The Allotment of the Other Half-Tribe of Manasseh

¹ Then the allotment was made for the tribe of Manasseh, because he was the firstborn of Joseph. To Makir, the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, ⌞were allotted⌟¹ Gilead and Bashan, because he was a warrior.²

1. Literally “and there was to him”
2. Literally “a man of war”

² An allotment was made for the remaining descendants¹ of Manasseh, according to their families: For the children of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida—these were the male descendants² of Manasseh son of Joseph according to their families.

1. Or “sons”
2. Or “sons”

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

⁴ They came before Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders, saying, “Yahweh commanded Moses to give an inheritance to us among our kinsmen.”¹ Therefore, according to the ⌞command of Yahweh⌟² he gave them an inheritance among the kinsmen³ of their father.

1. Or “among our brothers”
2. Literally “mouth of Yahweh”
3. Or “brothers”

⁵ Thus ten shares fell to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which is beyond the Jordan,

⁶ because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons. And the land of Gilead was allotted to the remaining descendants¹ of Manasseh.

1. Or “sons”

⁷ The border of Manasseh was from Asher to Micmethath, which is opposite Shechem;¹ then the border goes to the south, to the inhabitants of En Tappuah.

1. Or “which faces Shechem”

⁸ The land of Tappuah ⌞belonged to Manasseh⌟,¹ but Tuppuah on the border of Manasseh ⌞belonged to the descendants of Ephraim⌟.²

1. Literally “was to Manasseh”
2. Literally “was to the children of Ephraim”

⁹ Then the border goes down to the wadi¹ of Kanah to the south of the wadi. These cities belong to Ephraim among the cities of Manasseh. The border of Manasseh is north of the wadi, and ⌞it ends⌟² at the sea.

1. A valley that is dry most of the year, but contains a stream during the rainy season
2. Literally “the goings out of it were”

¹⁰ The south is Ephraim’s, and the north is Manasseh’s; the sea is their¹ border; Asher touches the north and on the east Issachar.

1. Hebrew “its”

¹¹ In Issachar and Asher, Manasseh had Beth-shean and its villages, Ibleam and its villages, the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, the inhabitants of En-dor and its villages, the inhabitants of Taanach and its villages, the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages; the third is Napheth.

¹² But the descendants¹ of Manasseh were not able to take possession of these towns; the Canaanites² were determined to live in this land.

1. Or “sons”
2. Hebrew “Canaanite”

¹³ And it happened, when the ⌞Israelites⌟¹ grew strong, they put the Canaanites² to forced labor but never drove them out completely.

1. Literally “sons/children of Israel”
2. Hebrew “Canaanite”

The Tribes of Joseph Object

¹⁴ The descendants¹ of Joseph spoke with Joshua, saying, “Why have you given us² one allotment and one share as an inheritance? We are many people, which Yahweh has blessed.”

1. Or “sons”
2. Hebrew “to me”

¹⁵ And Joshua said to them, “If you are many people, go up to the forest and clear a place there for yourselves in the land of the Perizzites¹ and Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you.”

1. Hebrew “Perizzite”

¹⁶ And the descendants¹ of Joseph said, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all of the Canaanites² living in the land of the valley have chariots³ of iron, those in Beth-shean and its villages, and those in the Jezreel Valley.”

1. Or “sons”
2. Hebrew “Canaanite”
3. Hebrew “chariot”

¹⁷ And Joshua said to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, “You are many people and have great power; you will not have one allotment only;

¹⁸ the hill country will be yours. Even though it is a forest, you will clear it, and it will be yours to its farthest borders. You will drive out the Canaanites,¹ even though they have iron chariots and are strong.”

1. Hebrew “Canaanite”