Numbers 27

1 Now the daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, belonged to the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. These were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. They approached

Then the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh, the son of Joseph, came forward: their names are Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.

2 the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and the whole congregation, and said,

They came before Moses and Eleazar the priest and the chiefs and all the people at the door of the Tent of meeting, and said,

3 “Our father died in the wilderness, but he was not among the followers of Korah who gathered together against the LORD. Instead, he died because of his own sin, and he had no sons.

Death overtook our father in the waste land; he was not among those who were banded together with Korah against the Lord; but death came to him in his sin; and he had no sons.

4 Why should the name of our father disappear from his clan because he had no sons? Give us property among our father’s brothers.”

Why is the name of our father to be taken away from among his family, because he had no son? Give us a heritage among our father's brothers.

5 So Moses brought their case before the LORD,

So Moses put their cause before the Lord.

6 and the LORD answered him,

And the Lord said to Moses,

7 “The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly. You certainly must give them property as an inheritance among their father’s brothers, and transfer their father’s inheritance to them.

What the daughters of Zelophehad say is right: certainly you are to give them a heritage among their father's brothers: and let the property which would have been their father's go to them.

8 Furthermore, you shall say to the Israelites, ‘If a man dies and leaves no son, you are to transfer his inheritance to his daughter.

And say to the children of Israel, If a man has no son at the time of his death, let his heritage go to his daughter.

9 If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers.

And if he has no daughter, then give his heritage to his brothers.

10 If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers.

And if he has no brothers, then give his heritage to his father's brothers.

11 And if his father has no brothers, give his inheritance to the next of kin from his clan, that he may take possession of it. This is to be a statutory ordinance for the Israelites, as the LORD has commanded Moses.’”

And if his father has no brothers, then give it to his nearest relation in the family, as his heritage: this is to be a decision made by law for the children of Israel, as the Lord gave orders to Moses.

12 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go up this mountain of the Abarim range and see the land that I have given the Israelites.

And the Lord said to Moses, Go up into this mountain of Abarim so that you may see the land which I have given to the children of Israel.

13 After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was;

And when you have seen it, you will be put to rest with your people, as your brother Aaron was:

14 for when the congregation contended in the Wilderness of Zin, both of you rebelled against My command to show My holiness in their sight regarding the waters.” Those were the waters of Meribah in Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin.

Because in the waste land of Zin, when the people were angry, you and he went against my word and did not keep my name holy before their eyes, at the waters. (These are the waters of Meribah in Kadesh in the waste land of Zin.)

15 So Moses appealed to the LORD,

Then Moses said to the Lord,

16 “May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation

Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, put a man at the head of this people,

17 who will go out and come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the LORD will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”

To go out and come in before them and be their guide; so that the people of the Lord may not be like sheep without a keeper.

18 And the LORD replied to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man with the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him.

And the Lord said to Moses, Take Joshua, the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and put your hand on him;

19 Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation, and commission him in their sight.

And take him before Eleazar the priest and all the meeting of the people, and give him his orders before their eyes.

20 Confer on him some of your authority, so that the whole congregation of Israel will obey him.

And put your honour on him, so that all the children of Israel may be under his authority.

21 He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who will seek counsel for him before the LORD by the judgment of the Urim. At his command, he and all the Israelites with him—the entire congregation—will go out and come in.”

He will take his place before Eleazar the priest, so that he may get directions from the Lord for him, with the Urim: at his word they will go out, and at his word they will come in, he and all the children of Israel.

22 Moses did as the LORD had commanded him. He took Joshua, had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation,

So Moses did as the Lord said: he took Joshua and put him before Eleazar the priest and the meeting of the people:

23 and laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the LORD had instructed through Moses.

And he put his hands on him and gave him his orders, as the Lord had said by Moses.