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18 And all the sons of Israel were gathered in Shiloh, and there they setted fast the tabernacle of witnessing; and the land was subject to them. (And all the Israelites were gathered in Shiloh, and they set up the Tabernacle of the Witnessing there; and the land was made subject to them.)

And (yet) seven lineages of the sons of Israel dwelt there, that had not yet taken their possessions.

To the which Joshua said, How long fade ye, or wallow through sloth, and enter not to wield the land, which the Lord God of your fathers hath given to you?

Choose ye (out) of each lineage three men, (so) that I send them, and they go, and compass the land; and that they describe the land by the number of each multitude (and they set the borders of the land, suitable for the number of each multitude), and (then) bring to me that, that ye have described.

Part ye the land to you into seven parts (Divide ye up the land among you into seven parts); Judah be in his terms at the south coast, and the house of Joseph at the north;

describe ye the middle land betwixt them into seven parts; and then ye shall come to me, that I send lot to you here before your Lord God; (describe ye in writing, or survey, the borders for seven divisions of the land in the middle between them; and then come ye back to me, and I shall cast, or throw, lots for you here before the Lord your God;)

for the part of Levites is not among you, but the priesthood of the Lord, this is the heritage of them. For Gad, and Reuben, and the half lineage of Manasseh, have taken now their possession(s) beyond (the) Jordan, at the east coast, which Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave to them. (and the Levites shall have no portion among you, for the priesthood of the Lord is their inheritance. And Gad, and Reuben, and half of the tribe of Manasseh have now taken their possessions on the eastern side of the Jordan River, which Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave them.)

And when the men had risen up to go, to describe the land, Joshua commanded to them, and said, Compass ye the land, and describe it, and turn again to me, that I send lot to you here in Shiloh, before your Lord God. (And when the men had risen up to go, to describe in writing, or to survey, the borders of the land, Joshua commanded to them, and said, Go ye around the land, and describe it in writing, and then return to me, and I shall throw lots for you, before the Lord your God, here in Shiloh.)

And so they went forth, and compassed that land, and parted it into seven parts, writing it (all) in a book; and they turned again to Joshua, into the tents in Shiloh (and then they returned to Joshua, to the camp at Shiloh).

10 And Joshua sent lots before the Lord God in Shiloh, and he parted the land to the sons of Israel, into seven parts. (And Joshua threw lots before the Lord God in Shiloh, and he divided up the land into seven portions, for the Israelites.)

11 And the first lot of the sons of Benjamin, by their families, went up, that they should wield the land betwixt the sons of Judah and the sons of Joseph. (And the first lot went out to the sons of Benjamin, by their families, that they should possess the land between the sons of Judah and the sons of Joseph.)

12 And the term of them was against the north from (the) Jordan, and it passed by the side of Jericho at the north coast; and it ascended from thence against the west to the hilly places, and it came to the wilderness of Bethaven; (And their border at the north went out from the Jordan River, and it passed by the northern side of Jericho; and it went up from there to the west to the hill country, and it came to the wilderness of Bethaven;)

13 and it passed beside Luz to the south; that is Bethel; and (then) it goeth down into Atarothaddar, into the hill (country) which is at the south of Lower Bethhoron;

14 and it is bowed, and it compasseth against the sea, at the south of the hill that beholdeth Bethhoron against the north; and the outgoings thereof be into Kiriathbaal, which is called also Kiriathjearim, the city of the sons of Judah; this is the great coast against the sea, at the west. (and then it is turned, and it goeth to the west, southward from the hill country that beholdeth Bethhoron; and its end, or its limit, is Kiriathbaal, which is also called Kiriathjearim, the city of the sons of Judah; this is the western border.)

15 And from the south, by the part of Kiriathjearim, the term goeth out against the sea, and cometh till to the well of (the) waters of Nephtoah; (And in the south, from the edge of Kiriathjearim, the border goeth out toward the west, and cometh unto the well of the waters of Nephtoah;)

16 and it goeth down into the part of the hill that beholdeth the valley of the sons of Hinnom, and it is against the north coast, in the last part of the valley of Rephaim; and Ge Hinnom, that is, the valley of Hinnom, goeth down by the side of Jebusites, at the south, and cometh to the well of Rogel, (and it goeth down to the edge of the hill that beholdeth the Hinnom Valley, north of the Rephaim Valley, and then goeth down the Hinnom Valley, to the south side of the Jebusites, and cometh to Enrogel,)

17 and it passeth to the north, and it goeth out to Enshemesh, that is, the well of the sun, and it passeth unto the little hills that be against the going up of Adummim (and it passeth by Geliloth, that faceth the ascent of Adummim); and it goeth down to Even Bohan, that is, the stone of Bohan, (that was named for) the son of Reuben,

18 and passed by the side of the north to the field places; and it goeth down into the plain, (and passed by the north side of the Arabah; and then it goeth down into the Arabah,)

19 and it passeth forth against the north to Bethhoglah; and the outgoings thereof be against the arm of the saltiest sea, from the north, and the end of (the) Jordan is at the south coast, (and it passeth forth toward the north to Bethhoglah; and its end, or its limit, is at the northern arm of the Dead Sea, at the southern end of the Jordan River; this is the southern border;)

20 which is the term thereof from the east (the Jordan River is its eastern border). This is the possession of the sons of Benjamin, by their terms in compass, and by their families;

21 and the cities thereof were Jericho and Bethhoglah, and the valley of Keziz (and Emekkeziz),

22 Betharabah, and Zemaraim, and Bethel,

23 and Avim, and Parah, and Ophrah,

24 the town of Chepharhaammonai, and Ophni, and Geba; twelve cities, and the towns of those;

25 Gibeon, and Ramah, and Beeroth,

26 and Mizpeh, and Chephirah, and Mozah,

27 and Rekem, Irpeel, and Taralah,

28 and Zela, Eleph, and Jebus, which is Jerusalem, Gibeath, and Kiriath(jearim); fourteen cities, and the towns of those; this is the possession of the sons of Benjamin, by their families.

Division of the Rest of the Land

18 The whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh(A) and set up the tent of meeting(B) there. The country was brought under their control, but there were still seven Israelite tribes who had not yet received their inheritance.

So Joshua said to the Israelites: “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you? Appoint three men from each tribe. I will send them out to make a survey of the land and to write a description of it,(C) according to the inheritance of each.(D) Then they will return to me. You are to divide the land into seven parts. Judah is to remain in its territory on the south(E) and the tribes of Joseph in their territory on the north.(F) After you have written descriptions of the seven parts of the land, bring them here to me and I will cast lots(G) for you in the presence of the Lord our God. The Levites, however, do not get a portion among you, because the priestly service of the Lord is their inheritance.(H) And Gad, Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh have already received their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan. Moses the servant of the Lord gave it to them.(I)

As the men started on their way to map out the land, Joshua instructed them, “Go and make a survey of the land and write a description of it.(J) Then return to me, and I will cast lots for you here at Shiloh(K) in the presence of the Lord.” So the men left and went through the land. They wrote its description on a scroll, town by town, in seven parts, and returned to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh. 10 Joshua then cast lots(L) for them in Shiloh in the presence(M) of the Lord, and there he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their tribal divisions.(N)

Allotment for Benjamin

11 The first lot came up for the tribe of Benjamin according to its clans. Their allotted territory lay between the tribes of Judah and Joseph:

12 On the north side their boundary began at the Jordan, passed the northern slope of Jericho and headed west into the hill country, coming out at the wilderness(O) of Beth Aven.(P) 13 From there it crossed to the south slope of Luz(Q) (that is, Bethel(R)) and went down to Ataroth Addar(S) on the hill south of Lower Beth Horon.

14 From the hill facing Beth Horon(T) on the south the boundary turned south along the western side and came out at Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim),(U) a town of the people of Judah. This was the western side.

15 The southern side began at the outskirts of Kiriath Jearim on the west, and the boundary came out at the spring of the waters of Nephtoah.(V) 16 The boundary went down to the foot of the hill facing the Valley of Ben Hinnom, north of the Valley of Rephaim.(W) It continued down the Hinnom Valley(X) along the southern slope of the Jebusite city and so to En Rogel.(Y) 17 It then curved north, went to En Shemesh, continued to Geliloth,(Z) which faces the Pass of Adummim,(AA) and ran down to the Stone of Bohan(AB) son of Reuben. 18 It continued to the northern slope of Beth Arabah[a](AC) and on down into the Arabah.(AD) 19 It then went to the northern slope of Beth Hoglah(AE) and came out at the northern bay of the Dead Sea,(AF) at the mouth of the Jordan in the south. This was the southern boundary.

20 The Jordan formed the boundary on the eastern side.

These were the boundaries that marked out the inheritance of the clans of Benjamin on all sides.(AG)

21 The tribe of Benjamin, according to its clans, had the following towns:

Jericho, Beth Hoglah,(AH) Emek Keziz, 22 Beth Arabah,(AI) Zemaraim,(AJ) Bethel,(AK) 23 Avvim,(AL) Parah, Ophrah,(AM) 24 Kephar Ammoni, Ophni and Geba(AN)—twelve towns and their villages.

25 Gibeon,(AO) Ramah,(AP) Beeroth,(AQ) 26 Mizpah,(AR) Kephirah,(AS) Mozah, 27 Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, 28 Zelah,(AT) Haeleph, the Jebusite city(AU) (that is, Jerusalem(AV)), Gibeah(AW) and Kiriath—fourteen towns and their villages.(AX)

This was the inheritance of Benjamin for its clans.(AY)

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 18:18 Septuagint; Hebrew slope facing the Arabah

18 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them.

And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet received their inheritance.

And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the Lord God of your fathers hath given you?

Give out from among you three men for each tribe: and I will send them, and they shall rise, and go through the land, and describe it according to the inheritance of them; and they shall come again to me.

And they shall divide it into seven parts: Judah shall abide in their coast on the south, and the house of Joseph shall abide in their coasts on the north.

Ye shall therefore describe the land into seven parts, and bring the description hither to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the Lord our God.

But the Levites have no part among you; for the priesthood of the Lord is their inheritance: and Gad, and Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh, have received their inheritance beyond Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave them.

And the men arose, and went away: and Joshua charged them that went to describe the land, saying, Go and walk through the land, and describe it, and come again to me, that I may here cast lots for you before the Lord in Shiloh.

And the men went and passed through the land, and described it by cities into seven parts in a book, and came again to Joshua to the host at Shiloh.

10 And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord: and there Joshua divided the land unto the children of Israel according to their divisions.

11 And the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families: and the coast of their lot came forth between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph.

12 And their border on the north side was from Jordan; and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north side, and went up through the mountains westward; and the goings out thereof were at the wilderness of Bethaven.

13 And the border went over from thence toward Luz, to the side of Luz, which is Bethel, southward; and the border descended to Atarothadar, near the hill that lieth on the south side of the nether Bethhoron.

14 And the border was drawn thence, and compassed the corner of the sea southward, from the hill that lieth before Bethhoron southward; and the goings out thereof were at Kirjathbaal, which is Kirjathjearim, a city of the children of Judah: this was the west quarter.

15 And the south quarter was from the end of Kirjathjearim, and the border went out on the west, and went out to the well of waters of Nephtoah:

16 And the border came down to the end of the mountain that lieth before the valley of the son of Hinnom, and which is in the valley of the giants on the north, and descended to the valley of Hinnom, to the side of Jebusi on the south, and descended to Enrogel,

17 And was drawn from the north, and went forth to Enshemesh, and went forth toward Geliloth, which is over against the going up of Adummim, and descended to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben,

18 And passed along toward the side over against Arabah northward, and went down unto Arabah:

19 And the border passed along to the side of Bethhoglah northward: and the outgoings of the border were at the north bay of the salt sea at the south end of Jordan: this was the south coast.

20 And Jordan was the border of it on the east side. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, by the coasts thereof round about, according to their families.

21 Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho, and Bethhoglah, and the valley of Keziz,

22 And Betharabah, and Zemaraim, and Bethel,

23 And Avim, and Pharah, and Ophrah,

24 And Chepharhaammonai, and Ophni, and Gaba; twelve cities with their villages:

25 Gibeon, and Ramah, and Beeroth,

26 And Mizpeh, and Chephirah, and Mozah,

27 And Rekem, and Irpeel, and Taralah,

28 And Zelah, Eleph, and Jebusi, which is Jerusalem, Gibeath, and Kirjath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.