And they spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, "Yahweh commanded through the hand of Moses to give us cities to live [in], with their pasturelands for our livestock."

So, {by command of Yahweh}, the {Israelites} gave the Levites these cities and their pasturelands from their inheritance.

The allotment {fell} for the families of the Kohathites. The descendants of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, {received} by lot thirteen towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.

The remaining descendants of Kohath [received] by lot ten cities from the families of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

The descendants of Gershon [received] by lot thirteen cities from the families of the tribes of Issachar, Asher, and Naphtali and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

The descendants of the Merarites according to their families [received] twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.

The {Israelites} gave to the Levites these cities and their pastureland by lot, just as Yahweh commanded through the hand of Moses.

They gave these cities, which are [here] mentioned by name, from the tribe of the families of Judah and from the tribe of the families of Simeon;

and they were for the descendants of Aaron, from the families of the Kohathites, from the descendants of Levi, because the first lot was theirs.

And they gave to them Kiriath Arba, [Arba being] the father of Anak (that [is], Hebron), in the hill country of Judah and the pasturelands surrounding it.

But the field of the city and its villages they gave to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his property.

To the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, the city of refuge [for] the killer, and its pasturelands, Libnah and its pasturelands,

Jattir and its pasturelands, Eshtemoa and its pasturelands,

Holon and its pasturelands, Debir and its pasturelands,

Ain and its pasturelands, Juttah and its pasturelands, and Beth Shemesh and its pasturelands; nine cities from these two tribes.

From the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon and its pasturelands, Geba and its pasturelands,

Anathoth and its pasturelands, Almon and its pasturelands; four cities.

All the cities of the descendants of Aaron the priests, thirteen cities and their pasturelands.

They gave them Shechem, the city of refuge [for] the killer, and its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer and its pasturelands,

Kibzaim and its pasturelands, and Beth-horon and its pasturelands; four cities.

From the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh and its pasturelands, Gibbethon and its pasturelands,

Aijalon and its pasturelands, and Gath Rimmon and its pasturelands; four cities.

From the half-tribe of Manasseh, Taanach and its pasturelands and Gath Rimmon with its pasturelands; two cities.

All the cities and their pasturelands for the remaining families of the descendants of Kohath [were] ten.

To the descendants of Gershon, one of the families of the Levites, from the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan, a city of refuge for the killer, and its pasturelands, and Eshtarah and its pasturelands; two cities.

From the tribe of Issachar, Kishion and its pasturelands, Daberath and its pasturelands,

Jarmuth and its pasturelands, En Gannim and its pasturelands; four cities.

From the tribe of Asher, Mishal and its pasturelands, Abdon and its pasturelands,

Helkath and its pasturelands, Rehob and its pasturelands; four cities.

From the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee, the city of refuge for the killer, and its pasturelands, Hammoth Dor and its pasturelands, and Kartan and its pasturelands; three cities.

All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families [were] thirteen cities and their pasturelands.

To the families of the descendants of Merarite, the remaining Levites, from the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam and its pasturelands, Kartah and its pasturelands,

Dimnah and its pasturelands, and Nahalal and its pasturelands; four cities.

From the tribe of Reuben, Bezer and its pasturelands, Jahaz and its pasturelands,

Kedemoth and its pasturelands, and Mephaath and its pasturelands; four cities.

From the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead, the city of refuge for the killer, and its pasturelands, Mahanaim and its pasturelands,

Heshbon and its pasturelands, and Jazer and its pasturelands; four cities [in] all.

All the cities of the Levites among the property of the {Israelites} [were] forty-eight cities and their pasturelands.

And Yahweh gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their ancestors, and they took possession of it and {settled in it}.

Yahweh gave them rest on every side, according to all that he had sworn to their ancestors, and nobody from all their enemies withstood them, for Yahweh had given all their enemies into their hand.

And {nothing failed from} all the good things that Yahweh promised to the house of Israel; {everything came to pass}.

Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh,

and he said to them, "You have observed all that Moses Yahweh's servant commanded you, and you have listened to my voice in all that I have commanded you;

you have not forsaken your kinsmen these many days, up to this day, and you have observed the obligation of the command of Yahweh your God.

So then, Yahweh your God has given rest to your kinsmen, just as he promised them; so then, turn and go to your tents to the land of your possession, which Moses Yahweh's servant gave to you beyond the Jordan.

Only be very careful to observe the commandment and law that Moses Yahweh's servant commanded you, to love Yahweh your God, to walk in all his ways, to keep his commandments, to hold fast to him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul."

And Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.

And to the half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given [a possession] in Bashan, but to the other half Joshua had given [a possession] with their kinsmen beyond the Jordan to the west; and when Joshua sent them to their tents and blessed them,

he said to them, "Return to your tents with much wealth, and with very much livestock, with silver, gold, copper, iron, and with very much clothing; divide the war-booty of your enemies with your kinsmen."

So the descendants of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned [home] and departed with the {Israelites} at Shiloh, which [is] in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead to the land of their possession, which they had acquired {according to the command of Yahweh} through the hand of Moses.

And they came to the region of the Jordan that [is] in the land of Canaan, and the descendants of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar on the Jordan, {a large and imposing altar}.

And the {Israelites} heard [it] said that the descendants of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had built an altar next to the land of Canaan, in the region of the Jordan, on the side [belonging to] the {Israelites}.

And the {Israelites} sent to the descendants of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, Phinehas the priest son of Eleazar,

and ten leaders with him, {one leader for each} {family} from each of the tribes of Israel; and each one [was] the head of {his family} among the clans of Israel.

They came to the descendants of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them, saying,

[Is] not the sin of Peor {enough for us}, from which we have not cleansed ourselves today, and for which a plague came to the congregation of Yahweh,

if, however, the land of your property [is] unclean, cross [over] to the land of Yahweh's property, where Yahweh's tabernacle resides, and take possession among us. But you must not rebel against Yahweh or against us by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of Yahweh our God.

Did not Achan son of Zerah commit treachery with devoted things, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? {And he alone} did not perish because of his iniquity.'"

And the descendants of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh spoke with the heads of the clans of Israel,

"Yahweh, God of gods! Yahweh, God of gods knows. And let Israel itself know, if [it was] in rebellion or treachery against Yahweh, do not spare us this day

But in fact, we have done this because of anxiety, because of a reason, saying, 'In the future your children may say to our children, '{What is the relationship between you and Yahweh the God of Israel}?

Yahweh has made the Jordan a border between us and you, the descendants of Reuben and Gad; you have no portion in Yahweh.' So your children may put an end to our children worshiping Yahweh.

instead, it [is] a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us for performing the serving of Yahweh in his presence with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and fellowship offerings; so that your children may not say in the future to our children, "You have no portion in Yahweh." '

And we thought, if they say to us and to our children in the future, we can say, 'Look at this replica of the altar of Yahweh, which our ancestors made, not for burnt offerings or sacrifices; rather, it [is] a witness between us and you.'

Phinehas the priest, the leaders of the congregation, and the heads of the clans of Israel who [were] with him heard the words that the descendants of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh spoke, and {they were satisfied}.

Phinehas the priest, son of Eleazar, said to the descendants of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, "Today we know that Yahweh [is] among us, because you have not committed this treachery against Yahweh. Therefore you have rescued the {Israelites} from the hand of Yahweh."

And Phinehas the priest, son of Eleazar, and the leaders returned from the descendants of Reuben and Gad, from the land of Gilead, to the land of Canaan to the {Israelites}, and {they gave them their report}.

{The report satisfied the Israelites}; they blessed God, and they did not speak of going up for battle against them to destroy the land in which the descendants of Reuben and Gad were living.

The descendants of Reuben and Gad called the altar Witness, "Because," [they said], "it [is] a witness between us that Yahweh [is] God."

And it happened, after {a long time}, after Yahweh had given rest to Israel from all their surrounding enemies, and [after] Joshua was old and {well-advanced in years},

Joshua summoned all Israel, their elders, heads, judges, and officials, and he said to them, "I am old and {well-advanced in years},

and you have seen all that Yahweh your God has done to all these nations {for your sake}, for Yahweh your God [is] fighting for you.

And Yahweh your God will push them {back before you} and drive them {out of your sight}, and you will possess their land, just as Yahweh your God promised to you.

so as not to go among these remaining nations with you; {do not profess} the name of their gods, and do not swear by them, serve them, or {bow down to them}.

Yahweh has driven out before you great and strong nations; and as for you, {nobody has withstood} you to this day.

for if indeed you turn back and join these remaining nations {among you}, and you intermarry with them, {marrying their women and they yours},

know for certain that Yahweh your God {will not continue to drive out} these nations from before you; they will be for you a snare and a trap, a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land that Yahweh your God has given to you.

Look! {I am about to die}, and you know in all your hearts and souls that not one thing {failed} from all the good things that Yahweh your God promised concerning you; everything {has been fulfilled}; {not one thing failed}.

If you transgress the covenant of Yahweh your God, which he commanded [to] you, and you go and serve other gods and bow down to them, {Yahweh's anger will be kindled} against you, and you will perish quickly from the good land that he has given to you."

And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem; he summoned the elders of Israel, their heads, their judges, and their officials, and they presented themselves before God.

And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says Yahweh the God of Israel: '{Long ago} your ancestors--Terah the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor--lived beyond the river, and they served other gods.

I took your ancestor Abraham from beyond the river and led him through all the land of Canaan, and I increased his offspring; I gave him Isaac,

and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I gave the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down [to] Egypt.

And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in its midst; and afterward I brought you out.

When I brought out your ancestors from Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued after your ancestors with chariots and horsemen to the {Red Sea}.

They cried out to Yahweh, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and he brought the sea over them and covered them; your own eyes saw what I did in Egypt. Then you lived in the wilderness for many days.

And I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived beyond the Jordan; they fought you, and I gave them into your hand; you took possession of their land, and I destroyed them {before you}.

Then Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, set out and fought against Israel, and he sent and summoned Balaam son of Beor to curse you,

but I was not willing to listen to Balaam, and he richly blessed you. So I rescued you from his hand,

and you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. And the citizens of Jericho, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, fought against you, and I gave them into your hand.

I sent before you [the] hornet and they drove out before you two kings of the Amorites; [but] not by your sword or bow.

I gave to you a land that you have not labored on, and cities that you have not built, and you live in them; you eat [from] vineyards and olive groves that you have not planted.'

"So now, revere Yahweh and serve him in sincerity and faithfulness; remove the gods that your ancestors served beyond the river and in Egypt, and serve Yahweh.

But if it is bad in your eyes to serve Yahweh, choose for yourselves today whom you want to serve, whether it is the gods that your ancestors served beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you [are] living; but as for me and my household, we will serve Yahweh."

And the people answered and said, "Far be it from us that we would forsake Yahweh to serve other gods,

for Yahweh our God brought us and our ancestors from the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery, and did these great signs before our eyes. He protected us along the entire way that we went, and among all the peoples through whose midst we passed.

And Yahweh drove out all the people before us, the Amorites who live [in] the land. We will serve Yahweh, for he [is] our God."

But Joshua said to the people, "You cannot serve Yahweh, for he [is] a holy and jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins.

If you forsake Yahweh and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster to you; he will destroy you after he has done good to you."

And the people said to Joshua, "No, we will serve Yahweh."