Joshua 16

The Israelite leaders assigned land to the two tribes that were descendants of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh. The southern border of this land started at the city of Jericho by the Jordan River. It went through the springs east of Jericho and up into the desolate area in the hill country around the city of Bethel.

From Bethel it went to the city of Luz and then to the city of Ataroth. That city was in the territory where the Arkite people group lived. \*

From there it extended west to the edge of the land where the Japhletite people group lived. It then went farther west to the area near the city of Lower Beth Horon. From there it continued west to the city of Gezer and from there to the Great Sea.

That was the territory that the descendants of Joseph, the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim, received as their permanent possession. \*

The border of the land that the leaders assigned to the clans of the tribe of Ephraim started at the town of Ataroth Addar. From there, it went west to Upper Beth Horon.

From there it headed west and went north of the town of Mikmethath. Then it turned eastward toward the town of Taanath Shiloh and went east of the town of Janoah.

Then it continued from Janoah to the towns of Ataroth and Naarah. From there it went to the city of Jericho, and it ended at the Jordan River. \*

The northern border extended west from the town of Tappuah to the valley of Kanah and from there to the Great Sea. This was the land that the Israelite leaders assigned to all the clans of the tribe of Ephraim.

The leaders assigned some cities and their dependent villages to the people of Ephraim that were actually within the territory of the tribe of Manasseh. Those cities were part of their total territory. \*

The people of the tribe of Ephraim could not force the Canaanites who were living in Gezer to leave. So those Canaanites still live there. However, the people of Ephraim did force them to become their slaves. \*