Joshua
Chapter 17
1 The tribe of Manasseh also received land because Manasseh was Joseph’s oldest son. This included land for Machir, Manasseh’s oldest son and Gilead’s father, who was a warrior, so he got Gilead and Bashan.
2 There was also a portion for the other descendants of Manasseh according to their families; for 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 sons of Manasseh, the son of Joseph, grouped by their families.
3 Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, did not have sons, only daughters. The names of his daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
4 They approached Priest Eleazar, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders, and said, “God told Moses to grant us land with our brothers.” So, following God’s order, they received land among their father’s brothers.
5 Manasseh got ten parts of land, not counting Gilead and Bashan, which are across the Jordan River.
6 The daughters of Manasseh also received a share of the inheritance along with his sons, and the other sons of Manasseh got the land of Gilead.
7 Manasseh’s territory stretched from Asher to Michmethah near Shechem; the boundary continued to the right towards Entappuah’s people.
8 Manasseh owned the land of Tappuah, but the town of Tappuah, on Manasseh’s border, belonged to the descendants of Ephraim.
9 The border went down to the Kanah River, south of the river; these towns of Ephraim are among Manasseh’s towns: Manasseh’s border was also on the north side of the river, and it ended at the sea.
10 To the south belonged to Ephraim, to the north belonged to Manasseh, the sea marked their border; they touched Asher to the north and Issachar to the east.
11 Manasseh had Bethshean and its villages in Issachar and Asher, Ibleam and its villages, the people of Dor and their villages, the people of Endor and their villages, the people of Taanach and their villages, and the people of Megiddo and their villages—three districts in total.
12 The children of Manasseh could not make the people of those cities leave; the Canaanites insisted on living in that land.
13 When the Israelites grew strong, they made the Canaanites pay taxes but did not completely force them out.
14 The descendants of Joseph said to Joshua, “Why have you given me only one piece of land when I am a large group, since God has blessed me so far?”
15 Joshua replied, “If you are a large group, go to the forested area and clear land for yourselves in the territory of the Perizzites and the giants, if the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you.”
16 Joseph’s descendants said, “The hill isn’t enough for us; even the Canaanites living in the valley have strong iron chariots, in both Bethshean with its villages and the Jezreel Valley.”
17 Joshua said to Joseph’s family, including Ephraim and Manasseh, “You are a large group with strong power; you will have more than one piece of land.”
18 The mountain will be yours because it is covered with trees, and you can cut them down. You will own everything that comes from it after you drive out the Canaanites, even if they have iron chariots and are strong.