Numbers 27

Inheritance Laws

1 Then came the daughters of *Num. 26:33; 36:1, 11; Josh. 17:3Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, from the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph; and these were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 2 And they stood before Moses, before Eleazar the priest, and before the leaders and all the congregation, by the doorway of the tabernacle of meeting, saying: 3 "Our father *Num. 14:35; 26:64, 65died in the wilderness; but he was not in the company of those who gathered together against the Lord, *Num. 16:1, 2in company with Korah, but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons. 4 Why should the name of our father be *Deut. 25:6removed from among his family because he had no son? *Josh. 17:4Give us a possession among our father’s brothers."

5 So Moses *Ex. 18:13–26brought their case before the Lord.

6 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 7 "The daughters of Zelophehad speak whatis right; *Num. 36:2; Josh. 17:4you shall surely give them a possession of inheritance among their father’s brothers, and cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them. 8 And you 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. 9 If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11 And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to the relative closest to him in his family, and he shall possess it.’ " And it shall be to the children of Israel *Num. 35:29a statute of judgment, just as the Lord commanded Moses.

Joshua the Next Leader of Israel

12 Now the Lord said to Moses: *Num. 33:47; Deut. 3:23–27; 32:48–52; 34:1–4"Go up into this Mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the children of Israel. 13 And when you have seen it, you also *Num. 20:12, 24, 28; 31:2; Deut. 10:6; 34:5, 6shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered. 14 For in the Wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you *Num. 20:12, 24; Deut. 1:37; 32:51; Ps. 106:32, 33rebelled against My command to hallow Me at the waters before their eyes." (These are the *Ex. 17:7waters of Meribah, at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.)

15 Then Moses spoke to the Lord, saying: 16 "Let the Lord, *Num. 16:22; Heb. 12:9the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, 17 *Deut. 31:2; 1 Sam. 8:20; 18:13; 2 Chr. 1:10who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be *1 Kin. 22:17; Zech. 10:2; Matt. 9:36; Mark 6:34like sheep which have no shepherd."

18 And the Lord said to Moses: "Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man *Gen. 41:38; Judg. 3:10; 1 Sam. 16:13, 18in whom is the Spirit, and *Deut. 34:9lay your hand on him; 19 set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and *Deut. 3:28; 31:3, 7, 8, 23inaugurate him in their sight. 20 And *Num. 11:17you shall give some of your authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel *Josh. 1:16–18may be obedient. 21 *Judg. 20:18, 23, 26; 1 Sam. 23:9; 30:7He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the Lord for him *Ex. 28:30; 1 Sam. 28:6by the judgment of the Urim. *Josh. 9:14; 1 Sam. 22:10At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him—all the congregation."

22 So Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. 23 And he laid his hands on him *Deut. 3:28; 31:7, 8and inaugurated him, just as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses.