Joshua 17

1 This was the allocation to the tribe of Manasseh, Joseph's firstborn son. Machir was Manasseh's firstborn son who was the father of Gilead. Because Machir had been an excellent fighter, Gilead and Bashan had already been allocated to him.

This was the lot for the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph. As for Makir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, because he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan.

2 The allocation was for the rest of the tribe of Manasseh, to the families of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These were the male descendants of Manasseh, the son of Joseph, by families.

So this was for the rest of the descendants of Manasseh according to their families: for the descendants of Abiezer, for the descendants of Helek, for the descendants of Asriel, for the descendants of Shechem, for the descendants of Hepher, and for the descendants of Shemida: these were the male descendants of Manasseh the son of Joseph according to their families.

3 But Zelophehad, son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, had no sons. He only had daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

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

4 They approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the leaders, and told them, “The Lord ordered Moses to give us an allocation of land along with our brothers.” So Joshua allotted land to them along with their brothers, as the Lord had ordered.

They came near before Eleazar the priest, and before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the leaders, saying, "The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers." Therefore according to the commandment of the LORD he gave them an inheritance among the brothers of their father.

5 Consequently Manasseh received ten shares of land beside the land of Gilead and Bashan on the other side of the Jordan,

Ten parts fell to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which is beyond the Jordan;

6 because the daughters of the tribe of Manasseh received an allocation along with the sons. (The land of Gilead had been allotted to the rest of the descendants of Manasseh).

because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the sons of Manasseh.

7 The boundary of the tribe of Manasseh ran from Asher to Michmethath, near Shechem, then south to the spring of Tappuah.

The border of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethath, which is before Shechem. The border went along to the right hand to Jashub and to En Tappuah.

8 The land around Tappuah was allocated to Manasseh, but the town of Tappuah, which was on the border of Manasseh's land, was allocated to Ephraim.

The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh; but Tappuah, on the border of Manasseh, belonged to the descendants of Ephraim.

9 From there the boundary ran down to the valley of Kenah. South of the valley some of the towns belonged to Ephraim among the towns of Manasseh. The boundary ran along the north side of the valley and ended at the sea.

The border went down to Wadi Kanah, southward of the wadi. These cities belonged to Ephraim among the cities of Manasseh. The border of Manasseh was on the north side of the wadi, and ended at the sea.

10 To the south the land belonged to Ephraim, and to the north, to Manasseh. The sea is the boundary. The boundary to the north was with Asher, and with Issachar to the east.

Southward it was Ephraim's, and northward it was Manasseh's, and the sea was his border. They reached to Asher on the north, and to Issachar on the east.

11 The following towns with their associated villages were allocated to Manasseh but lay within the land of Issachar and Asher: Beth-shan, Ibleam, Dor (on the coast), Endor, Taanach, and Megiddo.

And Manasseh had in Issachar and in Asher, Beth Shean and its towns, and Ibleam and its towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Endor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns; three regions.

12 But the descendants of Manasseh could not take possession of these towns because the Canaanites were determined to go on occupying the land.

Yet the descendants of Manasseh couldn't drive out the inhabitants of those cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.

13 However, later on, when the Israelites grew strong enough, they made the Canaanites do forced labor—but they did not drive them out.

It happened, when the children of Israel had grown strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, and did not utterly drive them out.

14 Then the descendants of Joseph came to Joshua and asked him, “Why have you given us only one allocation—only one share of the land—when there's so many of us because the Lord has blessed us so much?”

The descendants of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, "Why have you given me just one lot and one part for an inheritance, since I am a great people, because the LORD has blessed me so far?"

15 Joshua told them, “If there's so many of you, if the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, then go and clear ground for yourselves from the forest in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim.”

Joshua said to them, "If you are a great people, go up to the forest, and clear land for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the Rephaim; since the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you."

16 The descendants of Joseph replied, “The hill country isn't big enough for us, but the Canaanites living in the lowlands have iron chariots, both those in Beth-shan and its villages, and those in the valley of Jezreel.”

The descendants of Joseph said, "The hill country is not enough for us. All the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both those who are in Beth Shean and its towns, and those who are in the Valley of Jezreel."

17 Joshua said to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, the descendants of Joseph, “Since you are so many, and you are so strong, you will be given more than just one share.

Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, "You are a great people, and have great power. You shall not have one lot only;

18 You will be allocated the hill country in addition. Though it is forest, you will clear it and own it, from one end to the other. You will drive out the Canaanites, even though they have iron chariots, and even though they are strong.”

but the hill country shall be yours. Although it is a forest, you shall cut it down, and its farthest extent shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron, and though they are strong."