Joseph’s Inheritance

16 The allotment for the descendants of Joseph went from the Jordan at Jericho to the Waters of Jericho on the east, through the wilderness(A) ascending from Jericho into the hill country of Bethel. From Bethel it went to Luz and proceeded to the border of the Archites by Ataroth.(B) It then descended westward to the border of the Japhletites as far as the border of Lower Beth-horon, then to Gezer,(C) and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. So Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of Joseph,(D) received their inheritance.(E)

Ephraim’s Inheritance

This was the territory of the descendants of Ephraim by their clans:

The border of their inheritance went from Ataroth-addar(F) on the east to Upper Beth-horon. In the north the border went westward from Michmethath;(G) it turned eastward from Taanath-shiloh and passed it east of Janoah. From Janoah it descended to Ataroth and Naarah,(H) and then reached Jericho and went to the Jordan. From Tappuah the border went westward along the Brook of Kanah and ended at the Mediterranean Sea.(I)

This was the inheritance of the tribe of the descendants of Ephraim by their clans, together with the cities set apart for the descendants of Ephraim within the inheritance of the descendants of Manasseh—all these cities with their settlements. 10 However, they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer.(J) So the Canaanites still live in Ephraim today,(K) but they are forced laborers.

Ephraim’s Allocation

16 The territorial allotment for the descendants of Joseph proceeded from the Jordan River by Jericho eastward of the Jericho waters into the wilderness, proceeding from Jericho through the hill country of Bethel and from Bethel to Luz, continuing to the border of the Archites at Ataroth. It proceeded westward to the territory of the Japhletites as far as the territory of lower Beth-horon, then toward Gezer, ending at the Mediterranean[a] Sea.

Manasseh and Ephraim, the descendants of Joseph, received their inheritance. This was the territory allocated to the descendants of Ephraim according to their families: the border of their inheritance on the east was Ataroth-addar as far as upper Beth-horon. Then the border proceeded west from Michmethath on the north, then turned east toward Taanath-shiloh, continuing to the east of Janoah. It proceeded from Janoah to Ataroth, then to Naarah, then proceeded to Jericho and ended at the Jordan River. From Tappuach, the border proceeded west to the Kanah brook, ending at the Mediterranean Sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the descendants of Ephraim according to their families, along with the cities that had been set aside for the descendants of Ephraim within the allotment of the descendants of Manasseh, including all of the cities and villages. 10 However, they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites live within the territory of[b] Ephraim to this day, but they serve as forced laborers.

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 16:3 The Heb. lacks Mediterranean
  2. Joshua 16:10 The Heb. lacks the territory of