Joshua 21

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1. 1Then the heads of the Levite families came near to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the tribes of the children of Israel.
2. 2They spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, 'The LORD commanded through Moses to give us cities to live in, with surrounding pasturelands for our cattle.'
3. 3Following the LORD's command, the Israelites gave the Levites cities and their surrounding lands from their own inheritance.
4. 4The lot was drawn for the families of the Kohathites. The descendants of Aaron the priest, who were Levites, received by lot thirteen cities from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
5. 5The rest of the Kohathite families received ten cities by lot from the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
6. 6The descendants of Gershon received by lot thirteen cities from the families of the tribe of Issachar, the tribe of Asher, the tribe of Naphtali, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.
7. 7The families of Merari received twelve cities from the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the tribe of Zebulun.
8. 8The Israelites gave these cities and their surrounding lands to the Levites by casting lots, as the LORD had commanded through Moses.
9. 9They gave these cities, which are mentioned here by name, from the tribe of the children of Judah and from the tribe of the children of Simeon.
10. 10These were given to the descendants of Aaron from the Kohathite families of the Levites, as they received the first lot.
11. 11They gave them the city of Arba, the father of Anak, which is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, along with its surrounding pasturelands.
12. 12But the fields and villages of the city were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession.
13. 13So they gave to the descendants of Aaron the priest Hebron with its surrounding lands, to be a city of refuge for the slayer, and Libnah with its surrounding lands,
14. 14Jattir with its pasturelands, Eshtemoa with its pasturelands,
15. 15Holon with its pasturelands, Debir with its pasturelands,
16. 16Ain with its pasturelands, Juttah with its pasturelands, and Beth Shemesh with its pasturelands; nine cities from these two tribes.
17. 17From the tribe of Benjamin they received Gibeon with its pasturelands, Geba with its pasturelands,
18. 18Anathoth with its pasturelands, and Almon with its pasturelands — 4 cities.
19. 19In total, the children of Aaron, who were priests, received thirteen cities with their surrounding lands.
20. 20The remaining Kohathite families, who were Levites descended from Kohath, received the cities of their allotment from the tribe of Ephraim.
21. 21They gave them Shechem with its surrounding lands in the hill country of Ephraim as a city of refuge for the slayer, and Gezer with its surrounding lands,
22. 22Kibzaim with its pasturelands, and Beth Horon with its pasturelands — 4 cities.
23. 23From the tribe of Dan they received Eltekeh with its pasturelands, Gibbethon with its pasturelands,
24. 24Aijalon with its pasturelands, Gathrimmon with its pasturelands; four cities.
25. 25From the half-tribe of Manasseh, they received Taanach with its pasturelands and Gath Rimmon with its pasturelands; two cities.
26. 26In total, there were ten cities with their pasturelands for the remaining families of the children of Kohath.
27. 27To the Gershonite families of the Levites, from the other half-tribe of Manasseh, they gave Golan in Bashan with its pasturelands, as a city of refuge for the slayer, and Beeshterah with its pasturelands; two cities.
28. 28From the tribe of Issachar they received Kishon with its pasturelands, Daberath with its pasturelands,
29. 29Jarmuth with its pasturelands, and Engannim with its pasturelands; four cities.
30. 30From the tribe of Asher they received Mishal with its pasturelands, Abdon with its pasturelands,
31. 31Helkath with its pasturelands, and Rehob with its pasturelands — 4 cities.
32. 32And from the tribe of Naphtali, they received Kedesh in Galilee with its pasturelands, to be a city of refuge for the slayer, and Hammoth-dor with its pasturelands, and Kartan with its pasturelands—three cities.
33. 33The Gershonite families had a total of thirteen cities with their surrounding lands.
34. 34To the families of the descendants of Merari, who were the remaining Levites, from the tribe of Zebulun: Jokneam with its surrounding lands, and Kartah with its surrounding lands,
35. 35Dimnah with its pasturelands, Nahalal with its pasturelands; four cities.
36. 36From the tribe of Reuben, they received Bezer with its surrounding lands, and Jahazah with its surrounding lands,
37. 37Kedemoth with its pasturelands, and Mephaath with its pasturelands; four cities.
38. 38From the tribe of Gad, they received Ramoth in Gilead with its pasturelands, to be a city of refuge for the slayer, and Mahanaim with its pasturelands,
39. 39Heshbon with its pasturelands, and Jazer with its pasturelands — 4 cities in all.
40. 40In total, the families of Merari, who were the remaining Levite families, received twelve cities by lot.
41. 41In total, the Levites had forty-eight cities with their surrounding lands, within the territory of the children of Israel.
42. 42Each of these cities had suburbs all around them: this was the case for all the cities.
43. 43So the LORD gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give to their ancestors. They took possession of it and lived there.
44. 44The LORD gave them peace on every side, exactly as he had promised their ancestors. Not one of their enemies could stand against them — the LORD handed every enemy over to them.
45. 45Not one of the good things the LORD promised to the house of Israel failed; they all came to pass.