Read the Bible

Territory of Manasseh

¹ Now this was the lot for the tribe of ^(C1)Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph. To Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, ^(F1)were allotted Gilead and Bashan, because he was a man of war.² So the lot was made for the rest of the sons of Manasseh according to their families: for the sons of Abiezer, the sons of Helek, the sons of Asriel, the sons of Shechem, the sons of Hepher, and the sons of Shemida; these were the male ^(F1)descendants of Manasseh the son of Joseph according to their families.

³ However, ^(C1)Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, only daughters; and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.⁴ They approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the leaders, saying, "The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers." So ^(C1)in accordance with the ^(F1)command of the LORD he gave them an inheritance among their father's brothers.⁵ So ten portions 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 ^(C1)land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the sons of Manasseh.

⁷ The border of Manasseh ^(F1)ran from Asher to Michmethath which was east of Shechem; then the border went ^(F2)southward to the inhabitants of En-tappuah.⁸ The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but ^(C1)Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the sons of Ephraim.⁹ And the ^(C1)border went down to the ^(F1)brook of Kanah, southward of the ^(F1)brook (these cities belonged to Ephraim among the cities of Manasseh), and the border of Manasseh was on the north side of the ^(F1)brook, and ^(F2)it ended at the sea.¹⁰ The south side belonged to Ephraim and the north side to Manasseh, and the sea was ^(F1)their border; and they reached to Asher on the north and to Issachar on the east.¹¹ In Issachar and in Asher, ^(C1)Manasseh had Beth-shean and its towns and Ibleam and its towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of En-dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns; the third is ^(C2)Napheth.^12 (C1)But the sons of Manasseh could not take possession of these cities, because the Canaanites persisted in living in this land.¹³ And it came about when the sons of Israel became strong, ^(C1)they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not ^(F1)drive them out completely.

¹⁴ Then the ^(C1)sons of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, "Why have you given me only one lot and one portion as an inheritance, though I am a numerous people whom the LORD has blessed up to this point?"¹⁵ And Joshua said to them, "If you are a numerous people, go ^(F1)up to the forest and clear a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you."¹⁶ The sons of Joseph then said, "The hill country is not enough for us, but all the Canaanites who live in the valley land have ^(C1)iron chariots, both those who are in Beth-shean and its towns and those who are in the Valley of Jezreel."¹⁷ But Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, saying, "You are a numerous people and have great power; you shall not have one lot only,¹⁸ but the hill country shall be yours. For though it is a forest, you shall clear it, and to its ^(F1)farthest borders it shall be yours; for you shall ^(F2)drive out the Canaanites, even though they have ^(C1)iron chariots and though they are strong."