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Historical Books · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Joshua 19

Israel enters the land, confronts conflict, distributes inheritance, and renews covenant.

Old Testament

Joshua 19

1The second lot came out for Simeon, even for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families. Their inheritance was in the middle of the inheritance of the children of Judah.

2They had for their inheritance Beersheba (or Sheba), Moladah,

3Hazar Shual, Balah, Ezem,

4Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah,

5Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susah,

6Beth Lebaoth, and Sharuhen; thirteen cities with their villages;

7Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan; four cities with their villages;

8and all the villages that were around these cities to Baalath Beer, Ramah of the South. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families.

9Out of the part of the children of Judah was the inheritance of the children of Simeon; for the portion of the children of Judah was too much for them. Therefore the children of Simeon had inheritance in the middle of their inheritance.

10The third lot came up for the children of Zebulun according to their families. The border of their inheritance was to Sarid.

11Their border went up westward, even to Maralah, and reached to Dabbesheth. It reached to the brook that is before Jokneam.

12It turned from Sarid eastward toward the sunrise to the border of Chisloth Tabor. It went out to Daberath, and went up to Japhia.

13From there it passed along eastward to Gath Hepher, to Ethkazin; and it went out at Rimmon which stretches to Neah.

14The border turned around it on the north to Hannathon; and it ended at the valley of Iphtah El;

15Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem: twelve cities with their villages.

16This is the inheritance of the children of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their villages.

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

18Their border was to Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem,

19Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath,

20Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez,

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

22The border reached to Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth Shemesh. Their border ended at the Jordan: sixteen cities with their villages.

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

24The fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families.

25Their border was Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph,

26Allammelech, Amad, Mishal. It reached to Carmel westward, and to Shihorlibnath.

27It turned toward the sunrise to Beth Dagon, and reached to Zebulun, and to the valley of Iphtah El northward to Beth Emek and Neiel. It went out to Cabul on the left hand,

28and Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, and Kanah, even to great Sidon.

29The border turned to Ramah, to the fortified city of Tyre; and the border turned to Hosah. It ended at the sea by the region of Achzib;

30Ummah also, and Aphek, and Rehob: twenty-two cities with their villages.

31This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families, these cities with their villages.

32The sixth lot came out for the children of Naphtali, even for the children of Naphtali according to their families.

33Their border was from Heleph, from the oak in Zaanannim, Adami-nekeb, and Jabneel, to Lakkum. It ended at the Jordan.

34The border turned westward to Aznoth Tabor, and went out from there to Hukkok. It reached to Zebulun on the south, and reached to Asher on the west, and to Judah at the Jordan toward the sunrise.

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

36Adamah, Ramah, Hazor,

37Kedesh, Edrei, En Hazor,

38Iron, Migdal El, Horem, Beth Anath, and Beth Shemesh; nineteen cities with their villages.

39This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Naphtali according to their families, the cities with their villages.

40The seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families.

41The border of their inheritance was Zorah, Eshtaol, Irshemesh,

42Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah,

43Elon, Timnah, Ekron,

44Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath,

45Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon,

46Me Jarkon, and Rakkon, with the border opposite Joppa.

47The border of the children of Dan went out beyond them; for the children of Dan went up and fought against Leshem, and took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and lived therein, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their forefather.

48This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages.

49So they finished distributing the land for inheritance by its borders. The children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun among them.

50According to the LORD’s commandment, they gave him the city which he asked, even Timnathserah in the hill country of Ephraim; and he built the city, and lived there.

51These are the inheritances, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed for inheritance by lot in Shiloh before the LORD, at the door of the Tent of Meeting. So they finished dividing the land.

READ IN CONTEXT

Before applying this chapter

Israel enters the land, confronts conflict, distributes inheritance, and renews covenant. Read Joshua 19 within the complete Joshua overview, and use the contextual Bible reading guide before forming a personal application. Chapter divisions aid navigation, but the literary unit may begin earlier or continue into the next chapter.

Observe first

Mark repeated words, changes of speaker, commands, promises, contrasts, questions, and the relationship between paragraphs.

Apply responsibly

Distinguish description from command and immediate audience from later readers before forming a personal application.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Joshua 19

Joshua 19 contains 51 verses and about 857 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “The second lot came out for Simeon, even for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families. Their inheritance was in the middle of the inheritance of…” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 51 closes: “These are the inheritances, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed…” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include children, inheritance, border, according, cities, families. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Joshua 19

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Joshua 19:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

A SMALL NEXT STEP

You do not have to have everything figured out.

Begin with one honest question, one passage read carefully, and one faithful next step.

Start with prayer