Josua 21

Hoffnung für alle

Die Leviten erhalten Städte und Weidegebiete

1-2 Noch während das Volk Israel in Silo im Land Kanaan lagerte, kamen die führenden Männer aus den Sippen der Leviten zum Priester Eleasar, zu Josua, dem Sohn von Nun, und zu den Oberhäuptern der Stämme Israels. Sie sagten: »Der HERR hat durch Mose befohlen, dass wir Städte bekommen sollen, in denen wir wohnen können, und Weideland für unser Vieh.« 

3 Die Israeliten gehorchten dem Gebot des HERRN und gaben den Leviten Städte und Weideplätze aus ihren Gebieten. 

4 Das Los wurde geworfen und traf zunächst die levitische Sippe Kehat. Zu ihr gehörten die Nachkommen des Priesters Aaron. Sie erhielten als Erste ihren Anteil: dreizehn Städte in den Gebieten der Stämme Juda, Simeon und Benjamin. 

5 Den übrigen Nachkommen Kehats fielen zehn Städte in den Gebieten von Ephraim und Dan und im westlichen Gebiet von Manasse zu. 

6 Die Sippe Gerschon bekam dreizehn Städte in den Gebieten von Issachar, Asser, Naftali und im Land Baschan, das dem halben Stamm Manasse östlich des Jordan gehörte. 

7 Die Sippe Merari erhielt zwölf Städte bei den Stämmen Ruben, Gad und Sebulon. 

8 Die Israeliten teilten den Leviten diese Städte mit den umliegenden Weideplätzen zu, wie es das Los bestimmte. So hatte es der HERR durch Mose befohlen. 

Die Städte der Sippe Kehat

9-10 Das erste Los traf die Nachkommen von Aaron aus der levitischen Sippe Kehat. Sie erhielten von den Stämmen Juda und Simeon folgende Städte: 

11 zunächst Kirjat-Arba, die Stadt des Stammvaters der Anakiter, die im Bergland liegt und jetzt Hebron heißt, mit ihren Weideflächen. 

12 Die Äcker und Dörfer rings um Hebron blieben jedoch im Besitz von Kaleb, der Jefunnes Sohn war. 

13 Die Nachkommen von Aaron bekamen die unmittelbar an Hebron grenzenden Weiden und die Stadt selbst, die auch als Zufluchtsort für Totschläger diente. Weiter gab man ihnen die Städte Libna, 

14 Jattir, Eschtemoa, 

15 Holon, Debir, 

16 Ajin, Jutta und Bet-Schemesch. Insgesamt erhielten sie neun Städte mit den dazugehörigen Weideplätzen von den Stämmen Juda und Simeon. 

17 Dazu kamen vom Stamm Benjamin die vier Städte Gibeon, Geba, 

18 Anatot und Almon mit ihren Weiden. 

19 Damit besaß das Priestergeschlecht von Aaron dreizehn Städte. 

20 Die übrigen Familien der Sippe Kehat vom Stamm Levi erhielten durch das Los einige Städte im Stammesgebiet von Ephraim. 

21 Ihnen gehörte nun Sichem im Bergland, ein Zufluchtsort für Totschläger, außerdem Geser, 

22 Kibzajim und Bet-Horon: vier Städte mit den dazugehörigen Weideplätzen. 

23-24 Der Stamm Dan gab ihnen ebenfalls vier Städte mit Weiden: Elteke, Gibbeton, Ajalon und Gat-Rimmon. 

25 Im westlichen Gebiet des Stammes Manasse bekamen sie die beiden Städte Taanach und Gat-Rimmon mit ihren Weiden. (1Chr 6,55) 

26 Insgesamt gehörten den übrigen Familien der Sippe Kehat zehn Städte. 

Die Städte der Sippe Gerschon

27 Der Sippe Gerschon vom Stamm Levi wurden im östlichen Gebiet des Stammes Manasse zwei Städte mit Weiden zugeteilt: im Land Baschan die Stadt Golan, einer der Zufluchtsorte für Totschläger, und Beëschtera. (1Chr 6,56) 

28-29 Im Gebiet von Issachar erhielten sie vier Städte mit Weiden: Kirschjon, Daberat, Jarmut und En-Gannim, 

30-31 und im Gebiet von Asser diese vier Städte: Mischal, Abdon, Helkat und Rehob. 

32 Der Stamm Naftali gab drei Städte mit Weiden: den Zufluchtsort Kedesch in Galiläa sowie Hammot-Dor und Kartan. 

33 Insgesamt besaß die Sippe Gerschon dreizehn Städte mit Weideflächen. 

Die Städte der Sippe Merari

34-35 Die Sippe Merari, zu der alle übrigen Leviten gehörten, bekam vier Städte mit Weiden im Gebiet von Sebulon: Jokneam, Karta, Dimna und Nahalal. 

36-37 Weitere vier Städte mit Weideplätzen teilte man ihnen im Gebiet des Stammes Ruben zu: Bezer, Jahaz, Kedemot und Mefaat. 

38-39 Vom Stamm Gad erhielten sie Ramot im Land Gilead, den Zufluchtsort für Totschläger, Mahanajim, Heschbon und Jaser, ebenfalls vier Städte mit Weiden. 

40 Insgesamt besaßen die restlichen Sippen des Stammes Levi, die Nachkommen von Merari, zwölf Städte. 

41 Alle Leviten erhielten zusammen 48 Städte in den verschiedenen Stammesgebieten Israels. 

42 Jede dieser Städte war von Weideland umgeben. 

Gott hat Wort gehalten

43 So gab der HERR den Israeliten das ganze Land, wie er es ihren Vorfahren versprochen hatte. Sie nahmen es in Besitz und wohnten darin. 

44 Der HERR hielt sein Wort und sorgte dafür, dass sie in Ruhe und Frieden leben konnten. Mit seiner Hilfe hatten die Israeliten alle Feinde besiegt. 

45 Kein Versprechen des HERRN blieb unerfüllt – alles war eingetroffen! 

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Josua 21

English Standard Version

Cities and Pasturelands Allotted to Levi

1 Then the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites came to Eleazar the priest and to Joshua the son of Nun and to the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the people of Israel. (4Mo 34,17; Jos 14,1; Jos 17,4; Jos 19,51) 

2 And they said to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, “The Lord commanded through Moses that we be given cities to dwell in, along with their pasturelands for our livestock.” (4Mo 35,2; Jos 18,1) 

3 So by command of the Lord the people of Israel gave to the Levites the following cities and pasturelands out of their inheritance. 

4 The lot came out for the clans of the Kohathites. So those Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest received by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, thirteen cities. (2Mo 6,16; 4Mo 3,17; Jos 21,9) 

5 And the rest of the Kohathites received by lot from the clans of the tribe of Ephraim, from the tribe of Dan and the half-tribe of Manasseh, ten cities. (Jos 21,20) 

6 The Gershonites received by lot from the clans of the tribe of Issachar, from the tribe of Asher, from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities. (Jos 21,27) 

7 The Merarites according to their clans received from the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities. (Jos 21,34) 

8 These cities and their pasturelands the people of Israel gave by lot to the Levites, as the Lord had commanded through Moses. (4Mo 35,2; Jos 14,3; Jos 21,3) 

9 Out of the tribe of the people of Judah and the tribe of the people of Simeon they gave the following cities mentioned by name, 

10 which went to the descendants of Aaron, one of the clans of the Kohathites who belonged to the people of Levi; since the lot fell to them first. (Jos 21,4) 

11 They gave them Kiriath-arba (Arba being the father of Anak), that is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, along with the pasturelands around it. (Jos 14,13; Jos 20,7; 1Chr 6,54; Lk 1,39) 

12 But the fields of the city and its villages had been given to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as his possession. 

13 And to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasturelands, Libnah with its pasturelands, (Jos 10,29; Jos 20,7) 

14 Jattir with its pasturelands, Eshtemoa with its pasturelands, 

15 Holon with its pasturelands, Debir with its pasturelands, 

16 Ain with its pasturelands, Juttah with its pasturelands, Beth-shemesh with its pasturelands—nine cities out of these two tribes; 

17 then out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its pasturelands, Geba with its pasturelands, (Jos 9,3) 

18 Anathoth with its pasturelands, and Almon with its pasturelands—four cities. 

19 The cities of the descendants of Aaron, the priests, were in all thirteen cities with their pasturelands. 

20 As to the rest of the Kohathites belonging to the Kohathite clans of the Levites, the cities allotted to them were out of the tribe of Ephraim. (1Chr 6,66) 

21 To them were given Shechem, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer with its pasturelands, (Jos 20,7) 

22 Kibzaim with its pasturelands, Beth-horon with its pasturelands—four cities; 

23 and out of the tribe of Dan, Elteke with its pasturelands, Gibbethon with its pasturelands, 

24 Aijalon with its pasturelands, Gath-rimmon with its pasturelands—four cities; 

25 and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Taanach with its pasturelands, and Gath-rimmon with its pasturelands—two cities. 

26 The cities of the clans of the rest of the Kohathites were ten in all with their pasturelands. 

27 And to the Gershonites, one of the clans of the Levites, were given out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with its pasturelands, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Beeshterah with its pasturelands—two cities; (Jos 21,21; 1Chr 6,71) 

28 and out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishion with its pasturelands, Daberath with its pasturelands, 

29 Jarmuth with its pasturelands, En-gannim with its pasturelands—four cities; 

30 and out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with its pasturelands, Abdon with its pasturelands, 

31 Helkath with its pasturelands, and Rehob with its pasturelands—four cities; 

32 and out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its pasturelands, the city of refuge for the manslayer, Hammoth-dor with its pasturelands, and Kartan with its pasturelands—three cities. (Jos 21,21) 

33 The cities of the several clans of the Gershonites were in all thirteen cities with their pasturelands. 

34 And to the rest of the Levites, the Merarite clans, were given out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its pasturelands, Kartah with its pasturelands, (1Chr 6,77) 

35 Dimnah with its pasturelands, Nahalal with its pasturelands—four cities; 

36 and out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with its pasturelands, Jahaz with its pasturelands, (Jos 20,8) 

37 Kedemoth with its pasturelands, and Mephaath with its pasturelands—four cities; 

38 and out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its pasturelands, the city of refuge for the manslayer, Mahanaim with its pasturelands, (Jos 13,26; Jos 21,36) 

39 Heshbon with its pasturelands, Jazer with its pasturelands—four cities in all. (Jos 21,38) 

40 As for the cities of the several Merarite clans, that is, the remainder of the clans of the Levites, those allotted to them were in all twelve cities. 

41 The cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the people of Israel were in all forty-eight cities with their pasturelands. (4Mo 35,7) 

42 These cities each had its pasturelands around it. So it was with all these cities. 

43 Thus the Lord gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there. (1Mo 13,15; 1Mo 15,18; 1Mo 26,3; 1Mo 28,4; 1Mo 28,13) 

44 And the Lord gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the Lord had given all their enemies into their hands. (5Mo 7,24; Jos 2,24; Jos 10,8; Jos 11,23; Jos 23,9) 

45 Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass. (Jos 23,14) 

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