Numbers 27

1 Forsothe the douytris of Salphaat, sone of Epher, sone of Galaad, sone of Machir, sone of Manasses, that was `the sone of Joseph, neiyeden; of whiche douytris these ben the names; Maala, and Noha, and Egla, and Melcha, and Thersa.

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.

2 And thei stoden bifore Moises, and Eleazar, preest, and alle the princes of the puple, at the dore of tabernacle of boond of pees; and seiden,

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:

3 Oure fadir was deed in the deseert, nether he was in the rebelte, that was reisid ayens the Lord, vndur Chore, but he was deed in his synne; he hadde no male sones. Whi is `the name of hym takun awei fro his meynee, for he hath no sone? Yif ye possessioun to vs among `the kynesmen of oure fadir.

“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.”

4 And Moises telde `the cause of hem to the doom of the Lord;

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

5 which seide to Moyses, The douytris of Salphaath axen a iust thing; yyue thou possessioun to hem among `the kynnysmen of her fadir,

And the Lord said to him:

6 and be thei successouris to hym in to eritage.

“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.

7 Forsothe thou schalt speke these thingis to the sons of Israel,

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

8 Whanne a man is deed with out sone, the eritage schal go to his douyter;

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

9 if he hath not a douyter, he schal haue eiris his britheren;

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

10 that and if britheren ben not, ye schulen yyue the eritage to `the britheren of his fadir;

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

11 forsothe if he hath no britheren of his fadir, the eritage schal be youun to hem that ben next to hym. And this schal be hooli, `that is, stidefast, bi euerlastynge lawe to the sones of Israel, as the Lord comaundide to Moises.

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.”

12 Also the Lord seide to Moises, Stie thou in to this hil of Aberym, and biholde thou fro thennus the lond, which Y schal yyue to the sones of Israel.

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.

13 And whanne thou hast seyn it, also thou schalt go to thi puple, as thi brother Aaron yede;

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

14 for thou offenddidist me in the deseert of Syn, in the ayen seiyng of the multitude, nether woldist halewe me bifor it, on the watris. These ben the watris of ayen seiyng, in Cades, of the deseert of Syn.

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.”

15 To whom Moises answeryde,

Moses answered him:

16 The Lord God of spiritis of al fleisch puruey a man, that be on this multitude,

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

17 and may go out, and entre bifor hem, and lede hem out, and lede hem yn, lest the `puple of the Lord be as scheep with out schepherde.

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.”

18 And the Lord seide to hym, Take thou Josue, the sone of Nun, a man in whom the spyrit of God is, and set thin hond on hym; and he schal stonde bifore Eleazar,

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.

19 preest, and bifore al the multitude.

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

20 And thou schalt yyue to hym comaundementis, in the siyt of alle men, and a part of thi glorie, that al the synagoge of the sones of Israel here hym.

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.

21 If ony thing schal be worthi to be do for this man, Eleasar, preest, schal counseil the Lord; he schal go out, and schal go yn, at the word of Eleazar; he, and alle the sones of Israel with him, and the tother multitude.

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.”

22 Moises dide as the Lord comaundide, and whanne he hadde take Josue, he settide hym bifore Eleazar, preest, and bifore al the multitude of the puple;

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.

23 and whanne he hadde set hondis on his heed, he reherside alle thingis whiche the Lord comaundide.

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