The tribe of Manasseh
1 A part of the land awarded to Manasseh, who was Joseph’s firstborn son, was given to Machir, Manas seh’s eldest son and father of Gilead. To him was given, as was fitting for a military hero, the country of Gilead and Ba shan.
2 Land was also given to other families descended from Manasseh according to their clans: the families of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, Shemi da. These were the clans of the male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph.
3 Zelophehad son of Hepher, son of Gi lead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, had no sons, only daughters, whose names are: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah.
4 These daughters went to the priest Eleazar and to Joshua the son of Nun and to the leaders, and said, “Yah weh commanded Moses to give us some of the land among our brothers as our own.” According to Yahweh’s command, therefore, they were given land along with their male relatives.
5 In this way Manasseh received ten shares besides the country of Gilead and Bashan which lies across the Jordan,
6 since Manas seh’s female descendants received a share in the land as well as his male descendants. The country of Gilead itself belonged to the rest of the descendants of Manasseh.
7 The border of Manasseh stretched from Asher to Michmethath, which is opposite Shechem. From there the border went south to the spring of Tappuah.
8 The land surrounding Tappuah be longed to Manasseh, but the town of Tappuah on Manasseh’s border belonged to the descendants of Ephraim.
9 The border passed down to the stream, south of the river, where the towns set apart for Ephraim from among the towns of Ma nasseh were situated. The border of Manasseh passed north of the stream and ended at the sea.
10 Ephraim was to the south and Manasseh to the north, and both were bounded on the west by the Mediter ranan Sea. They touched Asher to the north and Issachar to the east.
11 With in the territories of Issachar and Asher, Manas seh had Beth-shean and Ibleam with their surrounding towns, as well as Dor and Endor, Taanach and Megiddo and their surrounding towns, and a third of the Nepheth.
12 But the people of Manasseh could not conquer these towns, and the Canaanites continued to live there.
13 However, when the Israelites became stronger, they forced the Canaanites to work for them, but they never drove them out.
14 The descendants of Joseph spoke to Joshua, “Why have you given us only one share of the land when there are so many of us because Yahweh blessed us?”
15 Joshua answered, “If your people are so many, go up to the forest and clear out a place for yourselves in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the highlands of Ephraim are too small for you.”
16 The descendants of Joseph an swered, “The highlands are not enough for us, and, in the plain, the Canaanites have iron chariots, and so have those in Beth-shean and its surrounding towns, and those in the plain of Jez reel.”
17 Jos hua said to the tribes of Ephraim and Ma nas seh, “You are a numerous people and very powerful; you will not be left with only this share
18 for you will go up to the forest and clear it. All the land shall be yours, and you will drive out the Cana anites des pite their iron chariots and great strength.”