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15
Land for the tribe of Judah
1 The land that was allotted to the tribe of Judah was divided among its clans. That land extended south to the Zin Desert, at the border of the Edom region.
2 The southern border of the land that was allotted to the tribe of Judah started at the south end of the Dead Sea and extended west. 3 It extended south of Scorpion Pass to Zin Desert, and from there west to a place south of Kadesh-Barnea, past Hezron town, to Addar town, and from there it turned northwest to Karka town. 4 From there it continued to Azmon, and from there to the dry riverbed on the border of Egypt, and from there west to the Mediterranean Sea. That was the southern border.
5 The eastern border of the land of the tribe of Judah was the Dead Sea, and it extended north to where the Jordan River ends at the Dead Sea.
6 The northern border started where the Jordan River ends at the Dead Sea. It extended north to Beth-Hoglah town, and from there it extended north of Beth-Arabah town to the big stone set up by Reuben's son Bohan. 7 From there the border continued west through Achor Valley to Debir city. From there it turned north to Gilgal city. Gilgal is north of the road that goes through Adummim Pass, on the south side of the valley. From Gilgal the border extended west to the springs at En-Shemesh, and from there to En-Rogel. From there it extended through Ben-Hinnom Valley, south of the city where the Jebus people-group lived. (That city is now named Jerusalem.) 8 From there the border extended to the top of the hill on the west side of Hinnom Valley, at the northern end of the valley where the Repha giants lived. 9 From there the border extended northwest to Nephtoah Spring, and from there to the cities near Ephron Mountain. From there the border extended west toward Baalah, which is now named Kiriath-Jearim. 10 Then the border continued to extend west to Seir Mountain. Then it continued southwest along the north side of Jearim Mountain, which is also named Kesalon, to Beth-Shemesh city. From there it extended northwest past Timnah city, 11 to the hill north of Ekron city. From there it extended west to Shikkeron town and past Baalah Mountain to Jabneel town, then northwest to the Mediterranean Sea.
12 The western border of the land that was allotted to the tribe of Judah was the Mediterranean Sea. All the clans of Judah lived inside those borders.
13 Yahweh commanded Joshua to give part of the land for the tribe of Judah to Caleb. So he gave to Caleb Kiriath-Arba city, which is now named Hebron. (Arba was the ancestor of the Anak people-group.) 14 Caleb forced the three clans of the Anak people-group to leave Hebron. Those were the Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai clans. 15 Then Caleb left there and went to fight against the people living in Debir city, which was previously named Kiriath-Sepher. 16 Caleb said, “If someone attacks the people in Kiriath-Sepher and captures their city, I will give my daughter Acsah to him to be his wife.” 17 Othniel, the son of Caleb's brother Kenaz, captured the city. So Caleb gave his daughter to him.
18 When Caleb's daughter married Othniel, she told him to ask her father to give her a field. Then Acsah went to talk with her father Caleb. As she got down from her donkey, Caleb asked her, “Do you want something?”
19 Acsah replied, “Yes, I want you to do something for me. You have given me some land in the southern part of Canaan, but there is no water there. So please give me some land that has springs.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs near Hebron.
20 Here is a list of the towns in the land that God had promised to give to the tribe of Judah. Each clan was allotted some of the land.
21 The tribe of Judah was allotted all these towns in the southern desert area of Canaan, near the border of the Edom region:
Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, 22 Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, 23 Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, 24 Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, 25 Hazor-Hadattah, Kerioth-Hezron (which is also named Hazor), 26 Amam, Shema, Molodah, 27 Hazar-Gaddah, Heshmon, Beth-Pelet, 28 Hazar-Shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah, 29 Baalah, Iim, Ezem, 30 Eltolad, Kesil, Hormah, 31 Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, 32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon. There were twenty-nine towns altogether and their surrounding villages.
33 The tribe of Judah was allotted these towns in the northern part of the western foothills: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah,
34 Zanoah, En-Gannim, Tappuah, Enam, 35 Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, 36 Shaaraim, Adithaim, and Gederah (which is also named Gederothaim). Altogether there were fourteen towns and their surrounding villages.
37 The tribe of Judah was also allotted these towns in the southern part of the western foothills: Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal-Gad, 38 Dilean, Mizpah, Joktheel, 39 Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, 40 Cabbon, Lahmas, Kitlish, 41 Gederoth, Beth-Dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah.
There were sixteen towns altogether and their surrounding villages.
42 The tribe of Judah was also allotted these towns in the central part of the western foothills: Libnah, Ether, Ashan, 43 Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, 44 Keilah, Aczib, and Mareshah. There were nine town altogether, with their surrounding villages.
45-47 The tribe of Judah was also allotted these towns close to the Mediterranean Sea with their surrounding villages: Ekron and the towns between Ekron and the coast, Ashdod, and Gaza. The area extended south to the dry riverbed on the border of Egypt.
48 The tribe of Judah was also allotted these towns in the southwest part of the hilly region: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, 49 Dannah, Kiriath-Sannah (which is now named Debir), 50 Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, 51 Goshen, Holon, and Giloh. There were eleven towns with their surrounding villages.
52 The tribe of Judah was also allotted these towns in the south-central part of the hilly region: Arab, Dumah, Eshan, 53 Janim, Beth-Tappuah, Aphekah, 54 Humtah, Kiriath-Arba (which is now named Hebron), and Zior. There were nine towns altogether with their surrounding villages.
55 The tribe of Judah was also allotted these towns in the southeastern part of the hilly region: Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, 56 Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, 57 Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah. There were ten towns altogether with their surrounding villages.
58 The tribe of Judah was also allotted these towns in the central part of the hilly region: Halhul, Beth-Zur, Gedor, 59 Maarath, Beth-Anoth, and Eltekon. There were six towns altogether with their surrounding villages.
60 The tribe of Judah was also allotted two towns in the northern part of the hilly region, Rabbah and Kiriath-Baal (which is also named Kiriath-Jearim).
61 The tribe of Judah was also allotted these towns in the desert near the Dead Sea: Beth-Arabah, Middin, Secacah, 62 Nibshan, Salt city, and En-Gedi. There were six towns altogether with their surrounding villages.
63 The army of the tribe of Judah was not able to force the people of the Jebus people-group to leave Jerusalem. So the people of that group are still living among the tribe of Judah.

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Note: The Old Testament in this translation is still being worked on, and is in draft form. Updates will be posted at eBible.org/t4t/.

© 2008-2017 Ellis W. Deibler, Jr.