Study Desk

And this was the lot for the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph. To Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, were allotted Gilead and Bashan, because he was a man of war.

So the lot was made for the rest of the sons of Manasseh according to their families: for the sons of Abiezer and for the sons of Helek and for the sons of Asriel and for the sons of Shechem and for the sons of Hepher and for the sons of Shemida; these were the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the males according to their families.

Then the sons of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, "Why have you given me only one lot and one portion for an inheritance, since I am a numerous people whom Yahweh has thus far blessed?"

And Joshua said to them, "If you are a numerous people, go 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."

And the sons of Joseph said, "The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the valley land have chariots of iron, both those who are in Beth-shean and its towns and those who are in the valley of Jezreel."

but the hill country shall be yours. For though it is a forest, you shall clear it, and to its farthest borders it shall be yours; for you shall dispossess the Canaanites, even though they have chariots of iron and even though they are strong."

Provide for yourselves three men from each tribe that I may send them, and that they may arise and walk through the land and write a description of it according to their inheritance; then they shall return to me.

So you shall write a description of the land in seven divisions and bring the description here to me. I will cast lots for you here before Yahweh our God.

For the Levites have no portion among you because the priesthood of Yahweh is their inheritance. Gad and Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh also have received their inheritance eastward beyond the Jordan, which Moses the servant of Yahweh gave them."

Then the men arose and went, and Joshua commanded those who went to write the description of the land, saying, "Go and walk through the land and write a description of it, and return to me; then I will cast lots for you here before Yahweh in Shiloh."

And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before Yahweh, and there Joshua divided the land to the sons of Israel according to their divisions.

Then the second lot came out for Simeon, for the tribe of the sons of Simeon according to their families, and their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the sons of Judah.

The inheritance of the sons of Simeon was taken from the portion of the sons of Judah, for the share of the sons of Judah was too large for them; so the sons of Simeon received an inheritance in the midst of Judah's inheritance.

Now the third lot came up for the sons of Zebulun according to their families. And the territory of their inheritance was as far as Sarid.

The fourth lot came out for Issachar, for the sons of Issachar according to their families.

Now the fifth lot came out for the tribe of the sons of Asher according to their families.

The sixth lot came out for the sons of Naphtali, for the sons of Naphtali according to their families.

The seventh lot came out for the tribe of the sons of Dan according to their families.

And the territory of the sons of Dan went out from them; for the sons of Dan went up and fought with Leshem and captured it. Then they struck it with the edge of the sword and possessed it and settled in it; and they called Leshem Dan after the name of Dan their father.

So they finished apportioning the land for inheritance by its borders. Then the sons of Israel gave an inheritance in their midst to Joshua the son of Nun.