The Daughters of Zelophehad
1 The daughters of Zelophehad (Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah) came to present their case. Their father, Zelophehad, was the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh (of the Manasseh family), son of Joseph.
2 They stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all of the congregational leaders, at the door of the Tent of Meeting and said, 3 “Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among the followers of Korah who gathered together against the Lord, but he died in his own sin. He had no sons. 4 Why shouldn’t our father’s family name be carried on, just because he had no son? Give us a possession of land among the brothers of our father.”
5 Moses brought their case before the Lord.
The Law of Inheritances
6 The Lord spoke to Moses and said, 7 “The daughters of Zelophehad are right. You shall surely grant them possession of land as an inheritance among their father’s brothers. You shall pass their father’s inheritance on to them.
8 You shall tell the Israelites, ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall give his inheritance to his daughter. 9 If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his uncles. 11 If his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his next nearest blood relative, and he shall possess it. This shall be a statute and ordinance for the Israelites, as the Lord commanded Moses.’ ”
Moses Asks for a Successor
12 The Lord said to Moses, “Go up onto this mountain of Abarim and look at the land which I have given to the Israelites. 13 After you have seen it, you shall be gathered to your people, just as Aaron your brother was gathered, 14 because you rebelled against my command in the wilderness of Zin. While the assembly was quarreling, you failed to reverence me as holy at the waters in front of them.” (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)
15 Moses replied to God, 16 “Let the Lord God, the breath of all beings, appoint a leader over the community 17 who will go out before them and come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in, that the Lord’s people will not be as sheep without a shepherd.”
Joshua to Succeed Moses
18 The Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man who has the spirit in him, and lay your hand on him. 19 Bring him before Eleazar the priest and before the entire congregation, and commission him in their sight. 20 You shall bestow your authority upon him so that the entire Israelite community will be obedient to him. 21 He shall seek counsel from Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire of the Lord using the sacred lot of the Urim for Lord’s judgements. At Joshua’s command they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the Israelites with him, the entire community.”
22 Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before the entire congregation. 23 He laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the Lord had spoken through Moses.