Joshua 17

1 Now this was the allotment for the tribe of Manasseh as Joseph’s firstborn son, namely for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh and father of the Gileadites, who had received Gilead and Bashan because Machir was a man of war.

2 So this allotment was for the rest of the descendants of Manasseh—the clans of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These are the other male descendants of the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph.

3 But Zelophehad son of Hepher (the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh) had no sons but only daughters. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

4 They approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders, and said, “The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.” So Joshua gave them an inheritance among their father’s brothers, in keeping with the command of the LORD.

5 Thus ten shares fell to Manasseh, in addition to the land of Gilead and Bashan beyond the Jordan,

6 because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons. And the land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the sons of Manasseh.

7 Now the border of Manasseh went from Asher to Michmethath near Shechem, then southward to include the inhabitants of En-tappuah.

8 The region of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but Tappuah itself, on the border of Manasseh, belonged to Ephraim.

9 From there the border continued southward to the Brook of Kanah. There were cities belonging to Ephraim among the cities of Manasseh, but the border of Manasseh was on the north side of the brook and ended at the Sea.

10 Ephraim’s territory was to the south, and Manasseh’s was to the north, having the Sea as its border and adjoining Asher on the north and Issachar on the east.

11 Within Issachar and Asher, Manasseh was assigned Beth-shean, Ibleam, Dor (that is, Naphath), Endor, Taanach, and Megiddo, each with their surrounding settlements.

12 But the descendants of Manasseh were unable to occupy these cities, because the Canaanites were determined to stay in this land.

13 However, when the Israelites grew stronger, they put the Canaanites to forced labor; but they failed to drive them out completely.

14 Then the sons of Joseph said to Joshua, “Why have you given us only one portion as an inheritance? We have many people, because the LORD has blessed us abundantly.”

15 Joshua answered them, “If you have so many people that the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go to the forest and clear for yourself an area in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim.”

16 “The hill country is not enough for us,” they replied, “and all the Canaanites who live in the valley have iron chariots, both in Beth-shean with its towns and in the Valley of Jezreel.”

17 So Joshua said to the house of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh—“You have many people and great strength. You shall not have just one allotment,

18 because the hill country will be yours as well. It is a forest; clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours. Although the Canaanites have iron chariots and although they are strong, you can drive them out.”

1 ¶ There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh; for he [was] the firstborn of Joseph; [to wit], for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead: because he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan.

2 There was also [a lot] for the rest of the children of Manasseh by their families; for the children of Abiezer, and for the children of Helek, and for the children of Asriel, and for the children of Shechem, and for the children of Hepher, and for the children of Shemida: these [were] the male children of Manasseh the son of Joseph by their families.

3 But Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but daughters: and these [are] the names of his daughters, Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

4 And they came near before Eleazar the priest, and before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the princes, saying, The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brethren. Therefore according to the commandment of the LORD he gave them an inheritance among the brethren of their father.

5 And there fell ten portions to Manasseh, beside the land of Gilead and Bashan, which [were] on the other side Jordan;

6 Because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons: and the rest of Manasseh's sons had the land of Gilead.

7 ¶ And the coast of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethah, that [lieth] before Shechem; and the border went along on the right hand unto the inhabitants of Entappuah.

8 [Now] Manasseh had the land of Tappuah: but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh [belonged] to the children of Ephraim;

9 And the coast descended unto the river Kanah, southward of the river: these cities of Ephraim [are] among the cities of Manasseh: the coast of Manasseh also [was] on the north side of the river, and the outgoings of it were at the sea:

10 Southward [it was] Ephraim's, and northward [it was] Manasseh's, and the sea is his border; and they met together in Asher on the north, and in Issachar on the east.

11 And Manasseh had in Issachar and in Asher Bethshean and her towns, and Ibleam and her towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, and the inhabitants of Endor and her towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and her towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns, [even] three countries.

12 Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out [the inhabitants of] those cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.

13 Yet it came to pass, when the children of Israel were waxen strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute; but did not utterly drive them out.

14 ¶ And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me [but] one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I [am] a great people, forasmuch as the LORD hath blessed me hitherto?

15 And Joshua answered them, If thou [be] a great people, [then] get thee up to the wood [country], and cut down for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee.

16 And the children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us: and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, [both they] who [are] of Bethshean and her towns, and [they] who [are] of the valley of Jezreel.

17 And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph, [even] to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, Thou [art] a great people, and hast great power: thou shalt not have one lot [only]:

18 But the mountain shall be thine; for it [is] a wood, and thou shalt cut it down: and the outgoings of it shall be thine: for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, [and] though they [be] strong.

1 And the lot fell upon the tribe of Manasseh, because he was Joseph's first son: and the lot fell upon Machir the first son of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, because he was a man of war: therefore Gilead and Bashan were given unto him.

2 And to the rest of the sons of Manasseh, and to their families, even to the sons of Abiezer, and to the sons of Helek, and to the sons of Azriel, and to the sons of Shechem, and to the sons of Hepher, and to the sons of Shemida. These are the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph, men of their families.

3 But Zelaphehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but daughters: and their names are these: Mahela, Noa, Hagla, Milcah, Thirzah.

4 And they came before Eleazar the priest, and before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the princes, and said: The LORD commanded Moses that he should give us an inheritance among our brethren. And they gave them an inheritance among their father's brethren, according to the commandment of the LORD.

5 And there fell upon Manasseh ten cords out of the land of Gilead, and out of Bashan, which is beyond Jordan.

6 For the daughters of Manasseh took inheritance among his sons, and the land of Gilead was given unto the other sons of Manasseh.

7 And the border of Manasseh was from Asher unto Michmethath, which is before Shechem, and is on the right hand of Enthapuah.

8 For the land of Tapuah was Manasseh: and the border of Manasseh is unto the children of Ephraim.

9 And afterward it shall come down to Nahal-chanah toward the south, unto the cities of the brook, which are Ephraim's, among the cities of Manasseh: but from the north the border of Manasseh shall be by the brook, and shall end at the sea,

10 To Ephraim southward, and to Manasseh northward; and the sea shall be the border thereof: and it shall come upon Asher northward, and upon Issachar eastward.

11 And Manasseh had among Issachar and Asher Bethshean and her daughters, and Jeblaam and her daughters, and those of Dor and her daughters, and those of En-dor and her daughters, and those of Taanach and her daughters, and those of Megiddo, and her daughters and the third part of Napheth.

12 And the children of Manasseh could not take those cities: but the Canaanites began to dwell in the same land.

13 And when the children of Israel became mighty, they made the Canaanites to pay interest, and did not drive them out.

14 And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying: Why hast thou given me but one lot, and one cord of inheritance? For I am a great people, as the LORD hath blessed me.

15 And Joshua said unto them: Because thou art a great people, go up into the forest, and cut down there the land of the Perizzites and the giants: for the mountains of Ephraim are too narrow for thee.

16 And the children of Joseph said, We shall not get the mountains: for there are chariots of iron among all the Canaanites that dwell in the valley of the land, with whom is Bethshean, and her daughters, and Jezreel in the valley.

17 And Joshua said unto the house of Joseph, and to Ephraim, and to Manasseh, Thou art a great people; and because thou art so great, thou needest not have a lot,

18 But the mountain shall be thine, where the forest is: cut it down, and it shall be the end of thy lot, when thou hast driven out the Canaanites, which have chariots of iron, and are mighty.