Joshua Chapter 17
Joshua was the leader of the Israeli armies in his victories over his enemies, the Canaanites. The book ends by describing the division of the land between the twelve tribes of Israel.
A Conservative Version
17 : 1 And this was the lot for the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph. As for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, because he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan.
17 : 2 So it was 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 male children of Manasseh the son of Joseph according to their families.
17 : 3 But Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but daughters. And these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
17 : 4 And they came near before Eleazar the priest, and before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the rulers, saying, Jehovah commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers. Therefore according to the commandment of Jehovah he gave them an inheritance among the brothers of their father.
17 : 5 And there fell ten parts to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which is beyond the Jordan,
17 : 6 because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons. And the land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the sons of Manasseh.
17 : 7 And the border of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethath, which is before Shechem. And the border went along to the right hand, to the inhabitants of En-tappuah.
17 : 8 The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the sons of Ephraim.
17 : 9 And the border went down to the brook of Kanah, southward of the brook. These cities belonged to Ephraim among the cities of Manasseh. And the border of Manasseh was on the north side of the brook. And the goings out of it were at the sea.
17 : 10 Southward it was Ephraim's, and northward it was Manasseh's, and the sea was his border, and they reached to Asher on the north, and to Issachar on the east.
17 : 11 And Manasseh had in Issachar and in Asher, Beth-shean and its towns, and Ibleam and its towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Endor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns, even the three heights.
17 : 12 Yet the sons of Manasseh could not drive out those cities, but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.
17 : 13 And it came to pass, when the sons of Israel grew strong, that they put the Canaanites to task work, and did not utterly drive them out.
17 : 14 And the sons of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, Why have thou given me but one lot and one part for an inheritance, seeing I am a great people, inasmuch as until now Jehovah has blessed me?
17 : 15 And Joshua said to them, If thou be a great people, get thee up to the forest, and cut down for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the Rephaim, since the hill-country of Ephraim is too narrow for thee.
17 : 16 And the sons of Joseph said, The hill-country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both those who are in Beth-shean and its towns, and those who are in the valley of Jezreel.
17 : 17 And Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, Thou are a great people, and have great power. Thou shall not have only one lot,
17 : 18 but the hill-country shall be thine, for though it is a forest, thou shall cut it down, and the goings out of it shall be thine. For thou shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron, and though they are strong.