Numbers 27:1-23
Joshua to Succeed Moses
1 The daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, belonged to the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. The names of the daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah. They came forward 2 and stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders and the whole assembly at the entrance to the tent of meeting and said, 3 “Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among Korah’s followers, who banded together against the Lord, but he died for his own sin and left 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 relatives.”
5 So Moses brought their case before the Lord, 6 and the Lord said to him, 7 “What Zelophehad’s daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance among their father’s relatives and give their father’s inheritance to them.
8 “Say to the Israelites, ‘If a man dies and leaves no son, give his inheritance to his daughter. 9 If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11 If his father had no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative in his clan, that he may possess it. This is to have the force of law for the Israelites, as the Lord commanded Moses.’”
12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go up this mountain in the Abarim Range and see the land I have given the Israelites. 13 After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was, 14 for when the community rebelled at the waters in the Desert of Zin, both of you disobeyed my command to honor me as holy before their eyes.” (These were the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.)
15 Moses said to the Lord, 16 “May the Lord, the God who gives breath to all living things, appoint someone over this community 17 to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”
18 So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership, and lay your hand on him. 19 Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. 20 Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him. 21 He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the Lord. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in.”
22 Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. 23 Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the Lord instructed through Moses.
Zelophehad was the son of Hepher...Hepher was the son of Gilead...Gilead was the son of Makir...Makir was the son of Manasseh...Manasseh was the son of Joseph...Zelophehad had five daughters...Their names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah...These five women went to the Meeting Tent and stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and all the Israelites...The five daughters said, “Our father died while we were traveling through the desert...He died a natural death...He was not one of the men who joined Korah’s group...(Korah was the man who turned against the LORD.)...But our father had no sons...This means that our father’s name will not continue...It is not fair that our father’s name will not continue...His name will end because he had no sons...So we ask you to give us some of the land that our father’s brothers will get.”...So Moses asked the LORD what he should do...The LORD said to him, “The daughters of Zelophehad are right...They should share the land with their father’s brothers...So give them the land that you would have given to their father...“So tell the Israelites, ‘If a man has no son, when he dies everything he owns will be given to his daughter...If he has no daughter, everything he owns will be given to his brothers...If he has no brothers, everything he owns will be given to his father’s brothers...If his father had no brothers, everything he owns will be given to the closest relative in his family...This will be a law among the Israelites...The LORD has given this command to Moses.’”...
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go up on one of mountains in the desert east of the Jordan River...There you will see the land that I am giving to the Israelites...After you have seen this land, you will die like your brother Aaron...Remember when the people became angry at the water in the desert of Zin...Both you and Aaron refused to obey My command...You did not honor Me and show the people that I AM Holy.”...(This was at the water of Meribah near Kadesh in the desert of Zin.)...Moses said to the LORD, “LORD, you are the God who knows what people are thinking...I pray that you will choose a leader for these people...I pray that you will choose a leader who will lead them out of this land and bring them into the new land...Then your people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”...So the LORD said to Moses, “Joshua son of Nun is very wise...You will place your hand on him and make him the new leader...Tell him to stand before Eleazar the priest and all the people...Then make him the new leader...“Show the people that you are making him leader, then all the people will obey him...If Joshua needs to make a decision, he will go to Eleazar the priest...Eleazar will use the Urim to learn the LORD's answer...Then Joshua and all the Israelites will do the things God says...If he says, ‘go to war,’ they will go to war...And if he says, ‘go home,’ they will go home.”...
Moses obeyed the LORD...Moses told Joshua to stand before Eleazar the priest and all the Israelites...Then Moses put his hands on him to show that he was the new leader...He did this just as the LORD told him to...