Joshua 14
1 Eleazar the Supreme Priest, Joshua, and the leaders of the [twelve] tribes repeated what land would be allotted to each of the Israeli tribes in Canaan.
This was the land that was allotted to the Israelites to own in the land of Canaan by Eleazar the priest, Joshua, son of Nun, and the leaders of the tribes.
2 Yahweh had told Moses many years previously in what way he wanted the division of the land to be decided. Moses had already declared that two and a half tribes would be allotted land on the east side of the Jordan [River]. Joseph had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. [Half of the tribe descended from Manasseh was allotted land on the east side of the Jordan, along with the tribes of Reuben and Gad]. The people belonging to the nine and a half other tribes [on the west side of the Jordan River] threw (lots/stones that had been marked) to decide which land each tribe would receive. The tribe of Levi was not allotted any land. They received only towns [that already existed], towns in which to live, and (pastures/fields of grass) for their animals.
The decision regarding the land division among the nine and a half tribes was made by casting lots, as the Lord had instructed Moses.
Moses had allotted land to the two and a half tribes east of the Jordan but he had made no allocation to the Levites among them.
The descendants of Joseph had become two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. The Levites were not given any land, only towns to live in and pasture for their flocks and herds.
So the Israelites followed the instructions the Lord had given Moses in allocating the land.
6 One day some men from the tribe of Judah went to Joshua while he and all the Israelis were at Gilgal. Among those men was Jephunneh’s son Caleb. He said to Joshua, “[I am sure that] you remember what Yahweh said to the prophet Moses about you and me when we were at Kadesh-Barnea.
Leaders from the tribe of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb, son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, said to him, “You remember what the Lord told Moses, the man of God, at Kadesh-barnea about me and you.
7 I was 40 years old at that time. Moses sent me [and you and some other men] to explore this land. When we returned, I gave to Moses a true report [IDM] about what we had seen.
I was forty when Moses, the servant of God, sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land. When I returned I told the truth in my report.
8 The other men who went with us [gave a report that] caused the people to be afraid [IDM]. But I fully/completely believed [that] Yahweh [would enable us to take the land from the people who lived there].
But those who went with me made our people afraid. However, I have faithfully followed the Lord my God.
9 So on that day, Moses solemnly promised me, ‘[Some of] the land on which you walked will become yours. It will belong to your descendants forever. I am giving it to you because you fully trusted in Yahweh, my God.’
At that time Moses made a solemn promise, telling me, ‘The land where you have walked will belong to you and your children forever, because you faithfully followed the Lord my God.’
10 “Now Yahweh has done for me what he promised. Forty-five years have passed since Moses said that to me during the time that we were wandering around in the desert. And just like Yahweh promised, he has kept me alive and well all during that time. Now I am eighty-five years old.
Look—the Lord has kept me alive these past forty-five years as he promised, from the time the Lord told Moses this while Israel was wandering in the wilderness. Now I'm eighty-five,
11 I am as strong today as I was on the day that Moses sent me [to explore this land]. I am as ready to fight now as I was then.
but I'm still as strong today as when Moses sent me out. I'm as strong and ready for battle or for whatever may come as I was then.
12 So please give me the hilly area that Yahweh promised to give to me at that time long ago. At that time, you heard [me say] that the Amalek people-group lived there. You heard me say that their cities were large, and they had walls around them [to protect them from attacks by their enemies]. But now, Yahweh will help me, and as a result I will force them to leave, just like Yahweh said would happen.”
So give me the hill country that the Lord spoke about. You heard at that time about the descendants of Anak who lived there in large, fortified towns. If the Lord is with me I will drive them out as the Lord promised.”
13 So Joshua [asked God to] bless Caleb, and he gave to Caleb [the city of] Hebron.
So Joshua blessed Caleb and granted him ownership of Hebron.
14 Previously that city was called Kiriath-Arba, because Arba was the greatest man among the Amalek people-group. Hebron still belongs to the descendants of Caleb, because Caleb completely/fully trusted in Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship], and obeyed him. After that happened, there was (peace/no battles) in [Canaan] land [for many years].
So Hebron belonged to Caleb, son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, from that day to this because he had faithfully followed the Lord, the God of Israel.
(Hebron was formerly called Kiriath-arba, named after a great leader of the descendants of Anak.) And the land was at peace.
