1Then the daughters of Zelophehad came forward. Zelophehad was 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. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
2They stood in front of Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and the leaders and all the people, at the door of the tent of meeting. They said,
3"Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among those who gathered together against the LORD in the company of Korah. He died for his own sin, and he had no sons."
4"Why should our father's name be taken away from his family, just because he had no son? Give us land of our own among our father's brothers."
5So Moses brought their case before the LORD.
6And the LORD spoke to Moses. He said,
7"The daughters of Zelophehad are right in what they say. You must certainly give them land of their own as an inheritance among their father's brothers. Pass their father's inheritance on to them."
8"And say to the children of Israel, 'If a man dies and has no son, then you shall pass his inheritance on to his daughter."
9"'And if he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers."
10"'And 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 nearest relative in his family, and that man shall own it.' This shall be a law and a rule for the children of Israel, as the LORD commanded Moses."
12And the LORD said to Moses, "Go up into this mountain of Abarim, and look at the land which I have given to the children of Israel."
13"When you have seen it, you also will be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered."
14"For you rebelled against my command in the desert of Zin, when the people quarrelled. You did not treat me as holy at the water, before their eyes." That is the water of Meribah in Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin.
15And Moses spoke to the LORD. He said,
16"Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the people."
17"Let him go out before them and come in before them. Let him lead them out and bring them in. Then the people of the LORD will not be like sheep that have no shepherd."
18And the LORD said to Moses, "Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand on him."
19"Set him in front of Eleazar the priest and all the people, and give him his orders while they watch."
20"Put some of your honour on him, so that all the people of the children of Israel will obey him."
21"He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask guidance for him by the judgment of Urim before the LORD. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in - both he and all the children of Israel with him, the whole community."
22Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and set him in front of Eleazar the priest and all the people.
23He laid his hands on him and gave him his orders, as the LORD had commanded through Moses.