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.

And the daughters of Salpaad the son of Opher, the son of Galaad, the son of Machir, of the tribe of Manasse, of the sons of Joseph, came near; and these were their names, Maala, and Nua, and Egla, and Melcha, and Thersa;

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:

and they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes, and before all the congregation at the door of the tabernacle of witness, saying,

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.”

Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the midst of the congregation that rebelled against the Lord in the gathering of Core; for he died for his own sin, and he had no sons. Let not the name of our father be blotted out of the midst of his people, because he has no son: give us an inheritance in the midst of our father's brethren.

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

And Moses brought their case before the Lord.

5 And the Lord said to him:

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

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.

The daughters of Salpaad have spoken rightly: you shall surely give them a possession of inheritance in the midst of their father's brethren, and you shall assign their father's inheritance to them.

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

And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying,

8 When a man dies without a son, his inheritance shall be transferred to his daughter.

If a man die, and have no son, you shall assign his inheritance to his daughter.

9 If he has no daughter, his brothers shall succeed him.

And if he have no daughter, you shall give his inheritance to his brother.

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

And if he have no brethren, you shall give his inheritance to his father's brother.

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 there be no brethren of his father, you shall give the inheritance to his nearest relation of his tribe, to inherit his possessions; and this shall be to the children of Israel an ordinance of judgement, as the Lord commanded 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 to the mountain that is in the country beyond Jordan, this mount Nabau, and behold the land Chanaan, which I give to the sons of Israel for a possession.

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

And you shall see it, and you also shall be added to your people, as Aaron your brother was added [to them] in mount Or:

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 you transgressed my commandment in the wilderness of Sin, when the congregation resisted [and refused] to sanctify me; you sanctified me not at the water before them. This is the water of Strife in Cades in the wilderness of Sin.

15 Moses answered him:

And 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 God of spirits and of all flesh look out for a man over this congregation,

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.”

who shall go out before them, and who shall come in before them, and who shall lead them out, and who shall bring them in; so the congregation of the Lord shall not be as sheep without a shepherd.

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 spoke to Moses, saying, Take to yourself Joshua the son of Naue, a man who has the Spirit in him, and you shall lay your hands upon him.

19 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire multitude.

And you shall set him before Eleazar the priest, and you shall give him a charge before all the congregation, and you shall give a charge concerning him before them.

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 you shall put of your glory upon him, that the children of Israel may listen to him.

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.”

And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, and they shall ask of him before the Lord the judgement of the Urim: they shall go forth at his word, and at his word they shall come in, he and the children of Israel with one accord, and all the congregation.

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.

And Moses did as the Lord commanded him; and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation.

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

And he laid his hands on him, and appointed him as the Lord ordered Moses.