Joshua 15:1-63, NLT

Joshua 15

The Land Given to the Tribe of Judah

1The allotment for the clans of the tribe of Judah reached southward to the border of Edom, as far south as the wilderness of Zin.

2The southern boundary began at the south bay of the Dead Sea,*15:2 Hebrew the Salt Sea; also in 15:5.

3ran south of Scorpion Pass*15:3 Hebrew Akrabbim. into the wilderness of Zin, and then went south of Kadesh-barnea to Hezron. Then it went up to Addar, where it turned toward Karka. 4From there it passed to Azmon until it finally reached the Brook of Egypt, which it followed to the Mediterranean Sea.*15:4a Hebrew the sea; also in 15:11. This was their*15:4b Hebrew your. southern boundary.

5The eastern boundary extended along the Dead Sea to the mouth of the Jordan River.

The northern boundary began at the bay where the Jordan River empties into the Dead Sea,

6went up from there to Beth-hoglah, then proceeded north of Beth-arabah to the Stone of Bohan. (Bohan was Reuben’s son.) 7From that point it went through the valley of Achor to Debir, turning north toward Gilgal, which is across from the slopes of Adummim on the south side of the valley. From there the boundary extended to the springs at En-shemesh and on to En-rogel. 8The boundary then passed through the valley of Ben-Hinnom, along the southern slopes of the Jebusites, where the city of Jerusalem is located. Then it went west to the top of the mountain above the valley of Hinnom, and on up to the northern end of the valley of Rephaim. 9From there the boundary extended from the top of the mountain to the spring at the waters of Nephtoah,*15:9 Or the spring at Me-nephtoah. and from there to the towns on Mount Ephron. Then it turned toward Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim). 10The boundary circled west of Baalah to Mount Seir, passed along to the town of Kesalon on the northern slope of Mount Jearim, and went down to Beth-shemesh and on to Timnah. 11The boundary then proceeded to the slope of the hill north of Ekron, where it turned toward Shikkeron and Mount Baalah. It passed Jabneel and ended at the Mediterranean Sea.

12The western boundary was the shoreline of the Mediterranean Sea.*15:12 Hebrew the Great Sea; also in 15:47.

These are the boundaries for the clans of the tribe of Judah.

The Land Given to Caleb

13The Lord commanded Joshua to assign some of Judah’s territory to Caleb son of Jephunneh. So Caleb was given the town of Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), which had been named after Anak’s ancestor.

14Caleb drove out the three groups of Anakites—the descendants of Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the sons of Anak.

15From there he went to fight against the people living in the town of Debir (formerly called Kiriath-sepher).

16Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage to the one who attacks and captures Kiriath-sepher.” 17Othniel, the son of Caleb’s brother Kenaz, was the one who conquered it, so Acsah became Othniel’s wife.

18When Acsah married Othniel, she urged him*15:18 Some Greek manuscripts read he urged her. to ask her father for a field. As she got down off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What’s the matter?”

19She said, “Give me another gift. You have already given me land in the Negev; now please give me springs of water, too.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.

The Towns Allotted to Judah

20This was the homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Judah.

21The towns of Judah situated along the borders of Edom in the extreme south were Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur,

22Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, 23Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, 24Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, 25Hazor-hadattah, Kerioth-hezron (that is, Hazor), 26Amam, Shema, Moladah, 27Hazar-gaddah, Heshmon, Beth-pelet, 28Hazar-shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah, 29Baalah, Iim, Ezem, 30Eltolad, Kesil, Hormah, 31Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, 32Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon—twenty-nine towns with their surrounding villages.

33The following towns situated in the western foothills*15:33 Hebrew the Shephelah. were also given to Judah: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah,

34Zanoah, En-gannim, Tappuah, Enam, 35Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, 36Shaaraim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim—fourteen towns with their surrounding villages.

37Also included were Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal-gad,

38Dilean, Mizpeh, Joktheel, 39Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, 40Cabbon, Lahmam, Kitlish, 41Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah—sixteen towns with their surrounding villages.

42Besides these, there were Libnah, Ether, Ashan,

43Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, 44Keilah, Aczib, and Mareshah—nine towns with their surrounding villages.

45The territory of the tribe of Judah also included Ekron and its surrounding settlements and villages.

46From Ekron the boundary extended west and included the towns near Ashdod with their surrounding villages. 47It also included Ashdod with its surrounding settlements and villages and Gaza with its settlements and villages, as far as the Brook of Egypt and along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

48Judah also received the following towns in the hill country: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh,

49Dannah, Kiriath-sannah (that is, Debir), 50Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, 51Goshen, Holon, and Giloh—eleven towns with their surrounding villages.

52Also included were the towns of Arab, Dumah, Eshan,

53Janim, Beth-tappuah, Aphekah, 54Humtah, Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior—nine towns with their surrounding villages.

55Besides these, there were Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah,

56Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, 57Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah—ten towns with their surrounding villages.

58In addition, there were Halhul, Beth-zur, Gedor,

59Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon—six towns with their surrounding villages.

60There were also Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim) and Rabbah—two towns with their surrounding villages.

61In the wilderness there were the towns of Beth-arabah, Middin, Secacah,

62Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En-gedi—six towns with their surrounding villages.

63But the tribe of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites, who lived in the city of Jerusalem, so the Jebusites live there among the people of Judah to this day.