17:1 Now this was the lot for the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph. To Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, ①were allotted Gilead and Bashan, because he was a man of war.
▷ ①Lit and there was to him
17:2 So the lot was made for the rest of the sons of Manasseh according to their families: for the sons of Abiezer, the sons of Helek, the sons of Asriel, the sons of Shechem, the sons of Hepher, and the sons of Shemida; these were the male ①descendants of Manasseh the son of Joseph according to their families.
▷ ①Lit sons
17:3 However, 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.
17:4 They approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the leaders, saying, “The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.” So in accordance with the ①command of the LORD he gave them an inheritance among their father’s brothers.
▷ ①Lit mouth
17:5 So ten portions fell to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which is beyond the Jordan,
17:6 because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons. And the land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the sons of Manasseh.
17:7 The border of Manasseh ①ran from Asher to Michmethath which was east of Shechem; then the border went ②southward to the inhabitants of En-tappuah.
▷ ①Lit was ②Lit to the right hand
17:8 The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the sons of Ephraim.
17:9 And the border went down to the ①brook of Kanah, southward of the ②brook (these cities belonged to Ephraim among the cities of Manasseh), and the border of Manasseh was on the north side of the ③brook, and ④it ended at the sea.
▷ ①Or wadi ②Or wadi ③Or wadi ④Lit goings out of it were
17:10 The south side belonged to Ephraim and the north side to Manasseh, and the sea was ①their border; and they reached to Asher on the north and to Issachar on the east.
▷ ①Lit its
17:11 In Issachar and in Asher, Manasseh had Beth-shean and its towns and Ibleam and its towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of En-dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns; the third is Napheth.
17:12 But the sons of Manasseh could not take possession of these cities, because the Canaanites persisted in living in this land.
17:13 And it came about when the sons of Israel became strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not ①drive them out completely.
▷ ①Or dispossess
17:14 Then the sons of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, “Why have you given me only one lot and one portion as an inheritance, though I am a numerous people whom the LORD has blessed up to this point?”
17:15 And Joshua said to them, “If you are a numerous people, go ①up to the forest and clear a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you.”
▷ ①Lit up for yourself
17:16 The sons of Joseph then said, “The hill country is not enough for us, but all the Canaanites who live in the valley land have iron chariots, both those who are in Beth-shean and its towns and those who are in the Valley of Jezreel.”
17:17 But Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, saying, “You are a numerous people and have great power; you shall not have one lot only,
17:18 but the hill country shall be yours. For though it is a forest, you shall clear it, and to its ①farthest borders it shall be yours; for you shall ②drive out the Canaanites, even though they have iron chariots and though they are strong.”
▷ ①Lit goings out ②Or dispossess