Forty-Eight Cities for the Levites
(Numbers 35:1–8; 1 Chronicles 6:54–81)

1And the leaders of the families of Levi approached Eleazar, the priest, and Joshua, the son of Nun, and the rulers of the extended families of each of the tribes of the sons of Israel. 2And they spoke to them at Shiloh, in the land of Canaan, and they said, “The Lord instructed, by the hand of Moses, that cities should be given to us as habitations, with their suburbs to nourish our cattle.” 3And so the sons of Israel gave cities and their suburbs from their possessions, in accord with the order of the Lord. 4And the lot went out for the family of Kohath, of the sons of Aaron, the priest, from the tribes of Judah and Simeon and Benjamin: thirteen cities.

5And to the remainder of the sons of Kohath, that is, to the Levites who were left over, there went, from the tribes of Ephraim and Dan, and from the one half tribe of Manasseh, ten cities.

6And next the lot went out to the sons of Gershon, so that they would receive, from the tribes of Issachar and Asher and Naphtali, and from the one half tribe of Manasseh at Bashan: the number of thirteen cities.

7And to the sons of Merari, by their families, from the tribes of Reuben and Gad and Zebulun, there went twelve cities.

8And so the sons of Israel gave cities and their suburbs to the Levites, just as the Lord instructed by the hand of Moses, distributing to each by lot.

9From the tribes of the sons of Judah and Simeon, Joshua gave cities, whose names are these: 10to the sons of Aaron, of the families of Kohath of the stock of Levi, (for the first lot went out for them,) 11the city of Arba, the father of Anak, which is called Hebron, on the mountain of Judah, and its surrounding suburbs. 12Yet truly, the fields and its villages he had given to Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, as a possession.

13Therefore, he gave to the sons of Aaron the priest, Hebron as a city of refuge, as well as its suburbs, and Libnah, with its suburbs, 14and Jattir, and Eshtemoa, 15and Holon, and Debir, 16and Ain, and Juttah, and Beth-shemesh, with their suburbs: nine cities from two tribes, just as has been said. 17Then, from the tribe of the sons of Benjamin, he gave Gibeon, and Geba, 18and Anathoth, and Almon, with their suburbs: four cities. 19All the cities together of the sons of Aaron, the priest, were thirteen, with their suburbs.

20Yet truly, the remainder of the families of the sons of Kohath, of the stock of Levi, were given this possession: 21from the tribe of Ephraim, Shechem, one of the cities of refuge, with its suburbs, on mount Ephraim, and Gezer, 22and Kibzaim, and Beth-horon, with their suburbs, four cities; 23and from the tribe of Dan, Elteke and Gibbethon, 24and Aijalon and Gath-Rimmon, with their suburbs, four cities; 25then, from the one half tribe of Manasseh, Taanach and Gath-Rimmon, with their suburbs, two cities. 26All the cities were ten, with their suburbs; these were given to the sons of Kohath, of the lesser degree.

27Likewise, to the sons of Gershon, of the stock of Levi, from the one half tribe of Manasseh, went Golan in Bashan, one of the cities of refuge, and Bosra, with their suburbs, two cities; 28also, from the tribe of Issachar, Kishion, and Daberath, 29and Jarmuth, and Engannim, with their suburbs, four cities; 30then, from the tribe of Asher, Mishal and Abdon, 31and Helkath and Rehob, with their suburbs, four cities; 32likewise, from the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee, one of the cities of refuge, and Hammoth-Dor, and Kartan, with their suburbs, three cities. 33All the cities of the families of Gershon were thirteen, with their suburbs.

34Then, to the sons of Merari, Levites of the lesser degree, by their families, were given, from the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam and Kartah, 35and Dimnah and Nahalal, four cities with their suburbs; 36 from the tribe of Reuben, beyond the Jordan, opposite Jericho, Bezer in the wilderness, one of the cities of refuge, Misor and Jazer, 37and Jethson and Mephaath, four cities with their suburbs; 38 from the tribe of Gad, Ramoth of Gilead, one of the cities of refuge, and Mahanaim 39and Heshbon and Jazer, four cities with their suburbs. 40 All the cities of the sons of Merari, by their families and extended families, were twelve.

41 And so all the cities of the Levites, in the midst of the possession of the sons of Israel, were forty-eight, 42 with their suburbs, each distributed by families.

43 And the Lord God gave to Israel all the land that he had sworn he would deliver to their fathers. And they possessed it, and they lived in it. 44 And he gave them peace with all the surrounding nations. And none of their enemies dared to stand against them; instead, they were brought under their sovereignty. 45 Indeed, not so much as one word that he had promised to provide for them was left empty; instead, everything was fulfilled.