
With my help, Israel will capture these Canaanite territories and force out the people who live there. But you must divide up the land from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Seat among the nine tribes and the half of Manasseh that don't have any land yet. Then each tribe will have its own land.

The Land East //of the Jordan River

10 and took in the towns that had belonged to Sihon, the Amorite king of Heshbon. Some of these towns were as far east as the Ammonite border.
11-12 Geshur and Maacah were part of this region, and so was the whole territory that King Og had ruled, that is, Gilead, Mount Hermon, and all of Bashan as far east as Salecah. Og had lived in Ashtaroth part of each year, and he had lived in Edrei the rest of the year. Og had been one of the last of the Rephaim, t but Moses had defeated Sihon and Og and their peoplet and had forced them to leave their land.

13 However, the Israelites did not force the people of Geshur and Maacah to leave, and they still live there among the Israelites.

Why Moses Did Not Give Land //to the Levi Tribe

14  t Moses did not give any land to the Levi tribe, because the [Lord] God of Israel had told them, “Instead of land, you will receive the sacrifices offered at my altar.”

The Land Moses Gave //to the Reuben Tribe

17-21 The Amorite King Sihon had lived in Heshbon and had ruled the towns in the flatlands. Now Heshbon belonged to Reuben, and so did the following towns in the flatlands: Dibon, Bamoth-Baal, Beth-Baal-Meon, Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth-Shahar on the hill in the valley, Beth-Peor, Slopes of Mount Pisgah, and Beth-Jeshimoth.
Moses defeated Sihon and killed him and the Midianite chiefs who ruled parts of his kingdom for him. Their names were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba.

22 The Israelites also killed Balaam the son of Beor, who had been a fortuneteller.

23 This region with its towns and villages was the land for the Reuben tribe, and the Jordan River was its western border.

The Land Moses Gave //to the Gad Tribe

28 These regions with their towns and villages were given to the Gad tribe.

The Land Moses Gave //to Half the //Manasseh Tribe

30-31 Their land started at Mahanaim and took in the region that King Og of Bashan had ruled, including Ashtaroth and Edrei, the two towns where he had lived. The villages where the Jair clan settled were part of Manasseh's land, and so was the northern half of the region of Gilead. The clans of this half of Manasseh had 60 towns in all.
The Manasseh tribe is sometimes called the Machir tribe, after Manasseh's son Machir.
32 That was how Moses divided up the Moab Plains to the east of Jericho on the other side of the Jordan River, so these two and a half tribes would have land of their own. 33 t But Moses did not give any land to the Levi tribe, because the [Lord] had promised that he would always provide for them.