Joshua 16

And the lot of the children of Joseph fell from Jordan by Jericho, unto the water of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goeth up from Jericho throughout mount Bethel,

1The land picked for Joseph's family started at the Jordan River near Jericho. It went east to the water of Jericho. Then it went through the dry, empty land. That land rises up from Jericho into the hills of Bethel.

Note"The water of Jericho" means a spring, a place where water comes up out of the ground.

2And goeth out from Bethel to Luz, and passeth along unto the borders of Archi to Ataroth,

2The line went on from Bethel, which is also called Luz. Then it went to the land of the Archi people at Ataroth.

3And goeth down westward to the coast of Japhleti, unto the coast of Bethhoron the nether, and to Gezer; and the goings out thereof are at the sea.

3Next the line went down west to the land of the Japhleti people. It went as far as the edge of Lower Bethhoron and then to Gezer. The line ended at the sea.

Note"Lower Bethhoron" and "Upper Bethhoron" were two towns with the same name. One sat lower on the hill and one sat higher.

4So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance.

4So Joseph's two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, got their land. It was the land their families would keep.

5And the border of the children of Ephraim according to their families was thus: even the border of their inheritance on the east side was Atarothaddar, unto Bethhoron the upper;

5Here is the land of Ephraim's family groups. On the east side, their line started at Atarothaddar. It went as far as Upper Bethhoron.

6And the border went out toward the sea to Michmethah on the north side; and the border went about eastward unto Taanathshiloh, and passed by it on the east to Janohah;

6The line went west to the sea. From Michmethah on the north side it turned east. It went toward Taanathshiloh and passed it on the east to Janohah.

7And it went down from Janohah to Ataroth, and to Naarath, and came to Jericho, and went out at Jordan.

7From Janohah the line went down to Ataroth and Naarath. Then it came to Jericho and ended at the Jordan River.

8The border went out from Tappuah westward unto the river Kanah; and the goings out thereof were at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim by their families.

8From Tappuah the line went west to the brook called Kanah. It ended at the sea. This was the land for the family groups of Ephraim.

9And the separate cities for the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages.

9Some towns were set apart for Ephraim's people inside Manasseh's land. Ephraim got those towns and the little villages by them.

10And they drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day, and serve under tribute.

10But they did not make the Canaanites leave the town of Gezer. So the Canaanites still live among Ephraim's people today. They must work for them without pay.

NoteThe old words say the Canaanites "serve under tribute." That means they were made to do hard work for the people who lived there.