Le territoire des descendants de Joseph

16 Les descendants de Joseph reçurent par tirage au sort un territoire dont la frontière commençait au Jourdain près de Jéricho, à l’est des sources qui alimentaient la ville. De là, elle gravissait la montagne dans le désert vers Béthel, puis elle continuait jusqu’à Louz[a] et passait le long du territoire des Arkiens à Ataroth. Ensuite, elle descendait à l’ouest vers celui des Yapheléthiens jusqu’au territoire de Beth-Horôn-la-Basse et jusqu’à Guézer, pour aboutir à la mer Méditerranée. Tel est le patrimoine qui échut aux descendants des fils de Joseph, Manassé et Ephraïm.

Le territoire de la tribu d’Ephraïm

Voici le territoire des descendants d’Ephraïm pour leurs familles : leur frontière allait du côté est d’Ataroth-Addar jusqu’à Beth-Horôn-la-Haute, puis se prolongeait jusqu’à la mer. Au nord, elle passait à Mikmetath et tournait à l’est vers Taanath-Silo qu’elle traversait vers l’est en direction de Yanoah, d’où elle descendait à Ataroth et à Naarata, touchait Jéricho et aboutissait au Jourdain. De Tappouah, elle allait vers l’ouest au torrent de Qana pour rejoindre la mer. Tel fut le patrimoine des familles de la tribu d’Ephraïm, avec les villes et les villages qui en dépendent et qui leur furent réservés dans le territoire de la tribu de Manassé.

10 Les gens d’Ephraïm ne dépossédèrent pas les Cananéens établis à Guézer. Ceux-ci continuèrent à vivre au milieu des gens d’Ephraïm qui leur imposèrent des corvées. Ils y demeurent encore aujourd’hui.

Footnotes

  1. 16.2 Voir v. 1-2 : Au lieu de de là, elle gravissait… jusqu’à Louz, l’ancienne version grecque a : de Béthel (c’est-à-dire Louz), elle… En Gn 28.19, les noms de Béthel et de Louz désignent la même ville.

The Allotment of Ephraim and Manasseh

16 The allotment of the descendants[a] of Joseph went from the Jordan by Jericho, at the waters of Jericho to the east, into the wilderness, going up from Jericho into the hill country to Bethel; it continues from Bethel to Luz, and it passes along to the territory of the Arkites[b] at Ataroth. Then it goes down, to the west, to the territory of the Japhletites,[c] up to the territory of Lower Beth-horon, then to Gezer, and it ends[d] at the sea.

And the descendants[e] of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, received their inheritance. This was the border of the descendants[f] of Ephraim according to their families: the border of their inheritance to the east was Ataroth Addar, up to Upper Beth-horon. The border continues to the sea; from Micmethath to the north, the border turns to the east to Taanath Shiloh, and it passes along it from the east to Janoah. Then it goes down from Janoah to Ataroth and to Naarah; it touches Jericho and ends at the Jordan; from Tappuah the border goes to the west, to the wadi[g] of Kanah, and it ends[h] at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the descendants[i] of Ephraim according to their families, with the cities that were set apart for the descendants[j] of Ephraim in the midst of the inheritance of the descendants[k] of Manasseh, all the cities and their villages. 10 But they did not drive out the Canananites[l] who were dwelling in Gezer, and so the Canaanites[m] live in the midst of Ephraim to this day, but they became forced laborers.

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 16:1 Or “sons”
  2. Joshua 16:2 Hebrew “Arkite”
  3. Joshua 16:3 Hebrew “Japhletite”
  4. Joshua 16:3 Literally “the goings out of it were”
  5. Joshua 16:4 Or “sons”
  6. Joshua 16:5 Or “sons”
  7. Joshua 16:8 A valley that is dry most of the year, but contains a stream during the rainy season
  8. Joshua 16:8 Literally “the goings out of it were”
  9. Joshua 16:8 Or “sons”
  10. Joshua 16:9 Or “sons”
  11. Joshua 16:9 Or “sons”
  12. Joshua 16:10 Hebrew “Canaanite”
  13. Joshua 16:10 Hebrew “Canaanite”

Allotment for Ephraim and Manasseh

16 The allotment for Joseph began at the Jordan, east of the springs of Jericho, and went up from there through the desert(A) into the hill country of Bethel.(B) It went on from Bethel (that is, Luz(C)),[a] crossed over to the territory of the Arkites(D) in Ataroth,(E) descended westward to the territory of the Japhletites as far as the region of Lower Beth Horon(F) and on to Gezer,(G) ending at the Mediterranean Sea.

So Manasseh and Ephraim, the descendants of Joseph, received their inheritance.(H)

This was the territory of Ephraim, according to its clans:

The boundary of their inheritance went from Ataroth Addar(I) in the east to Upper Beth Horon(J) and continued to the Mediterranean Sea. From Mikmethath(K) on the north it curved eastward to Taanath Shiloh, passing by it to Janoah(L) on the east. Then it went down from Janoah(M) to Ataroth(N) and Naarah, touched Jericho and came out at the Jordan. From Tappuah(O) the border went west to the Kanah Ravine(P) and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the Ephraimites, according to its clans. It also included all the towns and their villages that were set aside for the Ephraimites within the inheritance of the Manassites.(Q)

10 They did not dislodge the Canaanites living in Gezer; to this day the Canaanites live among the people of Ephraim but are required to do forced labor.(R)

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 16:2 Septuagint; Hebrew Bethel to Luz

16 The border of the territory chosen by lot for the descendants of Yosef began from the Yarden at Yericho, at the spring of Yericho on the east, went up from Yericho through the hills and desert to Beit-El, went out from Beit-El to Luz, passed on to the border with the Arki to ‘Atarot, went down westward to the border with the Yafleti, to the border of Lower Beit-Horon, on to Gezer and ending at the sea. So the descendants of Yosef, M’nasheh and Efrayim took the inheritance.

The border of the descendants of Efrayim according to their families was as follows: the eastern border of their inheritance began at ‘Atrot-Adar and went to Upper Beit-Horon; then the border extended westward, with Mikhm’tat on the north; next the border turned eastward to Ta’anat-Shiloh and passed by it to the east of Yanochah; then it went down from Yanochah to ‘Atarot, went to Na‘arah, extended to Yericho and ended at the Yarden. From Tapuach the border went westward to Vadi Kanah and ended at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the descendants of Efrayim according to their families, together with the cities set aside for the descendants of Efrayim inside the territory to be inherited by the descendants of M’nasheh, all the cities with their villages. 10 They did not drive out the Kena‘ani living in Gezer, so the Kena‘ani live together with Efrayim to this day, having become slaves to do the heavy work.