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The Daughters of Zelophehad

27 Then (A)the 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 (B)the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah and Hoglah and Milcah and Tirzah. And they 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, “Our father (C)died in the wilderness, yet he was not among the congregation of those who gathered themselves together against Yahweh in the congregation of Korah; but he died in his own sin, and (D)he had no sons. Why should the name of our father be withdrawn from among his family because he had no son?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.” (E)So Moses brought their case near before Yahweh.

Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, (F)The daughters of Zelophehad are right in their statements. You shall surely give them a possession for an inheritance among their father’s brothers, and you shall have the inheritance of their father pass on to them. Further, you shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall have his inheritance pass on to his daughter. And if he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 And if he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11 And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his blood relative in his own family, and he shall possess it; and it shall be a (G)statutory judgment to the sons of Israel, just as Yahweh commanded Moses.’”

12 (H)Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Go up to this (I)mountain of Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the sons of Israel. 13 So when you have seen it, you too (J)will be gathered to your people, (K)as Aaron your brother [a]was, 14 for in the wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, (L)you rebelled against My [b]command [c]to treat Me as holy before their eyes at the water.” (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)

Moses Commissions Joshua

15 Then Moses spoke to Yahweh, saying, 16 (M)May Yahweh, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, 17 who (N)will go out [d]and come in before them, and who will lead them out and [e]bring them in, so that the congregation of Yahweh will not be (O)like sheep which have no shepherd.” 18 So Yahweh said to Moses, “[f]Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man (P)in whom is the Spirit, and (Q)lay your hand on him; 19 and have him stand before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and (R)commission him in their sight. 20 And you shall put some of your [g]splendor on him, in order that all the congregation of the sons of Israel may obey him. 21 Moreover, he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him (S)by the judgment of the Urim before Yahweh. At his [h]command they shall go out, and at his [i]command they shall come in, both he and the sons of Israel with him, even all the congregation.” 22 So Moses did just as Yahweh commanded him; and he took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. 23 Then he laid his hands on him and (T)commissioned him, just as Yahweh had spoken by the hand of Moses.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 27:13 Lit was gathered
  2. Numbers 27:14 Lit mouth
  3. Numbers 27:14 Lit for My sanctity
  4. Numbers 27:17 Lit before them and who will
  5. Numbers 27:17 Lit who will bring
  6. Numbers 27:18 Lit Take for yourself
  7. Numbers 27:20 Or authority
  8. Numbers 27:21 Lit mouth
  9. Numbers 27:21 Lit mouth

A Case of Daughters’ Inheritance

27 The daughters of Zelophehad approached; Zelophehad was the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh from the clans of Manasseh, the son of Joseph. These were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. They stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and the entire community at the entrance to the tent of meeting and said, “Our father died in the wilderness, but he was not among Korah’s followers, who gathered together against the Lord.(A) Instead, he died because of his own sin, and he had no sons. Why should the name of our father be taken away from his clan? Since he had no son, give us property among our father’s brothers.”

Moses brought their case before the Lord, and the Lord answered him, “What Zelophehad’s daughters say is correct. You are to give them hereditary property among their father’s brothers and transfer their father’s inheritance to them.(B) Tell the Israelites: When a man dies without having a son, transfer his inheritance to his daughter. If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11 If his father has no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative of his clan, and he will take possession of it. This is to be a statutory ordinance for the Israelites as the Lord commanded Moses.”

Joshua Commissioned to Succeed Moses

12 Then the Lord said to Moses,(C) “Go up this mountain of the Abarim range[a] and see the land that I have given the Israelites. 13 After you have seen it, you will also be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was.(D) 14 When the community quarreled in the Wilderness of Zin, both of you rebelled against My command to show My holiness in their sight at the waters.” Those were the waters of Meribah[b] of Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.(E)

15 So Moses appealed to the Lord, 16 “May the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh,(F) appoint a man over the community 17 who will go out before them and come back in before them,(G) and who will bring them out and bring them in, so that the Lord’s community won’t be like sheep without a shepherd.”(H)

18 The Lord replied to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man who has the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him.(I) 19 Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole community, and commission(J) him in their sight. 20 Confer some of your authority on him so that the entire Israelite community will obey him. 21 He will stand before Eleazar who will consult the Lord for him with the decision of the Urim.(K) He and all the Israelites with him, even the entire community, will go out and come back in at his command.”

22 Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua, had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire community, 23 laid his hands on him, and commissioned him, as the Lord had spoken through Moses.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 27:12 = Mount Nebo; Nm 33:47-48; Dt 32:49; Jr 22:20
  2. Numbers 27:14 = quarreling