Joshua 18

The Tent of the Congregation is set up at Silo , v.1 , etc.Three men out of every tribe , by the command of Josua , are sent out into the land of Caanan , which was yet undivided , to make out seven parts yet out of the same , for the seven tribes , which as yet had received no inheritance : 3 which being done , 9 Josua casteth the lot at Silo, and so divideth the land unto them . 10 The first cometh out for the tribe of Benjamin , whose borders and cities are described ,11.

1. And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled themselves together at Silo , and set up the Tent of the Congregation [See hereof Exod . 25.22.] there : after that the land was subdued before them .

2. And there remained among the children of Israel , unto whom they had not divided their inheritance , seven tribes .

3. And Josua said unto the children of Israel , How long are ye so slack , to go on to inherit the land , which the LORD the God of your fathers hath given you ?

4. Give for your selves three men out of each tribe , that I may send them away , and they may arise , and walk thorow the land , and describe the same , [i.e. that they may somewhere draw in it a manner of a Map , wherein all the situation of the land , yet to be divided , may be set forth] according to their [viz. the tribes] inheritances , [Heb. according to the mouth of their inheritances] and come ( again ) to me .

5. Now they shall divide it into seven parts : Juda shall abide upon his border from the south , and the house of Joseph shall abide upon his border from the north .

6. And ye shall describe the land into seven parts , and bring (it) hither to me , that I may cast the lot for you here before the face of the LORD our God . [viz. before the Tent of the Congregation : and so ver. 8.]

7. For the Levites have two ports in the midst of the you , [Here Josua giveth the reason , wherefore there should be but seven lots , although there were almost as many tribes more] but the Priesthood of the LORD is their inheritance : [i.e. the offerings , the tenths , the first-fruits , etc. apertain unto the Levites , which they are to live upon] Now Gad , and Reuben , and the half tribe of Manasseh , have taken their inheritance on the other side of Jordan, eastward , which Moseh the servant of the LORD gave them .

8. Then those men arose , and went away : and Josua commanded them that went away , to describe the land , saying , Go , and pass thorow the land , and describe it , come then again to me , then I will cast the lot for you before the face of the LORD at Silo . [As above , ver. 6.]

9. The men then went away , and passed thorow the land , and described it , according to the cities , into seven parts , in a book : and came ( again ) to Josua into the camp at Silo.

10. Then did Josua cast the lot for them at Silo , before the face of the LORD : and Josua divided the land there unto the children of Israel , according to their divisions .[i.e. unto each tribe their part]

11. And the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up , [viz. out of the vessel whereinto it was cast] according to their families : and the border of their lot came out between the children of Juda , and between the children of Joseph .

12. And their border was unto the corner northward from Jordan : and this border goeth upward at the side of Jericho from the north , and goeth up through the mountain westward , and the out-goings thereof are at the wilderness of Beth-aven .

13. And from thence the border passeth thorow to Luz , at the side of Luz , ( which is Beth-el ) [See above , chap.16.v.2.] southward , and this border goeth down toward Atroth-Addar , at the hill , which is at the south-side of the nethermost Beth-horon .

14. And that border extendeth and windeth itself about to the west-corner southward from the hill , which is over against Beth-horon southward : and the goings out therefore are at Kiriath-Baal , ( which is Kiriath-jearim ) a city of the children of Juda . This is the corner to the west .

15. Now the corner to the south is at the uttermost of Kiriath-jearim : And this border goeth out to the west , and it cometh out to the fountain of the waters of Nephtoah .

16. And this border goeth down to the uttermost ( part ) of the mount , which is over against the valley of the son of Hinnom , which is in the valley of the Rephaites [Or, Giants] toward the north , and descendeth through the valley of Hinnom , on the side of the Jebusites southward , and descendeth to the fountain of Rogel.

17. And stretcheth it self from the north , and goeth out to the En-semes , from thence [i.e. from En-semes] it goeth out toward Geliloth , [which is called Gilgal , Joshua 15:7.] which is over against the going up to Adummim : and it descendeth at the stone of Bohan [see Joshua 16:6.] the son of Reuben

18. And passeth through side-wise over against Araba [Oth. the plain field] to the north , and descendeth unto Araba .

19. Furthermore , this border passeth thorow on the side of Beth-hogla northward , and the goings out of this border are at the tongue [See Jos.15.2.] of the Salt-sea northward , at the uttermost ( part ) of Jordan southward : This is the southern border .

20. Now Jordan bordereth it at the corner toward the east : This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin in their borders round about , according to their families .

21. Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin , according to their families , are Jericho , and Beth-hogla , and Emek-Keziz ,

22. And Beth-Araba , Zemaraim , and Beth-el ,

23. And Havvim, and Para , and Ophra ,

24. And Cephar-hammonai , and Ophni , and Gaba , twelve cities and their villages .

25. Gibeon , and Rama , and Beeroth ,

26. And Mizpe , and Chephira , and Moza ,

27. And Rekem , and Irpeel , and Tharaba ,

28. And Zela , Eleph , and Jebusi , [Oth. the city of the Jebusites] ( this is Jerusalem ) Gibbath , Kiriath , fourteen cities together with their villages : This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin , according to their families .