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.¡±