Where Is Your Focus?

The descendants of Ephraim were Shuthelah, Bered, Tahath, Eleadah, Tahath, Zabad, Shuthelah, Ezer, and Elead. These two were killed trying to steal livestock from the local farmers near Gath. Their father, Ephraim, mourned for them a long time, and his relatives came to comfort him. Afterward Ephraim slept with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Ephraim named him Beriah because of the tragedy his family had suffered. [1 Chronicles 7.20-23]

What two sons were killed as cattle thieves?

Perhaps a little understanding can be achieved by reading this in the NKJV:

The sons of Ephraim were Shuthelah, Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eladah his son, Tahath his son, Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, and Ezer and Elead. The men of Gath who were born in that land killed them because they came down to take away their cattle. Then Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brethren came to comfort him. And when he went in to his wife, she conceived and bore a son; and he called his name Beriah, because tragedy had come upon his house. [1 Chronicles 7.20-23 NKJV]

Where did the NLT version (first one above) get that there were two sons? The NKJV makes it sound like all the sons of Ephraim were killed.

For the sake of context, it would appear they were indeed all killed because both translations said it was a notable "tragedy."

Why point this out? Because, regardless what translation one reads the Bible in, there are going to be differences in opinion about the respective translations of the original language(s). The differences are not monumental however when considering the point of the story - in this case, there was a tragedy involving descendants of Ephraim.

We should all be encouraged to read the Bible with the understanding that there remain to this day many passages within it that even the most advanced scholars have no explanation for at all. This does not affect the "story" of the Bible though - not one bit. To be clear, the story of the Bible is God's loving redemption of mankind that He created. It's not about rules or perfection. It is about Redemption. In Jesus' own words:

“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! [John 5.39]

Jesus is The Redeemer. Since the Bible is about redemption, it is about Jesus. Conflicting numbers or dates have no bearing at all upon Redemption. To argue about numbers and dates only reveals misplaced focus. The focus, again, is, and should always be, Jesus.

Father, thank you even for the variations in translations that give us the opportunity to test ourselves to see if we are staying focused on Jesus or being distracted by details no man can conclusively explain. Thank You that the "story" of Jesus remains strong and true!