Joshua 21:1-41
Levitical Cities
21:1 The tribal leaders of the Levites went before Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and the Israelite tribal leaders
21:2 in Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said, “The Lord told Moses to assign us cities in which to live along with the grazing areas for our cattle.”
21:3 So the Israelites assigned these cities and their grazing areas to the Levites from their own holdings, as the Lord had instructed.
21:4 The first lot belonged to the Kohathite clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest were allotted thirteen cities from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
21:5 The rest of Kohath’s descendants were allotted ten cities from the clans of the tribe of Ephraim, and from the tribe of Dan and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
21:6 Gershon’s descendants were allotted thirteen cities from the clans of the tribe of Issachar, and from the tribes of Asher and Naphtali and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.
21:7 Merari’s descendants by their clans were allotted twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.
21:8 So the Israelites assigned to the Levites by lot these cities and their grazing areas, as the Lord had instructed Moses.
21:9 They assigned from the tribes of Judah and Simeon the cities listed below.
21:10 They were assigned to the Kohathite clans of the Levites who were descendants of Aaron, for the first lot belonged to them.
21:11 They assigned them Kiriath Arba (Arba was the father of Anak), that is, Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, along with its surrounding grazing areas.
21:12 (Now the city’s fields and surrounding towns they had assigned to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his property.)
21:13 So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they assigned Hebron (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter), Libnah,
21:14 Jattir, Eshtemoa,
21:15 Holon, Debir,
21:16 Ain, Juttah, and Beth Shemesh, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of nine cities taken from these two tribes.
21:17 From the tribe of Benjamin they assigned Gibeon, Geba,
21:18 Anathoth, and Almon, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of four cities.
21:19 The priests descended from Aaron received thirteen cities and their grazing areas.
21:20 The rest of the Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted cities from the tribe of Ephraim.
21:21 They assigned them Shechem (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter) in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer,
21:22 Kibzaim, and Beth Horon, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of four cities.
21:23 From the tribe of Dan they assigned Eltekeh, Gibbethon,
21:24 Aijalon, and Gath Rimmon, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of four cities.
21:25 From the half-tribe of Manasseh they assigned Taanach and Gath Rimmon, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of two cities.
21:26 The rest of the Kohathite clans received ten cities and their grazing areas.
21:27 They assigned to the Gershonite clans of the Levites the following cities: from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter) and Beeshtarah, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of two cities;
21:28 from the tribe of Issachar: Kishon, Daberath,
21:29 Jarmuth, and En Gannim, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of four cities;
21:30 from the tribe of Asher: Mishal, Abdon,
21:31 Helkath, and Rehob, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of four cities;
21:32 from the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter), Hammoth Dor, and Kartan, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of three cities.
21:33 The Gershonite clans received thirteen cities and their grazing areas.
21:34 They assigned to the Merarite clans (the remaining Levites) the following cities: from the tribe of Zebulun: Jokneam, Kartah,
21:35 Dimnah, and Nahalal, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of four cities;
21:36 from the tribe of Reuben: Bezer, Jahaz,
21:37 Kedemoth, and Mephaath, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of four cities;
21:38 from the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter), Mahanaim,
21:39 Heshbon, and Jazer, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of four cities.
21:40 The Merarite clans (the remaining Levites) were allotted twelve cities.
21:41 The Levites received within the land owned by the Israelites forty-eight cities in all and their grazing areas.