« | Joshua 18 | » |
1 Then all the people of Israel gathered together at Shiloh. They set up the tent of meeting there. The land around them had been taken in battle.
2 There were still seven family groups among the people of Israel who had not received their share of land.
3 So Joshua said to the people of Israel, "How long will you wait before going in to take the land the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?
4 Choose three men from each of these seven family groups. I will send them to go through the land and write down what they find it to be like, to be shared by each family. Then they will return to me.
5 They will divide it into seven parts. Judah will stay in his land in the south. The house of Joseph will stay in their land in the north.
6 You will write down how the land should be divided into seven parts, then bring it to me. I will draw names for you here before the Lord our God.
7 The Levites have no share of land among you. Being the religious leaders for the Lord is their share. Gad and Reuben and the halffamily group of Manasseh have received their land east of the Jordan. The Lord's servant Moses gave it to them."
8 As the men got up to go, Joshua told them, "Go and walk through the land. Write down what you find, and return to me. Then I will draw names for you here before the Lord in Shiloh."
9 The men went and passed through the land. They wrote in a book the cities they found and divided them into seven parts. Then they returned to Joshua among the tents at Shiloh.
10 Joshua drew names for them in Shiloh before the Lord. There he divided the land among the people of Israel, a part for each family.
11 The first name drawn was for the families of the people of Benjamin. The share of their land was between the people of Judah and the people of Joseph.
12 The north side of their land was from the Jordan up to the north side of Jericho. Then it went west through the hill country, ending at the desert of Beth-aven.
13 The side of their land went from there south to the side of Luz (that is, Bethel). Then it went down to Ataroth-addar, near the hill south of the valley land of Beth-horon.
14 The side of their land turned west from there around the south side of the hill before Bethhoron. It ended at Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), a city of the people of Judah. This was the west side.
15 The south side was from the side of Kiriath-jearim west to the well of the waters of Nephtoah.
16 Then the side of their land went down to the side of the hill in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, at the north end of the valley of Rephaim. It went down to the valley of Hinnom, south of the side of the Jebusites, and down to En-rogel.
17 Then it went north to En-shemesh and on to Geliloth by the hill of Adummim, then down to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben.
18 It went on to the north side of Beth-arabah, and down to the Arabah.
19 Then the side of their land went along the north side of Beth-hoglah. And it ended at the north waters of the Salt Sea at the south end of the Jordan. This was the south side.
20 The east side of their land was the Jordan. This was the land with its sides, given to the family group of Benjamin.
21 The cities of the people of Benjamin for their families were Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz,
22 Betharabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,
23 Avvim, Parah, Ophrah,
24 Chephar-ammoni, Ophni, and Geba, twelve cities with their towns.
25 And there were Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,
26 Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah,
27 Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah,
28 Zelah, Haeleph, the Jebusite (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Kiriath, fourteen cities with their towns. This is the land that was given to the families of the people of Benjamin.
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.