The Cities of Refuge

20 Then the Lord said to Joshua, 2 “Say to the people of Israel, ^j‘Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses, 3 that the manslayer who strikes any person without intent or unknowingly may flee there. They shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood. 4 He shall flee to one of these cities and shall stand ^kat the entrance of the gate of the city and explain his case to the elders of that city. Then they shall take him into the city and give him a place, and he shall remain with them. 5 And if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not give up the manslayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unknowingly, and did not hate him in the past. 6 And he shall remain in that city ^luntil he has stood before the congregation for judgment, until the death of him who is high priest at the time. Then the manslayer may return to his own town and his own home, to the town from which he fled.’”

7 So they set apart ^mKedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, and ⁿShechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and ^oKiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) ^pin the hill country of Judah. 8 And beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, they appointed ^qBezer in the wilderness on the tableland, from the tribe of Reuben, and ^rRamoth in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and ^sGolan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manasseh. 9 These were the cities designated for all the people of Israel and ^tfor the stranger sojourning among them, that anyone who killed a person without intent could flee there, so that he might not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, till he stood before the congregation.

Cities and Pasturelands Allotted to Levi

21 Then the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites came ^uto Eleazar the priest and to Joshua the son of Nun and to the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the people of Israel. 2 And they said to them ^vat Shiloh in the land of Canaan, ^w“The Lord commanded through Moses that we be given cities to dwell in, along with their pasturelands for our livestock.” 3 So by command of the Lord the people of Israel gave to the Levites the following cities and pasturelands out of their inheritance.

4 The lot came out for the clans of the Kohathites. So those Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest ^xreceived by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, thirteen cities.

5 And the rest of the Kohathites received by lot ^yfrom the clans of the tribe of Ephraim, from the tribe of Dan and the half-tribe of Manasseh, ten cities.

6 The ^zGershonites received by lot from the clans of the tribe of Issachar, from the tribe of Asher, from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities.

7 The ^aMerarites according to their clans received from the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities.

8 These cities and their pasturelands the people of Israel ^bgave by lot to the Levites, ^cas the Lord had commanded through Moses.

9 Out of the tribe of the people of Judah and the tribe of the people of Simeon they gave the following cities mentioned by name, 10 which went to ^dthe descendants of Aaron, one of the clans of the Kohathites who belonged to the people of Levi; since the lot fell to them first. 11 ^eThey gave them ^fKiriath-arba (Arba being the father of Anak), that is Hebron, ^gin the hill country of Judah, along with the pasturelands around it. 12 But the fields of the city and its villages had been given to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as his possession.

13 And to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, ^hthe city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasturelands, ⁱLibnah with its pasturelands, 14 Jattir with its pasturelands, Eshtemoa with its pasturelands, 15 Holon with its pasturelands, Debir with its pasturelands, 16 Ain with its pasturelands, Juttah with its pasturelands, Beth-shemesh with its pasturelands—nine cities out of these two tribes; 17 then out of the tribe of Benjamin, ^jGibeon with its pasturelands, Geba with its pasturelands, 18 Anathoth with its pasturelands, and Almon with its pasturelands—four cities. 19 The cities of the descendants of Aaron, the priests, were in all thirteen cities with their pasturelands.

20 ^kAs to the rest of the Kohathites belonging to the Kohathite clans of the Levites, the cities allotted to them were out of the tribe of Ephraim. 21 To them were given Shechem, ^lthe city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer with its pasturelands, 22 Kibzaim with its pasturelands, Beth-horon with its pasturelands—four cities; 23 and out of the tribe of Dan, Elteke with its pasturelands, Gibbethon with its pasturelands, 24 Aijalon with its pasturelands, Gath-rimmon with its pasturelands—four cities; 25 and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Taanach with its pasturelands, and Gath-rimmon with its pasturelands—two cities. 26 The cities of the clans of the rest of the Kohathites were ten in all with their pasturelands.

27 ^mAnd to the Gershonites, one of the clans of the Levites, were given out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with its pasturelands, ^lthe city of refuge for the manslayer, and Beeshterah with its pasturelands—two cities; 28 and out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishion with its pasturelands, Daberath with its pasturelands, 29 Jarmuth with its pasturelands, En-gannim with its pasturelands—four cities; 30 and out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with its pasturelands, Abdon with its pasturelands, 31 Helkath with its pasturelands, and Rehob with its pasturelands—four cities; 32 and out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its pasturelands, ^lthe city of refuge for the manslayer, Hammoth-dor with its pasturelands, and Kartan with its pasturelands—three cities. 33 The cities of the several clans of the Gershonites were in all thirteen cities with their pasturelands.

34 ⁿAnd to the rest of the Levites, the Merarite clans, were given out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its pasturelands, Kartah with its pasturelands, 35 Dimnah with its pasturelands, Nahalal with its pasturelands—four cities; 36 and out of the tribe of Reuben, ^oBezer with its pasturelands, Jahaz with its pasturelands, 37 Kedemoth with its pasturelands, and Mephaath with its pasturelands—four cities; 38 and out of the tribe of Gad, ^oRamoth in Gilead with its pasturelands, the city of refuge for the manslayer, ^pMahanaim with its pasturelands, 39 ^pHeshbon with its pasturelands, Jazer with its pasturelands—four cities in all. 40 As for the cities of the several Merarite clans, that is, the remainder of the clans of the Levites, those allotted to them were in all twelve cities.

41 ^qThe cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the people of Israel were in all forty-eight cities with their pasturelands. 42 These cities each had its pasturelands around it. So it was with all these cities.

43 ^rThus the Lord gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there. 44 ^sAnd the Lord gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. ^tNot one of all their enemies had withstood them, for ^uthe Lord had given all their enemies into their hands. 45 ^vNot one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.

The Eastern Tribes Return Home

22 At that time Joshua summoned the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, 2 and said to them, “You have kept ^wall that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you ^xand have obeyed my voice in all that I have commanded you. 3 You have not forsaken your brothers these many days, down to this day, but have been careful to keep the charge of the Lord your God. 4 ^yAnd now the Lord your God has given rest to your brothers, as he promised them. Therefore turn and go to your tents in the land where your possession lies, ^zwhich Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan. 5 ^aOnly be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, ^bto love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” 6 So Joshua ^cblessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.

7 Now to the one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, ^dbut to the other half Joshua had given a possession beside their brothers in the land west of the Jordan. And when Joshua sent them away to their homes and blessed them, 8 he said to them, “Go back to your tents with much wealth and with very much livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, and iron, and with much clothing. ^eDivide the spoil of your enemies with your brothers.” 9 So the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned home, parting from the people of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go ^fto the land of Gilead, their own land of which they had possessed themselves by command of the Lord through Moses.

The Eastern Tribes’ Altar of Witness

10 And when they came to the region of the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of imposing size. 11 And the people of Israel ^gheard it said, “Behold, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built the altar at the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region about the Jordan, on the side that belongs to the people of Israel.” 12 And when the people of Israel heard of it, ^hthe whole assembly of the people of Israel gathered at Shiloh to make war against them.

13 Then the people of Israel sent to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, ⁱPhinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, 14 and with him ten chiefs, one from each of the tribal families of Israel, ^jevery one of them the head of a family among the clans of Israel. 15 And they came to the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they said to them, 16 “Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord, ‘What is this breach of faith that you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away this day from following the Lord by building yourselves an altar this day ^kin rebellion against the Lord? 17 Have we not had enough of ^lthe sin at Peor from which even yet we have not cleansed ourselves, and for which there came a plague upon the congregation of the Lord, 18 that you too must turn away this day from following the Lord? And if ^kyou too rebel against the Lord today then tomorrow ^mhe will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel. 19 But now, if the land of your possession is unclean, pass over into the Lord’s land ⁿwhere the Lord’s tabernacle stands, and take for yourselves a possession among us. ^oOnly do not rebel against the Lord or make us as rebels by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the Lord our God. 20 ^pDid not Achan the son of Zerah break faith in the matter of the devoted things, and ^mwrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel? And he did not perish alone for his iniquity.’”

21 Then the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh said in answer to the heads of the families of Israel, 22 “The Mighty One, ^qGod, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! ^rHe knows; and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in breach of faith against the Lord, do not spare us today 23 for building an altar to turn away from following the Lord. Or if we did so to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings on it, may the Lord himself ^stake vengeance. 24 No, but we did it from fear that ^tin time to come your children might say to our children, ‘What have you to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? 25 For the Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you people of Reuben and people of Gad. You have no portion in the Lord.’ So your children might make our children cease to worship the Lord. 26 Therefore we said, ‘Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice, 27 but to be ^ua witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we ^vdo perform the service of the Lord in his presence with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings, so your children will not say to our children in time to come, “You have no portion in the Lord.”’ 28 And we thought, ‘If this should be said to us or to our descendants in time to come, we should say, “Behold, the copy of the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifice, but to be ^ua witness between us and you.”’ 29 Far be it from us that we should ^wrebel against the Lord and turn away this day from following the Lord ^wby building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice, other than the altar of the Lord our God that stands before his tabernacle!”

30 When ^xPhinehas the priest and the chiefs of the congregation, the heads of the families of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh spoke, ^yit was good in their eyes. 31 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh, “Today we know that ^zthe Lord is in our midst, because you have not committed this breach of faith against the Lord. Now you have delivered the people of Israel from the hand of the Lord.”

32 Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the chiefs, returned from the people of Reuben and the people of Gad ^ain the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the people of Israel, and brought back word to them. 33 And the report ^bwas good in the eyes of the people of Israel. And the people of Israel ^cblessed God and spoke no more of making war against them to destroy the land where the people of Reuben and the people of Gad were settled. 34 The people of Reuben and the people of Gad called the altar Witness, “For,” they said, ^d“it is a witness between us that the Lord is God.”

Joshua’s Charge to Israel’s Leaders

23 A long time afterward, when the Lord had given ^erest to Israel from all their surrounding enemies, and Joshua ^fwas old and well advanced in years, 2 Joshua ^gsummoned all Israel, its elders and heads, its judges and officers, and said to them, “I am now old and well advanced in years. 3 And you have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake, ^hfor it is the Lord your God who has fought for you. 4 Behold, ⁱI have allotted to you as an inheritance for your tribes those nations that remain, along with all the nations that I have already cut off, from the Jordan to the Great Sea in the west. 5 The Lord your God ^jwill push them back before you and drive them out of your sight. And you shall possess their land, ^kjust as the Lord your God promised you. 6 Therefore, ^lbe very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, ^mturning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left, 7 ⁿthat you may not mix with these nations remaining among you ^oor make mention of the names of their gods ^por swear by them or serve them or bow down to them, 8 ^qbut you shall cling to the Lord your God just as you have done to this day. 9 ^rFor the Lord has driven out before you great and strong nations. And as for you, ^sno man has been able to stand before you to this day. 10 ^tOne man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the Lord your God ^uwho fights for you, just as he promised you. 11 ^vBe very careful, therefore, to love the Lord your God. 12 For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you ^wand make marriages with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, 13 know for certain that ^xthe Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you, ^ybut they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good ground that the Lord your God has given you.

14 “And now ^zI am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that ^anot one word has failed of all the good things¹ that the Lord your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed. 15 But just as all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for you, so the Lord will bring upon you ^ball the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land that the Lord your God has given you, 16 if you transgress the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land that he has given to you.”

The Covenant Renewal at Shechem

24 Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel ^cto Shechem and ^dsummoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel. And ^ethey presented themselves before God. 2 And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Long ago, ^fyour fathers lived beyond the Euphrates,¹ Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and ^gthey served other gods. 3 ^hThen I took your father Abraham from beyond the River² and ⁱled him through all the land of Canaan, and made his offspring many. ^jI gave him Isaac. 4 And to Isaac I gave ^kJacob and Esau. ^lAnd I gave Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, ^mbut Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. 5 ⁿAnd I sent Moses and Aaron, ^oand I plagued Egypt with what I did in the midst of it, and ^pafterward I brought you out.

6 “‘Then ^pI brought your fathers out of Egypt, and ^qyou came to the sea. ^rAnd the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. 7 ^sAnd when they cried to the Lord, ^the put darkness between you and the Egyptians ^uand made the sea come upon them and cover them; ^vand your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. ^wAnd you lived in the wilderness a long time. 8 Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites, who lived on the other side of the Jordan. ^xThey fought with you, and I gave them into your hand, and you took possession of their land, and I destroyed them before you. 9 ^yThen Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel. ^zAnd he sent and invited Balaam the son of Beor to curse you, 10 ^abut I would not listen to Balaam. ^aIndeed, he blessed you. So I delivered you out of his hand. 11 ^bAnd you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho, ^cand the leaders of Jericho fought against you, and also ^cthe Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And I gave them into your hand. 12 And I sent ^dthe hornet before you, which drove them out before you, the two kings of the Amorites; it was ^enot by your sword or by your bow. 13 I gave you a land on which you had not labored ^fand cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.’