Numbers 27

A Law of Inheritance

1Then 1the 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 near; and these are 2the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah and Hoglah and Milcah and Tirzah. 2They stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest and before the leaders and all the congregation, at the doorway of the tent of meeting, saying, 3“Our father 3died in the wilderness, yet he was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah; but he died in his own sin, and 4he had no sons. 4Why should the name of our father be withdrawn from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father’s brothers.” 55So Moses brought their case before the Lord.

6Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 7“6The daughters of Zelophehad are right in their statements. You shall surely give them a hereditary possession among their father’s brothers, and you shall transfer the inheritance of their father to them. 8Further, you shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter. 9If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. 10If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11If his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his nearest relative in his own family, and he shall possess it; and it shall be a 7statutory ordinance to the sons of Israel, just as the Lord commanded Moses.’”

128Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go up to this 9mountain of Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the sons of Israel. 13When you have seen it, you too 10will be gathered to your people, 11as Aaron your brother 12was; 14for in the wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, 13you rebelled against My 14command 15to treat Me as holy before their eyes at the water.” (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)

Joshua to Succeed Moses

15Then Moses spoke to the Lord, saying, 16“16May the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, 17who 17will go out 18and come in before them, and who will lead them out and 19bring them in, so that the congregation of the Lord will not be 20like sheep which have no shepherd.” 18So the Lord said to Moses, “21Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man 22in whom is the Spirit, and 23lay your hand on him; 19and have him stand before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and 24commission him in their sight. 20You shall put some of your 25authority on him, in order that all the congregation of the sons of Israel may obey him. 21Moreover, he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him 26by the judgment of the Urim before the Lord. At his 27command they shall go out and at his 28command they shall come in, both he and the sons of Israel with him, even all the congregation.” 22Moses did just as the Lord commanded him; and he took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. 23Then he laid his hands on him and 29commissioned him, just as the Lord had spoken 30through Moses.