| 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. |
| 21:42 | Each of these cities had grazing areas around it; they were alike in this regard.* |
| 21:43 | So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had solemnly promised to their ancestors,* and they conquered* it and lived in it. |
| 21:44 | The Lord made them secure,* in fulfillment of all he had solemnly promised their ancestors.* None of their enemies could resist them.* |
| 21:45 | Not one of the Lord’s faithful promises to the family of Israel* was left unfulfilled; every one was realized.* |
Joshua 21 - NET Bible [draft]
