8 ch. 15. 8.

a ver. 9.

b 1 Chr. 4. 28.

20 And Jordan was the border of it on the east side. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, by the coasts thereof round about, according to their families.

21 Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho, and Bethhoglah, and the valley of Keziz,

22 And Beth-arabah, and Zemaraim, and Beth-el,

23 And Avim, and Parah, and Ophrah,

24 And Chephar-haammonai, and Ophni, and Gaba; twelve cities with their villages:

The lot of Zebulun, &c.

6 And Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuhen ; thirteen cities and their villages: 7 Ain, Remmon, and Ether, and Ashan; four cities and their villages: 8 And all the villages that were round about these cities to Baalathbeer, Ramath of the south. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families.

B. C. 1444.

9 Out of the portion of the children of Judah was the inheritance of the children of Simeon: for the part of the children of Judah was too much for them: therefore the children of c ver. 1. Simeon had their inheritance within the inheritance of them.

10 ¶ And the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun according to their families: and the border of their inheritance was unto Sarid:

d

11 And their border went up toward the sea, and Maralah, and reached to Dabbasheth, and reached to the river that is before Jokneam;

12 And turned from Sarid eastward toward the sunrising unto the border of Chisloth-tabor, and then goeth out to Daberath, and goeth up to Japhia,

13 And from thence passeth on along on the east to Gittah-hepher, to Ittahkazin, and goeth out to Remmonmethoar to Neah;

outgoings thereof are in the valley of Jiphthah-el :

15 And Kattath, and Nahallal, and Shimron, and Idalah, and Beth-lehem: twelve cities with their villages. 16 This is the inheritance of the children of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their villages.

17 ¶ And the fourth lot came out to Issachar, for the children of Issachar according to their families.

18 And their border was toward Jezreel, and Chesulloth, and Shunem, 19 And Haphraim, and Shihon, and

23 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Issachar according to their families, the cities

24 ¶ And the fifth lot came out for

d Gen. 49. 13.

e ch. 12. 22.

Or, which is drawn.

Cities given to the Levites.

B. C. 1444.

h ver. 6.

1 Cur. 6. 71.

i ch. 20. 8.

k ch. 20. 8.

1 ver. 7.

77.

Two tribes and a half return.

TH

HEN Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh,

2 And said unto them, Ye have kept a all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you :

3 Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD your God. 4 And now the LORD your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your pos

& 15. 18. & 26. 3. & 28. 4, 13.

q ch. 11. 23. & 22. 4.

r Deut. 7. 24.

• ch. 23. 14.

a Num. 32. 20. Deut. 3. 18. b ch. 1. 16, 17.

m ch. 20. 8.

n ch. 20.3.

35 Dimnah with her suburbs, Nahalal with her suburbs; four cities. 36 And out of the tribe of Reuben, m Bezer with her suburbs, and Jahazah with her suburbs,

37 Kedemoth with her suburbs, and Mephaath with her suburbs; four cities.

38 And out of the tribe of Gad, n Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Mahanaim with her suburbs,

39 Heshbon with her suburbs, Jazer with her suburbs; four cities in all.

40 So all the cities for the children of Merari by their families, which were remaining of the families of the Levites, were by their lot twelve cities.

Their altar of testimony.

B. C. 1444.

1 Sam. 30. 24.

8 And he spake unto them, saying, Return with much riches unto your tents, and with very much cattle, with silver, and with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with very h Num. 31. 27. much raiment: divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren. 9 ¶ And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go unto the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, whereof they were possessed, according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

i Num. 32. 1, 26, 29.

* Deut. 13. 12,

&c.
Judg. 20. 12.

1 Judg. 20. 1.

m Deut. 13. 14. Judg. 20. 12.

n Ex. 6. 25. Num. 25.7.

of the father.

• Num. 1. 4.

i

10 ¶ And when they came unto the borders of Jordan, that are in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by Jordan, a great altar to

see to.

11 ¶ And the children of Israel heard say, Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar over against the land of Canaan, in the borders of Jordan, at the passage of the children of Israel.

1

12 And when the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up to war against them.

13 And the children of Israel "sent unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, a Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest,

n

14 And with him ten princes, of + Heb. house each chief house a prince throughout all the tribes of Israel; and each one was a head of the house of their fathers among the thousands of Israel.

15 ¶ And they came unto the unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, unto the land of Gilead, and they spake with them, saying,

16 Thus saith the whole congregation of the LORD, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the LORD, in that p See Lev. 17. ye have builded you an altar, that ye might rebel this day against the LORD?

The object in building it.
B. C. 1444.

a plague in the congregation of the
Lord,

18 But that ye must turn away this day from following the LORD? and it will be, seeing ye rebel to day against the LORD, that to morrow 'he will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel.

r Num. 16. 22.

19 Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the LORD, wherein the LORD'S ch. 18. 1. tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us: but rebel not against the LORD, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar besides the altar of the LORD our God.

20 'Did not Achan the son of Zerah | t ch. 7. 1, 5. commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity.

21 T Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh answered, and said unto the heads of the thousands of Israel,

24 And if we have not rather done it for fear of this thing, saying, †In +Heb. To mortime to come your children might speak unto our children, saying, What have ye to do with the LORD God of Israel?

25 For the LORD hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad; ye have no part in the LORD: so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the LORD.

26 Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice :

a

27 But that it may be a witness between us, and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the LORD before him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in the LORD. 28 Therefore said we, that it shall

z Gen. 31. 48. ch. 24. 27. ver. 34.

a Deut. 12. 5, 6, 11, 12, 17, 18, 26, 27.