35 lat Jordan toward the sunrising. And the fenced cities were Ziddim, Zer, and Hammath, Rakkath, and Chin36 nereth; and Adamah, and Ramah, 37 and Hazor; and Kedesh, and Edrei, 38 and En-hazor; and Iron, and Migdal-el, Horem, and Beth-anath, and Beth-shemesh; nineteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Naphtali according to their families, the cities with their villages. (40 The seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan accord4ling to their families. And the 'border of their inheritance was Zorah, and Eshtaol, and Ir-shemesh; and Shaalabbin, and Aijalon, and 'Ithlah'; 13 and Elon, and 'Timnah', and Ekron; 4 and Eltekeh, and Gibbethon, and Baalath; and Jehud, and Bene-berak, and Gath-rimmon; and Mejarkon, and Rakkon, with the border lover against Joppa'. And the 'border of the children of Dan went out beyond them: for the children of Dan went up and fought against Leshem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and dwelt therein, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name 48 of Dan their father. "This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages. 49 So they made an end of 'distributing the land for inheritance by the borders thereof; and the children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun in the midst of them: according to the 'commandment of the LORD they gave him the city which he asked, even Timnathserah in the hill country of Ephraim: and he built the city, and dwelt therein.

2 saying, Speak to the children of Israel, saying, 'Assign you the cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you 3) by the hand of Moses: that the 'manslayer that killeth any person unwittingly and unawares may flee thither: and they shall be unto you for a refuge from the avenger of (4 blood. And he shall flee unto one

of those cities, 'and' shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city; and they shall 5take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell 5) among them. And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver up the manslayer! into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unawares, and hated him (6 not beforetime. And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgement, until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the manslayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the 7 city from whence he fled. And they

set apart Kedesh in 'Galilee in the hill country of1 Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath'-arba (the same is Hebron) 8 in the hill country' of Judah. ° And beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness in the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manas9) seh. These were the appointed cities for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person unwittingly might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.

211 Then came near the heads of 'fa

thers' houses of the Levites unto Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua the son of Nun, and unto the heads of fathers' houses of the tribes of 2 the children of Israel; and they spake unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, The LORD commanded by the hand of Moses to give

7 Heb. Galil. 8 Or, table land]

us cities to dwell in, with the 'suburbs 3 thereof for our cattle. And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance, according to the commandment of the LORD, these cities with their suburbs.

4

5

6

7

8

And the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites: and the children of Aaron the priest, which were of the Levites, had by lot out of the tribe of Judah, and out of the tribe of the Simeonites, and out of the tribe of Benjamin, thirteen cities.

And the rest of the children of Kohath had by lot out of the families of the tribe of Ephraim, and out of the tribe of Dan, and out of the half tribe of Manasseh, ten cities.

And the children of Gershon had by lot out of the families of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the half tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities.

The children of Merari 'according to their families had out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities.

And the children of Israel gave by lot unto the Levites these cities with their suburbs, as the LORD com9 manded by the hand of Moses.

And

they gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these cities which are here mentioned by name: (10 land they were for the children of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi : 11 for theirs was the first lot. And they gave them 'Kiriath-arba, which Arba was the father of 2Anak, (the same is Hebron,) in the hill country of Judah, with the suburbs thereof round about 12 it. But the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, gave they to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession. 13) And unto the children of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron with her suburbs, the city of refuge for the Imanslayer', and Libnah with her 14 suburbs; and Jattir with her suburbs, 15 and Eshtemoa with her suburbs; and Holon with her suburbs, and Debir 16 with her suburbs; and Ain with her suburbs, and Juttah with her suburbs, and Beth-shemesh with her suburbs; nine cities out of those two tribes. 17 And out of the tribe of Benjamin, 1 Or, pasture landsNo 2 Heb. Anok.

Gibeon with her suburbs, Geba with 18 her suburbs; Anathoth with her suburbs, and Almon with her suburbs; 19 four cities. All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their suburbs.

(20

And the families of the children of Kohath, the Levites, even the rest of the children of Kohath, they had the cities of their lot out of the tribe 21 of Ephraim. And they gave them Shechem with her suburbs in the hill country of Ephraim, 'the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Gezer 22 with her suburbs; and Kibzaim with

her suburbs, and Beth-horon with her 23 suburbs; four cities. And out of the

tribe of Dan, Elteke with her suburbs, 24 Gibbethon with her suburbs; Aijalon

with her suburbs, Gath-rimmon with 25 her suburbs; four cities. And out of the half tribe of Manasseh, 'Taanach with her suburbs, and Gathrimmon with her suburbs; two cities. 26) °All the cities of the families 1of the rest of the children of Kohath were ten with their suburbs.

(27

And unto the children of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, out of the half tribe of Manasseh they gave Golan in Bashan with her suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer; and Be-eshterah with her 28 suburbs; two cities. And out of the tribe of Issachar, 'Kishion' with her suburbs, Daberath with her 29 suburbs; Jarmuth with her suburbs,

En-gannim with her suburbs; four 30 cities. And out of the tribe of Asher,

Mishal with her suburbs, Abdon with 31 her suburbs; Helkath with her suburbs, and Rehob with her suburbs; 32 four cities. And out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with her suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Hammoth-dor with her suburbs, and Kartan with her 33 suburbs; three cities. All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their suburbs.

many MSS. and in the ancient versions. See also I Chr. vi.

78, 79.

O

37 with her suburbs, °Kedemoth with her suburbs, and Mephaath with her sub38 urbs: four cities. And out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer1, and Mahanaim with 39 her suburbs; Heshbon with her suburbs, Jazer with her suburbs; four (40 cities in all. All these were the cities of the children of Merari laccording to their families, even the rest of the families of the Levites; and their lot was twelve cities.

41

All the cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the children of Israel were forty and eight 12 cities with their suburbs. °These cities were every one with their suburbs round about them: thus it was with all these cities.

So the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, # and dwelt therein. "And the LORD gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into 45 their hand. There failed not aught of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.

221 Then Joshua called the Reubenites,

and the Gadites, and the half tribe of 2 Manasseh, and said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have 'hearkened unto my voice in all 3 that I commanded you: ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD (your God. And now the LORD your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he spake unto them: therefore now turn' ye, and get 'you' unto your tents, unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you beyond Jordan.

Only take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded' you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your

(7

6 soul. So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away: and they went unto their tents.

Now to the one half tribe of Manasseh Moses had given inheritance in Bashan: but unto the other half gave Joshua among their brethren beyond Jordan westward. Moreover when Joshua sent them away unto their tents, he blessed them, (8 and spake unto them, saying, Return with much wealth unto your tents, and with very much cattle, with silver, and with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with very much raiment: divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren.

9

And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go unto the land of Gilead, to the land of their possession, whereof they were possessed, according to the commandment of the 10 LORD by the hand of Moses. And when they came unto the region about' Jordan, that is in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by 11 Jordan, a great altar to see to. And the children of Israel heard say, Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar in the forefront of the land of Canaan, in the region about Jordan, 'on the side that pertaineth to the children of 12) Israel. And when the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up against them to war.

13

And the children of Israel sent unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the 14) priest; and with him ten princes, lonel prince of a fathers' house for each of the tribes of Israel; and they were every one of them head of their 'fathers' houses among 15 the thousands of Israel. And they came unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to

the half tribe of Manasseh, unto the land of Gilead, and they spake with 16 them, saying, Thus saith the whole

congregation of the LORD, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the LORD, in that ye have builded you an altar, to rebel this day against 17 the LORD? Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves unto this day, although there came a plague upon1 (18 the congregation of the LORD, that

ye must turn away this day from following the LORD? and it will be, seeing ye rebel to-day against the LORD,

that to-morrow he will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel. 19 Howbeit, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the LORD, wherein the LORD's tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us but rebel not against the LORD, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar besides the altar of 20 the LORD our God. Did not Achan

21

the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the devoted thing, and wrath fell Tupon all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity.

Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh answered, and spake unto the heads of the thousands of *22 Israel, The LORD, 'the God of gods, the LORD, the God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel he shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in 'trespass against the LORD, (save thou us not 23 this day,) that we have built us an altar to turn away from following the LORD; or if to offer thereon burnt offering or meal' offering, or if to offer sacrifices of peace offerings thereon, let the LORD himself require 24 it; and if we have not rather out of carefulness done this, and of purposel, saying, In time to come your children might speak unto our children, saying, What have ye to do with the LORD, the God of Israel? 25 °for the LORD hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad; ye have no 'portion in the Lord: so

1 Or, families

shall your children make our children 26 cease from fearing the LORD. °Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offer27 ing, nor for sacrifice: obut it shall be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we may do the service of the LORD before him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no 'portion' in (28 the LORD. "Therefore said we, It shall be, when they so say to us or to our generations in time to come, that we shall say, Behold the pattern of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offering', nor for 'sacrifice; but it is a witness 29 between us and you. "God forbid

30

that we should rebel against the LORD, and turn away this day from following the LORD, to build an altar for burnt offering, for meal offering, or for 'sacrifice', besides the altar of the LORD our God that is before his tabernacle.

And when Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation, 'even the heads of the thousands of Israel which were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spake, it pleased them 31) 'well'. And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, This day we know that the LORD is in the midst of us, because ye have not committed this trespass against the LORD: now have ye delivered the children of Israel out of 32 the hand of the LORD. And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the princes, returned from the children of Reuben, and from the children of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, unto the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word again. 33 And the thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children of Israel blessed God, and 'spake no more of going up against them to war', to destroy the land wherein the children of Reuben and the children of Gad 34 dwelt. And the children of Reuben

and the children of Gad called the altar 1Ed: For, said they, it is a witness between us that the LORD is God. 231 And it came to pass after many days, when the LORD had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, 'and' Joshua was old (2 and well stricken in years; that! Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders and for their heads, and for their judges and for their officers, and said unto them, I am old and well 3) stricken in years!: and ye have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto all these nations because of you; for the LORD your God, he it is that 4 hath fought for you. Behold, I have Jallotted unto you these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun. And the LORD your God, he shall thrust them out from before you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as the LORD your God 'spake 6) unto you. "Therefore be ye very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left; 1 that ye come not among these nations, these that remain lamong you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow 8 down yourselves unto them: but cleave unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto this day. For the LORD hath driven out from before you great nations and strong but as for you, no man hath 'stood before 10 you unto this day. One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that fighteth for 11 you, as he 'spake unto you. °Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the LORD your God. (12 Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you: (13) know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more drive these nations from out of your sight; but

1 That is, Witness.

:

they shall be 'a snare and la trap unto you, and 'a scourge' in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the (14 LORD your God hath given you. And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, not one thing hath 15 failed thereof. And it shall come to pass, that as all the good things are come upon you of which the LORD your God spake unto you, so shall the LORD bring upon you all 'the evil things, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given 16 you. When ye 'transgress' the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and Iserve other gods, and bow down yourselves to them; then shall the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath given unto you.

241

And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented 2) themselves before God. And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt of old time beyond the 'River', even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor': 3 and they served other gods. And I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him 4 Isaac. And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau and I gave unto Esau mount Seir, to possess it; land1 Jacob and his children went down into 5 Egypt. And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did in the midst thereof and afterward I brought you 6 out. And I brought your fathers out of Egypt: and 'ye' came unto the sea; and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and with horse7 men unto the Red Sea. And when

2 Or, hath chased

XXIV. 2 on the