مدن اللاويـين
1 وتقدَّمَ رؤساءُ اللاَّويِّينَ إلى ألعازارَ الكاهنِ وإلى يَشوعَ بنِ نُونٍ ورؤساءِ بَني إِسرائيلَ 2 وقالوا لهُم في شيلوه، في أرضِ كنعانَ: «أمرَ الرّبُّ على لِسانِ مُوسى بأنْ نُعطَى مُدُنا للسُّكْنى معَ مَراعٍ لبَهائمِنا». 3 فأعطى بَنو إِسرائيلَ اللاَّويِّينَ مِنْ أرضِهِم هذِهِ المُدُنَ ومراعيَها حسَبَ ما أمرَ الرّبُّ.
4 وأُلقيَتِ القُرعَةُ لقَبائلِ القَهاتيِّينَ مِنْ سِبْطِ لاوي، فكانَ لِبَني هرونَ الكاهنِ ثَلاثَ عشْرَةَ مدينةً مِنْ أسباطِ يَهوذا وشِمعونَ وبَنيامينَ. 5 ولبَقيَّةِ القَهاتيِّينَ عشْرُ مُدُنٍ مِنْ سِبْطَي أفرايِمَ ودانَ ونِصفِ سِبْطِ منَسَّى. 6 ولِبَني جَرشونَ ثَلاثَ عشْرَةَ مدينةً مِنْ أسباطِ كُلٍّ مِنْ يسَّاكَرَ وأشيرَ ونَفتالي ونِصفِ سِبْطِ منَسَّى في باشانَ. 7 ولِبَني مَراري بِـحسَبِ عشائرِهِم اثنَتا عشْرَةَ مدينةً مِنْ أسباطِ رَأوبـينَ وجادَ وزَبولونَ. 8 فأعطَى بَنو إِسرائيلَ لِلاَّويِّينَ هذِهِ المُدُنَ ومراعيها بالقُرعَةِ كما أمرَ الرّبُّ على لِسانِ موسى. 9 وهذِهِ هيَ أسماءُ المُدُنِ الّتي أُعطيَت مِنْ يَهوذا وشِمعونَ 10 لِبَني هرونَ مِنْ عشائرِ القَهاتيِّينَ مِنْ بَني لاوي، لأنَّ القُرعَةَ خرجَت لهُم أولا: 11 أعطوهُم قريَة أربَعَ وهوَ أبو عَناقَ، وتُدعى اليومَ حَبرونَ في جبلِ يَهوذا، وما حَولَها مِنَ المراعي. 12 فأمَّا حُقولُ المدينةِ وقُراها فأعطَوها لِكالبَ بنِ يَفُنَّا.
13 ولِبَني هرونَ الكاهنِ أعطَوا مدينةَ حبرونَ، مدينةَ ملجأِ القاتِلِ ومراعيها ولِبنَةَ ومراعيها 14 وبَتِّيرَ ومراعيها وأشتَموعَ ومراعيها 15 وحُولونَ ودَبـيرَ ومراعيَهُما 16 وعَينَ ومراعيَها ويُطَّةَ وبَيتَ شَمسَ ومراعيَهُما. جميعُها تِسْعُ مُدُنٍ في يَهوذا وشِمعونَ. 17 وأُعطيتْ لهُم مِنْ بنيامينَ جَبعونُ وجَبعُ ومراعيَهُما 18 وعَناتوتُ وعَلمونُ ومراعيَهُما. فجَميعُها أربَعُ مُدُنٍ. 19 فكانَت جميعُ مُدُنِ بَني هرونَ الكهَنةِ ثَلاثَ عشْرَةَ مدينةً بِمراعيها.
20 وأمَّا مَنْ بَقيَ مِنْ عشائرِ قَهاتَ فأعطوهُم بالقُرعَةِ مُدُنا مِنْ سِبْطِ أفرايِمَ. 21 أعطَوهُم شَكيمَ، مدينةَ مَلجأِ القاتِلِ، في جبَلِ أفرايِمَ وجازَرَ ومراعيَهُما. 22 وقِبصايِمَ وبَيتَ حورونَ ومراعيَهُما. فجَميعُها أربَعُ مُدُنٍ. 23 ومِنْ سِبْطِ دانَ إلتَفا وجِبَّتونَ ومراعيَهُما، 24 وأيَّلونَ وجَتَّ رِمُّونَ ومراعيَهُما فجَميعُها أربَعُ مُدُنٍ 25 ومِنْ نِصفِ عَشيرَةِ منَسَّى تَعنَكَ وإبلائيمَ أي مدينَتَينِ. 26 فكانَت جميعُ المُدُنِ لِمَنْ بَقيَ مِنْ بَني قَهاتَ عشْرَ مُدُنٍ بِمراعيها.
27 ولِبَني جَرشونَ مِنَ اللاَّويِّينَ أعطَوا مِنْ نِصفِ سِبْطِ منَسَّى جولانَ، ومدينةَ مَلجأِ القاتِلِ في باشانَ ومراعيَها وبِــعَشترَةَ ومراعيَها، أي مَدينَتَينِ، 28 ومِنْ سِبْطِ يَسَّاكَرَ قِشيونَ ودَبُرَةَ ومراعيَهُما 29 ويَرموتَ وعَينَ جَنِّيمَ ومراعيَهُما. فجَميعُها أربَعُ مُدُنٍ. 30 ومِنْ سِبْطِ أشيرَ مِشآلَ وعَبدونَ ومراعيَهُما 31 وحَلقَةَ ورَحوبَ ومراعيَهُما، 32 ومِنْ سِبْطِ نَفتالي قادِشَ، مدينةَ ملجأِ القاتِلِ في الجليلِ ومراعيَها، وحمُّوتَ دورٍ، وقَرتانَ ومراعيَهُما. فجميعُها ثَلاثُ مُدُنٍ. 33 فكانَت مُدُنُ الجَرشونيِّينَ بِـحسَبِ عشائرِهِم ثلاثَ عشْرَةَ مدينةً بِمراعيها.
34 ولِعشائرِ مَراري اللاَّويِّينَ الباقينَ أعطَوا مِنْ سِبْطِ زَبولونَ يَقنَعامَ وقَرتَةَ ومراعيَهُما 35 ودِمنَةَ ونَحلالَ ومراعيَهُما فجميعُها أربَعُ مُدُنٍ، 36 ومِنْ سِبْطِ رأوبـينَ باصَرَ ويَهصَةَ ومراعيهُما 37 وقَديموتَ وميفعَةَ ومراعيهما. فجميعُها أربَعُ مُدُنٍ، 38 ومِنْ سِبْطِ جادَ راموتَ. مدينةَ ملجأِ القاتِلِ في جِلعادَ ومراعيها ومَحنايِمَ ومراعيَها 39 وحَشبونَ ويَعزيرَ ومراعيَهُما، فجميعُها أربَعُ مُدُنٍ. 40 فكانَت جميعُ مُدُنِ بَني مَراري الباقينَ مِنْ سِبْطِ لاوي بِـحسَبِ عشائرِهِم اثنَتي عشْرَةَ مدينةً أُعطيت لهُم بالقُرعَةِ. 41 فبَلغَت جميعُ مُدُنِ لاوي في وسَطِ أرضِ بَني إِسرائيلَ ثمانيَ وأربَعينَ مدينةً بِمراعيها 42 مِنْ حَولِها. وهكذا تَوزَّعَتْ جميعُ تلكَ المُدُنِ.
43 وأعطى الرّبُّ لِبَني إِسرائيلَ جميعَ الأرضِ الّتي حلَفَ أنَّهُ يُعطيها لآبائهِم، فتَملَّكوها وأقاموا فيها. 44 وأراحَهُمُ الرّبُّ مِنْ كُلِّ جانبٍ بِـحسَبِ جميعِ ما أقسَمَ علَيهِ لآبائِهِم، ولم يَصمُدْ أمامَهُم أحدٌ مِنْ جميعِ أعدائِهِم، بل سَلَّمَ الرّبُّ إلى أيديهِم جميعَ أعدائِهِم. 45 وما سقَطَ مِنْ وَعدٍ واحدٍ مِنْ جميعِ الوعودِ الّتي قالَها الرّبُّ لِبَني إِسرائيلَ بل كُلُّها تَمَّت.
Levi's Towns
1-2 While the Israelites were still camped at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, the family leaders of the Levi tribe went to speak to the priest Eleazar, Joshua, and the family leaders of the other Israelite tribes. The leaders of Levi said, “The Lord told Moses that you have to give us towns and provide pastures for our animals.”
3 Since the Lord had said this, the leaders of the other Israelite tribes agreed to give some of the towns and pastures from their tribal lands to Levi. 4 The leaders asked the Lord to show them in what order the clans of Levi would be given towns, and which towns each clan would receive.
The Kohath clans were first. The descendants of Aaron, Israel's first priest, were given 13 towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. 5 The other members of the Kohath clans received 10 towns from the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and West Manasseh. 6 The clans that were descendants of Gershon were given 13 towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and East Manasseh. 7 The clans that were descendants of Merari received 12 towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.
8 The Lord had told Moses that he would show the Israelites which towns and pastures to give to the clans of Levi, and he did.
Towns from Judah, Simeon, Benjamin
9-19 The descendants of Aaron from the Kohath clans of Levi were priests, and they were chosen to receive towns first. They were given 13 towns and the pastureland around them. Nine of these towns were from the tribes of Judah and Simeon and four from Benjamin.
Hebron, Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, Holon, Debir, Ashan, Juttah, and Beth-Shemesh were from Judah and Simeon. Hebron, located in the hill country of Judah, was earlier called Arba's Town. It had been named after Arba, the ancestor of the Anakim. Hebron's pasturelands went along with the town, but its farmlands and the villages around it had been given to Caleb. Hebron was also one of the Safe Towns for people who had accidentally killed someone.
Gibeon, Geba, Anathoth, and Almon were from Benjamin.
Towns from Ephraim, Dan, West Manasseh
20-26 The rest of the Kohath clans of the Levi tribe received ten towns and the pastureland around them. Four of these towns were from the tribe of Ephraim, four from Dan, and two from West Manasseh.
Shechem, Gezer, Kibzaim, and Beth-Horon were from Ephraim. Shechem was located in the hill country, and it was also one of the Safe Towns for people who had accidentally killed someone.
Elteke, Gibbethon, Aijalon, and Gath-Rimmon were from Dan.
Taanach and Jibleam were from West Manasseh.
Towns from East Manasseh, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali
27-33 The clans of Levi that were descendants of Gershon received 13 towns and the pastureland around them. Two of these towns were from the tribe of East Manasseh, four from Issachar, four from Asher, and three from Naphtali.
Golan in Bashan and Beeshterah were from East Manasseh.
Kishion, Daberath, Jarmuth, and En-Gannim were from Issachar.
Mishal, Abdon, Helkath, and Rehob were from Asher.
Kedesh in Galilee, Hammothdor, and Kartan were from Naphtali. Golan in Bashan and Kedesh in Galilee were also Safe Towns for people who had accidentally killed someone.
Towns from Zebulun, Reuben, Gad
34-40 The rest of the Levi clans were descendants of Merari, and they received twelve towns with the pastureland around them. Four towns were from the tribe of Zebulun, four from Reuben, and four from Gad.
Jokneam, Kartah, Rimmonah, and Nahalal were from Zebulun.
Bezer, Jazah, Kedemoth, and Mephaath were from Reuben. Bezer was located in the desert flatlands east of the Jordan River across from Jericho.
Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim, Heshbon, and Jazer were from Gad.
Bezer and Ramoth in Gilead were Safe Towns for people who had accidentally killed someone.
41-42 The people of the Levi tribe had a total of 48 towns within Israel, and they had pastures around each one of their towns.
Israel Settles in the Land
43 The Lord gave the Israelites the land he had promised their ancestors, and they captured it and settled in it. 44 There still were enemies around Israel, but the Lord kept his promise to let his people live in peace. And whenever the Israelites did have to go to war, no enemy could defeat them. The Lord always helped Israel win. 45 The Lord promised to do many good things for Israel, and he kept his promise every time.