Bible in 90 Days

Chapter 15

Boundaries of Judah. ¹ The lot for the tribe of Judah by their clans fell toward the boundary of Edom, the wilderness of Zin in the Negeb, in the extreme south.^{(A) 2 (B)}Their southern boundary ran from the end of the Salt Sea,^[a] from the tongue of land that faces the Negeb, ³ and went southward below the pass of Akrabbim, across through Zin, up to a point south of Kadesh-barnea, across to Hezron, and up to Addar; from there, looping around Karka, ⁴ it crossed to Azmon and then joined the Wadi of Egypt^[b] before coming out at the sea. (This is your southern boundary.) ⁵ The eastern boundary was the Salt Sea as far as the mouth of the Jordan.

The northern boundary climbed northward from the tongue of the sea, toward the mouth of the Jordan, ^6 (C)up to Beth-hoglah, and ran north of Beth-arabah, up to Eben-Bohan-ben-Reuben. ⁷ Thence the boundary climbed to Debir, north of the Valley of Achor,^(D) in the direction of the Gilgal that faces the pass of Adummim, on the south side of the wadi; from there it crossed to the waters of En-shemesh and emerged at En-rogel. ⁸ Climbing again to the Valley of Ben-hinnom^[c] on the southern flank of the Jebusites (that is, Jerusalem), the boundary rose to the top of the mountain at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim,^(E) which bounds the Valley of Hinnom on the west. ⁹ From the top of the mountain it ran to the fountain of waters of Nephtoah,^(F) extended to the cities of Mount Ephron, and continued to Baalah, or Kiriath-jearim. ¹⁰ From Baalah the boundary curved westward to Mount Seir and passed north of the ridge of Mount Jearim (that is, Chesalon); it descended to Beth-shemesh, and ran across to Timnah. ¹¹ It then extended along the northern flank of Ekron, continued through Shikkeron, and across to Mount Baalah, from there to include Jabneel, before it came out at the sea. ¹² The western boundary was the Great Sea^[d] and its coast. This was the complete boundary of the Judahites by their clans.

Conquest by Caleb. ^13 (G)As the Lord had commanded, Joshua gave Caleb, son of Jephunneh,^(H) a portion among the Judahites, namely, Kiriath-arba (Arba was the father of Anak), that is, Hebron. ^14 (I)And Caleb dispossessed from there the three Anakim, the descendants of Anak: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai. ¹⁵ From there he marched up against the inhabitants of Debir,^(J) which was formerly called Kiriath-sepher. ¹⁶ Caleb said, “To the man who attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give my daughter Achsah in marriage.” ^17 [e]Othniel captured it, the son of Caleb’s brother Kenaz; so Caleb gave him his daughter Achsah in marriage. ¹⁸ When she came to him, she induced him to ask her father for some land. Then, as she alighted from the donkey, Caleb asked her, “What do you want?” ¹⁹ She answered, “Give me a present! Since you have assigned to me land in the Negeb, give me also pools of water.” So he gave her the upper and the lower pools.

Cities of Judah.^{[f] 20} This is the heritage of the tribe of Judahites by their clans: ²¹ The cities of the tribe of the Judahites in the extreme southern district toward Edom were: Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, ²² Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, ²³ Kedesh, Hazor, and Ithnan; ²⁴ Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, ²⁵ Hazor-hadattah, and Kerioth-hezron (that is, Hazor); ²⁶ Amam, Shema, Moladah, ²⁷ Hazar-gaddah, Heshmon, Beth-pelet, ²⁸ Hazar-shual, Beer-sheba, and Biziothiah; ²⁹ Baalah, Iim, Ezem, ³⁰ Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah, ³¹ Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, ³² Lebaoth, Shilhim, and Ain and Rimmon; a total of twenty-nine cities with their villages.

³³ In the Shephelah: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, ³⁴ Zanoah, Engannim, Tappuah, Enam, ³⁵ Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, ³⁶ Shaaraim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen cities and their villages. ³⁷ Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal-gad, ³⁸ Dilean, Mizpeh, Joktheel, ³⁹ Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, ⁴⁰ Cabbon, Lahmas, Chitlish, ⁴¹ Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah; sixteen cities and their villages. ⁴² Libnah, Ether, Ashan, ⁴³ Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, ⁴⁴ Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities and their villages. ⁴⁵ Ekron and its towns and villages; ⁴⁶ from Ekron to the sea, all the towns that lie alongside Ashdod, and their villages; ⁴⁷ Ashdod and its towns and villages; Gaza and its towns and villages, as far as the Wadi of Egypt and the coast of the Great Sea.

⁴⁸ In the mountain regions: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, ⁴⁹ Dannah, Kiriath-sannah (that is, Debir), ⁵⁰ Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, ⁵¹ Goshen, Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities and their villages. ⁵² Arab, Dumah, Eshan, ⁵³ Janim, Beth-tappuah, Aphekah, ⁵⁴ Humtah, Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior; nine cities and their villages. ⁵⁵ Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, ⁵⁶ Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, ⁵⁷ Kain, Gibbeah, and Timnah; ten cities and their villages. ⁵⁸ Halhul, Beth-zur, Gedor, ⁵⁹ Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon; six cities and their villages. Tekoa, Ephrathah (that is, Bethlehem), Peor, Etam, Kulom, Tatam, Zores, Karim, Gallim, Bether, and Manoko; eleven cities and their villages. ⁶⁰ Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim) and Rabbah; two cities and their villages.^(K)

⁶¹ In the wilderness:^[g] Beth-arabah, Middin, Secacah, ⁶² Nibshan, Ir-hamelah, and En-gedi; six cities and their villages. ⁶³ But the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem the Judahites could not dispossess; so the Jebusites dwell in Jerusalem beside the Judahites to the present day.^(L)

Chapter 16

The Joseph Tribes.^{[h] 1} The lot that fell to the Josephites extended from the Jordan at Jericho to the waters of Jericho east of the wilderness; then the boundary went up from Jericho to the heights at Bethel.^{[i] 2} Leaving Bethel for Luz, it crossed the ridge to the border of the Archites at Ataroth, ³ and descended westward to the border of the Japhletites, to that of the Lower Beth-horon, and to Gezer, and from there to the sea.^(M)

Ephraim. ⁴ Within the heritage of Manasseh and Ephraim, sons of Joseph, ⁵ the dividing line^[j] for the heritage of the Ephraimites by their clans ran from east of Ataroth-addar to Upper Beth-horon^{(N) 6} and thence to the sea. From Michmethath^(O) on the north, their boundary curved eastward around Taanath-shiloh, and continued east of it to Janoah; ⁷ from there it descended to Ataroth and Naarah, and reaching Jericho, it ended at the Jordan. ⁸ From Tappuah the boundary ran westward to the Wadi Kanah and ended at the sea. This was the heritage of the Ephraimites by their clans, ⁹ including the villages that belonged to each city set aside for the Ephraimites within the heritage of the Manassites. ¹⁰ But they did not dispossess the Canaanites living in Gezer;^(P) they live within Ephraim to the present day, though they have been put to forced labor.

Chapter 17

Manasseh. ^1 (Q)Now as for the lot that fell to the tribe of Manasseh^(R) as the firstborn of Joseph: since Manasseh’s eldest son, Machir, the father of Gilead, was a warrior, who had already obtained Gilead and Bashan, ² the allotment was now made to the rest of the Manassites by their clans: the descendants of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida; these are the other male children of Manasseh, son of Joseph, by their clans.

^3 (S)Furthermore, Zelophehad, son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, had no sons, but only daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. ⁴ These presented themselves to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua, son of Nun, and to the leaders, saying, “The Lord commanded Moses to give us a heritage among our relatives.” So in accordance with the command of the Lord a heritage was given them among their father’s relatives. ⁵ Thus ten shares fell to Manasseh apart from the land of Gilead and Bashan beyond the Jordan,^{(T) 6} since these female descendants of Manasseh received each a portion among his sons. The land of Gilead fell to the rest of the Manassites.

⁷ Manasseh bordered on Asher.^[k] From Michmethath, near Shechem, another boundary ran southward to include the inhabitants of En-Tappuah, ⁸ because the district of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, although Tappuah itself was an Ephraimite city on the border of Manasseh. ⁹ This same boundary continued down to the Wadi Kanah.^(U) The cities that belonged to Ephraim from among the cities in Manasseh were those to the south of that wadi; thus the territory of Manasseh ran north of the wadi and ended at the sea. ¹⁰ The land on the south belonged to Ephraim and that on the north to Manasseh; with the sea as their common boundary, they reached Asher on the north and Issachar on the east.

^11 (V)Moreover, in Issachar and in Asher Manasseh was awarded Beth-shean and its towns, Ibleam and its towns, the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, the inhabitants of Endor and its towns, the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns (the third is Naphath-dor). ¹² Since the Manassites were not able to dispossess these cities, the Canaanites continued to inhabit this region. ¹³ When the Israelites grew stronger they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not dispossess them.

Protest of Joseph Tribes. ¹⁴ The descendants of Joseph said to Joshua, “Why have you given us only one lot and one share as our heritage?^(W) Our people are too many, because of the extent to which the Lord has blessed us.” ¹⁵ Joshua answered them, “If you are too many, go up to the forest and clear out a place for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites and Rephaim, since the mountain regions of Ephraim are so narrow.” ¹⁶ For the Josephites said, “Our mountain regions are not enough for us; on the other hand, the Canaanites living in the valley region all have iron chariots, in particular those in Beth-shean and its towns, and those in the valley of Jezreel.” ¹⁷ Joshua therefore said to Ephraim and Manasseh, the house of Joseph, “You are a numerous people and very strong. You shall not have merely one share, ¹⁸ for the mountain region which is now forest shall be yours when you clear it. Its adjacent land shall also be yours if, despite their strength and iron chariots, you dispossess the Canaanites.”

Chapter 18

¹ The whole community of the Israelites assembled at Shiloh, where they set up the tent of meeting; and the land was subdued before them.^(X)

The Seven Remaining Portions. ² There remained seven tribes among the Israelites that had not yet received their heritage. ³ Joshua therefore said to the Israelites, “How much longer will you put off taking steps to possess the land which the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you? ⁴ Choose three representatives from each of your tribes; I will send them to go throughout the land and describe it for purposes of acquiring their heritage. When they return to me ⁵ you shall divide it into seven parts. Judah is to retain its territory in the south,^(Y) and the house of Joseph its territory in the north. ⁶ You shall bring to me here the description of the land in seven sections. I will then cast lots for you here before the Lord, our God. ⁷ For the Levites have no share among you,^(Z) because the priesthood of the Lord is their heritage; while Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have already received the heritage east of the Jordan which Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave them.”

⁸ When those who were to describe the land were ready for their journey, Joshua commanded them, “Go throughout the land and describe it; return to me and I will cast lots for you here before the Lord in Shiloh.” ⁹ So they went through the land, described its cities in writing in seven sections, and returned to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh. ¹⁰ Joshua then cast lots for them before the Lord in Shiloh, and divided up the land for the Israelites into their separate shares.

Benjamin. ¹¹ One lot fell to the tribe of Benjaminites by their clans. The territory allotted them lay between the descendants of Judah and those of Joseph. ^12 (AA)Their northern boundary^[l] began at the Jordan and went over the northern flank of Jericho, up westward into the mountains, until it reached the wilderness of Beth-aven. ¹³ From there it crossed over to the southern flank of Luz (that is, Bethel). Then it ran down to Ataroth-addar, on the mountaintop south of Lower Beth-horon.^{(AB) 14} For the western border, the boundary line swung south from the mountaintop opposite Beth-horon until it reached Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim; this city belonged to the Judahites). This was the western boundary. ¹⁵ The southern boundary began at the limits of Kiriath-jearim and projected to the spring at Nephtoah. ^16 (AC)It went down to the edge of the mountain on the north of the Valley of Rephaim, where it faces the Valley of Ben-hinnom; and continuing down the Valley of Hinnom along the southern flank of the Jebusites, reached En-rogel. ¹⁷ Inclining to the north, it extended to En-shemesh, and thence to Geliloth, opposite the pass of Adummim. Then it dropped to Eben-Bohan-ben-Reuben, ¹⁸ across the northern flank of the Arabah overlook, down into the Arabah. ¹⁹ From there the boundary continued across the northern flank of Beth-hoglah and extended northward to the tongue of the Salt Sea, toward the southern end of the Jordan. This was the southern boundary. ²⁰ The Jordan bounded it on the east. This was how the heritage of the Benjaminites by their clans was bounded on all sides.

²¹ Now the cities belonging to the tribe of the Benjaminites by their clans were: Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz, ²² Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, ²³ Avvim, Parah, Ophra, ²⁴ Chephar-ammoni, Ophni, and Geba; twelve cities and their villages. ²⁵ Also Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, ²⁶ Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah, ²⁷ Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, ²⁸ Zela, Haeleph, the Jebusite city (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Kiriath; fourteen cities and their villages. This was the heritage of the clans of Benjaminites.

Chapter 19

Simeon. ¹ The second lot fell to Simeon. The heritage of the tribe of Simeonites by their clans lay within that of the Judahites. ^2 (AD)For their heritage they received Beer-sheba, Shema, Moladah, ³ Hazar-shual, Balah, Ezem, ⁴ Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, ⁵ Ziklag, Bethmar-caboth, Hazar-susah, ⁶ Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuhen; thirteen cities and their villages. ⁷ Also Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan; four cities and their villages, ⁸ besides all the villages around these cities as far as Baalath-beer (that is, Ramoth-negeb). This was the heritage of the tribe of the Simeonites by their clans. ⁹ This heritage of the Simeonites was within the confines of the Judahites; for since the portion of the latter was too large for them, the Simeonites obtained their heritage within it.

Zebulun. ^10 [m]The third lot fell to the Zebulunites by their clans. The boundary of their heritage was at Sarid. ¹¹ Their boundary went up west and through Mareal, reaching Dabbesheth and the wadi that is near Jokneam. ¹² From Sarid eastward it ran to the district of Chisloth-tabor, on to Daberath, and up to Japhia. ¹³ From there it continued eastward to Gath-hepher and to Eth-kazin, extended to Rimmon, and turned to Neah. ¹⁴ Skirting north of Hannathon, the boundary ended at the valley of Iphtahel. ¹⁵ Thus, with Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem, there were twelve cities and their villages. ¹⁶ This was the heritage of the Zebulunites by their clans, these cities and their villages.

Issachar. ^17 [n]The fourth lot fell to Issachar. The territory of the Issacharites by their clans ¹⁸ included Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem, ¹⁹ Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, ²⁰ Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez, ²¹ Remeth, En-gannim, En-haddah, and Beth-pazzez. ²² The boundary reached Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth-shemesh, ending at the Jordan: sixteen cities and their villages. ²³ This was the heritage of the Issacharites by their clans, these cities and their villages.

Asher. ^24 [o]The fifth lot fell to the Asherites by their clans. ²⁵ Their territory included Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph, ²⁶ Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal, and reached Carmel on the west, and Shihor-libnath. ²⁷ In the other direction, it ran eastward of Beth-dagon, reached Zebulun and the valley of Iphtahel; then north of Beth-emek and Neiel, it extended northward to Cabul, ²⁸ Ebron, Rehob,^(AE) Hammon, and Kanah, near Greater Sidon. ²⁹ Then the boundary turned back to Ramah and to the fortress city of Tyre; thence it cut back to Hosah and ended at the sea. Thus, with Mahalab, Achzib, ³⁰ Ummah, Acco, Aphek, and Rehob, there were twenty-two cities and their villages. ³¹ This was the heritage of the tribe of the Asherites by their clans, these cities and their villages.

Naphtali. ^32 [p]The sixth lot fell to the Naphtalites. ³³ Their boundary extended from Heleph, from the oak at Zaanannim, including Adami-nekeb and Jabneel, to Lakkum, and ended at the Jordan. ³⁴ In the opposite direction, westerly, it ran through Aznoth-tabor and from there extended to Hukkok; it reached Zebulun on the south, Asher on the west, and the Jordan on the east. ³⁵ The fortified cities were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth, ³⁶ Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, ³⁷ Kedesh, Edrei, En-hazor, ³⁸ Yiron, Migdal-el, Horem, Beth-anath, and Beth-shemesh;^(AF) nineteen cities and their villages. ³⁹ This was the heritage of the tribe of the Naphtalites by their clans, these cities and their villages.

Dan. ^40 [q]The seventh lot fell to the tribe of Danites by their clans. ⁴¹ Their heritage was the territory of Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir-shemesh, ⁴² Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah,^{(AG) 43} Elon, Timnah, Ekron, ⁴⁴ Eltekoh, Gibbethon, Baalath, ⁴⁵ Jehud, Bene-berak, Gath-rimmon, ⁴⁶ Me-jarkon, and Rakkon, with the coast at Joppa. ^47 (AH)But the territory of the Danites was too small for them; so the Danites marched up and attacked Leshem,^[r] which they captured and put to the sword. Once they had taken possession of Leshem, they dwelt there and named it after their ancestor Dan. ⁴⁸ This was the heritage of the tribe of the Danites by their clans, these cities and their villages.

Joshua’s City. ⁴⁹ When the last of them had received the portions of the land they were to inherit, the Israelites assigned a heritage in their midst to Joshua, son of Nun. ⁵⁰ According to the command of the Lord, they gave him the city he requested, Timnah-serah^(AI) in the mountain region of Ephraim. He rebuilt the city and made it his home.

⁵¹ These are the heritages which Eleazar the priest, Joshua, son of Nun, and the heads of families in the tribes of the Israelites apportioned by lot in the presence of the Lord, at the door of the tent of meeting in Shiloh. Thus they finished dividing the land.

Chapter 20

Cities of Refuge. ^1 (AJ)The Lord said to Joshua:^{[s] 2} Tell the Israelites: Designate for yourselves the cities of refuge of which I spoke to you through Moses, ³ to which anyone guilty of inadvertent and unintentional homicide may flee for asylum from the avenger of blood. ⁴ To one of these cities the killer shall flee, and standing at the entrance of the city gate, shall plead his case in the hearing of the elders of the city, who must receive him and assign him a place in which to live among them. ⁵ Though the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not deliver up to him the one who killed a neighbor unintentionally, when there had been no hatred previously. ⁶ Once he has stood judgment before the community, he shall live on in that city until the death of the high priest who is in office at the time. Then the killer may return home to the city from where he originally fled.

List of Cities. ⁷ So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the mountain region of Naphtali, Shechem in the mountain region of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the mountain region of Judah.^{(AK) 8} And beyond the Jordan east of Jericho they designated Bezer in the wilderness on the tableland in the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead in the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan in the tribe of Manasseh.^{(AL) 9} These are the designated cities to which any Israelite or alien residing among them who had killed a person unintentionally might flee to escape death at the hand of the avenger of blood, until the killer could appear before the community.

Chapter 21

Levitical Cities. ¹ The heads of the Levite families^[t] approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua, son of Nun, and the heads of families of the other tribes of the Israelites^{(AM) 2} at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, and said to them, “The Lord commanded, through Moses, that cities be given us to dwell in, with pasture lands for our livestock.”^{(AN) 3} Out of their own heritage, according to the command of the Lord, the Israelites gave the Levites the following cities with their pasture lands.

⁴ When the first lot among the Levites fell to the clans of the Kohathites, the descendants of Aaron the priest obtained by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, thirteen cities. ⁵ From the clans of the tribe of Ephraim, from the tribe of Dan, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh, the rest of the Kohathites obtained by lot ten cities.^{(AO) 6} From the clans of the tribe of Issachar, from the tribe of Asher, from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh, the Gershonites obtained by lot thirteen cities. ⁷ From the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun, the clans of the Merarites obtained twelve cities. ⁸ These cities with their pasture lands the Israelites gave by lot to the Levites, as the Lord had commanded through Moses.

Cities of the Priests. ^9 (AP)From the tribes of the Judahites and Simeonites they gave the following cities ¹⁰ and assigned them to the descendants of Aaron in the Kohathite clan of the Levites, since the first lot fell to them: ¹¹ first, Kiriath-arba (Arba was the father of Anak), that is, Hebron, in the mountain region of Judah, with the adjacent pasture lands, ¹² although the open country and villages belonging to the city had been given to Caleb, son of Jephunneh, as his holding.^{(AQ) 13} Thus to the descendants of Aaron the priest were given the city of refuge for homicides at Hebron, with its pasture lands; also, Libnah with its pasture lands, ¹⁴ Jattir with its pasture lands, Eshtemoa with its pasture lands, ¹⁵ Holon with its pasture lands, Debir with its pasture lands, ¹⁶ Ain with its pasture lands, Juttah with its pasture lands, and Beth-shemesh with its pasture lands: nine cities from these two tribes. ¹⁷ From the tribe of Benjamin they obtained Gibeon with its pasture lands, Geba with its pasture lands, ¹⁸ Anathoth^(AR) with its pasture lands, and Almon with its pasture lands: four cities. ¹⁹ These cities which with their pasture lands belonged to the priestly descendants of Aaron, were thirteen in all.

Cities of the Other Kohathites. ^20 (AS)The rest of the Kohathite clans among the Levites obtained by lot, from the tribe of Ephraim, four cities. ²¹ They were assigned, with its pasture lands, the city of refuge for homicides at Shechem in the mountain region of Ephraim; also Gezer with its pasture lands, ²² Kibzaim with its pasture lands, and Beth-horon with its pasture lands. ²³ From the tribe of Dan they obtained Elteke with its pasture lands, Gibbethon with its pasture lands, ²⁴ Aijalon with its pasture lands, and Gath-rimmon with its pasture lands: four cities. ²⁵ From the half-tribe of Manasseh, Taanach with its pasture lands, and Gath-rimmon with its pasture lands: two cities. ²⁶ These cities which with their pasture lands belonged to the rest of the Kohathite clans were ten in all.

Cities of the Gershonites. ^27 (AT)The Gershonite clan of the Levites received from the half-tribe of Manasseh the city of refuge for homicides at Golan in Bashan, with its pasture lands; and also Beth-Astharoth with its pasture lands: two cities. ²⁸ From the tribe of Issachar they obtained Kishion with its pasture lands, Daberath with its pasture lands, ²⁹ Jarmuth with its pasture lands, and En-gannim with its pasture lands: four cities. ³⁰ From the tribe of Asher, Mishal with its pasture lands, Abdon with its pasture lands, ³¹ Helkath with its pasture lands, and Rehob with its pasture lands: four cities. ³² From the tribe of Naphtali, the city of refuge for homicides at Kedesh in Galilee, with its pasture lands; also Hammath with its pasture lands, and Kartan with its pasture lands: three cities. ³³ The cities which belonged to the Gershonite clans, with their pasture lands, were thirteen in all.

Cities of the Merarites. ^34 (AU)The Merarite clans, the last of the Levites, received, from the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its pasture lands, Kartah with its pasture lands, ³⁵ Dimnah with its pasture lands, and Nahalal with its pasture lands: four cities. ³⁶ Also, across the Jordan, from the tribe of Reuben, the city of refuge for homicides at Bezer with its pasture lands, Jahaz with its pasture lands, ³⁷ Kedemoth with its pasture lands, and Mephaath with its pasture lands: four cities. ³⁸ From the tribe of Gad, the city of refuge for homicides at Ramoth in Gilead with its pasture lands, Mahanaim with its pasture lands, ³⁹ Heshbon with its pasture lands, and Jazer with its pasture lands: four cities in all. ⁴⁰ The cities allotted to the Merarite clans, the last of the Levites, were therefore twelve in all.

⁴¹ Thus the total number of cities^(AV) within the territory of the Israelites which, with their pasture lands, belonged to the Levites, was forty-eight. ⁴² With each and every one of these cities went the pasture lands round about it.

⁴³ And so the Lord gave Israel the entire land he had sworn to their ancestors he would give them.^(AW) Once they had taken possession of it, and dwelt in it, ⁴⁴ the Lord gave them peace on every side, just as he had promised their ancestors. Not one of their enemies could withstand them; the Lord gave all their enemies into their power. ⁴⁵ Not a single word of the blessing^(AX) that the Lord had promised to the house of Israel failed; it all came true.

III. Return of the Transjordan Tribes and Joshua’s Farewell

Chapter 22

The Eastern Tribes Dismissed. ¹ At that time Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh ² and said to them:^(AY) “You have observed all that Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded you, and have listened to my voice in everything I commanded you. ³ For many years now, even until today, you have not abandoned your allies, but have taken care to observe the commands of the Lord, your God. ⁴ Now that the Lord, your God, has settled your allies as he promised them, you may return to your tents, to your own land, which Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave you, across the Jordan.^{(AZ) 5} But be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded you: love the Lord, your God,^(BA) follow him in all his ways, keep his commandments, hold fast to him, and serve him with your whole heart and your whole self.” ⁶ Joshua then blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.

⁷ (For, to half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had assigned land in Bashan;^(BB) and to the other half Joshua had given a portion along with their allies west of the Jordan.) When Joshua sent them away to their tents and blessed them, ⁸ he said, “Now that you are returning to your own tents with great wealth, with abundant livestock, with silver, gold, bronze and iron, and with a very large supply of clothing, divide these spoils of your enemies with your allies there.”^{(BC) 9} So the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the other Israelites at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and returned to the land of Gilead, their own land, which they had received according to the Lord’s command through Moses.^(BD)

The Altar Beside the Jordan. ¹⁰ When the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh came to the region of the Jordan in the land of Canaan, they built an altar there at the Jordan, an impressively large altar. ¹¹ The other Israelites heard the report:^(BE) “The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar” in the region of the Jordan facing the land of Canaan,^[u] across from the Israelites. ¹² When the Israelites heard this, they assembled at Shiloh, as the entire Israelite community to take military action against them.^[v]

Accusation of the Western Tribes. ¹³ The Israelites sent Phinehas, son of Eleazar the priest, to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead,^{(BF) 14} and with him ten leaders, one from each tribe of Israel, each one the head of an ancestral house among the clans of Israel. ¹⁵ When these came to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead, they said to them: ¹⁶ “Thus says the whole community of the Lord: What act of treachery is this you have committed against the God of Israel? This day you have turned from following the Lord; by building an altar of your own you have rebelled against the Lord this day. ¹⁷ Is the iniquity of Peor not enough, by which we made ourselves impure, even to this day, and a plague came upon the community of the Lord?^{(BG) 18} If today you turn away from following the Lord, and rebel against the Lord, tomorrow he will be angry with the whole community of Israel! ¹⁹ If you consider the land you now possess unclean,^[w] cross over to the land the Lord possesses, where the tabernacle of the Lord stands, and share that with us. But do not rebel against the Lord, nor involve us in rebellion, by building an altar of your own in addition to the altar of the Lord, our God. ²⁰ When Achan, son of Zerah,^(BH) acted treacherously by violating the ban, was it not upon the entire community of Israel that wrath fell? Though he was but a single man, he did not perish alone^[x] for his guilt!”

Reply of the Eastern Tribes. ²¹ The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh replied to the heads of the Israelite clans: ²² “The Lord is the God of gods. The Lord, the God of gods,^[y] knows and Israel shall know. If now we have acted out of rebellion or treachery against the Lord, our God, do not try to save us this day, ²³ and if we have built an altar of our own to turn from following the Lord, or to sacrifice burnt offerings, grain offerings, or communion sacrifices upon it, the Lord himself will exact the penalty. ²⁴ We did it rather out of our anxious concern lest in the future your children should say to our children: ‘What have you to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? ²⁵ For the Lord has placed the Jordan as a boundary between you and us, you Reubenites and Gadites. You have no share in the Lord.’ Thus your children would prevent ours from revering the Lord. ²⁶ So we thought, ‘Let us act for ourselves by building this altar of our own’—not for burnt offerings or sacrifice, ^27 (BI)but as witness between us and you and our descendants, that we have the right to provide for the service of the Lord in his presence with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and communion sacrifices. Now in the future your children cannot say to our children, ‘You have no share in the Lord.’ ²⁸ Our thought was that, if in the future they should speak thus to us or to our descendants, we could answer: ‘Look at the copy of the altar of the Lord which our ancestors made, not for burnt offerings or for sacrifices, but to witness^[z] between you and us.’ ²⁹ Far be it from us to rebel against the Lord or to turn now from following the Lord by building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice in addition to the altar of the Lord, our God, which stands before his tabernacle.”

³⁰ When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the community, the heads of the Israelite clans, heard what the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the Manassites had to say, they were satisfied. ³¹ Phinehas, son of Eleazar the priest, said to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the Manassites, “Today we know that the Lord is in our midst. Since you have not rebelled against the Lord by this act of treachery, you have delivered the Israelites from the hand of the Lord.”

³² Phinehas, son of Eleazar the priest, and the leaders returned from the Reubenites and the Gadites in the land of Gilead to the Israelites in the land of Canaan, and reported the matter to them. ³³ The report satisfied the Israelites, who blessed God and decided not to take military action against the Reubenites and Gadites nor to ravage the land where they lived.

³⁴ The Reubenites and the Gadites gave the altar its name^[aa] as a witness among them that the Lord is God.

Chapter 23

Joshua’s Final Plea. ¹ Many years later, after the Lord had given the Israelites rest from all their enemies round about them, and when Joshua was old and advanced in years,^{(BJ) 2} he summoned all Israel, including their elders, leaders, judges, and officers, and said to them: “I am old and advanced in years.^{(BK) 3} You have seen all that the Lord, your God, has done for you against all these nations; for it has been the Lord, your God, who fought for you. ^4 (BL)See, I have apportioned among your tribes as their heritage the nations that survive, as well as those I destroyed, between the Jordan and the Great Sea in the west. ⁵ The Lord, your God, will drive them out and dispossess them at your approach, so that you will take possession of their land as the Lord, your God, promised you. ⁶ Therefore be strong and be careful to observe all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, never turning from it right or left,^{(BM) 7} or mingling with these nations that survive among you. You must not invoke their gods by name, or swear by them, or serve them, or bow down to them,^{(BN) 8} but you must hold fast to the Lord, your God, as you have done up to this day. ⁹ At your approach the Lord has dispossessed great and strong nations; not one has withstood you up to this day. ¹⁰ One of you puts to flight a thousand, because it is the Lord, your God, himself who fights for you,^(BO) as he promised you. ¹¹ As for you, take great care to love the Lord, your God. ¹² For if you ever turn away from him and join with the remnant of these nations that survive among you, by intermarrying and intermingling with them,^{(BP) 13} know for certain that the Lord, your God, will no longer dispossess these nations at your approach. Instead they will be a snare and a trap for you, a scourge for your sides and thorns for your eyes, until you perish from this good land which the Lord, your God, has given you.^(BQ)

¹⁴ “Today, as you see, I am going the way of all the earth.^[ab] So now acknowledge with your whole heart and soul that not one of all the promises the Lord, your God, made concerning you has failed. Every one has come true for you; not one has failed. ^15 (BR)But just as every promise the Lord, your God, made to you has come true for you, so will he bring upon you every threat,^[ac] even so far as to exterminate you from this good land which the Lord, your God, has given you. ¹⁶ If you transgress the covenant of the Lord, your God, which he enjoined on you, to go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the anger of the Lord will flare up against you and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you.”

Chapter 24

Covenant Ceremony. ^1 (BS)Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, summoning the elders, leaders, judges, and officers of Israel. When they stood in ranks before God, ² Joshua addressed all the people: “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: In times past your ancestors, down to Terah,^(BT) father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the River^[ad] and served other gods. ³ But I brought your father Abraham from the region beyond the River and led him through the entire land of Canaan.^(BU) I made his descendants numerous, and gave him Isaac. ⁴ To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau.^(BV) To Esau I assigned the mountain region of Seir to possess, while Jacob and his children went down to Egypt.

⁵ “Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and struck Egypt with the plagues and wonders that I wrought in her midst.^(BW) Afterward I led you out. ⁶ And when I led your ancestors out of Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued your ancestors to the Red Sea with chariots and charioteers.^{(BX) 7} When they cried out to the Lord,^(BY) he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, upon whom he brought the sea so that it covered them. Your eyes saw what I did to Egypt. After you dwelt a long time in the wilderness, ^8 (BZ)I brought you into the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I delivered them into your power. You took possession of their land, and I destroyed them at your approach. ^9 (CA)Then Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab, prepared to war against Israel. He summoned Balaam, son of Beor, to curse you, ^10 (CB)but I would not listen to Balaam. Instead, he had to bless you, and I delivered you from his power. ¹¹ Once you crossed the Jordan^(CC) and came to Jericho, the citizens of Jericho fought against you, but I delivered them also into your power. ¹² And I sent the hornets^[ae] ahead of you which drove them—the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites—out of your way; it was not your sword or your bow.^{(CD) 13} I gave you a land you did not till and cities you did not build, to dwell in; you ate of vineyards and olive groves you did not plant.^(CE)

^14 (CF)“Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve him completely and sincerely. Cast out the gods your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. ^15 (CG)If it is displeasing to you to serve the Lord, choose today whom you will serve, the gods your ancestors served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

¹⁶ But the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods. ¹⁷ For it was the Lord, our God, who brought us and our ancestors up out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. He performed those great signs before our very eyes and protected us along our entire journey and among all the peoples through whom we passed. ¹⁸ At our approach the Lord drove out all the peoples, including the Amorites who dwelt in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”

¹⁹ Joshua in turn said to the people, “You may not be able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God; he is a passionate God^(CH) who will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. ²⁰ If you forsake the Lord and serve strange gods, he will then do evil to you and destroy you, after having done you good.”

²¹ But the people answered Joshua, “No! We will serve the Lord.” ²² Joshua therefore said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord.” They replied, “We are witnesses!” ²³ “Now, therefore, put away the foreign gods that are among you and turn your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.” ²⁴ Then the people promised Joshua, “We will serve the Lord, our God, and will listen to his voice.”

²⁵ So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem. ²⁶ Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the terebinth that was in the sanctuary of the Lord.^{(CI) 27} And Joshua said to all the people, “This stone shall be our witness,^(CJ) for it has heard all the words which the Lord spoke to us. It shall be a witness against you, should you wish to deny your God.” ²⁸ Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to their own heritage.^(CK)

Death of Joshua. ^29 (CL)After these events, Joshua, son of Nun, servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten, ³⁰ and they buried him within the borders of his heritage at Timnath-serah^(CM) in the mountain region of Ephraim north of Mount Gaash.^{[af] 31} Israel served the Lord during the entire lifetime of Joshua, and of those elders who outlived Joshua and who knew all the work the Lord had done for Israel. ^32 (CN)The bones of Joseph,^[ag] which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried in Shechem in the plot of ground Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor, father of Shechem, for a hundred pieces of money. This was a heritage of the descendants of Joseph. ³³ When Eleazar, son of Aaron, also died, he was buried on the hill which had been given to his son Phinehas^(CO) in the mountain region of Ephraim.

I. The Situation in Canaan Following the Israelite Conquest

Chapter 1

Canaanites in Palestine. ^1 [ah]After the death of Joshua the Israelites consulted the Lord, asking, “Who shall be first among us to attack the Canaanites and to do battle with them?” ² The Lord answered: Judah shall attack: I have delivered the land into his power.^{(CP) 3} Judah then said to his brother Simeon, “Come up with me into the territory allotted to me, and let us do battle with the Canaanites. I will likewise go with you into the territory allotted to you.” So Simeon went with him.^(CQ)

⁴ When Judah attacked, the Lord delivered the Canaanites and Perizzites into their power, and they struck down ten thousand of them in Bezek. ^5 (CR)They came upon Adonibezek in Bezek and fought against him. When they struck down the Canaanites and Perizzites, ⁶ Adonibezek fled. They pursued him, and when they caught him, they cut off his thumbs and big toes. ⁷ “Seventy kings,” said Adonibezek, “used to pick up scraps under my table with their thumbs and big toes cut off. As I have done, so has God repaid me.” He was brought to Jerusalem, and he died there. ^8 [ai]The Judahites fought against Jerusalem, captured it, and put it to the sword, setting the city itself on fire.^(CS)

⁹ Afterward the Judahites went down to fight against the Canaanites who lived in the mountain region, in the Negeb, and in the foothills.^{(CT) 10} Judah also marched against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron, which was formerly called Kiriath-arba, and defeated Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.^{(CU) 11} They marched from there against the inhabitants of Debir, which was formerly called Kiriath-sepher. ¹² Caleb said, “To the man who attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give my daughter Achsah in marriage.” ^13 (CV)Othniel captured it, the son of Caleb’s younger brother Kenaz; so Caleb gave him his daughter Achsah in marriage. ¹⁴ When she came to him, she induced him to ask her father for some land. Then, as she alighted from the donkey, Caleb asked her, “What do you want?” ¹⁵ She answered, “Give me a present. Since you have put me in the land of the Negeb, give me pools of water.” So Caleb gave her what she wanted, both the upper and the lower pool.

^16 (CW)The descendants of Hobab the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law,^[aj] came up with the Judahites from the City of Palms to the wilderness of Arad, which is in the Negeb, and they settled among the Amalekites. ^17 (CX)Then Judah went with his brother Simeon, and they defeated the Canaanites who lived in Zephath. They put the city under the ban and renamed it Hormah.^{[ak](CY) 18} Judah captured Gaza with its territory, Ashkelon with its territory, Ekron with its territory, and Ashdod^[al] with its territory.^{(CZ) 19} The Lord was with Judah, so they gained possession of the mountain region. But they could not dispossess those who lived on the plain, because they had iron chariots. ^20 (DA)As Moses had commanded, they gave Hebron to Caleb, who then drove the three sons of Anak away from there.

^21 [am]As for the Jebusites dwelling in Jerusalem, the Benjaminites did not dispossess them, so that the Jebusites live with the Benjaminites in Jerusalem to the present day.^(DB)

²² The house of Joseph, too, went up against Bethel, and the Lord was with them. ²³ The house of Joseph reconnoitered Bethel, which formerly was called Luz.^{(DC) 24} The scouts saw a man coming out of the city and said to him, “Tell us the way into the city, and we will show you mercy.” ²⁵ He showed them the way into the city, and they put the city to the sword; but they let the man and his whole clan go free. ²⁶ The man then went to the land of the Hittites, where he built a city and called it Luz, which is its name to this day.

^27 (DD)Manasseh did not take possession of Beth-shean with its towns or of Taanach with its towns. Nor did they dispossess the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, those of Ibleam and its towns, or those of Megiddo and its towns. The Canaanites continued to live in this district. ²⁸ When Israel grew stronger, they conscripted the Canaanites as laborers, but did not actually drive them out. ^29 (DE)Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, and so the Canaanites lived among them in Gezer.

^30 (DF)Nor did Zebulun dispossess the inhabitants of Kitron or those of Nahalol; the Canaanites lived among them and became forced laborers.

^31 (DG)Nor did Asher dispossess the inhabitants of Acco or those of Sidon, or take possession of Mahaleb, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob. ³² So the Asherites settled among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, for they had not dispossessed them.

^33 (DH)Nor did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh or those of Beth-anath. They settled among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land and the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath became forced laborers for them.

³⁴ The Amorites hemmed in the Danites in the mountain region, not permitting them to come down onto the plain. ³⁵ So the Amorites continued to live in Harheres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim, but as the power of the house of Joseph grew, they were conscripted as laborers.

³⁶ The territory of the Amorites extended from the Akrabbim pass, from Sela and upward.

Chapter 2

Infidelities of the Israelites. ¹ A messenger of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, I brought you up from Egypt and led you into the land which I promised on oath to your ancestors. I said, I will never break my covenant with you, ² but you must not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you must pull down their altars.^(DI) But you did not listen to me. Look what you have done! ³ For I also said,^[an] I will not clear them out of your way; they will become traps for you, and their gods a snare for you.^(DJ)

⁴ When the messenger of the Lord had spoken these things to all the Israelites, the people wept aloud. ⁵ They named that place Bochim,^[ao] and they offered sacrifice there to the Lord.

^6 (DK)Then Joshua dismissed the people, and the Israelites went, each to their own heritage, to take possession of the land. ⁷ The people served the Lord during the entire lifetime of Joshua, and of those elders who outlived Joshua and who had seen all the great work the Lord had done for Israel. ⁸ Joshua, son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten, ⁹ and they buried him within the borders of his heritage at Timnath-heres in the mountain region of Ephraim north of Mount Gaash.^(DL)

^10 [ap]When the rest of that generation were also gathered to their ancestors, and a later generation arose that did not know the Lord or the work he had done for Israel, ^11 (DM)the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They served the Baals,^{[aq] 12} and abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, the one who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods, the gods of the peoples around them, and bowed down to them, and provoked the Lord.

¹³ Because they had abandoned the Lord and served Baal and the Astartes,^{[ar] 14} the anger of the Lord flared up against Israel, and he delivered them into the power of plunderers who despoiled them. He sold them into the power of the enemies around them, and they were no longer able to withstand their enemies. ¹⁵ Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord turned against them, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn to them;^(DN) and they were in great distress. ¹⁶ But the Lord raised up judges to save them from the power of their plunderers; ¹⁷ but they did not listen to their judges either, for they prostituted themselves by following other gods, bowing down to them. They were quick to stray from the way their ancestors had taken, who obeyed the commandments of the Lord; but these did not. ¹⁸ When the Lord raised up judges for them, he would be with the judge and save them from the power of their enemies as long as the judge lived. The Lord would change his mind when they groaned in their affliction under their oppressors. ¹⁹ But when the judge died, they would again do worse than their ancestors, following other gods, serving and bowing down to them, relinquishing none of their evil practices or stubborn ways.^(DO)

^20 (DP)The anger of the Lord flared up against Israel, and he said: Because this nation has transgressed my covenant, which I enjoined on their ancestors, and has not listened to me, ²¹ I for my part will not clear away for them any more of the nations Joshua left when he died. ^22 (DQ)They will be made to test Israel, to see whether or not they will keep to the way of the Lord and continue in it as their ancestors did. ²³ Therefore the Lord allowed these nations to remain instead of expelling them immediately. He had not delivered them into the power of Joshua.

Chapter 3

¹ These are the nations the Lord allowed to remain, so that through them he might test Israel, all those who had not experienced any of the Canaanite wars— ² to teach warfare to those generations of Israelites who had never experienced it: ^3 (DR)the five lords of the Philistines,^[as] and all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in the mountain region of the Lebanon between Baal-hermon and Lebo-hamath. ⁴ These served as a test for Israel, to know whether they would obey the commandments the Lord had enjoined on their ancestors through Moses. ⁵ So the Israelites settled among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.^{(DS) 6} They took their daughters in marriage, and gave their own daughters to their sons in marriage,^(DT) and served their gods.

II. Stories of the Judges

Othniel. ^7 (DU)Then the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; they forgot the Lord, their God, and served the Baals and the Asherahs,^{[at] 8} and the anger of the Lord flared up against them. He sold them into the power of Cushan-rishathaim,^[au] king of Aram Naharaim; and the Israelites served Cushan-rishathaim for eight years. ⁹ But when the Israelites cried out to the Lord,^(DV) he raised up a savior for them, to save them. It was Othniel, son of Caleb’s younger brother Kenaz.^{(DW) 10} The spirit of the Lord came upon him,^(DX) and he judged Israel. When he marched out to war, the Lord delivered Cushan-rishathaim, king of Aram, into his power, and his hold on Cushan-rishathaim was firm. ¹¹ So the land was at rest for forty years,^(DY) until Othniel, son of Kenaz, died.

Ehud. ¹² Again the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, so he strengthened Eglon, king of Moab, against Israel because they did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. ¹³ Taking the Ammonites and Amalek as allies, he went and defeated Israel, taking possession of the City of Palms. ¹⁴ So the Israelites served Eglon, king of Moab, for eighteen years.

¹⁵ But when the Israelites cried out to the Lord, he raised up for them a savior, Ehud, son of Gera, a Benjaminite who was left-handed.^[av] The Israelites would send their tribute to Eglon, king of Moab, by him. ¹⁶ Ehud made himself a two-edged dagger a foot long, and strapped it under his clothes on his right thigh. ¹⁷ He presented the tribute to Eglon, king of Moab; now Eglon was a very fat man. ¹⁸ When he had finished presenting the tribute, he dismissed the troops who had carried the tribute. ¹⁹ But he himself turned back at the sculptured stones near Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” And the king said, “Silence!” Then when all his attendants had left his presence, ²⁰ Ehud went in to him where he sat alone in his cool upper room. Ehud said, “I have a word from God for you.” So the king rose from his throne. ²¹ Then Ehud with his left hand drew the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into Eglon’s belly. ²² The hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade because he did not withdraw the dagger from the body.

²³ Then Ehud went out onto the porch, shutting the doors of the upper room on Eglon and locking them. ²⁴ When Ehud had left and the servants had come, they saw that the doors of the upper room were locked, and thought, “He must be easing himself in the cool chamber.” ²⁵ They waited until they were at a loss when he did not open the doors of the upper room. So they took the key and opened them, and there was their lord lying on the floor, dead.

²⁶ During their delay Ehud escaped and, passing the sculptured stones, took refuge in Seirah. ²⁷ On his arrival he sounded the horn in the mountain region of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down from the mountains with him as their leader.