Joshua 17-18

New International Version

17 This was the allotment for the tribe of Manasseh^(A) as Joseph’s firstborn,^(B) that is, for Makir,^(C) Manasseh’s firstborn. Makir was the ancestor of the Gileadites, who had received Gilead^(D) and Bashan^(E) because the Makirites were great soldiers. ²So this allotment was for the rest of the people of Manasseh^(F)—the clans of Abiezer,^(G) Helek, Asriel,^(H) Shechem, Hepher^(I) and Shemida.^(J) These are the other male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph by their clans.

³Now Zelophehad son of Hepher,^(K) the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons but only daughters,^(L) whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah. ⁴They 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 relatives.” So Joshua gave them an inheritance along with the brothers of their father, according to the Lord’s command.^(M) ⁵Manasseh’s share consisted of ten tracts of land besides Gilead and Bashan east of the Jordan,^(N) ⁶because 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.

⁷The territory of Manasseh extended from Asher^(O) to Mikmethath^(P) east of Shechem.^(Q) The boundary ran southward from there to include the people living at En Tappuah. ⁸(Manasseh had the land of Tappuah, but Tappuah^(R) itself, on the boundary of Manasseh, belonged to the Ephraimites.) ⁹Then the boundary continued south to the Kanah Ravine.^(S) 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 Mediterranean Sea. ¹⁰On the south the land belonged to Ephraim, on the north to Manasseh. The territory of Manasseh reached the Mediterranean Sea and bordered Asher^(T) on the north and Issachar^(U) on the east.^(V)

¹¹Within Issachar^(W) and Asher, Manasseh also had Beth Shan,^(X) Ibleam^(Y) and the people of Dor,^(Z) Endor,^(AA) Taanach^(AB) and Megiddo,^(AC) together with their surrounding settlements (the third in the list is Naphoth^[a]).^(AD)

¹²Yet the Manassites were not able^(AE) to occupy these towns, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that region. ¹³However, when the Israelites grew stronger, they subjected the Canaanites to forced labor but did not drive them out completely.^(AF)

¹⁴The 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.”^(AG)

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^(AH) and clear land for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites^(AI) and Rephaites.^(AJ)”

¹⁶The people of Joseph replied, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the plain have chariots fitted with iron,^(AK) both those in Beth Shan^(AL) and its settlements and those in the Valley of Jezreel.”^(AM)

¹⁷But Joshua said to the tribes of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh—“You are numerous and very powerful. You will have not only one allotment^(AN) ¹⁸but the forested hill country^(AO) as well. Clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours; though the Canaanites have chariots fitted with iron^(AP) and though they are strong, you can drive them out.”

Division of the Rest of the Land

18 The whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh^(AQ) and set up the tent of meeting^(AR) there. The country was brought under their control, ²but there were still seven Israelite tribes who had not yet received their inheritance.

³So Joshua said to the Israelites: “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you? ⁴Appoint three men from each tribe. I will send them out to make a survey of the land and to write a description of it,^(AS) according to the inheritance of each.^(AT) Then they will return to me. ⁵You are to divide the land into seven parts. Judah is to remain in its territory on the south^(AU) and the tribes of Joseph in their territory on the north.^(AV) ⁶After you have written descriptions of the seven parts of the land, bring them here to me and I will cast lots^(AW) for you in the presence of the Lord our God. ⁷The Levites, however, do not get a portion among you, because the priestly service of the Lord is their inheritance.^(AX) And Gad, Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh have already received their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan. Moses the servant of the Lord gave it to them.^(AY)”

⁸As the men started on their way to map out the land, Joshua instructed them, “Go and make a survey of the land and write a description of it.^(AZ) Then return to me, and I will cast lots for you here at Shiloh^(BA) in the presence of the Lord.” ⁹So the men left and went through the land. They wrote its description on a scroll, town by town, in seven parts, and returned to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh. ¹⁰Joshua then cast lots^(BB) for them in Shiloh in the presence^(BC) of the Lord, and there he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their tribal divisions.^(BD)

Allotment for Benjamin

¹¹The first lot came up for the tribe of Benjamin according to its clans. Their allotted territory lay between the tribes of Judah and Joseph:

¹²On the north side their boundary began at the Jordan, passed the northern slope of Jericho and headed west into the hill country, coming out at the wilderness^(BE) of Beth Aven.^(BF) ¹³From there it crossed to the south slope of Luz^(BG) (that is, Bethel^(BH)) and went down to Ataroth Addar^(BI) on the hill south of Lower Beth Horon.

¹⁴From the hill facing Beth Horon^(BJ) on the south the boundary turned south along the western side and came out at Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim),^(BK) a town of the people of Judah. This was the western side.

¹⁵The southern side began at the outskirts of Kiriath Jearim on the west, and the boundary came out at the spring of the waters of Nephtoah.^(BL) ¹⁶The boundary went down to the foot of the hill facing the Valley of Ben Hinnom, north of the Valley of Rephaim.^(BM) It continued down the Hinnom Valley^(BN) along the southern slope of the Jebusite city and so to En Rogel.^(BO) ¹⁷It then curved north, went to En Shemesh, continued to Geliloth,^(BP) which faces the Pass of Adummim,^(BQ) and ran down to the Stone of Bohan^(BR) son of Reuben. ¹⁸It continued to the northern slope of Beth Arabah^[b]^(BS) and on down into the Arabah.^(BT) ¹⁹It then went to the northern slope of Beth Hoglah^(BU) and came out at the northern bay of the Dead Sea,^(BV) at the mouth of the Jordan in the south. This was the southern boundary.

²⁰The Jordan formed the boundary on the eastern side.

These were the boundaries that marked out the inheritance of the clans of Benjamin on all sides.^(BW)

²¹The tribe of Benjamin, according to its clans, had the following towns:

Jericho, Beth Hoglah,^(BX) Emek Keziz, ²²Beth Arabah,^(BY) Zemaraim,^(BZ) Bethel,^(CA) ²³Avvim,^(CB) Parah, Ophrah,^(CC) ²⁴Kephar Ammoni, Ophni and Geba^(CD)—twelve towns and their villages.

²⁵Gibeon,^(CE) Ramah,^(CF) Beeroth,^(CG) ²⁶Mizpah,^(CH) Kephirah,^(CI) Mozah, ²⁷Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, ²⁸Zelah,^(CJ) Haeleph, the Jebusite city^(CK) (that is, Jerusalem^(CL)), Gibeah^(CM) and Kiriath—fourteen towns and their villages.^(CN)