21:1 The heads of the ·Levite families [L fathers of the Levites] went to talk to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the heads of the ·families [fathers] of all the tribes of Israel.
21:2 At Shiloh in the land of Canaan, they said to them, “The Lord commanded Moses that you give us towns where we may live and pastures for our animals.”
21:3 So the Israelites obeyed this command of the Lord and gave the Levite people these towns and pastures ·for their own land [L from their own inheritance/possessions]:
21:4 The Kohath ·family groups [clans] were part of the tribe of Levi [C the three sons of Levi were Kohath, Gershom, and Merari; Ex. 6:16; Num. 3:17]. Some of the Levites in the Kohath ·family groups [clans] were from the family of Aaron the priest. To these Levites were ·given [allotted; given by lot] thirteen towns in the areas of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
21:5 The ·other family groups [L rest of the sons/descendants] of Kohath were given ten towns in the areas of Ephraim, Dan, and ·West [L the half-tribe of] Manasseh.
21:6 The ·people from the Gershon family groups [L sons/descendants of Gershom] were given thirteen towns ·in the land [L from the clans of the tribe] of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the East Manasseh in Bashan.
21:7 The ·family groups [L clans of the sons/descendants] of Merari were given twelve towns in the areas of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.
21:8 So the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] gave the Levites these towns and the pastures around them, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
21:9 These are the names of the towns that came from the ·lands [L tribe of the sons/descendants] of Judah and Simeon.
21:10 The first ·choice of towns [L lot] was given to the Kohath ·family groups [clans] of the Levites.
21:11 They gave them Kiriath Arba, also called Hebron, and all its pastures in the ·mountains [hill country] of Judah. (Arba was the father of Anak.)
21:12 But the fields and the villages around Kiriath Arba had been given to Caleb son of Jephunneh [L as his possession].
21:13 So they gave the city of Hebron to the descendants of Aaron (Hebron was a city of ·safety [L refuge for the killer/manslayer]). They also gave them the towns of Libnah,
21:16 Ain, Juttah, and Beth Shemesh, and all the pastures around them. Nine towns were given from these two tribes.
21:17 ·They also gave the people of Aaron these cities that belonged to [L And from] the tribe of Benjamin: Gibeon, Geba,
21:18 Anathoth, and Almon. They gave them these four towns and the pastures around them.
21:19 So these thirteen towns with their pastures were given to the priests, who were from the ·family [L sons; descendants] of Aaron.
21:20 The other Kohathite ·family groups [clans] of the Levites were ·given [allotted] these towns from the tribe of Ephraim:
21:21 Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim (which was a city of ·safety [L refuge for the killer/manslayer]), Gezer,
21:22 Kibzaim, and Beth Horon. There were four towns and their pastures.
21:23 The tribe of Dan gave them Eltekeh, Gibbethon,
21:24 Aijalon, and Gath Rimmon. There were four towns and their pastures.
21:25 ·West [L The half-tribe of] Manasseh gave them Taanach and Gath Rimmon and the pastures around these two towns.
21:26 So these ten towns and the pastures around them were given to the rest of the Kohathite ·family groups [clans].
21:27 The Gershonite ·family groups [clans] of the Levite tribe were given these towns: ·East [L The half-tribe of] Manasseh gave them Golan in Bashan, which was a city of ·safety [L refuge for the killer/manslayer], and Be Eshtarah, and the pastures around these two towns.
21:28 The tribe of Issachar gave them Kishion, Daberath,
21:29 Jarmuth, and En Gannim, and the pastures around these four towns.
21:31 Helkath, and Rehob, and the pastures around these four towns.
21:32 The tribe of Naphtali gave them Kedesh in Galilee (a city of ·safety [refuge for the killer/manslayer]), Hammoth Dor, and Kartan, and the pastures around these three towns.
21:33 So the Gershonite ·family groups [clans] received thirteen towns and the pastures around them.
21:34 The Merarite ·family groups [clans] (the rest of the Levites) were given these towns: The tribe of Zebulun gave them Jokneam, Kartah,
21:35 Dimnah, and Nahalal, and the pastures around these four towns.
21:37 Kedemoth, and Mephaath, along with the pastures around these four towns.
21:38 The tribe of Gad gave them Ramoth in Gilead (a city of ·safety [L refuge for the killer/manslayer]), Mahanaim,
21:39 Heshbon, and Jazer, and the pastures around these four towns.
21:40 So the total number of towns given to the Merarite ·family groups [clans] was twelve.
21:41 A total of forty-eight towns with their pastures in the ·land [L midst of the possession of the sons/T children of Israel] of Israel were given to the Levites.
21:42 Each town had pastures around it [L this was true of all the cities].
21:43 So the Lord gave ·the people [L Israel] all the land he had promised their ancestors. The people took the land and lived there.
21:44 The Lord gave them ·peace [rest] on all sides, as he had ·promised [sworn to] their ancestors. None of their enemies ·defeated [could resist] them; the Lord handed all their enemies ·over to them [L into their hands].
21:45 He kept every promise he had made to the Israelites; each one came true.
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