Joshua 17

1 And then came the lot for the tribe of Menasseh; for he was the first-born of Joseph: to wit, for Machir the first-born of Menasseh, the father of Gil'ad; because he was a man of war, therefore he obtained Gil'ad and Bashan.

This was the assignment of land for the tribe of Manasseh (who was the firstborn of Joseph)—that is, for Makir, who was Manasseh's firstborn and who himself was the father of Gilead. Makir's descendants were assigned the land of Gilead and Bashan, because Makir had been a man of war.

2 There was also a lot for the rest of the children of Menasseh after their families; for the children of Abi'ezer, and for the children of Chelek, and for the children of Assriel, and for the children of Shechem, and for the children of Chepher, and for the children of Shemida': these were the male children of Menasseh the son of Joseph after their families.

Land was assigned to the rest of the tribe of Manasseh, given to their clans—Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These were the male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph, presented by their clans.

3 But Zelophchad, the son of Chepher, the son of Gil'ad, the son of Machir, the son of Menasseh, had no sons, but only daughters, and these are the names of his daughters, Machlah, and No'ah, Choglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

Now Zelophehad son of Hepher son of Gilead son of Makir son of Manasseh had no sons, but only daughters. The names of his daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah, and Tirzah.

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

They approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders, and they said, “Yahweh commanded Moses to give to us an inheritance along with our brothers.” So, following the commandment of Yahweh, he gave those women an inheritance among the brothers of their father.

5 And there fell ten portions of Menasseh, beside the lands of Gil'ad and Bashan, which were on the other side of the Jordan;

Ten parcels of land were assigned to Manasseh in Gilead and Bashan, which is on the other side of the Jordan,

6 Because the daughters of Menasseh obtained an inheritance among his sons: and the land of Gil'ad belonged to the rest of the sons of Manasseh.

because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance along with his sons. The land of Gilead was assigned to the rest of the tribe of Manasseh.

7 And the boundary of Menasseh was from Asher to Michmethath, that lieth before Shechem; and the boundary went along on the right hand unto the inhabitants of 'En-tappuach.

The territory of Manasseh reached from Asher to Mikmethath, which is east of Shechem. Then the border went southward to those living near the spring of Tappuah.

8 To Menasseh belonged the land of Tappuach; but Tappuach on the borders of Menasseh belonged to the children of Ephraim;

(The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but the town of Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the tribe of Ephraim.)

9 And the boundary descended unto the brook Kanah, southward of the brook; these cities belonging to Ephraim are in the midst of the cities of Menasseh; and the boundary of Menasseh was on the north side of the river, and its terminations were toward the sea:

The border went down to the brook of Kanah. These cities south of the brook among the towns of Manasseh belonged to Ephraim. The border of Manasseh was on the north side of the brook, and it ended at the sea.

10 Southward it was Ephraim's, and northward it was Menasseh's, and the sea was [there] his boundary; and on Asher they touched on the north, and on Issachar on the east.

The land to the south belonged to Ephraim, and the land to the north was Manasseh's; the sea was the border. On the north side Asher can be reached, and to the east, Issachar.

11 And to Menasseh belonged in Issachar and in Asher Beth-shean and its towns, and Yible'am and its towns, together with the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of 'En-dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Ta'anach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns, namely the three districts.

Also in Issachar and in Asher, Manasseh possessed Beth Shan and its villages, Ibleam and its villages, the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, the inhabitants of Endor and its villages, the inhabitants of Taanach and its villages, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages (and the third city is Napheth).

12 Yet the children of Menasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of these cities; but the Canaanites succeeded to dwell in this land;

Yet the tribe of Manasseh could not take possession of those cities, for the Canaanites continued to live in this land.

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

When the people of Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not completely drive them out.

14 And the children of Joseph spoke unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion as an inheritance, seeing I am a numerous people, to which extent the Lord hath hitherto blessed me?

Then the descendants of Joseph said to Joshua, saying, “Why have you given us only one assignment of land and one portion for an inheritance, since we are a people great in number, and all along Yahweh has blessed us?”

15 And Joshua said unto them, If thou art a numerous people, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down [a space] for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the Rephaim, if the mountain of Ephraim be too narrow for thee.

Joshua said to them, “If you are a people great in number, go up by yourselves to the forest and there clear the ground for yourselves in the land of the Perizzites and of the Rephaim. Do this, since the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you.”

16 And the children of Joseph said, The mountain will not be enough for us; and chariots of iron are belonging to all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley, to those who are at Beth-shean and its towns, and to those who are in the valley of Yizre'el.

The descendants of Joseph said, “The hill country is not enough for us. But all the Canaanites who live in the valley have chariots of iron, both those who are in Beth Shan and its villages, and those who are in the Valley of Jezreel.”

17 And Joshua said unto the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and to Menasseh, as followeth, Thou art a numerous people, and hast great power; thou shalt not have one lot only;

Then Joshua said to the house of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh, “You are a people great in number, and you have great power. You must not have only one piece of land assigned to you.

18 But the mountain shall be thine; it is indeed a wood, yet thou canst cut it down; and the terminations of it shall be thine; for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, though they be strong.

The hill country will also be yours. Though it is a forest, you will clear it and take possession of it to its farthest borders. You will drive out the Canaanites, even though they have chariots of iron, and even though they are strong.”