1
Then allotment was made to the people of Manasseh, for he was 1the firstborn of Joseph. To 2Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, 3were allotted Gilead and Bashan, because he was a man of war.
2
And allotments were made 4to the rest of the people of Manasseh by their clans, Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These were the male descendants of Manasseh the son of Joseph, by their clans.
3
Now 5Zelophehad the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, had no sons, but only daughters, and these are the names of his daughters: 6Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
4
They approached 7Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the leaders and said, 8"The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance along with our brothers." So according to the mouth of the LORD he gave them an inheritance among the brothers of their father.
5
Thus there fell to Manasseh ten portions, besides 9the land of Gilead and Bashan, which is on the other side of the Jordan,
6
because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance along with his sons. The land of Gilead was allotted to the rest of the people of Manasseh.
7
The territory of Manasseh reached from Asher to 10Michmethath, which is east of Shechem. Then the boundary goes along southward to the inhabitants of En-tappuah.
8
The land of 11Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but the town of Tappuah on the boundary of Manasseh belonged to the people of Ephraim.
9
12Then the boundary went down to the brook Kanah. These cities, to the south of the brook, among the cities of Manasseh, belong to Ephraim. Then the boundary of Manasseh goes on the north side of the brook and ends at the sea,
10
the land to the south being Ephraim's and that to the north being Manasseh's, with the sea forming its boundary. On the north Asher is reached, and on the east Issachar.
11
Also in Issachar and in Asher 13Manasseh had Beth-shean and its villages, and Ibleam and its villages, and the inhabitants of 14Dor and its villages, and the inhabitants of En-dor and its villages, and the inhabitants of 15Taanach and its villages, and the inhabitants of 16Megiddo and its villages; 17the third is Naphath.a
12
18Yet the people of Manasseh could not take possession of those cities, but the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land.
13
Now when the people of Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites 19to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out.
14
Then 20the people of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, "Why have you given me but 21one lot and one portion as an inheritance, although I am 22a numerous people, since all along the LORD has blessed me?"
15
And Joshua said to them, "If you are a numerous people, go up by yourselves to the forest, and there clear ground for yourselves in the land of the Perizzites and 23the Rephaim, since 24the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you."
16
The people of Joseph said, "The hill country is not enough for us. Yet all the Canaanites who dwell in the plain have 25chariots of iron, both those in Beth-shean and its villages and those in 26the Valley of Jezreel."
17
Then Joshua said to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, "You are a numerous people and have great power. You shall not have one allotment only,
18
but the hill country shall be yours, for though it is a forest, you shall clear it and possess it to its farthest borders. For you shall drive out the Canaanites, 27though they have chariots of iron, and though they are strong."
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)