Through the Bible – Day 80

₁Simeon was the second tribe chosen to receive land, and the region for its clans was inside Judah's borders. _2-6In one region of Simeon's tribal land there were the following thirteen towns with their surrounding villages:

₇In another region, Simeon had the following four towns with their surrounding villages:

₈Simeon's land also included all the other towns and villages as far south as Baalath-Beer, which is also called Ramah of the South.

₉Simeon's tribal land was actually inside Judah's territory. Judah had received too much land for the number of people in its tribe, so part of Judah's land was given to Simeon.

_10-12Zebulun was the third tribe chosen to receive land. The southern border for its clans started in the west at the edge of the gorge near Jokneam. It went east to the edge of the land that belongs to the town of Dabbesheth, and continued on to Maralah and Sarid. It took in the land that belongs to Chislothtabor, then ended at Daberath.

The eastern border went up to Japhia ₁₃and continued north to Gath-Hepher, Ethkazin, and Rimmonah, where it curved towards Neah ₁₄and became the northern border. Then it curved south around Hannathon and went as far west as Iphtahel Valley.

₁₅Zebulun had twelve towns with their surrounding villages. Some of these were Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Jiralah, and Bethlehem.

₁₆This is the tribal land, and these are the towns and villages of the Zebulun clans.

_17-23Issachar was the fourth tribe chosen to receive land. The northern border for its clans went from Mount Tabor east to the River Jordan. Their land included the following sixteen towns with their surrounding villages:

_24-26Asher was the fifth tribe chosen to receive land, and the region for its clans included the following towns:

Asher's southern border ran from the Mediterranean Sea south-east along the River Shihor-Libnath at the foot of Mount Carmel, ₂₇then east to Beth-Dagon. On the south-east, Asher shared a border with Zebulun along the Iphtahel Valley. On the eastern side their border ran north to Beth-Emek, went east of Cabul, and then on to Neiel, ₂₈Abdon, Rehob, Hammon, Kanah, and as far north as the city of Sidon. _29-31Then it turned west to become the northern border and went to Ramah and the fortress city of Tyre. Near Tyre it turned towards Hosah and ended at the Mediterranean Sea.

Asher had a total of twenty-two towns with their surrounding villages, including Mahalab, Achzib, Acco, Aphek, and Rehob.

_32-34Naphtali was the sixth tribe chosen to receive land. The southern border for its clans started in the west, where the tribal lands of Asher and Zebulun meet near Hukkok. From that point it ran east and south-east along the border with Zebulun as far as Aznoth-Tabor. From there the border went east to Heleph, Adami-Nekeb, Jabneel, then to the town called Oak in Zaanannim, and Lakkum. The southern border ended at the River Jordan, at the edge of the town named Jehudah. Naphtali shared a border with Asher on the west.

_35-39The Naphtali clans received this region as their tribal land, and it included nineteen towns with their surrounding villages. The following towns had walls around them:

_40-46Dan was the seventh tribe chosen to receive land, and the region for its clans included the following towns:

Later, when enemies forced them to leave their tribal land, they went to the town of Leshem. They attacked the town, captured it, and killed the people who lived there. Then they settled there themselves and renamed the town Dan after their ancestor.

_49-51The Israelites were still gathered in Shiloh in front of the sacred tent, when Eleazar the priest, Joshua, and the family leaders of Israel finished giving out the land to the tribes. The LORD had told the people to give Joshua whatever town he wanted. So Joshua chose Timnath-Serah in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people gave it to him. Joshua went to Timnath-Serah, rebuilt it, and lived there.

₁One day the LORD told Joshua:

₇The Israelites decided that the following three towns west of the River Jordan would be Safe Towns:

₈The Israelites had already decided on the following three towns east of the River Jordan:

₉These Safe Towns were set up, so that if Israelites or even foreigners who lived in Israel accidentally killed someone, they could run to one of these towns. There they would be safe until a trial could be held, even if one of the victim's relatives came looking for revenge.

₁Many people have tried to tell the story of what God has done among us. ₂They wrote what we had been told by the ones who were there in the beginning and saw what happened. ₃So I made a careful study of everything and then decided to write and tell you exactly what took place. Honourable Theophilus, ₄I have done this to let you know the truth about what you have heard.

₅When Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest called Zechariah from the priestly group of Abijah. His wife Elizabeth was from the family of Aaron. ₆Both of them were good people and pleased the Lord God by obeying all that he had commanded. ₇But they did not have children. Elizabeth could not have any, and both Zechariah and Elizabeth were already old.

₈One day Zechariah's group of priests were on duty, and he was serving God as a priest. ₉According to the custom of the priests, he had been chosen to go into the Lord's temple that day and to burn incense, ₁₀while the people stood outside praying.

₁₁All at once an angel from the Lord appeared to Zechariah at the right side of the altar. ₁₂Zechariah was confused and afraid when he saw the angel. ₁₃But the angel told him:

₁₈Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know this is going to happen? My wife and I are both very old.”

₁₉The angel answered, “I am Gabriel, God's servant, and I was sent to tell you this good news. ₂₀You have not believed what I have said. So you will not be able to say a thing until all this happens. But everything will take place when it is supposed to.”

₂₁The crowd was waiting for Zechariah and kept wondering why he was staying so long in the temple. ₂₂When he did come out, he could not speak, and they knew he had seen a vision. He motioned to them with his hands, but did not say a thing.

₂₃When Zechariah's time of service in the temple was over, he went home. ₂₄Soon after that, his wife was expecting a baby, and for five months she did not leave the house. She said to herself, ₂₅“What the Lord has done for me will keep people from looking down on me.”