Joshua 13 - Simple English

1Now Joshua was old and far on in years. The LORD said to him, "You are old and far on in years, and there is still very much land left to be taken."

2"This is the land that still remains: all the regions of the Philistines, and all the land of the Geshurites,"

3"from Sihor, which is east of Egypt, north to the border of Ekron, which is counted as Canaanite land. There are five rulers of the Philistines: the people of Gaza, of Ashdod, of Ashkelon, of Gath, and of Ekron. There are also the Avites"

4"in the south. Then there is all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah which belongs to the Sidonians, as far as Aphek, to the border of the Amorites,"

5"and the land of the Giblites, and all Lebanon toward the sunrise, from Baalgad below Mount Hermon to the entrance of Hamath."

6"I myself will drive out from before the children of Israel all who live in the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephothmaim, and all the Sidonians. Only divide the land by lot to the Israelites as their inheritance, as I have commanded you."

7"So now divide this land as an inheritance among the nine tribes and the half tribe of Manasseh."

8The Reubenites and the Gadites had already received their inheritance with the other half tribe. Moses gave it to them east of the Jordan, just as Moses the servant of the LORD gave it to them:

9from Aroer, which is on the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the plain of Medeba as far as Dibon,

10and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, as far as the border of the children of Ammon,

11and Gilead, and the territory of the Geshurites and Maachathites, and all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan as far as Salcah,

12all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who ruled in Ashtaroth and in Edrei. He was the last of the giants who were left. Moses struck these kings down and drove them out.

13But the children of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maachathites. So the Geshurites and the Maachathites live among the Israelites to this day.

14Only to the tribe of Levi he gave no inheritance. The offerings made by fire to the LORD God of Israel are their inheritance, as he said to them.

15Moses gave the tribe of the children of Reuben an inheritance for their families.

16Their land went from Aroer, which is on the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the plain by Medeba,

17Heshbon and all its cities on the plain, Dibon, Bamothbaal, Bethbaalmeon,

18Jahazah, Kedemoth, Mephaath,

19Kirjathaim, Sibmah, and Zarethshahar on the hill in the valley,

20Bethpeor, Ashdothpisgah, and Bethjeshimoth,

21all the cities of the plain, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon. Moses struck him down, and with him the princes of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, who were chiefs under Sihon and lived in the land.

22The children of Israel also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword. He told fortunes, and he died among the others they killed.

23The border of the children of Reuben was the Jordan and the land along it. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben for their families, with its cities and villages.

24Moses gave an inheritance to the tribe of Gad, to the children of Gad for their families.

25Their land was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the children of Ammon, as far as Aroer, which is east of Rabbah,

26and from Heshbon to Ramathmizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir,

27and in the valley, Betharam, Bethnimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon. The Jordan was their border, as far as the end of the sea of Chinnereth, on the east side of the Jordan.

28This is the inheritance of the children of Gad for their families, with the cities and their villages.

29Moses gave an inheritance to the half tribe of Manasseh. This was the possession of the half tribe of the children of Manasseh for their families.

30Their land went from Mahanaim, and took in all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair which are in Bashan, sixty cities.

31Half of Gilead, and Ashtaroth and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, belonged to the children of Machir the son of Manasseh, that is, to half of the children of Machir for their families.

32These are the lands that Moses gave out as an inheritance in the plains of Moab, on the other side of the Jordan, east of Jericho.

33But to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance. The LORD God of Israel was their inheritance, as he said to them.