Joshua 16
New English Translation
Joseph’s Tribal Lands
16 The land allotted to Joseph’s descendants extended from the Jordan at Jericho to the waters of Jericho to the east, through the desert and on up from Jericho into the hill country of Bethel.[a] 2 The southern border[b] extended from Bethel to Luz,[c] and crossed to Arkite territory at Ataroth. 3 It then descended westward to Japhletite territory, as far as the territory of lower Beth Horon and Gezer, and ended at the sea.
4 Joseph’s descendants, Manasseh and Ephraim, were assigned their land.[d] 5 The territory of the tribe of Ephraim by its clans included the following:[e] The border of their assigned land to the east was Ataroth Addar as far as upper Beth Horon. 6 It then extended on to the sea, with Micmethath on the north. It turned eastward to Taanath Shiloh and crossed it on the east to Janoah. 7 It then descended from Janoah to Ataroth and Naarah, touched Jericho, and extended to the Jordan River.[f] 8 From Tappuah it went westward to the Valley of Kanah and ended at the sea. This is the land assigned to the tribe of Ephraim[g] by its clans. 9 Also included were the cities set apart for the tribe of Ephraim within Manasseh’s territory, along with their towns.[h]
10 The Ephraimites[i] did not conquer the Canaanites living in Gezer. The Canaanites live among the Ephraimites to this very day and do hard labor as their servants.
Footnotes
- Joshua 16:1 tn Heb “The lot went out to the sons of Joseph from the Jordan [at] Jericho to the waters of Jericho to the east, the desert going up from Jericho into the hill country of Bethel.”
- Joshua 16:2 tn Heb “it”; the referent (the southern border) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Joshua 16:2 tn In the Hebrew text the place name “Luz” has the directive ending, indicating that the border went from Bethel to Luz. Elsewhere Luz and Bethel appear to be names for the same site (cf. Judg 1:23), but here they appear to be distinct. Note that the NIV translates “from Bethel (that is, Luz)” here, following the reading of the LXX, εἰς Βαιθηλ Λουζα (eis Baithēl Louza, “from Bethel [Luz]”).
- Joshua 16:4 tn Or “received their inheritance.”
- Joshua 16:5 tn Heb “The territory of the sons of Ephraim was for their clans.”
- Joshua 16:7 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
- Joshua 16:8 tn Heb “This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Ephraim.”
- Joshua 16:9 tn Heb “and the cities set apart for the sons of Ephraim in the midst of the inheritance of the sons of Manasseh, all the cities and their towns.”
- Joshua 16:10 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Ephraimites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Joshua 16
English Standard Version
The Allotment for Ephraim and Manasseh
16 The allotment of the people of Joseph went from the Jordan by Jericho, east of the waters of Jericho, (A)into the wilderness, going up from Jericho into the hill country to Bethel. 2 Then (B)going from Bethel to Luz, it passes along to Ataroth, the territory of the Archites. 3 Then it goes down westward to the territory of the Japhletites, as far as the territory of Lower (C)Beth-horon, then to (D)Gezer, and it ends at the sea.
4 (E)The people of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, received their inheritance.
5 The territory of the people of Ephraim by their clans was as follows: the boundary of their inheritance on the east was (F)Ataroth-addar as far as Upper Beth-horon, 6 and the boundary goes from there to the sea. On the north is (G)Michmethath. Then on the east the boundary turns around toward Taanath-shiloh and passes along beyond it on the east to Janoah, 7 then it goes down from Janoah to Ataroth and (H)to Naarah, and touches Jericho, ending at the Jordan. 8 From (I)Tappuah the boundary goes westward to the brook Kanah and ends at the sea. Such is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Ephraim by their clans, 9 together with (J)the towns that were set apart for the people of Ephraim within the inheritance of the Manassites, all those towns with their villages. 10 However, (K)they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites have lived in the midst of Ephraim to this day but have been made (L)to do forced labor.
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