« | Joshua 13 | » |
1 Now Joshua was old. He had lived many years. The Lord said to him, "You are old and have lived many years. And there is very much land yet to be taken.
2 This is the land that is left. There is all the land of the Philistines and the Geshurites,
3 from the Shihor east of Egypt as far as the land of Ekron in the north (it is thought of as Canaanite). There are the five rulers of the Philistines, those of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, Ekron, and those of the Avvim.
4 In the south, there is all the land of the Canaanite, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians, as far as Aphek, to the land of the Amorite,
5 and the land of the Gebalite. There is all of Lebanon east from Baal-gad at the base of Mount Hermon as far as Lebo-hamath.
6 I will drive out from in front of the people of Israel all those living in the hill country from Lebanon as far as Misrephoth-maim, all the Sidonians. Give the land as a gift to Israel, as I have told you.
7 Divide this land for a gift to the nine families and to the half-family group of Manasseh."
8 The other half-family group, the Reubenites and the Gadites received their gift of land which Moses gave them east of the Jordan, just as the Lord's servant Moses gave it to them.
9 It spread from Aroer, beside the Arnon valley, and the city in the center of the valley, and the plain of Medeba as far as Dibon,
10 and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon. And it went as far as the land of the Ammonites,
11 and Gilead, and the land of the Geshurites and Maacathites. They received all Mount Hermon, all Bashan as far as Salecah,
12 and all the nation of Og in Bashan, who ruled in Ashtaroth and Edrei. (He alone was left of the Rephaim still living.) For Moses had won the war against them and had driven them out.
13 But the people of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites. For Geshur and Maacath live among Israel to this day.
14 Moses did not give any land to the family of Levi. Gifts given on the altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, are their share, as He said to him. ab The Land Of Reuben
15 Moses gave land to the family group of the Reubenites by their families.
16 Their land was from Aroer beside the Arnon valley, and the city in the center of the valley, and all the plain by Medeba,
17 with Heshbon and all its cities on the plain. There was Dibon, Bamoth-baal, Bethbaal-meon,
18 Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath,
19 Kiriathaim, Sibmah. There was Zereth-shahar on the hill of the valley,
20 Beth-peor, the hill-sides of Pishgah, and Beth-jeshimoth.
21 There were all the cities of the plain, and all the nation of Sihon king of the Amorites who ruled in Heshbon. Moses won the war against Sihon and the leaders of Midian, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the princes of Sihon, who lived in the land.
22 The sons of Israel also killed with the sword Balaam, the son of Beor, the one who told what would happen in the future.
23 The side of the land belonging to the people of Reuben was the Jordan. This is what was given to the people of Reuben for their families with their cities and towns.
24 Moses gave land to the family group of the Gadites for their families.
25 Their land was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead. And it was half the land of the Ammonites, as far as Aroer which is east of Rabbah.
26 It went from Heshbon as far as Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim as far as the land of Debir.
27 In the valley there was Bethharam, Beth-nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon. They were given the rest of the nation of Sihon king of Heshbon, with the Jordan along its side. It went up to the south end of the Sea of Chinnereth east of the Jordan.
28 This is what was given to the people of Gad for their families with their cities and towns.
29 Moses gave land to the half-family group of Manasseh. It was divided among the families of the half-family group of the sons of Manasseh.
30 Their land was from Mahanaim through all Bashan, all the nation of Og king of Bashan. It was all the towns of Jair which are in Bashan, sixty cities.
31 It was half of Gilead, and Ashtaroth and Edrei, the cities of the nation of Og in Bashan. These were given to the people of Machir the son of Manasseh, for half of the sons of Machir by their families.
32 These are the lands which Moses divided in the plains of Moab on the other side of the Jordan east of Jericho.
33 But Moses did not give any land to the family of Levi. The Lord, the God of Israel, is their share, as He had told them.
The New Life Version (NLV)
The New Life Version (NLV) is a unique English translation of the Bible designed to be exceptionally easy to read and understand. First published in 1969, the NLV was created by Gleason Ledyard, a missionary and linguist, to make the Scriptures accessible to people who have limited English proficiency or are new to the language. Ledyard’s aim was to provide a Bible that even those with minimal education could read and comprehend, thus opening the door for a wider audience to engage with the biblical texts.
A defining characteristic of the New Life Version is its use of a limited vocabulary of about 850 basic English words, along with some necessary theological terms. This restricted vocabulary ensures that the language remains simple and straightforward, making the text accessible to young readers, new Christians, and those for whom English is a second language. The translators also avoided idiomatic expressions and complex sentence structures, further enhancing clarity and understanding. This makes the NLV a particularly valuable resource for educational and missionary work.
The NLV also emphasizes faithfulness to the original texts, despite its simplified language. The translation aims to maintain the integrity and message of the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts. By carefully choosing words that accurately convey the meaning of the original texts while ensuring simplicity, the NLV provides a balance between accessibility and fidelity. Additionally, the NLV includes explanatory footnotes and cross-references that help readers understand the context and deeper meanings of the passages, making it a useful tool for both personal study and group teaching.
However, the New Life Version is not without its critics. Some scholars and traditionalists argue that the limited vocabulary and simplified language can lead to a loss of nuance and depth found in the original texts. They suggest that the NLV’s focus on simplicity may sometimes oversimplify complex theological concepts. Despite these criticisms, the New Life Version remains a valuable translation for its intended audience, offering a clear and approachable rendition of the Bible that helps a wide range of readers engage with the Scriptures and grow in their faith.