Numbers 36

The Inheritance of Zelophehad's Daughters

1 The family leaders from the clan of the descendants of Gilead-the son of Machir, son of Manasseh-who were from the clans of the sons of Joseph, approached and addressed Moses and the leaders who were over the Israelite families. 2 They said, "Yahweh commanded my lord to give the land as an inheritance by lot to the Israelites. My lord was further commanded by Yahweh to give our brother Zelophehad's inheritance to his daughters. 3 If they marry any of the men from the [other] Israelite tribes, their inheritance will be taken away from our fathers' inheritance and added to that of the tribe into which they marry. Therefore, part of our allotted inheritance would be taken away.

4 When the Jubilee comes for the Israelites, their inheritance will be added to that of the tribe into which they marry, and their inheritance will be taken away from the inheritance of our ancestral tribe."
5 So Moses commanded the Israelites at the word of the Lord, "What the tribe of Joseph's descendants says is right. 6 This is what the Lord has commanded concerning Zelophehad's daughters: They may marry anyone they like provided they marry within a clan of their ancestral tribe. 7 An inheritance belonging to the Israelites must not transfer from tribe to tribe, because each of the Israelites is to retain the inheritance of his ancestral tribe. 8 Any daughter who possesses an inheritance from an Israelite tribe must marry someone from the clan of her ancestral tribe, so that each of the Israelites will possess the inheritance of his fathers.

9 No inheritance is to transfer from one tribe to another, because each of the Israelite tribes is to retain its inheritance."
10 The daughters of Zelophehad did as the Lord commanded Moses. 11 Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, married cousins on their father's side.

12 They married [men] from the clans of the descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained within the tribe of their father's clan.
13 These are the commands and ordinances the Lord commanded the Israelites through Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan [across from] Jericho.

Numbers 36

Women and Land Inheritance

1 Then the heads of the family groupst of the Gileadites, the descendant of Machir, the descendant of Manasseh, who were from the Josephite families, approached and spoke before Mosest and the leaders who were the heads of the Israelite families.t2 They said, “The Lord commanded my lord to givet the land as an inheritance by lot to the Israelites; and my lord was commanded by the Lord to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters.3 Now if they should be married to one of the ment from another Israelite tribe, their inheritance would be taken from the inheritance of our fathers and added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry.t As a result, it will be taken from the lot of our inheritance.

4 And when the Jubilee of the Israelites is to take place,t their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry. So their inheritance will be taken away from the inheritance of our ancestral tribe.”t

Moses’ Decision

5 Then Moses gave a rulingt to the Israelites by the wordt of the Lord: “What the tribe of the Josephites is saying is right.6 This is whatt the Lord has commanded for Zelophehad’s daughters: ‘Let them marryt whomever they think best,t only they must marry within the family of their father’s tribe.7 In this way the inheritance of the Israelites will not be transferredt from tribe to tribe. But every one of the Israelites must retain the ancestral heritage.8 And every daughter who possesses an inheritance from any of the tribes of the Israelites must become the wife of a man from any family in her father’s tribe, so that every Israelitet may retain the inheritance of his fathers.

9 No inheritance may pass from tribe to tribe. But every one of the tribes of the Israelites must retain its inheritance.”
10 As the Lord had commanded Moses, so the daughters of Zelophehad did.11 For the daughters of Zelophehad – Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah – were married to the sons of their uncles.t

12 They were married into the families of the Manassehites, the descendants of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of their father’s family.

13 These are the commandments and the decisions that the Lord commanded the Israelites through the authorityt of Moses, on the plains of Moab by the Jordan Rivert opposite Jericho.s