Joshua 16-17

Modern English Version

Allotment for Ephraim and Manasseh

16 The allotment of land for the descendants of Joseph was from the Jordan by Jericho then east into the wilderness, rising from Jericho to the hill country of Bethel. ² It goes out from Bethel to Luz and passes to the border of Arkite territory at Ataroth. ³ It goes down westward to the territory of the Japhletites, to the border of lower Beth Horon and Gezer, and then goes out to the sea.

⁴ So the descendants of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance.

⁵ The territory of the Ephraimites, according to their clans, was as follows. The border of their inheritance on the east was Ataroth Addar as far as upper Beth Horon. ⁶ The border goes out toward the sea with Mikmethath on the north. It turns eastward toward Taanath Shiloh and passes it on the east toward Janoah. ⁷ It descends from Janoah to Ataroth and to Naarah, touches Jericho, and extends to the Jordan. ⁸ From Tappuah the border goes west to the Kanah Ravine and out to the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the Ephraimites according to their clans. ⁹ The other cities for the Ephraimites were in the middle of the inheritance of the descendants of Manasseh, all the cities and their villages.

¹⁰ They did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites live in the midst of Ephraim until this day performing heavy labor as slaves.

17 Then allotment was made to the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph. To Makir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, were allotted Gilead and Bashan, because he was a warrior. ² And allotments were made to the rest of the tribe of Manasseh, according to their families: Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida; these were the male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph, according to their families.

³ Yet Zelophehad, son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Makir, son of Manasseh had no sons, only daughters. These were his daughters’ names: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah, and Tirzah. ⁴ They approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders, saying, “The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our relatives.” So Joshua gave them an inheritance among their fathers’ relatives according to the word of the Lord. ⁵ Therefore Manasseh received ten regions, apart from the lands of Gilead and Bashan on the east side of the Jordan, ⁶ because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons, and the rest of the people of Manasseh received the land of Gilead.

⁷ The boundary of Manasseh was from Asher to Mikmethath east of Shechem, and it runs south toward the inhabitants of En Tappuah. ⁸ Now Manasseh owned the land of Tappuah, but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the Ephraimites. ⁹ Then the border descended to the Kanah Ravine, southward to the brook. These cities of Ephraim are among the cities of Manasseh. The border of Manasseh was on the north side of the brook, and it ended at the sea. ¹⁰ The land belonging to Ephraim was to the south, and the land belonging to Manasseh to the north. The Mediterranean Sea was the boundary of this territory, which bordered Asher in the north and Issachar in the east.

¹¹ In Issachar and Asher, Manasseh was assigned districts: Beth Shan, Ibleam, Dor, Endor, Taanach, Megiddo, Naphoth, and their respective villages.

¹² Yet the sons of Manasseh could not take possession of those cities, because the Canaanites were determined to live in that land. ¹³ But when the children of Israel became strong, they put the Canaanites to hard labor as slaves, but they did not actually drive them out.

¹⁴ The descendants of Joseph said to Joshua, “Why have you assigned us a single allotment, a single portion? We are a numerous people, as the Lord has blessed us.”

¹⁵ Joshua said to them, “If you are a numerous people, go up to the forests and clear out a place there for yourselves in the land of the Perizzites and the giants, since the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you.”

¹⁶ The descendants of Joseph said, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites living in the plains have iron chariots, both those in Beth Shan and the Jezreel Valley.”

¹⁷ Joshua said to Ephraim and Manasseh, the descendants of Joseph, “You are a numerous people who have great strength. There will not be only one allotment for you. ¹⁸ The hill country shall be yours. Although it is a forest you shall clear it and own it to its borders. You shall drive out the Canaanites, even though they have iron chariots and are strong.”