約書亞記21:1-45

21:1 那時，利未人的眾族長來到祭司以利亞撒和嫩的兒子約書亞，並以色列各支派的族長面前，
21:2 在迦南地的示羅對他們說：「從前耶和華藉著摩西吩咐給我們城邑居住，並城邑的郊野可以牧養我們的牲畜。」
21:3 於是以色列人照耶和華所吩咐的，從自己的地業中，將以下所記的城邑和城邑的郊野給了利未人。
21:4 為哥轄族拈鬮：利未人的祭司、亞倫的子孫，從猶大支派、西緬支派、便雅憫支派的地業中，按鬮得了十三座城。
21:5 哥轄其餘的子孫，從以法蓮支派、但支派、瑪拿西半支派的地業中，按鬮得了十座城。
21:6 革順的子孫，從以薩迦支派、亞設支派、拿弗他利支派、住巴珊的瑪拿西半支派的地業中，按鬮得了十三座城。
21:7 米拉利的子孫，按著宗族，從流便支派、迦得支派、西布倫支派的地業中，按鬮得了十二座城。
21:8 以色列人照著耶和華藉摩西所吩咐的，將這些城邑和城邑的郊野，按鬮分給利未人。
21:9 從猶大支派、西緬支派的地業中，將以下所記的城給了利未支派哥轄宗族亞倫的子孫；因為給他們拈出頭一鬮，
21:10 【併於上節】
21:11 將猶大山地的基列‧亞巴和四圍的郊野給了他們。亞巴是亞衲族的始祖。（基列‧亞巴就是希伯崙）。
21:12 惟將屬城的田地和村莊給了耶孚尼的兒子迦勒為業。
21:13 以色列人將希伯崙，就是誤殺人的逃城和屬城的郊野，給了祭司亞倫的子孫；又給他們立拿和屬城的郊野，
21:14 雅提珥和屬城的郊野，以實提莫和屬城的郊野，
21:15 何崙和屬城的郊野，底璧和屬城的郊野，
21:16 亞因和屬城的郊野，淤他和屬城的郊野，伯‧示麥和屬城的郊野，共九座城，都是從這二支派中分出來的。
21:17 又從便雅憫支派的地業中給了他們基遍和屬城的郊野，迦巴和屬城的郊野，
21:18 亞拿突和屬城的郊野，亞勒們和屬城的郊野，共四座城。
21:19 亞倫子孫作祭司的共有十三座城，還有屬城的郊野。
21:20 利未支派中哥轄的宗族，就是哥轄其餘的子孫，拈鬮所得的城有從以法蓮支派中分出來的。
21:21 以色列人將以法蓮山地的示劍，就是誤殺人的逃城和屬城的郊野，給了他們；又給他們基色和屬城的郊野，
21:22 基伯先和屬城的郊野，伯‧和崙和屬城的郊野，共四座城；
21:23 又從但支派的地業中給了他們伊利提基和屬城的郊野，基比頓和屬城的郊野，
21:24 亞雅崙和屬城的郊野，迦特‧臨門和屬城的郊野，共四座城；
21:25 又從瑪拿西半支派的地業中給了他們他納和屬城的郊野，迦特‧臨門和屬城的郊野，共兩座城。
21:26 哥轄其餘的子孫共有十座城，還有屬城的郊野。
21:27 以色列人又從瑪拿西半支派的地業中將巴珊的哥蘭，就是誤殺人的逃城和屬城的郊野，給了利未支派革順的子孫；又給他們比‧施提拉和屬城的郊野，共兩座城；
21:28 又從以薩迦支派的地業中給了他們基善和屬城的郊野，大比拉和屬城的郊野，
21:29 耶末和屬城的郊野，隱‧干寧和屬城的郊野，共四座城；
21:30 又從亞設支派的地業中給了他們米沙勒和屬城的郊野，押頓和屬城的郊野，
21:31 黑甲和屬城的郊野，利合和屬城的郊野，共四座城；
21:32 又從拿弗他利支派的地業中將加利利的基低斯，就是誤殺人的逃城和屬城的郊野，給了他們；又給他們哈末‧多珥和屬城的郊野，加珥坦和屬城的郊野，共三座城。
21:33 革順人按著宗族所得的城，共十三座，還有屬城的郊野。
21:34 其餘利未支派米拉利子孫，從西布倫支派的地業中所得的，就是約念和屬城的郊野，加珥他和屬城的郊野，
21:35 丁拿和屬城的郊野，拿哈拉和屬城的郊野，共四座城；
21:36 又從流便支派的地業中給了他們比悉和屬城的郊野，雅雜和屬城的郊野，
21:37 基底莫和屬城的郊野，米法押和屬城的郊野，共四座城；
21:38 又從迦得支派的地業中，將基列的拉末，就是誤殺人的逃城和屬城的郊野，給了他們；又給他們瑪哈念和屬城的郊野，
21:39 希實本和屬城的郊野，雅謝和屬城的郊野，共四座城。
21:40 其餘利未支派的人，就是米拉利的子孫，按著宗族拈鬮所得的，共十二座城。
21:41 利未人在以色列人的地業中所得的城，共四十八座，並有屬城的郊野。
21:42 這些城四圍都有屬城的郊野，城城都是如此。
21:43 這樣，耶和華將從前向他們列祖起誓所應許的全地賜給以色列人，他們就得了為業，住在其中。
21:44 耶和華照著向他們列祖起誓所應許的一切話，使他們四境平安；他們一切仇敵中，沒有一人在他們面前站立得住。耶和華把一切仇敵都交在他們手中。
21:45 耶和華應許賜福給以色列家的話一句也沒有落空，都應驗了。

  Now the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the other tribal families of Israel ² at Shiloh in Canaan and said to them, “The Lord commanded through Moses that you give us towns to live in, with pasturelands for our livestock.” ³ So, as the Lord had commanded, the Israelites gave the Levites the following towns and pasturelands out of their own inheritance:

⁴ The first lot came out for the Kohathites, according to their clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest were allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin. ⁵ The rest of Kohath’s descendants were allotted ten towns from the clans of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan and half of Manasseh.

⁶ The descendants of Gershon were allotted thirteen towns from the clans of the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

⁷ The descendants of Merari, according to their clans, received twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun.

⁸ So the Israelites allotted to the Levites these towns and their pasturelands, as the Lord had commanded through Moses.

⁹ From the tribes of Judah and Simeon they allotted the following towns by name ¹⁰ (these towns were assigned to the descendants of Aaron who were from the Kohathite clans of the Levites, because the first lot fell to them):

¹¹ They gave them Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), with its surrounding pastureland, in the hill country of Judah. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.) ¹² But the fields and villages around the city they had given to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession.

¹³ So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron (a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Libnah, ¹⁴ Jattir, Eshtemoa, ¹⁵ Holon, Debir, ¹⁶ Ain, Juttah and Beth Shemesh, together with their pasturelands—nine towns from these two tribes.

¹⁷ And from the tribe of Benjamin they gave them Gibeon, Geba, ¹⁸ Anathoth and Almon, together with their pasturelands—four towns.

¹⁹ The total number of towns for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, came to thirteen, together with their pasturelands.

²⁰ The rest of the Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted towns from the tribe of Ephraim:

²¹ In the hill country of Ephraim they were given Shechem (a city of refuge for one accused of murder) and Gezer, ²² Kibzaim and Beth Horon, together with their pasturelands—four towns.

²³ Also from the tribe of Dan they received Eltekeh, Gibbethon, ²⁴ Aijalon and Gath Rimmon, together with their pasturelands—four towns.

²⁵ From half the tribe of Manasseh they received Taanach and Gath Rimmon, together with their pasturelands—two towns.

²⁶ All these ten towns and their pasturelands were given to the rest of the Kohathite clans.

²⁷ The Levite clans of the Gershonites were given:

from the half-tribe of Manasseh,

Golan in Bashan (a city of refuge for one accused of murder) and Be Eshterah, together with their pasturelands—two towns;

²⁸ from the tribe of Issachar,

Kishion, Daberath, ²⁹ Jarmuth and En Gannim, together with their pasturelands—four towns;

³⁰ from the tribe of Asher,

Mishal, Abdon, ³¹ Helkath and Rehob, together with their pasturelands—four towns;

³² from the tribe of Naphtali,

Kedesh in Galilee (a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Hammoth Dor and Kartan, together with their pasturelands—three towns.

³³ The total number of towns of the Gershonite clans came to thirteen, together with their pasturelands.

³⁴ The Merarite clans (the rest of the Levites) were given:

from the tribe of Zebulun,

Jokneam, Kartah, ³⁵ Dimnah and Nahalal, together with their pasturelands—four towns;

³⁶ from the tribe of Reuben,

Bezer, Jahaz, ³⁷ Kedemoth and Mephaath, together with their pasturelands—four towns;

³⁸ from the tribe of Gad,

Ramoth in Gilead (a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Mahanaim, ³⁹ Heshbon and Jazer, together with their pasturelands—four towns in all.

⁴⁰ The total number of towns allotted to the Merarite clans, who were the rest of the Levites, came to twelve.

⁴¹ The towns of the Levites in the territory held by the Israelites were forty-eight in all, together with their pasturelands. ⁴² Each of these towns had pasturelands surrounding it; this was true for all these towns.

⁴³ So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. ⁴⁴ The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their ancestors. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord gave all their enemies into their hands. ⁴⁵ Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

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    利未人雖然沒有固定的地區當根據地，卻是散居在各支派當中，可以讓各地區都有利未人在其中，使以色列人可以看重敬拜上帝的事情，讓各個支派都可以有祭司在它們中間，教導他們律法和進行獻祭的事情。

    在今日基督徒散居在世界各個角落，也要發揮祭司的功能，帶領人來認識上帝的救恩，使人知道要敬畏上帝，並且只有靠耶穌基督的代贖，人才可以享受上帝的賜福，脫離罪和死的轄制，獲得聖靈和生命成為將來與基督同做王的憑據！

    我們既然有這樣的呼召，就不要掛意自己是不是全職的傳道人，只要是立志要跟隨耶穌基督為救主，就要勇敢為主耶穌做見證，使人離開罪惡的權勢，進入光明的國度！