Joshua 16-20
New International Version (NIV)
Joshua 16
Allotment for Ephraim and Manasseh
1 The allotment for Joseph began at the Jordan, east of the springs of Jericho, and went up from there through
the desert into the hill country of Bethel. 2 It went on from Bethel (that is, Luz),[a] crossed over to the territory of
the Arkites in Ataroth, 3 descended westward to the territory of the Japhletites as far as the region of Lower Beth
Horon and on to Gezer, ending at the Mediterranean Sea.
4 So Manasseh and Ephraim, the descendants of Joseph, received their inheritance.
5 This was the territory of Ephraim, according to its clans:
The boundary of their inheritance went from Ataroth Addar in the east to Upper Beth Horon 6 and continued to
the Mediterranean Sea. From Mikmethath on the north it curved eastward to Taanath Shiloh, passing by it to
Janoah on the east. 7 Then it went down from Janoah to Ataroth and Naarah, touched Jericho and came out at
the Jordan. 8 From Tappuah the border went west to the Kanah Ravine and ended at the Mediterranean Sea.
This was the inheritance of the tribe of the Ephraimites, according to its clans. 9 It also included all the towns and
their villages that were set aside for the Ephraimites within the inheritance of the Manassites.
10 They did not dislodge the Canaanites living in Gezer; to this day the Canaanites live among the people of
Ephraim but are required to do forced labor.
Joshua 17
1 This was the allotment for the tribe of Manasseh as Joseph’s firstborn, that is, for Makir, Manasseh’s firstborn.
Makir was the ancestor of the Gileadites, who had received Gilead and Bashan because the Makirites were great
soldiers. 2 So this allotment was for the rest of the people of Manasseh—the clans of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel,
Shechem, Hepher and Shemida. These are the other male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph by their clans.
3 Now Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons but only
daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah. 4 They went to Eleazar the priest,
Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders and said, “The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among
our relatives.” So Joshua gave them an inheritance along with the brothers of their father, according to the LORD’
s command. 5 Manasseh’s share consisted of ten tracts of land besides Gilead and Bashan east of the Jordan, 6
because the daughters of the tribe of Manasseh received an inheritance among the sons. The land of Gilead
belonged to the rest of the descendants of Manasseh.
7 The territory of Manasseh extended from Asher to Mikmethath east of Shechem. The boundary ran southward
from there to include the people living at En Tappuah. 8 (Manasseh had the land of Tappuah, but Tappuah itself,
on the boundary of Manasseh, belonged to the Ephraimites.) 9 Then the boundary continued south to the Kanah
Ravine. There were towns belonging to Ephraim lying among the towns of Manasseh, but the boundary of
Manasseh was the northern side of the ravine and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. 10 On the south the land
belonged to Ephraim, on the north to Manasseh. The territory of Manasseh reached the Mediterranean Sea and
bordered Asher on the north and Issachar on the east.
11 Within Issachar and Asher, Manasseh also had Beth Shan, Ibleam and the people of Dor, Endor, Taanach and
Megiddo, together with their surrounding settlements (the third in the list is Naphoth[b]).
12 Yet the Manassites were not able to occupy these towns, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that
region. 13 However, when the Israelites grew stronger, they subjected the Canaanites to forced labor but did not
drive them out completely.
14 The people of Joseph said to Joshua, “Why have you given us only one allotment and one portion for an
inheritance? We are a numerous people, and the LORD has blessed us abundantly.”
15 “If you are so numerous,” Joshua answered, “and if the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go up into
the forest and clear land for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites and Rephaites.”
16 The people of Joseph replied, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the
plain have chariots fitted with iron, both those in Beth Shan and its settlements and those in the Valley of Jezreel.”
17 But Joshua said to the tribes of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh—“You are numerous and very powerful.
You will have not only one allotment 18 but the forested hill country as well. Clear it, and its farthest limits will be
yours; though the Canaanites have chariots fitted with iron and though they are strong, you can drive them out.”
Joshua 18
Division of the Rest of the Land
1 The whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there. The country was
brought under their control, 2 but there were still seven Israelite tribes who had not yet received their inheritance.
3 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? 4 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, according to the inheritance of each. Then they will
return to me. 5 You are to divide the land into seven parts. Judah is to remain in its territory on the south and the
tribes of Joseph in their territory on the north. 6 After you have written descriptions of the seven parts of the land,
bring them here to me and I will cast lots for you in the presence of the LORD our God. 7 The Levites, however,
do not get a portion among you, because the priestly service of the LORD is their inheritance. 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.”
8 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. Then return to me, and I will cast lots for you here at Shiloh in the presence of the
LORD.” 9 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 for them in Shiloh in the presence of
the LORD, and there he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their tribal divisions.
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 of Beth Aven. 13 From there it crossed to the south slope of Luz
(that is, Bethel) and went down to Ataroth Addar on the hill south of Lower Beth Horon.
14 From the hill facing Beth Horon on the south the boundary turned south along the western side and came out
at Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim), 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. 16 The boundary went down to the foot of the hill facing the Valley of Ben
Hinnom, north of the Valley of Rephaim. It continued down the Hinnom Valley along the southern slope of the
Jebusite city and so to En Rogel. 17 It then curved north, went to En Shemesh, continued to Geliloth, which faces
the Pass of Adummim, and ran down to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben. 18 It continued to the northern slope
of Beth Arabah[c] and on down into the Arabah. 19 It then went to the northern slope of Beth Hoglah and came
out at the northern bay of the Dead Sea, 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.
21 The tribe of Benjamin, according to its clans, had the following towns:
Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz, 22 Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, 23 Avvim, Parah, Ophrah, 24 Kephar
Ammoni, Ophni and Geba—twelve towns and their villages.
25 Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, 26 Mizpah, Kephirah, Mozah, 27 Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, 28 Zelah, Haeleph, the
Jebusite city (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah and Kiriath—fourteen towns and their villages.
This was the inheritance of Benjamin for its clans.
Joshua 19
Allotment for Simeon
1 The second lot came out for the tribe of Simeon according to its clans. Their inheritance lay within the territory of
Judah. 2 It included:
Beersheba (or Sheba),[d] Moladah, 3 Hazar Shual, Balah, Ezem, 4 Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, 5 Ziklag, Beth
Markaboth, Hazar Susah, 6 Beth Lebaoth and Sharuhen—thirteen towns and their villages;
7 Ain, Rimmon, Ether and Ashan—four towns and their villages— 8 and all the villages around these towns as far
as Baalath Beer (Ramah in the Negev).
This was the inheritance of the tribe of the Simeonites, according to its clans. 9 The inheritance of the
Simeonites was taken from the share of Judah, because Judah’s portion was more than they needed. So the
Simeonites received their inheritance within the territory of Judah.
Allotment for Zebulun
10 The third lot came up for Zebulun according to its clans:
The boundary of their inheritance went as far as Sarid. 11 Going west it ran to Maralah, touched Dabbesheth,
and extended to the ravine near Jokneam. 12 It turned east from Sarid toward the sunrise to the territory of Kisloth
Tabor and went on to Daberath and up to Japhia. 13 Then it continued eastward to Gath Hepher and Eth Kazin; it
came out at Rimmon and turned toward Neah. 14 There the boundary went around on the north to Hannathon
and ended at the Valley of Iphtah El. 15 Included were Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah and Bethlehem. There
were twelve towns and their villages.
16 These towns and their villages were the inheritance of Zebulun, according to its clans.
Allotment for Issachar
17 The fourth lot came out for Issachar according to its clans. 18 Their territory included:
Jezreel, Kesulloth, Shunem, 19 Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, 20 Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez, 21 Remeth, En
Gannim, En Haddah and Beth Pazzez. 22 The boundary touched Tabor, Shahazumah and Beth Shemesh, and
ended at the Jordan. There were sixteen towns and their villages.
23 These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Issachar, according to its clans.
Allotment for Asher
24 The fifth lot came out for the tribe of Asher according to its clans. 25 Their territory included:
Helkath, Hali, Beten, Akshaph, 26 Allammelek, Amad and Mishal. On the west the boundary touched Carmel and
Shihor Libnath. 27 It then turned east toward Beth Dagon, touched Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtah El, and went
north to Beth Emek and Neiel, passing Kabul on the left. 28 It went to Abdon,[e] Rehob, Hammon and Kanah, as
far as Greater Sidon. 29 The boundary then turned back toward Ramah and went to the fortified city of Tyre,
turned toward Hosah and came out at the Mediterranean Sea in the region of Akzib, 30 Ummah, Aphek and
Rehob. There were twenty-two towns and their villages.
31 These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Asher, according to its clans.
Allotment for Naphtali
32 The sixth lot came out for Naphtali according to its clans:
33 Their boundary went from Heleph and the large tree in Zaanannim, passing Adami Nekeb and Jabneel to
Lakkum and ending at the Jordan. 34 The boundary ran west through Aznoth Tabor and came out at Hukkok. It
touched Zebulun on the south, Asher on the west and the Jordan[f] on the east. 35 The fortified towns were
Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Kinnereth, 36 Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, 37 Kedesh, Edrei, En Hazor, 38 Iron,
Migdal El, Horem, Beth Anath and Beth Shemesh. There were nineteen towns and their villages.
39 These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Naphtali, according to its clans.
Allotment for Dan
40 The seventh lot came out for the tribe of Dan according to its clans. 41 The territory of their inheritance
included:
Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir Shemesh, 42 Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah, 43 Elon, Timnah, Ekron, 44 Eltekeh, Gibbethon,
Baalath, 45 Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon, 46 Me Jarkon and Rakkon, with the area facing Joppa.
47 (When the territory of the Danites was lost to them, they went up and attacked Leshem, took it, put it to the
sword and occupied it. They settled in Leshem and named it Dan after their ancestor.)
48 These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Dan, according to its clans.
Allotment for Joshua
49 When they had finished dividing the land into its allotted portions, the Israelites gave Joshua son of Nun an
inheritance among them, 50 as the LORD had commanded. They gave him the town he asked for—Timnath Serah
[g] in the hill country of Ephraim. And he built up the town and settled there.
51 These are the territories that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the tribal clans of Israel
assigned by lot at Shiloh in the presence of the LORD at the entrance to the tent of meeting. And so they finished
dividing the land.
Joshua 20
Cities of Refuge
1 Then the LORD said to Joshua: 2 “Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through
Moses, 3 so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection
from the avenger of blood. 4 When they flee to one of these cities, they are to stand in the entrance of the city
gate and state their case before the elders of that city. Then the elders are to admit the fugitive into their city and
provide a place to live among them. 5 If the avenger of blood comes in pursuit, the elders must not surrender the
fugitive, because the fugitive killed their neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought. 6 They are to
stay in that city until they have stood trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest who is serving
at that time. Then they may go back to their own home in the town from which they fled.”
7 So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and
Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. 8 East of the Jordan (on the other side from Jericho) they
designated Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau in the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead in the tribe of Gad,
and Golan in Bashan in the tribe of Manasseh. 9 Any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing among them who
killed someone accidentally could flee to these designated cities and not be killed by the avenger of blood prior to
standing trial before the assembly.