Numbers

The Daughters of Zelophehad

1Now the daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, belonged to the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. These were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. They approached

2the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and the whole congregation, and said,

3“Our father died in the wilderness, but he was not among the followers of Korah who gathered together against the LORD. Instead, he died because of his own sin, and he had no sons.

4Why should the name of our father disappear from his clan because he had no sons? Give us property among our father’s brothers.”

5So Moses brought their case before the LORD,

6and the LORD answered him,

7“The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly. You certainly must give them property as an inheritance among their father’s brothers and transfer their father’s inheritance to them.

8Furthermore, you shall say to the Israelites, ‘If a man dies and leaves no son, you are to transfer his inheritance to his daughter.

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

10If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers.

11And if his father has no brothers, give his inheritance to the next of kin from his clan, that he may take possession of it. This is to be a statutory ordinance for the Israelites, as the LORD has commanded Moses.’”

Moses Requests a Successor

12Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go up this mountain of the Abarim rangeand see the land that I have given the Israelites.

13After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was;

14for when the congregation contended in the Wilderness of Zin, both of you rebelled against My command to show My holiness in their sight regarding the waters.” Those were the waters of Meribahin Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin.

15So Moses appealed to the LORD,

16“May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation

17who will go out and come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the LORD will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”

Joshua to Succeed Moses

18And the LORD replied to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man with the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him.

19Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation, and commission him in their sight.

20Confer on him some of your authority, so that the whole congregation of Israel will obey him.

21He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who will seek counsel for him before the LORD by the judgment of the Urim.At his command, he and all the Israelites with him—the entire congregation—will go out and come in.”

22Moses did as the LORD had commanded him. He took Joshua, had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation,

23and laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the LORD had instructed through Moses.

1Then came the daughters of Salphaad, the son of Hepher, the son of Galaad, the son of Machir, the son of Manasses, who was the son of Joseph: and their names are Maala, and Noa, and Hegla, and Melcha, and Thersa.

2And they stood before Moses and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the people at the door of the tabernacle of the covenant, and said:

3Our father died in the desert, and was not in the sedition, that was raised against the Lord under Core, but he died in his own sin: and he had no male children. Why is his name taken away out of his family, because he had no son? Give us a possession among the kinsmen of our father.

4And Moses referred their cause to the judgment of the Lord.

5And the Lord said to him:

6The daughters of Salphaad demand a just thing: Give them a possession among their father’s kindred, and let them succeed him in his inheritance.

7And to the children of Israel thou shalt speak these things:

8When a man dieth without a son, his inheritance shall pass to his daughter.

9If he have no daughter, his brethren shall succeed him.

10And if he have no brethren, you shall give the inheritance to his father’s brethren.

11But if he have no uncles by the father, the inheritance shall be given to them that are the next akin. And this shall be to the children of Israel sacred by a perpetual law, as the Lord hath commanded Moses.

12The Lord also said to Moses: Go up into this mountain Abarim, and view from thence the land which I will give to the children of Israel.

13And when thou shalt have seen it, thou also shalt go to thy people, as thy brother Aaron is gone:

14Because you offended me in the desert of Sin in the contradiction of the multitude, neither would you sanctify me before them at the waters. These are the waters of contradiction in Cades of the desert of Sin.

15And Moses answered him:

16May the Lord the God of the spirits of all flesh provide a man, that may be over this multitude:

17And may go out and in before them, and may lead them out, or bring them in: lest the people of the Lord be as sheep without a shepherd.

18And the Lord said to him: Take Josue the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and put thy hand upon him.

19And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest and all the multitude:

20And thou shalt give him precepts in the sight of all, and part of thy glory, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may hear him.

21If any thing be to be done, Eleazar the priest shall consult the Lord for him. He and all the children of Israel with him, and the rest of the multitude shall go out and go in at his word.

22Moses did as the Lord had commanded. And when he had taken Josue, he set him before Eleazar the priest, and all the assembly of the people,

23And laying his hands on his head, he repeated all things that the Lord had commanded.