The cities of the Levites
54 Aaron's descendants belonged to the clan of Levi's son, Kohath. When the leaders used lots to divide the land, Kohath's clan received the first part of the land. These places belonged to them:
6:54The Levites did not receive their own land in the same way that the other tribes did. They lived in towns among the other tribes. See Joshua 21:1-42. 55 They had Hebron city in Judah's land. They had the fields around the city. 56 But Jephunneh's son, Caleb, had the villages around the city, with their fields. 57 Aaron's descendants received these towns with the fields around them: Hebron (a safe city), Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, 58 Hilen, Debir, 59 Ashan, Juttah and Beth-Shemesh.
6:57Safe cities were special cities that people could run to if they were afraid someone might kill them. See Joshua 20. 60 They also received some towns in land that belonged to Benjamin's tribe. They received these towns with the fields around them: Gibeon, Geba, Alemeth and Anathoth.
So there were 13 towns for Aaron's descendants to live in.
61 The other people who were Kohath's descendants received ten towns in land that belonged to the half tribe of Manasseh. They used lots to choose the towns.
62 Gershon's descendants received 13 towns. The lots showed which towns they would receive. Their towns were in land that belonged to the tribes of Issachar, Asher and Naphtali, as well as in Manasseh's land in the region of Bashan, on the east side of the Jordan River.
63 Merari's descendants received 12 towns. The lots showed which towns they would receive. Their towns were in land that belonged to the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun.
64 So the Israelites gave those towns and the fields around them to the Levites. 65 They used lots to choose these towns, including the towns in land that belonged to the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin.
66 Descendants of Kohath received towns in land that belonged to Ephraim's tribe. They received these towns with the fields around them: 67 Shechem (a safe city in the hill country of Ephraim), Gezer, 68 Jokmeam, Beth-Horon, 69 Aijalon and Gath-Rimmon. 70 The other descendants of Kohath received towns in land that belonged to the half tribe of Manasseh. They received Aner with its fields and Bileam with its fields.
71 The descendants of Gershon received these towns in land that belonged to the other half tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan with its fields and Ashtaroth with its fields. 72 They also received towns in land that belonged to Issachar's tribe. They received these towns and the fields around them: Kedesh, Daberath, 73 Ramoth and Anem. 74 They received these towns in land that belonged to Asher's tribe: Mashal with its fields, Abdon with its fields, 75 Hukok with its fields and Rehob with its fields. 76 They received these towns in land that belonged to Naphtali's tribe: Kedesh in Galilee with its fields, Hammon with its fields and Kiriathaim with its fields.
77 The rest of Levi's descendants, who belonged to Merari's clan, received these towns: In land that belonged to Zebulun's tribe they received Rimmono with its fields and Tabor with its fields. 78 They also received towns in land that belonged to Reuben's tribe on the east side of the Jordan River, beyond Jericho city. They received these towns and the fields around them: Bezer in the desert, Jahzah, 79 Kedemoth and Mephaath. 80 They received these towns in land that belonged to Gad's tribe: Ramoth in Gilead with its fields, Mahanaim with its fields, 81 Heshbon with its fields and Jazer with its fields.
