CHAPTER 21
Now the family
heads
of the Levites
approached
Eleazar
the priest,
Joshua
son
of Nun,
and
the heads
of the other tribes
of Israel
at Shiloh
in the land
of Canaan,
saying,
“The LORD
commanded
through
Moses
that we be given
cities
in which to live,
along with pasturelands
for our livestock.”
So by
the command
of the LORD,
the Israelites
gave
the Levites
these
cities
and their pasturelands
out of their own inheritance:
The first lot
came out
for the Kohathite
clans.
The Levites
who were descendants
of Aaron
the priest
received
thirteen
cities
by lot
from
the tribes
of Judah,
Simeon,
and Benjamin.
The remaining
descendants
of Kohath
received ten
cities
by lot
from the tribes
of Ephraim,
Dan,
and
the half-tribe
of Manasseh.
The descendants
of Gershon
received thirteen
cities
by lot
from the tribes
of Issachar,
Asher,
Naphtali,
and the half-tribe
of Manasseh
in Bashan.
So the Israelites
allotted
to the Levites
these
cities
along with their pasturelands,
as
the LORD
had commanded
through
Moses.
to the descendants
of Aaron
from the Kohathite
clans
of the Levites,
because
the first
lot
fell
to them:
They gave
them
Kiriath-arba
(that is,
Hebron),
with its surrounding
pasturelands,
in the hill country
of Judah.
(Arba was the father
of Anak.)
But they had given
the fields
and villages
around the city
to Caleb
son
of Jephunneh
as his possession.
So to the descendants
of Aaron
the priest
they gave
these cities
with their pasturelands:
Hebron,
a city
of refuge
for the manslayer,
Libnah,
Altogether
thirteen
cities
with their pasturelands
were given to the priests,
the descendants
of Aaron.
The remaining
Kohathite
clans
of the Levites
were allotted
these cities:
From the tribe
of Ephraim
they were given
Shechem
in the hill country
of Ephraim
(a city
of refuge
for the manslayer),
Gezer,
And from the half-tribe
of Manasseh they were given
Taanach
and
Gath-rimmon—
two
cities,
along with
their pasturelands.
This is what the Levite
clans
of the Gershonites were given:
From the half-tribe
of Manasseh
they received
Golan
in Bashan,
a city
of refuge
for the manslayer,
and Beeshterah—
two
cities,
along with
their pasturelands.
And from the tribe
of Naphtali they received
Kedesh
in Galilee
(a city
of refuge
for the manslayer),
Hammoth-dor,
and Kartan—
three
cities,
along with
their pasturelands.
This is what the Merarite
clan
(the rest of
the Levites) were given:
From the tribe
of Zebulun they received
Jokneam,
Kartah,
And from the tribe
of Gad they received
Ramoth
in Gilead,
a city
of refuge
for the manslayer,
Mahanaim,
So in all
there were forty-eight
cities
for the Levites,
along with their pasturelands,
within
the territory
of the Israelites.
Thus the LORD
gave
Israel
all
the land
He had sworn
to give
their fathers,
and they took possession of
it and settled
there.
And the LORD
gave them rest
on every side,
just as
He had sworn
to their fathers.
None
of their enemies
could stand
against them,
for the LORD
delivered
all
their enemies
into their hand.