The Message Bible MSG
New Century Version NCV
1 The lot for the people of Joseph went from the Jordan near Jericho, east of the spring of Jericho, north through the desert mountains to Bethel.
1
This is the land the tribe of Joseph received. It started at the Jordan River near Jericho and continued to the waters of Jericho, just east of the city. The border went up from Jericho to the mountains of Bethel.
2 It went on from Bethel (that is, Luz) to the territory of the Arkites in Ataroth.
2
Then it continued from Bethel (also called Luz) to the Arkite border at Ataroth.
3 It then descended westward to the territory of the Japhletites to the region of Lower Beth Horon and on to Gezer, ending at the Sea.
3
From there it went west to the border of the Japhletites and continued to the area of the Lower Beth Horon. Then it went to Gezer and ended at the sea.
4 This is the region from which the people of Joseph - Manasseh and Ephraim - got their inheritance.
4
So Manasseh and Ephraim, sons of Joseph, received their land.
5 Ephraim's territory by clans:
5
This is the land that was given to the family groups of Ephraim: Their border started at Ataroth Addar in the east, went to Upper Beth Horon,
6 and then west to the Sea. From Micmethath on the north it turned eastward to Taanath Shiloh and passed along, still eastward, to Janoah.
6
and then to the sea. From Micmethath it turned eastward toward Taanath Shiloh and continued eastward to Janoah.
7 The border then descended from Janoah to Ataroth and Naarah; it touched Jericho and came out at the Jordan.
7
Then it went down from Janoah to Ataroth and to Naarah. It continued until it touched Jericho and stopped at the Jordan River.
8 From Tappuah the border went westward to the Brook Kanah and ended at the Sea. This was the inheritance of the tribe of Ephraim by clans,
8
The border went from Tappuah west to Kanah Ravine and ended at the sea. This is all the land that was given to each family group in the tribe of the Ephraimites.
9 including the cities set aside for Ephraim within the inheritance of Manasseh - all those towns and their villages.
9
Many of the towns were actually within Manasseh's borders, but the people of Ephraim got those towns and their villages.
10 But they didn't get rid of the Canaanites who were living in Gezer. Canaanites are still living among the people of Ephraim, but they are made to do forced labor.
10
The Ephraimites could not force the Canaanites to leave Gezer, so the Canaanites still live among the Ephraimites today, but they became slaves of the Ephraimites.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.