Numbers 27:1–11

Zelophehad’s Daughters

27:1–11pp—Nu 36:1–12

27The daughters of Zelophehad^c son of Hepher,^d the son of Gilead,^e the son of Makir,^f the son of Manasseh, belonged to the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. The names of the daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah. They came forward ²and stood before Moses,^g Eleazar the priest, the leaders^h and the whole assembly at the entrance to the tent of meetingⁱ and said, ³“Our father died in the wilderness.^j He was not among Korah’s followers, who banded together against the Lord,^k but he died for his own sin and left no sons.^{l 4}Why should our father’s name disappear from his clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father’s relatives.”

⁵So Moses brought their case^m before the Lord,^{n 6}and the Lord said to him, ⁷“What Zelophehad’s daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance^o among their father’s relatives and give their father’s inheritance to them.^p

⁸“Say to the Israelites, ‘If a man dies and leaves no son, give his inheritance to his daughter. ⁹If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. ¹⁰If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. ¹¹If his father had no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative in his clan, that he may possess it. This is to have the force of law^q for the Israelites, as the Lord commanded Moses.’ ”