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. ² They stood before Moses, the priest Eleazar, the leaders, and the entire community at the entrance to the tent of meeting and said, ³ “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. ⁴ 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.”

⁵ Moses brought their case before the Lord, ⁶ and the Lord answered him, ⁷ “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) 8} Tell the Israelites: When a man dies without having a son, transfer his inheritance to his daughter. ⁹ 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 demonstrate my holiness in their sight at the waters.” Those were the Waters of Meribah-kadesh^[b] in the Wilderness of Zin.^(E)

¹⁵ So Moses appealed to the Lord, ¹⁶ “May the Lord, the God who gives breath to all,^[c](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 the priest Eleazar 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 the priest 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 the priest Eleazar and the entire community, ²³ laid his hands on him, and commissioned him, as the Lord had spoken through Moses.

Prescribed Offerings

28 The Lord spoke to Moses, ² “Command the Israelites and say to them: Be sure to present to me at its appointed time my offering and my food^(L) as my food offering, a pleasing aroma to me.^{(M) 3} And say to them: This is the food offering you are to present to the Lord:^(N)

Daily Offerings

“Each day present two unblemished year-old male lambs as a regular burnt offering. ⁴ Offer one lamb in the morning and the other lamb at twilight, ⁵ along with two quarts^[d] of fine flour for a grain offering mixed with a quart^[e] of olive oil from crushed olives.^{(O) 6} It is a regular burnt offering established at Mount Sinai for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord. ⁷ The drink offering is to be a quart with each lamb. Pour out the offering of beer to the Lord in the sanctuary area. ⁸ Offer the second lamb at twilight, along with the same kind of grain offering and drink offering as in the morning. It is a food offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

Sabbath Offerings

⁹ “On the Sabbath day present two unblemished year-old male lambs, four quarts^[f] of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, and its drink offering. ¹⁰ It is the burnt offering for every Sabbath, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.^(P)

Monthly Offerings

¹¹ “At the beginning of each of your months^(Q) present a burnt offering to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, seven male lambs a year old—all unblemished— ¹² with six quarts^[g] of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering for each bull, four quarts of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering for the ram, ¹³ and two quarts^[h] of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering for each lamb. It is a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord. ¹⁴ Their drink offerings are to be two quarts^[i] of wine with each bull, one and a third quarts^[j] with the ram, and one quart^[k] with each male lamb. This is the monthly burnt offering for all the months of the year. ¹⁵ And one male goat is to be offered as a sin offering to the Lord, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its drink offering.

Offerings for Passover

¹⁶ “The Passover^(R) to the Lord comes in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month. ¹⁷ On the fifteenth day of this month there will be a festival; unleavened bread is to be eaten for seven days. ¹⁸ On the first day there is to be a sacred assembly; you are not to do any daily work.^{(S) 19} Present a food offering, a burnt offering to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old. Your animals are to be unblemished.^{(T) 20} The grain offering with them is to be of fine flour mixed with oil; offer six quarts with each bull and four quarts with the ram. ²¹ Offer two quarts with each of the seven lambs ²² and one male goat for a sin offering to make atonement for yourselves. ²³ Offer these with the morning burnt offering that is part of the regular burnt offering. ²⁴ You are to offer the same food each day for seven days as a food offering,^(U) a pleasing aroma to the Lord. It is to be offered with its drink offering and the regular burnt offering. ²⁵ On the seventh day you are to hold a sacred assembly; you are not to do any daily work.

Offerings for the Festival of Weeks

²⁶ “On the day of firstfruits, you are to hold a sacred assembly when you present an offering of new grain to the Lord at your Festival of Weeks;^(V) you are not to do any daily work. ²⁷ Present a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old, ²⁸ with their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, six quarts with each bull, four quarts with the ram, ²⁹ and two quarts with each of the seven lambs, ³⁰ and one male goat to make atonement for yourselves. ³¹ Offer them with their drink offerings in addition to the regular burnt offering and its grain offering. Your animals are to be unblemished.

The Question of Divorce

10 He^(A) set out from there and went to the region of Judea^(B) and across the Jordan.^(C) Then crowds converged on him again, and as was his custom he taught^(D) them again.

² Some Pharisees^(E) came to test^(F) him, asking, “Is it lawful^(G) for a man to divorce^(H) his wife?” ^(I)

³ He replied to them, “What did Moses^(J) command you?”

⁴ They said, “Moses permitted us to write divorce papers^(K) and send her away.”^(L)

⁵ But Jesus told them, “He wrote this command for you because of the hardness of your hearts. ^{(M) 6} But from the beginning^(N) of creation^(O) God^[a] made them male and female.^{[b](P) 7} For this reason a man will leave ^(Q) his father and mother ^{[c] 8} and the two will become one flesh.^[d](R) So they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹ Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”^(S)

¹⁰ When they were in the house again, the disciples questioned him about this matter. ¹¹ He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife^(T) and marries^(U) another commits adultery^(V) against her. ¹² Also, if she divorces her husband^(W) and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Blessing the Children

¹³ People^(X) were bringing little children^(Y) to him in order that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked^(Z) them. ¹⁴ When Jesus saw it, he was indignant^(AA) and said to them, “Let the little children come to me.^(AB) Don’t stop^(AC) them, because the kingdom of God^(AD) belongs to such as these. ¹⁵ Truly I tell you,^(AE) whoever does not receive^[e](AF) the kingdom of God like a little child^(AG) will never enter it.” ¹⁶ After taking them in his arms, he laid his hands on^(AH) them and blessed^(AI) them.