Manasseh’s Western Inheritance
And the lot was for the tribe of Manasseh — for he was the firstborn of Joseph. For Machir, the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, because he was a man of war, Gilead and Bashan were his.
And it was for the rest of the sons of Manasseh, by 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 male sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph, by their families.
But Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but only daughters; and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
And they came near before Eleazar the priest, and before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the leaders, saying, “The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance in the midst of our brothers.” And he gave them, according to the mouth of the LORD, an inheritance in the midst of their father’s brothers.
And ten portions fell to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which are across the Jordan —
because the daughters of Manasseh inherited an inheritance in the midst of his sons. And the land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the sons of Manasseh.
And the border of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethath, which faces Shechem; and the border went to the right, to the inhabitants of En-tappuah.
The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but Tappuah, on the border of Manasseh, belonged to the sons of Ephraim.
And the border went down to the Brook of Kanah, south of the brook — these cities belonged to Ephraim in the midst of the cities of Manasseh — and the border of Manasseh was north of the brook, and its limits were at the sea:
southward it was Ephraim’s, and northward Manasseh’s, and the sea was its border; and they touch Asher on the north, and Issachar on the east.
And Manasseh had, in Issachar and in Asher, Beth-shean and its daughter towns, and Ibleam and its daughter towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and its daughter towns, and the inhabitants of En-dor and its daughter towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and its daughter towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its daughter towns — the three heights.
But the sons of Manasseh could not dispossess these cities, and the Canaanite persisted in living in this land.
And it was, when the sons of Israel grew strong, that they put the Canaanite to forced labor; but they did not dispossess them at all.
And the sons of Joseph spoke with Joshua, saying, “Why have you given me one lot and one portion as an inheritance, when I am a numerous people, since the LORD has blessed me thus far?”
And Joshua said to them, “If you are a numerous people, go up for yourself to the forest, and clear ground for yourself there in the land of the Perizzite and 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 there are chariots of iron among all the Canaanite who live in the land of the valley — those in Beth-shean and its daughter towns, and those in the Valley of Jezreel.”
And Joshua said to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying: “You are a numerous people, and you have great power. You shall not have one lot only,
for the hill country shall be yours. Though it is forest, you shall clear it, and its farthest limits shall be yours — for you shall dispossess the Canaanite, though he has chariots of iron, though he is strong.”