Joshua 19; Joshua 20; Joshua 21; Luke 2:25-52

Joshua 19

1 The second assignment made was for the families of the tribe of Simeon. Its territory extended into the land assigned to the tribe of Judah.

2 It included Beersheba, Sheba, Moladah,

3 Hazar Shual, Balah, Ezem,

4 Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah,

5 Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susah,

6 Beth Lebaoth, and Sharuhen: thirteen cities, along with the towns around them.

7 There were also Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan: four cities, along with the towns around them.

8 This included all the towns around these cities as far as Baalath Beer (or Ramah), in the south. This was the land which the families of the tribe of Simeon received as their possession.

9 Since Judah's assignment was larger than was needed, part of its territory was given to the tribe of Simeon.

10 The third assignment made was for the families of the tribe of Zebulun. The land which they received reached as far as Sarid.

11 From there the border went west to Mareal, touching Dabbesheth and the stream east of Jokneam.

12 On the other side of Sarid it went east to the border of Chisloth Tabor, then to Daberath and up to Japhia.

13 It continued east from there to Gath Hepher and Ethkazin, turning in the direction of Neah on the way to Rimmon.

14 On the north the border turned toward Hannathon, ending at Iphtahel Valley.

15 It included Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem: twelve cities, along with the towns around them.

16 These cities and their towns were in the land which the families of the tribe of Zebulun received as their possession.

17 The fourth assignment made was for the families of the tribe of Issachar.

18 Its area included Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem,

19 Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath,

20 Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez,

21 Remeth, Engannim, Enhaddah, and Bethpazzez.

22 The border also touched Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth Shemesh, ending at the Jordan. It included sixteen cities along with the towns around them.

23 These cities and their towns were in the land which the families of the tribe of Issachar received as their possession.

24 The fifth assignment made was for the families of the tribe of Asher.

25 Its area included Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph,

26 Allam Melech, Amad, and Mishal. On the west it touched Carmel and Shihor Libnath.

27 As it turned east, the border went to Bethdagon, touching Zebulun and Iphtahel Valley on the way north to Bethemek and Neiel. It continued north to Cabul,

28 Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, and Kanah, as far as Sidon.

29 The border then turned to Ramah, reaching the fortified city of Tyre; then it turned to Hosah and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. It included Mahalab, Achzib,

30 Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob: twenty-two cities, along with the towns around them.

31 These cities and their towns were in the land which the families of the tribe of Asher received as their possession.

32 The sixth assignment made was for the families of the tribe of Naphtali.

33 Its border went from Heleph to the oak in Zaanannim, on to Adaminekeb and to Jamnia, as far as Lakkum, and ended at the Jordan.

34 There the border turned west to Aznoth Tabor, from there to Hukkok, touching Zebulun on the south, Asher on the west, and the Jordan on the east.

35 The fortified cities were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth,

36 Adamah, Ramah, Hazor,

37 Kedesh, Edrei, Enhazor,

38 Yiron, Migdalel, Horem, Bethanath, and Beth Shemesh: nineteen cities, along with the towns around them.

39 These cities and their towns were in the land which the families of the tribe of Naphtali received as their possession.

40 The seventh assignment made was for the families of the tribe of Dan.

41 Its area included Zorah, Eshtaol, Irshemesh,

42 Shaalbim, Aijalon, Ithlah,

43 Elon, Timnah, Ekron,

44 Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath,

45 Jehud, Beneberak, Gathrimmon,

46 Mejarkon, and Rakkon, as well as the territory around Joppa.

47 When the people of Dan lost their land, they went to Laish and attacked it. They captured it, killed its people, and claimed it for themselves. They settled there and changed the name of the city from Laish to Dan, naming it after their ancestor Dan.

48 These cities and their towns were in the land which the families of the tribe of Dan received as their possession.

49 When the people of Israel finished dividing up the land, they gave Joshua son of Nun a part of the land as his own.

50 As the Lord had commanded, they gave him the city he asked for: Timnath Serah, in the hill country of Ephraim. He rebuilt the city and settled there.

51 Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders of the families of the tribes of Israel assigned these parts of the land by drawing lots to consult the Lord at Shiloh, at the entrance of the Tent of the Lord's presence. In this way they finished dividing the land.

Joshua 20

1 Then the Lord told Joshua

2 to say to the people of Israel, "Choose the cities of refuge that I had Moses tell you about.

3 If any of you accidentally kills someone, you can go there and escape the one who is looking for revenge.

4 You can run away to one of these cities, go to the place of judgment at the entrance to the city, and explain to the leaders what happened. Then they will let you into the city and give you a place to live in, so that you can stay there.

5 If the one looking for revenge follows you there, the people of the city must not hand you over to that one. They must protect you because you killed the person accidentally and not out of anger.

6 You may stay in the city until you have received a public trial and until the death of the man who is then the High Priest. Then you may go back home to your own town, from which you had run away."

7 So, on the west side of the Jordan they set aside Kedesh in Galilee, in the hill country of Naphtali; Shechem, in the hill country of Ephraim; and Hebron, in the hill country of Judah.

8 East of the Jordan, on the desert plateau east of Jericho, they chose Bezer in the territory of Reuben; Ramoth in Gilead, in the territory of Gad; and Golan in Bashan, in the territory of Manasseh.

9 These were the cities of refuge chosen for all the people of Israel and for any foreigner living among them. Any who killed a person accidentally could find protection there from the one looking for revenge; they could not be killed unless they had first received a public trial.

Joshua 21

1 The leaders of the Levite families went to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and to the heads of the families of all the tribes of Israel.

2 There at Shiloh in the land of Canaan they said to them, "The Lord commanded through Moses that we were to be given cities to live in, as well as pasture land around them for our livestock."

3 So in accordance with the Lord's command the people of Israel gave the Levites certain cities and pasture lands out of their own territories.

4 The families of the Levite clan of Kohath were the first to be assigned cities. The families who were descended from Aaron the priest were assigned thirteen cities from the territories of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.

5 The rest of the clan of Kohath was assigned ten cities from the territories of Ephraim, Dan, and West Manasseh.

6 The clan of Gershon was assigned thirteen cities from the territories of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and East Manasseh.

7 The families of the clan of Merari were assigned twelve cities from the territories of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.

8 By drawing lots, the people of Israel assigned these cities and their pasture lands to the Levites, as the Lord had commanded through Moses.

9 These are the names of the cities from the territories of Judah and Simeon which were given

10 to the descendants of Aaron who were of the clan of Kohath, which was descended from Levi. Their assignment was the first to be made.

11 They were given the city of Arba (Arba was Anak's father), now called Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, along with the pasture land surrounding it.

12 However, the fields of the city, as well as its towns, had already been given to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession.

13 In addition to Hebron (one of the cities of refuge), the following cities were assigned to the descendants of Aaron the priest: Libnah,

14 Jattir, Eshtemoa,

15 Holon, Debir,

16 Ain, Juttah, and Beth Shemesh, with their pasture lands: nine cities from the tribes of Judah and Simeon.

17 From the territory of Benjamin they were given four cities: Gibeon, Geba,

18 Anathoth, and Almon, with their pasture lands.

19 Thirteen cities in all, with their pasture lands, were given to the priests, the descendants of Aaron.

20 The other families of the Levite clan of Kohath were assigned some cities from the territory of Ephraim.

21 They were given four cities: Shechem and its pasture lands in the hill country of Ephraim (one of the cities of refuge), Gezer,

22 Kibzaim, and Beth Horon, with their pasture lands.

23 From the territory of Dan they were given four cities: Eltekeh, Gibbethon,

24 Aijalon, and Gathrimmon, with their pasture lands.

25 From the territory of West Manasseh they were given two cities: Taanach and Gathrimmon, with their pasture lands.

26 These families of the clan of Kohath received ten cities in all, with their pasture lands.

27 Another group of Levites, the clan of Gershon, received from the territory of East Manasseh two cities: Golan in Bashan (one of the cities of refuge) and Beeshterah, with their pasture lands.

28 From the territory of Issachar they received four cities: Kishion, Daberath,

29 Jarmuth, and Engannim, with their pasture lands.

30 From the territory of Asher they received four cities: Mishal, Abdon,

31 Helkath, and Rehob, with their pasture lands.

32 From the territory of Naphtali they received three cities: Kedesh in Galilee, with its pasture lands (one of the cities of refuge), Hammoth Dor, and Kartan, with their pasture lands.

33 The various families of the clan of Gershon received a total of thirteen cities with their pasture lands.

34 The rest of the Levites, the clan of Merari, received from the territory of Zebulun four cities: Jokneam, Kartah,

35 Dimnah, and Nahalal, with their pasture lands.

36 From the territory of Reuben they received four cities: Bezer, Jahaz,

37 Kedemoth, and Mephaath, with their pasture lands.

38 From the tribe of Gad they received four cities: Ramoth in Gilead, with its pasture lands (one of the cities of refuge), Mahanaim,

39 Heshbon, and Jazer, with their pasture lands.

40 So the clan of Merari was assigned a total of twelve cities.

41 From the land that the people of Israel possessed, a total of forty-eight cities, with the pasture lands around them, was given to the Levites.

43 So the Lord gave to Israel all the land that he had solemnly promised their ancestors he would give them. When they had taken possession of it, they settled down there.

44 The Lord gave them peace throughout the land, just as he had promised their ancestors. Not one of all their enemies had been able to stand against them, because the Lord gave the Israelites the victory over all their enemies.

45 The Lord kept every one of the promises that he had made to the people of Israel.

Luke 2:25-52

25 At that time there was a man named Simeon living in Jerusalem. He was a good, God-fearing man and was waiting for Israel to be saved. The Holy Spirit was with him

26 and had assured him that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's promised Messiah.

27 Led by the Spirit, Simeon went into the Temple. When the parents brought the child Jesus into the Temple to do for him what the Law required,

28 Simeon took the child in his arms and gave thanks to God:

29 "Now, Lord, you have kept your promise, and you may let your servant go in peace.

30 With my own eyes I have seen your salvation,

31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples:

32 A light to reveal your will to the Gentiles and bring glory to your people Israel."

33 The child's father and mother were amazed at the things Simeon said about him.

34 Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, "This child is chosen by God for the destruction and the salvation of many in Israel. He will be a sign from God which many people will speak against

35 and so reveal their secret thoughts. And sorrow, like a sharp sword, will break your own heart."

36 There was a very old prophet, a widow named Anna, daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher. She had been married for only seven years and was now eighty-four years old. She never left the Temple; day and night she worshiped God, fasting and praying.

38 That very same hour she arrived and gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were waiting for God to set Jerusalem free.

39 When Joseph and Mary had finished doing all that was required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to their hometown of Nazareth in Galilee.

40 The child grew and became strong; he was full of wisdom, and God's blessings were upon him.

41 Every year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival.

42 When Jesus was twelve years old, they went to the festival as usual.

43 When the festival was over, they started back home, but the boy Jesus stayed in Jerusalem. His parents did not know this;

44 they thought that he was with the group, so they traveled a whole day and then started looking for him among their relatives and friends.

45 They did not find him, so they went back to Jerusalem looking for him.

46 On the third day they found him in the Temple, sitting with the Jewish teachers, listening to them and asking questions.

47 All who heard him were amazed at his intelligent answers.

48 His parents were astonished when they saw him, and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been terribly worried trying to find you."

49 He answered them, "Why did you have to look for me? Didn't you know that I had to be in my Father's house?"

50 But they did not understand his answer.

51 So Jesus went back with them to Nazareth, where he was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.

52 Jesus grew both in body and in wisdom, gaining favor with God and people.