Zelophehad’s Daughters Marry
(Numbers 27:1–11)

1Now the family heads of the clan of Gilead (rocky region) son of Machir (sold) son of Manasseh (causing to forget), one of the clans of Joseph (YHWH has added), approached Moses (drawn out) and the leaders who were the heads of the Israelite families (he wrestles with God) and addressed them, 2saying, “When the LORD {YHWH} commanded my lord to give the land as an inheritance to the Israelites (God prevails) by lot, He also commanded him to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad (first-born) to his daughters. 3But if they marry any of the men from the other tribes of Israel (he wrestles with God), their inheritance will be withdrawn from the portion of our fathers and added to the tribe into which they marry. So our allotted inheritance would be taken away. 4And when the Jubilee for the Israelites (God prevails) comes, their inheritance will be added to the tribe into which they marry and taken away from the tribe of our fathers.”

5So at the word of the LORD {YHWH}, Moses (drawn out) commanded the Israelites (God prevails): “The tribe of the sons of Joseph (YHWH has added) speaks correctly. 6This is what the LORD {YHWH} has commanded concerning the daughters of Zelophehad (first-born): They may marry anyone they please, provided they marry within a clan of the tribe of their father. 7No inheritance in Israel (he wrestles with God) may be transferred from tribe to tribe, because each of the Israelites is to retain the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. 8Every daughter who possesses an inheritance from any Israelite (he wrestles with God) tribe must marry within a clan of the tribe of her father, so that every Israelite will possess the inheritance of his fathers. 9No inheritance may be transferred from one tribe to another, for each tribe of Israel (he wrestles with God) must retain its inheritance.”

10So the daughters of Zelophehad (first-born) did as the LORD {YHWH} had commanded Moses (drawn out). 11Mahlah (disease), Tirzah (favorable), Hoglah (partridge), Milcah (queen), and Noah (motion), the daughters of Zelophehad (first-born), were married to cousins on their father’s side. 12They married within the clans of the descendants of Manasseh (causing to forget) son of Joseph (YHWH has added), and their inheritance remained within the tribe of their father’s clan.

13These are the commandments and ordinances that the LORD {YHWH} gave the Israelites (God prevails) through Moses (drawn out) on the plains of Moab (of his father) by the Jordan (flowing down) across from Jericho (city of palms).