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Sabato, 27 aprile 2024 - Santa Zita ( Letture di oggi)

Joshua 17


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NEW JERUSALEMCATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 The portion of the tribe of Manasseh, who was in fact Joseph's first-born -- went to Machir, Manasseh'sfirst-born, father of Gilead, for he was a warrior; he had Gilead and Bashan.1 Now this lot fell to the tribe of Manasseh, since he is the firstborn of Joseph: to Machir, the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, who was a fighting man, and he had as a possession Gilead and Bashan;
2 The other sons of Manasseh had theirs, by clans: for the sons of Abiezer, for the sons of Helek, for thesons of Asriel, for the sons of Shechem, for the sons of Hepher, and for the sons of Shemida: these were themale children of Manasseh son of Joseph, by clans.2 and to the rest of the sons of Manasseh, according to 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 are the sons of Manasseh, the son of Joseph, the males, by their families.
3 Zelophehad son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, had no sons but onlydaughters, whose names were these: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah.3 Yet truly, Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but only daughters, whose names are these: Mahlah and Noah and Hoglah and Milcah and Tirzah.
4 These approached the priest Eleazar, Joshua son of Nun and the leaders, and said, 'Yahweh orderedMoses to give us a heritage among our brothers.' In compliance with Yahweh's order, therefore, they were given a heritage among their father's brothers.4 And they went before the sight of Eleazar, the priest, and Joshua, the son of Nun, and the leaders, saying: “The Lord instructed by the hand of Moses that a possession ought to be given to us, in the midst of our brothers.” And so, he gave to them, in accord with the order of the Lord, a possession in the midst of the brothers of their father.
5 In this way ten portions fel to Manasseh, apart from Gilead and Bashan lying on the further side of theJordan,5 And by lot, there fell ten portions to Manasseh, aside from the land of Gilead and Bashan beyond the Jordan.
6 since Manasseh's daughters received a heritage as well as his sons. Gilead itself belonged toManasseh's other sons.6 And so the daughters of Manasseh possessed an inheritance in the midst of his sons. But the land of Gilead fell by lot to the sons of Manasseh that were left.
7 On the side of Asher, the frontier of Manasseh was the Michmethath, which is opposite Shechem, andthence continued to the right to Jashib, which is at the spring of Tappuah.7 And the border of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethath, which looks out toward Shechem. And it goes out, to the right, beside the inhabitants of the Fountain of Tappuah.
8 The territory of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but Tappuah on Manasseh's border belonged to thesons of Ephraim.8 For by lot, there also fell to Manasseh the land of Tappuah, which is beside the borders of Manasseh, and which belongs to the sons of Ephraim.
9 The boundary went down to the Torrent of Kanah; south of the Torrent were the towns of Ephraim,excluding those owned by Ephraim among the towns of Manasseh; the boundary of Manasseh was north of theTorrent and reached as far as the sea.9 And the border descends to the Valley of Reeds, to the south of the torrent of the cities of Ephraim, which are in the midst of the cities of Manasseh. The border of Manasseh is to the north of the torrent, and its exit extends to the sea.
10 The south belonged to Ephraim and the north to Manasseh and reached as far as the sea; theytouched Asher to the north and Issachar to the east.10 So it is that the possession of Ephraim is in the south, and that of Manasseh is in the north, and both are enclosed by the sea, and they are joined together by the tribe of Asher to the north, and by the tribe of Issachar to the east.
11 With Issachar and Asher, Manasseh shared Beth-Shean and its dependent towns, Ibleam and itsdependent towns, the inhabitants of Dor and of its dependent towns, the inhabitants of Taanach and Megiddoand of their dependent towns: the Three of the Slopes.11 And the inheritance of Manasseh, in Issachar and in Asher, was Bethshean and its villages, and Ibleam with its villages, and the inhabitants of Dor, with their towns, likewise the inhabitants of Endor with their villages, and similarly the inhabitants of Taanach with their villages, and the inhabitants of Megiddo with their villages, and one third part of the city of Naphath.
12 But because the sons of Manasseh could not take possession of these towns, the Canaanitesmanaged to live on in that territory.12 The sons of Manasseh were not able to overthrow these cities, and so the Canaanite began to dwell in their land.
13 When, however, the Israelites became stronger, they subjected the Canaanites to forced labour,though they never dispossessed them.13 But after the sons of Israel had grown strong, they subdued the Canaanites, and made them their tributaries, but they did not kill them.
14 The sons of Joseph spoke as follows to Joshua, 'Why have you given me only one share, only oneportion, as heritage, when I am a numerous people, since Yahweh has so blessed me?'14 And the sons of Joseph spoke to Joshua, and they said, “Why have you given to me as a possession one lot and one portion, while I am of such a great multitude, and the Lord has blessed me?”
15 Joshua replied, 'If your people are so many, go up to the wooded area and clear space for yourselvesin the area belonging to the Perizzites and Rephaim, since the highlands of Ephraim are too small for you.'15 And Joshua said to them, “If you are a numerous people, go up into the forest, and cut out space for yourself in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the possession of mount Ephraim is too narrow for you.”
16 The sons of Joseph replied, 'The highlands are not enough for us, and what is more, al theCanaanites living on the land of the plain have iron chariots, so do those in Beth-Shean and its dependenttowns, and those in the plain of Jezreel.'16 And the sons of Joseph responded to him: “We are not able to ascend to the mountains, since the Canaanites, who live in the plains, in which are situated Bethshean, with its villages, and Jezreel, possessing the middle of the valley, use chariots of iron.”
17 Joshua said to the House of Joseph, to Ephraim and to Manasseh, 'You are a numerous people andyour strength is great; you wil not only have one share,17 And Joshua said to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh: “You are a numerous people, and you have great strength. You shall not have only one lot.
18 but a mountain wil be yours as well; even if it is a forest, you can clear it and its territories will beyours. And you will dispossess the Canaanites, although they have iron chariots and although they are strong.'18 Instead, you shall cross to the mountain, and you shall cut down and clear out for yourselves space in which to live. And you shall be able to advance further, when you will have destroyed the Canaanite, who, as you say, has iron chariots and is very strong.”