1 The daughters of Zelophehad came forward. Zelophehad was the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, of the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph; his daughters were named Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
2 They stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the chiefs, and the whole congregation at the entrance of the tent of meeting and said,
3 "Our father died in the wilderness. He was not part of the band that joined together against the LORD in Korah's band; he died for his own sin, and he had no sons.
4 Why should our father's name disappear from his clan just because he had no son? Give us property among our father's brothers."
5 Moses brought their case before the LORD,
6 and the LORD said to Moses,
7 "What the daughters of Zelophehad say is right. You must give them property as an inheritance among their father's brothers and pass their father's inheritance on to them.
8 Tell the children of Israel: If a man dies and has no son, pass his inheritance on 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 closest relative in his clan, and he is to take possession of it. This is to be a statute and ordinance for the children of Israel, as the LORD commanded Moses."
12 The LORD said to Moses, "Climb this mountain in the Abarim range and look at the land I have given to the children of Israel.
13 After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, just as your brother Aaron was gathered,
14 because when the congregation quarreled in the wilderness of Zin, you both rebelled against my command to show my holiness before their eyes at the waters." (These were the waters of Meribah at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)
15 Moses said to the LORD,
16 "May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation
17 to go out ahead of them and come in ahead of them, to lead them out and bring them in, so that the LORD's congregation will not be like sheep without a shepherd."
18 The LORD said to Moses, "Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him.
19 Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation, and give him his charge while they watch.
20 Confer some of your majesty on him, so that the whole congregation of the children of Israel will obey him.
21 He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will seek decisions for him by the Urim before the LORD. At his command they will go out and at his command they will come in, he and all the children of Israel with him, the whole congregation."
22 Moses did as the LORD had commanded him. He took Joshua, had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation,
23 laid his hands on him, and gave him his charge, as the LORD had directed through Moses.