Joshua 18

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 The whole community of the Israelites assembled at Shiloh, and the Tent of Meeting was set up there;the whole country had been subdued for them.	1 After they had subdued the land, the whole community of the Israelites assembled at Shiloh, where they set up the meeting tent.
2 But among the Israelites there were still seven tribes left who had not received their heritage.	2 Seven tribes among the Israelites had not yet received their heritage.
3 Joshua then said to the Israelites, 'How much more time are you going to waste before you go andtake possession of the country which Yahweh, God of your ancestors, has given to you?	3 Joshua therefore said to the Israelites, "How much longer will you put off taking steps to possess the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?
4 Choose three men from each tribe for me to send al over the country so that they can make a surveywith a view to their inheritances and then come back to me.	4 Choose three men from each of your tribes; I will commission them to begin a survey of the land, which they shall describe for purposes of inheritance. When they return to me
5 They wil divide the country into seven portions. Judah wil remain in his territory in the south, andthose of the House of Joseph wil remain in their territory in the north.	5 you shall divide it into seven parts. Judah is to retain its territory in the south, and the house of Joseph its territory in the north.
6 You must survey the country in seven sections and bring your findings to me here, so that I can castlots for you here, in the presence of Yahweh our God.	6 You shall bring here to me the description of the land in seven sections. I will then cast lots for you here before the LORD, our God.
7 The Levites, however, wil have no portion with the rest of you; the priesthood of Yahweh wil be theirheritage. As regards Gad and Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh, they have received their heritage on thefurther, eastern side of the Jordan, the one given them by Moses, servant of Yahweh.'	7 For the Levites have no share among you, because the priesthood of the LORD is their heritage; while Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have already received the heritage east of the Jordan which Moses, the servant of the LORD, gave them."
8 The men stood up and set off. To those who were to survey the country Joshua gave this order, 'Startout, then, go al over the country, survey it, and then come back to me; and I shal cast lots for you here, in thepresence of Yahweh, at Shiloh.'	8 When those who were to map out the land were ready for the journey, Joshua instructed them to survey the land, prepare a description of it, and return to him; then he would cast lots for them there before the LORD in Shiloh.
9 The men left, went al over the country and surveyed it by towns, in seven sections, writing down theirfindings in a book, and then went back to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh.	9 So they went through the land, listed its cities in writing in seven sections, and returned to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh.
10 Joshua cast lots for them in Yahweh's presence at Shiloh, and there Joshua divided the countrybetween the Israelites, share by share.	10 Joshua then divided up the land for the Israelites into their separate shares, casting lots for them before the LORD in Shiloh.
11 A portion fell first to the tribe of the sons of Benjamin, by clans: the territory of their portion laybetween the sons of Judah and the sons of Joseph.	11 One lot fell to the clans of the tribe of Benjaminites. The territory allotted them lay between the descendants of Judah and those of Joseph.
12 Their northern frontier began at the Jordan, went up the flank of Jericho to the north, climbedwestwards through the highlands and came out at the desert of Beth-Aven.	12 Their northern boundary began at the Jordan and went over the northern flank of Jericho, up westward into the mountains, till it reached the desert of Beth-aven.
13 Thence, the frontier went on to Luz, on the southern flank of Luz -- now Bethel-and then down toAtaroth-Arach, on the mountain south of Lower Beth-Horon.	13 From there it crossed over to the southern flank of Luz (that is, Bethel). Then it ran down to Ataroth-addar, on the mountaintop south of Lower Beth-horon.
14 At this westerly point, the frontier curved round and turned south, from the mountain facing Beth-Horon from the south and came out at Kiriath-Baal, now Kiriath-Jearim, a town of the sons of Judah. That wasthe western side.	14 For the western border, the boundary line swung south from the mountaintop opposite Bethhoron till it reached Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), which city belonged to the Judahites. This was the western boundary.
15 This was the south side: from the tip of Kiriath-Jearim, the frontier went to Gasin and came out nearthe spring of the Waters of Nephtoah,	15 The southern boundary began at the limits of Kiriath-jearim and projected to the spring at Nephtoah.
16 it then went down to the edge of the mountain facing the Val ey of Hinnom, in the Valley of theRephaim to the north; it then went down into the Val ey of Hinnom, past the southerly flank of the Jebusite, andwent down to En-Rogel.	16 It went down to the edge of the mountain on the north of the Valley of Rephaim, where it faces the Valley of Ben-hinnom; and continuing down the Valley of Hinnom along the southern flank of the Jebusites, reached En-rogel.
17 It then curved northwards, coming out at En-Shemesh, and came out at the stone circle opposite theAscent of Adummim, then went down to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben.	17 Inclining to the north, it extended to En-shemesh, and thence to Geliloth, opposite the pass of Adummim. Then it dropped to Eben-Bohan-ben-Reuben,
18 It then went on to Cheteph on the flank of Beth-ha-Arabah northwards, and went down into theArabah;	18 across the northern flank of the Arabah overlook, down into the Aarabah.
19 the frontier then passed round the northern flank of Beth-Hoglah, and the frontier came out at thenorthern bay of the Salt Sea, at the southern end of the Jordan. Such was the southern frontier.	19 From there the boundary continued across the northern flank of Beth-hoglah and extended to the northern tip of the Salt Sea, at the southern end of the Jordan. This was the southern boundary.
20 The Jordan itself formed the frontier on the east. Such was the heritage of the sons of Benjamin asdefined by their frontier, by clans.	20 The Jordan bounded it on the east. This was how the heritage of the clans of the Benjaminites was bounded on all sides.
21 The towns of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin, by clans, were:	21 Now the cities belonging to the clans of the tribe of the Benjaminites were: Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz,
22 Jericho, Beth-Hoglah, Emek-Keziz;	22 Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,
23 Beth-Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel; Avvim, Parah, Ophrah;	23 Avvim, Parah, Ophrah,
24 Chephar-Ammoni, Ophni, Geba: twelve towns and their vil ages.	24 Chephar-ammoni, Ophni and Geba; twelve cities and their villages.
25 Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth;	25 Also Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,
26 Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah;	26 Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah,
27 Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah;	27 Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah,
28 Zela-ha-Eleph, the Jebusite -- that is, Jerusalem -- Gibeah and Kiriath: fourteen towns with theirvil ages. Such was the heritage of the sons of Benjamin, by clans.	28 Zela, Haeleph, the Jebusite city (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah and Kiriath; fourteen cities and their villages. This was the heritage of the clans of Benjaminites.