וַיֵּצֵא הַגּוֹרָל הַשֵּׁנִי לְשִׁמְעוֹן לְמַטֵּה בְנֵי שִׁמְעוֹן לְמִשְׁפְּחוֹתָם וַיְהִי נַחֲלָתָם בְּתוֹךְ נַחֲלַת בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה

The second lot of the seven that Joshua cast in Shilo came out for Simeon, for the tribe of the children of Simeon, which was divided according to their families; and their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the children of Judah.

וַיְהִי לָהֶם בְּנַחֲלָתָם בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע וְשֶׁבַע וּמוֹלָדָה

They had for their inheritance the cities of Beersheba, which was a well-known, important city, Sheva, and Molada;

וַחֲצַר שׁוּעָל וּבָלָה וָעָצֶם

and Hatzar Shual, Bala, and Etzem;

וְאֶלְתּוֹלַד וּבְתוּל וְחָרְמָה

and Eltolad, Betul, and Horma;

וְצִקְלַג וּבֵית הַמַּרְכָּבוֹת וַחֲצַר סוּסָה

and Tziklag, which later passed from Philistine control to the control of the kings of Judah, Beit Markavot, and Hatzar Susa;

וּבֵית לְבָאוֹת וְשָׁרוּחֶן עָרִים שְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה וְחַצְרֵיהֶן

and Beit Levaot, and Sharuhen; a total of thirteen cities in the region, with their surrounding areas.

עַיִן רִמּוֹן וָעֶתֶר וְעָשָׁן עָרִים אַרְבַּע וְחַצְרֵיהֶן

In addition, there were Ayin, Rimon, Eter, and Ashan; four cities and their surrounding areas;

וְכָל הַחֲצֵרִים אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבוֹת הֶעָרִים הָאֵלֶּה עַד בַּעֲלַת בְּאֵר רָאמַת נֶגֶב זֹאת נַחֲלַת מַטֵּה בְנֵי שִׁמְעוֹן לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם

and all the small, unwalled areas that surrounded these mostly fortified cities, up to Baalat Be’er and Ramat Negev. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families.

מֵחֶבֶל בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה נַחֲלַת בְּנֵי שִׁמְעוֹן כִּי הָיָה חֵלֶק בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה רַב מֵהֶם וַיִּנְחֲלוּ בְנֵי שִׁמְעוֹן בְּתוֹךְ נַחֲלָתָם

The inheritance of the children of Simeon was from the portion of the children of Judah, as the portion of the children of Judah was too great for them; it was very large relative to the size of their population; and the children of Simeon received their inheritance within their inheritance. However, Simeon remained an independent tribe, albeit neither a large nor an important one, and resided in the region of Beersheba and further southward.

וַיַּעַל הַגּוֹרָל הַשְּׁלִישִׁי לִבְנֵי זְבוּלֻן לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם וַיְהִי גְּבוּל נַחֲלָתָם עַד שָׂרִיד

The remaining tribal inheritances discussed in the chapter are located in the north of Canaan, with the exception of the final one. The third lot arose for the children of Zebulun according to their families, and the border of their inheritance was up to a place called Sarid.

וְעָלָה גְבוּלָם לַיָּמָּה וּמַרְעֲלָה וּפָגַע בְּדַבָּשֶׁת וּפָגַע אֶל הַנַּחַל אֲשֶׁר עַל פְּנֵי יָקְנְעָם

Their border went up to a place called Yama, or to a lake [yam], and to Marala, and reached Dabeshet; it reached the ravine that is facing Yokne’am. All of these locations are in the Galilee.

וְשָׁב מִשָּׂרִיד קֵדְמָה מִזְרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ עַל גְּבוּל כִּסְלֹת תָּבֹר וְיָצָא אֶל הַדָּבְרַת וְעָלָה יָפִיעַ

It, the border, went back from Sarid eastward, toward the rising sun, on the border of Kislot Tavor, which is close to Mount Tavor, or on the slopes of the mountain; and it came out to Dovrat, and went up to Yafia.

וּמִשָּׁם עָבַר קֵדְמָה מִזְרָחָה גִּתָּה חֵפֶר עִתָּה קָצִין וְיָצָא רִמּוֹן הַמְּתֹאָר הַנֵּעָה

From there it passed eastward to Gat Hefer, to Et Katzin, and it came out at Rimon that surrounds [meto’ar] the Ne’a. Alternatively, the word meto’ar means that the border turned out to the Ne’a. Some maintain that the verse is describing the city of Rimon itself as meto’ar, as it protruded and was surrounded by the border.

וְנָסַב אֹתוֹ הַגְּבוּל מִצְּפוֹן חַנָּתֹן וְהָיוּ תֹּצְאֹתָיו גֵּי יִפְתַּח אֵל

The border turned around it, the territory of Ne’a, at the north of Hanaton, and its terminus was at the valley of Yiftah El, one of the valleys north of Samaria, in the direction of the Yizre’el Valley. These are the cities which demarcated the border;

וְקַטָּת וְנַהֲלָל וְשִׁמְרוֹן וְיִדְאֲלָה וּבֵית לָחֶם עָרִים שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה וְחַצְרֵיהֶן

and there were other cities in the portion of Zebulun: Katat, Nahalal, Shimron, Yidala, and the Galilean Bethlehem, not the Bethlehem in Judah, which is mentioned in Judges (17:7) and Ruth (1:1); a total of twelve cities and their surrounding areas.

זֹאת נַחֲלַת בְּנֵי זְבוּלֻן לְמִשְׁפְּחוֹתָם הֶעָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וְחַצְרֵיהֶן

This is the inheritance of the children of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their surrounding areas.

לְיִשָּׂשכָר יָצָא הַגּוֹרָל הָרְבִיעִי לִבְנֵי יִשָּׂשכָר לְמִשְׁפְּחוֹתָם

The fourth lot came out for Issachar, for the children of Issachar according to their families.

וַיְהִי גְּבוּלָם יִזְרְעֶאלָה וְהַכְּסוּלֹת וְשׁוּנֵם

Their border was Yizre’el, near the Yizre’el Valley, Kesulot, and Shunem;

וַחֲפָרַיִם וְשִׁיאֹן וַאֲנָחֲרַת

and Hafarayim, Shion, and Anaharat;

וְהָרַבִּית וְקִשְׁיוֹן וָאָבֶץ

and the Rabit, Kishyon, and Evetz;

וְרֶמֶת וְעֵין גַּנִּים וְעֵין חַדָּה וּבֵית פַּצֵּץ

and Remet, Ein Ganim, Ein Hada, and Beit Patzetz.

וּפָגַע הַגְּבוּל בְּתָבוֹר וְשַׁחֲצִימָה וּבֵית שֶׁמֶשׁ וְהָיוּ תֹּצְאוֹת גְּבוּלָם הַיַּרְדֵּן עָרִים שֵׁשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה וְחַצְרֵיהֶן

The border reached Tavor, apparently from the north, and Shahatzima, and Beit Shemesh, which is not the same city as the Beit Shemesh mentioned above (15:10), which was further south; the terminus, the edge of their border was at the Jordan River; a total of sixteen cities and their surrounding areas.

זֹאת נַחֲלַת מַטֵּה בְנֵי יִשָּׂשכָר לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם הֶעָרִים וְחַצְרֵיהֶן

This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Issachar according to their families, the cities and their surrounding areas. Their portion was located northeast of the border of the children of Manasseh (see 17:10).

וַיֵצֵא הַגּוֹרָל הַחֲמִישִׁי לְמַטֵּה בְנֵי אָשֵׁר לְמִשְׁפְּחוֹתָם

The fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families.

וַיְהִי גְּבוּלָם חֶלְקַת וַחֲלִי וָבֶטֶן וְאַכְשָׁף

Their border was Helkat, Hali, Beten, and Akhshaf;

וְאַלַמֶּלֶךְ וְעַמְעָד וּמִשְׁאָל וּפָגַע בְּכַרְמֶל הַיָּמָּה וּבְשִׁיחוֹר לִבְנָת

and Alamelekh, Amad, and Mishal; it reached Carmel to the west. The western border of Asher extended as far as Carmel, which was adjacent to the sea, and Shihor Livnat, probably a stream that leads to the Mediterranean Sea.

וְשָׁב מִזְרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בֵּית דָּגֹן וּפָגַע בִּזְבֻלוּן ובְגֵי יִפְתַּח אֵל צָפוֹנָה בֵּית הָעֵמֶק וּנְעִיאֵל וְיָצָא אֶל כָּבוּל מִשְּׂמֹאל

It returned toward the rising sun to Beit Dagon, and reached Zebulun and the Valley of Yiftah El to the north of Beit Emek and Ne’iel; it, the border, went out to Kabul on the left,

וְעֶבְרֹן וּרְחֹב וְחַמּוֹן וְקָנָה עַד צִידוֹן רַבָּה

and Evron, Rehov, Hamon, and Kana, to Greater Sidon, in the kingdom of Sidon. Theoretically, the border of the inheritance intended for Asher extended far to the north, but in practice those northern portions were never inhabited by them.

וְשָׁב הַגְּבוּל הָרָמָה וְעַד עִיר מִבְצַר צֹר וְשָׁב הַגְּבוּל חֹסָה וְהָיוּ תֹצְאֹתָיו הַיָּמָּה מֵחֶבֶל אַכְזִיבָה

The border returned to Rama, and to the fortified city of Tyre, which was in the same region; the border returned to Hosa, and its terminus was at the sea from Hevel to Akhziv, on the coast in the Upper Galilee;

וְעֻמָה וַאֲפֵק וּרְחֹב עָרִים עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁתַּיִם וְחַצְרֵיהֶן

and Uma, and Afek, and Rehov; twenty-two cities and their surrounding areas.

זֹאת נַחֲלַת מַטֵּה בְנֵי אָשֵׁר לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם הֶעָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וְחַצְרֵיהֶן

This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families, these cities and their surrounding areas. Asher’s portion was situated along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the northern part of the Land of Israel.

לִבְנֵי נַפְתָּלִי יָצָא הַגּוֹרָל הַשִּׁשִּׁי לִבְנֵי נַפְתָּלִי לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם

The sixth lot came out for the children of Naphtali; for the children of Naphtali according to their families.

וַיְהִי גְבוּלָם מֵחֵלֶף מֵאֵלוֹן בְּצַעֲנַנִּים וַאֲדָמִי הַנֶּקֶב וְיַבְנְאֵל עַד לַקּוּם וַיְהִי תֹצְאֹתָיו הַיַּרְדֵּן

Their border was from Helef, from Elon Betzaananim, which is mentioned in the book of Judges (4:11), and Adami HaNekev, and Yavne’el, not the Yavne’el in the inheritance of Judah (15:11); the modern-day Yavne’el is perhaps in the same area as this one, to Lakum, and its terminus was at the Jordan.

וְשָׁב הַגְּבוּל יָמָּה אַזְנוֹת תָּבוֹר וְיָצָא מִשָּׁם חוּקֹקָה וּפָגַע בִּזְבֻלוּן מִנֶּגֶב וּבְאָשֵׁר פָּגַע מִיָּם וּבִיהוּדָה הַיַּרְדֵּן מִזְרַח הַשָּׁמֶשׁ

The border returned westward to Aznot Tavor. Mount Tavor serves as a meeting point for several of the tribes’ portions. And the border came out from there to Hukok. It reached Zebulun on the south. The northern border of Zebulun meets the southern border of Naphtali. And it reached Asher on the west, and Judah of the Jordan on the east toward the rising sun.

וְעָרֵי מִבְצָר הַצִּדִּים צֵר וְחַמַּת רַקַּת וְכִנָּרֶת

The fortified cities were HaTzidim Tzer, Hamat, named for its hot [ḥam] springs, Rakat, and Kineret, near the Sea of Galilee. The precise identity of these cities is uncertain;

וַאֲדָמָה וְהָרָמָה וְחָצוֹר

and Adama, Rama, and Hatzor, which was perhaps not under the tribe’s control;

וְקֶדֶשׁ וְאֶדְרֶעִי וְעֵין חָצוֹר

and Kedesh, also known as Kedesh Naftali, an important city on a national level. It is not the Kedesh in Judah or the Kedesh in the inheritance of Issachar; and Edre’i, and Ein Hatzor;

וְיִרְאוֹן וּמִגְדַּל אֵל חֳרֵם וּבֵית עֲנָת וּבֵית שָׁמֶשׁ עָרִים תְּשַׁע עֶשְׂרֵה וְחַצְרֵיהֶן

and Yiron, Migdal El, Horem, Beit Anat, and Beit Shemesh, the third city mentioned with that name; a total of nineteen cities and their surrounding areas.

זֹאת נַחֲלַת מַטֵּה בְנֵי נַפְתָּלִי לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם הֶעָרִים וְחַצְרֵיהֶן

This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Naphtali according to their families, the cities and their surrounding areas. One of the boundaries of the tribe of Naphtali reached the Sea of Galilee, while its main territory was further northwest, in the eastern Upper Galilee.

לְמַטֵּה בְנֵי דָן לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם יָצָא הַגּוֹרָל הַשְּׁבִיעִי

The seventh and final lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families.

וַיְהִי גְּבוּל נַחֲלָתָם צָרְעָה וְאֶשְׁתָּאוֹל וְעִיר שָׁמֶשׁ

The border of their inheritance was Tzora and Eshtaol, which are also mentioned in the book of Judges (13:25), and Ir Shemesh. The cities of Tzora and Eshtaol were listed previously among the cities of Judah (15:33), as the border of the portion of Dan ran alongside them;

וְשַׁעֲלַבִּין וְאַיָּלוֹן וְיִתְלָה

and Shaalabin, Ayalon, and Yitla;

וְאֵילוֹן וְתִמְנָתָה וְעֶקְרוֹן

and Eilon, Timna, and Ekron;

וְאֶלְתְּקֵה וְגִבְּתוֹן וּבַעֲלָת

and Eltekeh, Gibeton, and Baalat;

וִיהֻד וּבְנֵי בְרַק וְגַת רִמּוֹן

and Yehud, perhaps not far from modern-day Yehud; Benei Berak, which was not located in the exact spot of the modern-day city of that name, but was also in the region of the hills and valleys in the inheritance of Dan, northwest of the portion of Judah; and Gat Rimon;

וּמֵי הַיַּרְקוֹן וְהָרַקּוֹן עִם הַגְּבוּל מוּל יָפוֹ

Dan’s border included the waters of the Yarkon, the same small river called by that name today, and Rakon, with the border, a coastal strip, opposite Yafo. The tribe of Dan dwelled northwest of Judah and west of Benjamin.

וַיֵּצֵא גְבוּל בְּנֵי דָן מֵהֶם וַיַּעֲלוּ בְנֵי דָן וַיִּלָּחֲמוּ עִם לֶשֶׁם וַיִּלְכְּדוּ אוֹתָהּ וַיַּכּוּ אוֹתָהּ לְפִי חֶרֶב וַיִּרְשׁוּ אוֹתָהּ וַיֵּשְׁבוּ בָהּ וַיִּקְרְאוּ לְלֶשֶׁם דָּן כְּשֵׁם דָּן אֲבִיהֶם

The border of the children of Dan was beyond them, as they failed to conquer all of their inheritance. Here the verse mentions an incident that occurred much later: And the children of Dan went up and made war against Leshem, also called Layish, located near the northern edge of Israel, and originally inhabited by Sidonians. They captured it and smote it by the sword, and they took possession of it, and dwelled in it. Since large areas inland were inhabited by other tribes, while the Philistines lived on the coast, the tribe of Dan traveled far in search of another portion, until it found a quiet place that they were powerful enough to conquer and settle. They called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor. From that point onward the city was called Dan, and served as a northern landmark of the Land of Israel.

זֹאת נַחֲלַת מַטֵּה בְנֵי דָן לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם הֶעָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וְחַצְרֵיהֶן

This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities and their surrounding areas.

וַיְכַלּוּ לִנְחֹל אֶת הָאָרֶץ לִגְבוּלֹתֶיהָ וַיִּתְּנוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נַחֲלָה לִיהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן בְּתוֹכָם

They finished apportioning the land according to its borders, and the children of Israel gave a special inheritance to Joshua son of Nun in their midst, for all his accomplishments.

עַל פִּי ה'נָתְנוּ לוֹ אֶת הָעִיר אֲשֶׁר שָׁאָל אֶת תִּמְנַת סֶרַח בְּהַר אֶפְרָיִם וַיִּבְנֶה אֶת הָעִיר וַיֵּשֶׁב בָּהּ

According to the directive of the Lord, through the Urim and the Tumim or a prophet, they gave him the city that he requested, Timnat Serah in the highlands of Ephraim. Since he was from the tribe of Ephraim, he chose a small city in the inheritance of his tribe; he built the city, and he settled in it with his family.

אֵלֶּה הַנְּחָלֹת אֲשֶׁר נִחֲלוּ אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן וְרָאשֵׁי הָאָבוֹת לְמַטּוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגוֹרָל בְּשִׁלֹה לִפְנֵי ה' פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וַיְכַלּוּ מֵחַלֵּק אֶת הָאָרֶץ

In summary: These are the inheritances that Elazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the patrilineal houses of the tribes of the children of Israel apportioned by lot as an inheritance in Shilo before the Lord, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. This basic division of the land to the tribes was performed according to the word of God, as transmitted through the lot. They finished dividing the land.