Land for Judah

15 The ·land that was given to [allotment for] the tribe of Judah was divided among all the ·family groups [clans]. It went all the way to the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Zin in the far south, at the border of Edom.

² The southern border of Judah’s land started at the south end of the ·Dead [^LSalt] Sea ³ and went south of ·Scorpion Pass [or the ascent of Akrabbim] to Zin. From there it passed to the south of Kadesh Barnea and continued past Hezron to Addar. From Addar it turned and went to Karka. ⁴ It continued to Azmon, the ·brook [stream; wadi] of Egypt, and then to the ·Mediterranean Sea [^LSea]. This was the southern border.

⁵ The eastern border was the shore of the ·Dead [^LSalt] Sea, as far as the mouth of the Jordan River.

The northern border started at the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan River. ⁶ Then it went to Beth Hoglah and continued north of Beth Arabah to the stone of Bohan son of Reuben. ⁷ Then ·the northern border went [^Lthe border went up] through the Valley of Achor to Debir where it turned toward the north and went to Gilgal. Gilgal is ·across from the road that goes through [^Lopposite] Adummim Pass, on the south side of the ·ravine [valley; gorge]. The border continued to the waters of En Shemesh and stopped at En Rogel. ⁸ Then it went through the Valley of ·Ben [the Son of] Hinnom, next to the southern ·side [slope] of the Jebusite city (·which is called [that is,] Jerusalem). There the border went to the top of the hill on the west side of Hinnom Valley, at the northern end of the Valley of ·Giants [^LRaphaim]. ⁹ From there it went to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah and then it went to the cities near Mount Ephron. There it turned and went toward Baalah, ·which is called [that is,] Kiriath Jearim. ¹⁰ At Baalah the border turned west and went toward Mount Seir. It continued along the ·north side [northern slope] of Mount Jearim (also called Kesalon) and ·came [or descended] to Beth Shemesh. From there it ·went past [or crossed to] Timnah ¹¹ to the ·hill north [northern slope] of Ekron. Then it turned toward Shikkeron and ·went past [or crossed to] Mount Baalah and continued on to Jabneel, ending at the sea.

¹² The ·Mediterranean [Great] Sea was the western border. Inside these borders lived the ·family groups [clans] of Judah.

¹³ The Lord had commanded Joshua to give Caleb son of Jephunneh ·part of the land [a portion] in Judah, so he gave Caleb the town of Kiriath Arba, ·also called [that is,] Hebron [14:13]. (Arba was the father of Anak.) ¹⁴ Caleb ·forced [drove] out the three ·Anakite families [^Lsons of Anak] living in Hebron: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak. ¹⁵ Then he left there and went to fight against the people living in Debir. (In the past Debir had been called Kiriath Sepher.) ¹⁶ Caleb said, “I will give Acsah, my daughter, as a wife to the man who attacks and captures the city of Kiriath Sepher.” ¹⁷ Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s brother, captured the city, so Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to Othniel to be his wife. ¹⁸ When Acsah came to ·Othniel [^Lhim; ^Ccould be Othniel or Caleb], she ·told him to ask [or asked] her father for a field.

So Acsah went to her father. When she got down from her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What do you want?”

¹⁹ Acsah answered, “·Do me a special favor [^LGive me a blessing]. Since you have given me land in ·southern Canaan [^Lthe Negev], also give me springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.

²⁰ ·The tribe of Judah got the land God had promised them [^LThis is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Judah]. ·Each family group got part of the land [^L…according to its clans].

²¹ The tribe of Judah got all these towns in the ·southern part of Canaan [extreme south; ^LNegev] near the border of Edom: Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, ²² Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, ²³ Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, ²⁴ Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, ²⁵ Hazor Hadattah, Kerioth Hezron (also called 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. There were twenty-nine towns and their villages.

³³ The tribe of Judah got these towns in the ·western foothills [lowlands]: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, ³⁴ Zanoah, En Gannim, Tappuah, Enam, ³⁵ Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, ³⁶ Shaaraim, Adithaim, and Gederah (also called Gederothaim). There were fourteen towns and their villages.

³⁷ Judah was also given Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal Gad, ³⁸ Dilean, Mizpah, Joktheel, ³⁹ Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, ⁴⁰ Cabbon, Lahmas, Kitlish, ⁴¹ Gederoth, Beth Dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah. There were sixteen towns and their villages.

⁴² Judah was also given Libnah, Ether, Ashan, ⁴³ Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, ⁴⁴ Keilah, Aczib, and Mareshah. There were nine towns and their villages.

⁴⁵ Judah was also given Ekron and all the small towns and villages near it; ⁴⁶ the area west of Ekron and all the villages and small towns near Ashdod; ⁴⁷ Ashdod and the small towns and villages around it; the villages and small towns around Gaza as far as the ·brook [stream; wadi] of Egypt and along the coast of the ·Mediterranean [^LGreat] Sea.

⁴⁸ Judah was also given these towns in the ·mountains [hill country]: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, ⁴⁹ Dannah, Kiriath Sannah (also called Debir), ⁵⁰ Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, ⁵¹ Goshen, Holon, and Giloh. There were eleven towns and their villages.

⁵² They were also given Arab, Dumah, Eshan, ⁵³ Janim, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah, ⁵⁴ Humtah, Kiriath Arba (also called Hebron), and Zior. There were nine towns and their villages.

⁵⁵ Judah was also given Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, ⁵⁶ Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, ⁵⁷ Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah. There were ten towns and their villages.

⁵⁸ They were also given Halhul, Beth Zur, Gedor, ⁵⁹ Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon. There were six towns and their villages.

⁶⁰ They were also given the two towns of Rabbah and Kiriath Baal (also called Kiriath Jearim) and their villages.

⁶¹ Judah was given these towns in the ·desert [wilderness]: Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah, ⁶² Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En Gedi. There were six towns and all their villages.

⁶³ The ·army [people; ^Lsons] of Judah was not able to ·force [drive] out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem, so the Jebusites still live among the people of Judah to this day.