The Berean Pursuit
Then the whole congregation of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there. And though the land was subdued before them, there were still seven tribes of Israel who had not yet received their inheritance.
So Joshua said to the Israelites, "How long will you put off entering and possessing the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you? Appoint three men from each tribe, and I will send them out to survey the land and map it out, according to the inheritance of each. Then they will return to me and divide the land into seven portions. Judah shall remain in their territory in the south, and the house of Joseph shall remain in their territory in the north. When you have mapped out the seven portions of land and brought it to me, I will cast lots for you here in the presence of the LORD our God.
The Levites, however, have no portion among you, because their inheritance is the priesthood of the LORD. And Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh have already received the inheritance that Moses the servant of the LORD gave them beyond the Jordan to the east."
As the men got up to go out, Joshua commanded them to map out the land, saying, "Go and survey the land, map it out, and return to me. Then I will cast lots for you here in Shiloh in the presence of the LORD."
So the men departed and went throughout the land, mapping it city by city into seven portions. Then they returned with the document to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh.
And Joshua cast lots for them in the presence of the LORD at Shiloh, where he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their divisions.
The first lot came up for the clans of the tribe of Benjamin. Their allotted territory lay between the tribes of Judah and Joseph:
On the north side their border began at the Jordan, went up past the northern slope of Jericho, headed west through the hill country, and came out at the wilderness of Beth-aven. From there the border crossed over to the southern slope of Luz (that is, Bethel) and went down to Ataroth-addar on the hill south of Lower Beth-horon.
On the west side the border curved southward from the hill facing Beth-horon on the south and came out at Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), a city of the sons of Judah. This was the western side.
On the south side the border began at the outskirts of Kiriath-jearim and extended westward to the spring at the Waters of Nephtoah. Then it went down to the foot of the hill that faces the Valley of Hinnom at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim and ran down the Valley of Hinnom toward the southern slope of the Jebusites and downward to En-rogel. From there it curved northward and proceeded to En-shemesh and on to Geliloth facing the Ascent of Adummim, and continued down to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben. Then it went on to the northern slope of Beth-arabah and went down into the valley. The border continued to the northern slope of Beth-hoglah and came out at the northern bay of the Salt Sea, at the mouth of the Jordan. This was the southern border.
On the east side the border was the Jordan.
These were the borders around the inheritance of the clans of the tribe of Benjamin.
These were the cities of the clans of the tribe of Benjamin:
Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz, Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, Avvim, Parah, Ophrah, Chephar-ammoni, Ophni, and Geba-twelve cities, along with their villages.
Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah, Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, Zelah, Haeleph, Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Kiriath-jearim-fourteen cities, along with their villages.
This was the inheritance of the clans of the tribe of Benjamin.
The second lot came out for the clans of the tribe of Simeon:
Their inheritance lay within the territory of Judah and included Beersheba (or Sheba), Moladah, Hazar-shual, Balah, Ezem, Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, Ziklag, Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susah, Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuhen-thirteen cities, along with their villages.
Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan-four cities, along with their villages, and all the villages surrounding these cities as far as Baalath-beer (Ramah of the Negev).
This was the inheritance of the clans of the tribe of Simeon. The inheritance of the Simeonites was taken from the territory of Judah, because the share for Judah's descendants was too large for them. So the Simeonites received an inheritance within Judah's portion.
The third lot came up for the clans of the tribe of Zebulun:
The border of their inheritance stretched as far as Sarid. It went up westward to Maralah, reached Dabbesheth, and met the brook east of Jokneam. From Sarid it turned eastward along the border of Chisloth-tabor and went on to Daberath and up to Japhia. From there it crossed eastward to Gath-hepher and to Eth-kazin; it extended to Rimmon and curved around toward Neah. Then the border circled around the north side of Neah to Hannathon and ended at the Valley of Iphtah-el. It also included Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem. There were twelve cities, along with their villages.
This was the inheritance of the clans of the tribe of Zebulun, including these cities and their villages.
The fourth lot came out for the clans of the tribe of Issachar:
Their territory included Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem, Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez, Remeth, En-gannim, En-haddah, and Beth-pazzez. The border reached Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth-shemesh, and ended at the Jordan. There were sixteen cities, along with their villages.
This was the inheritance of the clans of the tribe of Issachar, including these cities and their villages.
The fifth lot came out for the clans of the tribe of Asher:
Their territory included Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph, Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal. On the west the border touched Carmel and Shihor-libnath, then turned eastward toward Beth-dagon, touched Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtah-el, and went north to Beth-emek and Neiel, passing Cabul on the left. It went on to Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, and Kanah, as far as Greater Sidon. The border then turned back toward Ramah as far as the fortified city of Tyre, turned toward Hosah, and came out at the Sea in the region of Achzib, Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob. There were twenty-two cities, along with their villages.
This was the inheritance of the clans of the tribe of Asher, including these cities and their villages.
The sixth lot came out for the clans of the tribe of Naphtali:
Their border started at Heleph and the great tree of Zaanannim, passing Adami-nekeb and Jabneel as far as Lakkum and ending at the Jordan. Then the border turned westward to Aznoth-tabor and ran from there to Hukkok, touching Zebulun on the south side, Asher on the west, and Judah at the Jordan on the east. The fortified cities were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth, Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, Kedesh, Edrei, En-hazor, Iron, Migdal-el, Horem, Beth-anath, and Beth-shemesh. There were nineteen cities, along with their villages.
This was the inheritance of the clans of the tribe of Naphtali, including these cities and their villages.
The seventh lot came out for the clans of the tribe of Dan:
The territory of their inheritance included Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir-shemesh, Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah, Elon, Timnah, Ekron, Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, Jehud, Bene-berak, Gath-rimmon, Me-jarkon, and Rakkon, including the territory across from Joppa.
(Later, when the territory of the Danites was lost to them, they went up and fought against Leshem, captured it, and put it to the sword. So they took possession of Leshem, settled there, and renamed it after their father Dan.)
This was the inheritance of the clans of the tribe of Dan, including these cities and their villages.
When they had finished distributing the land into its territories, the Israelites gave Joshua son of Nun an inheritance among them, as the LORD had commanded. They gave him the city of Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim, as he requested. He rebuilt the city and settled in it.
These are the inheritances that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families distributed by lot to the tribes of Israel at Shiloh before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. So they finished dividing up the land.
Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, so that anyone who kills another unintentionally or accidentally may flee there. These will be your refuge from the avenger of blood. When someone flees to one of these cities, stands at the entrance of the city gate, and states his case before its elders, they are to bring him into the city and give him a place to live among them.
Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the manslayer into his hand, because that man killed his neighbor accidentally without prior malice. He is to stay in that city until he stands trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest serving at that time. Then the manslayer may return to his own home in the city from which he fled."
So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.
And beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho, they designated Bezer on the wilderness plateau from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh.
These are the cities appointed for all the Israelites and foreigners among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.
Now the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the other tribes of Israel at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said to them, "The LORD commanded through Moses that we be given cities in which to live, together with pasturelands for our livestock."
So by the command of the LORD, the Israelites gave the Levites these cities and their pasturelands out of their own inheritance:
The first lot came out for the Kohathite clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest received thirteen cities by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
The remaining descendants of Kohath received ten cities by lot from the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
The descendants of Gershon received thirteen cities by lot from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.
And the descendants of Merari received twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.
So the Israelites allotted to the Levites these cities, together with their pasturelands, as the LORD had commanded through Moses.
From the tribes of Judah and Simeon, they designated these cities by name to the descendants of Aaron from the Kohathite clans of the Levites, because the first lot fell to them:
They gave them Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), with its surrounding pasturelands, in the hill country of Judah. (Arba was the father of Anak.) But they had given the fields and villages around the city to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession.
So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave these cities, together with their pasturelands: Hebron, a city of refuge for the manslayer, Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, Holon, Debir, Ain, Juttah, and Beth-shemesh-nine cities from these two tribes, together with their pasturelands.
And from the tribe of Benjamin they gave them Gibeon, Geba, Anathoth, and Almon-four cities, together with their pasturelands.
In all, thirteen cities, together with their pasturelands, were given to the priests, the descendants of Aaron.
The remaining Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted these cities:
From the tribe of Ephraim they were given Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim (a city of refuge for the manslayer), Gezer, Kibzaim, and Beth-horon-four cities, together with their pasturelands.
From the tribe of Dan they were given Elteke, Gibbethon, Aijalon, and Gath-rimmon-four cities, together with their pasturelands.
And from the half-tribe of Manasseh they were given Taanach and Gath-rimmon-two cities, together with their pasturelands.
In all, ten cities, together with their pasturelands, were given to the rest of the Kohathite clans.
This is what the Levite clans of the Gershonites were given:
From the half-tribe of Manasseh they were given Golan in Bashan, a city of refuge for the manslayer, and Beeshterah-two cities, together with their pasturelands.
From the tribe of Issachar they were given Kishion, Daberath, Jarmuth, and En-gannim-four cities, together with their pasturelands.
From the tribe of Asher they were given Mishal, Abdon, Helkath, and Rehob-four cities, together with their pasturelands.
And from the tribe of Naphtali they were given Kedesh in Galilee (a city of refuge for the manslayer), Hammoth-dor, and Kartan-three cities, together with their pasturelands.
In all, thirteen cities, together with their pasturelands, were given to the Gershonite clans.
This is what the Merarite clan (the rest of the Levites) were given:
From the tribe of Zebulun they were given Jokneam, Kartah, Dimnah, and Nahalal-four cities, together with their pasturelands.
From the tribe of Reuben they were given Bezer, Jahaz, Kedemoth, and Mephaath-four cities, together with their pasturelands.
And from the tribe of Gad they were given Ramoth in Gilead, a city of refuge for the manslayer, Mahanaim, Heshbon, and Jazer-four cities in all, together with their pasturelands.
In all, twelve cities were allotted to the clans of Merari, the remaining Levite clans.
For the Levites, then, there were forty-eight cities in all, together with their pasturelands, within the territory of the Israelites. Each of these cities had its own surrounding pasturelands; this was true for all the cities.
Thus the LORD gave Israel all the land He had sworn to give their fathers, and they took possession of it and settled in it.
And the LORD gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their fathers. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.
Not one of all the LORD's good promises to the house of Israel had failed; everything was fulfilled.
A Psalm of David.
O LORD, who may abide in Your tent?
Who may dwell on Your holy mountain?
He who walks with integrity
and practices righteousness,
who speaks the truth from his heart,
who has no slander on his tongue,
who does no harm to his neighbor,
who casts no scorn on his friend,
who despises the vile
but honors those who fear the LORD,
who does not revise a costly oath,
who lends his money without interest
and refuses a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
will never be shaken.
Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray at all times and not lose heart: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected men. And there was a widow in that town who kept appealing to him, 'Give me justice against my adversary.'
For a while he refused, but later he said to himself, 'Though I neither fear God nor respect men, yet because this widow keeps pestering me, I will give her justice. Then she will stop wearing me out with her perpetual requests.'?"
And the Lord said, "Listen to the words of the unjust judge. Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He continue to defer their help? I tell you, He will promptly carry out justice on their behalf. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?"
To some who trusted in their own righteousness and viewed others with contempt, He also told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, 'God, I thank You that I am not like the other men-swindlers, evildoers, adulterers-or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and pay tithes of all that I acquire.'
But the tax collector stood at a distance, unwilling even to lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner!' I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
Now people were even bringing their babies to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them. And when the disciples saw this, they rebuked those who brought them.
But Jesus called the children to Him and said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."
Then a certain ruler asked Him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"Why do you call Me good?" Jesus replied. "No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother.'"
"All these I have kept from my youth," he said.
On hearing this, Jesus told him, "You still lack one thing: Sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me."
But when the ruler heard this, he became very sad, because he was extremely wealthy.
Seeing the man's sadness, Jesus said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?"
But Jesus said, "What is impossible with man is possible with God."
"Look," said Peter, "we have left all we had to follow You."
"Truly I tell you," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times more in this age-and in the age to come, eternal life."
Then Jesus took the Twelve aside and said to them, "Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything the prophets have written about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. They will flog Him and kill Him, and on the third day He will rise again."
But the disciples did not understand any of these things. The meaning was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend what He was saying.
As Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting beside the road, begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening.
"Jesus of Nazareth is passing by," they told him.
So he called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
Those who led the way admonished him to be silent, but he cried out all the louder, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"
Jesus stopped and directed that the man be brought to Him. When he had been brought near, Jesus asked him, "What do you want Me to do for you?"
"Lord," he said, "let me see again."
"Receive your sight!" Jesus replied. "Your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, glorifying God. And all the people who saw this gave praise to God.