1
And so, the lot of the sons of Judah, by their families, was this: from the border of Edom, to the desert of Sin toward the south, and even to the furthest part of the southern region.
2
Its beginning was from the summit of the very salty sea, and from its bay, which looks toward the south.
3
And it extends toward the ascent of the Scorpion, and it passes on to Sinai. And it ascends into Kadesh-barnea, and it passes through to Hezron, ascending to Addar, and encompassing Karka.
4
And from there, it passes on to Azmon, and reaches to the torrent of Egypt. And its boundary shall be the great sea; this shall be the limit of the southern region.
5
Yet truly, toward the east, the beginning shall be the very salty sea, even to the limit of the Jordan, and that which looks toward the north, from the bay of the sea, even to the same river Jordan.
6
And the border ascends into Beth-hoglah, and it crosses from the north into Beth-Arabah, ascending to the stone of Bohan, the son of Reuben.
7
And it reaches as far as the borders of Debara, from the Valley of Achor, to the north, looking toward Gilgal, which is opposite the Ascent of Adummim, on the southern part of the torrent. And it crosses the waters that are called the Fountain of the Sun. And its exit shall be at the Fountain of Rogel.
8
And it ascends by the steep valley of the son of Hinnom, from the side of the Jebusite, toward the south; this is Jerusalem. And from there, it raises itself to the top of the mountain, which is opposite Geennom to the west, at the top of the Valley of the Rephaim, to the north.
9
And it passes through, from the top of the mountain, even to the fountain of the Water of Nephtoah. And it continues on, as far as the villages of mount Ephron. And it inclines toward Baalah, which is Kiriath-jearim, that is, the City of Forests.
10
And it circles from Baalah, to the west, as far as mount Seir. And it passes by the side of mount Jearim, to the north, into Chesalon. And it descends into Beth-shemesh, and it passes through to Timnah.
11
And it continues on, toward the north, to a region beside Ekron. And it inclines toward Shikkeron, and it crosses to mount Baalah. And it extends into Jabneel, and the last part closes at the west with the great sea.
12
These are the borders of the sons of Judah, in their families, on all sides.
Caleb’s Portion and Conquest
(Judges 1:8–26)
13
Yet truly, to Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, he gave a portion in the midst of the sons of Judah, just as the Lord had instructed him: the City of Arba, the father of Anak, which is Hebron.
14
And Caleb destroyed from it the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, of the stock of Anak.
15
And ascending further from there, he came to the inhabitants of Debir, which before was called Kiriath-Sepher, that is, the City of Letters.
16
And Caleb said, “Whoever will have struck down Kiriath-Sepher, and will have seized it, I will give to him Achsah, my daughter, as wife.”
17
And Othniel, the son of Kenaz, the younger brother of Caleb, seized it. And he gave him Achsah, his daughter, as wife.
18
And as they were traveling together, she was urged by her husband that she ask her father for a field. And she sighed, as she was sitting on her donkey. And Caleb said to her, “What is it?”(a)
19
But she answered: “Give a blessing to me. You have given to me a southern and dry land; join to it also a watered land.” And so Caleb gave to her the watered land above and below it.
The Cities of Judah
20
This is the possession of the tribe of the sons of Judah, by their families.
21
And the cities, from the furthest parts of the sons of Judah, beside the borders of Edom to the south, were: Kabzeel and Eder and Jagur,
22
and Kinah and Dimonah and Adadah,
23
and Kadesh and Hazor and Ithnan,
24
Ziph and Telem and Bealoth,
25
new Hazor and Kerioth-Hezron, which is Hazor,
26
Amam, Shema, and Moladah,
27
and Hazar-gaddah and Heshmon and Bethpelet,
28
and Hazar-shual and Beersheba and Biziothiah,
29
and Baalah and Iim and Ezem,
30
and Eltolad and Chesil and Hormah,
31
and Ziklag and Madmannah and Sansannah,
32
Lebaoth and Shilhim, and Ain and Rimmon. All the cities were twenty-nine, and their villages.
33
Truly, in the plains, there were: Eshtaol and Zorah and Ashnah,
34
and Zanoah and Engannim, and Tappuah and Enam,
35
and Jarmuth and Adullam, Socoh and Azekah,
36
and Shaaraim and Adithaim, and Gederah and Gederothaim: fourteen cities, and their villages.
37
Zenan and Hadashah and Middalgad,
38
Dilean and Mizpeh and Joktheel,
39
Lachish and Bozkath and Eglon,
40
Cabbon and Lahmam and Chitlish,
41
and Gederoth and Bethdagon, and Naamah and Makkedah: sixteen cities, and their villages.
42
Libnah and Ether and Ashan,
43
Iphtah and Ashnah and Nezib,
44
and Keilah and Achzib and Mareshah: nine cities, and their villages.
45
Ekron, with its towns and villages:
46
from Ekron, as far as the sea, all that inclines toward Ashdod, and its villages.
47
Ashdod, with its towns and villages. Gaza, with its towns and villages, as far as the torrent of Egypt, with the great sea as its border.
48
And on the mountain, Shamir and Jattir and Socoh,
49
and Dannah, and Kiriath-Sannah, which is Debir,
50
Anab and Eshtemoh and Anim,
51
Goshen and Holon and Giloh: eleven cities, and their villages.
52
Arab and Dumah and Eshan,
53
and Janim and Beth-Tappuah and Aphekah,
54
Humtah and Kiriath-Arba, which is Hebron, and Zior: nine cities, and their villages.
55
Maon and Carmel, and Ziph and Juttah,
56
Jezreel and Jokdeam and Zanoah,
57
Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah: ten cities, and their villages.
58
Halhul and Bethzur and Gedor,
59
Maarath and Bethanoth and Eltekon: six cities, and their villages.
60
Kiriath-baal, which is Kiriath-jearim, the City of Forests, and Rabbah: two cities, and their villages.
61
In the desert: Beth-Arabah, Middin, and Secacah,
62
and Nibshan, and the City of Salt, and Engedi: six cities, and their villages.
63
But the sons of Judah were not able to destroy the Jebusite inhabitants of Jerusalem. And so the Jebusite lived with the sons of Judah in Jerusalem, even to the present day.
Footnotes