These were the ones chosen ¹  from the community, leaders ²  of their ancestral tribes. ³  They were the heads of the thousands ⁴  of Israel.

But ¹  the Levites, according to the tribe of their fathers, ²  were not numbered ³  among them.

The land must be divided by lot; and they will inherit in accordance with the names of their ancestral tribes.

“Also take a census of the Gershonites, by their clans and by their families.

“As for the sons of Merari, you are to number them by their families and by their clans.

You must write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi; for one staff is for the head of every tribe. ¹ 

“Send out men to investigate ¹  the land of Canaan, which I am giving ²  to the Israelites. You are to send one man from each ancestral tribe, ³  each one a leader among them.”

“Speak to the Israelites, and receive from them a staff from each tribe, ¹  one from every tribal leader, ²  twelve staffs; you must write each man’s name on his staff.

“‘If he consecrates to the Lord a field he has purchased, ¹  which is not part of his own landed property,

“Number the Levites by their clans ¹  and their families; every male from a month old and upward you are to number.” ² 

But Naboth replied to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should sell you my ancestral inheritance.” ¹ 

These were the family leaders listed in the genealogical records; they lived in Jerusalem. ¹ 

Those numbered from the Gershonites, by their families and by their clans,

but then ¹  he may go free, ²  he and his children with him, and may return to his family and to the property of his ancestors. ³ 

These were the men whom Moses and Aaron numbered ¹  along with the twelve leaders of Israel, each of whom ²  was from his own family.

And when the Jubilee of the Israelites is to take place, ¹  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.” ² 

You must divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families. To a larger group you must give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group you must give a smaller inheritance. Everyone’s inheritance must be in the place where his lot falls. You must inherit according to your ancestral ¹  tribes.

Then the heads of the family groups ¹  of the Gileadites, the descendant of Machir, the descendant of Manasseh, who were from the Josephite families, approached and spoke before Moses ²  and the leaders who were the heads of the Israelite families. ³ 

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 Israelite ¹  may retain the inheritance of his fathers.

You went back and ate and drank in this place, even though he said to you, “Do not eat or drink there.” ¹  Therefore ²  your corpse will not be buried in your ancestral tomb.’” ³