¹Then 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 .

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

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 .

⁴Why 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 .”

⁵Moses brought their cause before the LORD .

⁶The LORD spoke to Moses , saying,

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 .

⁸You 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 .

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

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

¹¹If 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 .’”

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

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

¹⁴because 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 .)

¹⁵Moses spoke to the LORD , saying ,

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

¹⁷who 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 .”

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

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

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

²¹He 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 .”

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

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