Allotment for Ephraim and Manasseh

16 The allotment for Joseph began at the Jordan, east of the springs of Jericho, and went up from there through the desert(A) into the hill country of Bethel.(B) It went on from Bethel (that is, Luz(C)),[a] crossed over to the territory of the Arkites(D) in Ataroth,(E) descended westward to the territory of the Japhletites as far as the region of Lower Beth Horon(F) and on to Gezer,(G) ending at the Mediterranean Sea.

So Manasseh and Ephraim, the descendants of Joseph, received their inheritance.(H)

This was the territory of Ephraim, according to its clans:

The boundary of their inheritance went from Ataroth Addar(I) in the east to Upper Beth Horon(J) and continued to the Mediterranean Sea. From Mikmethath(K) on the north it curved eastward to Taanath Shiloh, passing by it to Janoah(L) on the east. Then it went down from Janoah(M) to Ataroth(N) and Naarah, touched Jericho and came out at the Jordan. From Tappuah(O) the border went west to the Kanah Ravine(P) and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the Ephraimites, according to its clans. It also included all the towns and their villages that were set aside for the Ephraimites within the inheritance of the Manassites.(Q)

10 They did not dislodge the Canaanites living in Gezer; to this day the Canaanites live among the people of Ephraim but are required to do forced labor.(R)

17 This was the allotment for the tribe of Manasseh(S) as Joseph’s firstborn,(T) that is, for Makir,(U) Manasseh’s firstborn. Makir was the ancestor of the Gileadites, who had received Gilead(V) and Bashan(W) because the Makirites were great soldiers. So this allotment was for the rest of the people of Manasseh(X)—the clans of Abiezer,(Y) Helek, Asriel,(Z) Shechem, Hepher(AA) and Shemida.(AB) These are the other male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph by their clans.

Now Zelophehad son of Hepher,(AC) the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons but only daughters,(AD) whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah. They went to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders and said, “The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our relatives.” So Joshua gave them an inheritance along with the brothers of their father, according to the Lord’s command.(AE) Manasseh’s share consisted of ten tracts of land besides Gilead and Bashan east of the Jordan,(AF) because the daughters of the tribe of Manasseh received an inheritance among the sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the descendants of Manasseh.

The territory of Manasseh extended from Asher(AG) to Mikmethath(AH) east of Shechem.(AI) The boundary ran southward from there to include the people living at En Tappuah. (Manasseh had the land of Tappuah, but Tappuah(AJ) itself, on the boundary of Manasseh, belonged to the Ephraimites.) Then the boundary continued south to the Kanah Ravine.(AK) There were towns belonging to Ephraim lying among the towns of Manasseh, but the boundary of Manasseh was the northern side of the ravine and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. 10 On the south the land belonged to Ephraim, on the north to Manasseh. The territory of Manasseh reached the Mediterranean Sea and bordered Asher(AL) on the north and Issachar(AM) on the east.(AN)

11 Within Issachar(AO) and Asher, Manasseh also had Beth Shan,(AP) Ibleam(AQ) and the people of Dor,(AR) Endor,(AS) Taanach(AT) and Megiddo,(AU) together with their surrounding settlements (the third in the list is Naphoth[b]).(AV)

12 Yet the Manassites were not able(AW) to occupy these towns, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that region. 13 However, when the Israelites grew stronger, they subjected the Canaanites to forced labor but did not drive them out completely.(AX)

14 The people of Joseph said to Joshua, “Why have you given us only one allotment and one portion for an inheritance? We are a numerous people, and the Lord has blessed us abundantly.”(AY)

15 “If you are so numerous,” Joshua answered, “and if the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go up into the forest(AZ) and clear land for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites(BA) and Rephaites.(BB)

16 The people of Joseph replied, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the plain have chariots fitted with iron,(BC) both those in Beth Shan(BD) and its settlements and those in the Valley of Jezreel.”(BE)

17 But Joshua said to the tribes of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh—“You are numerous and very powerful. You will have not only one allotment(BF) 18 but the forested hill country(BG) as well. Clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours; though the Canaanites have chariots fitted with iron(BH) and though they are strong, you can drive them out.”

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 16:2 Septuagint; Hebrew Bethel to Luz
  2. Joshua 17:11 That is, Naphoth Dor

Joseph’s Inheritance

16 The allotment for the descendants of Joseph went from the Jordan at Jericho to the Waters of Jericho on the east, through the wilderness(A) ascending from Jericho into the hill country of Bethel. From Bethel it went to Luz and proceeded to the border of the Archites by Ataroth.(B) It then descended westward to the border of the Japhletites as far as the border of Lower Beth-horon, then to Gezer,(C) and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. So Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of Joseph,(D) received their inheritance.(E)

Ephraim’s Inheritance

This was the territory of the descendants of Ephraim by their clans:

The border of their inheritance went from Ataroth-addar(F) on the east to Upper Beth-horon. In the north the border went westward from Michmethath;(G) it turned eastward from Taanath-shiloh and passed it east of Janoah. From Janoah it descended to Ataroth and Naarah,(H) and then reached Jericho and went to the Jordan. From Tappuah the border went westward along the Brook of Kanah and ended at the Mediterranean Sea.(I)

This was the inheritance of the tribe of the descendants of Ephraim by their clans, together with the cities set apart for the descendants of Ephraim within the inheritance of the descendants of Manasseh—all these cities with their settlements. 10 However, they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer.(J) So the Canaanites still live in Ephraim today,(K) but they are forced laborers.

West Manasseh’s Inheritance

17 This was the allotment for the tribe of Manasseh(L) as Joseph’s firstborn. Gilead and Bashan were given to Machir, the firstborn of Manasseh and the father of Gilead, because he was a man of war.(M) So the allotment was for the rest of Manasseh’s descendants by their clans, for the sons of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These are the male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph, by their clans.

Now Zelophehad son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, had no sons, only daughters. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.(N) They came before the priest Eleazar, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders, saying, “The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our male relatives.” So they gave them an inheritance among their father’s brothers, in keeping with the Lord’s instruction.(O) As a result, ten tracts fell to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which are beyond the Jordan,[a] because Manasseh’s daughters received an inheritance among his sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of Manasseh’s sons.

The border of Manasseh went from Asher to Michmethath near Shechem. It then went southward toward the inhabitants of En-tappuah. The region of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but Tappuah itself on Manasseh’s border(P) belonged to the descendants of Ephraim. From there the border descended to the Brook of Kanah; south of the brook, cities belonged to Ephraim among Manasseh’s cities. Manasseh’s border was on the north side of the brook and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. 10 Ephraim’s territory was to the south and Manasseh’s to the north, with the Sea as its border. They reached Asher on the north and Issachar on the east. 11 Within Issachar and Asher, Manasseh had Beth-shean, Ibleam, and the inhabitants of Dor with their surrounding villages;(Q) the inhabitants of En-dor, Taanach, and Megiddo—the three cities of[b] Naphath—with their surrounding villages.(R)

12 The descendants of Manasseh could not possess these cities, because the Canaanites were determined to stay in this land. 13 However, when the Israelites grew stronger, they imposed forced labor on the Canaanites but did not drive them out completely.(S)

Joseph’s Additional Inheritance

14 Joseph’s descendants said to Joshua, “Why did you give us only one tribal allotment as an inheritance? We have many people, because the Lord has been blessing us greatly.”

15 “If you have so many people,” Joshua replied to them, “go to the forest and clear an area for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, because Ephraim’s hill country is too small for you.”

16 But the descendants of Joseph said, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who inhabit the valley area have iron chariots, both at Beth-shean with its surrounding villages and in the Jezreel Valley.”

17 So Joshua replied to Joseph’s family (that is, Ephraim and Manasseh), “You have many people and great strength. You will not have just one allotment, 18 because the hill country will be yours also. It is a forest; clear it and its outlying areas will be yours. You can also drive out the Canaanites, even though they have iron chariots and are strong.”

Footnotes

  1. 17:5 = east of the Jordan River
  2. 17:11 LXX, Vg read the third is

16 And the lot of the children of Joseph fell from Jordan by Jericho, unto the water of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goeth up from Jericho throughout mount Bethel,

And goeth out from Bethel to Luz, and passeth along unto the borders of Archi to Ataroth,

And goeth down westward to the coast of Japhleti, unto the coast of Bethhoron the nether, and to Gezer; and the goings out thereof are at the sea.

So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance.

And the border of the children of Ephraim according to their families was thus: even the border of their inheritance on the east side was Atarothaddar, unto Bethhoron the upper;

And the border went out toward the sea to Michmethah on the north side; and the border went about eastward unto Taanathshiloh, and passed by it on the east to Janohah;

And it went down from Janohah to Ataroth, and to Naarath, and came to Jericho, and went out at Jordan.

The border went out from Tappuah westward unto the river Kanah; and the goings out thereof were at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim by their families.

And the separate cities for the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages.

10 And they drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day, and serve under tribute.

17 There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh; for he was the firstborn of Joseph; to wit, for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead: because he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan.

There was also a lot for the rest of the children of Manasseh by 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 by their families.

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.

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.

And there fell ten portions to Manasseh, beside the land of Gilead and Bashan, which were on the other side Jordan;

Because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons: and the rest of Manasseh's sons had the land of Gilead.

And the coast of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethah, that lieth before Shechem; and the border went along on the right hand unto the inhabitants of Entappuah.

Now Manasseh had the land of Tappuah: but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the children of Ephraim;

And the coast descended unto the river Kanah, southward of the river: these cities of Ephraim are among the cities of Manasseh: the coast of Manasseh also was on the north side of the river, and the outgoings of it were at the sea:

10 Southward it was Ephraim's, and northward it was Manasseh's, and the sea is his border; and they met together in Asher on the north, and in Issachar on the east.

11 And Manasseh had in Issachar and in Asher Bethshean and her towns, and Ibleam and her towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, and the inhabitants of Endor and her towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and her towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns, even three countries.

12 Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.

13 Yet it came to pass, when the children of Israel were waxen strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, but did not utterly drive them out.

14 And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the Lord hath blessed me hitherto?

15 And Joshua answered them, If thou be a great people, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee.

16 And the children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us: and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who are of Bethshean and her towns, and they who are of the valley of Jezreel.

17 And Joshua spake 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:

18 But the mountain shall be thine; for it is a wood, and thou shalt cut it down: and the outgoings of it shall be thine: for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong.