Zelophehad’s Daughters Make a Case for Inheritance

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 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 YHWH 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 among his family, because he had no son? Give to us a possession among the brothers of our father.”

⁵Moses brought their cause before YHWH.

⁶YHWH spoke to Moses, saying,

⁷“The daughters of Zelophehad speak rightly. You must give-give them a possession of an inheritance among their father’s relatives and transfer their father’s inheritance to them.

⁸You are to speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘If a man dies, and has no son, then y’all are to transfer his inheritance to his daughter.

⁹If he has no daughter, then y’all are to give his inheritance to his brothers.

¹⁰If he has no brothers, then y’all are to give his inheritance to his father’s brothers.

¹¹If his father has no brothers, then y’all are to give his inheritance to his relative nearest to him from his family, and he will possess it. This is to be a statute and ordinance for the children of Israel, as YHWH commanded Moses.’”

Joshua to Succeed Moses

¹²YHWH 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 will also be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered,

¹⁴because in the strife of the congregation in the wilderness of Zin, y’all rebelled against my command to honor 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 YHWH, saying,

¹⁶“Let YHWH, 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 YHWH may not be as sheep which have no shepherd.”

¹⁸YHWH 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 are to give authority to him, so that all the congregation of the children of Israel will obey.

²¹He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before YHWH. At his command they and all the children of Israel, the entire community, will go out and come in.”

²²Moses did as YHWH 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 YHWH spoke by Moses.