Joshua 17 Cross References - ISV

¹ Manasseh’s AllocationThe territorial allotment for the tribe of Manasseh, the firstborn of Joseph, was allocated first to Machir the firstborn of Manasseh and father of Gilead. Since he had been a man of war, Gilead and Bashan were allocated to him.
² Now allotments were made with respect to the remaining descendants of Manasseh according to their families: for the descendants of Abiezer, the descendants of Helek, the descendants of Asriel, the descendants of Shechem, the descendants of Hepher, and the descendants of Shemida—the male descendants of Joseph’s son Manasseh, according to their families.
³ Hepher’s son Zelophehad, grandson of Gilead and great-grandson of Manasseh’s son Machir had no sons, only daughters. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. ⁴ They appeared before Eleazar the priest and Nun’s son Joshua and declared, “The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our relatives.” So in keeping what the LORD had commanded, he gave them an inheritance among their ancestor’s relatives. ⁵ That is why ten allotments fell to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan beyond the Jordan River, ⁶ since the granddaughters of Manasseh received an inheritance along with his sons. (The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the descendants of Manasseh.)
⁷ The border of Manasseh proceeded from Asher to Michmethath east of Shechem, then turned south to include the inhabitants of En-tappuach. ⁸ (The territory of Tappuach belonged to Manasseh, but Tappuach itself, on the border of Manasseh, was allocated to the descendants of Ephraim.) ⁹ The border proceeded to the Kanah brook and proceeded south. These cities belonged to Ephraim among the cities of Manasseh, with the border of Manasseh on the north of the brook, terminating at the Mediterranean Sea.
¹⁰ The southern area was allocated to Ephraim and the northern area to Manasseh. The Mediterranean Sea was the border, extending to Asher on the North and to Issachar on the east. ¹¹ In Issachar and Asher, Manasseh held Beth-shean and its towns, Ibleam and its towns, the inhabitants of En-dor and its towns, the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns, and the three coastal districts. ¹² The descendants of Manasseh did not take possession of these cities, because the Canaanites predominated in that territory. ¹³ Later on, when the Israelis had become strong, they forced the Canaanites to work for them, but they never did expel them completely.
¹⁴ Protests by the Tribe of JosephAt that time, the descendants of Joseph asked Joshua, “Why did you give us only one allotment and portion for an inheritance, since we’re numerous and the LORD has blessed us all along?”
¹⁵ So Joshua replied to them, “Since you’re so numerous, go up to the forest and clear ground there for yourselves in the territory where the Perizzites and Rephaim are, because the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you.”
¹⁶ The descendants of Joseph replied, “The hill country isn’t sufficient for us, but all the Canaanites who live on the plain have iron chariots, both those in Beth-shean and its villages as well as the inhabitants of the Jezreel Valley.”
¹⁷ So Joshua told the tribes of Joseph, which were Ephraim and Manasseh, “You’re truly a numerous group, and you have great power. You are not to have only one allotment, ¹⁸ but the hill country will also belong to you. Even though it’s a forest, you will clear it and possess it to its farthest borders. You’ll drive out the Canaanites, even though they have iron chariots and even though they’re strong.”

⁵¹ Joseph named his firstborn son Manasseh because, he said, “God has made me forget all of my hard life and my father’s house.”

²⁰ Joseph’s sons born in the land of Egypt were Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On, bore for him.

¹⁸ “No, father, this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head.”

²³ Joseph saw the third generation of Ephraim’s children, as well as the children who had been born to Manasseh’s son Machir, whom he adopted as his own.

²⁹ The descendants of Manasseh included: From Machir, the family of the descendants of Machir. (Machir was the father of Gilead.) From Gilead, the family of the Gileadites

¹ Zelophehad’s Daughters
Now the daughters of Hepher’s son Zelophehad, Gilead’s grandson, who had been fathered by Machir, who had been fathered by Manasseh, from the tribe of Manasseh, the direct son of Joseph, were named Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. They approached

³³ So Moses gave to the descendants of Gad, to the descendants of Reuben, and to the half-tribe of Joseph’s son Manasseh the kingdom of Sihon, the king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og, the king of Bashan, the whole land with its cities, and even the territories surrounding it.

³⁹ The descendants of Manasseh’s son Machir attacked Gilead and then captured and dispossessed the Amorites who were there. ⁴⁰ That’s why Moses gave Gilead to Manasseh’s son Machir, who lived there at the time.

¹³ The remainder of Gilead and Bashan of the kingdom of Og, I’ve given to the half-tribe of Manasseh. (The whole region of Argob—that is, all of Bashan—is called the land of the Rephaim.) ¹⁴ Manasseh’s son Jair captured all the Argob region as far as the territory of the descendants of Geshur and the descendants of Maacath. Bashan was named after him; that’s why it is called Havvoth-jair to this day. ¹⁵ Furthermore, I’ve given Gilead to Machir.

¹⁷ Instead, he must acknowledge the firstborn of the unloved wife by giving him double of everything he owns, because he is really the first fruit of his father’s strength. The right of the firstborn belongs to him.”

¹⁴ Some came from Ephraim who had been harassed by Amalek, followed by Benjamin with your people. Some commanders came from Machir, along with some from Zebulun who carry a badge of office.

²³ But Geshur and Aram took 60 towns from Gilead, including Havvoth-jair and Kenath, along with their villages. All these were descendants of Machir, who fathered Gilead.

¹⁴ Genealogy of ManassehManasseh’s descendants included Asriel, whom his Aramean mistress bore, along with Machir, who fathered Gilead. ¹⁵ Machir chose wives for his sons Huppim and for Shuppim. He had a sister named Maacah. His second son was named Zelophehad, and Zelophehad fathered only daughters.

²⁹ The descendants of Manasseh included: From Machir, the family of the descendants of Machir. (Machir was the father of Gilead.) From Gilead, the family of the Gileadites ³⁰ included: From Iezer, the family of the descendants of Iezer; from Helek, the family of the descendants of Helek; ³¹ from Asriel, the family of the descendants of Asriel; from Shechem, the family of the descendants of Shechem; ³² from Shemida, the family of the descendants of Shemida; and from Hepher, the family of the descendants of Hepher.

¹¹ Gideon is Visited by the Angel of the LORDAfter this, the angel of the LORD arrived and sat down in the shade of the oak tree in Ophrah that belonged to Joash, a descendant of Abiezer, while his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a wine press in order to safeguard it from the Midianites.

² “What have I accomplished compared to you?” he responded. “Isn’t what’s left from Ephraim’s harvest better than the best vintage of Abiezer?

¹⁸ His sister Hammolecheth bore Ishhod, Abiezer, and Mahlah.

³³ Hepher’s son Zelophehad had no sons, but the names of Zelophehad’s daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

² “The LORD commanded my master to apportion the land as an inheritance by lot to the Israelis,” they said. “Now my master was ordered by the LORD to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters. ³ But when they get married to one of the descendants of the tribes of Israel, their inheritances are to be withdrawn from our father’s inheritance and added to the inheritance of the tribe to which they are to belong. Consequently, it is to be withdrawn from the portion of our inheritance. ⁴ Then, when the Jubilee Year of the Israelis comes, their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe to which they have come to belong. Their inheritance will thus be taken away from the inheritance of our father’s tribe!”
⁵ So Moses issued the Israelis these orders based on what the LORD said: “The tribe of the descendants of Joseph has spoken. ⁶ This is what the LORD is commanding the daughters of Zelophehad: If they decide it’s a good idea in their opinion to get married only within the family of their father’s tribe, then let them get married ⁷ so that the inheritance of the Israelis won’t be turned over from one tribe to another. Each one has an inheritance from his own father’s tribe that the Israelis are to maintain. ⁸ Every daughter who is in possession of an inheritance from the Israelis is to marry someone from the families within her father’s tribe so the Israelis can retain possession of their ancestral inheritance. ⁹ That way, their inheritance won’t be turned over from one tribe to another, because the Israelis are each to maintain their ancestral inheritances.”
¹⁰ Zelophehad’s daughters did just what the LORD had commanded Moses ¹¹ for Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah: Zelophehad’s daughters married their uncle’s sons.

⁵ So Moses brought the family into the LORD’s presence, ⁶ and the LORD told Moses, ⁷ “The daughters of Zelophehad are telling the truth. You are certainly to give to them a possession for an inheritance among their father’s relatives. You are to pass on the inheritance of their father to them.

¹⁷ “These are the names of the men who are to divide the land for your inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Nun’s son Joshua. ¹⁸ You are to appoint a leader from each tribe to divide the land for inheritance. ¹⁹ These are the names of the men: Appoint Jephunneh’s son Caleb from the tribe of Judah, ²⁰ Ammihud’s son Shemuel from the tribe of Simeon, ²¹ Chislon’s son Elidad from the tribe of Benjamin, ²² and Jogli’s son Bukki is to be leader of the tribe of Dan. ²³ From the tribe of Joseph, you are to appoint Ephod’s son Hanniel to be leader of the half tribe of Manasseh, ²⁴ Shiphtan’s son Kemuel to be leader of the half tribe of Ephraim, ²⁵ Parnach’s son Elizaphan to be leader of the tribe of Zebulun, ²⁶ Azzan’s son Paltiel to be leader of the tribe of Issachar, ²⁷ Shelomi’s son Ahihud to be leader of the tribe of Asher, ²⁸ and Ammihud’s son Pedahel to be leader of the tribe of Naphtali.”
²⁹ These are the ones whom the LORD commanded to divide the inheritance of the Israelis in the land of Canaan.

¹ Summary of AllocationsThis is what the Israelis inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Nun’s son Joshua, and the heads of the families of the Israelis allotted to them as an inheritance

²⁸ Because all of you are one in the Messiah Jesus, a person is no longer a Jew or a Greek, a slave or a free person, a male or a female.

³⁰ But if the armed men don’t cross over with you, then they won’t have any possession in the land of Canaan.”
³¹ “We’ll do just what the LORD told your servants,” the descendants of Gad and the descendants of Reuben responded. ³² “We are to cross over in battle array in the LORD’s presence into the land of Canaan, and afterwards the possession of our inheritance will be on this side of the Jordan River.”
³³ So Moses gave to the descendants of Gad, to the descendants of Reuben, and to the half-tribe of Joseph’s son Manasseh the kingdom of Sihon, the king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og, the king of Bashan, the whole land with its cities, and even the territories surrounding it.
³⁴ Gad and Reuben Rebuild Their CitiesThe descendants of Gad rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, ³⁵ Atrothshophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, ³⁶ Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran as fortified cities with corrals for sheep. ³⁷ The descendants of Reuben rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, ³⁸ Nebo, Baal-meon (after having changed their names), and Sibmah. The cities that they rebuilt were renamed. ³⁹ The descendants of Manasseh’s son Machir attacked Gilead and then captured and dispossessed the Amorites who were there. ⁴⁰ That’s why Moses gave Gilead to Manasseh’s son Machir, who lived there at the time. ⁴¹ Manasseh’s son Jair captured their towns and renamed them Havvoth-jair. ⁴² Nobah captured Kenath and its towns and renamed it Nobah after himself.

²⁹ Allocations to ManassehMoses also allocated territory to the half-tribe of Manasseh, that is, for the half-tribe of the descendants of Manasseh according to their tribes. ³⁰ Their territory extended from Mahanaim to include all of Bashan, all of the kingdom of King Og of Bashan, all of the 60 towns of Jair there in Bashan, ³¹ half of Gilead, including Ashtaroth and Edrei. The cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan went to half of the descendants of Manasseh’s son Machir, according to their tribes.

² Now allotments were made with respect to the remaining descendants of Manasseh according to their families: for the descendants of Abiezer, the descendants of Helek, the descendants of Asriel, the descendants of Shechem, the descendants of Hepher, and the descendants of Shemida—the male descendants of Joseph’s son Manasseh, according to their families.
³ Hepher’s son Zelophehad, grandson of Gilead and great-grandson of Manasseh’s son Machir had no sons, only daughters. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

¹⁴ Protests by the Tribe of JosephAt that time, the descendants of Joseph asked Joshua, “Why did you give us only one allotment and portion for an inheritance, since we’re numerous and the LORD has blessed us all along?”

² When Hamor the Hivite’s son Shechem, the regional leader, saw her, he grabbed her and raped her, humiliating her.

¹² Joseph is Sent to Visit His BrothersSome time later, his brothers left to tend their father’s flock in Shechem.

¹⁴ “Go and see how things are with your brothers,” Israel ordered him. “And see how things are with the flock. Bring back a report for me.” Then he sent Joseph from the valley of Hebron.
When Joseph reached Shechem,

⁶ Then the border proceeded west from Michmethath on the north, then turned east toward Taanath-shiloh, continuing to the east of Janoah. ⁷ It proceeded from Janoah to Ataroth, then to Naarah, then proceeded to Jericho and ended at the Jordan River. ⁸ From Tappuach, the border proceeded west to the Kanah brook, ending at the Mediterranean Sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the descendants of Ephraim according to their families,

⁷ So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (also known as Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.

²¹ Shechem was allocated to them as a city of refuge for unintentional killers, along with its pasture lands, in the mountainous region of Ephraim, Gezer with its pasture lands,

¹ Joshua’s Final ExhortationThen Joshua assembled together all of the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He called for the leaders, officials, judges, and tribal officers of Israel. They assembled in formation before God,

³² They also buried the bones of Joseph, which the Israelis brought up from Egypt, in the parcel of ground at Shechem that Jacob had purchased from the descendants of Shechem’s father Hamor, for 100 pieces of silver. It became part of the inheritance of the descendants of Joseph.

¹ Abimelech Attempts to Become KingThen Jerubbaal’s son Abimelech went to his mother’s relatives in Shechem. He spoke to the entire family of his mother’s father, telling them,

¹ Secession of the Northern Tribes
Rehoboam traveled to Shechem because all of Israel went there to install him as king.

²⁵ Jeroboam’s IdolatryLater on, Jeroboam fortified Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. He also expanded from there and built Penuel.

⁶⁷ They were given these cities of refuge: Shechem with its surrounding suburbs in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer with its surrounding suburbs,

¹⁷ The king of Tappuach: 1
The king of Hepher: 1

³⁴ Zanoah, En-gannim, Tappuach, Enam,

⁵³ Janum, Beth-tappuach, Aphekah,

⁸ From Tappuach, the border proceeded west to the Kanah brook, ending at the Mediterranean Sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the descendants of Ephraim according to their families,

³ It proceeded westward to the territory of the Japhletites as far as the territory of lower Beth-horon, then toward Gezer, ending at the Mediterranean Sea.

⁸ From Tappuach, the border proceeded west to the Kanah brook, ending at the Mediterranean Sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the descendants of Ephraim according to their families, ⁹ along with the cities that had been set aside for the descendants of Ephraim within the allotment of the descendants of Manasseh, including all of the cities and villages.

²⁹ There the boundary turned toward Ramah, reaching to the fortress city of Tyre and turned to Hosah, where it terminated at the Mediterranean Sea. Also included were Mahalab, Achzib,

² and to the kings in the north, in the hill country, in the plain south of Chinnereth, in the Shephelah, and in the hills of Dor toward the west,

²¹ The king of Taanach: 1
The king of Megiddo: 1

²³ The king of Dor in the Dor heights: 1
The king of various gentiles in Gilgal: 1

⁹ along with the cities that had been set aside for the descendants of Ephraim within the allotment of the descendants of Manasseh, including all of the cities and villages.

²⁷ Unconquered TerritoriesThe army of the tribe of Manasseh did not conquer Beth-shean and its villages, Taanach and its villages, the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages. Instead, the Canaanites continued to live in that land.

¹⁹ “Kings came to fight, then battled the kings of Canaan at Taanach near the waters of Megiddo. They took no silver as the spoils of war.

⁷ Saul told his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium so I can go to her and make my inquiry through her.”
His servants told him, “Look, there’s a woman at Endor who is a medium.”

¹⁰ They put Saul’s weapons in the temple of Asherah and fastened his corpse to the wall of Beth-shan.

¹² every valiant soldier got up, traveled all night, and removed Saul’s body and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan. Then they went to Jabesh and cremated the bodies there.

¹¹ Ben-abinadab supervised the Dor heights (Solomon’s daughter Taphath was his wife); ¹² Ahilud’s son Baana served Taanach, Megiddo, and all of Beth-shean near Zarethan below Jezreel, including from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah as far as the other side of Jokmeam;

¹⁵ Solomon’s Other Accomplishments
Here is a summary of the conscripted labor that King Solomon required to build the LORD’s Temple, his royal palace, the terrace ramparts in the City of David, the wall of Jerusalem, Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.

²⁷ King Ahaziah is Also Killed
As soon as King Ahaziah of Judah observed this, he attempted to flee by the garden house road, but Jehu pursued him. At the ascent toward Gur which is near Ibleam, he ordered, “Shoot him in the chariot, too!”
Ahaziah fled to Megiddo, where he died.

²⁹ During his reign, Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, marched out toward the Euphrates River to meet the king of Assyria. King Josiah went out to engage him in battle, but Pharaoh Neco killed him at Megiddo as soon as he saw him. ³⁰ Josiah’s servants drove his corpse in a chariot from Megiddo to Jerusalem and buried him in a tomb made for him.
Jehoahaz is Anointed KingThe people of the land took Josiah’s son Jehoahaz, anointed him, and installed him as king in his father’s place.

⁷⁰ and (from of the half-tribe of Manasseh), Aner with its surrounding suburbs, and Bileam with its surrounding suburbs for the rest of the Kohathite families.

²⁹ along the borders of the descendants of Manasseh, Beth-shean and its towns, Taanach and its towns, Megiddo and its towns, and Dor and its towns. In these lived the descendants of Israel’s son Joseph.

²² But Josiah wouldn’t turn around. In fact, he put on a disguise so he could fight Neco. He wouldn’t listen to what God told him through what Neco had to say, and as a result, Josiah came to attack Neco on the Megiddo plain.

¹⁰ They were destroyed at En-dor and became as dung on the ground.

¹¹ At that time, Jerusalem will mourn deeply, like the mourning about Hadad-rimmon that took place in the plain of Megiddo.

²⁹ I won’t drive them out before you in a single year, so that the land does not become desolate and so that wild animals do not overrun you. ³⁰ I’ll drive them out ahead of you little by little until you increase in numbers and possess the land.
³¹ “I’ll set your borders from the Reed Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the River, bringing the inhabitants of the land under your control, and you are to drive them out ahead of you. ³² You are not to make a covenant with them or with their gods. ³³ They are not to live in your land. Otherwise they will cause you to sin against me. If you worship their gods, it will become a snare for you.”

⁵² they are to drive out all the inhabitants of the land and destroy all their idols and their molten images. You are to demolish all their high places, ⁵³ take possession of the land, and live in it, because I’ve given you the land to inherit. ⁵⁴ You are to divide the land among yourselves by lot according to your families. The larger the families are in number, the larger their inheritance is to be. The fewer the families are in number, the lesser their inheritance is to be. To whomever the lot falls, that inheritance goes to him. Divide it according to your ancestral tribes. ⁵⁵ But if you fail to drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, their survivors will become irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides, to prick your sides and afflict you in the very land in which you’ll be living. ⁵⁶ Then, what I had planned to do to them, I’ll start to do to you.”

⁶³ Now as for the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem, the descendants of Judah could not expel them, so Jebusites live with the descendants of Judah in Jerusalem to this day.

¹⁰ However, they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites live within the territory of Ephraim to this day, but they serve as forced laborers.

²⁷ Unconquered TerritoriesThe army of the tribe of Manasseh did not conquer Beth-shean and its villages, Taanach and its villages, the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages. Instead, the Canaanites continued to live in that land. ²⁸ When Israel had grown strong, they subjected the Canaanites to conscripted labor and never did expel them completely.

¹² Therefore, do not let sin rule your mortal bodies so that you obey their desires. ¹³ Stop offering the parts of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness. Instead, offer yourselves to God as people who have been brought from death to life and the parts of your body as instruments of righteousness to God. ¹⁴ For sin will not have mastery over you, because you are not under Law but under grace.

¹¹ If it agrees to peace and welcomes you, then all the people found in it will serve you as forced laborers. ¹² But if they refuse to make peace with you and instead choose war, then attack it. ¹³ The LORD your God will deliver it into your control, and you must execute every male. ¹⁴ The women, children, all the livestock in the city, and all of the spoil and plunder will belong to you. Appropriate the spoil of your enemies, which the LORD your God will give you. ¹⁵ Do this to all the cities that are distant from you—that is, to those cities that are not in neighboring nations.”
¹⁶ Destruction of the Canaanites“You are not to leave even one person alive in the cities of these nations that the LORD your God is about to give you as an inheritance. ¹⁷ You must completely destroy the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, just as the LORD your God commanded you, ¹⁸ so they won’t teach you to do all the detestable things that they do for their gods. If you do what they teach you, you will sin against the LORD your God.”

²⁸ When Israel had grown strong, they subjected the Canaanites to conscripted labor and never did expel them completely.

³⁰ The army of the tribe of Zebulun did not expel the inhabitants of Kitron or the inhabitants of Nahalol, so the Canaanites lived among them, but were subjected to conscripted labor.

³³ The army of the tribe of Naphtali did not expel the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and the inhabitants of Beth-anath. Instead, they lived among the Canaanites who inhabited the land. However, the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath were subjected to conscripted labor.

³⁵ Furthermore, the Amorites continued to inhabit Mount Heres in Aijalon and Shaalbim. Eventually, however, after the tribe of Joseph had become strong, the Amorites were subjected to conscripted labor.

¹ Abner Changes LoyaltiesAfter this, a state of protracted war existed between Saul’s dynasty and David’s dynasty, and the dynasty of David continued to grow and become strong while the dynasty of Saul continued to grow weaker.

⁷ Conscripted LaborersAll of the survivors who remained living in the land but who were not Israelis (including Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites) ⁸ were descendants of the nations whom the people of Israel had not eliminated. Solomon put them to work as conscripted laborers, which they continue to do to this day.

¹⁰ Putting on the Whole Armor of GodFinally, be strong in the Lord, relying on his mighty strength.

¹³ I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

¹⁸ Instead, continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus, the Messiah. Glory belongs to him both now and on that eternal day! Amen.

¹⁹ But his father refused. “I know,” he said. “I know. He’s going to produce a large nation, and he’s going to be very great. However, his younger brother will become even greater than he, and his descendants will become a multitude of nations.”

²² I’m assigning you one portion more than your brothers from the land that I confiscated from the control of the Amorites in battle.”

²² On the Future of Joseph“Joseph is descended from a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine planted near springs of water. His branches climb over walls. ²³ Even though enemies attacked him, shooting at him and pursuing him viciously, ²⁴ nevertheless his bow remained steady and his arms kept in shape by the strength of Jacob’s Mighty One, in the name of the Shepherd, Israel’s Rock, ²⁵ by your father’s God who helps you, by the Almighty who will keep on blessing you with blessings from heaven above, with blessings from the deepest ocean, with blessing from the breasts and the womb. ²⁶ Your father’s blessings will prove to be stronger than blessings from the eternal mountains or bounties from the everlasting hills. May they come to rest on Joseph’s head, May they be set upon the brow of the one who was separated from his own brothers.”

³⁴ These families of Manasseh numbered 52,700.
³⁵ The descendants of Ephraim, listed according to their families, included: From Shuthelah, the family of the descendants of Shuthelah; from Becher, the family of the descendants of Becher; and from Tahan, the family of the descendants of Tahan. ³⁶ The descendants of Shuthelah included from Eran, the family of the descendants of Eran. ³⁷ These families of Ephraim numbered 32,500. These were the descendants of Joseph, listed according to their families.

¹³ JosephAbout Joseph he said: “May the blessing of the LORD be on his land: dew from the choicest of the heavens, and from the depths beneath; ¹⁴ from the choicest products of the sun, the rich fruit of the harvest moon, ¹⁵ the choicest portion of the eternal mountains, and the best of the everlasting hills; ¹⁶ from the choicest of the earth and its fullness, and the favor of the one who lived in the burning bush. May blessing rest on Joseph’s head, and on the crown of the head of the one set apart from his brothers. ¹⁷ May the firstborn of his bull be honorable to him, and may his horns be those of a wild ox. With them may he push people all together, to the ends of the earth. These are the myriads of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh.”

⁷ There was strife between the herdsmen in charge of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen in charge of Lot’s livestock. Also, at that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land.

⁵ In the fourteenth year, Chedorlaomer and the kings with him came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh-kiriathaim,

²⁰ the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,

² I’ll send an angel in front of you and I’ll drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

¹⁸ Meanwhile, the Philistines arrived and encamped in the Rephaim Valley,

²² Later, the Philistines once again marched out and encamped in the Rephaim Valley.

¹ Ezra’s Reaction to Foreign Marriages
After these things occurred, certain officials approached me and said “The people of Israel, the priests, and the descendants of Levi have not separated themselves from the people of the lands or from the detestable behavior of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites,

⁴⁸ But the servant who did things that deserved a beating without knowing it will receive a light beating. Much will be required from everyone to whom much has been given. But even more will be demanded from the one to whom much has been entrusted.”

¹¹ In Issachar and Asher, Manasseh held Beth-shean and its towns, Ibleam and its towns, the inhabitants of En-dor and its towns, the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns, and the three coastal districts.

¹⁸ but the hill country will also belong to you. Even though it’s a forest, you will clear it and possess it to its farthest borders. You’ll drive out the Canaanites, even though they have iron chariots and even though they’re strong.”

¹⁸ The territorial allotment included Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem,

¹⁹ The LORD was with the army of Judah, and they captured the hill country, but did not expel the inhabitants of the valley because they were equipped with iron chariots.

³ The Israelis cried out to the LORD, because of his 900 iron chariots. Jabin oppressed the Israelis forcefully for twenty years.

¹³ So Sisera gathered his iron chariots together from Harosheth-haggoyim—all 900 of them, along with all the people who were assigned to them—and they assembled at the Kishon River.

³³ Then all the Midianites, Amalekites, and certain groups from the east gathered together, crossed the Jordan River, and set up camp in the Jezreel Valley.

¹² Ahilud’s son Baana served Taanach, Megiddo, and all of Beth-shean near Zarethan below Jezreel, including from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah as far as the other side of Jokmeam;

⁴⁶ After Ahab had left, the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah, and he tucked his mantle into his belt and outran Ahab in a race to the city gate of Jezreel.

¹ The Naboth Vineyard IncidentMeanwhile, there was a man named Naboth from Jezreel who owned a vineyard that was located contiguous to King Ahab’s palace in Samaria.

²³ The LORD also has this to say about Jezebel: ‘Dogs will eat Jezebel within the outer ramparts of Jezreel.

¹⁰ Furthermore, the dogs will eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel. There will be no burial for her.’” Then he opened the door and left.

³⁷ and her corpse will lie like dung on the surface of the field on the property in Jezreel, but no one will say, “This is Jezebel.”’”

⁴ Naming the ChildrenThe LORD told Hosea, “Name the child ‘Jezreel,’ because in a little while I’ll avenge the blood that was shed by Jehu’s dynasty at Jezreel. I’ll put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. ⁵ At that time I’ll shatter the military strength of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.”

⁶ Nun’s son Joshua and Jephunneh’s son Caleb, who had accompanied the others who also had explored the land, tore their clothes ⁷ and attempted to reason with the entire congregation of Israel. They told them, “The land that we went through and explored is very, very good. ⁸ If the LORD is pleased with us, he’ll bring us into this land and give it to us. It flows with milk and honey. ⁹ However, don’t rebel against the LORD or be afraid of the people who live in the land, because we’ll gobble them right up. Their defenses will collapse, because the LORD is with us. You are not to be afraid of them.”

¹ Rules of War“When you go to war against your enemies and observe more horses, chariots, and soldiers than you have, don’t be afraid of them, for the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt is with you. ² As you draw near for battle, let the priest approach and speak to the army. ³ He will say to them, ‘Listen, Israel! You’re about to go into battle today against your enemies. Don’t be faint-hearted. Don’t be afraid, don’t panic, and don’t be terrified to face them. ⁴ For the LORD your God will be with you, fighting on your behalf against your enemies in order to grant you victory.’

⁴ So they went out, they and all of their armies with them—a multitude as numerous as the sand on the seashore—accompanied by many horses and chariots. ⁵ After all these kings had gathered together, they went out and camped together at the waters of Merom to fight Israel.
⁶ But the LORD told Joshua, “Don’t be afraid of them, because tomorrow about this time I am giving them all to you—dead—in the presence of Israel. Hamstring their horses and incinerate their chariots.”

⁶ and all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim, including all the Sidonians. I myself will drive them out in the presence of the Israelis.

⁹ The border proceeded from the top of the mountain to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah, then to the cities of Mount Ephron, and then the border curved toward Baalah (also known as Kiriath-jearim).

¹⁵ So Joshua replied to them, “Since you’re so numerous, go up to the forest and clear ground there for yourselves in the territory where the Perizzites and Rephaim are, because the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you.”
¹⁶ The descendants of Joseph replied, “The hill country isn’t sufficient for us, but all the Canaanites who live on the plain have iron chariots, both those in Beth-shean and its villages as well as the inhabitants of the Jezreel Valley.”

¹ Davidic
Confidence in the LORD The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom will I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom will I be afraid? ² When those who practice evil, my enemies, and my oppressors come near me to devour my flesh, they stumble and fall.

¹⁰ Don’t be afraid, because I’m with you; don’t be anxious, because I am your God. I keep on strengthening you; I’m truly helping you. I’m surely upholding you with my victorious right hand.”
¹¹ The Coming Defeat of God’s Enemies“Look! All who are enraged at you will be put to shame and disgraced; those who contend with you will all die. ¹² Those who quarrel with you will be as nothing; those who fight you like nothing at all!”
¹³ A Call to Courage“For I am the LORD your God, who takes hold of your right hand, who says to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I’ll help you. ¹⁴ Don’t be afraid, you little worm Jacob, and you insects of Israel! I myself will help you,’ declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.”
¹⁵ A Promise of Victory“See, I’m making you into a new, sharp, and multi-tooth threshing sledge. You’ll thresh and crush the mountains, and make the hills like chaff. ¹⁶ You’ll winnow them, and the wind will lift them up, and a tempest will blow them away. Then you’ll rejoice in the LORD, and you’ll make your boast in the Holy One of Israel.”

¹² “I—yes, I—am the one who comforts you. Who are you, that you are so afraid of humans who will die, descendants of mere men, who have been made like grass? ¹³ As a result, you have forgotten the LORD who made you, who stretched out the heavens and laid the earth’s foundations, and you live in constant fear every day because of the oppressor’s fury, since he’s ready to destroy. Now where is the oppressor’s fury?

³¹ Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s LoveWhat, then, can we say about all of this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

³⁷ In all these things we are triumphantly victorious due to the one who loved us.

⁶ Hence we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?”