1This is the land allotted to the tribe of Manasseh, because he was Joseph’s oldest son. Machir, Manasseh’s oldest son and the father of Gilead, was a warrior, so he received Gilead and Bashan.
2This was the land for the rest of Manasseh’s descendants according to their family groups: for the descendants of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These were the male descendants of Manasseh, Joseph’s son, according to their families.
3But Zelophehad, son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, had no sons, only daughters. Their names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
4They went to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders, and said, “Yahweh commanded Moses to give us land among our relatives.” So, according to Yahweh’s command, Joshua gave them land among their father’s relatives.
5Manasseh received ten shares of land, in addition to the land of Gilead and Bashan, which is east of the Jordan River.
6This was because Manasseh’s daughters received land along with his sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of Manasseh’s sons.
7Manasseh’s border extended from Asher to Michmethath, which is east of Shechem. The border then went to the right, to the people of En Tappuah.
8The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but the town of Tappuah, which was on Manasseh’s border, belonged to the people of Ephraim.
9The border went down to the Kanah Brook, south of the brook. These cities within Manasseh’s territory belonged to Ephraim. Manasseh’s border was on the north side of the brook and ended at the sea.
10To the south it was Ephraim's territory, and to the north it was Manasseh's. The sea was its western border. Their territory reached Asher in the north and Issachar in the east.
11Manasseh also received three cities with their surrounding villages within the territories of Issachar and Asher: Beth Shean, Ibleam, Dor, Endor, Taanach, and Megiddo.
12However, the people of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities, so the Canaanites continued to live in that land.
13Later, when the people of Israel became stronger, they forced the Canaanites to work for them, but they did not completely drive them out.
14The descendants of Joseph said to Joshua, "Why have you given us only one allotment and one portion as our inheritance, even though we are a large population whom Yahweh has abundantly blessed?"
15Joshua replied, "If you are such a large population, go up into the forest and clear land for yourselves there, in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you."
16The descendants of Joseph said, "The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the valley have iron chariots, both those in Beth Shean and its towns, and those in the Jezreel valley."
17Joshua said to the house of Joseph, which included Ephraim and Manasseh, "You are a numerous people and you have great power. You will not have just one allotment.
18The hill country will be yours. Even though it is a forest, you will clear it, and its entire extent will belong to you. You will drive out the Canaanites, even though they have iron chariots and are strong."