Joshua 17

Revised Geneva Translation

17 This, also, was the lot of the tribe of Manasseh. For he was the firstborn of Joseph. Machir, the firstborn of Manasseh, was the father of Gilead and Bashan, because he was a man of war.

² And these are of the rest of the sons of Manasseh, by their families, of the sons of Abiezer and of the sons of Helek and of the sons of Asriel and of the sons of Shechem and of the sons of Hepher and of the sons of Shemida. These were the males of Manasseh, the son of Joseph, according to their families.

³ But Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, only daughters. And these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah,

⁴ who came before Eleazar the Priest, and before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the princes, saying, “The LORD Commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brethren.” Therefore, according to the Commandment of the LORD, he gave them an inheritance among the brethren of their father.

⁵ And there fell ten portions to Manasseh, in addition to the land of Gilead and Bashan which is on the other side of Jordan,

⁶ because the daughters of Manasseh also inherited among his sons. And Manasseh’s other sons had the land of Gilead.

⁷ So the borders of Manasseh were from Asher to Michmethath, that lies before Shechem. And on the right hand, this border goes to the inhabitants of En Tappuah.

⁸ The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh; but Tappuah beside the border of Manasseh belongs to the sons of Ephraim.

⁹ Also, this border goes down to the river Kanah, southward, to the river. These cities of Ephraim are among the cities of Manasseh. And the border of Manasseh is on the north side of the river. And the ends of it are at the Sea.

¹⁰ The South pertains to Ephraim, and the North to Manasseh, and the sea is his border. And they met together in Asher, northward, and in Issachar, eastward.

¹¹ And Manasseh had in Issachar and in Asher, Beth Shean and her towns, and Ibleam and her towns, and the inhabitants of Dor with its towns, and the inhabitants of En Dor with its towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach with her towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo with the towns of the same, three countries.

¹² Yet the children of Manasseh could not destroy those cities; but the Canaanites still dwelt in that land.

¹³ Nevertheless, when the children of Israel were strong, they put the Canaanites under tribute, but did not wholly cast them out.

¹⁴ Then the children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, “Why have you given me but one lot, and one portion, to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the LORD has blessed me until now?”

¹⁵ Then Joshua answered them, “If you are a numerous people, get up to the woods and cut trees for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites, and of the giants, if Mount Ephraim is too narrow for you.”

¹⁶ Then the children of Joseph said, “The mountain will not be enough for us. And all the Canaanites who dwell in the low country have chariots of iron, as well as those in Beth Shean and in the towns of the same, and those in the valley of Jezreel.”

¹⁷ And Joshua spoke to the House of Joseph, to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, “You are a great people, and have great power, and shall not have one lot.

¹⁸ “Therefore, the mountain shall be yours. For it is a wood; and you shall cut it down. And the ends of it shall be yours. And you shall cast out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they are strong.