Joshua 17

1Then the lot came to the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph. Machir, the firstborn of Manasseh and the father of Gilead, had received Gilead and Bashan, because he was a warrior.

2The lot also came to the rest of the people of Manasseh by their clans: the descendants of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These were the male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph, by their clans.

3Now 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.

4They came before Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders and said, “Yahweh commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our relatives.” So, as Yahweh had commanded, he gave them an inheritance among their father’s brothers.

5So ten portions fell to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which is beyond the Jordan,

6because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the people of Manasseh.

7The territory of Manasseh reached from Asher to Michmethath, which faces Shechem. Then the border went south to the inhabitants of En-tappuah.

8The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but the town of Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the people of Ephraim.

9Then the border went down to the Wadi Kanah. South of the wadi, these towns belonged to Ephraim, although they were among the towns of Manasseh. The border of Manasseh ran along the north side of the wadi and ended at the sea.

10The land to the south belonged to Ephraim and the land to the north to Manasseh, with the sea as its border. They reached Asher on the north and Issachar on the east.

11In Issachar and in Asher, Manasseh also had Beth-shean and its towns, Ibleam and its towns, the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, the inhabitants of En-dor and its towns, the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns: the three heights.

12But the people of Manasseh could not take possession of these towns; the Canaanites were determined to live in that land.

13When the Israelites grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not drive them out completely.

14Then the people of Joseph said to Joshua, “Why have you given me only one lot and one portion as an inheritance? I am a numerous people, because Yahweh has blessed me until now.”

15Joshua said to them, “If you are so numerous, go up to the forest and clear ground for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you.”

16The people of Joseph said, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the valley have iron chariots, both those in Beth-shean and its towns and those in the Valley of Jezreel.”

17Then Joshua said to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, “You are a numerous people and have great strength. You will not have only one lot.

18The hill country will be yours. Though it is a forest, you will clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours. For you will drive out the Canaanites, even though they have iron chariots and are strong.”