Joshua

And this is the portion that fell by lot to the tribe of Manasseh—for he was Joseph’s first-born. Since Machir, the first-born of Manasseh and the father of Gilead, was a valiant warrior, Gilead and Bashan were assigned to him.

And now assignments were made to the remaining Manassites, by their clans: the descendants of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. Those were the male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph, by their clans.

aCf. Num. 27.1–11. Now Zelophehad son of Hepher son of Gilead son of Machir son of Manasseh had no sons, but only daughters. The names of his daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

They appeared before the priest Eleazar, Joshua son of Nun, and the chieftains, saying: “GOD commanded Moses to grant us a portion among our male kinsmen.” So, in accordance with GOD’s instructions, they were granted a portion among their father’s kinsmen.

Ten districts fell to Manasseh, apart from the lands of Gilead and Bashan, which are across the Jordan.

Manasseh’s daughters inherited a portion in these together with his sons, while the land of Gilead was assigned to the rest of Manasseh’s descendants.

The boundary of Manasseh ran from Asher to Michmethath, which lies near Shechem. The boundary continued to the right, toward the inhabitants of En-tappuah.—

The region of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh; but Tappuah, on the border of Manasseh, belonged to the Ephraimites.—

Then the boundary descended to the Wadi Kanah. Those towns to the south of the wadi belonged to Ephraim as an enclave among the towns of Manasseh. The boundary of Manasseh lay north of the wadi and ran on to the Sea.

What lay to the south belonged to Ephraim, and what lay to the north belonged to Manasseh, with the Sea as its boundary. [This territory] was contiguous with Asher on the north and with Issachar on the east.

Within Issachar and Asher, Manasseh possessed Beth-shean and its dependencies, Ibleam and its dependencies, the inhabitants of Dor and its dependencies, the inhabitants of En-dor and its dependencies, the inhabitants of Taanach and its dependencies, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its dependencies: these constituted three regions.bthese constituted three regions Meaning of Heb. uncertain.

The Manassites could not dispossess [the inhabitants of] these towns, and the Canaanites stubbornly remained in this region.

When the Israelites became stronger, they imposed tribute on the Canaanites; but they did not dispossess them.

The Josephites complained to Joshua, saying, “Why have you assigned as our portion a single allotment and a single district, seeing that we are a numerous people whom GOD has blessed so greatly?”

“If you are a numerous people,” Joshua answered them, “go up to the forest country and clear an area for yourselves there, in the territory of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, seeing that you are cramped in the hill country of Ephraim.”

“The hill country is not enough for us,” the Josephites replied, “and all the Canaanites who live in the valley area have iron chariots, both those in Beth-shean and its dependencies and those in the Valley of Jezreel.”

But Joshua declared to the House of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, “You are indeed a numerous people, possessed of great strength; you shall not have one allotment only.

The hill country shall be yours as well; true, it is forest land, but you will clear it and possess it to its farthest limits. And you shall also dispossess the Canaanites, even though they have iron chariots and even though they are strong.”