Open English Translation JOS Chapter 17

17 The allotment for Menashsheh’s descendants (Yosef’s eldest son) included a special allotment for (Gilead’s father) Makir—he was given Gilead and Bashan because he was a powerful warrior. 2 The other Menashsheh clans that were allocated land were the Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shekem, Hefer, and Shemida clans. (They were the sons of Yosef’s son Menashsheh who led their own clans.) 3 But Zelofehad (son of Hefer, son of Gilead, son of Makir, son of Menashsheh) had no sons—only daughters who were named Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah, and Tirzah. 4 They approached the priest Eleazar and Yehoshua and the other leaders and said, “Yahweh told Mosheh to give us an inheritance along with our brothers.” So he[fn] gave them an inheritance (like he’d given their uncles), as Yahweh had instructed them.[ref] 5 So ten blocks were allocated to Menashsheh tribe as well as Gilead and Bashan which were across the Yordan 6 because Menashsheh’s daughters received inheritances along with his sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of Menashsheh’s sons.

7 The border for Menashsheh went from Asher to Mikmetat opposite Shekem, then went south towards the spring at Tappuah. 8 (The Tappuah land was for Menashsheh, but Tappuah town was for Efrayim.) 9 Then the border went south to the Kanah riverbed—the cities there belonged to Efrayim even though they were inside Menashsheh’s land—then the border stayed on the north side of the riverbed and extended to the Mediterranean. 10 So the south was for Efrayim and the north was for Menashsheh, and the sea was the western border, meeting Asher from the north and Yissashkar from the east. 11 Menashsheh was allocated cities inside both Yissashkar’s and Asher’s territories: Beyt-Shan, Ibleam, Dor, Endor, Taanach, and Megiddo along with their surrounding towns.[fn] 12 But Menashsheh’s descendants weren’t able to take possession of those cities, so the Canaanites continued to live in the region.[ref] 13 When the Israelis strengthened their position, they were able to force those Canaanites to work for them, but they weren’t able to drive them out.

14 Then the two half-tribes of Efrayim and Menashsheh asked Yehoshua, “Why have you only given to us one measured allocation as an inheritance when we’re very numerous because Yahweh has already blessed us?”

15 “If there’s so many of you,” Yehoshua answered, “and if Efrayim’s hill-country is too small for you, go into the forested area of the Perizzites and the Refaites and clear some land for yourselves there.”

16 “The hill country certainly isn’t big enough for all of us,” they responded, “plus the Canaanites living in the Yezreel valley and in Beyt-Shan and the surrounding towns have iron chariots.”

17 So Yehoshua told the half-tribes of Efrayim and Menashsheh, “Yes, there’s a lot of you and you’re very powerful. One land allotment wouldn’t be enough for you 18 so the hill country will be yours as well. However, it’s a forest and you’ll have to clear it to the borders. You’ll need to drive out the Canaanites even if they are strong and with iron chariots.”