Les quarante-huit villes des Lévites
V. 1-8: cf. (Ge 49:5-7. De 33:8-11.) No 35:1-8.1 Les chefs de famille des Lévites s’approchèrent du sacrificateur Éléazar, de Josué, fils de Nun, et des chefs de famille des tribus des enfants d’Israël. 2 Ils leur parlèrent à Silo, dans le pays de Canaan, et dirent: L’Éternel a ordonné par Moïse qu’on nous donnât des villes pour habitation, et leurs banlieues pour notre bétail. 3 Les enfants d’Israël donnèrent alors aux Lévites, sur leur héritage, les villes suivantes et leurs banlieues, d’après l’ordre de l’Éternel. 4 On tira le sort pour les familles des Kehathites; et les Lévites, fils du sacrificateur Aaron, eurent par le sort treize villes de la tribu de Juda, de la tribu de Siméon et de la tribu de Benjamin; 5 les autres fils de Kehath eurent par le sort dix villes des familles de la tribu d’Éphraïm, de la tribu de Dan et de la demi-tribu de Manassé. 6 Les fils de Guerschon eurent par le sort treize villes des familles de la tribu d’Issacar, de la tribu d’Aser, de la tribu de Nephthali et de la demi-tribu de Manassé en Basan. 7 Les fils de Merari, selon leurs familles, eurent douze villes de la tribu de Ruben, de la tribu de Gad et de la tribu de Zabulon. 8 Les enfants d’Israël donnèrent aux Lévites, par le sort, ces villes et leurs banlieues, comme l’Éternel l’avait ordonné par Moïse.
V. 9-26: cf. 1 Ch 6:50-60.9 Ils donnèrent de la tribu des fils de Juda et de la tribu des fils de Siméon les villes qui vont être nominativement désignées, 10 et qui furent pour les fils d’Aaron d’entre les familles des Kehathites et des fils de Lévi, car le sort les avait indiqués les premiers. 11 Ils leur donnèrent Kirjath-Arba, qui est Hébron, dans la montagne de Juda, et la banlieue qui l’entoure: Arba était le père d’Anak. 12 Le territoire de la ville et ses villages furent accordés à Caleb, fils de Jephunné, pour sa possession. 13 Ils donnèrent donc aux fils du sacrificateur Aaron la ville de refuge pour les meurtriers, Hébron et sa banlieue, Libna et sa banlieue, 14 Jatthir et sa banlieue, Eschthemoa et sa banlieue, 15 Holon et sa banlieue, Debir et sa banlieue, 16 Aïn et sa banlieue, Jutta et sa banlieue, et Beth-Schémesch et sa banlieue, neuf villes de ces deux tribus; 17 et de la tribu de Benjamin, Gabaon et sa banlieue, Guéba et sa banlieue, 18 Anathoth et sa banlieue, et Almon et sa banlieue, quatre villes. 19 Total des villes des sacrificateurs, fils d’Aaron: treize villes, et leurs banlieues. 20 Les Lévites appartenant aux familles des autres fils de Kehath eurent par le sort des villes de la tribu d’Éphraïm. 21 On leur donna la ville de refuge pour les meurtriers, Sichem et sa banlieue, dans la montagne d’Éphraïm, Guézer et sa banlieue, 22 Kibtsaïm et sa banlieue, et Beth-Horon et sa banlieue, quatre villes; 23 de la tribu de Dan, Eltheké et sa banlieue, Guibbethon et sa banlieue, 24 Ajalon et sa banlieue, et Gath-Rimmon et sa banlieue, quatre villes; 25 et de la demi-tribu de Manassé, Thaanac et sa banlieue, et Gath-Rimmon et sa banlieue, deux villes. 26 Total des villes: dix, et leurs banlieues, pour les familles des autres fils de Kehath.
V. 27-42: cf. 1 Ch 6:66-81.27 On donna aux fils de Guerschon, d’entre les familles des Lévites: de la demi-tribu de Manassé, la ville de refuge pour les meurtriers, Golan en Basan et sa banlieue, et Beeschthra et sa banlieue, deux villes; 28 de la tribu d’Issacar, Kischjon et sa banlieue, Dabrath et sa banlieue, 29 Jarmuth et sa banlieue, et En-Gannim et sa banlieue, quatre villes; 30 de la tribu d’Aser, Mischeal et sa banlieue, Abdon et sa banlieue, 31 Helkath et sa banlieue, et Rehob et sa banlieue, quatre villes; 32 et de la tribu de Nephthali, la ville de refuge pour les meurtriers, Kédesch en Galilée et sa banlieue, Hammoth-Dor et sa banlieue, et Karthan et sa banlieue, trois villes. 33 Total des villes des Guerschonites, selon leurs familles: treize villes et leurs banlieues. 34 On donna au reste des Lévites, qui appartenaient aux familles des fils de Merari: de la tribu de Zabulon, Jokneam et sa banlieue, Kartha et sa banlieue, 35 Dimna et sa banlieue, et Nahalal et sa banlieue, quatre villes; 36 de la tribu de Ruben, Betser et sa banlieue, Jahtsa et sa banlieue, 37 Kedémoth et sa banlieue, et Méphaath et sa banlieue, quatre villes; 38 et de la tribu de Gad, la ville de refuge pour les meurtriers, Ramoth en Galaad et sa banlieue, Mahanaïm et sa banlieue, 39 Hesbon et sa banlieue, et Jaezer et sa banlieue, en tout quatre villes. 40 Total des villes qui échurent par le sort aux fils de Merari, selon leurs familles, formant le reste des familles des Lévites: douze villes. 41 Total des villes des Lévites au milieu des propriétés des enfants d’Israël: quarante-huit villes, et leurs banlieues. 42 Chacune de ces villes avait sa banlieue qui l’entourait; il en était de même pour toutes ces villes.
V. 43-45: cf. Ge 15:18-21. (Né 9:8, 22-25. Ps 105:8-11, 42-45.) Jos 23.43 C’est ainsi que l’Éternel donna à Israël tout le pays qu’il avait juré de donner à leurs pères; ils en prirent possession et s’y établirent. 44 L’Éternel leur accorda du repos tout alentour, comme il l’avait juré à leurs pères; aucun de leurs ennemis ne put leur résister, et l’Éternel les livra tous entre leurs mains. 45 De toutes les bonnes paroles que l’Éternel avait dites à la maison d’Israël, aucune ne resta sans effet: toutes s’accomplirent.
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.