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.

And the borders of the tribe of the children of Manasse, (for he [was] the firstborn of Joseph, ) [assigned] to Machir the firstborn of Manasse the father of Galaad, for he was a warrior, [were] in the land of Galaad and of Basan.

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.

And there was [land] assigned to the other sons of Manasse according to their families; to the sons of Jezi, and to the sons of Kelez, and to the sons of Jeziel, and to the sons of Sychem, and to the sons of Symarim, and to the sons of Opher: these [are] the males according to their families.

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.

And Salpaad the sons of Opher had no sons but daughters: and these [are] the names of the daughters of Salpaad; Maala, and Nua, and Egla, and Melcha, and Thersa.

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.

And they stood before Eleazar the priest, and before Joshua, and before the rulers, saying, God gave a charge by the hand of Moses, to give us an inheritance in the midst of our brethren: so there was given to them by the command of the Lord an inheritance among the brethren of their father.

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

And their lot fell [to them] from Anassa, and [to the] plain of Labec of the land of Galaad, which is beyond 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.

For the daughters of the sons of Manasse inherited a portion in the midst of their brethren, and the land of Galaad was assigned to the remainder of the sons of Manasse.

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

And the borders of the sons of Manasse were Delanath, which is before the sons of Anath, and it proceeds to the borders [even] to Jamin and Jassib to the fountain of Thaphthoth.

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

It shall belong to Manasse, and Thapheth on the borders of Manasse [shall belong] to the sons of 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.

And the borders shall go down to the valley of Carana southward by the valley of Jariel, ([there is] a turpentine tree [belonging] to Ephraim between [that and] the city of Manasse: ) and the borders of Manasse [are] northward to the brook; and the sea shall be its termination.

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.

Southward [the land belongs] to Ephraim, and northward to Manasse; and the sea shall be their cost; and northward they shall border upon Aseb, and eastward upon Issachar.

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

And Manasses shall have in [the portion of] Issachar and Aser Baethsan and their villages, and the inhabitants of Dor, and its villages, and the inhabitants of Mageddo, and its villages, and the third part of Mapheta, and its villages.

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

And the sons of Manasse were not able to destroy these cities; and the Chananite began to dwell in that land.

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

And it came to pass that when the children of Israel were strong, they made the Chananites subject, but they did not utterly destroy them.

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.”

And the sons of Joseph answered Joshua, saying, Therefore have you caused us to inherit one inheritance, and one line? whereas I am a great people, and God has blessed me.

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.”

And Joshua said to them, If you be a great people, go up to the forest, and clear [the land] for yourself, If mount Ephraim be too little for you.

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.”

And they said, The mount of Ephraim does not please us, and the Chananite dwelling in it in Baethsan, and in its villages, [and] in the valley of Jezrael, has choice cavalry and iron.

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,

And Joshua said to the sons of Joseph, If you are a great people, and have great strength, you shall not have [only] one inheritance.

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.”

For you shall have the wood, for there is a wood, and you shall clear it, and [the land] shall be your; even when you shall have utterly destroyed the Chananite, for he has chosen cavalry; yet you are stronger than he.