The House of Joseph Complains

¹ The lot of the children of Joseph fell from Jordan by Jericho, unto the water of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goeth up from Jericho throughout mount Bethel, {16:2} And goeth out from Bethel to Luz, and passeth along unto the borders of Archi to Ataroth, {16:3} And goeth down westward to the coast of Japhleti, unto the coast of Beth-horon the nether, and to Gezer: and the goings out thereof are at the sea. {16:4} So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance.

⁵ The border of the children of Ephraim according to their families was [thus:] even the border of their inheritance on the east side was Ataroth-addar, unto Beth-horon the upper; {16:6} And the border went out toward the sea to Michmethah on the north side; and the border went about eastward unto Taanath-shiloh, and passed by it on the east to Janohah; {16:7} And it went down from Janohah to Ataroth, and to Naarath, and came to Jericho, and went out at Jordan.

⁸ The border went out from Tappuah westward unto the river Kanah; and the goings out thereof were at the sea. This [is] the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim by their families. {16:9} And the separate cities for the children of Ephraim [were] among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages.

{16:10} And they drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day, and serve under tribute.

1} There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh; for he [was] the firstborn of Joseph; [to wit,] for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead: because he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan. 2} There was also [a lot] for the rest of the children of Manasseh by their families; for the children of Abiezer, and for the children of Helek, and for the children of Asriel, and for the children of Shechem, and for the children of Hepher, and for the children of Shemida: these [were] the male children of Manasseh the son of Joseph by their families.

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. 4} And they came near before Eleazar the priest, and before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the princes, saying, The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brethren. Therefore according to the commandment of Enki he gave them an inheritance among the brethren of their father.

5} And there fell ten portions to Manasseh, beside the land of Gilead and Bashan, which [were] on the other side Jordan; 6} Because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons: and the rest of Manasseh’s sons had the land of Gilead.

7} The coast of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethah, that [lieth] before Shechem; and the border went along on the right hand unto the inhabitants of En-tappuah. 8} [Now] Manasseh had the land of Tappuah: but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh [belonged] to the children of Ephraim;

9} And the coast descended unto the river Kanah, southward of the river: these cities of Ephraim [are] among the cities of Manasseh: the coast of Manasseh also [was] on the north side of the river, and the outgoings of it were at the sea: 10} Southward [it was] Ephraim’s, and northward [it was] Manasseh’s, and the sea is his border; and they met together in Asher on the north, and in Issachar on the east.

11} And Manasseh had in Issachar and in Asher Beth-shean and her towns, and Ibleam and her towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, and the inhabitants of Endor and her towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and her towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns, [even] three countries. 12} Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out [the inhabitants of] those cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.

13} When the Israelites became strong, they put the Canaanites to tribute; but did not utterly drive them out.

14} The children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying,

Why have you given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I [am] a great people, forasmuch as Enki hath blessed me hitherto?

15 Joshua answered them, If you were a great people, then get up to the wood country, and cut down for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if mount Ephraim be too narrow for you.

16 The children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us: and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, [both they] who [are] of Beth-shean and her towns, and [they] who [are] of the valley of Jezreel.

17 Joshua spake to the house of Joseph, [even] to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, Thou [art] a great people, and hast great power: thou shalt not have one lot [only: ]

18} But the mountain shall be thine; for it [is] a wood, and you shalt cut it down: and the outgoings of it shall be thine: for you shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, [and] though they [be] strong.