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.

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 They stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and before all the community at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 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 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.

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 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.”

And Moses brought their case before the Lord.

5 So Moses brought their case before Yahweh.

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

6 Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,

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 “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.

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

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.

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

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

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

10 If he has no brothers, then you must give his inheritance to his father's brothers.

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

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 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 judgment, as the Lord commanded 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 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 After you have seen it, you, too, must be gathered to your people, like Aaron your brother.

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 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 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 Then Moses spoke to Yahweh and said,

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

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.”

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 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 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 Place him before Eleazar the priest and before all the community, and command him before their eyes to lead them.

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

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

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.”

And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, and they shall ask of him before the Lord the judgment 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 So Moses did as Yahweh had commanded him. He took Joshua and placed him before Eleazar the priest and all the community.

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

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