numbers. To every man was given an inheritance in the place where his lot fell.

The tribe of Judah had their portion in the lower or south part of the land of Canaan; and next above them, was the portion of the tribe of Benjamin. The children of Joseph, the tribes of Ephraim, and the half tribe of Manasseh, were placed next above the tribe of Benjamin, and the other tribes were in the remaining parts of the land. Thus the land of Canaan was divided among the children of Israel according to their divisions into tribes.

But the tribe of Levi had no portion of the land given to them; the priesthood of the Lord was their inheritance; for the children of Joseph were two tribes, so that there were twelve tribes besides the tribe of Levi.

Then each of the twelve tribes out of their inheritance gave to the tribe of Levi cities to dwell in, with land round about them for their cattle, as the Lord had commanded. All the cities that were given to the Levites were fortyeight.

And when the whole land was subdued, and had been divided for an inheritance among the children of Israel, Joshua called the Reubenites and Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, and said to them, "Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you. And now the Lord your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as He promised them. Therefore now return ye unto the land of your possession which Moses gave you on the other side Jordan. But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul."

"So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away."

Thus "the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which He sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein. And the Lord gave them rest, and there stood not a man of their enemies before them; the Lord delivered

PLE,

There failed
h the Lord

all came to

xxxiii. F

er together.

land

W

Chapter LXXXIV.

REST AND PEACE OF GOD'S PEOPLE IN THE PROMISED LAND, AND THE DEATH OF JOSHUA.

THE children of Israel lived many years
in peace
in the good land which the Lord had given them.
Each man dwelt in his own inheritance in the
place where his lot fell. They dwelt safely, sitting
every man under his own vine and his own fig-
tree: none made them afraid, for "the Lord had

27

THE REST OF

disobey the commands of iages with these nations, or h them, that the Lord

t

any of these nations that they should be

m, and scourges in r eyes, until they off the good land

278

all the tribes of the
elders and their

at Shechem.
Then Josh

that it was 4
for them.
land of

poss

and their herds,

corn, and wine, ana

from among them.

Thus God's people rested in t

is day I am know in all + not one hich the

2

refore

are

*0

and they "ate their bread with joy, their wine with a cheerful heart;" for they the Lord their God, and were obedient to H word: and the blessing of the Lord was with

them.

A long time after the land had been divided for an inheritance among the children of Israel, when Joshua had grown old, and the time of his death seemed to be near, he gathered together

זי

all their enemies into their hand. There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass."

Joshua xviii. xix. 51; xxi. xxii. 1-6. Numbers xxxiii. 54.

Desolate, means lonely. Part of the land of Canaan would have been desolate if there had not been people enough to dwell in it all.

To assemble, is to meet together, or to gather together.

Chapter LXXXIV.

THE REST AND PEACE OF GOD'S PEOPLE IN THE PROMISED LAND, AND THE DEATH OF JOSHUA.

THE children of Israel lived many years in peace in the good land which the Lord had given them. Each man dwelt in his own inheritance in the place where his lot fell. They dwelt safely, sitting every man under his own vine and his own figtree: none made them afraid, for "the Lord had