Receiving the Inheritance (An Open Ending)

Instructions for Occupying Canaan

⁵⁰ The Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, ⁵¹ “Tell the Israelites: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, ⁵² you must drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you, destroy all their stone images^(A) and cast images,^(B) and demolish all their high places. ⁵³ You are to take possession of the land and settle in it because I have given you the land^(C) to possess. ⁵⁴ You are to receive the land as an inheritance by lot according to your clans. Increase the inheritance for a large clan and decrease it for a small one. Whatever place the lot indicates for someone will be his. You will receive an inheritance according to your ancestral tribes. ⁵⁵ But if you don’t drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, those you allow to remain will become barbs for your eyes and thorns for your sides; they will harass you in the land where you will live. ⁵⁶ And what I had planned to do to them, I will do to you.”^(D)

Boundaries of the Promised Land

34 The Lord spoke to Moses, ² “Command the Israelites and say to them: When you enter the land of Canaan, it will be allotted to you as an inheritance^[a] with these borders:

³ Your southern side will be from the Wilderness of Zin along the boundary of Edom. Your southern border on the east will begin at the east end of the Dead Sea. ⁴ Your border will turn south of the Scorpions’ Ascent,^[b] proceed to Zin, and end south of Kadesh-barnea. It will go to Hazar-addar and proceed to Azmon.^{(E) 5} The border will turn from Azmon^(F) to the Brook of Egypt,^(G) where it will end at the Mediterranean Sea.

⁶ Your western border will be the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea; this will be your western border.

⁷ This will be your northern border: From the Mediterranean Sea draw a line to Mount Hor;^{(H) 8} from Mount Hor draw a line to the entrance of Hamath,^[c](I) and the border will reach Zedad.^{(J) 9} Then the border will go to Ziphron and end at Hazar-enan.^(K) This will be your northern border.

¹⁰ For your eastern border, draw a line from Hazar-enan to Shepham. ¹¹ The border will go down from Shepham to Riblah east of Ain.^(L) It will continue down and reach the eastern slope of the Sea of Chinnereth.^{[d](M) 12} Then the border will go down to the Jordan and end at the Dead Sea. This will be your land defined by its borders on all sides.”

¹³ So Moses commanded the Israelites, “This is the land you are to receive by lot as an inheritance, which the Lord commanded to be given to the nine and a half tribes. ¹⁴ For the tribe of Reuben’s descendants and the tribe of Gad’s descendants have received their inheritance according to their ancestral families,^[e] and half the tribe of Manasseh has received its inheritance. ¹⁵ The two and a half tribes have received their inheritance^(N) across the Jordan east of Jericho, toward the sunrise.”