1Now the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the other tribes of Israel
2at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said to them, “The LORD commanded through Moses that we be given cities in which to live, together with pasturelands for our livestock.”
3So by the command of the LORD, the Israelites gave the Levites these cities and their pasturelands out of their own inheritance:
4The first lot came out for the Kohathite clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest received thirteen cities by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
5The remaining descendants of Kohath received ten cities by lot from the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
6The descendants of Gershon received thirteen cities by lot from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.
7And the descendants of Merari received twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.
8So the Israelites allotted to the Levites these cities, together with their pasturelands, as the LORD had commanded through Moses.