Joshua 15 - International Standard Version (ISV)

Allotments to Judah

15 Joshua said,^[a] “Now the allotment for the tribe of the descendants of Judah, allocated^[b] according to their families, will extend to the border of Edom, southward to the wilderness of Zin until land’s end, ² then from the southern end of the Dead Sea, that is, from the bay that orients toward the Negev,^{[c] 3} proceeding south to the ascent of Akrabbim, then continuing to Zin, and from there up along the south of Kadesh-barnea to Hezron, and from there up to Addar and then to Karka, ⁴ passing along to Azmon toward the Wadi^[d] of Egypt and ending at the sea. This will be your southern border.”

⁵ The eastern border was the Dead Sea as far as the mouth of the Jordan River. The border of the north side extended from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan River ⁶ toward Beth-hoglah, and continuing on the north of Beth-arabah. The border ascended up to the boundary marker set up by Reuben’s son Bohan.

⁷ The boundary then went up to Debir from the Achor valley and turned north toward Gilgal opposite the ascent of Adummim in the southern part of the valley. Then the border continued to the waters of En-shemesh and terminated at En-rogel. ⁸ Then the border proceeded up the valley of Ben-hinnom to the southern ascent of the Jebusites (that is, to Jerusalem), and from there to the top of the mountain that faces the valley of Hinnom to the west at the end of the valley of Rephaim^[e] toward the north.

⁹ The border proceeded from the top of the mountain to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah, then to the cities of Mount Ephron, and then the border curved toward Baalah (also known as Kiriath-jearim). ¹⁰ The border turned west from Baalah to Mount Seir,^[f] continuing to the top of Mount Jearim on the north (also known as Chesalon), and then proceeded to Beth-shemesh, continuing through Timnah.

¹¹ The border proceeded north to the edge of Ekron, then curved to Shikkeron and on to Mount Baalah, proceeding then to Jabneel, where the boundary ended at the sea. ¹² The western border was at the Mediterranean Sea coastline. This is the border that surrounded the territory of^[g] the descendants of Judah, according to their families.

Caleb’s Conquests^(A)

¹³ Now Joshua^[h] gave an allotment among the descendants of Judah to Jephunneh’s son Caleb, just as God told Joshua, Kiriath-arba, which was named after the^[i] ancestor of Anak (that is, Hebron). ¹⁴ From there Caleb drove the three descendants of Anak, Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai—the Anakim.^{[j] 15} Then he went up from there to attack the inhabitants of Debir. (Debir was formerly known as Kiriath-sepher.)

¹⁶ Then Caleb announced, “I will give my daughter Achsah in marriage to the one who attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it.” ¹⁷ Othniel, the son of Caleb’s brother Kenaz, captured it, so Caleb gave him his daughter Achsah as his wife. ¹⁸ Sometime later, she came to Othniel^[k] and persuaded him to ask her father for a field.

As she dismounted from her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What do you want?”

¹⁹ She replied, “Give me a blessing. Since you have given me the land of the Negev,^[l] give me also some springs of water.” So he gave her the upper and lower springs.

City Allotments for Judah

²⁰ Here’s a list of cities allotted for the tribe of the descendants of Judah according to their families: ²¹ The cities to the far south of the tribe of the descendants of Judah (toward the border of Edom in the south) included Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, ²² Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, ²³ Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, ²⁴ Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, ²⁵ Hazor-hadattah, Kerioth-hezron (also known as Hazor), ²⁶ Amam, Shema, Moladah, ²⁷ Hazar-gaddah, Heshmon, Beth-pelet, ²⁸ Hazar-shual, Beer-sheba, Biziothiah, ²⁹ Baalah, Iim, Ezem, ³⁰ Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah, ³¹ Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, ³² Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon, for a total of 29 cities and villages.

³³ The lowland cities included Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, ³⁴ Zanoah, En-gannim, Tappuach, Enam, ³⁵ Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, ³⁶ Shaaraim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim, for a total of fourteen cities and villages.

³⁷ Also included were^[m] Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal-gad, ³⁸ Dilan, Mizpeh, Joktheel, ³⁹ Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, ⁴⁰ Cabbon, Lahmam, Chitlish, ⁴¹ Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah, for a total of sixteen cities and villages.

⁴² Also included were Libnah, Ether, Ashan, ⁴³ Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, ⁴⁴ Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah, for a total of nine cities and villages.

⁴⁵ Also included were Ekron, with its towns and villages, ⁴⁶ from Ekron to the Mediterranean^[n] Sea, including everything by the edge of Ashdod, along with their villages, ⁴⁷ Ashdod and its towns and villages, Gaza and its towns and villages as far as the River of Egypt, and the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea.

⁴⁸ The hill country included Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, ⁴⁹ Dannah, Kiriath-sannah (also known as Debir), ⁵⁰ Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, ⁵¹ Goshen, Holon, Giloh, for a total of eleven cities and villages. ⁵² Also included were Arab, Dumah, Eshan, ⁵³ Janum, Beth-tappuach, Aphekah, ⁵⁴ Humtah, Kiriath-arba (also known as Hebron), and Zior, for a total of nine cities and villages. ⁵⁵ Also included were Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, ⁵⁶ Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, ⁵⁷ Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah, for a total of ten cities and villages. ⁵⁸ Also included were Halhul, Beth-zur, Gedor, ⁵⁹ Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon, for a total of six cities and villages. ⁶⁰ Also included were Kiriath-baal (also known as Kiriath-jearim) and Rabbah, for a total of two cities and villages.

⁶¹ The wilderness included Beth-arabah, Middin, Secacah, ⁶² Nibshan, Salt City, and En-gedi, for a total of six cities and villages.

⁶³ Now as for the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem, the descendants of Judah could not expel them, so Jebusites live with the descendants of Judah in Jerusalem to this day.

Footnotes

1. Joshua 15:1 The Heb. lacks Joshua said
2. Joshua 15:1 The Heb. lacks allocated
3. Joshua 15:2 I.e. the southern region of Israel; cf. Josh 10:40
4. Joshua 15:4 I.e. a seasonal stream or river that channels water during rain seasons but is dry at other times
5. Joshua 15:8 Lit. Valley of the Giants; the Rephaim were a race of giants that formerly populated Canaan; cf. Num 13:22, 33; Deut 9:2
6. Joshua 15:10 This mountain, the modern Jebel esh-sherá, is located in the mountain range that extends south of the Dead Sea toward the Gulf of Aqaba, and is bordered by the Arabah Valley to the west.
7. Joshua 15:12 The Heb. lacks the territory of
8. Joshua 15:13 Lit. he
9. Joshua 15:13 The Heb. lacks which was named after the
10. Joshua 15:14 I.e. a race of giants that formerly populated Canaan; cf. Num 13:22, 33; Deut 9:2
11. Joshua 15:18 The Heb. lacks to Othniel
12. Joshua 15:19 I.e. the southern region of Israel; cf. Josh 10:40
13. Joshua 15:37 The Heb. lacks Also included were; and so throughout the chapter
14. Joshua 15:46 The Heb. lacks Mediterranean

Cross references

1. Joshua 15:13 : Judges 1:11-15