Territories for the Levites

(Numbers 35:1–8, Joshua 21:1–45)

54 Now these were the territories assigned to the descendants of Aaron from the Kohathite clan for their settlements, because the first lot fell to them:

• 55 They were given Hebron in the land of Judah and its surrounding pasturelands. 56 But the fields and villages around the city were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh. 57 So the descendants of Aaron were given Hebron (a city of refuge), Libnah,[fn] Jattir, Eshtemoa, 58 Hilen,[fn] Debir, 59 Ashan,[fn] Juttah, [fn] and Beth-shemesh, together with their pasturelands.


• 60 And from the tribe of Benjamin they were given Gibeon, [fn] Geba, Alemeth, and Anathoth, together with their pasturelands. So they had thirteen cities in all among their families.


• 61 To the rest of the Kohathites, ten cities were allotted from the half-tribe of Manasseh.

62 The Gershomites [fn], according to their clans, were allotted thirteen cities from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Manasseh in Bashan.

63 The Merarites, according to their families, were allotted twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.

64 So the Israelites gave to the Levites these cities and their pasturelands. 65 They assigned by lot the cities named above from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.

66 And some of the clans of the Kohathites were given cities from the tribe of Ephraim for their territory:

• 67 They were given Shechem (a city of refuge)[fn] with its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, and Gezer, 68 Jokmeam, Beth-horon, 69 Aijalon, and Gath-rimmon, together with their pasturelands.


• 70 And from the half-tribe of Manasseh the remaining clans of the Kohathites were given Aner and Bileam, together with their pasturelands.

71 The Gershomites received the following:

• From the clan of the half-tribe of Manasseh they were given Golan in Bashan and also Ashtaroth, together with their pasturelands.


• 72 From the tribe of Issachar they were given Kedesh, Daberath, 73 Ramoth, and Anem, together with their pasturelands.


• 74 From the tribe of Asher they were given Mashal, Abdon, 75 Hukok, and Rehob, together with their pasturelands.


• 76 And from the tribe of Naphtali they were given Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon, and Kiriathaim, together with their pasturelands.

77 The Merarites (the rest of the Levites) received the following:

• From the tribe of Zebulun they were given Rimmono and Tabor,[fn] together with their pasturelands.


• 78 From the tribe of Reuben east of the Jordan opposite Jericho they were given Bezer in the wilderness, Jahzah,[fn] 79 Kedemoth, and Mephaath, together with their pasturelands.


• 80 And from the tribe of Gad they were given Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim, 81 Heshbon, and Jazer, together with their pasturelands.