131 And Joshua is old, entering into days, and Jehovah saith unto him, 'Thou hast become aged, thou hast entered into days; as to the land, very much hath been left to possess. 2 'This 'is' the land that is left; all the circuits of the Philistines, and all Geshuri, 3 from Sihor which 'is' on the front of Egypt, and unto the border of Ekron northward, to the Canaanite it is reckoned, five princes of the Philistines, the Gazathite, and the Ashdothite, the Eshkalonite, the Gittite, and the Ekronite, also the Avim. 4 'From the south, all the land of the Canaanite, and Mearah, which 'is' to the Sidonians, unto Aphek, unto the border of the Amorite; 5 and the land of the Giblite, and all Lebanon, at the sun-rising, from Baal-Gad under mount Hermon, unto the going in to Hamath: 6 all the inhabitants of the hill-country, from Lebanon unto Misrephoth-Maim, all the Sidonians: I—I dispossess them before the sons of Israel; only, cause it to fall to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee.
7 'And now, apportion this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes, and the half of the tribe of Manasseh,'— 8 with it the Reubenite, and the Gadite, have received their inheritance, which Moses hath given to them beyond the Jordan eastward, as Moses servant of Jehovah hath given to them; 9 from Aroer, which 'is' on the edge of the brook Arnon, and the city which 'is' in the midst of the brook, and all the plain of Medeba unto Dihon, 10 and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorite, who reigned in Heshbon, unto the border of the Bene-Ammon, 11 and Gilead, and the border of the Geshurite, and of the Maachathite, and all mount Hermon, and all Bashan unto Salcah; 12 all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei; he was left of the remnant of the Rephaim, and Moses doth smite them, and dispossess them; 13 and the sons of Israel dispossessed not the Geshurite, and the Maachathite; and Geshur and Maachath dwell in the midst of Israel unto this day.
14 Only, to the tribe of Levi he hath not given an inheritance; fire-offerings of Jehovah, God of Israel, is its inheritance, as He hath spoken to it. 15 And Moses giveth to the tribe of the sons of Reuben, for their families; 16 and the border is to them from Aroer, which 'is' on the edge of the brook Arnon, and the city which 'is' in the midst of the brook, and all the plain by Medeba, 17 Heshbon, and all its cities which 'are' in the plain, Dibon, and Bamoth-Baal, and Beth-Baal-Meon, 18 and Jahazah, and Kedemoth, and Mephaath, 19 and Kirjathaim, and Sibmah, and Zareth-Shahar, in the mount of the valley, 20 and Beth-Peor, and the springs of Pisgah, and Beth-Jeshimoth, 21 and all the cities of the plain, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorite, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses smote, with the princes of Midian, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, princes of Sihon, inhabitants of the land. 22 And Balaam, son of Beor, the diviner, have the sons of Israel slain with the sword, among their wounded ones. 23 And the border of the sons of Reuben is the Jordan, and 'its' border; this 'is' the inheritance of the sons of Reuben, for their families, the cities and their villages. 24 And Moses giveth to the tribe of Gad, to the sons of Gad, for their families; 25 and the border is to them Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and the half of the land of the Bene-Ammon, unto Aroer which 'is' on the front of Rabbah, 26 and from Heshbon unto Ramath-Mispeh, and Betonim, and from Mahanaim unto the border of Debir, 27 and in the valley, Beth-Aram, and Beth-Nimrah, and Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, the Jordan and 'its' border, unto the extremity of the sea of Chinnereth, beyond the Jordan, eastward. 28 This 'is' the inheritance of the sons of Gad, for their families, the cities and their villages. 29 And Moses giveth to the half of the tribe of Manasseh; and it is to the half of the tribe of the sons of Manasseh, for their families. 30 And their border is from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the small towns of Jair, which 'are' in Bashan, sixty cities; 31 and the half of Gilead, and Ashteroth, and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, 'are' to the sons of Machir, son of Manasseh, to the half of the sons of Machir, for their families. 32 These 'are' they whom Moses caused to inherit in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan, 'by' Jericho, eastward; 33 and to the tribe of Levi Moses gave not an inheritance; Jehovah, God of Israel, Himself 'is' their inheritance, as He hath spoken to them.
141 And these 'are' they 'of' the sons of Israel who inherited in the land of Canaan, whom Eleazar the priest, and Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the sons of Israel, caused to inherit; 2 by lot 'is' their inheritance, as Jehovah commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine of the tribes, and the half of the tribe; 3 for Moses hath given the inheritance of two of the tribes, and of half of the tribe, beyond the Jordan, and to the Levites he hath not given an inheritance in their midst; 4 for the sons of Joseph hath been two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim, and they have not given a portion to the Levites in the land, except cities to dwell in, and their suburbs for their cattle, and for their possessions; 5 as Jehovah commanded Moses, so have the sons of Israel done, and they apportion the land.
6 And the sons of Judah come nigh unto Joshua in Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenezzite saith unto him, 'Thou hast known the word that Jehovah hath spoken unto Moses the man of God, concerning me and concerning thee in Kadesh-Barnea: 7 a son of forty years 'am' I in Moses, servant of Jehovah, sending me from Kadesh-Barnea, to spy the land, and I bring him back word as with my heart; 8 and my brethren who have gone up with me have caused the heart of the people to melt, and I have been fully after Jehovah my God; 9 and Moses sweareth in that day, saying, If not—the land on which thy foot hath trodden, to thee it is for inheritance, and to thy sons—to the age, for thou hast been fully after Jehovah my God. 10 'And, now, lo, Jehovah hath kept me alive, as He hath spoken, these forty and five years, since Jehovah spake this word unto Moses, when Israel went in the wilderness; and now, lo, I 'am' to-day a son of five and eighty years; 11 yet 'am' I to-day strong as in the day of Moses' sending me; as my power then, so 'is' my power now, for battle, and to go out, and to come in. 12 'And now, give to me this hill-country, of which Jehovah spake in that day, for thou didst hear in that day, for Anakim 'are' there, and cities, great, fenced; if so be Jehovah 'is' with me, then I have dispossessed them, as Jehovah hath spoken.' 13 And Joshua blesseth him, and giveth Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh for an inheritance, 14 therefore hath Hebron been to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenezzite for an inheritance unto this day, because that he was fully after Jehovah, God of Israel; 15 and the name of Hebron formerly 'is' Kirjath-Arba (he 'is' the great man among the Anakim); and the land hath rest from war.
151 And the lot for the tribe of the sons of Judah, for their families, is unto the border of Edom; the wilderness of Zin southward, at the extremity of the south; 2 and to them the south border is at the extremity of the salt sea, from the bay which is looking southward; 3 and it hath gone out unto the south to Maaleh-Akrabbim, and passed over to Zin, and gone up on the south to Kadesh-Barnea, and passed over 'to' Hezron, and gone up to Adar, and turned round to Karkaa, 4 and passed over 'to' Azmon, and gone out 'at' the brook of Egypt, and the outgoings of the border have been at the sea; this is to you the south border. 5 And the east border 'is' the salt sea, unto the extremity of the Jordan, and the border at the north quarter 'is' from the bay of the sea, at the extremity of the Jordan; 6 and the border hath gone up 'to' Beth-Hoglah, and passed over on the north of Beth-Arabah, and the border hath gone up 'to' the stone of Bohan son of Reuben: 7 and the border hath gone up towards Debir from the valley of Achor, and northward looking unto Gilgal, which 'is' over-against the ascent of Adummim, which 'is' on the south of the brook, and the border hath passed over unto the waters of En-Shemesh, and its outgoings have been unto En-Rogel; 8 and the border hath gone up the valley of the son of Hinnom, unto the side of the Jebusite on the south (it 'is' Jerusalem), and the border hath gone up unto the top of the hill-country which 'is' on the front of the valley of Hinnom westward, which 'is' in the extremity of the valley of the Rephaim northward; 9 and the border hath been marked out, from the top of the hill-country unto the fountain of the waters of Nephtoah, and hath gone out unto the cities of mount Ephron, and the border hath been marked out 'to' Baalah, (it 'is' Kirjath-Jearim); 10 and the border hath gone round from Baalah westward, unto mount Seir, and passed over unto the side of mount Jearim (it 'is' Chesalon), on the north, and gone down 'to' Beth-Shemesh, and passed over to Timnah; 11 and the border hath gone out unto the side of Ekron northward, and the border hath been marked out 'to' Shicron, and hath passed over to mount Baalah, and gone out 'to' Jabneel; and the outgoings of the border have been at the sea. 12 And the west border 'is' to the great sea, and 'its' border; this 'is' the border of the sons of Judah round about for their families.
13 And to Caleb son of Jephunneh hath he given a portion in the midst of the sons of Judah, according to the command of Jehovah to Joshua, 'even' the city of Arba, father of Anak—it 'is' Hebron. 14 And Caleb is dispossessing thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, children of Anak, 15 and he goeth up thence unto the inhabitants of Debir; and the name of Debir formerly is Kirjath-Sepher. 16 And Caleb saith, 'He who smiteth Kirjath-Sephar, and hath captured it—I have given to him Achsah my daughter for a wife.' 17 And Othniel son of Kenaz, brother of Caleb, doth capture it, and he giveth to him Achsah his daughter for a wife. 18 And it cometh to pass, in her coming in, that she persuadeth him to ask from her father a field, and she lighteth from off the ass, and Caleb saith to her, 'What—to thee?' 19 And she saith, 'Give to me a blessing; when the land of the south thou hast given me, then thou hast given to me springs of waters;' and he giveth to her the upper springs and the lower springs.
20 This 'is' the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Judah, for their families. 21 And the cities at the extremity of the tribe of the sons of Judah are unto the border of Edom in the south, 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, (it 'is' Hazor,) 26 Amam, and Shema, and Moladah, 27 and Hazar-Gaddah, and Heshmon, and Beth-Palet, 28 and Hazar-Shual, and Beer-Sheba, and Bizjothjah, 29 Baalah, and Iim, and Azem, 30 And Eltolad, and Chesil, and Hormah, 31 and Ziklag, and Madmannah, and Sansannah, 32 and Lebaoth, and Shilhim, and Ain, and Rimmon; all the cities 'are' twenty and nine, and their villages. 33 In the low country: Eshtaol, and Zoreah, and Ashnah, 34 and Zanoah, and En-Gannim, Tappuah, and Enam, 35 Jarmuth, and Adullam, Socoh, and Azekah, 36 and Sharaim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen cities and 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 Lahmam, and Kithlish, 41 and Gederoth, Beth-Dagon, and Naamah, and Makkedah; sixteen cities and their villages. 42 Libnah, and Ether, and Ashan, 43 and Jiphtah, and Ashnah, and Nezib, 44 and Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities and their villages. 45 Ekron and its towns and its villages, 46 from Ekron and westward, all that 'are' by the side of Ashdod, and their villages. 47 Ashdod, its towns and its villages, Gaza, its towns and its villages, unto the brook of Egypt, and the great sea, and 'its' border. 48 And in the hill-country: Shamir, and Jattir, and Socoh, 49 and Dannah, and Kirjath-Sannah (it 'is' Debir) 50 and Anab, and Eshtemoh, and Anim, 51 and Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities and their villages. 52 Arab, and Dumah, and Eshean, 53 and Janum, and Beth-Tappuah, and Aphekah, 54 and Humtah, and Kirjath-Arba (it 'is' Hebron), and Zior; nine cities and their villages. 55 Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah, 56 and Jezreel, and Jokdeam, and Zanoah, 57 Cain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities and their villages. 58 Halhul, Beth-Zur, and Gedor, 59 and Maarath, and Beth-Anoth, and Eltekon; six cities and their villages. 60 Kirjath-Baal (it 'is' Kirjath-Jearim), and Rabbah; two cities and their villages. 61 In the wilderness: Beth-Arabah, Middin, and Secacah, 62 and Nibshan, and the city of Salt, and En-Gedi; six cities and their villages. 63 As to the Jebusites, inhabitants of Jerusalem, the sons of Judah have not been able to dispossess them, and the Jebusite dwelleth with the sons of Judah in Jerusalem unto this day.
57 And to Elisabeth was the time fulfilled for her bringing forth, and she bare a son, 58 and the neighbours and her kindred heard that the Lord was making His kindness great with her, and they were rejoicing with her. 59 And it came to pass, on the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child, and they were calling him by the name of his father, Zacharias, 60 and his mother answering said, 'No, but he shall be called John.' 61 And they said unto her—'There is none among thy kindred who is called by this name,' 62 and they were making signs to his father, what he would wish him to be called, 63 and having asked for a tablet, he wrote, saying, 'John is his name;' and they did all wonder; 64 and his mouth was opened presently, and his tongue, and he was speaking, praising God. 65 And fear came upon all those dwelling around them, and in all the hill-country of Judea were all these sayings spoken of, 66 and all who heard did lay them up in their hearts, saying, 'What then shall this child be?' and the hand of the Lord was with him.
67 And Zacharias his father was filled with the Holy Spirit, and did prophesy, saying, 68 'Blessed 'is' the Lord, the God of Israel, Because He did look upon, And wrought redemption for His people, 69 And did raise an horn of salvation to us, In the house of David His servant, 70 As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, Which have been from the age; 71 Salvation from our enemies, And out of the hand of all hating us, 72 To do kindness with our fathers, And to be mindful of His holy covenant, 73 An oath that He sware to Abraham our father, 74 To give to us, without fear, Out of the hand of our enemies having been delivered, 75 To serve Him, in holiness and righteousness Before Him, all the days of our life. 76 And thou, child, Prophet of the Highest Shalt thou be called; For thou shalt go before the face of the Lord, To prepare His ways. 77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people In remission of their sins, 78 Through the tender mercies of our God, In which the rising from on high did look upon us, 79 To give light to those sitting in darkness and death-shade, To guide our feet to a way of peace.' 80 And the child grew, and was strengthened in spirit, and he was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto 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.
