The Land West of the Jordan River
1-5 Nine and a half tribes still did not have any land, although two and a half tribes had already received land east of the Jordan River. Moses had divided that land among them, and he had also said that the Levi tribe would not receive a large region like the other tribes. Instead, the people of Levi would receive towns and the nearby pastures for their sheep, goats, and cattle. And since the descendants of Joseph had become the two tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, there were still nine and a half tribes that needed land. The Lord had told Moses that he would show those tribes how to divide up the land of Canaan.
When the priest Eleazar, Joshua, and the leaders of the families and tribes of Israel met to divide up the land of Canaan, the Lord showed them how to do it.
Joshua Gives Hebron to Caleb
6 One day while the Israelites were still camped at Gilgal, Caleb the son of Jephunneh went to talk with Joshua. Caleb belonged to the Kenaz clan, and many other people from the Judah tribe went with Caleb. He told Joshua:
You know that back in Kadesh-Barnea the Lord talked to his prophet Moses about you and me. 7 I was 40 years old at the time Moses sent me from Kadesh-Barnea into Canaan as a spy. When I came back and told him about the land, everything I said was true. 8 The other spies said things that made our people afraid, but I completely trusted the Lord God. 9 The same day I came back, Moses told me, “Since you were faithful to the Lord God, I promise that the places where you went as a spy will belong to you and your descendants forever.”
10 Joshua, it was 45 years ago that the Lord told Moses to make that promise, and now I am 85. Even though Israel has moved from place to place in the desert, the Lord has kept me alive all this time as he said he would. 11 I'm just as strong today as I was then, and I can still fight as well in battle.
12 So I'm asking you for the hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You were there. You heard the other spies talk about that part of the hill country and the large, walled towns where the Anakim live. But maybe the Lord will help me take their land, just as he promised.
13 Joshua prayed that God would help Caleb, then he gave Hebron to Caleb and his descendants. 14 And Hebron still belongs to Caleb's descendants, because he was faithful to the Lord God of Israel.
15 Hebron used to be called Arba's Town, because Arba had been one of the greatest of the Anakim.
There was peace in the land.
1 These also are the places which the children of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the Priest, and Ioshua the sonne of Nun and the chiefe fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed to them, 2 By the lot of their inheritance, as the Lord had commanded by the hande of Moses, to giue to the nine tribes, and the halfe tribe. 3 For Moses had giuen inheritance vnto two tribes and an halfe tribe, beyond Iorde: but vnto the Leuites he gaue none inheritance among them. 4 For the childre of Ioseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim: therefore they gaue no part vnto the Leuites in the lande, saue cities to dwell in, with the suburbes of the same for their beastes and their substance. 5 As the Lord had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did when they deuided the land. 6 Then the children of Iudah came vnto Ioshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh the Kenezite saide vnto him, Thou knowest what the Lord saide vnto Moses the man of God, concerning me and thee in Kadesh-barnea. 7 Fourtie yeere olde was I, when Moses the seruant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to espie the land, and I brought him word againe, as I thought in mine heart. 8 But my brethren that went vp with me, discouraged the heart of the people: yet I followed still the Lord my God. 9 Wherefore Moses sware the same day, saying, Certainely the land whereon thy feete haue troden, shalbe thine inheritance, and thy childrens for euer, because thou hast followed constantly the Lord my God. 10 Therefore beholde nowe, the Lord hath kept me aliue, as he promised: this is the fourtie and fift yeere since the Lord spake this thing vnto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wildernes: and nowe loe, I am this day foure score and fiue yeere olde: 11 And yet am as strong at this time, as I was when Moses sent me: as strong as I was then, so strong am I nowe, either for warre, or for gouernment. 12 Nowe therefore giue me this mountaine whereof ye Lord spake in that day (for thou heardest in that day, how the Anakims were there, and the cities great and walled) if so be the Lord will be with me, that I may driue them out, as the Lord said. 13 Then Ioshua blessed him, and gaue vnto Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh, Hebron for an inheritance. 14 Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh the Kenezite, vnto this day: because he followed constantly the Lord God of Israel. 15 And the name of Hebron was before time, Kiriath-arba: which Arba was a great man amog the Anakims: thus the land ceassed from warre.