Numbers 27

1 Then to Moses came the daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher son of Gilead son of Machir son of Manasseh, of the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. These were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah, 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 They stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and before all the community at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 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 wilderness. He was not among those who conspired against Yahweh in the company of Korah. He died for 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 our father's name be taken away from among his clan members because he had no son? Give us land among our father's relatives.”

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 Yahweh.

So Moses put their cause before the Lord.

6 Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,

And the Lord said to Moses,

7 “Zelophehad's daughters are speaking correctly. You must certainly give them land as an inheritance among their father's relatives, and you must ensure that their father's inheritance passes on 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 You must speak to the people of Israel and say, 'If a man dies and has no son, then you must cause his inheritance to pass 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, then you must 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, then you must give his inheritance to his father's brothers.

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

11 If his father has no brothers, then you must give his inheritance to his nearest relative in his clan, and he must take it for his own. This will be a law established by decree for the people of Israel, as Yahweh has commanded me.'”

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 Yahweh said to Moses, “Go up the mountains of Abarim and look at the land that I have given to the people 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 After you have seen it, you, too, must be gathered to your people, like Aaron your brother.

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

14 This will happen because you two rebelled against my command in the wilderness of Zin. There, when the water flowed from the rock, in your anger you failed to honor me as holy before the eyes of the whole community.” These are the waters of Meribah of 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 Then Moses spoke to Yahweh and said,

Then Moses said to the Lord,

16 “May you, Yahweh, the God of the spirits of all humanity, appoint a man over the community,

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

17 a man who may go out and come in before them and lead them out and bring them in, so that your community is not like sheep that have no 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 Yahweh said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom my Spirit lives, and lay your hand 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 Place him before Eleazar the priest and before all the community, and command him before their eyes to lead them.

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

20 You must put some of your authority on him, so that all the community of the people of Israel may obey him.

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

21 He will go before Eleazar the priest to seek my will for him by the decisions of the Urim. It will be at his command that the people will go out and come in, both he and all the people of Israel with him, the whole community.”

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 So Moses did as Yahweh had commanded him. He took Joshua and placed him before Eleazar the priest and all the community.

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

23 He laid his hands on him and commanded him to lead, as Yahweh had commanded him to do.

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