[1] Then drew near the daughters of Zeloph'ehad the son of Hepher, son of
Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manas'seh, from the families of Manas'seh the
son of Joseph. The names of his daughters were: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah,
Milcah, and Tirzah. [2] And they stood before Moses, and before Elea'zar
the priest, and before the leaders and all the congregation, at the door of
the tent of meeting, saying, [3] "Our father died in the wilderness; he was
not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against the
LORD in the company of Korah, but 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 to us a possession among our father's
brethren." [5] Moses brought their case before the LORD. [6] And the LORD
said to Moses, [7] "The daughters of Zeloph'ehad are right; you shall give
them possession of an inheritance among their father's brethren and cause
the inheritance of their father to pass to them. [8] And you shall say to
the people of Israel, `If a man dies, and has no son, then you shall cause
his inheritance to pass to his daughter. [9] 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 kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it.
And it shall be to the people of Israel a statute and ordinance, as the
LORD commanded Moses.'" [12] The LORD said to Moses, "Go up into this
mountain of Ab'arim, and see the land which I have given to the people of
Israel. [13] And when you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your
people, as your brother Aaron was gathered, [14] because you rebelled
against my word in the wilderness of Zin during the strife of the
congregation, to sanctify me at the waters before their eyes." (These are
the waters of Mer'ibah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.) [15] Moses said
to the LORD, [16] "Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh,
appoint a man over the congregation, [17] who shall go out before them and
come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in; that the
congregation of the LORD may not be as sheep which have no shepherd." [18]
And the LORD said to Moses, "Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is
the spirit, and lay your hand upon him; [19] cause him to stand before
Elea'zar the priest and all the congregation, and you shall commission him
in their sight. [20] You shall invest him with some of your authority, that
all the congregation of the people of Israel may obey. [21] And he shall
stand before Elea'zar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment
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 people of Israel with him, the
whole congregation." [22] And Moses did as the LORD commanded him; he took
Joshua and caused him to stand before Elea'zar the priest and the whole
congregation, [23] and he laid his hands upon him, and commissioned him as
the LORD directed through Moses.
