Joshua 17

Modern English Version

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.”