West Manasseh's Inheritance
1 This was the allotment for the tribe of Manasseh as Joseph's firstborn. Gilead and Bashan came to Machir, the firstborn of Manasseh and the father of Gilead, who was a man of war.
2
So the allotment was for the rest of Manasseh's descendants by their clans, for the sons of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These are the male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph, by their clans.
3
Now Zelophehad son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, 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, "The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our male relatives." So they gave them an inheritance among their father's brothers, in keeping with the Lord's instruction.
5
As a result, 10 tracts fell to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which are beyond the Jordan,
6
because Manasseh's daughters received an inheritance among his sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of Manasseh's sons.
7
The border of Manasseh went from Asher to Michmethath near Shechem. It then went southward toward the inhabitants of En-tappuah.
8
The region of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but Tappuah [itself] on Manasseh's border belonged to the descendants of Ephraim.
9
From there the border descended to the Brook of Kanah; south of the brook, cities belonged to Ephraim among Manasseh's cities. Manasseh's border was on the north side of the brook and ended at the Mediterranean Sea.
10
Ephraim's [territory] was to the south and Manasseh's to the north, with the Sea as its border. They reached Asher on the north and Issachar on the east.
11
Within Issachar and Asher, Manasseh had Beth-shean with its towns, Ibleam with its towns, and the inhabitants of Dor with its towns; the inhabitants of En-dor with its towns, the inhabitants of Taanach with its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo with its towns-the three [cities] of Naphath.
12
The descendants of Manasseh could not possess these cities, because the Canaanites were determined to stay in this land.
13
However, when the Israelites grew stronger, they imposed forced labor on the Canaanites but did not drive them out completely.