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Bible Reading Plan

Daily Bible Reading

March 12 - Straight Thru the Bible
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Joshua 18:1-21:12

Chapter 18

Rest of the Land Divided

1 Then the whole congregation of the sons of Israel assembled at (C1)Shiloh, and set up the tent of meeting there; and the land was subdued before them.

2 But there remained among the sons of Israel seven tribes who had not divided their inheritance.3 So Joshua said to the sons of Israel, "(C1)How long will you (F1)put off entering to take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?4 "Provide for yourselves three men from (F1)each tribe so that I may send them, and that they may arise and walk through the land and write a description of it according to their inheritance; then they shall (F2)return to me.5 "And they shall divide it into seven portions; (C1)Judah shall stay in its territory on the south, and the house of Joseph shall stay in their territory on the north.6 "And you shall write a description of the land in seven divisions, and bring the description here to me. (C1)Then I will cast lots for you here before the LORD our God.7 "For (C1)the Levites have no portion among you, because the priesthood of the LORD is (F1)their inheritance. Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh also have received their inheritance eastward beyond the Jordan, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them."

8 Then the men arose and went, and Joshua commanded those who went to write a description of the land, saying, "Go and walk through the land and write a description of it, and return to me; then I will cast lots for you here before the LORD in (C1)Shiloh."9 So the men went and passed through the land, and wrote a description of it by cities in seven divisions in a book; and they came to Joshua at the camp at Shiloh.10 (C1)Joshua then cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD, and there Joshua divided the land for the sons of Israel according to their divisions.

The Territory of Benjamin

11 Now the lot of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin came up according to their families, and the territory of their lot (F1)lay between the sons of Judah and the sons of Joseph.12 (C1)Their border on the north side was from the Jordan, then the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north, and went up through the hill country westward, and (F1)it ended at the wilderness of Beth-aven.13 Then from there the border continued to (C1)Luz, to the side of Luz (that is, Bethel) southward; and the border went down to Ataroth-addar, near the hill which lies on the south of (C2)lower Beth-horon.14 And the border changed direction from there and turned around on the west side southward, from the hill which lies opposite Beth-horon southward; and (F1)it ended at Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), a city of the sons of Judah. This was the west side.15 Then the (C1)south side was from the edge of Kiriath-jearim, and the border went westward and went to the fountain of the waters of Nephtoah.16 Then the border went down to the edge of the hill which is (F1)in the (C1)Valley of Ben-hinnom, which is in the Valley of Rephaim northward; and it went down to the Valley of Hinnom, to the slope of the Jebusite southward, and went down to En-rogel.17 Then it turned northward and went to En-shemesh, and went to Geliloth, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim, and it went down to the (C1)stone of Bohan the son of Reuben.18 And it continued to the side in front of the Arabah northward, and went down to the Arabah.19 Then the border continued to the side of Beth-hoglah northward; and the (F1)border ended at the north bay of the Salt Sea, at the south end of the Jordan. This was the southern border.20 Moreover, the Jordan was its border on the east side. This was the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin according to their families, and according to its borders all around.

21 Now the cities of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho, Beth-hoglah, and Emek-keziz,22 Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, and Bethel,23 Avvim, Parah, and Ophrah,24 Chephar-ammoni, Ophni, and (C1)Geba; twelve cities with their villages.25 Gibeon, Ramah, and Beeroth,26 Mizpeh, Chephirah, and Mozah,27 Rekem, Irpeel, and Taralah,28 (C1)Zelah, Haeleph, the Jebusite city (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah, Kiriath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the (C2)sons of Benjamin according to their families.

Chapter 19

Territory of Simeon

1 Then the second lot went to Simeon, to the tribe of the sons of Simeon according to their families; and their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the sons of Judah.2 So they had in their inheritance Beersheba or (F1)Sheba and Moladah,3 Hazar-shual, Balah, and Ezem,4 Eltolad, Bethul, and Hormah,5 Ziklag, Beth-marcaboth, and Hazar-susah,6 Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuhen; thirteen cities with their villages;7 Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan; four cities with their villages;8 and all the villages which were around these cities as far as Baalath-beer, Ramah of the (F1)Negev. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Simeon according to their families.9 The inheritance of the sons of Simeon was taken from the portion of the sons of Judah, because the share of the sons of Judah was too large for them; so the sons of Simeon received an inheritance in the midst of (F1)Judah's inheritance.

Territory of Zebulun

10 Now the third lot came up for the sons of Zebulun according to their families. And the territory of their inheritance was as far as Sarid.11 Then their border went up to the west and to Maralah, and it reached Dabbesheth and reached to the (F1)brook that is opposite Jokneam.12 Then it turned from Sarid to the east toward the sunrise as far as the border of Chisloth-tabor, and it proceeded to Daberath and (F1)up to Japhia.13 From there it continued eastward toward the sunrise to Gath-hepher, to Eth-kazin, and it proceeded to Rimmon (F1)which stretches to Neah.14 Then the border circled around it on the north to Hannathon, and (F1)it ended at the Valley of Iphtahel.15 Included also were Kattah, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem; twelve cities with their villages.16 This was the inheritance of the sons of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their villages.

Territory of Issachar

17 The fourth lot went to Issachar, to the sons of Issachar according to their families.18 Their territory was to Jezreel and included Chesulloth, (C1)Shunem,19 Hapharaim, Shion, and Anaharath,20 Rabbith, Kishion, and Ebez,21 Remeth, En-gannim, En-haddah, and Beth-pazzez.22 The border reached to (C1)Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth-shemesh, and (F1)their border ended at the Jordan; sixteen cities with their villages.23 This was the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Issachar according to their families, the cities with their villages.

Territory of Asher

24 Now the fifth lot went to the tribe of the sons of Asher according to their families.25 Their territory was Helkath, Hali, Beten, and Achshaph,26 Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal; and it reached to Carmel on the west and Shihor-libnath.27 It turned toward the (F1)east to Beth-dagon and reached Zebulun, and to the Valley of Iphtahel northward to Beth-emek and Neiel; then it proceeded on (F2)north to (C1)Cabul,28 Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, and Kanah, as far as Great (C1)Sidon.29 The border turned to Ramah and to the fortified city of Tyre; then the border turned to Hosah, and (F1)it ended at the sea by the region of (C1)Achzib.30 Included also were Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob; twenty-two cities with their villages.31 This was the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Asher according to their families, these cities with their villages.

Territory of Naphtali

32 The sixth lot went to the sons of Naphtali; to the sons of Naphtali according to their families.33 Their border was from Heleph, from the oak in Zaanannim, and Adami-nekeb and Jabneel, as far as Lakkum, and (F1)it ended at the Jordan.34 Then the border turned westward to Aznoth-tabor and proceeded from there to Hukkok; and it reached Zebulun on the south and reached Asher on the west, and Judah at the Jordan toward the (F1)east.35 The fortified cities were Ziddim, Zer, (C1)Hammath, Rakkath, and (C2)Chinnereth,36 Adamah, Ramah, and Hazor,37 Kedesh, Edrei, and En-hazor,38 Yiron, Migdal-el, Horem, Beth-anath, and Beth-shemesh; nineteen cities with their villages.39 This was the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali according to their families, the cities with their villages.

Territory of Dan

40 The seventh lot went to the tribe of the sons of Dan according to their families.41 The territory of their inheritance was Zorah, Eshtaol, and Ir-shemesh,42 Shaalabbin, Aijalon, and Ithlah,43 Elon, Timnah, and Ekron,44 Eltekeh, Gibbethon, and Baalath,45 Jehud, Bene-berak, and Gath-rimmon,46 Me-jarkon, and Rakkon, with the territory opposite (F1)Joppa.47 The territory of the (C1)sons of Dan proceeded (F1)beyond them; for the sons of Dan went up and fought with Leshem and captured it. Then they struck it with the edge of the sword and took possession of it and (F2)settled in it; and they named (F3)(C2)Leshem Dan after the name of their father Dan.48 This was the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages.

49 When they finished apportioning the land for inheritance by its borders, the sons of Israel gave an inheritance among them to Joshua the son of Nun.50 In accordance with the (F1)command of the LORD, they gave him the city for which he asked, (C1)Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim. So he built the city and (F2)settled in it.

51 (C1)These are the inheritances which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers' households of the tribes of the sons of Israel apportioned by lot in Shiloh before the LORD at the doorway of the tent of meeting. So they finished dividing the land.

Chapter 20

Six Cities of Refuge

1 Then the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying,2 "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, '(F1)Designate (C1)the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you (F2)through Moses,3 so that one who commits manslaughter by (F1)killing a person unintentionally, without premeditation, may flee there, and they shall become your refuge from the avenger of blood.4 'Then he shall flee to one of these cities, and shall stand at the entrance of the (C1)gate of the city, and state his case in the (F1)presence of the elders of that city; and they shall (F2)receive him into the city to them and give him a place, so that he may remain among them.5 'Now (C1)if the avenger of blood pursues him, then they are not to hand the one who committed manslaughter over to him, since he struck his neighbor without premeditation and did not hate him previously.6 'And he shall remain in that city (C1)until he stands before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the one who is high priest in those days. Then (F1)he shall (F2)return to his own city and to his own house, to the city from which he fled.'"

7 So they (F1)set apart (C1)Kedesh in (F2)Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in (C2)the hill country of Judah.8 And beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, they (F1)designated Bezer in the wilderness on the plain from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh.9 (C1)These were the designated cities for all the sons of Israel and for the stranger who resides among them, so that whoever (F1)kills a person unintentionally may flee there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood until he stands before the congregation.

Chapter 21

Forty-eight Cities of the Levites

1 Then the heads of fathers' households of (C1)the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of fathers' households of the tribes of the sons of Israel.2 And they spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, "(C1)The LORD commanded (F1)through Moses to give us cities to live in, with their pasture lands for our cattle."3 So the sons of Israel gave the Levites from their inheritance these cities with their pasture lands, in accordance with the (F1)command of the LORD.4 Then the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. And to the sons of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, thirteen cities were given by lot from the tribe of Judah, from the tribe of the Simeonites, and from the tribe of Benjamin.

5 And to the rest of the sons of Kohath ten cities were given by lot from the families of the tribe of Ephraim, from the tribe of Dan, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh.

6 And to the sons of Gershon thirteen cities were given by lot from the families of the tribe of Issachar, from the tribe of Asher, from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

7 To the sons of Merari according to their families twelve cities were given from the tribe of Reuben, from the tribe of Gad, and from the tribe of Zebulun.

8 Now the (C1)sons of Israel gave by lot to the Levites these cities with their pasture lands, as the LORD had commanded (F1)through Moses.

9 They gave these cities which are mentioned here by name from the tribe of the sons of Judah and from the tribe of the sons of Simeon;10 and they were for the sons of Aaron, one of the families of the Kohathites, of the sons of Levi, because the lot was theirs first.11 So (C1)they gave them Kiriath-arba (Arba being the (C2)father of Anak), that is, Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with its surrounding pasture lands.12 But the fields of the city and its villages they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as his possession.<

 
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