Manasseh's Inheritance
Manasseh's allotment includes five sisters who claim, by our Father's command to Moses, the inheritance their father had no sons to receive, and get it. Joseph's descendants complain their share is too small; Joshua tells them to clear the forest and stop fearing iron chariots.
17 1The lot for the tribe of Manasseh, Joseph's firstborn: to Machir, Manasseh's firstborn and father of Gilead, went Gilead and Bashan, for he was a man of war. 2Manasseh's other sons received land by clan: Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, Shemida—Manasseh son of Joseph's male line, by clan. 3Zelophehad—from Manasseh through Machir, Gilead, Hepher—had no sons, only daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, Tirzah. 4They came before Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders, saying, "Our Father commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers." So by our Father's command, Joshua gave them an inheritance among their father's brothers. 5Ten portions fell to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan beyond the Jordan, 6because Manasseh's daughters received an inheritance among his sons. The land of Gilead belonged to Manasseh's other sons. 7Manasseh's territory ran from Asher to Michmethath, east of Shechem; then south to the people of En-tappuah. 8Manasseh had the land of Tappuah, but Tappuah on Manasseh's border belonged to Ephraim's sons. 9The boundary went down to the Kanah Ravine. South of the ravine, these cities among Manasseh's belonged to Ephraim; Manasseh's boundary ran north of the ravine and ended at the sea. 10Ephraim's land lay to the south, Manasseh's to the north, with the sea as its boundary. On the north they reached Asher, on the east Issachar. 11In Issachar and Asher, Manasseh also held Beth-shean and its villages, Ibleam and its villages, the residents of Dor and its villages, of En-dor and its villages, of Taanach and its villages, and of Megiddo and its villages—the three heights. 12But Manasseh's sons could not take these cities, and the Canaanites kept living in that land. 13When Israel grew strong, they forced the Canaanites into labor but did not fully drive them out. 14The sons of Joseph asked Joshua, "Why give us one lot and one portion as an inheritance? We are a numerous people, for our Father has blessed us until now."
15Joshua answered them, "If you're so numerous, go up to the forest and clear land there in the Perizzites' and Rephaim's territory, since Ephraim's hill country is too narrow for you."
16Joseph's sons said, "The hill country isn't enough for us, and every Canaanite in the valley has iron chariots—those in Beth-shean and its villages and those in the Jezreel Valley."
17Then Joshua told Joseph's house—Ephraim and Manasseh—"You are numerous and very powerful. You won't have just one lot, 18for the hill country will be yours too. It is forest, but you will clear it, and its far borders will be yours. You will drive out the Canaanites, though their chariots are iron and they are strong."
