Joshua 17

1 And this was the lot for the tribe of Manasseh; for he was the first-born of Joseph. As for Machir the first-born of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, because he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead 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 And the lot was for the rest of the children of Manasseh according to 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 according to 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 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.

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 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.

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 parts to Manasseh, beside the land of Gilead and Bashan, which is beyond 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 Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons; and the land of Gilead belonged unto 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 border of Manasseh was, beginning from Asher, Michmethath, which is before Shechem; and the border went along to the right hand, unto the inhabitants of En-tappuah. —

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 The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh; but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh 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 border went down unto the brook of Kanah, southward of the brook, by cities which belonged to Ephraim among the cities of Manasseh; but the border of Manasseh was on the north side of the brook; and the goings out thereof were at 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 Manasseh's, and the sea was his border; and they reached to Asher on the north, and to 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 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 En-dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns, even the three regions.

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 Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities; but the Canaanites were resolved to dwell in that land.

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

13 And it came to pass, when the children of Israel were waxen strong, that they put the Canaanites to taskwork, but did not utterly 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 part for an inheritance, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the LORD hath blessed me thus?'

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 be a great people, get thee up to the forest, and cut down for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the Rephaim; since the hill-country of Ephraim is 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 hill-country will not be enough for us; and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who are in Beth-shean and its towns, and they who are in the valley of Jezreel.'

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 spoke 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;

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 hill-country shall be thine; for though it is a forest, thou shalt cut it down, and the goings out thereof shall be thine; for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron, and 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.”