< Joshua 17 >

1 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.
And this was the part marked out for the tribe of Manasseh, because he was the oldest son of Joseph. As for Machir, the oldest son of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, because he was a man of war he had Gilead and Bashan.
2 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.
And as for the rest of the children of Manasseh, their heritage was given to them by 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 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.
But Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but only daughters; and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
4 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.
And they came before Eleazar the priest, and Joshua, the son of Nun, and before the chiefs, saying, The Lord gave orders to Moses to give us a heritage among our brothers: so in agreement with the orders of the Lord he gave them a heritage among their father's brothers.
5 Ten parcels of land were assigned to Manasseh in Gilead and Bashan, which is on the other side of the Jordan,
And ten parts were given to Manasseh, in addition to the land of Gilead and Bashan, which is on the other side of Jordan;
6 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.
Because the daughters of Manasseh had a heritage among his sons, and the land of Gilead was the property of the other sons of Manasseh.
7 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.
And the limit of Manasseh's land was from Asher to Michmethath, which is before Shechem; the line goes on to the right hand, to the people of En-tappuah.
8 (The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but the town of Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the tribe of Ephraim.)
The land of Tappuah was the property of Manasseh; but Tappuah on the edge of Manasseh was the property of the children of Ephraim.
9 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.
And the limit goes down to the stream Kanah, to the south of the stream: these towns were Ephraim's among the towns of Manasseh; Manasseh's limit was on the north side of the stream, ending at the sea:
10 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.
To the south it is Ephraim's, and to the north it is Manasseh's, and the sea is his limit; and they are touching Asher on the north, and Issachar on the east.
11 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).
In Issachar and Asher, Manasseh had Beth-shean and its daughter-towns, and Ibleam and its daughter-towns, and the people of Dor and its daughter-towns, and the people of En-dor and its daughter-towns, and the people of Taanach and its daughter-towns, and the people of Megiddo and its daughter-towns, that is, the three hills.
12 Yet the tribe of Manasseh could not take possession of those cities, for the Canaanites continued to live in this land.
But the children of Manasseh were not able to make the people of those towns go out; but the Canaanites would go on living in that land.
13 When the people of Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not completely drive them out.
And when the children of Israel had become strong, they put the Canaanites to forced work, in place of driving them out.
14 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?”
Then the children of Joseph said to Joshua, Why have you given me only one part and one stretch of land for my heritage? For through the blessing given to me by the Lord up to now, I am a great people.
15 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.”
Then Joshua said to them, If you are such a great people, go up into the woodlands, clearing a place there for yourselves in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, if the hill-country of Ephraim is not wide enough for you.
16 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.”
And the children of Joseph said, The hill-country is not enough for us: and all the Canaanites living in the valley have iron war-carriages, those in Beth-shean and its towns as well as those in the valley of Jezreel.
17 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.
Then Joshua said to the children of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, You are a great people, and have great power: you are not to have one property only,
18 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.”
For the hill-country of Gilead will be yours ... the woodland and cut down ... its outskirts will be yours ... get the Canaanites out, for they have iron war-carriages ... strong.

< Joshua 17 >