Daily Bread

Zelophehad’s Daughters^(A)

27 The daughters of Zelophehad^(B) son of Hepher,^(C) the son of Gilead,^(D) the son of Makir,^(E) the son of Manasseh, belonged to the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. The names of the daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah. They came forward ² and stood before Moses,^(F) Eleazar the priest, the leaders^(G) and the whole assembly at the entrance to the tent of meeting^(H) and said, ³ “Our father died in the wilderness.^(I) He was not among Korah’s followers, who banded together against the Lord,^(J) but he died for his own sin and left no sons.^{(K) 4} Why should our father’s name disappear from his clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father’s relatives.”

⁵ So Moses brought their case^(L) before the Lord,^{(M) 6} and the Lord said to him, ⁷ “What Zelophehad’s daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance^(N) among their father’s relatives and give their father’s inheritance to them.^(O)

⁸ “Say to the Israelites, ‘If a man dies and leaves no son, give his inheritance to his daughter. ⁹ If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. ¹⁰ If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. ¹¹ If his father had no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative in his clan, that he may possess it. This is to have the force of law^(P) for the Israelites, as the Lord commanded Moses.’”

Joshua to Succeed Moses

¹² Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go up this mountain^(Q) in the Abarim Range^(R) and see the land^(S) I have given the Israelites.^{(T) 13} After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people,^(U) as your brother Aaron^(V) was, ¹⁴ for when the community rebelled at the waters in the Desert of Zin,^(W) both of you disobeyed my command to honor me as holy^(X) before their eyes.” (These were the waters of Meribah^(Y) Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.)

¹⁵ Moses said to the Lord, ¹⁶ “May the Lord, the God who gives breath to all living things,^(Z) appoint someone over this community ¹⁷ to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”^(AA)

¹⁸ So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership,^[a](AB) and lay your hand on him.^{(AC) 19} Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him^(AD) in their presence.^{(AE) 20} Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him.^{(AF) 21} He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring^(AG) of the Urim^(AH) before the Lord. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in.”

²² Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. ²³ Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him,^(AI) as the Lord instructed through Moses.