1. The family rulers of the Levite tribe went to talk to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the rulers of the other tribes of Israel.
2. At Shiloh in the land of Canaan, the Levite rulers said to them, “The Lord gave Moses a command. He commanded that you give us towns to live in and that you give us fields where our animals can eat.”
3. So the Israelites obeyed this command from the Lord and gave the Levites these towns and the land around them for their animals:
4. The Kohath family groups were descendants of Aaron the priest from the tribe of Levi. Part of the Kohath family was given 13 towns in the areas that belonged to Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
5. The other Kohath families were given ten towns in the areas that belonged to Ephraim, Dan, and half of Manasseh.
6. The people from the Gershon family were given 13 towns. These towns were in the areas that belonged to Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half of Manasseh that was in Bashan.
7. The people from the Merari family were given 12 towns. These towns came from the areas that belonged to Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.
8. So the Israelites gave the Levites these towns and the fields around them, just as the Lord had told Moses.
9. These are the names of the towns that were in the areas that belonged to Judah and Simeon.
34-39. The other Levite group was the Merari family group. They were given these towns: The tribe of Zebulun gave them Jokneam, Kartah, Dimnah, and Nahalal. In all, Zebulun gave them four towns and some land around each town for their animals. The tribe of Reuben gave them Bezer, Jahaz, Kedemoth, and Mephaath. In all, Reuben gave them four towns and some land around each town for their animals. The tribe of Gad gave them Ramoth in Gilead. (Ramoth was a city of safety.) They also gave them Mahanaim, Heshbon, and Jazer. In all, Gad gave them four towns and some land around each town for their animals.