Numbers 27

1 Then there approached the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, who was the son of Joseph: and their names are Mahlah, and Noa, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.

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 And they stood before Moses and Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the people, at the door of the tabernacle of the covenant, and they 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 desert, and was not with the sedition, which was stirred up against the Lord under Korah, but he died in his own sin; he had no male sons. Why is his name taken away from his family, because he had no son? Give us a possession among the kinsmen of our father.”

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 And Moses referred their case to the judgment of the Lord.

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 And the Lord said to him:

So Moses put their cause before the Lord.

6 “The daughters of Zelophehad are asking for something just. So give them a possession among the kinsmen of their father, and let them succeed him in his inheritance.

And the Lord said to Moses,

7 And to the sons of Israel, you shall speak these things:

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 When a man dies without a son, his inheritance shall be transferred 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, his brothers shall succeed him.

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

10 But if there were also no brothers, you shall give the inheritance to the brothers of his father.

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

11 But if he has no paternal uncles, the inheritance shall be given to those who are closest to him. And this shall be, for the sons of Israel, consecrated as a perpetual law, just as the Lord has instructed 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 The Lord also said to Moses: “Ascend onto this mountain, Abarim, and contemplate from there the land, which I will give to the sons of Israel.

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 And when you have seen it, you shall then go to your people, just as your brother Aaron went.

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

14 For you offended me in the desert of Sin at the Contradiction of the multitude; neither were you willing to sanctify me in their sight over the waters. These are the Waters of Contradiction at Kadesh in the desert of Sin.”

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 Moses answered him:

Then Moses said to the Lord,

16 “May the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, provide a man, who may be over this multitude,

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

17 and who may be able to exit and enter before them, and who may lead them out or lead them in: lest the people of the Lord 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 said to him: “Take Joshua, the son of Nun, a man in whom the Spirit is, and place your hand upon 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 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire multitude.

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

20 And you shall give him the precepts in the sight of all, and a portion of your glory, so that the entire congregation of the sons of Israel may listen to him.

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

21 On his behalf, if anything is to be done, Eleazar the priest shall consult the Lord. He, and all the sons of Israel with him, and the rest of the multitude, shall go out and enter in at his word.”

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 just as the Lord had instructed. And when he had brought Joshua, he set him before Eleazar the priest, and before the entire gathering of the people.

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 imposing his hands upon his head, he repeated all that the Lord had commanded.

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