Study Desk

Then came out the lot, for the sons of Joseph, from the Jordan by Jericho, at the waters of Jericho, eastward, - the desert, going up from Jericho, through the hill country to Bethel;

and it goeth out from Bethel towards Luz, - and passeth over unto the boundary of the Archites at Ataroth;

and descendeth westward, unto the boundary of the Japhletites, as far as the boundary of Bethhoron the nether, and as far as Gezer, - and the extensions thereof are to the sea.

So the sons of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, received their inheritance.

And the boundary of the sons of Ephraim, by their families, was, - yea the boundary of their inheritance on the east, was Ataroth-addar, as far as Beth-horon the upper;

and the boundary goeth out westward at Michmethath, on the north, then the boundary bendeth round easward, to Taanath-shiloh, - and passeth by it on the east to Janoah;

and goeth down from Janoah to Ataroth and to Naarah, - and toucheth upon Jericho, and goeth out at the Jordan.

From Tappuah, runneth the boundary along westward, to the ravine of Kanah, and the extensions thereof are to the sea, - this, is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Ephraim, by their families;

together with the cities which were separated for the sons of Ephraim, in the midst of the inheritance of the sons of Manasseh, - all the cities, with their villages.

But they did not dispossess the Canaanites who were dwelling in Gazer, - so the Canaanites have dwelt in the midst of Ephraim unto this day, and have become tributary servants.

And the lot for the tribe of Manasseh was, 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 had he Gilead and Bashan.

So the lot pertained to the rest of the sons of Manasseh, by their families, to the sons of Abiezer, and to the sons of Helek, and to the sons of Asriel, and to the sons of Shechem, and to the sons of Hepher, and to the sons of Shemida, - these, were the sons of Manasseh, son of Joseph, even the male descendants, by their families.

But, Zelophehad, son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, 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 had come near, before Eleazar the priest, and before Joshua son of Nun, and before the princes, saying, Yahweh, commanded Moses, to give us an inheritance in the midst of our brethren, - And he had given them, according to the bidding of Yahweh, an inheritance, in the midst of the brethren of their father.

Thus there fell ten portions to Manasseh, - besides the land of Gilead, and Bashan, which is beyond the Jordan;

because, the daughters of Manasseh, received an inheritance in the midst of his sons, - and, the land of Gilead, became the possession of the sons of Manasseh that remained.

So then the boundary of Manasseh was from Asher, Michmethath, which faceth Shechem, - and the boundary goeth along unto the right hand, unto the inhabitants of En-tappuah.

Manasseh, had the land of Tappuah, - but, Tappuah itself, towards the boundary of Manasseh, pertained unto the sons of Ephraim;

and the boundary goeth down to the ravine of Kanah, southward of the ravine, these cities, belong to Ephraim, in the midst of the cities of Manasseh, - but, the boundary of Manasseh, was on the north side of the ravine, and the extensions thereof were to the sea;

southward, pertaineth to Ephraim, and, northward, to Manasseh, and the sea was the boundary thereof, - and they touch, Asher, on the north, and Issachar on the east.

And Manasseh had - in Issachar and in Asher - Bethshean and her towns, and Ibleam and her towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, and the inhabitants of En-dor and her towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and her towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo, and her towns - the three heights,

The sons of Manasseh, however, could not dispossess these cities, - but the Canaanites were determined to remain in this land;

but, when the sons of Israel had waxed strong, they put the Canaanites under tribute, - though they, dispossessed, them not.

Then spake the sons of Joseph unto Joshua, saying, - Why hast thou given me, as an inheritance, but one lot and one portion, seeing that, I, am a numerous people, because hitherto hath Yahweh blessed me.

And Joshua said unto them: If, a numerous people, thou art, get thee up to the forest, and cut down for thyself there, in the land of the Perizzites and of the Rephaim, - seeing that, too narrow for thee, is the hill country of Ephraim.

And the sons of Joseph said, The hill country is not enough for us, - and there are, chariots of iron, among all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley, belonging both to them in Bethshean, and her towns, and to them in the valley of Jezreel.

And Joshua made answer unto the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, - A numerous people, thou art, and, great vigour, thou hast, thou shalt not have one lot only;

for, the hill country, shall be thine, in that, a forest, it is, therefore canst thou cut it down, and thine shall be the extensions thereof, - for thou shalt dispossess the Canaanites, though, chariots of iron, they have, and though, strong, they are.