« | Numbers 34 | » |
1 GOD spoke to Moses:
2 "Command the People of Israel. Tell them: When you enter Canaan, these are the borders of the land you are getting as an inheritance:
3 "Your southern border will take in some of the Wilderness of Zin where it touches Edom. It starts in the east at the Dead Sea,
4 curves south of Scorpion Pass and on to Zin, continues south of Kadesh Barnea, then to Hazar Addar and on to Azmon,
5 where it takes a turn to the northwest to the Brook of Egypt and on to the Mediterranean Sea.
6 "Your western border will be the Mediterranean Sea.
7 "Your northern border runs on a line from the Mediterranean Sea to Mount Hor,
8 and from Mount Hor to Lebo Hamath, connects to Zedad,
9 continues to Ziphron, and ends at Hazar Enan. This is your northern border.
10 "Your eastern border runs on a line from Hazar Enan to Shepham.
11 The border goes south from Shepham to Riblah to the east of Ain, and continues along the slopes east of the Sea of Galilee.
12 The border then follows the Jordan River and ends at the Dead Sea. "This is your land with its four borders."
13 Moses then commanded the People of Israel: "This is the land: Divide up the inheritance by lot. GOD has ordered it to be given to the nine and a half tribes.
14 The tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have already received their inheritance;
15 the two tribes and the half-tribe got their inheritance east of Jordan-Jericho, facing the sunrise."
16 GOD spoke to Moses:
17 "These are the men who will be in charge of distributing the inheritance of the land: Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun.
18 Assign one leader from each tribe to help them in distributing the land.
19 Assign these: Caleb son of Jephunneh from the tribe of Judah;
20 Shemuel son of Ammihud from the tribe of Simeon;
21 Elidad son of Kislon from the tribe of Benjamin;
22 Bukki son of Jogli, leader from the tribe of Dan;
23 Hanniel son of Ephod, leader from the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph;
24 Kemuel son of Shiphtan, leader from the tribe of Ephraim son of Joseph;
25 Elizaphan son of Parnach, leader from the tribe of Zebulun;
26 Paltiel son of Azzan, leader from the tribe of Issachar;
27 Ahihud son of Shelomi, leader from the tribe of Asher;
28 Pedahel son of Ammihud, leader from the tribe of Naphtali."
29 These are the men GOD commanded to hand out the assignments of land-inheritance to the People of Israel in the country of Canaan.
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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