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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^[a] Gilead and Bashan, because he was a warrior.^{[b] 2} An allotment was made for the remaining descendants^[c] of Manasseh, according to their families: For the children of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida—these were the male descendants^[d] of Manasseh son of Joseph according to their families.

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."^[e] Therefore, according to the command of Yahweh^[f] he gave them an inheritance among the kinsmen^[g] of their father. 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 descendants^[h] of Manasseh. ⁷ The border of Manasseh was from Asher to Micmethath, which is opposite Shechem;^[i] then the border goes to the south, to the inhabitants of En Tappuah. ⁸ The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh,^[j] but Tuppuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the descendants of Ephraim.^{[k] 9} Then the border goes down to the wadi^[l] 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^[m] at the sea. ¹⁰ The south is Ephraim's, and the north is Manasseh's; the sea is their^[n] border; Asher touches the north and on the east Issachar. 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 descendants^[o] of Manasseh were not able to take possession of these towns; the Canaanites^[p] were determined to live in this land. ¹³ And it happened, when the Israelites^[q] grew strong, they put the Canaanites^[r] to forced labor but never drove them out completely.

The Tribes of Joseph Object

¹⁴ The descendants^[s] of Joseph spoke with Joshua, saying, "Why have you given us^[t] one allotment and one share as an inheritance? We are many people, which Yahweh has blessed." 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 Perizzites^[u] and Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you." ¹⁶ And the descendants^[v] of Joseph said, "The hill country is not enough for us, and all of the Canaanites^[w] living in the land of the valley have chariots^[x] of iron, those in Beth-shean and its villages, and those in the Jezreel Valley." 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,^[y] even though they have iron chariots and are strong."