« | Joshua 18 | » |
1 And all the congregation of the sons of Israel gathered at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them.
2 And there remained among the sons of Israel seven tribes which had not yet received their inheritance.
3 And Joshua said to the sons of Israel, How long will you fail to go in to possess the land which Jehovah, the God of your fathers has given you?
4 Give from among you three men for each tribe. And I will send them, and they shall rise and go through the land and map it according to the inheritance of them. And they shall come to me.
5 And they shall divide it into seven parts. Judah shall stay within their border on the south, and the house of Joseph shall stay within their borders on the north.
6 And you shall map the land into seven parts and bring it here to me, so that I may cast lots here for you before Jehovah our God.
7 But the Levites have no part among you. For the priesthood of Jehovah is their inheritance. And Gad and Reuben and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant of Jehovah gave them.
8 And the men arose and went away. And Joshua charged those who went to map the land, saying, Go and walk through the land, and map it, and come again to me so that I may here cast lots for you before Jehovah in Shiloh.
9 And the men went and passed through the land, and mapped it by cities into seven parts in a book, and they came to Joshua, to the host at Shiloh.
10 And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before Jehovah. And Joshua divided the land to the sons of Israel there, according to their divisions.
11 And the lot of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin came up by their families. And the border of their lot came forth between the sons of Judah and the sons of Joseph.
12 And their border on the north side was from Jordan. And the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north side, and went up through the mountains westward. And their boundary was at the wilderness of Beth-aven.
13 And the border went over from there toward Luz, to the side of Luz, which is Bethel, southward. And the border went down to Ataroth-adar, near the hill that lies on the south side of the lower Beth-horon.
14 And the border was drawn from there, and went around the corner of the sea southward, from the hill that is in front of Beth-horon southward. And its boundary was at Kirjath-baal; it is Kirjath-jearim, a city of the sons of Judah. This was the west quarter.
15 And the south quarter was from the end of Kirjath-jearim; and the border went out westward, and went out to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah;
16 and the border went down to the end of the mountain that is before the valley of the sons of Hinnom, which is the Valley of the Giants northward, and went down the valley of Hinnom to the side of the Jebusite on the south, and went down to En-rogel.
17 And it was drawn from the north and went out to En-shemesh, and went out toward Geliloth, which is across from the ascent of Adummim, and went down to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben,
18 and passed along toward the side over against Arabah northward, and went down to the Arabah.
19 And the border passed along to the side of Beth-hoglah northward. And the boundary was at the north tongue of the Salt Sea, at the south end of Jordan. This was the south border.
20 And Jordan was the border of it on the east side. This was the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin, according to its borders all around, according to their families.
21 And the cities of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho, and Beth-hoglah, and the valley of Keziz,
22 and Beth-arabah, and Zemaraim, and Bethel,
23 and Avvim, and Parah, and Ophrah,
24 and Chephar-haam-monai, and Ophni, and Gaba; twelve cities and their villages;
25 Gibeon, and Ramah, and Beeroth,
26 and Mizpeh, and Chephirah, and Mozah,
27 and Rekem, and Irpeel, and Taralah,
28 and Zelah, Eleph, and Jebusi, which is Jerusalem; Gibeath, Kirjath; fourteen cities and their villages. This is the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin according to their families.
The Modern King James Version (MKJV)
The Modern King James Version (MKJV) is a contemporary English translation of the Bible that aims to preserve the majesty and accuracy of the original King James Version (KJV) while updating its language for modern readers. Developed by Jay P. Green Sr. and first published in 1990, the MKJV seeks to maintain the literary beauty and doctrinal reliability of the KJV, making only necessary adjustments to archaic terms and phrases to enhance readability. This careful balance allows the MKJV to retain the classic feel of the KJV while making it more accessible to today’s audience.
One of the standout features of the MKJV is its commitment to formal equivalence, or word-for-word translation. The translators have meticulously preserved the structure and vocabulary of the KJV, only updating words and phrases that have become outdated or whose meanings have shifted over time. This approach ensures that the MKJV remains faithful to the original texts and maintains the theological and literary integrity of the KJV. By preserving the cadence and phrasing of the original, the MKJV offers a reading experience that is both familiar and refreshed for modern readers.
The MKJV also pays special attention to the textual basis of the translation. Like the KJV, it relies on the Textus Receptus for the New Testament and the Masoretic Text for the Old Testament. This adherence to traditional source texts underscores the MKJV’s commitment to continuity with the historic Christian tradition. The translation is designed to serve both devotional and scholarly purposes, providing a text that is suitable for study, teaching, and public reading in a variety of settings.
Despite its strengths, the Modern King James Version has faced some criticism. Some scholars and readers argue that the translation could benefit from a more extensive revision to fully embrace contemporary language, suggesting that the MKJV’s adherence to the structure and style of the KJV may still pose challenges for modern readers. Others appreciate the balance it strikes but note that it occupies a niche space, appealing primarily to those who have a strong attachment to the KJV. Nonetheless, the MKJV remains a respected and valued translation for those seeking a modern update of the KJV that honors its rich heritage and timeless message.