Judah’s Inheritance
15 Now the allotment for the tribe of the descendants of Judah by their clans(A) was in the southernmost region, south to the Wilderness of Zin and over to the border of Edom.
2 Their southern border began at the tip of the Dead Sea on the south bay[a] 3 and went south of the Ascent of Akrabbim,[b] proceeded to Zin, ascended to the south of Kadesh-barnea, passed Hezron, ascended to Addar, and turned to Karka. 4 It proceeded to Azmon and to the Brook of Egypt and so the border ended at the Mediterranean Sea. This is your[c] southern border.
5 Now the eastern border was along the Dead Sea to the mouth of the Jordan.[d]
The border on the north side was from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan. 6 It ascended to Beth-hoglah, proceeded north of Beth-arabah, and ascended to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben. 7 Then the border ascended to Debir from the Valley of Achor, turning north to the Gilgal that is opposite the Ascent of Adummim, which is south of the ravine. The border proceeded to the waters of En-shemesh and ended at En-rogel. 8 From there the border ascended the Valley of Hinnom to the southern Jebusite slope (that is, Jerusalem) and ascended to the top of the hill that faces the Valley of Hinnom on the west, at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim. 9 From the top of the hill the border curved to the spring of the Waters of Nephtoah, went to the cities of Mount Ephron, and then curved to Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim(B)). 10 The border turned westward from Baalah to Mount Seir, went to the northern slope of Mount Jearim (that is, Chesalon), descended to Beth-shemesh, and proceeded to Timnah.(C) 11 Then the border reached to the slope north of Ekron, curved to Shikkeron, proceeded to Mount Baalah, went to Jabneel, and ended at the Mediterranean Sea.
12 Now the western border was the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea.
This was the boundary of the descendants of Judah around their clans.
Caleb and Othniel
13 He gave Caleb son of Jephunneh the following portion among the descendants of Judah based on the Lord’s instruction to Joshua: Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron; Arba was the father of Anak). 14 Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, descendants of Anak. 15 From there he marched against the inhabitants of Debir whose name used to be Kiriath-sepher,(D) 16 and Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Achsah as a wife to the one who strikes down and captures Kiriath-sepher.” 17 So Othniel(E) son of Caleb’s brother, Kenaz, captured it, and Caleb gave his daughter Achsah to him as a wife.(F) 18 When she arrived, she persuaded Othniel to ask her father for a field. As she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What do you want?” 19 She replied, “Give me a blessing. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me the springs of water also.” So he gave her the upper and lower springs.
Judah’s Cities
20 This was the inheritance of the tribe of the descendants of Judah by their clans.
21 These were the outermost cities of the tribe of the descendants of Judah toward the border of Edom in the Negev: Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur,(G) 22 Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, 23 Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, 24 Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, 25 Hazor-hadattah, Kerioth-hezron (that is, Hazor), 26 Amam, Shema, Moladah, 27 Hazar-gaddah, Heshmon, Beth-pelet, 28 Hazar-shual, Beer-sheba, Biziothiah,(H) 29 Baalah, Iim, Ezem, 30 Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah, 31 Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah,(I) 32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon—29 cities in all, with their villages.
33 In the Judean foothills:[e] Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, 34 Zanoah, En-gannim, Tappuah,[f] Enam, 35 Jarmuth, Adullam,(J) Socoh,[g] Azekah, 36 Shaaraim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim—14 cities, with their villages; 37 Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal-gad, 38 Dilan, Mizpeh, Jokthe-el, 39 Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, 40 Cabbon, Lahmam, Chitlish, 41 Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah—16 cities, with their villages; 42 Libnah, Ether, Ashan, 43 Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, 44 Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah—nine cities, with their villages; 45 Ekron, with its towns and villages; 46 from Ekron to the sea, all the cities near Ashdod, with their villages; 47 Ashdod, with its towns and villages; Gaza, with its towns and villages, to the Brook of Egypt and the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea.
48 In the hill country: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, 49 Dannah, Kiriath-sannah (that is, Debir), 50 Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, 51 Goshen, Holon, and Giloh—11 cities, with their villages; 52 Arab, Dumah,[h] Eshan, 53 Janim, Beth-tappuah, Aphekah, 54 Humtah, Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior—nine cities, with their villages; 55 Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, 56 Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, 57 Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah—10 cities, with their villages; 58 Halhul, Beth-zur, Gedor, 59 Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon—six cities, with their villages;[i] 60 Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), and Rabbah—two cities, with their villages.
61 In the wilderness: Beth-arabah, Middin, Secacah, 62 Nibshan, the City of Salt,[j] and En-gedi—six cities, with their villages.
63 But the descendants of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem.(K) So the Jebusites live in Jerusalem among the descendants of Judah to this day.(L)
Footnotes
- Joshua 15:2 Lit Sea at the tongue that turns southward
- Joshua 15:3 Lit of scorpions
- Joshua 15:4 LXX reads their
- Joshua 15:5 = the southern end of the Jordan River at the Dead Sea
- Joshua 15:33 Or the Shephelah
- Joshua 15:34 Or En-gannim-tappuah
- Joshua 15:35 Or Adullam-socoh
- Joshua 15:52 Some Hb mss read Rumah
- Joshua 15:59 LXX adds Tekoa, Ephrathah (that is, Bethlehem), Peor, Etam, Culom, Tatam, Sores, Carem, Gallim, Baither, and Manach—11 cities, with their villages
- Joshua 15:62 Or Ir-hamelach