Old Testament · Numbers

Numbers 27

The Daughters of Zelophehad

(Numbers 36:1–13)

1And the daughters of Zelophehad drew near, 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, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah. 2And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, at the door of the tent^a of appointed time (mo-ed), saying: 3"Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the midst of the congregation, those who gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah; but he died in his own sin, and he had no sons. 4Why should the name of our father be taken away from the midst of his family, because he has no son? Give to us a possession in the midst of the brothers of our father."

5And Moses brought their cause before the LORD. 6And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 7"The daughters of Zelophehad speak rightly; giving you shall give them a possession of an inheritance in the midst of the brothers of their father, and you shall cause the inheritance of their father to pass over to them.

8And to the sons of Israel you shall speak, saying: A man^b, if he dies and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass over to his daughter. 9And if he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. 10And if he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to the brothers of his father. 11And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his kinsman who is near to him of his family, and he shall possess it. And it shall be to the sons of Israel a statute^c of judgment^d, as the LORD commanded^e Moses."

Moses Requests a Successor

(Deuteronomy 3:23–29)

12And the LORD said to Moses: "Go up to this mountain of Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the sons of Israel. 13And when you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered; 14because you rebelled against my mouth 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 Meribath-kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.

15And Moses spoke to the LORD, saying: 16"Let the LORD, the God of the spirits^f of all flesh^g, appoint a man over the congregation, 17who may go out before them, and who may come in before them, and who may bring them out, and who may bring them in; that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd."

Joshua to Succeed Moses

(Deuteronomy 31:1–8)

18And the LORD said to Moses: "Take to yourself Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is spirit, and lay your hand upon him; 19and you shall set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and you shall command him before their eyes. 20And you shall put of your honor upon him, that all the congregation of the sons of Israel may hearken. 21And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the LORD; at his mouth they shall go out, and at his mouth they shall come in, he and all the sons of Israel with him, even all the congregation."

22And Moses did as the LORD commanded him; and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation. 23And he laid his hands upon him, and commanded him, as the LORD spoke by the hand of Moses.