約書亞記14:1-15

14:1 以色列人在迦南地所得的產業，就是祭司以利亞撒和嫩的兒子約書亞，並以色列各支派的族長所分給他們的，都記在下面，
14:2 是照耶和華藉摩西所吩咐的，把產業拈鬮分給九個半支派。
14:3 原來，摩西在約旦河東已經把產業分給那兩個半支派，只是在他們中間沒有把產業分給利未人。
14:4 因為約瑟的子孫是兩個支派，就是瑪拿西和以法蓮，所以沒有把地分給利未人，但給他們城邑居住，並城邑的郊野，可以牧養他們的牲畜，安置他們的財物。
14:5 耶和華怎樣吩咐摩西，以色列人就照樣行，把地分了。
14:6 那時，猶大人來到吉甲見約書亞，有基尼洗族耶孚尼的兒子迦勒對約書亞說：「耶和華在加低斯‧巴尼亞指著我與你對神人摩西所說的話，你都知道了。
14:7 耶和華的僕人摩西從加低斯‧巴尼亞打發我窺探這地，那時我正四十歲；我按著心意回報他。
14:8 然而，同我上去的眾弟兄使百姓的心消化；但我專心跟從耶和華─我的上帝。
14:9 當日摩西起誓說：『你腳所踏之地定要歸你和你的子孫永遠為業，因為你專心跟從耶和華─我的上帝。』
14:10 自從耶和華對摩西說這話的時候，耶和華照他所應許的使我存活這四十五年；其間以色列人在曠野行走。看哪，現今我八十五歲了，
14:11 我還是強壯，像摩西打發我去的那天一樣；無論是爭戰，是出入，我的力量那時如何，現在還是如何。
14:12 求你將耶和華那日應許我的這山地給我；那裡有亞衲族人，並寬大堅固的城，你也曾聽見了。或者耶和華照他所應許的與我同在，我就把他們趕出去。」
14:13 於是約書亞為耶孚尼的兒子迦勒祝福，將希伯崙給他為業。
14:14 所以希伯崙作了基尼洗族耶孚尼的兒子迦勒的產業，直到今日，因為他專心跟從耶和華─以色列的上帝。
14:15 希伯崙從前名叫基列‧亞巴；亞巴是亞衲族中最尊大的人。於是國中太平，沒有爭戰了。

 

Now these are the areas the Israelites received as an inheritance in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the tribal clans of Israel allotted to them. ² Their inheritances were assigned by lot to the nine and a half tribes, as the Lord had commanded through Moses. ³ Moses had granted the two and a half tribes their inheritance east of the Jordan but had not granted the Levites an inheritance among the rest, ⁴ for Joseph’s descendants had become two tribes—Manasseh and Ephraim. The Levites received no share of the land but only towns to live in, with pasturelands for their flocks and herds. ⁵ So the Israelites divided the land, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

⁶ Now the people of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. ⁷ I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, ⁸ but my fellow Israelites who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt in fear. I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly. ⁹ So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.’^[a]

¹⁰ “Now then, just as the Lord promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! ¹¹ I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. ¹² Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”

¹³ Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance. ¹⁴ So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the Lord, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly. ¹⁵ (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba after Arba, who was the greatest man among the Anakites.)

Then the land had rest from war.

 

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    約書亞把約旦河以西之地分配給9個半支派，因為兩個半支派是得約旦河東之地。但是，約瑟的子孫是兩個支派，就是瑪拿西和以法蓮。所以利未支派不算的話，仍然是12支派。只是利未之派的產業是上帝，河東和河西都沒有土地。

 

    然而分完土地之後，又出現了一個插曲，就是沉寂很久的迦勒先生又上台了！因為他們那一代的以色列人，只有他和約書亞兩人進入迦南地！為甚麼有這樣的特權呢？就要回溯到《民數記》13:1-14:10這段記載，在大家對禁入迦南地感到失望之時，只有迦勒和約書亞大力鼓吹百姓，要相信上帝的應許！

 

    也因為這樣上帝讚許迦勒：「惟獨我的僕人迦勒，因他另有一個心志，專一跟從我，我就把他領進他所去過的那地；他的後裔也必得那地為業。」(民數記14:24）

 

    所以，迦勒一直將這樣的話放在心中，所以他在大家分完土地之後，再次將往事說出來，因為這樣的應許是上帝透過摩西宣告的，所以他會說摩西宣告說：「你腳所踏之地定要歸你和你的子孫永遠為業，因為你專心跟從耶和華─我的上帝。」

 

    也因為這樣的話，使迦勒在後來的45年中，不隨從那些作惡的人，不爭權、不奪利！不僅無此，老當益壯，正如他所說：「看哪，現今我八十五歲了，

14:11 我還是強壯，像摩西打發我去的那天一樣；無論是爭戰，是出入，我的力量那時如何，現在還是如何。」

 

    也因為這樣，他就得了希伯崙給他為業！而這希伯崙將來還成為他的子孫大衛王的根據地呢！可見心中有上帝的話很重要！你心中有沒有上帝的話，如同迦勒？