The Message Bible MSG
English Standard Version ESV
1 When Joshua had reached a venerable age, God said to him, "You've had a good, long life, but there is a lot of land still to be taken.
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Now Joshua was old and advanced in years, and the Lord said to him, “You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to possess.
2 This is the land that remains: all the districts of the Philistines and Geshurites;
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This is the land that yet remains: all the regions of the Philistines, and all those of the Geshurites
3 the land from the Shihor River east of Egypt to the border of Ekron up north, Canaanite country (there were five Philistine tyrants - in Gaza, in Ashdod, in Ashkelon, in Gath, in Ekron); also the Avvim
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(from the Shihor, which is east of Egypt, northward to the boundary of Ekron, it is counted as Canaanite; there are five rulers of the Philistines, those of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron), and those of the Avvim,
4 from the south; all the Canaanite land from Arah (belonging to the Sidonians) to Aphek at the Amorite border;
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in the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians, to Aphek, to the boundary of the Amorites,
5 the country of the Gebalites; all Lebanon eastward from Baal Gad in the shadow of Mount Hermon to the Entrance of Hamath;
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and the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrise, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo-hamath,
6 all who live in the mountains, from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim; all the Sidonians.
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all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim, even all the Sidonians. I myself will drive them out from before the people of Israel. Only allot the land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded you.
7 Do it now: Allot this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh." Land East of the Jordan
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Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh. ”
8 The other half-tribe of Manasseh, with the Reubenites and Gadites, had been given their inheritance by Moses on the other side of the Jordan eastward. Moses the servant of God gave it to them.
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With the other half of the tribe of Manasseh the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond the Jordan eastward, as Moses the servant of the Lord gave them:
9 This land extended from Aroer at the edge of the Arnon Gorge and the city in the middle of the valley, taking in the entire tableland of Medeba as far as Dibon,
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from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the tableland of Medeba as far as Dibon;
10 and all the towns of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled from Heshbon, and out to the border of the Ammonites.
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and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the boundary of the Ammonites;
11 It also included Gilead, the country of the people of Geshur and Maacah, all of Mount Hermon, and all Bashan as far as Salecah
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and Gilead, and the region of the Geshurites and Maacathites, and all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan to Salecah;
12 - the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei. He was one of the last survivors of the Rephaim. Moses had defeated them and taken their land.
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all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei (he alone was left of the remnant of the Rephaim); these Moses had struck and driven out.
13 The People of Israel never did drive out the Geshurites and the Maacathites - they're still there, living in Israel.
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Yet the people of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites, but Geshur and Maacath dwell in the midst of Israel to this day.
14 Levi was the only tribe that did not receive an inheritance. The Fire-Gift offerings to God, the God of Israel, are their inheritance, just as he told them.
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To the tribe of Levi alone Moses gave no inheritance. The offerings by fire to the Lord God of Israel are their inheritance, as he said to him.
15 To the tribe of Reuben, clan by clan, Moses gave:
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And Moses gave an inheritance to the tribe of the people of Reuben according to their clans.
16 the land from Aroer at the edge of the Arnon Gorge and the town in the middle of the valley, including the tableland around Medeba;
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So their territory was from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the tableland by Medeba;
17 Heshbon on the tableland with all its towns (Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon,
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with Heshbon, and all its cities that are in the tableland; Dibon, and Bamoth-baal, and Beth-baal-meon,
18 Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath,
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and Jahaz, and Kedemoth, and Mephaath,
19 Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar on Valley Mountain,
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and Kiriathaim, and Sibmah, and Zereth-shahar on the hill of the valley,
20 Beth Peor, the slopes of Pisgah, Beth Jeshimoth);
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and Beth-peor, and the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth-jeshimoth,
21 and all the cities of the tableland, the whole kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled at Heshbon, whom Moses put to death along with the princes of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, who lived in that country, all puppets of Sihon.
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that is, all the cities of the tableland, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses defeated with the leaders of Midian, Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba, the princes of Sihon, who lived in the land.
22 (In addition to those killed in battle, Balaam son of Beor, the soothsayer, was put to death by the People of Israel.)
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Balaam also, the son of Beor, the one who practiced divination, was killed with the sword by the people of Israel among the rest of their slain.
23 The boundary for the Reubenites was the bank of the Jordan River. This was the inheritance of the Reubenites, their villages and cities, according to their clans.
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And the border of the people of Reuben was the Jordan as a boundary. This was the inheritance of the people of Reuben, according to their clans with their cities and villages.
24 To the tribe of Gad, clan by clan, Moses gave:
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Moses gave an inheritance also to the tribe of Gad, to the people of Gad, according to their clans.
25 the territory of Jazer and all the towns of Gilead and half the Ammonite country as far as Aroer near Rabbah;
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Their territory was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the Ammonites, to Aroer, which is east of Rabbah,
26 the land from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the region of Debir;
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and from Heshbon to Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the territory of Debir,
27 in the valley: Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, with the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon (the east side of the Jordan, north to the end of the Sea of Kinnereth).
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and in the valley Beth-haram, Beth-nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, having the Jordan as a boundary, to the lower end of the Sea of Chinnereth, eastward beyond the Jordan.
28 This was the inheritance of the Gadites, their cities and villages, clan by clan.
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This is the inheritance of the people of Gad according to their clans, with their cities and villages.
29 To the half-tribe of Manasseh, clan by clan, Moses gave:
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And Moses gave an inheritance to the half-tribe of Manasseh. It was allotted to the half-tribe of the people of Manasseh according to their clans.
30 the land stretching out from Mahanaim; all of Bashan, which is the entire kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the settlements of Jair in Bashan - sixty towns in all.
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Their region extended from Mahanaim, through all Bashan, the whole kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair, which are in Bashan, sixty cities,
31 Half of Gilead with Ashtaroth and Edrei, the royal cities of Og in Bashan, belong to the descendants of Makir, a son of Manasseh (in other words, the half-tribe of the children of Makir) for their clans.
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and half Gilead, and Ashtaroth, and Edrei, the cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. These were allotted to the people of Machir the son of Manasseh for the half of the people of Machir according to their clans.
32 This is the inheritance that Moses gave out when he was on the plains of Moab across the Jordan east of Jericho.
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These are the inheritances that Moses distributed in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan east of Jericho.
33 But Moses gave no inheritance to the tribe of Levi. God, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, just as he told them.
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But to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance; the Lord God of Israel is their inheritance, just as he said to them.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025