131 Now Joshua was old and advanced in years when the Lord said to him, "You are old and advanced in years , and very much of the land remains to be possessed . 2 "This is the land that remains : all the regions of the Philistines and all those of the Geshurites ; 3 from the Shihor which is east e of Egypt , even as far as the border of Ekron to the north (it is counted as Canaanite ); the five lords of the Philistines : the Gazite , the Ashdodite , the Ashkelonite , the Gittite , the Ekronite ; and the Avvite 4 to the south , all the land of the Canaanite , and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians , as far as Aphek , to the border of the Amorite ; 5 and the land of the Gebalite , and all of Lebanon , toward the east e , from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon as far as Lebo-hamath . 6 "All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon as far as Misrephoth-maim , all the Sidonians , I will drive them out from before e the sons of Israel ; only allot it to Israel for an inheritance as I have commanded you.
7 "Now therefore, apportion this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe e of Manasseh ." 8 With the other half-tribe, the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance which Moses gave them beyond the Jordan to the east , just as Moses the servant of the Lord gave to them; 9 from Aroer , which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon , with the city which is in the middle of the valley , and all the plain of Medeba , as far as Dibon ; 10 and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites , who reigned in Heshbon , as far as the border of the sons of Ammon ; 11 and Gilead , and the territory of the Geshurites and Maacathites , and all Mount Hermon , and all Bashan as far as Salecah ; 12 all the kingdom of Og in Bashan , who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei (he alone was left of the remnant of the Rephaim ); for Moses struck them and dispossessed them. 13 But the sons of Israel did not dispossess the Geshurites or the Maacathites ; for Geshur and Maacath live among Israel until this day .
14 Only to the tribe of Levi he did not give an inheritance ; the offerings by fire to the Lord , the God of Israel , are their inheritance , as He spoke to him. 15 So Moses gave an inheritance to the tribe of the sons of Reuben according to their families . 16 Their territory was from Aroer , which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon , with the city which is in the middle of the valley and all the plain by Medeba ; 17 Heshbon , and all its cities which are on the plain : Dibon and Bamoth-baal and Beth-baal-meon , 18 and Jahaz and Kedemoth and Mephaath , 19 and Kiriathaim and Sibmah and Zereth-shahar on the hill of the valley , 20 and Beth-peor and the slopes of Pisgah and Beth-jeshimoth , 21 even all the cities of the plain and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites who reigned in Heshbon , whom Moses struck with the chiefs of Midian , Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba , the princes of Sihon , who lived in the land . 22 The sons of Israel also killed Balaam the son of Beor , the diviner , with the sword among the rest of their slain . 23 The border of the sons of Reuben was the Jordan . This was the inheritance of the sons of Reuben according to their families , the cities and their villages . 24 Moses also gave an inheritance to the tribe of Gad , to the sons of Gad , according to their families . 25 Their territory was Jazer , and all the cities of Gilead , and half the land of the sons of Ammon , as far as Aroer which is before e Rabbah ; 26 and from Heshbon as far as Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim , and from Mahanaim as far as the border of Debir ; 27 and in the valley , Beth-haram and Beth-nimrah and Succoth and Zaphon , the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon , with the Jordan as a border , as far as the lower end of the Sea of Chinnereth beyond the Jordan to the east . 28 This is the inheritance of the sons of Gad according to their families , the cities and their villages . 29 Moses also gave an inheritance to the half-tribe e of Manasseh ; and it was for the half-tribe e of the sons of Manasseh according to their families . 30 Their territory was from Mahanaim , all Bashan , all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan , and all the towns of Jair , which are in Bashan , sixty cities ; 31 also half of Gilead , with Ashtaroth and Edrei , the cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan , were for the sons of Machir the son of Manasseh , for half of the sons of Machir according to their families . 32 These are the territories which Moses apportioned for an inheritance in the plains of Moab , beyond e the Jordan at Jericho to the east . 33 But to the tribe of Levi , Moses did not give an inheritance ; the Lord , the God of Israel , is their inheritance , as He had promised to them.
141 Now these are the territories which the sons of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan , which Eleazar the priest , and Joshua the son of Nun , and the heads of the households of the tribes of the sons of Israel apportioned to them for an inheritance , 2 by the lot of their inheritance , as the Lord commanded through Moses , for the nine tribes and the half-tribe e . 3 For Moses had given the inheritance of the two tribes and the half-tribe e beyond e the Jordan ; but he did not give an inheritance to the Levites among them. 4 For the sons of Joseph were two tribes , Manasseh and Ephraim , and they did not give a portion to the Levites in the land , except e cities to live in, with their pasture lands for their livestock and for their property . 5 Thus the sons of Israel did just as the Lord had commanded Moses , and they divided the land .
6 Then the sons of Judah drew near to Joshua in Gilgal , and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, "You know the word which the Lord spoke to Moses the man of God concerning e you and me in Kadesh-barnea . 7 "I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land , and I brought word back to him as it was in my heart . 8 "Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt with fear ; but I followed the Lord my God fully . 9 "So Moses swore on that day , saying , 'Surely e the land on which your foot has trodden will be an inheritance to you and to your children forever e , because you have followed the Lord my God fully .' 10 "Now behold , the Lord has let me live , just as He spoke , these forty-five e years , from the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses , when Israel walked in the wilderness ; and now behold , I am eighty-five years old today . 11 " I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then , so my strength is now , for war and for going out and coming in. 12 "Now then, give me this hill country about which the Lord spoke on that day , for you heard on that day that Anakim were there , with great fortified cities ; perhaps the Lord will be with me, and I will drive them out as the Lord has spoken ." 13 So Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance . 14 Therefore e , Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite until this day , because e he followed the Lord God of Israel fully . 15 Now the name of Hebron was formerly Kiriath-arba ; for Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim . Then the land had rest from war .
151 Now the lot for the tribe of the sons of Judah according to their families reached the border of Edom , southward to the wilderness of Zin at the extreme south . 2 Their south border was from the lower end of the Salt Sea , from the bay that turns to the south . 3 Then it proceeded southward to the ascent of Akrabbim and continued to Zin , then went up by the south of Kadesh-barnea and continued to Hezron , and went up to Addar and turned about to Karka . 4 It continued to Azmon and proceeded to the brook of Egypt , and the border ended e at the sea . This shall be your south border . 5 The east border was the Salt Sea , as far as the mouth of the Jordan . And the border of the north side was from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan . 6 Then the border went up to Beth-hoglah , and continued on the north of Beth-arabah , and the border went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben . 7 The border went up to Debir from the valley of Achor , and turned northward toward Gilgal which is opposite the ascent of Adummim , which is on the south of the valley ; and the border continued to the waters of En-shemesh and it ended e at En-rogel . 8 Then the border went up the valley of Ben-hinnom e to the slope of the Jebusite on the south (that is, Jerusalem ); and the border went up to the top of the mountain which is before e the valley of Hinnom to the west , which is at the end of the valley of Rephaim toward the north . 9 From the top of the mountain the border curved to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah and proceeded to the cities of Mount Ephron , then the border curved to Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim ). 10 The border turned about from Baalah westward to Mount Seir , and continued to the slope of Mount Jearim on the north (that is, Chesalon ), and went down to Beth-shemesh and continued through Timnah . 11 The border proceeded to the side of Ekron northward . Then the border curved to Shikkeron and continued to Mount Baalah and proceeded to Jabneel , and the border ended e at the sea . 12 The west border was at the Great Sea , even its coastline . This is the border around the sons of Judah according to their families .
13 Now he gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh a portion among the sons of Judah , according to the command of the Lord to Joshua , namely, Kiriath-arba , Arba being the father of Anak (that is, Hebron ). 14 Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak : Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai , the children of Anak . 15 Then he went up from there against the inhabitants of Debir ; now the name of Debir formerly was Kiriath-sepher . 16 And Caleb said , "The one who attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give him Achsah my daughter as a wife ." 17 Othniel the son of Kenaz , the brother of Caleb , captured it; so he gave him Achsah his daughter as a wife . 18 It came about that when she came to him, she persuaded him to ask her father for a field . So she alighted from the donkey , and Caleb said to her, "What do you want?" 19 Then she said , "Give me a blessing ; since you have given me the land of the Negev , give me also springs of water ." So he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs .
20 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Judah according to their families . 21 Now the cities at the extremity of the tribe of the sons of Judah toward the border of Edom in the south were Kabzeel and Eder and Jagur , 22 and Kinah and Dimonah and Adadah , 23 and Kedesh and Hazor and Ithnan , 24 Ziph and Telem and Bealoth , 25 and Hazor-hadattah and Kerioth-hezron e (that is, Hazor ), 26 Amam and Shema and Moladah , 27 and Hazar-gaddah and Heshmon and Beth-pelet , 28 and Hazar-shual and Beersheba and Biziothiah , 29 Baalah and Iim and Ezem , 30 and Eltolad and Chesil and Hormah , 31 and Ziklag and Madmannah and Sansannah , 32 and Lebaoth and Shilhim and Ain and Rimmon ; in all , twenty-nine e cities with their villages . 33 In the lowland : Eshtaol and Zorah and Ashnah , 34 and Zanoah and En-gannim , Tappuah and Enam , 35 Jarmuth and Adullam , Socoh and Azekah , 36 and Shaaraim and Adithaim and Gederah and Gederothaim ; fourteen e cities with their villages . 37 Zenan and Hadashah and Migdal-gad , 38 and Dilean and Mizpeh and Joktheel , 39 Lachish and Bozkath and Eglon , 40 and Cabbon and Lahmas and Chitlish , 41 and Gederoth , Beth-dagon and Naamah and Makkedah ; sixteen e cities with their villages . 42 Libnah and Ether and Ashan , 43 and Iphtah and Ashnah and Nezib , 44 and Keilah and Achzib and Mareshah ; nine cities with their villages . 45 Ekron , with its towns and its villages ; 46 from Ekron even to the sea , all that were by the side of Ashdod , with their villages . 47 Ashdod , its towns and its villages ; Gaza , its towns and its villages ; as far as the brook of Egypt and the Great Sea , even its coastline . 48 In the hill country : Shamir and Jattir and Socoh , 49 and Dannah and Kiriath-sannah (that is, Debir ), 50 and Anab and Eshtemoh and Anim , 51 and Goshen and Holon and Giloh ; eleven e cities with their villages . 52 Arab and Dumah and Eshan , 53 and Janum and Beth-tappuah and Aphekah , 54 and Humtah and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron ), and Zior ; nine cities with their villages . 55 Maon , Carmel and Ziph and Juttah , 56 and Jezreel and Jokdeam and Zanoah , 57 Kain , Gibeah and Timnah ; ten cities with their villages . 58 Halhul , Beth-zur and Gedor , 59 and Maarath and Beth-anoth and Eltekon ; six cities with their villages . 60 Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim ), and Rabbah ; two cities with their villages . 61 In the wilderness : Beth-arabah , Middin and Secacah , 62 and Nibshan and the City of Salt and Engedi ; six cities with their villages . 63 Now as for the Jebusites , the inhabitants of Jerusalem , the sons of Judah could not drive them out; so the Jebusites live with the sons of Judah at Jerusalem until this day .
57 Now the time [1]had come for Elizabeth to give birth , and she gave birth to a son . 58 Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had [2] displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her. 59 And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child , and they were going to call him Zacharias , [3]after his father . 60 But his mother answered and said , "No indeed ; but he shall be called John ." 61 And they said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name ." 62 And they made signs to his father , as to what e he wanted him called . 63 And he asked for a tablet and wrote as follows , " His name is John ." And they were all astonished . 64 And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God . 65 Fear came on all those living around them; and all these matters were being talked about in all the hill country of Judea . 66 All who heard them kept them in mind , saying , "What then will this child turn out to be?" For the hand of the Lord was certainly with him.
67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit , and prophesied , saying : 68 " Blessed be the Lord God of Israel , For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people , 69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David His servant - 70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old - 71 [4] Salvation FROM OUR ENEMIES , And FROM THE HAND OF ALL WHO HATE US; 72 To show mercy toward our fathers , And to remember His holy covenant , 73 The oath which He swore to Abraham our father , 74 To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies , Might serve Him without fear , 75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days . 76 "And you, child , will be called the prophet of the Most High ; For you will go on BEFORE THE Lord TO PREPARE HIS WAYS ; 77 To give to His people the knowledge of salvation [5]By the forgiveness of their sins , 78 Because of the tender mercy of our God , With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, 79 TO SHINE UPON THOSE WHO SIT IN DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH , To guide our feet into the way of peace ." 80 And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit , and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel .
(Read Luke 1:57-66)
In these verses we have an account of the birth of John the Baptist, and the great joy among all the relations of the family. He shall be called Johanan, or "Gracious," because he shall bring in the gospel of Christ, wherein God's grace shines most bright. Zacharias recovered his speech. Unbelief closed his mouth, and believing opened it again: he believers, therefore he speaks. When God opens our lips, our mouths must show forth his praise; and better be without speech, than not use it in praising God. It is said, The hand of the Lord was working with John. God has ways of working on children in their infancy, which we cannot account for. We should observe the dealings of God, and wait the event.
(Read Luke 1:67-80)
Zacharias uttered a prophecy concerning the kingdom and salvation of the Messiah. The gospel brings light with it; in it the day dawns. In John the Baptist it began to break, and increased apace to the perfect day. The gospel is discovering; it shows that about which we were utterly in the dark; it is to give light to those that sit in darkness, the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. It is reviving; it brings light to those that sit in the shadow of death, as condemned prisoners in the dungeon. It is directing; it is to guide our feet in the way of peace, into that way which will bring us to peace at last, Romans 3:17. John gave proofs of strong faith, vigorous and holy affections, and of being above the fear and love of the world. Thus he ripened for usefulness; but he lived a retired life, till he came forward openly as the forerunner of the Messiah. Let us follow peace with all men, as well as seek peace with God and our own consciences. And if it be the will of God that we live unknown to the world, still let us diligently seek to grow strong in the grace of Jesus Christ.
