Zelophehad’s Daughters

27 Then came the daughters of Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, from the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph. The names of his daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. ² They stood in front of Moses and Eleazar the religious leader, and the leaders, and all the people at the door of the meeting tent. The daughters said, ³ “Our father died in the desert. He was not one of those who gathered together with Korah against the Lord. But he died for his own sin, and he had no sons. ⁴ Why should the name of our father be taken away from his family because he had no son? Give us land among our father’s brothers.”

⁵ Moses asked the Lord what should be done. ⁶ Then the Lord said to Moses, ⁷ “The daughters of Zelophehad are right in what they say. Be sure to give them their own land among their father’s brothers. Give them what would have been given to their father. ⁸ And say to the people of Israel, ‘If a man dies and has no son, then give what belongs to him to his daughter. ⁹ If he has no daughter, then give what belongs to him to his brothers. ¹⁰ If he has no brothers, give what belongs to him to his father’s brothers. ¹¹ And if his father has no brothers, then you must give what belongs to him to the nearest person in his own family and it will be his. This will be a Law to the people of Israel, just as the Lord told Moses.’”

Joshua Takes over from Moses

¹² Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go up to this mountain of Abarim, and see the land I have given to the people of Israel. ¹³ When you have seen it, you will be buried with your people as Aaron your brother was. ¹⁴ For you went against My Word when the people complained in the Desert of Zin. You should have honored Me as holy at the waters in front of their eyes.” (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the Desert of Zin.)

¹⁵ Moses said to the Lord, ¹⁶ “May the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, choose a man to lead the people. ¹⁷ Let this man go out and come in before them. Let him lead them out and bring them in. Then the people of the Lord may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.” ¹⁸ So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him. ¹⁹ Have him stand in front of Eleazar the religious leader and in front of all the people. Let them see you give him the work he must do. ²⁰ Give some of your power to him so all the people of Israel will obey him. ²¹ He will stand in front of Eleazar the religious leader, who will learn My will for him by using the Urim. At his word, both he and all the people of Israel will go out and at his word, they will come in.” ²² Moses did just as the Lord told him. He took Joshua and had him stand in front of Eleazar the religious leader, and in front of all the people. ²³ Then he laid his hands on him and gave him the work he must do, just as the Lord had said through Moses.