17:1 This was the allotment for the tribe of Manasseh as Joseph’s firstborn, that is, for Makir, Manasseh’s firstborn. Makir was the ancestor of the Gileadites, who had received Gilead and Bashan because the Makirites were great soldiers.
17:2 So this allotment was for the rest of the people of Manasseh–the clans of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher and Shemida. These are the other male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph by their clans.
17:3 Now Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons but only daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah.
17:4 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 brothers.” So Joshua gave them an inheritance along with the brothers of their father, according to the LORD’S command.
17:5 Manasseh’s share consisted of ten tracts of land besides Gilead and Bashan east of the Jordan,
17:6 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.
17:7 The territory of Manasseh extended from Asher to Micmethath east of Shechem. The boundary ran southward from there to include the people living at En Tappuah.
17:8 (Manasseh had the land of Tappuah, but Tappuah itself, on the boundary of Manasseh, belonged to the Ephraimites.)
17:9 Then the boundary continued south to the Kanah Ravine. 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 sea.
17:10 On the south the land belonged to Ephraim, on the north to Manasseh. The territory of Manasseh reached the sea and bordered Asher on the north and Issachar on the east.
17:11 Within Issachar and Asher, Manasseh also had Beth Shan, Ibleam and the people of Dor, Endor, Taanach and Megiddo, together with their surrounding settlements (the third in the list is Naphoth).
17:12 Yet the Manassites were not able to occupy these towns, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that region.
17:13 However, when the Israelites grew stronger, they subjected the Canaanites to forced labor but did not drive them out completely.
17:14 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.”
17:15 “If you are so numerous,” Joshua answered, “and if the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go up into the forest and clear land for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites and Rephaites.”
17:16 The people of Joseph replied, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the plain have iron chariots, both those in Beth Shan and its settlements and those in the Valley of Jezreel.”
17:17 But Joshua said to the house of Joseph–to Ephraim and Manasseh–“You are numerous and very powerful. You will have not only one allotment
17:18 but the forested hill country as well. Clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours; though the Canaanites have iron chariots and though they are strong, you can drive them out.”
17:1 And this was the lot for the tribe of Manasseh, for he was Joseph’s firstborn. To Machir, the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, Gilead and Bashan had been given, since he was a man of war.
17:2 Therefore the lot was for the rest of the children of Manasseh according to 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 according to their families.
17:3 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.
17:4 And they came before Eleazar the priest and before Joshua the son of Nun and before the leaders, saying, Jehovah commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers. Therefore he gave them an inheritance among their father’s brothers according to the commandment of Jehovah.
17:5 And ten portions fell to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which is across the Jordan,
17:6 Because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons. And the land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the children of Manasseh.
17:7 And the border of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethath, which was opposite Shechem; and the border went south to the inhabitants of En-tappuah.
17:8 The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but Tappuah, on the border of Manasseh, belonged to the children of Ephraim.
17:9 And the border went down to the brook of Kanah. These cities to the south of the brook belonged to Ephraim, among the cities of Manasseh; and the border of Manasseh was to the north of the brook, and its end was the sea.
17:10 To the south was Ephraim’s, and to the north was Manasseh’s, and the sea was his border. And they touched Asher on the north and Issachar on the east.
17:11 And to Manasseh there belonged in Issachar and Asher, Beth-shean and its towns, and Ibleam and its towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of En-dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns (the third is Napheth).
17:12 Yet the children of Manasseh could not dispossess these cities, but the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in this land.
17:13 And when the children of Israel became strong, they made the Canaanites forced labor; but they did not utterly dispossess them.
17:14 Then the children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, Why have you given me an inheritance of only one lot and one portion, although I am still a numerous people, whom Jehovah has thus far blessed?
17:15 And Joshua said to them, If you are a numerous people, go up to the forest, and cut out land there for yourself in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim; since the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you.
17:16 And the children of Joseph said, The hill country is not enough for us; and all the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both those of Beth-shean and its towns and those in the valley of Jezreel.
17:17 And Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, saying, You are a numerous people, and you have great strength; you shall not have one lot only,
17:18 But the hill country shall be yours. Though it is a forest, you shall cut it down, and its end will be yours; for you shall dispossess the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron and though they are strong.