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Genesis 48:5
“ Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. (niv)
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1 Chronicles 5 1-1 Chronicles 5 2
The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel( he was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father’s marriage bed, his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel; so he could not be listed in the genealogical record in accordance with his birthright,and though Judah was the strongest of his brothers and a ruler came from him, the rights of the firstborn belonged to Joseph)— (niv)
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1 Chronicles 6 54-1 Chronicles 6 81
These were the locations of their settlements allotted as their territory( they were assigned to the descendants of Aaron who were from the Kohathite clan, because the first lot was for them):They were given Hebron in Judah with its surrounding pasturelands.But the fields and villages around the city were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh.So the descendants of Aaron were given Hebron( a city of refuge), and Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa,Hilen, Debir,Ashan, Juttah and Beth Shemesh, together with their pasturelands.And from the tribe of Benjamin they were given Gibeon, Geba, Alemeth and Anathoth, together with their pasturelands. The total number of towns distributed among the Kohathite clans came to thirteen.The rest of Kohath’s descendants were allotted ten towns from the clans of half the tribe of Manasseh.The descendants of Gershon, clan by clan, were allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher and Naphtali, and from the part of the tribe of Manasseh that is in Bashan.The descendants of Merari, clan by clan, were allotted twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun.So the Israelites gave the Levites these towns and their pasturelands.From the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin they allotted the previously named towns.Some of the Kohathite clans were given as their territory towns from the tribe of Ephraim.In the hill country of Ephraim they were given Shechem( a city of refuge), and Gezer,Jokmeam, Beth Horon,Aijalon and Gath Rimmon, together with their pasturelands.And from half the tribe of Manasseh the Israelites gave Aner and Bileam, together with their pasturelands, to the rest of the Kohathite clans.The Gershonites received the following: From the clan of the half- tribe of Manasseh they received Golan in Bashan and also Ashtaroth, together with their pasturelands;from the tribe of Issachar they received Kedesh, Daberath,Ramoth and Anem, together with their pasturelands;from the tribe of Asher they received Mashal, Abdon,Hukok and Rehob, together with their pasturelands;and from the tribe of Naphtali they received Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon and Kiriathaim, together with their pasturelands.The Merarites( the rest of the Levites) received the following: From the tribe of Zebulun they received Jokneam, Kartah, Rimmono and Tabor, together with their pasturelands;from the tribe of Reuben across the Jordan east of Jericho they received Bezer in the wilderness, Jahzah,Kedemoth and Mephaath, together with their pasturelands;and from the tribe of Gad they received Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim,Heshbon and Jazer, together with their pasturelands. (niv)
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Joshua 21:2-42
at Shiloh in Canaan and said to them,“ The Lord commanded through Moses that you give us towns to live in, with pasturelands for our livestock.”So, as the Lord had commanded, the Israelites gave the Levites the following towns and pasturelands out of their own inheritance:The first lot came out for the Kohathites, according to their clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest were allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin.The rest of Kohath’s descendants were allotted ten towns from the clans of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan and half of Manasseh.The descendants of Gershon were allotted thirteen towns from the clans of the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.The descendants of Merari, according to their clans, received twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun.So the Israelites allotted to the Levites these towns and their pasturelands, as the Lord had commanded through Moses.From the tribes of Judah and Simeon they allotted the following towns by name( these towns were assigned to the descendants of Aaron who were from the Kohathite clans of the Levites, because the first lot fell to them):They gave them Kiriath Arba( that is, Hebron), with its surrounding pastureland, in the hill country of Judah.( Arba was the forefather of Anak.)But the fields and villages around the city they had given to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession.So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron( a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Libnah,Jattir, Eshtemoa,Holon, Debir,Ain, Juttah and Beth Shemesh, together with their pasturelands— nine towns from these two tribes.And from the tribe of Benjamin they gave them Gibeon, Geba,Anathoth and Almon, together with their pasturelands— four towns.The total number of towns for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, came to thirteen, together with their pasturelands.The rest of the Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted towns from the tribe of Ephraim:In the hill country of Ephraim they were given Shechem( a city of refuge for one accused of murder) and Gezer,Kibzaim and Beth Horon, together with their pasturelands— four towns.Also from the tribe of Dan they received Eltekeh, Gibbethon,Aijalon and Gath Rimmon, together with their pasturelands— four towns.From half the tribe of Manasseh they received Taanach and Gath Rimmon, together with their pasturelands— two towns.All these ten towns and their pasturelands were given to the rest of the Kohathite clans.The Levite clans of the Gershonites were given: from the half- tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan( a city of refuge for one accused of murder) and Be Eshterah, together with their pasturelands— two towns;from the tribe of Issachar, Kishion, Daberath,Jarmuth and En Gannim, together with their pasturelands— four towns;from the tribe of Asher, Mishal, Abdon,Helkath and Rehob, together with their pasturelands— four towns;from the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee( a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Hammoth Dor and Kartan, together with their pasturelands— three towns.The total number of towns of the Gershonite clans came to thirteen, together with their pasturelands.The Merarite clans( the rest of the Levites) were given: from the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam, Kartah,Dimnah and Nahalal, together with their pasturelands— four towns;from the tribe of Reuben, Bezer, Jahaz,Kedemoth and Mephaath, together with their pasturelands— four towns;from the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead( a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Mahanaim,Heshbon and Jazer, together with their pasturelands— four towns in all.The total number of towns allotted to the Merarite clans, who were the rest of the Levites, came to twelve.The towns of the Levites in the territory held by the Israelites were forty- eight in all, together with their pasturelands.Each of these towns had pasturelands surrounding it; this was true for all these towns. (niv)
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Numbers 35:2-8
“ Command the Israelites to give the Levites towns to live in from the inheritance the Israelites will possess. And give them pasturelands around the towns.Then they will have towns to live in and pasturelands for the cattle they own and all their other animals.“ The pasturelands around the towns that you give the Levites will extend a thousand cubits from the town wall.Outside the town, measure two thousand cubits on the east side, two thousand on the south side, two thousand on the west and two thousand on the north, with the town in the center. They will have this area as pastureland for the towns.“ Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee. In addition, give them forty-two other towns.In all you must give the Levites forty-eight towns, together with their pasturelands.The towns you give the Levites from the land the Israelites possess are to be given in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: Take many towns from a tribe that has many, but few from one that has few.” (niv)