< Numbers 27 >
1 And daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh son of Joseph, draw near—and these [are] the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah—
2 and stand before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes, and all the congregation, at the opening of the Tent of Meeting, saying,
3 “Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the midst of the congregation who were gathered together against YHWH in the congregation of Korah, but he died for his own sin, and had no sons;
4 why is the name of our father withdrawn from the midst of his family because he has no son? Give a possession to us in the midst of the brothers of our father”;
5 and Moses brings their cause near before YHWH.
6 And YHWH speaks to Moses, saying,
7 “The daughters of Zelophehad are speaking correctly; you certainly give to them a possession of an inheritance in the midst of their father’s brothers, and have caused the inheritance of their father to pass over to them.
8 And you speak to the sons of Israel, saying, When a man dies and has no son, then you have caused his inheritance to pass over to his daughter;
9 and if he has no daughter, then you have given his inheritance to his brothers;
10 and if he has no brothers, then you have given his inheritance to his father’s brothers;
11 and if his father has no brothers, then you have given his inheritance to his relation who is near to him of his family, and he has possessed it”; and it has been to the sons of Israel for a statute of judgment, as YHWH has commanded Moses.
12 And YHWH says to Moses, “Go up to this Mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the sons of Israel;
13 and you have seen it, and you have been gathered to your people, also you, as your brother Aaron has been gathered,
14 because you provoked My mouth in the wilderness of Zin, in the strife of the congregation—to sanctify Me at the waters before their eyes”; they [are] the waters of Meribah, in Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin.
15 And Moses speaks to YHWH, saying,
16 “YHWH, God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation,
17 who goes out before them, and who comes in before them, and who takes them out, and who brings them in, and the congregation of YHWH is not as sheep which have no shepherd.”
18 And YHWH says to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun to yourself, a man in whom [is] the Spirit, and you have laid your hand on him,
19 and have caused him to stand before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and have charged him before their eyes,
20 and have put of your splendor on him, so that all the congregation of the sons of Israel listens.
21 And he stands before Eleazar the priest, and he has inquired before YHWH for him by the judgment of the Lights; at his word they go out, and at his word they come in, he and all the sons of Israel with him—even all the congregation.”
22 And Moses does as YHWH has commanded him, and takes Joshua and causes him to stand before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation,
23 and lays his hands on him and charges him, as YHWH has spoken by the hand of Moses.