Jos 15 | EE | STEP | Joshua gave the land from the edge of Edom to the Desert of Zin to the families of the tribe of Judah, family by family. The desert was at the south of the land.

Joshua 15

The tribe of Judah gets its land

1 Joshua gave the land from the edge of Edom to the Desert of Zin to the families of the tribe of Judah, family by family. The desert was at the south of the land.

2 The south edge of Judah’s land was from the south end of the Salt Sea, 3 across the south side of the Scorpion valley, to Zin. He also gave them land south of Kadesh Barnea, as far as Hebron. The edge of their land continued past Addar, round to Karka 4 and to Azmon. The dry valley of Egypt leading to the sea was the south edge of Judah.

5 The Salt Sea was the edge of Judah to the east as far as the mouth of the river Jordan.

The north edge of Judah was from the mouth of the Jordan 6 to Beth Hoglah. Then it went north of Beth Arabah to the stone of Bohan. (Bohan was the son of Reuben.) 7 The edge of Judah’s land went from the valley of Achor to Debir. Then it went north to Gilgal. Gilgal is opposite the path of Adummim on the south side of the valley. The edge of Judah then reached to the water springs of En Shemesh to En Rogel. 8 From there it went through the valley of Hinnom to the south side of a hill by the Jebusite city of Jerusalem. The edge of Judah continued to the top of the hill on the west side of the Hinnom valley. This was at the north end of the valley of Rephaim. 9 From there it went to the springs of Nephtoah and on to the cities near Mount Ephron. It went towards Baalah (or Kiriath Jearim). 10 From there it went round Baalah towards the hills of Edom. It went north of Mount Jearim (or Kesalon) down to Beth Shemesh, and on past Timnah. 11 The edge of Judah went out to the hills north of Ekron, then towards Shikkeron. It went past Mount Baalah to Jabneel. The land of Judah ended at the sea. 12 The sea was the west edge of Judah’s land.

The families of the tribe of Judah lived inside this land. ^{▼▼15:12 Achan and his family had died in the valley of Achor. They had taken things from Jericho. But God had said that they must destroy those things (Joshua 7:24). So, the valley was called ‘Trouble Valley’.}

Caleb takes the cities of Hebron and Debir (Judges 1:11-15)

13 The LORD had told Joshua to give Caleb, son of Jephunneh, part of Judah’s land. (He belonged to the tribe of Judah.) Joshua gave him Hebron, the city of Arba. Arba was the father of Anak. 14 Caleb pushed out the 3 sons of Anak from Hebron. Their names were Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai. 15 From there he marched to fight the people of Debir (also called Kiriath Sepher). 16 Caleb said, ‘If a man attacks and takes Kiriath Sepher, he can marry my daughter, Acsah.’ 17 Othniel was the son of Caleb’s brother, Kenaz. He took Kiriath Sepher, so Caleb gave him his daughter to marry.

18 Acsah spoke to Othniel one day. She wanted him to ask her father for a field. She got off her donkey (an animal like a small horse). ‘What can I do for you?’ Caleb asked her.

19 ‘Be very kind to me’, she said. ‘You have given me land in the dry country in the south, so please will you give me some springs of water, too?’ So Caleb gave her the higher and lower springs.

20 This is the land that Joshua gave to the families of the tribe of Judah, to live in.

21 The towns in the south of Judah were near the edge of Edom. They were:

Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, 22 Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, 23 Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, 24 Ziph, Telem, and Bealoth. 25 Also Hazor Hadattah, Kerioth Hezron (that is, Hazor), 26 Amam, Shema, Moladah, 27 Hazar Gaddah, Heshmon, Beth Pelet. 28 Also Hazar Shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah, 29 Baalah, Iim, Ezem, 30 Eltolad, Kesil, Hormah, 31 Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, 32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain and Rimmon. He gave them 29 towns with their villages.

33 He gave them towns in the small hills of the west:

Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, 34 Zanoah, En Gannim, Tappuah, Enam, 35 Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh and Azekah. 36 Also he gave them Shaaraim, Adithaim and Gederah, (or Gederothaim). There were 14 towns and villages.

37 He gave them Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal Gad, 38 Dilean, Mizpah, Joktheel, 39 Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, 40 Cabbon, Lahmas, and Kitlish. 41 Also he gave them Gederoth, Beth Dagon, Naamah and Makkedah. There were 16 towns and their villages.

42 And he gave them Libnah, Ether, Ashan, 43 Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, 44 Keilah, Aczib and Mareshah. There were 9 towns with their villages.

45 He also gave to the tribe of Judah, Ekron with the houses and villages that belonged to it. 46 And he gave them all those towns west of Ekron, near to Ashdod with their villages. 47 And he gave them Ashdod and Gaza with their houses and villages. They had the land as far as the valley of Egypt, and to the Great Sea.

48 Joshua gave them land in the hill country:

Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, 49 Dannah, Kiriath Sannah (that is, Debir), 50 and Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, 51 Goshen, Holon and Giloh. There were 11 towns and their villages.

52 He also gave them Arab, Dumah, Eshan, 53 Janim, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah, 54 Humtah, Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) and Zior. There were 9 towns and their villages.

55 Also Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, 56 Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, 57 Kain, Gibeah and Timnah. There were 10 towns and their villages.

58 And he gave them Halhul, Beth Zur, Gedor, 59 Maarath, Beth Anoth and Eltekon. There were 6 towns and their villages.

60 And Kiriath Baal, (that is, Kiriath Jearim) and Rabbah. There were two towns and their villages.

61 Joshua gave Judah towns in the desert:

Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah, 62 Nibshan, the city of salt, and En Gedi. There were 6 towns and their villages.

63 Judah could not push the Jebusites out of Jerusalem. So, Jebusites still live there with the people of Judah.