Joshua 17

1The lot fell to Manasseh's tribe, for he was Joseph's firstborn; to Machir, Manasseh's firstborn, Gilead's father, went Gilead and Bashan, since he was a man of war.

2It fell to the remaining sons of Manasseh by their families—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 sons of Manasseh son of Joseph by their families.

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

4They approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the princes, saying, "Yahweh commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers." So he gave them an inheritance among their father's brothers according to Yahweh's word.

5Ten allotments fell to Manasseh apart from the land of Gilead and Bashan, which lies beyond the Jordan.

6Because Manasseh's daughters received an inheritance among his sons, the land of Gilead went to the remaining sons of Manasseh.

7And the border of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethath, which lies before Shechem, and the border went to the right hand, to the inhabitants of En-tappuah.

8The land of Tappuah was Manasseh's, but Tappuah on Manasseh's border belonged to the sons of Ephraim.

9The border descended to the Kanah brook, south of the brook. These cities were Ephraim's among Manasseh's cities. Manasseh's border ran north of the brook, and its extents reached the sea.

10Ephraim held the southern part and Manasseh the northern part, and the sea was its border; they adjoined Asher on the north and Issachar on the east.

11Manasseh possessed in Issachar and Asher Beth-shean and its towns, Ibleam and its towns, the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, the inhabitants of Endor and its towns, the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns, three districts.

12Manasseh's sons could not dispossess those cities, but the Canaanites were willing to dwell in that land.

13When the Israelites became strong, they subjected the Canaanites to forced labor but did not fully dispossess them.

14The sons of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, “Why have you given me one lot and one portion as an inheritance? I am a great people, for Yahweh has blessed me so greatly thus far.”

15Joshua said to them, "If you are a great people, go up to the forest and cut down land for yourself there in the territory of the Perizzite and the Rephaim, because the hill country of Ephraim is narrow for you."

16The sons of Joseph said, “The hill will not suffice for us, for all the Canaanites dwelling in the valley land have iron chariots—those in Beth-shean and its villages, and those in the Jezreel valley.”

17Joshua said to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, "You are a great people and have great strength; one lot will not be yours."

18The hill shall be yours, for it is a forest, and you shall cut it down, and its borders shall be yours; for you shall dispossess the Canaanite, though he has an iron chariot, though he is strong.