The first lot came out for the Kohathites,(A) according to their clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest were allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin.(B) The rest of Kohath’s descendants were allotted ten towns from the clans of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan and half of Manasseh.(C)

The descendants of Gershon(D) were allotted thirteen towns from the clans of the tribes of Issachar,(E) Asher,(F) Naphtali and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

The descendants of Merari,(G) according to their clans, received twelve(H) towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun.(I)

So the Israelites allotted to the Levites these towns and their pasturelands, as the Lord had commanded through Moses.

From the tribes of Judah and Simeon they allotted the following towns by name 10 (these towns were assigned to the descendants of Aaron who were from the Kohathite clans of the Levites, because the first lot fell to them):

11 They gave them Kiriath Arba(J) (that is, Hebron(K)), with its surrounding pastureland, in the hill country of Judah. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.) 12 But the fields and villages around the city they had given to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession.(L)

13 So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron (a city of refuge(M) for one accused of murder), Libnah,(N) 14 Jattir,(O) Eshtemoa,(P) 15 Holon,(Q) Debir,(R) 16 Ain,(S) Juttah(T) and Beth Shemesh,(U) together with their pasturelands—nine towns from these two tribes.

17 And from the tribe of Benjamin they gave them Gibeon,(V) Geba,(W) 18 Anathoth(X) and Almon, together with their pasturelands—four towns.

19 The total number of towns(Y) for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, came to thirteen, together with their pasturelands.(Z)

20 The rest of the Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted towns from the tribe of Ephraim:

21 In the hill country of Ephraim they were given Shechem(AA) (a city of refuge for one accused of murder) and Gezer,(AB) 22 Kibzaim and Beth Horon,(AC) together with their pasturelands—four towns.(AD)

23 Also from the tribe of Dan they received Eltekeh, Gibbethon,(AE) 24 Aijalon(AF) and Gath Rimmon,(AG) together with their pasturelands—four towns.

25 From half the tribe of Manasseh they received Taanach(AH) and Gath Rimmon, together with their pasturelands—two towns.

26 All these ten towns and their pasturelands were given to the rest of the Kohathite clans.(AI)

27 The Levite clans of the Gershonites were given:

from the half-tribe of Manasseh,

Golan in Bashan(AJ) (a city of refuge for one accused of murder(AK)) and Be Eshterah, together with their pasturelands—two towns;

28 from the tribe of Issachar,(AL)

Kishion,(AM) Daberath,(AN) 29 Jarmuth(AO) and En Gannim,(AP) together with their pasturelands—four towns;

30 from the tribe of Asher,(AQ)

Mishal,(AR) Abdon,(AS) 31 Helkath and Rehob,(AT) together with their pasturelands—four towns;

32 from the tribe of Naphtali,

Kedesh(AU) in Galilee (a city of refuge for one accused of murder(AV)), Hammoth Dor and Kartan, together with their pasturelands—three towns.

33 The total number of towns of the Gershonite(AW) clans came to thirteen, together with their pasturelands.

34 The Merarite clans (the rest of the Levites) were given:

from the tribe of Zebulun,(AX)

Jokneam,(AY) Kartah, 35 Dimnah and Nahalal,(AZ) together with their pasturelands—four towns;

36 from the tribe of Reuben,

Bezer,(BA) Jahaz,(BB) 37 Kedemoth and Mephaath,(BC) together with their pasturelands—four towns;

38 from the tribe of Gad,

Ramoth(BD) in Gilead(BE) (a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Mahanaim,(BF) 39 Heshbon and Jazer,(BG) together with their pasturelands—four towns in all.

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And the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites: and the children of Aaron the priest, which were of the Levites, had by lot out of the tribe of Judah, and out of the tribe of Simeon, and out of the tribe of Benjamin, thirteen cities.

And the rest of the children of Kohath had by lot out of the families of the tribe of Ephraim, and out of the tribe of Dan, and out of the half tribe of Manasseh, ten cities.

And the children of Gershon had by lot out of the families of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the half tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities.

The children of Merari by their families had out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities.

And the children of Israel gave by lot unto the Levites these cities with their suburbs, as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses.

And they gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these cities which are here mentioned by name.

10 Which the children of Aaron, being of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi, had: for theirs was the first lot.

11 And they gave them the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with the suburbs thereof round about it.

12 But the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, gave they to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession.

13 Thus they gave to the children of Aaron the priest Hebron with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Libnah with her suburbs,

14 And Jattir with her suburbs, and Eshtemoa with her suburbs,

15 And Holon with her suburbs, and Debir with her suburbs,

16 And Ain with her suburbs, and Juttah with her suburbs, and Bethshemesh with her suburbs; nine cities out of those two tribes.

17 And out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with her suburbs, Geba with her suburbs,

18 Anathoth with her suburbs, and Almon with her suburbs; four cities.

19 All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their suburbs.

20 And the families of the children of Kohath, the Levites which remained of the children of Kohath, even they had the cities of their lot out of the tribe of Ephraim.

21 For they gave them Shechem with her suburbs in mount Ephraim, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Gezer with her suburbs,

22 And Kibzaim with her suburbs, and Bethhoron with her suburbs; four cities.

23 And out of the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh with her suburbs, Gibbethon with her suburbs,

24 Aijalon with her suburbs, Gathrimmon with her suburbs; four cities.

25 And out of the half tribe of Manasseh, Tanach with her suburbs, and Gathrimmon with her suburbs; two cities.

26 All the cities were ten with their suburbs for the families of the children of Kohath that remained.

27 And unto the children of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, out of the other half tribe of Manasseh they gave Golan in Bashan with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Beeshterah with her suburbs; two cities.

28 And out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishon with her suburbs, Dabareh with her suburbs,

29 Jarmuth with her suburbs, Engannim with her suburbs; four cities.

30 And out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with her suburbs, Abdon with her suburbs,

31 Helkath with her suburbs, and Rehob with her suburbs; four cities.

32 And out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Hammothdor with her suburbs, and Kartan with her suburbs; three cities.

33 All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their suburbs.

34 And unto the families of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with her suburbs, and Kartah with her suburbs,

35 Dimnah with her suburbs, Nahalal with her suburbs; four cities.

36 And out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with her suburbs, and Jahazah with her suburbs,

37 Kedemoth with her suburbs, and Mephaath with her suburbs; four cities.

38 And out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Mahanaim with her suburbs,

39 Heshbon with her suburbs, Jazer with her suburbs; four cities in all.

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Now the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. And (A)the children of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, (B)had thirteen cities by lot from the tribe of Judah, from the tribe of Simeon, and from the tribe of Benjamin. (C)The rest of the children of Kohath had ten cities by lot from the families of the tribe of Ephraim, from the tribe of Dan, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh.

And (D)the children of Gershon had thirteen cities by lot from the families of the tribe of Issachar, from the tribe of Asher, from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

(E)The children of Merari according to their families had twelve cities from the tribe of Reuben, from the tribe of Gad, and from the tribe of Zebulun.

(F)And the children of Israel gave these cities with their common-lands by lot to the Levites, (G)as the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moses.

So they gave from the tribe of the children of Judah and from the tribe of the children of Simeon these cities which are [a]designated by name, 10 which were for the children of Aaron, one of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi; for the lot was theirs first. 11 (H)And they gave them [b]Kirjath Arba (Arba was the father of (I)Anak), (J)which is Hebron, in the mountains of Judah, with the common-land surrounding it. 12 But (K)the fields of the city and its villages they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as his possession.

13 Thus (L)to the children of Aaron the priest they gave (M)Hebron with its common-land (a city of refuge for the slayer), (N)Libnah with its common-land, 14 (O)Jattir with its common-land, (P)Eshtemoa with its common-land, 15 (Q)Holon with its common-land, (R)Debir with its common-land, 16 (S)Ain with its common-land, (T)Juttah with its common-land, and (U)Beth Shemesh with its common-land: nine cities from those two tribes; 17 and from the tribe of Benjamin, (V)Gibeon with its common-land, (W)Geba with its common-land, 18 Anathoth with its common-land, and (X)Almon with its common-land: four cities. 19 All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their common-lands.

20 (Y)And the families of the children of Kohath, the Levites, the rest of the children of Kohath, even they had the cities of their [c]lot from the tribe of Ephraim. 21 For they gave them (Z)Shechem with its common-land in the mountains of Ephraim (a city of refuge for the slayer), (AA)Gezer with its common-land, 22 Kibzaim with its common-land, and Beth Horon with its common-land: four cities; 23 and from the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh with its common-land, Gibbethon with its common-land, 24 (AB)Aijalon with its common-land, and Gath Rimmon with its common-land: four cities; 25 and from the half-tribe of Manasseh, Tanach with its common-land and Gath Rimmon with its common-land: two cities. 26 All the ten cities with their common-lands were for the rest of the families of the children of Kohath.

27 (AC)Also to the children of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, from the other half-tribe of Manasseh, they gave (AD)Golan in Bashan with its common-land (a city of refuge for the slayer), and Be Eshterah with its common-land: two cities; 28 and from the tribe of Issachar, Kishion with its common-land, Daberath with its common-land, 29 Jarmuth with its common-land, and En Gannim with its common-land: four cities; 30 and from the tribe of Asher, Mishal with its common-land, Abdon with its common-land, 31 Helkath with its common-land, and Rehob with its common-land: four cities; 32 and from the tribe of Naphtali, (AE)Kedesh in Galilee with its common-land (a city of refuge for the slayer), Hammoth Dor with its common-land, and Kartan with its common-land: three cities. 33 All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their common-lands.

34 (AF)And to the families of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, from the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its common-land, Kartah with its common-land, 35 Dimnah with its common-land, and Nahalal with its common-land: four cities; 36 [d]and from the tribe of Reuben, (AG)Bezer with its common-land, Jahaz with its common-land, 37 Kedemoth with its common-land, and Mephaath with its common-land: four cities; 38 and from the tribe of Gad, (AH)Ramoth in Gilead with its common-land (a city of refuge for the slayer), Mahanaim with its common-land, 39 Heshbon with its common-land, and Jazer with its common-land: four cities in all.

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Footnotes

  1. Joshua 21:9 Lit. called
  2. Joshua 21:11 Lit. City of Arba
  3. Joshua 21:20 allotment
  4. Joshua 21:36 So with LXX, Vg. (cf. 1 Chr. 6:78, 79); MT, Bg., Tg. omit vv. 36, 37