1 This was the land allotted to the tribe of Judah, by families: it stretched south to the border of Edom, to the wilderness of Zin in the far south. 2 Their boundary began[a] at the end of the Salt Sea—the bay that faces south— 3 and then went south of Scorpion Pass[b] through the wilderness of Zin, then heading south from Kadesh-barnea to Hezron. From there it went up to Addar and then turned towards Karka, 4 passing through Azmon and out to the Wadi of Egypt, ending at the sea.[c] This was their southern border.
5 The eastern border of Judah was the Salt Sea, up to where the Jordan River ends.
12 The western boundary was the coastline of the Great Sea.
13 The Lord had instructed Joshua to allocate some land in Judah's territory to Caleb, son of Jephunneh, and so he was given the town of Kiriath-arba, or Hebron. (Arba was the father of Anak.) 14 Caleb drove out three family groups—Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, descendants of Anak.[e] 15 From there he went to attack the inhabitants of Debir (previously known as Kiriath-sepher). 16 Caleb announced, “Whoever attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give him my daughter Acsah to marry.” 17 Othniel, son of Kenaz, brother of Caleb, captured the town so Caleb gave him his daughter Acsah to marry.
18 When she came to him,[f] she encouraged him[g] to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What do you want?” 19 She replied, “Please give me a blessing. Since you have already given me land that's like the desert, please give me springs of water as well.” So he gave her both the upper and the lower springs.
20 This was the land allotted to the tribe of Judah, by families.
21 The towns for the tribe of Judah in the far south on the border with Edom: Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, 22 Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, 23 Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, 24 Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, 25 Hazor-hadattah, Kerioth-hezron (or Hazor), 26 Amam, Shema, Moladah, 27 Hazar-gaddah, Heshmon, Beth-pelet, 28 Hazar-shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah, 29 Baalah, Iim, Ezem, 30 Eltolad, Kesil, Hormah, 31 Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, 32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon—twenty-nine towns with their associated villages.
33 The towns in the western foothills: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, 34 Zanoah, En-gannim, Tappuah, Enam, 35 Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, 36 Shaaraim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim—fourteen towns with their associated villages.
37 Also: Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal-gad, 38 Dilean, Mizpeh, Joktheel, 39 Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, 40 Cabbon, Lahmam, Kitlish, 41 Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah—sixteen towns with their associated villages.
42 In addition: Libnah, Ether, Ashan, 43 Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, 44 Keilah, Aczib, and Mareshah—nine towns with their associated villages.
45 Ekron and its towns and villages, 46 from Ekron to the sea those towns near Ashdod and their associated villages, 47 Ashdod and its towns with its associated villages, and Gaza with its towns and associated villages, as far as the Wadi of Egypt, and along the coastline of the sea.
48 In the hill country: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, 49 Dannah, Kiriath-sannah (or Debir), 50 Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, 51 Goshen, Holon, and Giloh—eleven towns with their associated villages.
52 Also: Arab, Dumah, Eshan, 53 Janim, Beth-tappuah, Aphekah, 54 Humtah, Kiriath-arba (or Hebron), and Zior—nine towns with their associated villages.
55 In addition: Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, 56 Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, 57 Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah—ten towns with their ssociated villages.
58 Also: Halhul, Beth-zur, Gedor, 59 Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon—six towns with their associated villages.
60 In addition: Kiriath-baal (or Kiriath-jearim) and Rabbah—two towns with their associated villages.
61 In the wilderness: Beth-arabah, Middin, Secacah, 62 Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En-gedi—six towns with their associated villages.
63 However, the tribe of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so the Jebusites live among the tribe of Judah in Jerusalem to this very day.
<- Joshua 14Joshua 16 ->- a Many of the directions given in the text are in the present tense. However, since we now look back historically, the past tense is used here.
- b Also mentioned by name in Judges 1:36 and Numbers 34:4.
- c The Mediterranean.
- d Not the Gilgal near Jericho.
- e See Numbers 13:22. Since these names are mentioned more than forty years previously, it seems these are names for the larger family groups.
- f Some believe this refers to the wedding day.
- g Some Greek manuscripts have “he encouraged her.”