The Levitical towns
1The heads of families among the Levites came to Eleazar the priest and to Joshua son of Nun and to the heads of families of all the tribes of Israel. 2At Shiloh in the land of Canaan, they said to them, “Yahweh commanded through Moses that we should be given towns to live in, with the pasture land around them for our cattle.”
3In accordance with Yahweh’s command, the Israelites gave the Levites certain cities and pasture lands out of their own territories.
4First among the Levite clan of Kohath, the families descended from Aaron the priest, were given thirteen towns from the territories of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin; 5the other Kohath families received, clan by clan, ten towns from the territories of Ephraim, Dan and half the tribe of Manasseh. 6The clan of Gershon was given thirteen towns from the territories of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali and half the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. 7The families of the clan of Merari were given twelve towns from the territories of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun.
8These towns and the pasture lands near them the Israelites gave to the Levites by drawing lots, as Yahweh had commanded through Moses.
9These are the towns of Judah and Simeon that Joshua gave 10to the descendants of Aaron who were of the Kohathite clan of the Levites, the first to be given some cities.
11They gave them Kiriath-arba, the chief city of the Anakim, which is now Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with the pasture lands around it. 12But the fields and surrounding villages of this town had already been given to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his property. 13To the descendants of Aaron the priest, they gave Hebron, a city of refuge, and the pasture lands near it; also Libnah with its pasture lands, 14and Jattir, Eshtemoa, 15Holon, Debir, 16Ashan, Juttah and Bethshemesh, each with its pasture lands: nine towns taken from these two tribes. 17From the territory of Benjamin four towns: Gibeon and Geba with their pasture lands, 18Anathoth and Almon with theirs. 19The towns of the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were thirteen towns in all, with their pasture lands.
20Some towns from the territory of Ephraim were given to the other families of the Levite clan of Kohath: 21the city of refuge, Shechem, with its pasture lands, in the hill country of Ephraim, together with Gezer, 22Kibzaim and Beth-horon, each with its pasture lands: four towns. 23From the territory of Dan, Elteke, Gibbethon, 24Aijalon and Gathrimmon with their pasture lands: four towns. 25From the territory of half the tribe of Manasseh they were given two towns: Taanach and Jibleam with their pasture lands. 26In all, ten towns with their pasture lands were given to the families of the clan of Kohath.
27To the Levite clan of Gershon were given the city of refuge Golan in Bashan and also Ashtaroth, each with its pasture lands: two towns, both from the territory of the half tribe of Manasseh. 28From the territory of Issachar four towns: Kishion, Dobrath, 29Jarmuth and En-gannim, each with its pasture lands. 30From the territory of Asher four towns: Mishal, Abdon, 31Helkath and Rehob, each with its pasture lands. 32From the territoy of Naphtali three towns: Kedesh, the city of refuge in Galilee, Hammoth-dor and Rakkath, each with its pasture lands. 33The Gershonites according to their clans were given thirteen towns in all with their pasture lands.
34To the clans of Merari, the rest of the Levites, were given four towns with their pasture lands from the territory of Zebulun: 35Jokneam, Kartah, Rimmon and Nahalal. 36From the territory of Reuben, beyond the Jordan four towns: the city of refuge Bezer, Jahaz, 37Kedemoth and Mephaath, each with its pasture lands. 38From the tribe of Gad four towns: the city of refuge Ramoth-gilead, Mahanaim, 39Heshbon and Jazer, each with pasture lands. 40A total of twelve towns were given to the clan of Merari.
41The towns thus given to the Levites from the Israelite inheritance were 42forty-eight, with their pasture lands. All these towns, as well as the pasture lands around them, were given to the Levites.
43So it was that Yahweh gave the Israelites all the land he had solemnly promised to give their ancestors. They took possession of it and began to live there. 44Yahweh gave them peace throughout their land just as he had promised their ancestors. Not one of their enemies was able to stand against them; Yahweh gave them victory over all their enemies 45and kept all the promises he had made to the people of Israel.
