Then drew near 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; and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noa and Hoglah, and Milcah and Tirzah.
They stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest and before the leaders and all the congregation at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, saying,
“Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against Yahweh in the company of Korah: but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons.
Why 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.”
Moses brought their cause before Yahweh.
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
“The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: you are to surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father’s brothers; and you are to cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them.
You are to speak to the children of Israel, saying, If a man dies, and has no son, then you are to cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter.
If he has no daughter, then you are to give his inheritance to his brothers.
If he has no brothers, then you are to give his inheritance to his father’s brothers.
If his father has no brothers, then you are to give his inheritance to his kinsman who is next to him of his family, and he will possess it; and it is to be to the children of Israel a statute and ordinance as Yahweh commanded Moses.”
Joshua to Succeed Moses
Yahweh said to Moses, “Go up into this mountain of Abarim and see the land that I have given to the children of Israel.
When you have seen it, you also will be gathered to your people as Aaron your brother was gathered,
because you rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin in the strife of the congregation to sanctify me at the waters before their eyes.” (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)
Moses spoke to Yahweh, saying,
“Let Yahweh, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation
who 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 Yahweh not be as sheep that have no shepherd.”
Yahweh said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand on him
and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation; and commission him in their sight.
You are to put of your honor on him, so that all the congregation of the children of Israel will obey him.
He will stand before Eleazar the priest who will inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before Yahweh; at his word they will go out and at his word they will come in, both he and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.”
Moses did as Yahweh commanded him, and he took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation:
and he laid his hands on him and commissioned him as Yahweh spoke by Moses.