Joshua 17

1 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.

Now this lot fell to the tribe of Manasseh, since he is the firstborn of Joseph: to Machir, the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, who was a fighting man, and he had as a possession Gilead and Bashan;

2 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.

and to the rest of the sons of Manasseh, according to their families: to the sons of Abiezer, and to the sons of Helek, and to the sons of Asriel, and to the sons of Shechem, and to the sons of Hepher, and to the sons of Shemida. These are the sons of Manasseh, the son of Joseph, the males, by their families.

3 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.

Yet truly, Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but only daughters, whose names are these: Mahlah and Noah and Hoglah and Milcah and Tirzah.

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

And they went before the sight of Eleazar, the priest, and Joshua, the son of Nun, and the leaders, saying: “The Lord instructed by the hand of Moses that a possession ought to be given to us, in the midst of our brothers.” And so, he gave to them, in accord with the order of the Lord, a possession in the midst of the brothers of their father.

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

And by lot, there fell ten portions to Manasseh, aside from the land of Gilead and Bashan beyond the Jordan.

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

And so the daughters of Manasseh possessed an inheritance in the midst of his sons. But the land of Gilead fell by lot to the sons of Manasseh that were left.

7 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.

And the border of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethath, which looks out toward Shechem. And it goes out, to the right, beside the inhabitants of the Fountain of Tappuah.

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

For by lot, there also fell to Manasseh the land of Tappuah, which is beside the borders of Manasseh, and which belongs to the sons of Ephraim.

9 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.

And the border descends to the Valley of Reeds, to the south of the torrent of the cities of Ephraim, which are in the midst of the cities of Manasseh. The border of Manasseh is to the north of the torrent, and its exit extends to the sea.

10 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.

So it is that the possession of Ephraim is in the south, and that of Manasseh is in the north, and both are enclosed by the sea, and they are joined together by the tribe of Asher to the north, and by the tribe of Issachar to the east.

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 Endor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns; three regions.

And the inheritance of Manasseh, in Issachar and in Asher, was Bethshean and its villages, and Ibleam with its villages, and the inhabitants of Dor, with their towns, likewise the inhabitants of Endor with their villages, and similarly the inhabitants of Taanach with their villages, and the inhabitants of Megiddo with their villages, and one third part of the city of Naphath.

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

The sons of Manasseh were not able to overthrow these cities, and so the Canaanite began to dwell in their land.

13 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.

But after the sons of Israel had grown strong, they subdued the Canaanites, and made them their tributaries, but they did not kill them.

14 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 YHWH has blessed me so far?"

And the sons of Joseph spoke to Joshua, and they said, “Why have you given to me as a possession one lot and one portion, while I am of such a great multitude, and the Lord has blessed me?”

15 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."

And Joshua said to them, “If you are a numerous people, go up into the forest, and cut out space for yourself in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the possession of mount Ephraim is too narrow for you.”

16 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."

And the sons of Joseph responded to him: “We are not able to ascend to the mountains, since the Canaanites, who live in the plains, in which are situated Bethshean, with its villages, and Jezreel, possessing the middle of the valley, use chariots of iron.”

17 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;

And Joshua said to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh: “You are a numerous people, and you have great strength. You shall not have only one lot.

18 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."

Instead, you shall cross to the mountain, and you shall cut down and clear out for yourselves space in which to live. And you shall be able to advance further, when you will have destroyed the Canaanite, who, as you say, has iron chariots and is very strong.”