« | Joshua 13 | » |
1 When Joshua had reached a venerable age, GOD said to him, "You've had a good, long life, but there is a lot of land still to be taken.
2 This is the land that remains: all the districts of the Philistines and Geshurites;
3 the land from the Shihor River east of Egypt to the border of Ekron up north, Canaanite country (there were five Philistine tyrants--in Gaza, in Ashdod, in Ashkelon, in Gath, in Ekron); also the Avvim
4 from the south; all the Canaanite land from Arah (belonging to the Sidonians) to Aphek at the Amorite border;
5 the country of the Gebalites; all Lebanon eastward from Baal Gad in the shadow of Mount Hermon to the Entrance of Hamath;
6 all who live in the mountains, from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim; all the Sidonians. "I myself will drive them out before the People of Israel. All you have to do is allot this land to Israel as an inheritance, as I have instructed you.
7 Do it now: Allot this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh."
8 The other half-tribe of Manasseh, with the Reubenites and Gadites, had been given their inheritance by Moses on the other side of the Jordan eastward. Moses the servant of GOD gave it to them.
9 This land extended from Aroer at the edge of the Arnon Gorge and the city in the middle of the valley, taking in the entire tableland of Medeba as far as Dibon,
10 and all the towns of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled from Heshbon, and out to the border of the Ammonites.
11 It also included Gilead, the country of the people of Geshur and Maacah, all of Mount Hermon, and all Bashan as far as Salecah--
12 the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei. He was one of the last survivors of the Rephaim. Moses had defeated them and taken their land.
13 The People of Israel never did drive out the Geshurites and the Maacathites--they're still there, living in Israel.
14 Levi was the only tribe that did not receive an inheritance. The Fire-Gift offerings to GOD, the God of Israel, are their inheritance, just as he told them.
15 To the tribe of Reuben, clan by clan, Moses gave:
16 the land from Aroer at the edge of the Arnon Gorge and the town in the middle of the valley, including the tableland around Medeba;
17 Heshbon on the tableland with all its towns (Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon,
18 Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath,
19 Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar on Valley Mountain,
20 Beth Peor, the slopes of Pisgah, Beth Jeshimoth);
21 and all the cities of the tableland, the whole kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled at Heshbon, whom Moses put to death along with the princes of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, who lived in that country, all puppets of Sihon.
22 (In addition to those killed in battle, Balaam son of Beor, the soothsayer, was put to death by the People of Israel.)
23 The boundary for the Reubenites was the bank of the Jordan River. This was the inheritance of the Reubenites, their villages and cities, according to their clans.
24 To the tribe of Gad, clan by clan, Moses gave:
25 the territory of Jazer and all the towns of Gilead and half the Ammonite country as far as Aroer near Rabbah;
26 the land from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the region of Debir;
27 in the valley: Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, with the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon (the east side of the Jordan, north to the end of the Sea of Kinnereth).
28 This was the inheritance of the Gadites, their cities and villages, clan by clan.
29 To the half-tribe of Manasseh, clan by clan, Moses gave:
30 the land stretching out from Mahanaim; all of Bashan, which is the entire kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the settlements of Jair in Bashan--sixty towns in all.
31 Half of Gilead with Ashtaroth and Edrei, the royal cities of Og in Bashan, belong to the descendants of Makir, a son of Manasseh (in other words, the half-tribe of the children of Makir) for their clans.
32 This is the inheritance that Moses gave out when he was on the plains of Moab across the Jordan east of Jericho.
33 But Moses gave no inheritance to the tribe of Levi. GOD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, just as he told them.
The Message (MSG)
The Message (MSG) is a contemporary, paraphrased translation of the Bible, crafted to bring the scriptures to life in modern, conversational English. Developed by pastor and scholar Eugene H. Peterson, The Message was published in segments starting in 1993, with the complete Bible released in 2002. Peterson’s aim was to make the Bible accessible and engaging for today’s readers, breaking down the barriers posed by traditional, formal language. His work sought to capture the original tone, rhythm, and intent of the biblical texts, presenting them in a way that resonates with contemporary audiences.
One of the defining characteristics of The Message is its use of dynamic equivalence, focusing on conveying the thoughts and meanings behind the original texts rather than adhering to a word-for-word translation. This approach allows for the use of idiomatic expressions and modern phrasing, making the scriptures feel more relatable and immediate. Peterson, who had a deep understanding of both the biblical languages and modern culture, aimed to bridge the gap between the ancient world of the Bible and the everyday experiences of today’s readers.
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