‏ Joshua 17

1Then allotment was made to the people of Manasseh, for he was athe firstborn of Joseph. To bMachir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, cwere allotted Gilead and Bashan, because he was a man of war. 2And allotments were made dto the rest of the people of Manasseh by their clans, Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These were the male descendants of Manasseh the son of Joseph, by their clans.

3Now eZelophehad the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, had no sons, but only daughters, and these are the names of his daughters: fMahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 4They approached gEleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the leaders and said, h“The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance along with our brothers.” So according to the mouth of the Lord he gave them an inheritance among the brothers of their father. 5Thus there fell to Manasseh ten portions, besides ithe land of Gilead and Bashan, which is on the other side of the Jordan, 6because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance along with his sons. The land of Gilead was allotted to the rest of the people of Manasseh.

7The territory of Manasseh reached from Asher to jMichmethath, which is east of Shechem. Then the boundary goes along southward to the inhabitants of En-tappuah. 8The land of kTappuah belonged to Manasseh, but the town of Tappuah on the boundary of Manasseh belonged to the people of Ephraim. 9 lThen the boundary went down to the brook Kanah. These cities, to the south of the brook, among the cities of Manasseh, belong to Ephraim. Then the boundary of Manasseh goes on the north side of the brook and ends at the sea, 10the land to the south being Ephraim’s and that to the north being Manasseh’s, with the sea forming its boundary. On the north Asher is reached, and on the east Issachar. 11Also in Issachar and in Asher mManasseh had Beth-shean and its villages, and Ibleam and its villages, and the inhabitants of nDor and its villages, and the inhabitants of En-dor and its villages, and the inhabitants of oTaanach and its villages, and the inhabitants of pMegiddo and its villages; qthe third is Naphath.
The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
12 sYet the people of Manasseh could not take possession of those cities, but the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land. 13Now when the people of Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites tto forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out.

14Then uthe people of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, “Why have you given me but vone lot and one portion as an inheritance, although I am wa numerous people, since all along the Lord has blessed me?” 15And Joshua said to them, “If you are a numerous people, go up by yourselves to the forest, and there clear ground for yourselves in the land of the Perizzites and xthe Rephaim, since ythe hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you.” 16The people of Joseph said, “The hill country is not enough for us. Yet all the Canaanites who dwell in the plain have zchariots of iron, both those in Beth-shean and its villages and those in aathe Valley of Jezreel.” 17Then Joshua said to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, “You are a numerous people and have great power. You shall not have one allotment only, 18but the hill country shall be yours, for though it is a forest, you shall clear it and possess it to its farthest borders. For you shall drive out the Canaanites, abthough they have chariots of iron, and though they are strong.”

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