Knox Bible

1

Meanwhile the clans descended from Juda had their territory marked out thus. It marched with Edom, with the desert of Sin that stretches out towards the midday sun, at the southernmost point of all.

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Beginning at the end of the Salt Sea, that is, at its southern bay,

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the frontier followed the Scorpion Pass till it crossed over to Sina, then climbed up to Cades-Barne, and so reached Esron. Then it climbed up to Addar, and curved round Carcaa;

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from which point it crossed over to Asemona, and so reached the brook of Egypt, coming to an end at the open sea. These were to be the limits of the southern frontier;

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on the east, Juda was bounded by the Salt Sea, right up to the mouth of Jordan. From the extreme bay of the Salt Sea up to Jordan the frontier went northwards;

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then it climbed up to Beth-Hagla, turned north to Beth-Araba, and went up to the Stone of Boen, son of Ruben.

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From the Valley of Achor it stretched to the borders of Debera, leaving Galgala on the north so as to climb up to Adommim on the south side of the valley; it crossed the water-course that is called the Spring of the Sun, and made its way on to the Spring of Rogel.

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Then it went up the valley of the Son of Ennom by its southern or Jebusite side, that is by Jerusalem; and thence stretched across to the mountain summit which faces Geennom from the west, and stands at the southern end of the Valley of Raphaim.

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From that summit it crossed to the well of Nephtoa, and reached as far as the villages on mount Ephron; then it curved round to Baala, which is also called Cariathiarim, the City of the Woods;

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and from Baala it went westwards as far as mount Seir, northwards to Cheslon along the side of mount Jarim, and so down to Bethsames and across to Thamma.

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Then northward along the slopes in the direction of Accaron, and round to Sechrona, and across mount Baala, and at last it reached Jebneel, and found its western end at the open sea.

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Such were the bounds within which the clans of Juda were to dwell.

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(Hebron, then called Cariath-Arbe after the father of Enac, which was assigned at the Lord’s command to Caleb, son of Jephone, was in the very heart of Juda.

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Three of the Enacim he rooted out of it, Sesai and Ahiman and Tholmai, of Enac’s true breed;

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then he attacked Dabir, which in old days was called Cariath-Sepher, the city of Writings.

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He had promised that whoever defeated and took Cariath-Sepher should have the hand of his daughter Axa in marriage;

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and it was taken by his own younger brother, Othoniel, son of Cenez, to whom he wedded his daughter Axa accordingly.

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One day he heard her sighing as she rode on her ass in his company, and asked what ailed her. She had been urged by her husband to win him a grant of land from her father.

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So her answer was, Grant me a favour; the portion thou hast given me is southern land and dry, give me well-watered land too. So he gave her the High Springs and the Low Springs both together.✻ )

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The clans of Juda, then, had their lands assigned to them;

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and these are the names of the cities they had. On the south, where Juda marched with Edom, Cabseel, Eder, Jagur,

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Cina, Dimona, Adada,

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Cades, Asor, Jethnam,

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Ziph, Telem, Baloth,

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New Asor (or Cariath-Hesron, which is the same as Asor),

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Amam, Sama, Molada,

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Asergadda, Hassemon, Bethphelet,

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Hasersual, Bersabes, Baziothia,

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Baala, Jim, Esem,

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Eltholad, Cesil, Harma,

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Siceleg, Medemena, Sensenna,

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Lebaoth, Selim, Aen, and Remmon, twenty-nine cities in all.✻

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In the lowlands, Estaol, Sarea, Asena,

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Zanoe, Aengannim, Taphua, Enaim,

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Jerimoth, Adullam, Socho, Azeca,

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Saraim, Adithaim, Gedera and Gederothaim, fourteen in all.

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West of these, Sanan, Hadassa, Magdalgad,

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Delean, Masepha, Jecthel,

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Lachis, Bascath, Eglon,

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Chebbon, Leheman, Cethlis,

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Gideroth, Bethdagon, Naama and Maceda, sixteen in all.

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North of these, Labana, Ether, Asan,

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Jephtha, Esna, Nesib,

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Ceila, Achzib and Maresa, nine in all.

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And below these, Accaron with its townships and villages,

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the part between Accaron and the sea, and the approaches to the region of Azotus;

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Azotus with its townships and villages, Gaza with its townships and villages, and so down to the brook of Egypt, with the open sea for frontier.

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In the hill-country, Samir, Jether, Socoth,

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Danna, Cariath-Senna (or Dabir),

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Anab, Istemo, Anim,

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Gosen, Olon and Gilo, eleven in all.

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Arab, Ruma, Esaan,

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Janum, Beththaphua, Apheca,

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Athmatha, Cariath-Arbe (or Hebron) and Sior, nine in all.

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Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Jota,

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Jezrael, Jucadam, Zanoe,

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Accain, Gabaa and Thamna, ten in all.

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Halhul, Bessur, Gedor,

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Mareth, Bethanoth, Eltecon, six in all.

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And two cities besides, Cariath-Baal (or Cariathiarim), the City of the Woods, and Arebba.

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And in the desert by the Salt Sea, Betharaba, Meddin, Sachacha,

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Nebsan, and the City of Salt, and Engaddi, six in all. And with each city went the villages that surrounded it.

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But the Jebusites that dwelt in Jerusalem the sons of Juda could never exterminate, so there are Jebusites living in Jerusalem side by side with the men of Juda to this day.