1Then the daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, came forward—from the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
2They stood before Moses, before Eleazar the priest, before the leaders, and before all the congregation, at the entrance of the tent of meeting, saying:
3“Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among the company that gathered together against Yahweh in the company of Korah, but he died for his own sin, and he had no sons.
4Why should our father’s name be taken away from the midst of his clan because he has no son? Give us a holding among the brothers of our father.”
5So Moses brought their case before Yahweh.
6And Yahweh said to Moses, saying:
7“The daughters of Zelophehad are speaking rightly. You shall surely give them a holding of inheritance among their father’s brothers, and you shall transfer their father’s inheritance to them.
8And to the sons of Israel you shall speak, saying: If a man dies and has no son, then you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter.
9And if he has no daughter, you shall give his inheritance to his brothers.
10And if he has no brothers, you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers.
11And if his father has no brothers, you shall give his inheritance to his nearest kinsman from his clan, and he shall possess it. This shall be for the sons of Israel a statute of ordinance, as Yahweh commanded Moses.”
12And Yahweh said to Moses, “Go up to this mountain of the Abarim and see the land that I have given to the sons of Israel.
13When you have seen it, you too shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered,
14because you rebelled against my mouth in the wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, to treat me as holy at the waters before their eyes.” These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin.
15And Moses spoke to Yahweh, saying:
16“May Yahweh, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation,
17who will go out before them and who will come in before them, who will lead them out and who will bring them in, so that the congregation of Yahweh will not be like sheep that have no shepherd.”
18And Yahweh said to Moses, “Take for yourself Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom there is spirit, and lay your hand upon him.
19You shall have him stand before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and you shall commission him before their eyes.
20And you shall place some of your majesty upon him, so that all the congregation of the sons of Israel will obey.
21He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who will inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before Yahweh. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in—he and all the sons of Israel with him, and all the congregation.”
22And Moses did as Yahweh had commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation.
23He laid his hands upon him and commissioned him, as Yahweh had spoken by the hand of Moses.
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