Numbers 27

1 Then 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. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

Then 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.

2 They stood before Moses, before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, at the door of the Tent of Meeting, saying,

And 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:

3 “Our father died in the wilderness. He was not amongst the company of those who gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah, but he died in his own sin. He had no sons.

Our 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.

4 Why should the name of our father be taken away from amongst his family, because he had no son? Give to us a possession amongst the brothers of our father.”

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

5 Moses brought their cause before the LORD.

And the Lord said to him:

6 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

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

7 “The daughters of Zelophehad speak right. You shall surely give them a possession of an inheritance amongst their father’s brothers. You shall cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them.

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

8 You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘If a man dies, and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter.

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

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

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

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

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

11 If his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his kinsman who is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it. This shall be a statute and ordinance for the children of Israel, as the LORD commanded Moses.’”

But 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.

12 The LORD said to Moses, “Go up into this mountain of Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the children of Israel.

The 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.

13 When you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered;

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

14 because in the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin, to honour me as holy at the waters before their eyes.” (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)

Because 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.

15 Moses spoke to the LORD, saying,

And Moses answered him:

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

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

17 who may go out before them, and who may come in before them, and who may lead them out, and who may bring them in, that the congregation of the LORD may not be as sheep which have no shepherd.”

And 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.

18 The LORD said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him.

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

19 Set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and commission him in their sight.

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

20 You shall give authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may obey.

And 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.

21 He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall enquire for him by the judgement of the Urim before the LORD. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.”

If 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.

22 Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation.

Moses 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,

23 He laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the LORD spoke by Moses.

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