1-2Noch 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.«3Die Israeliten gehorchten dem Gebot des HERRN und gaben den Leviten Städte und Weideplätze aus ihren Gebieten.4Das 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.5Den übrigen Nachkommen Kehats fielen zehn Städte in den Gebieten von Ephraim und Dan und im westlichen Gebiet von Manasse zu.6Die 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.7Die Sippe Merari erhielt zwölf Städte bei den Stämmen Ruben, Gad und Sebulon.8Die 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
9-10Das erste Los traf die Nachkommen von Aaron aus der levitischen Sippe Kehat. Sie erhielten von den Stämmen Juda und Simeon folgende Städte:11zunächst Kirjat-Arba, die Stadt des Stammvaters der Anakiter, die im Bergland liegt und jetzt Hebron heißt, mit ihren Weideflächen.12Die Äcker und Dörfer rings um Hebron blieben jedoch im Besitz von Kaleb, der Jefunnes Sohn war.13Die 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,14Jattir, Eschtemoa,15Holon, Debir,16Ajin, Jutta und Bet-Schemesch. Insgesamt erhielten sie neun Städte mit den dazugehörigen Weideplätzen von den Stämmen Juda und Simeon.17Dazu kamen vom Stamm Benjamin die vier Städte Gibeon, Geba,18Anatot und Almon mit ihren Weiden.19Damit besaß das Priestergeschlecht von Aaron dreizehn Städte.20Die übrigen Familien der Sippe Kehat vom Stamm Levi erhielten durch das Los einige Städte im Stammesgebiet von Ephraim.21Ihnen gehörte nun Sichem im Bergland, ein Zufluchtsort für Totschläger, außerdem Geser,22Kibzajim und Bet-Horon: vier Städte mit den dazugehörigen Weideplätzen.23-24Der Stamm Dan gab ihnen ebenfalls vier Städte mit Weiden: Elteke, Gibbeton, Ajalon und Gat-Rimmon.25Im westlichen Gebiet des Stammes Manasse bekamen sie die beiden Städte Taanach und Gat-Rimmon[1] mit ihren Weiden. (1Chr 6,55)26Insgesamt gehörten den übrigen Familien der Sippe Kehat zehn Städte.
Die Städte der Sippe Gerschon
27Der 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[2]. (1Chr 6,56)28-29Im Gebiet von Issachar erhielten sie vier Städte mit Weiden: Kirschjon, Daberat, Jarmut und En-Gannim,30-31und im Gebiet von Asser diese vier Städte: Mischal, Abdon, Helkat und Rehob.32Der Stamm Naftali gab drei Städte mit Weiden: den Zufluchtsort Kedesch in Galiläa sowie Hammot-Dor und Kartan.33Insgesamt besaß die Sippe Gerschon dreizehn Städte mit Weideflächen.
Die Städte der Sippe Merari
34-35Die Sippe Merari, zu der alle übrigen Leviten gehörten, bekam vier Städte mit Weiden im Gebiet von Sebulon: Jokneam, Karta, Dimna und Nahalal.36-37Weitere vier Städte mit Weideplätzen teilte man ihnen im Gebiet des Stammes Ruben zu: Bezer, Jahaz, Kedemot und Mefaat.38-39Vom Stamm Gad erhielten sie Ramot im Land Gilead, den Zufluchtsort für Totschläger, Mahanajim, Heschbon und Jaser, ebenfalls vier Städte mit Weiden.40Insgesamt besaßen die restlichen Sippen des Stammes Levi, die Nachkommen von Merari, zwölf Städte.41Alle Leviten erhielten zusammen 48 Städte in den verschiedenen Stammesgebieten Israels.42Jede dieser Städte war von Weideland umgeben.
Gott hat Wort gehalten
43So gab der HERR den Israeliten das ganze Land, wie er es ihren Vorfahren versprochen hatte. Sie nahmen es in Besitz und wohnten darin.44Der HERR hielt sein Wort und sorgte dafür, dass sie in Ruhe und Frieden leben konnten. Mit seiner Hilfe hatten die Israeliten alle Feinde besiegt.45Kein Versprechen des HERRN blieb unerfüllt – alles war eingetroffen!
Josua 21
New International Reader’s Version
Towns are given to the Levites
1The leaders of the Levite family groups approached Eleazar the priest and Joshua, the son of Nun. They also approached the leaders of the family groups of Israel’s other tribes.2They went to all of them at Shiloh in Canaan. They said to them, ‘Give us towns to live in. Also give us grasslands for our livestock. That’s what the LORD commanded through Moses.’3So the Israelites gave the Levites towns and grasslands out of their own shares of land. They did what the LORD had commanded. Here are the towns the Levites were given.4The first lot drawn out was for the people of Kohath, according to their family groups. Some of the Levites came from the family line of Aaron the priest. They were given 13 towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin.5The rest of Kohath’s family groups were given ten towns. Those towns were from the family groups of the tribes of Ephraim and Dan and half of the tribe of Manasseh.6The family groups of Gershon were given 13 towns. Those towns were from the family groups of the tribes of Issachar, Asher and Naphtali and half of the tribe of Manasseh. That part of Manasseh was in the land of Bashan.7The family groups of Merari received 12 towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun. Each family group received its share.8So the Israelites gave those towns and their grasslands to the Levites. They did what the LORD had commanded through Moses.9Some towns were given from the territories of the tribes of Judah and Simeon.10The Israelites gave them to the members of the family line of Aaron. The towns were given to the family groups of Kohath. They were Levites. The first lot drawn out was for them. Here are the towns the family groups of Kohath were given.11The Israelites gave them Kiriath Arba and the grasslands around it. Kiriath Arba is also called Hebron. It’s in the hill country of Judah. Anak came from the family line of Arba.12But Israel had already given away the fields and villages around the city. They had given them to Caleb as his share. Caleb was the son of Jephunneh.13So they gave Hebron to the members of the family line of Aaron the priest. Hebron was a city where anyone charged with murder could go for safety. They also gave them Libnah,14Jattir, Eshtemoa,15Holon, Debir,16Ain, Juttah and Beth Shemesh. They gave those towns and their grasslands to the family groups of Kohath. The total number of towns from the tribes of Judah and Simeon came to nine.17The Israelites gave some towns from the tribe of Benjamin to the family groups of Kohath. The towns were Gibeon, Geba,18Anathoth and Almon. The total number of these towns and their grasslands came to four.19So the total number of towns and their grasslands given to the priests in Aaron’s family line came to 13.20There were other family groups of Kohath among the Levites. They were given towns from the tribe of Ephraim. Here are the towns those other family groups of Kohath were given.21In the hill country of Ephraim they were given Shechem. It was a city where anyone charged with murder could go for safety. They were also given Gezer,22Kibzaim and Beth Horon. The total number of these towns and their grasslands came to four.23From the tribe of Dan they received Eltekeh, Gibbethon,24Aijalon and Gath Rimmon. The total number of these towns and their grasslands came to four.25From half of the tribe of Manasseh they received Taanach and Gath Rimmon. The total number of these towns and their grasslands came to two.26So all these ten towns and their grasslands were given to the other family groups of Kohath.27Here are the towns given to the family groups of Gershon among the Levites. From half of the tribe of Manasseh they received Golan in the land of Bashan. Golan was a city where anyone charged with murder could go for safety. They also received Be Eshterah. The total number of these towns and their grasslands came to two.28From the tribe of Issachar they received Kishion, Daberath,29Jarmuth and En Gannim. The total number of these towns and their grasslands came to four.30From the tribe of Asher they received Mishal, Abdon,31Helkath and Rehob. The total number of these towns and their grasslands came to four.32From the tribe of Naphtali they received Kedesh in Galilee. Kedesh was a city where anyone charged with murder could go for safety. They also received Hammoth Dor and Kartan. The total number of these towns and their grasslands came to three.33So the total number of towns and their grasslands given to the family groups of Gershon came to 13.34The rest of the Levites were from the family groups of Merari. Here are the towns they were given. From the tribe of Zebulun they received Jokneam, Kartah,35Dimnah and Nahalal. The total number of these towns and their grasslands came to four.36From the tribe of Reuben they received Bezer, Jahaz,37Kedemoth and Mephaath. The total number of these towns and their grasslands came to four.38From the tribe of Gad they received Ramoth in Gilead. Ramoth was a city where anyone charged with murder could go for safety. They also received Mahanaim,39Heshbon and Jazer. The total number of these towns and their grasslands came to four.40So the total number of towns given to the family groups of Merari came to 12. That concludes the list of towns the rest of the Levites received.41The total number of Levite towns and their grasslands in the territory given to Israel came to 48.42Each of those towns had grasslands around it. That was true of all of them.43So the LORD gave Israel all the land he had promised to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And Israel took it over. Then they made their homes there.44The LORD gave them peace and rest on every side. He had promised their people of long ago that he would do that. Not one of Israel’s enemies was able to fight against them and win. The LORD handed all their enemies over to them.45The LORD kept all the good promises he had made to the Israelites. Every one of them came true.