1. The family leaders of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the family leaders of the Israelite tribes.
2. At Shiloh in the land of Canaan they said to them, “Through Moses the Lord commanded that we be given cities in which to live and grazing lands for our livestock.”
3. So according to the word of the Lord, out of their inheritance the children of Israel gave the Levites these cities and their grazing lands.
4. The lot came out for the clans of the Kohathites, so the Levites who were descendants of Aaron received an allotment of thirteen cities from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
5. The remaining descendants of Kohath received an allotment of ten cities from the clans of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
6. The descendants of Gershon received an allotment of thirteen cities from the clans of the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.
7. Descendants of Merari by their clans received an allotment of twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.