Joshua

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.

1Land was also given to the tribe of Manasseh. Manasseh was Joseph's oldest son. Machir was Manasseh's oldest son, and Gilead's father. Machir was a fighting man, so he got the lands of Gilead and Bashan.

2There 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.

2Land was also given to the other families of Manasseh. These were the families of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. They were the other sons in the family of Manasseh, Joseph's son.

3But 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.

3But Zelophehad had no sons. He was the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh. He had only daughters. Their names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

4And 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 the LORD he gave them an inheritance among the brethren of their father.

4The five sisters came to Eleazar the priest, a man who served God for the people. They came to Joshua and the leaders too. They said, "The LORD told Moses to give us land, like our brothers get." So Joshua gave them land, just as the LORD had said.

5And there fell ten portions to Manasseh, beside the land of Gilead and Bashan, which were on the other side Jordan;

5So Manasseh got ten pieces of land. That was not counting Gilead and Bashan, which were across the Jordan River.

6Because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons: and the rest of Manasseh’s sons had the land of Gilead.

6This was because the daughters of Manasseh got land along with the sons. The land of Gilead went to the rest of Manasseh's sons.

7And 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 Entappuah.

7The edge of Manasseh's land started at Asher. It went to Michmethah, which is near Shechem. Then it went south to the people living at Entappuah.

8Now Manasseh had the land of Tappuah: but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the children of Ephraim;

8The land around Tappuah belonged to Manasseh. But the town of Tappuah itself belonged to the people of Ephraim.

9And 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:

9The border went down south to the brook called Kanah. Some towns of Ephraim sat among the towns of Manasseh. Manasseh's border stayed on the north side of the brook. It ended at the sea.

10Southward 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.

10The land south of the brook was Ephraim's. The land north of it was Manasseh's. The sea was the edge on one side. Manasseh's land touched Asher in the north and Issachar in the east.

11And 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 Endor and her towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and her towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns, even three countries.

11Inside Asher and Issachar, Manasseh was also given some towns. These were Bethshean, Ibleam, Dor, Endor, Taanach, and Megiddo. Each one had smaller villages around it.

NoteThe KJV says "her towns." This means the smaller villages around each big town.

12Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.

12But the people of Manasseh could not push the Canaanites out of those towns. The Canaanites had made up their minds to stay in that land.

13Yet it came to pass, when the children of Israel were waxen strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, but did not utterly drive them out.

13Later the people of Israel grew stronger. Then they made the Canaanites work for them. But they never made them leave the land.

NoteThe KJV says "put the Canaanites to tribute." That means Israel made them do work or pay them.

14And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the LORD hath blessed me hitherto?

14The family of Joseph spoke to Joshua. They said, "Why did you give us only one share of land? We are many people, because the LORD has blessed us."

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

15Joshua answered them. "If you are so many, go up to the forest land. Clear out the trees there for yourselves. That land belongs to the Perizzites and the Rephaim. Do this if the hills of Ephraim are too small for you."

NoteThe KJV says "giants" here. The Hebrew word is a name for a group of people, the Rephaim.

16And 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 Bethshean and her towns, and they who are of the valley of Jezreel.

16The family of Joseph said, "The hills are not enough for us. And the Canaanites down in the valley have iron chariots. That is true in Bethshean and its towns, and in the valley of Jezreel."

NoteA chariot is a cart pulled by horses. Soldiers rode in it to fight.

17And Joshua spake unto 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:

17Joshua spoke to the family of Joseph, that is, to Ephraim and Manasseh. He said, "You are many people, and you are strong. You will not have just one share of land."

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

18"The hill country will be yours too. It is a forest, so clear the trees. Then it will be yours all the way to the far edge. You will push the Canaanites out. They have iron chariots and they are strong, but you will still do it."