Then allotment was made to the people 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. And allotments were made to the rest of the people of
Manasseh by their clans, Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher,
and Shemida. These were the male descendants of Manasseh the son of
Joseph, by their clans.
Now Zelophehad the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir,
son of Manasseh, had no sons, but only daughters, and these are the
names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
They approached Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and
the leaders and said, “The LORD commanded Moses to give us an
inheritance along with our brothers.” So according to the mouth of
the LORD he gave them an inheritance among the brothers of their
father. Thus there fell to Manasseh ten portions, besides the land
of Gilead and Bashan, which is on the other side of the Jordan,
because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance along
with his sons. The land of Gilead was allotted to the rest of the
people of Manasseh.
The territory of Manasseh reached from Asher to Michmethath,
which is east of Shechem. Then the boundary goes along southward to
the inhabitants of En-tappuah. The land of Tappuah belonged to
Manasseh, but the town of Tappuah on the boundary of Manasseh
belonged to the people of Ephraim. Then the boundary went down to
the brook Kanah. These cities, to the south of the brook, among the
cities of Manasseh, belong to Ephraim. Then the boundary of
Manasseh goes on the north side of the brook and ends at the sea,
the land to the south being Ephraim's and that to the north being
Manasseh's, with the sea forming its boundary. On the north Asher
is reached, and on the east Issachar. Also in Issachar and in Asher
Manasseh had Beth-shean and its villages, and Ibleam and its
villages, and the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, and the
inhabitants of En-dor and its villages, and the inhabitants of
Taanach and its villages, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its
villages; the third is Naphath. Yet the people of Manasseh could
not take possession of those cities, but the Canaanites persisted
in dwelling in that land. Now when the people of Israel grew
strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not
utterly drive them out.
Then the people of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, “Why have you
given me but one lot and one portion as an inheritance, although I
am a numerous people, since all along the LORD has blessed me?” And
Joshua said to them, “If you are a numerous people, go up by
yourselves to the forest, and there clear ground for yourselves in
the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the hill country
of Ephraim is too narrow for you.” The people of Joseph said, “The
hill country is not enough for us. Yet all the Canaanites who dwell
in the plain have chariots of iron, both those in Beth-shean and
its villages and those in the Valley of Jezreel.” Then Joshua said
to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, “You are a
numerous people and have great power. You shall not have one
allotment only, but the hill country shall be yours, for though it
is a forest, you shall clear it and possess it to its farthest
borders. For you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have
chariots of iron, and though they are strong.”
