Joshua 17
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 17
The Tribe of Manasseh. 1 This was the allotment for the tribe of Manasseh, who was the firstborn of Joseph, that is, of Machir, who was the firstborn of Manasseh, and he was also the father of the Gileadites because he had received Gilead and Bashan since he was a mighty warrior. 2 This was the allotment for the rest of the Manassehites, the clans of the descendants of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These are the other male descendants of Manasseh, the son of Joseph, according to their clans.
3 [a]Now Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh had no sons, only daughters. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 4 They went to Eleazar, the priest, to Joshua, the son of Nun, and the elders and said, “The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.” He therefore gave them an inheritance among the brothers of their father, just as the Lord had commanded.
5 Manasseh’s portion consisted of ten parcels of land besides Gilead and Bashan, which were on the east side of the Jordan, 6 for the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance along with the sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the descendants of Manasseh. 7 The territory of the Manassehites ran from Asher to Micmethath east of Shechem. The boundary then ran south from there, so it included the people living at En-tappuah. 8 (Manasseh had received the land around Tappuah, which lay on the boundary with Manasseh, but Tappuah itself belonged to the Ephraimites.) 9 The boundary then continued on south to the Wadi Kanah. There were some towns that belonged to Ephraim among the towns of Manasseh, but Manasseh’s boundary ran along the north side of the river, ending at the sea. 10 To the north, the land belonged to Ephraim, while to the south the land belonged to Manasseh. Its boundary ended at the sea, bordering Asher on the north and Issachar on the east.
11 Within Asher and Issachar, Manasseh also possessed Beth-shan and the towns that were dependent upon it, Ibleam and the towns dependent upon it, the inhabitants of Dor and the towns dependent upon it, the inhabitants of Endor and the towns dependent upon it, the inhabitants of Taanach and the towns dependent upon it, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and the towns dependent upon it. (These are three mountainous areas.)
12 Yet, the Manassehites were not able to occupy these cities, for the Canaanites were determined to continue to live in that land. 13 When the Israelites grew stronger, they did subject the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not drive them out completely. 14 [b]The descendants of Joseph said to Joshua, “Why have you given us only one allotment, one portion as our inheritance. We are quite numerous, for the Lord has blessed us.” 15 But Joshua answered them, “If you are too numerous for the hill country of Ephraim, then go up into the forest and clear land for yourselves in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim.” 16 The descendants of Joseph replied, “The hill country is too small for us, and the Canaanites who live in the plains have iron chariots, both the ones living in Beth-shean and the towns dependent upon it and those living in the Valley of Jezreel.” 17 Joshua said to the descendants of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, “You are a numerous and very powerful people. You will have more than one allotment. 18 The forested hill country will also be yours. Cut it down, and it will be yours right to its fringes. The Canaanites might have iron chariots and be strong, but you can drive them out.”
Footnotes
- Joshua 17:3 The unusual situation of Israelite women inheriting property is carried out by Joshua in accordance with the law instituted by Moses at God’s command (Num 27:1-11). Zelophehad’s daughters reaped the benefits of this new law and set a precedent for future women.
- Joshua 17:14 Here we see the real damage that ensued in Ephraim and Manasseh because they had not driven out the Canaanites from the land. Rather than simply hand over more land to them because of what was occupied, Joshua insisted that they prove themselves worthy.
Josué 17
Traducción en lenguaje actual
Territorios de la tribu de Manasés
17 El territorio de la tribu de Manasés, el hijo mayor de José, se dividió de la siguiente manera:
Al grupo familiar de Maquir ya Moisés le había asignado las tierras de Galaad y Basán. Maquir, guerrero valiente, era hijo mayor de Manasés y padre de Galaad.
2 A los grupos familiares de Abiézer, Hélec, Asriel, Siquem, Héfer y Semidá, Josué les asignó sus respectivos territorios. Éstos eran hijos de Manasés y nietos de José.
3 A Selofhad, bisnieto de Maquir, no se le había dado territorio, porque no tuvo hijos. Sólo tuvo cinco hijas, que se llamaban Mahlá, Noá, Hoglá, Milcá y Tirsá. 4 Entonces ellas se presentaron ante el sacerdote Eleazar, ante Josué y ante los líderes, y les dijeron: «Dios le ordenó a Moisés que a nosotras se nos dieran tierras, lo mismo que a nuestros parientes varones».
Así que de acuerdo con el mandato de Dios, ellas también recibieron tierras.
5-6 Josué asignó tierras tanto a las mujeres como a los hombres descendientes de Manasés. Por eso la tribu de Manasés recibió diez partes al oeste del río Jordán, además de los territorios de Galaad y Basán, que están al este del río.
7 El territorio de Manasés se extendía desde la frontera con la tribu de Aser hasta Micmetat, que está al este de Siquem. De allí seguía hacia el sur hasta el manantial de Tapúah. 8 La región de Tapúah pertenecía a Manasés, excepto la ciudad cerca de la frontera, cuyo nombre también es Tapúah y pertenecía a la tribu de Efraín. 9-10 De allí la frontera sur seguía hacia el oeste por el arroyo Caná, hasta el mar Mediterráneo. La mayor parte del territorio de Manasés estaba al norte del arroyo Caná, pero en la parte que le correspondía al sur del arroyo había algunas ciudades que pertenecían a la tribu de Efraín. Al noroeste, el territorio de Manasés limitaba con el de la tribu de Aser, y al noreste, con el de la tribu de Isacar. 11 Dentro del territorio de esas tribus había también varias ciudades con sus aldeas que pertenecían a Manasés. Éstas son Bet-seán, Ibleam, Dor, Endor, Taanac y Meguido. La tercera ciudad mencionada es la de la costa. 12 Pero la tribu de Manasés no pudo echar a los cananeos de esas ciudades, y todavía están allí. 13 Después, cuando los israelitas se hicieron más fuertes, no desalojaron a los cananeos, pero los obligaron a trabajar para ellos.
Los descendientes de José piden más territorios
14 Un día los descendientes de José le dijeron a Josué:
—Dios nos ha bendecido y ahora somos muchos, pero sólo nos has dado una porción de territorio. Necesitamos más.
15 Josué les respondió:
—Ya que ustedes son muchos y no les alcanza el territorio de Efraín, vayan a la región de los ferezeos y de los gigantes refaítas, y ábranse espacio en los bosques que allí hay.
16 Ellos dijeron entonces:
—Es verdad. No cabemos en la región montañosa de Efraín. Pero los cananeos que viven en el valle tienen carros de hierro, tanto los de Bet-seán y de las aldeas a su alrededor, como los del valle de Jezreel.
17 Josué respondió de esta manera a los descendientes de José, es decir, a Efraín y a Manasés:
—Ustedes son muchos y muy poderosos, así que les daré más de una porción de territorio. 18 Toda la región montañosa será de ustedes. Allí hay bosques, pero ustedes podrán desmontarlos y adueñarse de ese territorio. Es cierto que los cananeos son fuertes y tienen carros de hierro, pero ustedes los echarán del territorio.
Joshua 17
King James Version
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.
2 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.
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.
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.
5 And there fell ten portions to Manasseh, beside the land of Gilead and Bashan, which were on the other side Jordan;
6 Because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons: and the rest of Manasseh's sons had the land of Gilead.
7 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.
8 Now Manasseh had the land of Tappuah: but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the children of Ephraim;
9 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.
Copyright © 2000 by United Bible Societies