Biblical Adventure I

The whole community of Israelites assembled at Shiloh, and set up the Tent of Meeting there. The land was now under their control;

Joshua cast lots for them at Shiloh before GOD, and there Joshua apportioned the land among the Israelites according to their divisions.

The lot of the tribe of the Benjaminites, by their clans, came out first. The territory that fell to their lot lay between the Judahites and the Josephites.

There was a man from Ramathaim of the Zuphites, in the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham son of Elihu son of Tohu son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

This man used to go up from his town every year to worship and to offer sacrifice to GOD of Hosts at Shiloh.—Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of GOD there.

So the elders of the community asked, “What can we do about wives for those who are left, since the women of Benjamin have been killed off?”

So the elders of the community asked, “What can we do about wives for those who are left, since the women of Benjamin have been killed off?”

For they said, “There must be a saving remnant for Benjamin, that a tribe may not be blotted out of Israel;

yet we cannot give them any of our daughters as wives,” since the Israelites had taken an oath: “Cursed be anyone who gives a wife to Benjamin!”

They said, “The annual feast of GOD is now being held at Shiloh.” (It lies north of Bethel, east of the highway that runs from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.)

and Samuel’s word went forth to all Israel.
Israel marched out to engage the Philistines in battle; they encamped near Eben-ezer, while the Philistines encamped at Aphek.

The Philistines arrayed themselves against Israel; and when the battle was fought, Israel was routed by the Philistines, who slew about four thousand men on the field of battle.

When the [Israelite] troops returned to the camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did GOD put us to rout today before the Philistines? Let us fetch the Ark of the Covenant of GOD from Shiloh; thus [God] will be present among us and will deliver us from the hands of our enemies.”

So the troops sent a message to Shiloh; there Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were in charge of the Ark of the Covenant of God, and they brought down from there the Ark of the Covenant of GOD of Hosts Enthroned on the Cherubim.

The portion that fell by lot to the Josephites ran from the Jordan at Jericho—from the Waters of Jericho east of the wilderness. From Jericho it ascended through the hill country to Bethel.

From Bethel it ran to Luz and passed on to the territory of the Archites at Ataroth,

descended westward to the territory of the Japhletites as far as the border of Lower Beth-horon and Gezer, and ran on to the Sea.

As for the other clans of the Kohathites, the remaining Levites descended from Kohath, the towns in their lot were: From the tribe of Ephraim

they were given, in the hill country of Ephraim, Shechem—the city of refuge for manslayers—with its pastures, Gezer with its pastures,

This was the purpose of the forced labor that Solomon imposed: It was to build the House of GOD, his own palace, the Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and [to fortify] Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.

The men of Israel and Judah rose up with a war cry and they pursued the Philistines all the way to Gai and up to the gates of Ekron; the Philistines fell mortally wounded along the road to Shaaraim up to Gath and Ekron.

Then the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines and looted their camp.

This was the portion of the tribe of the Judahites by their clans:

Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon,