Joshua

Joshua leads the Israelites into the Promised Land, conquering it through many battles.

Chapter 18

1 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them.

*All the Israelite people came together at a place called Shiloh and put up their worship tent. They also took control of the land around them.

2 And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet received their inheritance.

*Among the Israelites' kids, seven tribes still lacked their land share.

3 And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you?

*Joshua asked the Israelites, "Why are you delaying so long to take control of the land that the Lord God gave to your ancestors?"

4 Give out from among you three men for each tribe: and I will send them, and they shall rise, and go through the land, and describe it according to the inheritance of them; and they shall come again to me.

*Choose three people from each group, I'll send them to explore the land based on their inheritance, and they'll return with a description to me.

5 And they shall divide it into seven parts: Judah shall abide in their coast on the south, and the house of Joseph shall abide in their coasts on the north.

*They will split it into seven parts. Judah will live in the southern area, and the family of Joseph will live in the northern area.

6 Ye shall therefore describe the land into seven parts, and bring the description hither to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the LORD our God.

*You must divide the land into seven parts and bring the details here to me. Then I will draw lots for you in front of the LORD our God.

7 But the Levites have no part among you; for the priesthood of the LORD is their inheritance: and Gad, and Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh, have received their inheritance beyond Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them.

*But Levites don't get a share with you; they are priests for God. Gad, Reuben, and half of Manasseh got land on the other side of the river, which Moses, God's helper, gave them.

8 And the men arose, and went away: and Joshua charged them that went to describe the land, saying, Go and walk through the land, and describe it, and come again to me, that I may here cast lots for you before the LORD in Shiloh.

*The men got up and left. Joshua told those going to explore the land, "Go and see the land, then report back to me. I will use divination in Shiloh for you in the presence of the Lord."

9 And the men went and passed through the land, and described it by cities into seven parts in a book, and came again to Joshua to the host at Shiloh.

*The men traveled through the land, divided it into seven sections based on cities, wrote about it in a book, and then returned to Joshua and the group at Shiloh.

10 And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD: and there Joshua divided the land unto the children of Israel according to their divisions.

*Joshua used stones to make decisions at a place called Shiloh, in front of God. There, he divided the land among the Israeli people based on their groups.

11 And the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families: and the coast of their lot came forth between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph.

*The area given to the tribe of Benjamin's descendants was determined, and it was located between the areas of Judah's and Joseph's tribes.

12 And their border on the north side was from Jordan; and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north side, and went up through the mountains westward; and the goings out thereof were at the wilderness of Bethaven.

*The northern border started at the Jordan River, went up to Jericho's north side, then climbed through the westward mountains. It ended at the wilderness of Bethaven.

13 And the border went over from thence toward Luz, to the side of Luz, which is Bethel, southward; and the border descended to Atarothadar, near the hill that lieth on the south side of the nether Bethhoron.

*The border moved from there toward a place called Luz, also known as Bethel, going southwards. It then went down to a spot named Atarothadar, close to a hill by the southern edge of lower Bethhoron.

14 And the border was drawn thence, and compassed the corner of the sea southward, from the hill that lieth before Bethhoron southward; and the goings out thereof were at Kirjathbaal, which is Kirjathjearim, a city of the children of Judah: this was the west quarter.

*The border went around the sea area towards the south from a hill near Bethhoron. It reached Kirjathbaal (also known as Kirjathjearim), a city belonging to the people of Judah. This marked the western part of the boundary.

15 And the south quarter was from the end of Kirjathjearim, and the border went out on the west, and went out to the well of waters of Nephtoah:

*The southern part started at Kirjathjearim's end. The boundary went westward and reached Nephtoah's water well.

16 And the border came down to the end of the mountain that lieth before the valley of the son of Hinnom, and which is in the valley of the giants on the north, and descended to the valley of Hinnom, to the side of Jebusi on the south, and descended to Enrogel,

*The border went down to the bottom of a mountain next to the valley called the Valley of Hinnom's son. This valley is in the land of giants in the north. It then went down into the Valley of Hinnom, to the side of Jebusi in the south, and continued down to a place called Enrogel.

17 And was drawn from the north, and went forth to Enshemesh, and went forth toward Geliloth, which is over against the going up of Adummim, and descended to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben,

*From the north, they traveled to Enshemesh and continued to Geliloth near Adummim's climb. Then, they went down to a stone called Bohan's Stone, son of Reuben.

18 And passed along toward the side over against Arabah northward, and went down unto Arabah:

*The verse says: They traveled to the northern side of Arabah and then descended towards it.

19 And the border passed along to the side of Bethhoglah northward: and the outgoings of the border were at the north bay of the salt sea at the south end of Jordan: this was the south coast.

*The border went past Bethhoglah towards the north. It ended at the top part of the salt sea by the north. This was the southern edge of Jordan's shoreline.

20 And Jordan was the border of it on the east side. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, by the coasts thereof round about, according to their families.

*On the east side, Jordan marked the boundary. The land around belonged to the children of Benjamin, divided among their family groups based on where they lived.

21 Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho, and Bethhoglah, and the valley of Keziz,

*Now, the towns of the Benjamin tribe's families were Jericho, Bethhoglah, and the Keziz valley.

22 And Betharabah, and Zemaraim, and Bethel,

*And Betharabah, Zemaraim, and Bethel.

23 And Avim, and Parah, and Ophrah,

*And Avim, and Parah, and Ophrah. (Note: This is a direct translation and the names remain the same as they are proper nouns.)

24 And Chepharhaammonai, and Ophni, and Gaba; twelve cities with their villages:

*And Chephar, Hammon, and Ophni, and Gabah; twelve towns with their settlements.

25 Gibeon, and Ramah, and Beeroth,

*Gibeon, Ramah, and Beeroth.

26 And Mizpeh, and Chephirah, and Mozah,

*And Mizpeh, and Chephirah, and Mozah - these are the names of the places.

27 And Rekem, and Irpeel, and Taralah,

*And Rekem, and Irpeel, and Taralah, (these are names)

28 And Zelah, Eleph, and Jebusi, which is Jerusalem, Gibeath, and Kirjath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.

*Zelah, Eleph, and Jebusi (Jerusalem) are 14 cities with their towns. This land belongs to Benjamin's family members.

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