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The Territory Assigned to Ephraim and West Manasseh

16 The southern boundary of the land assigned to the descendants of Joseph started from the Jordan near Jericho, at a point east of the springs of Jericho, and went into the desert. It went from Jericho up into the hill country as far as Bethel. From Bethel it went to Luz, passing on to Ataroth Addar, where the Archites lived. It then went west to the area of the Japhletites, as far as the area of Lower Beth Horon. It went on from there to Gezer and ended at the Mediterranean Sea.

The descendants of Joseph, the tribes of Ephraim and West Manasseh, received this land as their possession.

Ephraim

This was the territory of the Ephraimite families: their border ran from Ataroth Addar eastward to Upper Beth Horon, and from there to the Mediterranean Sea. Michmethath was on their north. East of there the border bent toward Taanath Shiloh and went past it on the east to Janoah. Then it went down from Janoah to Ataroth and Naarah, reaching Jericho and ending at the Jordan. The border went west from Tappuah to the stream Kanah and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. This was the land given to the families of the tribe of Ephraim as their possession, along with some towns and villages that were within the borders of Manasseh, but given to the Ephraimites. 10 (A)But they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites have lived among the Ephraimites to this day, but they have been forced to work as slaves.

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.

16 1-4 The Southern Boundary of the Tribes of Joseph (Ephraim and the half-tribe of Manasseh): This boundary extended from the Jordan River at Jericho through the wilderness and the hill country to Bethel. It then went from Bethel to Luz, then on to Ataroth, in the territory of the Archites; and west to the border of the Japhletites as far as Lower Beth-horon, then to Gezer and on over to the Mediterranean.

5-6 The Land Given to the Tribe of Ephraim: The eastern boundary began at Ataroth-addar. From there it ran to Upper Beth-horon, then on to the Mediterranean Sea. The northern boundary began at the Sea, ran east past Michmethath, then continued on past Taanath-shiloh and Janoah. From Janoah it turned southward to Ataroth and Naarah, touched Jericho, and ended at the Jordan River. The western half of the northern boundary[a] went from Tappuah and followed along Kanah Brook to the Mediterranean Sea. Ephraim was also given some of the cities in the territory of the half-tribe of Manasseh. 10 The Canaanites living in Gezer were never driven out, so they still live as slaves among the people of Ephraim.

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 16:8 The western half of the northern boundary, implied.