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

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Joshua 19

1 The second lot was drawn for the families of the tribe of Simeon. Their inheritance was within Judah.

2 In their inheritance they received 13 cities and their villages: Beersheba (Sheba), Moladah,

3 Hazar Shual, Balah, Ezem,

4 Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah,

5 Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susah,

6 Beth Lebaoth, and Sharuhen.

7 There were four other cities with their villages: Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan.

8 All the villages around these cities as far as Baalath Beer and Ramath Negev were also included. This is the inheritance of the tribe of Simeon for its families.

9 Simeon's inheritance was a part of Judah's because Judah had more land than it needed. So Simeon received its inheritance inside Judah's borders.

10 The third lot was drawn for the families descended from Zebulun. The border of their inheritance goes as far as Sarid.

11 Toward the west the border ascends to Maralah and touches Dabbesheth and the river near Jokneam.

12 But from Sarid it turns directly east toward the border of Chisloth Tabor, on to Daberath, and then ascends toward Japhia.

13 From there it goes directly east to Gath Hepher, Eth Kazin, and Rimmon, where it turns to Neah.

14 There the border turns north to Hannathon and ends at the valley of Iphtah El.

15 This also includes Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem. There were 12 cities with their villages.

16 These cities with their villages are the inheritance given to the families descended from Zebulun.

17 The fourth lot was drawn for the families descended from Issachar.

18 Their territory included Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem,

19 Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath,

20 Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez,

21 Remeth, En Gannim, En Haddah, and Beth Pazzez.

22 The border touches Tabor, Shahazimah, and Beth Shemesh and ends at the Jordan River. There were 16 cities with their villages.

23 These cities with their villages are the inheritance for the families of the tribe of Issachar.

24 The fifth lot was drawn for the families of the tribe of Asher.

25 Their territory included Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph,

26 Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal. The border touches Carmel and Shihor Libnath in the west.

27 Then it turns east to Beth Dagon and touches Zebulun and the valley of Iphtah El in the north and goes to Beth Emek and Neiel. From there it goes northward to Cabul,

28 Abdon, Rehob, Hammon, Kanah, and as far as Great Sidon.

29 Then it turns at Ramah and goes on to the fortified city of Tyre. The border then turns to Hosah and ends at the Mediterranean Sea. The territory includes Meheleb, Achzib,

30 Umma, Acco, Aphek, and Rehob. There were 22 cities with their villages.

31 These cities with their villages are the inheritance for the families of the tribe of Asher.

32 The sixth lot was drawn for the families descended from the tribe of Naphtali.

33 Their border starts from Heleph at the oak tree at Zaanannim. It continues to Adami Nekeb, Jabneel, to Lakkum, and ends at the Jordan River.

34 The border turns west to Aznoth Tabor, and from there to Hukok. It touches Zebulun in the south, Asher in the west, and Judah in the east at the Jordan.

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

36 Adamah, Ramah, Hazor,

37 Kedesh, Edrei, En Hazor,

38 Yiron, Migdal El, Horem, Beth Anath, and Beth Shemeth. There were 19 cities with their villages.

39 These cities with their villages are the inheritance for the families of the tribe of Naphtali.

40 The seventh lot was drawn for the families of the tribe of Dan.

41 The territory of their inheritance included Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir Shemesh,

42 Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah,

43 Elon, Timnah, Ekron,

44 Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath,

45 Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon,

46 Me Jarkon, and Rakkon, with the border passing in front of Joppa.

47 The border of Dan extended beyond them. Dan's descendants went up and attacked Leshem, captured it, and killed everyone there. They took it, settled there, and renamed the city Dan after their ancestor Dan.

48 These cities with their villages are the inheritance for the families of the tribe of Dan.

49 When they all had finally received the land they were to inherit, the people of Israel also gave land within their territory as an inheritance to Joshua, son of Nun.

50 They gave him the city he asked for, as the LORD had instructed them to do. It was Timnath Serah in the mountains of Ephraim. He rebuilt the city and lived there.

51 This is the land that the tribes of Israel drew by lot. The priest Eleazar, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders of the families divided the land by drawing lots. They did this in Shiloh in the presence of the LORD at the entrance of the tent of meeting. So they finished dividing the land.

Joshua 20

1 The LORD said to Joshua,

2 "Tell the people of Israel, 'Now choose for yourselves the cities of refuge about which I spoke to you through Moses.

3 Choose them so that anyone who unintentionally kills someone may run to them. They will be a place of refuge from any relative who can avenge the death.

4 "'A person who kills someone accidentally can run to one of these cities. There he will stand at the entrance to the city, where court is held, and present his case to the leaders of that city. Then they will take him into their city and give him a place to live with them.

5 "'If the relative who can avenge the death pursues him, the leaders must not hand him over to the relative because he didn't intend to kill the other person. He didn't even hate the person he killed.

6 The accused person may remain in that city until he can stand trial in front of the congregation or until whoever is chief priest at that time dies. Then he may go back to his home in the city from which he ran away.'"

7 Kedesh in Galilee in the mountains of Naphtali, Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (now called Hebron) in the mountains of Judah were chosen as cities of refuge.

8 Bezer on the desert plateau from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh were chosen as cities of refuge on the east side of the Jordan River, east of Jericho.

9 These are the cities chosen as cities of refuge for all Israelites, including the foreigners living among them. Anyone who accidentally kills someone may escape to these cities. Then he will not be handed over to the relative who can avenge a death before he stands trial in front of the congregation.

Joshua 21

1 Then the leaders of the families of Levi came to the priest Eleazar, to Joshua (son of Nun), and to the leaders of the families of the other Israelite tribes

2 at Shiloh in Canaan. They said to them, "The LORD commanded through Moses that we should receive cities to live in and pasturelands for our livestock."

3 So, as the LORD had instructed, Levi's descendants were given the following cities with pasturelands from the Israelites' inheritance.

4 These are the cities for the families of Kohath that were chosen by drawing lots. These descendants of the priest Aaron the Levite received 13 cities from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.

5 The rest of Kohath's descendants received 10 cities from the families of the tribes of Ephraim and Dan and half of the tribe of Manasseh.

6 Gershon's descendants received 13 cities from the families of the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and half of the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

7 Merari's descendants received 12 cities for their families from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.

8 The Israelites gave these cities with pasturelands to Levi's descendants by drawing lots, as the LORD had commanded through Moses.

9 These are the names of the cities from the tribes of Judah and Simeon

10 that they gave Aaron's descendants who were from the families of Kohath in the tribe of Levi. Their lot was the first one drawn.

11 They gave them Kiriath Arba (Arba was Anak's father) and the pastureland around it. This is the city of Hebron located in the mountains of Judah.

12 But they gave its fields and villages to Caleb, son of Jephunneh, as his possession.

13 So they gave the following cities with pasturelands to the descendants of Aaron, the priest. The nine cities from those two tribes were Hebron (a city of refuge for murderers), Libnah,

14 Jattir, Eshtemoa,

15 Holon, Debir,

16 Ain, Juttah, and Beth Shemesh.

17 The tribe of Benjamin also gave them four cities: Gibeon, Geba,

18 Anathoth, and Almon.

19 In all, 13 cities with pasturelands were given to the priests, the descendants of Aaron.

20 Cities were chosen by lot from the tribe of Ephraim to give to the rest of Levi's descendants who were from the families of Kohath.

21 These four cities with pasturelands were Shechem (a city of refuge for murderers) in the mountains of Ephraim, Gezer,

22 Kibzaim, and Beth Horon.

23 The tribe of Dan gave them four cities: Eltekeh, Gibbethon,

24 Aijalon, and Gath Rimmon.

25 Half of the tribe of Manasseh gave them two cities with pasturelands: Taanach and Gath Rimmon.

26 In all, ten cities with pasturelands were given to the rest of the families of Kohath.

27 They gave the families of Gershon's descendants, who were in the tribe of Levi, two cities with pasturelands from half of the tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan (a city of refuge for murderers) and Ashtaroth.

28 Four cities with pasturelands were also given to them from the tribe of Issachar: Kishion, Daberath,

29 Jarmuth, and En Gannim.

30 Another four cities with pasturelands were given to them from the tribe of Asher: Mishal, Abdon,

31 Helkath, and Rehob.

32 Also three cities with pasturelands were given to them from the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee (a city of refuge for murderers), Hammoth Dor, and Kartan.

33 In all, 13 cities with pasturelands were given to Gershon's families.

34 To the families of Merari, who were from the tribe of Levi, the tribe of Zebulun gave four cities with pasturelands: Jokneam, Kartah,

35 Dimnah, and Nahalal.

36 The tribe of Reuben also gave them four cities with pasturelands: Bezer, Jahaz,

37 Kedemoth, and Mephaath.

38 The tribe of Gad also gave them four cities with pasturelands: Ramoth in Gilead (a city of refuge for murderers), Mahanaim,

39 Heshbon, and Jazer.

40 All these cities belonged to the families of Merari. They were the last of the families of Levi. These 12 cities were chosen by lot.

41 Within the territory owned by the Israelites there were 48 cities in all for Levi's descendants.

42 Each of these cities had its own pastureland around it.

43 So the LORD gave Israel the whole land he had sworn to give their ancestors. They took possession of it and settled there.

44 The LORD allowed them to have peace on every side, as he had sworn with an oath to their ancestors. Not one of their enemies stood up to them. The LORD handed all their enemies over to them.

45 Every single good promise that the LORD had given the nation of Israel came true.

Luke 2:25-52

25 A man named Simeon was in Jerusalem. He lived an honorable and devout life. He was waiting for the one who would comfort Israel. The Holy Spirit was with Simeon

26 and had told him that he wouldn't die until he had seen the Messiah, whom the Lord would send.

27 Moved by the Spirit, Simeon went into the temple courtyard. Mary and Joseph were bringing the child Jesus into the courtyard at the same time. They brought him so that they could do for him what Moses' Teachings required.

28 Then Simeon took the child in his arms and praised God by saying,

29 "Now, Lord, you are allowing your servant to leave in peace as you promised.

30 My eyes have seen your salvation,

31 which you have prepared for all people to see.

32 He is a light that will reveal [salvation] to the nations and bring glory to your people Israel."

33 Jesus' father and mother were amazed at what was said about him.

34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, "This child is the reason that many people in Israel will be condemned and many others will be saved. He will be a sign that will expose

35 the thoughts of those who reject him. And a sword will pierce your heart."

36 Anna, a prophet, was also there. She was a descendant of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher. She was now very old. Her husband had died seven years after they were married,

37 and she had been a widow for 84 years. Anna never left the temple courtyard but worshiped day and night by fasting and praying.

38 At that moment she came up to Mary and Joseph and began to thank God. She spoke about Jesus to all who were waiting for Jerusalem to be set free.

39 After doing everything the Lord's Teachings required, Joseph and Mary returned to their hometown of Nazareth in Galilee.

40 The child grew and became strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God's favor was with him.

41 Every year Jesus' parents would go to Jerusalem for the Passover festival.

42 When he was 12 years old, they went as usual.

43 When the festival was over, they left for home. The boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents didn't know it.

44 They thought that he was with the others who were traveling with them. After traveling for a day, they started to look for him among their relatives and friends.

45 When they didn't find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him.

46 Three days later, they found him in the temple courtyard. He was sitting among the teachers, listening to them, and asking them questions.

47 His understanding and his answers stunned everyone who heard him.

48 When his parents saw him, they were shocked. His mother asked him, "Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been worried sick looking for you!"

49 Jesus said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Didn't you realize that I had to be in my Father's house?"

50 But they didn't understand what he meant.

51 Then he returned with them to Nazareth and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.

52 Jesus grew in wisdom and maturity. He gained favor from God and people.