CHAPTER 17

1 There was also a lot to the tribe of Manasseh, (for he was the first-born of Joseph,) to Machir himself, the first-born of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, (for he was a man of war,) to him, I say, there was Gilead and Basan.

2 There was likewise to the other children of Manasseh by their families, to the sons of Abiezer, and the sons of Helec, and the sons of Asriel, and the sons of Sechem, and the sons of Hepher, and the sons of Semida. These are the children of Manasseh, the male children by their families.

3 Moreover, to Selophead, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, there were no sons but daughters whose names are these, Mahala, and Noa, Hogla, Milcha, and Thirsa.

4 These came into the presence of Eleazar the priest, and into the presence of Joshua, the son of Nun, and into the presence of the princes, saying, Jehovah commanded Moses to give us an inheritance in the midst of our brethren. He therefore gave them according to the word of Jehovah, an inheritance in the midst of the brethren of their father.

5 And there fell to Manasseh ten inheritances, besides the land of Gilead and Basan, which were beyond Jordan.

6 For the daughters of Manasseh obtained an inheritance in the midst of the sons; and the land of Gilead was to the other children of Manasseh.

7 And the boundary of Manasseh was from Aser to Michmethath, which is before Sechem, and the boundary proceeds to the right, to the inhabitants of En-thappua.

8 To Manasseh himself belonged the land of Thappua; but the Thappua which was at the border of Manasseh belongs to the children of Ephraim.

9 And the boundary descends to the torrent of reeds, to the south of the torrent itself; these cities in the midst of the cities of Manasseh belong to the tribe of Ephraim; but the boundary of Manasseh is on the north of the torrent itself, and its outgoings are at the sea.

10 On the south it belongs to Ephraim himself, and on the north to Manasseh himself, and the sea is its boundary, and they meet together in Aser on the north, and in Issachar on the east.

11 And it was to Manasseh himself in Issachar, and in Aser, Beth-sean, and its towns; and Ibleam and its towns; and the inhabitants of Dor and its towns; and the inhabitants of Endor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Thaanach, and its towns; and the inhabitants of Megiddo, three districts.

12 And the children of Manasseh were not able to expel the inhabitants of those cities, but the Canaanite began to dwell in the land itself.

13 But when the children of Israel had acquired strength, they made the Canaanite tributary, and did not by expelling expel (completely expel) him.

14 And the children of Joseph spoke unto Joshua, saying, Why has thou given me one lot for an inheritance, and one inheritance, seeing I am a numerous people, so has Jehovah hitherto blessed me?

15 And Joshua said unto them, If thou art a numerous people, go up into the wood, and cut down for thyself there, in the land of the Perizzite, and the Rephaim, if the mountain of Ephraim is narrow for thee.

16 And the children of Joseph replied to him, That mountain will not suffice us, and there are iron chariots to every Canaanite who dwells in the land of the valley, and to him who dwells in Beth-sean and its towns, and to him who dwells in the valley of Jezrael.

17 And Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph, namely, to Ephraim and Manasseh, saying, Thou art a numerous people and has great courage: thou shall not have (merely) a single lot.

18 For the mountain will be thine, inasmuch as it is a wood; thou shall therefore cut it down, and its outgoing shall be thine; for thou shall expel the Canaanite, though he have iron chariots, and though he be brave.