Joshua 18

1 Then were gathered together all the assembly of the sons of Israel at Shiloh, and they set up there, the tent of meeting, —the land, having been subdued before them.

The land had been subdued and lay before them. The Israelites gathered together at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting.

2 But there remained among the sons of Israel, to whom had not been apportioned their inheritance, —seven tribes.

However, seven of the Israelite tribes had not received their land allocations.

3 So Joshua said unto the sons of Israel, —How long, will ye be too slothful, to enter in and take possession of the land, which Yahweh God of your fathers, hath given unto you?

So Joshua asked the Israelites, “How long will you go on being reluctant to go and take possession of the land that the Lord gave your forefathers?

4 Set forth for you three men for each tribe, —that I may send them, that they may arise—and go up and down in the land—and map it out as required for their inheritance, and come in unto me.

Choose three men from each tribe and I will send them out to explore the land. Then they can write a description regarding the land allocations and bring it to me.

5 So shall they apportion it for themselves into seven parts, —Let, Judah, stay upon his boundary, on the south, and, the house of Joseph, stay upon their boundary, on the north,

They are to divide the land into seven parts, up to the boundary of Judah's land in the south and Joseph's land in the north.

6 but, ye, shall map out the [rest of the] land, into seven parts, —and bring in [your descriptions] unto me, here, —then will I cast lots for you here, before Yahweh our God.

Once you have written the description the land, dividing it in seven parts, you will bring it to me here and I will cast lots for you in the presence of the Lord our God.

7 For Levi hath no portion in your midst, for, the priesthood of Yahweh, is his inheritance, —and, Gad, and Reuben, and the half tribe of Manasseh, have received their inheritance, beyond the Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant of Yahweh gave unto them.

But the Levites do not receive a share, for their role as priests of the Lord is their allocation. Also, Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have already received their allocation that Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave them on the east side of the Jordan.”

8 So the men arose, and went, —and Joshua commanded them who were going, to map out the land, saying—Take your journey and go up and down in the land, and map it out, and return unto me, and, here, will I cast lots for you before Yahweh, in Shiloh.

As the men started out on their way to explore the land. Joshua told them, “Go throughout the land and write a description of what you find. Then return to me and I will cast lots for you in the presence of the Lord here in Shiloh.”

9 So the men went, and passed through the land, and mapped it out by cities, into seven parts, upon a scroll, —and came in unto Joshua, unto the camp, in Shiloh.

So the men went and explored the land and wrote down on a scroll a description of the seven parts, recording the towns in each part. Then they returned to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh

10 And Joshua cast for them lots, in Shiloh, before Yahweh, —and Joshua there apportioned the land unto the sons of Israel, according to their portions.

where Joshua cast lots for them in the presence of the Lord. There Joshua divided the land up and allotted the different parts to the remaining Israelite tribes.

11 Then came up the lot of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin, by their families, —and the boundary of their lot came out, between the sons of Judah and the sons of Joseph.

The first lot cast went to the tribe of Benjamin, by families. The land allotted lay between that of the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Joseph.

12 And so their boundary, on the north border, was from the Jordan, —and the boundary goeth up unto the side of Jericho on the north, and goeth up in the hill country, westward, and the extensions thereof are towards the wilderness of Beth-aven;

Their boundary began at the Jordan, and went north of the slope of Jericho, west through the hill country, coming out at the wilderness of Beth-aven.

13 and the boundary passeth over from thence towards Luz, to the side of Luz, southwards, the same, is Bethel, —and the boundary goeth down to Ataroth-addah, by the mountain that is on the south of Beth-horon the nether;

Then the boundary went south to Luz (or Bethel) and on down to Ataroth-addar on the mountain south of Lower Beth-horon.

14 then turneth the boundary and goeth round the west border, southward, from the mountain which faceth Beth-horon, southward, and so the extensions thereof are unto Kiriath-baal—the same, is Kiriath-jearim, a city of the sons of Judah, —this, is the west border.

Here the boundary turned south along the western side of the mountain facing Beth-horon, finishing at Kiriath-baal (or Kiriath-jearim), a town of the tribe of Judah. This was the western boundary.

15 And, the border southward, is from the uttermost part of Kiriath-jearim, —and the boundary goeth out westward, yea it goeth out unto the fountain of the waters of Nephtoah;

The southern boundary began at the edge of Kiriath-jearim. It ran to the spring at Nephtoah,

16 and the boundary goeth down to the uttermost part of the mountain which faceth the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is in the Vale of Giants, northward, —and descendeth the valley of Hinnom, unto the side of the Jebusite, southward, and then descendeth to En-rogel;

and then down to the foot of the mountain that faces the valley of Ben-hinnom, at the north end of the valley of Rephaim. Then it went down the valley of Hinnom, along the slope near the Jebusite town, south towards En-rogel.

17 and it turneth on the north, and goeth out at En-shemesh, and goeth out unto Geliloth, which is over against the ascent of Adummim, —and goeth down by the Stone of Bohan, son of Reuben;

From there it headed north to En-shemesh and on to Geliloth, opposite the heights of Adummim, and then on down to the Stone of Bohan (Reuben's son).

18 and passeth along unto the side over against the Arabah, northward, —and goeth down toward the Arabah;

Then it went along the ridge opposite the Jordan Valley to the north, and then down into the Jordan Valley itself.

19 and the boundary passeth along unto the side of Beth-hoglah, northward, and so the extensions of the boundary are unto the bay of the Salt Sea, northward, unto the end of the Jordan, southward, —This, is the south boundary.

From there it ran along the north slope of Beth-hoglah, ending at the north bay of the Salt Sea, the southern end of the Jordan. This was the southern boundary.

20 And, the Jordan itself, boundeth it as an eastward border. This, is the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin, by the boundaries thereof round about, by their families.

The eastern boundary was the Jordan. These were the boundaries around the land of the tribe of Benjamin, by families.

21 So then the cities of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin, by their families, are, —Jericho and Beth-hoglah, and Emekkeziz,

These were the towns of the tribe of Benjamin, according to families: Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz,

22 and Beth-arabah and Zemaraim, and Bethel,

Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,

23 and Avvim and Parah and Ophrah,

Avvim, Parah, Ophrah,

24 and Chephar-ammoni and Ophni, and Geba, —twelve cities, with their villages:

Kephar-ammoni, Ophni, and Geba—twelve towns with their associated villages.

25 Gibeon and Ramah, and Beeroth,

In addition: Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,

26 and Mizpeh and Chephirah, and Mozah,

Mizpah, Kephirah, Mozah,

27 and Rekem and Irpeel, and Taralah,

Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah,

28 and Zelah, Eleph, and the Jebusite, the same, is Jerusalem, Gibeath [and] Kiriath, fourteen cities, with their villages. This, is the inheritance of the song of Benjamin, by their families.

Zela, Haeleph, Jebus (or Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Kiriath-jearim—fourteen towns with their associated villages. This was the land allotted to the tribe of Benjamin, by families.