Joshua 17
1 The lot fell to the tribe of Manasseh, for he was Joseph’s firstborn. To Machir, Manasseh’s firstborn and the father of Gilead, went Gilead and Bashan, because he was a man of war.
2 The lot also fell to the rest of the Manassites, according to their clans: the descendants of Abiezer, the descendants of Helek, the descendants of Asriel, the descendants of Shechem, the descendants of Hepher, and the descendants of Shemida. These were the male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph, according to their clans.
3 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.
4 They came before Eleazar the priest, before Joshua son of Nun, and before the leaders, and said, “The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.” So he gave them, in accordance with the LORD’s command, an inheritance among their father’s brothers.
5 Thus Manasseh received ten portions, in addition to the land of Gilead and Bashan, which lie across the Jordan.
6 For the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons, while the land of Gilead went to the rest of the Manassites.
7 The border of Manasseh ran from Asher to Michmethath, which is opposite Shechem; then the border went to the right, to the inhabitants of En-Tappuah.
8 The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the Ephraimites.
9 The border went down to the Kanah ravine, south of the ravine. These towns belonged to Ephraim among the towns of Manasseh. Manasseh’s border lay north of the ravine, and its endpoint was the sea.
10 The south belonged to Ephraim, and the north to Manasseh; the sea was its boundary. On the north it bordered Asher, and on the east, Issachar.
11 In Issachar and Asher, Manasseh had Beth-shean and its villages, Ibleam and its villages, the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, the inhabitants of En-dor and its villages, the inhabitants of Taanach and its villages, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages—the three heights.
12 But the Manassites could not take possession of these towns, and the Canaanites persisted in living in that land.
13 When the Israelites grew strong, they subjected the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not drive them out completely.
14 The descendants of Joseph spoke to Joshua: “Why have you given me only one allotted share and one portion as an inheritance? I am a numerous people, since the LORD has blessed me so far.”
15 Joshua answered them, “If you are a numerous people, go up into the forest and clear land for yourselves there, in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, 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 who live in the valley land have iron chariots—both those in Beth-shean and its villages and those in the Valley of Jezreel.”
17 Joshua said to the house of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh—“You are a numerous people and have great strength; you will not have just one allotted share.
18 The hill country will be yours. Though it is forest, you will clear it, and its farthest boundaries will be yours. You will drive out the Canaanites, even though they have iron chariots and are strong.”
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