Joshua 18

⁵¹These are the inheritances that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families distributed by lot to the tribes of Israel at Shiloh before the Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. So they finished dividing up the land.

²at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said to them, “The Lord commanded through Moses that we be given cities in which to live, together with pasturelands for our livestock.”

³Year after year Elkanah would go up from his city to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of Hosts at Shiloh, where Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the Lord.

⁶then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city an object of cursing among all the nations of the earth.’”

⁹So the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh in the land of Canaan to return to their own land of Gilead, which they had acquired according to the command of the Lord through Moses.

²⁴Once she had weaned him, Hannah took the boy with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine. Though the boy was still young, she brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh.

⁴The slacker craves yet has nothing, but the soul of the diligent is fully satisfied.

¹⁹The way of the slacker is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway.

⁹They answered, “Come on, let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and it is very good. Why would you fail to act? Do not hesitate to go there and take possession of the land!

⁴Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.

⁶About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ he asked.

¹⁶On that day they will say to Jerusalem: “Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands fall limp.

²“Send out for yourself men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each of their fathers’ tribes send one man who is a leader among them.”

⁹So the men departed and went throughout the land, mapping it city by city into seven portions. Then they returned with the document to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh.

³So Joshua said to the Israelites, “How long will you put off entering and possessing the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?

²“Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe,

¹²Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe.

⁴And one man from each tribe, the head of each family, must be there with you.

¹Now the allotment for the clans of the tribe of Judah extended to the border of Edom, to the Wilderness of Zin at the extreme southern boundary:

²Their southern border started at the bay on the southern tip of the Salt Sea,

¹The second lot came out for the clans of the tribe of Simeon: Their inheritance lay within the territory of Judah

²and included Beersheba (or Sheba), Moladah,

¹The allotment for the descendants of Joseph extended from the Jordan at Jericho to the waters of Jericho on the east, through the wilderness that goes up from Jericho into the hill country of Bethel.

²It went on from Bethel (that is, Luz) and proceeded to the border of the Archites in Ataroth.

²Their inheritance was assigned by lot for the nine and a half tribes, as the Lord had commanded through Moses.

¹⁰And Joshua cast lots for them in the presence of the Lord at Shiloh, where he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their divisions.

¹⁹And having vanquished seven nations in Canaan, He gave their land to His people as an inheritance.

¹³So Moses commanded the Israelites, “Apportion this land by lot as an inheritance. The Lord has commanded that it be given to the nine and a half tribes.

⁵⁴And you are to divide the land by lot according to your clans. Give a larger inheritance to a larger clan and a smaller inheritance to a smaller one. Whatever falls to each one by lot will be his. You will receive an inheritance according to the tribes of your fathers.

¹¹“I will give you the land of Canaan as the portion of your inheritance.”

³³To the tribe of Levi, however, Moses had given no inheritance. The Lord, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, just as He had promised them.

²⁰Then the Lord said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the Israelites.

⁸The other half of Manasseh, along with the Reubenites and Gadites, had received the inheritance Moses had given them beyond the Jordan to the east, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had assigned to them:

⁹The area from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley, along with the city in the middle of the valley, the whole plateau of Medeba as far as Dibon,

¹²So at that time we took possession of this land. To the Reubenites and Gadites I gave the land beyond Aroer along the Arnon Valley, and half the hill country of Gilead, along with its cities.

¹³To the half-tribe of Manasseh I gave the rest of Gilead and all of Bashan, the kingdom of Og. (The entire region of Argob, the whole territory of Bashan, used to be called the land of the Rephaim.)

²³The Levites are to perform the work of the Tent of Meeting, and they must bear their iniquity. This is a permanent statute for the generations to come. The Levites will not receive an inheritance among the Israelites.

²⁹And Moses said to them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, with every man armed for battle before the Lord, and the land is subdued before you, then you are to give them the land of Gilead as a possession.

³⁰But if they do not arm themselves and go across with you, then they must accept their possession among you in the land of Canaan.”

¹⁰And Joshua cast lots for them in the presence of the Lord at Shiloh, where he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their divisions.

¹⁹So then, let us pursue what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

²⁴And they prayed, “Lord, You know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two You have chosen

²⁵to take up this ministry and apostleship, which Judas abandoned to go to his rightful place.”

¹Then the whole congregation of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there. And though the land was subdued before them,

⁶When you have mapped out the seven portions of land and brought it to me, I will cast lots for you here in the presence of the Lord our God.

⁴¹So Saul said to the Lord, the God of Israel, “Why have You not answered Your servant this day? If the fault is with me or my son Jonathan, respond with Urim, but if the fault is with the men of Israel, respond with Thummim.” And Jonathan and Saul were selected, but the people were cleared of the charge.

¹⁹And having vanquished seven nations in Canaan, He gave their land to His people as an inheritance.

¹²giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.

¹⁹And having vanquished seven nations in Canaan, He gave their land to His people as an inheritance.

⁶When you have mapped out the seven portions of land and brought it to me, I will cast lots for you here in the presence of the Lord our God.

²⁹This is the land you are to allot as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel, and these will be their portions,” declares the Lord God.

⁵For You have heard my vows, O God; You have given me the inheritance reserved for those who fear Your name.

⁵The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; You have made my lot secure.

⁶The lines of my boundary have fallen in pleasant places; surely my inheritance is delightful.

¹At that time the Lord said to me, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the originals, come up to Me on the mountain, and make an ark of wood.

²And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke; and you are to place them in the ark.”

¹²If, regarding one of the cities the Lord your God is giving you to inhabit, you hear it said

¹The allotment for the descendants of Joseph extended from the Jordan at Jericho to the waters of Jericho on the east, through the wilderness that goes up from Jericho into the hill country of Bethel.

²It went on from Bethel (that is, Luz) and proceeded to the border of the Archites in Ataroth.

¹Now the allotment for the clans of the tribe of Judah extended to the border of Edom, to the Wilderness of Zin at the extreme southern boundary:

²Their southern border started at the bay on the southern tip of the Salt Sea,

¹The allotment for the descendants of Joseph extended from the Jordan at Jericho to the waters of Jericho on the east, through the wilderness that goes up from Jericho into the hill country of Bethel.

²Meanwhile, Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and spy out the land.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.

¹Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim, saying, “Go, inspect the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.

¹⁶the flowing water stood still. It backed up as far upstream as Adam, a city in the area of Zarethan, while the water flowing toward the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.

⁸Blow the ram’s horn in Gibeah, the trumpet in Ramah; raise the battle cry in Beth-aven: Lead on, O Benjamin!

¹⁵Though you prostitute yourself, O Israel, may Judah avoid such guilt! Do not journey to Gilgal, do not go up to Beth-aven, and do not swear on oath, ‘As surely as the Lord lives!’

¹⁹and he called that place Bethel, though previously the city had been named Luz.

²It went on from Bethel (that is, Luz) and proceeded to the border of the Archites in Ataroth.

³Then it descended westward to the border of the Japhletites as far as the border of Lower Beth-horon and on to Gezer, and it ended at the Sea.

¹¹As they fled before Israel along the descent from Beth-horon to Azekah, the Lord cast down on them large hailstones from the sky, and more of them were killed by the hailstones than by the swords of the Israelites.

⁵This was the territory of the descendants of Ephraim by their clans: The border of their inheritance went from Ataroth-addar in the east to Upper Beth-horon

²²The house of Joseph also attacked Bethel, and the Lord was with them.

²³They sent spies to Bethel (formerly known as Luz),

²²Kibzaim, and Beth-horon—four cities, together with their pasturelands.

⁹From the hilltop the border curved to the spring of the Waters of Nephtoah, proceeded to the cities of Mount Ephron, and then bent around toward Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim).

⁶⁰Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), and Rabbah—two cities, along with their villages.

⁵So David assembled all Israel, from the River Shihor in Egypt to Lebo-hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.

⁶David and all Israel went up to Baalah of Judah (that is, Kiriath-jearim) to bring up from there the ark of God the Lord, who is enthroned between the cherubim—the ark that is called by the Name.

²And he and all his troops set out for Baale of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name—the name of the Lord of Hosts, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on it.

¹Then the men of Kiriath-jearim came for the ark of the Lord and took it into Abinadab’s house on the hill. And they consecrated his son Eleazar to guard the ark of the Lord.

²And from that day a long time passed, twenty years in all, as the ark remained at Kiriath-jearim. And all the house of Israel mournfully sought the Lord.

⁹From the hilltop the border curved to the spring of the Waters of Nephtoah, proceeded to the cities of Mount Ephron, and then bent around toward Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim).

¹⁰He also desecrated Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom so that no one could sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire to Molech.

⁷Then the border went up to Debir from the Valley of Achor, turning north to Gilgal, which faces the Ascent of Adummim south of the ravine. It continued along the waters of En-shemesh and came out at En-rogel.

⁸From there the border went up the Valley of Ben-hinnom along the southern slope of the Jebusites (that is, Jerusalem) and ascended to the top of the hill that faces the Valley of Hinnom on the west, at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim.

³³For Topheth has long been prepared; it has been made ready for the king. Its funeral pyre is deep and wide, with plenty of fire and wood. The breath of the Lord, like a torrent of burning sulfur, sets it ablaze.

³¹They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom so they could burn their sons and daughters in the fire—something I never commanded, nor did it even enter My mind.

³²So behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when this place will no longer be called Topheth and the Valley of Ben-hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter. For they will bury the dead in Topheth until there is no more room.

¹¹and you are to proclaim to them that this is what the Lord of Hosts says: I will shatter this nation and this city, like one shatters a potter’s jar that can never again be repaired. They will bury the dead in Topheth until there is no more room to bury them.

¹⁰But the man was unwilling to spend the night. He got up and departed, and arrived opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), with his two saddled donkeys and his concubine.

⁶went up to Beth-hoglah, proceeded north of Beth-arabah, and went up to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben.

⁶went up to Beth-hoglah, proceeded north of Beth-arabah, and went up to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben.

⁶¹These were in the wilderness: Beth-arabah, Middin, Secacah,

²Their southern border started at the bay on the southern tip of the Salt Sea,

³The latter five came as allies to the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).

¹⁵The Lord will devote to destruction the gulf of the Sea of Egypt; with a scorching wind He will sweep His hand over the Euphrates. He will split it into seven streams for men to cross with dry sandals.

³Your southern border will extend from the Wilderness of Zin along the border of Edom. On the east, your southern border will run from the end of the Salt Sea,

²⁵Thus He destroyed these cities and the entire plain, including all the inhabitants of the cities and everything that grew on the ground.

¹⁷The Jordan River in the Arabah bordered it from Chinnereth to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) with the slopes of Pisgah to the east.

¹²On the north side their border began at the Jordan, went up past the northern slope of Jericho, headed west through the hill country, and came out at the wilderness of Beth-aven.

⁶went up to Beth-hoglah, proceeded north of Beth-arabah, and went up to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben.

¹Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.

¹Then Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.

¹Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim, saying, “Go, inspect the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.

³⁰Jesus took up this question and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead.

⁶went up to Beth-hoglah, proceeded north of Beth-arabah, and went up to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben.

²⁹One calf he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan.

³⁰And this thing became a sin; the people walked as far as Dan to worship before one of the calves.

¹⁸Then it went on to the northern slope of Beth-arabah and went down into the valley.

⁴Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim in the hill country of Ephraim and said, “Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel!

¹⁸the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Later the Canaanite clans were scattered,

¹⁷And raiders went out of the Philistine camp in three divisions. One headed toward Ophrah in the land of Shual,

²⁶the men of Ramah and Geba, 621;

³⁰the men of Ramah and Geba, 621;

²⁹They have crossed at the ford: “We will spend the night at Geba.” Ramah trembles; Gibeah of Saul flees.

¹⁷And from the tribe of Benjamin they gave them Gibeon, Geba,

¹⁷So the Israelites set out and on the third day arrived at their cities—Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.

⁴Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for it was the great high place. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on the altar there.

⁵One night at Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!”

¹⁵This is what the Lord says: “A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”

¹⁷He had the clans of Judah come forward, and the clan of the Zerahites was selected. He had the clan of the Zerahites come forward, and the family of Zabdi was selected.

²¹For the Lord will rise up as at Mount Perazim. He will rouse Himself as in the Valley of Gibeon, to do His work, His strange work, and to perform His task, His disturbing task.

²the Lord appeared to him a second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon.

¹⁷Then the Ammonites were called to arms and camped in Gilead, and the Israelites assembled and camped at Mizpah.

²⁵the men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743;

¹⁷So the Israelites set out and on the third day arrived at their cities—Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.

¹⁴And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in Zela in the land of Benjamin, in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish. After they had done everything the king had commanded, God answered their prayers for the land.

⁸From there the border went up the Valley of Ben-hinnom along the southern slope of the Jebusites (that is, Jerusalem) and ascended to the top of the hill that faces the Valley of Hinnom on the west, at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim.

²⁹They have crossed at the ford: “We will spend the night at Geba.” Ramah trembles; Gibeah of Saul flees.

¹²But his master replied, “We will not turn aside to the city of foreigners, where there are no Israelites. We will go on to Gibeah.”

¹³He continued, “Come, let us try to reach one of these towns to spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.”

⁸On that day he said, “Whoever attacks the Jebusites must use the water shaft to reach the lame and blind who are despised by David.” That is why it is said, “The blind and the lame will never enter the palace.”

¹⁶Then it went down to the foot of the hill that faces the Valley of Ben-hinnom at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim and ran down the Valley of Hinnom toward the southern slope of the Jebusites and downward to En-rogel.