Numbers 27

27 ¹ The daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, from the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph, came forward. His daughters' names: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, Tirzah. ² They stood before Moses, before Eleazar the priest, before the leaders and the whole assembly, at the tent of meeting's entrance, and said: ³ Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among those who gathered against our Father with Korah's group; he died for his own sin, and had no sons. ⁴ Why should our father's name disappear from his clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father's brothers.

⁵ So Moses brought their case before our Father. ⁶ And our Father said to Moses:

⁷ Zelophehad's daughters are right. Give them a hereditary portion among their father's brothers, and transfer their father's inheritance to them. ⁸ Say to the Israelites: If a man dies without a son, transfer his inheritance to his daughter. ⁹ If he has no daughter, you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. ¹⁰ If he has no brothers, you shall give his inheritance to his father's brothers. ¹¹ If his father has no brothers, give his inheritance to his nearest relative in his clan, who shall possess it. This is a legal statute for the Israelites, as our Father commanded Moses.

Moses Sees the Land

¹² Then our Father said to Moses, "Go up Mount Abarim and see the land I've given the Israelites." ¹³ When you see it, you too will be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered. ¹⁴ because you rebelled against my command in the wilderness of Zin, during the congregation's quarrel, to honor me as holy at the water before their eyes — the water of Meribah of Kadesh, wilderness of Zin.

¹⁵ Moses spoke to our Father, saying: ¹⁶ "May our Father, the Father of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation ¹⁷ who goes out before them and comes in before them, who leads them out and brings them in, so our Father's assembly will not be like sheep without a shepherd.

¹⁸ So our Father told Moses, "Take Joshua son of Nun, a man with the Spirit of our Father in him, and lay your hand on him." ¹⁹ Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly, and commission him before their eyes. ²⁰ Give him some of your authority, so that the whole congregation of the Israelites will obey him. ²¹ He will stand before Eleazar the priest, who will consult the Urim's judgment for him before our Father. At Eleazar's word they will go out, at his word come in — he, all the Israelites with him, the whole congregation.

²² Moses obeyed our Father's command: he took Joshua and stood him before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly. ²³ He laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as our Father had spoken through Moses.