Las ciudades de los levitas
1-2 Los israelitas estaban acampando cerca de la ciudad de Siló, en la tierra de Canaán. Un día, los jefes de los grupos familiares de la tribu de Leví fueron a hablar con los jefes de las otras tribus, con Josué y con el sacerdote Eleazar. Les dijeron: «Por medio de Moisés, Dios ordenó que se nos dieran ciudades para que viviéramos en ellas, y también campos de pastoreo para nuestros ganados».
3 Así que, de acuerdo con ese mandato de Dios, los israelitas dieron a la tribu de Leví algunas de sus ciudades y campos de pastoreo.
4 Primero, se asignaron ciudades al grupo familiar de Quehat. A las familias quehatitas que descendían del sacerdote Aarón se les asignaron trece ciudades dentro de los territorios de Judá, Simeón y Benjamín. 5 Los otros quehatitas recibieron diez ciudades dentro de los territorios de Efraín, Dan y Manasés Occidental.
6 El grupo familiar de Guersón recibió trece ciudades de los territorios de Isacar, Aser, Neftalí y Manasés Oriental.
7 El grupo familiar de Merarí recibió doce ciudades de las pertenecientes a Rubén, a Gad y a Zabulón.
8 Los israelitas asignaron a los de la tribu de Leví estas ciudades y sus campos de pastoreo por medio de un sorteo, de acuerdo con el mandato que Dios le había dado a Moisés.
9-10 En el primer sorteo, algunas de las familias quehatitas recibieron ciudades en los territorios de las tribus de Judá y de Simeón: 11 En la región montañosa de Judá les dieron la ciudad de Arbá, que es Hebrón. Arbá era padre de Anac. También se les entregaron los campos de pastoreo alrededor de la ciudad, 12 pero no así las tierras y aldeas, porque ya se las habían dado a Caleb hijo de Jefuné.
13 Además de Hebrón, que era una de las ciudades de refugio para quienes mataran sin intención, los descendientes de Leví recibieron las siguientes ciudades: Libná, 14 Jatir, Estemoa, 15 Holón, Debir, 16 Ain, Jutá y Bet-semes, junto con sus campos de pastoreo. Estas nueve ciudades quedaban dentro de los territorios de Judá y de Simeón. 17 En los territorios de Benjamín se les asignaron cuatro ciudades: Gabaón, Gueba, 18 Anatot y Almón, junto con sus campos de pastoreo. 19 En total, a los sacerdotes, descendientes de Aarón, se les entregaron trece ciudades con sus campos de pastoreo. 20 A las otras familias quehatitas se les asignaron cuatro ciudades dentro del territorio de la tribu de Efraín. 21 Una de ellas, Siquem, estaba en las montañas y era una ciudad de refugio. Las otras tres eran: Guézer, 22 Quibsaim y Bet-horón. 23 De la tribu de Dan recibieron cuatro ciudades: Eltequé, Guibetón, 24 Aialón y Gat-rimón, cada una con sus campos de pastoreo. 25 Del territorio de Manasés Occidental recibieron dos ciudades: Taanac y Gat-rimón. 26 En total estas familias quehatitas recibieron diez ciudades, cada una con sus propios campos de pastoreo.
27 A las familias del grupo familiar de Guersón, descendiente de Leví, se les asignaron dos ciudades dentro del territorio de Manasés Oriental. En la región de Basán recibieron Beeterá y Golán, que era una ciudad de refugio. 28 Del territorio del grupo familiar de Isacar recibieron cuatro ciudades: Quisión, Daberat, 29 Jarmut y En-ganim. 30 Del territorio de la tribu de Aser recibieron otras cuatro ciudades: Misael, Abdón, 31 Helcat y Rehob. 32 Del territorio de la tribu de Neftalí recibieron tres ciudades: Hamot-dor, Cartán y Quedes, en la región de Galilea. 33 En total, las familias del grupo familiar de Guersón recibieron trece ciudades con sus correspondientes campos de pastoreo.
34 Al resto de los descendientes de Leví, es decir, al grupo familiar de Merarí, se les asignaron cuatro ciudades en el territorio de la tribu de Zabulón: Jocneam, Carta, 35 Dimná y Nahalal. 36 Del territorio de la tribu de Rubén se les asignaron otras cuatro ciudades: Béser, Jahas, 37 Cademot y Mefáat. 38-39 Del territorio de la tribu de Gad recibieron también cuatro ciudades: Mahanaim, Hesbón, Jazer y Ramot, en la región de Galaad, que era ciudad de refugio. 40 En total el grupo familiar de Merarí recibió doce ciudades con sus respectivos campos de pastoreo. 41 Dentro del territorio israelita, los de la tribu de Leví recibieron en total cuarenta y ocho ciudades con sus correspondientes campos de pastoreo. 42 Estos campos estaban ubicados alrededor de cada una de las ciudades.
Dios cumple sus promesas
43 Así fue como Dios entregó a los israelitas toda la tierra que bajo juramento ya había prometido darles. Ellos se instalaron y vivieron allí. 44 Dios también les había prometido que vivirían en paz, y lo cumplió. Les dio la victoria sobre todos sus enemigos, y ninguno pudo hacerles frente. 45 Dios cumplió con todas las promesas que les había hecho a los israelitas; no dejó de cumplir ninguna de ellas.
1 Then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites unto Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua the son of Nun, and unto the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel; 2 And they spake unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, The LORD commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with the suburbs thereof for our cattle. 3 And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance, at the commandment of the LORD, these cities and their suburbs. 4 And the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites: and the children of Aaron the priest, which were of the Levites, had by lot out of the tribe of Judah, and out of the tribe of Simeon, and out of the tribe of Benjamin, thirteen cities. 5 And the rest of the children of Kohath had by lot out of the families of the tribe of Ephraim, and out of the tribe of Dan, and out of the half tribe of Manasseh, ten cities. 6 And the children of Gershon had by lot out of the families of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the half tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities. 7 The children of Merari by their families had out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities. 8 And the children of Israel gave by lot unto the Levites these cities with their suburbs, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.
9 ¶ And they gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these cities which are here mentioned by name, 10 Which the children of Aaron, being of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi, had: for theirs was the first lot. 11 And they gave them the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with the suburbs thereof round about it. 12 But the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, gave they to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession.
13 ¶ Thus they gave to the children of Aaron the priest Hebron with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Libnah with her suburbs, 14 And Jattir with her suburbs, and Eshtemoa with her suburbs, 15 And Holon with her suburbs, and Debir with her suburbs, 16 And Ain with her suburbs, and Juttah with her suburbs, and Beth-shemesh with her suburbs; nine cities out of those two tribes. 17 And out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with her suburbs, Geba with her suburbs, 18 Anathoth with her suburbs, and Almon with her suburbs; four cities. 19 All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their suburbs.
20 ¶ And the families of the children of Kohath, the Levites which remained of the children of Kohath, even they had the cities of their lot out of the tribe of Ephraim. 21 For they gave them Shechem with her suburbs in mount Ephraim, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Gezer with her suburbs, 22 And Kibzaim with her suburbs, and Beth-horon with her suburbs; four cities. 23 And out of the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh with her suburbs, Gibbethon with her suburbs, 24 Aijalon with her suburbs, Gath-rimmon with her suburbs; four cities. 25 And out of the half tribe of Manasseh, Tanach with her suburbs, and Gath-rimmon with her suburbs; two cities. 26 All the cities were ten with their suburbs for the families of the children of Kohath that remained.
27 ¶ And unto the children of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, out of the other half tribe of Manasseh they gave Golan in Bashan with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Beesh-terah with her suburbs; two cities. 28 And out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishon with her suburbs, Dabareh with her suburbs, 29 Jarmuth with her suburbs, En-gannim with her suburbs; four cities. 30 And out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with her suburbs, Abdon with her suburbs, 31 Helkath with her suburbs, and Rehob with her suburbs; four cities. 32 And out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Hammoth-dor with her suburbs, and Kartan with her suburbs; three cities. 33 All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their suburbs.
34 ¶ And unto the families of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with her suburbs, and Kartah with her suburbs, 35 Dimnah with her suburbs, Nahalal with her suburbs; four cities. 36 And out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with her suburbs, and Jahazah with her suburbs, 37 Kedemoth with her suburbs, and Mephaath with her suburbs; four cities. 38 And out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Mahanaim with her suburbs, 39 Heshbon with her suburbs, Jazer with her suburbs; four cities in all. 40 So all the cities for the children of Merari by their families, which were remaining of the families of the Levites, were by their lot twelve cities. 41 All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the children of Israel were forty and eight cities with their suburbs. 42 These cities were every one with their suburbs round about them: thus were all these cities.
43 ¶ And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein. 44 And the LORD gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand. 45 There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.