1. The whole community of the Israelites assembled at Shiloh, where they set up the tent of meeting; and the land was subdued before them.
2. There remained seven tribes among the Israelites that had not yet received their heritage.
3. Joshua therefore said to the Israelites, “How much longer will you put off taking steps to possess the land which the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you?
4. Choose three representatives from each of your tribes; I will send them to go throughout the land and describe it for purposes of acquiring their heritage. When they return to me
5. you shall divide it into seven parts. Judah is to retain its territory in the south, and the house of Joseph its territory in the north.
6. You shall bring to me here the description of the land in seven sections. I will then cast lots for you here before the Lord, our God.
7. For the Levites have no share among you, because the priesthood of the Lord is their heritage; while Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have already received the heritage east of the Jordan which Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave them.”
8. When those who were to describe the land were ready for their journey, Joshua commanded them, “Go throughout the land and describe it; return to me and I will cast lots for you here before the Lord in Shiloh.”
9. So they went through the land, described its cities in writing in seven sections, and returned to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh.
10. Joshua then cast lots for them before the Lord in Shiloh, and divided up the land for the Israelites into their separate shares.
11. One lot fell to the tribe of Benjaminites by their clans. The territory allotted them lay between the descendants of Judah and those of Joseph.