The Daughters of Zelophehad

1And the daughters of Salpaad the son of Opher, the son of Galaad, the son of Machir, of the tribe of Manasse, of the sons of Joseph, came near; and these were their names, Maala, and Nua, and Egla, and Melcha, and Thersa; 2and they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes, and before all the congregation at the door of the tabernacle of witness, saying, 3Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the midst of the congregation that rebelled against the Lord in the gathering of Core; for he died for his own sin, and he had no sons. Let not the name of our father be blotted out of the midst of his people, because he has no son: give us an inheritance in the midst of our father's brethren. 4And Moses brought their case before the Lord. 5And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

The Law of Inheritances

6The daughters of Salpaad have spoken rightly: thou shalt surely give them a possession of inheritance in the midst of their father's brethren, and thou shalt assign their father's inheritance to them. 7And thou shalt speak to the children of Israel, saying, 8If a man die, and have no son, ye shall assign his inheritance to his daughter. 9And if he have no daughter, ye shall give his inheritance to his brother. 10And if he have no brethren, ye shall give his inheritance to his father's brother. 11And if there be no brethren of his father, ye shall give the inheritance to his nearest relation of his tribe, to inherit his possessions; and this shall be to the children of Israel an ordinance of judgment, as the Lord commanded Moses.

Moses Asks for a Successor

12And the Lord said to Moses, Go up to the mountain that is in the country beyond Jordan, this mount Nabau, and behold the land Chanaan, which I give to the sons of Israel for a possession. 13And thou shalt see it, and thou also shalt be added to thy people, as Aaron thy brother was added to them in mount Or: 14because ye transgressed my commandment in the wilderness of Sin, when the congregation resisted and refused to sanctify me; ye sanctified me not at the water before them. This is the water of Strife in Cades in the wilderness of Sin.

15And Moses said to the Lord, 16Let the Lord God of spirits and of all flesh look out for a man over this congregation, 17who shall go out before them, and who shall come in before them, and who shall lead them out, and who shall bring them in; so the congregation of the Lord shall not be as sheep without a shepherd.

Joshua to Succeed Moses

18And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Take to thyself Joshua the son of Naue, a man who has the Spirit in him, and thou shalt lay thy hands upon him. 19And thou shalt set him before Eleazar the priest, and thou shalt give him a charge before all the congregation, and thou shalt give a charge concerning him before them. 20And thou shalt put of thy glory upon him, that the children of Israel may hearken to him. 21And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, and they shall ask of him before the Lord the judgment of the Urim: they shall go forth at his word, and at his word they shall come in, he and the children of Israel with one accord, and 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 on him, and appointed him as the Lord ordered Moses.