Lexham English Bible

Joshua 17:3-16 Lexham English Bible (LEB)

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.” Therefore, according to the command of Yahweh he gave them an inheritance among the kinsmen 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 of Manasseh.

7. The border of Manasseh was from Asher to Micmethath, which is opposite Shechem; then the border goes to the south, to the inhabitants of En Tappuah.

8. The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but Tuppuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the descendants of Ephraim.

9. Then the border goes down to the wadi 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 at the sea.

10. The south is Ephraim’s, and the north is Manasseh’s; the sea is their 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 of Manasseh were not able to take possession of these towns; the Canaanites were determined to live in this land.

13. And it happened, when the Israelites grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor but never drove them out completely.

14. The descendants of Joseph spoke with Joshua, saying, “Why have you given us 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 and Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you.”

16. And the descendants of Joseph said, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all of the Canaanites living in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, those in Beth-shean and its villages, and those in the Jezreel Valley.”