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17 This, also, was the lot of the tribe of Manasseh. For he was the firstborn of Joseph. Machir, the firstborn of Manasseh, was the father of Gilead and Bashan, because he was a man of war.

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

But Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, only daughters. And these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah,

who came 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, in addition to the land of Gilead and Bashan which is on the other side of Jordan,

because the daughters of Manasseh also inherited among his sons. And Manasseh’s other sons had the land of Gilead.

So the borders of Manasseh were from Asher to Michmethath, that lies before Shechem. And on the right hand, this border goes to the inhabitants of En Tappuah.

The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh; but Tappuah beside the border of Manasseh belongs to the sons of Ephraim.

Also, this border goes down to the river Kanah, southward, to the river. These cities of Ephraim are among the cities of Manasseh. And the border of Manasseh is on the north side of the river. And the ends of it are at the Sea.

10 The South pertains to Ephraim, and the North to Manasseh, and the sea is his border. And they met together in Asher, northward, and in Issachar, eastward.

11 And Manasseh had in Issachar and in Asher, Beth Shean and her towns, and Ibleam and her towns, and the inhabitants of Dor with its towns, and the inhabitants of En Dor with its towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach with her towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo with the towns of the same, three countries.

12 Yet the children of Manasseh could not destroy those cities; but the Canaanites still dwelt in that land.

13 Nevertheless, when the children of Israel were strong, they put the Canaanites under tribute, but did not wholly cast them out.

14 Then the children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, “Why have you given me but one lot, and one portion, to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the LORD has blessed me until now?”

15 Then Joshua answered them, “If you are a numerous people, get up to the woods and cut trees for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites, and of the giants, if Mount Ephraim is too narrow for you.”

16 Then the children of Joseph said, “The mountain will not be enough for us. And all the Canaanites who dwell in the low country have chariots of iron, as well as those in Beth Shean and in the towns of the same, and those in the valley of Jezreel.”

17 And Joshua spoke to the House of Joseph, to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, “You are a great people, and have great power, and shall not have one lot.

18 “Therefore, the mountain shall be yours. For it is a wood; and you shall cut it down. And the ends of it shall be yours. And you shall cast out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they are strong.

17 This was the allotment for the tribe of Manasseh(A) as Joseph’s firstborn,(B) that is, for Makir,(C) Manasseh’s firstborn. Makir was the ancestor of the Gileadites, who had received Gilead(D) and Bashan(E) because the Makirites were great soldiers. So this allotment was for the rest of the people of Manasseh(F)—the clans of Abiezer,(G) Helek, Asriel,(H) Shechem, Hepher(I) and Shemida.(J) These are the other male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph by their clans.

Now Zelophehad son of Hepher,(K) the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons but only daughters,(L) 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.(M) Manasseh’s share consisted of ten tracts of land besides Gilead and Bashan east of the Jordan,(N) 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(O) to Mikmethath(P) east of Shechem.(Q) The boundary ran southward from there to include the people living at En Tappuah. (Manasseh had the land of Tappuah, but Tappuah(R) itself, on the boundary of Manasseh, belonged to the Ephraimites.) Then the boundary continued south to the Kanah Ravine.(S) 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(T) on the north and Issachar(U) on the east.(V)

11 Within Issachar(W) and Asher, Manasseh also had Beth Shan,(X) Ibleam(Y) and the people of Dor,(Z) Endor,(AA) Taanach(AB) and Megiddo,(AC) together with their surrounding settlements (the third in the list is Naphoth[a]).(AD)

12 Yet the Manassites were not able(AE) 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.(AF)

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.”(AG)

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(AH) and clear land for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites(AI) and Rephaites.(AJ)

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,(AK) both those in Beth Shan(AL) and its settlements and those in the Valley of Jezreel.”(AM)

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(AN) 18 but the forested hill country(AO) as well. Clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours; though the Canaanites have chariots fitted with iron(AP) and though they are strong, you can drive them out.”

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 17:11 That is, Naphoth Dor