Joshua 18
The Tent Set Up at Shiloh, and Lots Cast Before the Lord
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The Tent of Testimony Pitched at Shiloh
18:1The whole congregation of the sons of Israel assembled at Shiloh and pitched the Tent of Testimony there. The land was held under their control.
18:2Seven tribes of the sons of Israel remained who had not received an inheritance.
18:3Joshua said to the sons of Israel, “How long will you hang back from inheriting the land that the Lord our God has given?
18:4Provide three men from each tribe, and let them rise, traverse the land, and describe it before me as it needs to be divided.” (They came to him,
18:5and he divided seven portions for them.) “Judah shall mark their boundary on the southwest, and the sons of Joseph shall mark it on the north.
18:6Divide the land into seven portions and bring it here to me, and I will bring out a lot for you before the Lord our God.
18:7For the sons of Levi have no portion among you, because the priesthood of the Lord is their portion. Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh received their inheritance beyond the Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave them.”
The Land Surveyed and Written in a Scroll
18:8The men rose and went. Joshua commanded the men going to survey the land, saying, “Go and survey the land and return to me. Here at Shiloh I will bring out a lot for you before the Lord.”
18:9They went, surveyed the land, saw it, and wrote it by its cities in seven portions in a scroll, which they brought to Joshua.
18:10Joshua cast a lot for them at Shiloh before the Lord.
The Lot of Benjamin
18:11The lot of the tribe of Benjamin came out first according to their divisions. The borders of their lot extended between Judah and the sons of Joseph.
18:12Their borders on the north began at the Jordan. The boundary will ascend along the northern ridge of Jericho, go up the mountain toward the sea, and end at the wilderness district of Bethon.
18:13From there the boundary will pass to Luza along its southwestern ridge—that is Bethel—and descend to Maatarothorech, into the hill country southwest of Lower Beth-horon.
18:14The boundary will pass and turn on the side facing the sea toward the southwest, from the mountain facing Beth-horon on the southwest, and end at Kiriath-baal—that is Kiriath-jearim, a city of the sons of Judah. This is the side toward the sea.
18:15The southwestern side began at the edge of Kiriath-baal. The boundary will pass to Gasin, to the spring of the water of Naphtho.
18:16The boundary will descend to the edge of the mountain facing the wooded valley of Onnam, at the northern part of Emekraphain. It will descend through Gaienna along the southwestern ridge of the Jebusites and descend to the Spring of Rogel,
18:17and will pass to the spring of Bethsamys, pass to Galiloth opposite the ascent of Aithamin, and descend to the stone of Baion of the sons of Reuben.
18:18It will pass along the northern ridge of Beth-arabah and descend
18:19to the borders along the northern ridge of Beth-hoglah. The boundary will end at the northern ridge of the Salt Sea, at the edge of the Jordan on the southwest. These are the borders on the southwest.
18:20The Jordan shall form the boundary on the eastern side. This is the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin, its borders all around, according to their divisions.
The Cities of Benjamin
18:21The cities of the sons of Benjamin according to their divisions were Jericho, Betheglio, and Amekasis,
18:22Bethabara, Sara, and Besana,
18:23Aiin, Phara, and Ephrathah,
18:24Karapha, Kephira, Moni, and Gaba: twelve cities, with their villages.
18:25Gibeon, Ramah, and Beeroth,
18:26Massema, Miron, and Amoke,
18:27Phira, Kaphan, Nakan, Selekan, and Thareela,
18:28Jebus—that is Jerusalem—and cities, and Gabaothjarim: thirteen cities, with their villages. This is the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin according to their divisions.
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.