Forty-Eight Cities for the Levites

1And the heads of the families of the sons of Levi drew near to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Naue, and to the heads of families of the tribes of Israel. 2And they spoke to them in Selo in the land of Chanaan, saying, The Lord gave commandment by Moses to give us cities to dwell in, and the country round about for our cattle. 3So the children of Israel gave to the Levites in their inheritance by the command of the Lord the cities and the country round. 4And the lot came out for the children of Caath; and the sons of Aaron, the priests the Levites, had by lot thirteen cities out of the tribe of Juda, and out of the tribe of Symeon, and out of the tribe of Benjamin.

5And to the sons of Caath that were left were given by lot ten cities, out of the tribe of Ephraim, and out of the tribe of Dan, and out of the half tribe of Manasse.

6And the sons of Gedson had thirteen cities, out of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Aser, and out of the tribe of Nephthali, and out of the half tribe of Manasse in Basan.

7And the sons of Merari according to their families had by lot twelve cities, out of the tribe of Ruben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zabulon.

8And the children of Israel gave to the Levites the cities and their suburbs, as the Lord commanded Moses, by lot.

9And the tribe of the children of Juda, and the tribe of the children of Symeon, and part of the tribe of the children of Benjamin gave these cities, and they were assigned 10to the sons of Aaron of the family of Caath of the sons of Levi, for the lot fell to these. 11And they gave to them Cariatharboc the metropolis of the sons of Enac; this is Chebron in the mountain country of Juda, and the suburbs round it. 12But the lands of the city, and its villages Joshua gave to the sons of Chaleb the son of Jephonne for a possession.

13And to the sons of Aaron he gave the city of refuge for the slayer, Chebron, and the suburbs belonging to it; and Lemna and the suburbs belonging to it; 14and Aelom and its suburbs; and Tema and its suburbs; 15and Gella and its suburbs; and Dabir and its suburbs; 16and Asa and its suburbs; and Tany and its suburbs; and Baethsamys and its suburbs: nine cities from these two tribes. 17And from the tribe of Benjamin, Gabaon and its suburbs; and Gatheth and its suburbs; 18and Anathoth and its suburbs; and Gamala and its suburbs; four cities. 19All the cities of the sons of Aaron the priests, thirteen.

20And to the families, even the sons of Caath the Levites, that were left of the sons of Caath, there was given their priests' city, 21out of the tribe of Ephraim; and they gave them the slayer's city of refuge, Sychem, and its suburbs, and Gazara and its appendages, and its suburbs; 22and Baethoron and its suburbs: four cities: 23and the tribe of Dan, Helcothaim and its suburbs; and Gethedan and its suburbs: 24and Aelon and its suburbs; and Getheremmon and its suburbs: four cities. 25And out of the half tribe of Manasse, Tanach and its suburbs; and Jebatha and its suburbs; two cities. 26In all were given ten cities, and the suburbs of each belonging to them, to the families of the sons of Caath that remained.

27And Joshua gave to the sons of Gedson the Levites out of the other half tribe of Manasse cities set apart for the slayers, Gaulon in the country of Basan, and its suburbs; and Bosora and its suburbs; two cities. 28And out of the tribe of Issachar, Kison and its suburbs; and Debba and its suburbs; 29and Remmath and its suburbs; and the well of Letters, and its suburbs; four cities. 30And out of the tribe of Aser, Basella and its suburbs; and Dabbon and its suburbs; 31and Chelcat and its suburbs; and Raab and its suburbs; four cities. 32And of the tribe of Nephthali, the city set apart for the slayer, Cades in Galilee, and its suburbs; and Nemmath, and its suburbs; and Themmon and its suburbs; three cities. 33All the cities of Gedson according to their families were thirteen cities.

34And to the family of the sons of Merari the Levites that remained, he gave out of the tribe of Zabulon, Maan and its suburbs; and Cades and its suburbs, 35and Sella and its suburbs: three cities. 36And beyond Jordan over against Jericho, out of the tribe of Ruben, the city of refuge for the slayer, Bosor in the wilderness; Miso and its suburbs; 37(21:36A) and Jazer and its suburbs; and Decmon and its suburbs; and Mapha and its suburbs; four cities. 38(21:37) And out of the tribe of Gad the city of refuge for the slayer, both Ramoth in Galaad, and its suburbs; Camin and its suburbs; 39(21:37A) and Esbon and its suburbs; and Jazer and its suburbs: the cities were four in all. 40(21:38) All these cities were given to the sons of Merari according to the families of them that were left out of the tribe of Levi; and their limits were the twelve cities.

41(21:39) All the cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the children of Israel, were forty-eight cities, (21:40) and their suburbs round about these cities: 42(21:40A) a city and the suburbs round about the city to all these cities: (21:40B) and Joshua ceased dividing the land by their borders: (21:40C) and the children of Israel gave a portion to Joshua because of the commandment of the Lord: they gave him the city which he asked: they gave him Thamnasachar in mount Ephraim; (21:40D) and Joshua built the city, and dwelt in it: (21:40E) and Joshua took the knives of stone, wherewith he circumcised the children of Israel that were born in the desert by the way, and put them in Thamnasachar.

43(21:41) So the Lord gave to Israel all the land which he sware to give to their fathers: and they inherited it, and dwelt in it. 44(21:42) And the Lord gave them rest round about, as he sware to their fathers: not one of all their enemies maintained his ground against them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hands. 45(21:43) There failed not one of the good things which the Lord spoke to the children of Israel; all came to pass.