Joshua Chapter 21
Towns for the Levites
1 The heads of families among the Levites came to Eleazar the priest, Joshua, and the heads of families in Israel. 2 They said, “Yahveh commanded Moses to give us towns to live in along with pastures for our livestock.” 3 Israel gave the Levites those towns and their pastures out of their inheritance.
4 The lot came out for the clans of Kohathites; the descendants of Aaron received 13 towns from Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
5 The rest of the Kohathites received by lot 10 towns from Ephraim, Dan, and the Manasseh half-tribe.
6 The Gershonites received by lot 13 towns from Issachar, Asher, and Naphtali, and the Manasseh half-tribe in Bashan.
7 The Merarites by clans received 12 towns from Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. [ 8 ]
Josh 21:1-8
9 From Judah and Simeon they gave the following towns. 10 They went to Aaron’s descendants, one clan of Kohathites among the Levites, since the lot fell to them first. 11 They gave them Kiriath-arba (Hebron; Arba was father of Anak.) in the hill country of Judah, along with its pastureland. 12 But the city’s fields and villages had been given to Caleb Ben-Jephunneh. 13 They gave them Hebron, a city of refuge; Libnah, 14 Jattir, Eshtemoa, 15 Holon, Debir, 16 Ain, Juttah, and Beth-shemesh—9 towns with their pastures. 17 From Benjamin they gave Gibeon, Geba, 18 Anathoth, and Almon—4 towns with their pastures. 19 Aaron’s descendants had 13 towns in all.
20 To the rest of the Kohathites the towns were allotted from Ephraim: 21 Shechem, a city of refuge in the hill country of Ephraim; Gezer, 22 Kibzaim, and Beth-horon—4 towns with their pastures. 23 From Dan they gave Elteke, Gibbethon, 24 Aijalon, Gath-rimmon—4 towns with their pastures. 25 From the Manasseh half-tribe they gave Taanach and Gath-rimmon—2 towns with their pastures. 26 The rest of the Kohathites had 10 towns with their pastures.
Josh 21:9-26
27 To the Gershonites—one clan of the Levites—from the Manasseh half-tribe they gave Golan in Bashan, a city of refuge; and Be-eshterah—2 towns with their pastures. 28 From Issachar they gave Kishion, Daberath, 29 Jarmuth, En-gannim—4 towns with their pastures. 30 From Asher they gave Mishal, Abdon, 31 Helkath, and Rehob—4 towns with their pastures. 32 From Naphtali they gave Kedesh in Galilee, a city of refuge, Hammoth-dor, and Kartan—3 towns with their pastures. 33 The Gershonites had 13 towns with their pastures.
Josh 21:27-33
34 To the rest of the Levites—the Merarite clan—from Zebulun they gave Jokneam, Kartah, 35 Dimnah, and Nahalal—4 towns with their pastures. 36 From Reuben they gave Bezer, Jahaz, 37 Kedemoth, and Mephaath—4 towns with their pastures. 38 From Gad they gave Ramoth in Gilead, a city of refuge; Mahanaim, 39 Heshbon, and Jazer—4 towns with their pastures. 40 The Merarite clan had 12 towns.
41-42 Throughout Israel the Levites had 48 towns with their pastures around them.
43 Yahveh gave Israel all the land he swore to their ancestors. They took it and settled there. 44 He gave them peace from every direction. Not one of their enemies could stand against them. 45 None of his good promises failed.
Josh 21:34-45